Strength and Courage

Envy is a strong emotional feeling capable of producing a negative manipulative force which eventual desired effect is to seek the psychological or physical annihilation of the self-acclaimed "impedance". It deprives us from achieving our goals by causing us to redirect our wits and energies towards condemning the "enemy" rather than embarking on productive ventures. With confusion of purpose, as well as an injured mind, we lose sight of what we need to achieve. The secret to a fulfilled life rests with contentment and being resourceful to the Kingdom of God.   Text:   Gen. 4: 3-8 1. Precipitants of envy Gen. 26:14; 30:1. 1Sam. 18:9. Ecc. 4:4. 1Tim. 6:4. Tit. 3:3 2. Discuss the effects of envy Job 5:2, Prov. 14:30 , Matt. 27:18, Mark 15:10 , Acts 7:9; 13:45 , James 3:16 3. Mastering precipitating factors Psa. 37:1, Prov. 3:31, 23:17 4. Maintaining an envy-free lifestyle 1Tim. 6:6, Ecc. 9:11, Psa. 75:6,7; Rom 12:15, Phil 4:8; 2:4 If you find yourself ge...

Guilt is an in-built tendency with an intended purpose of creating godly sorrow leading to repentance. It is erroneously often accepted as a consequence of failure to attain right-standing with God. Guilt is only mentioned only a few times in the Bible where it is mostly associated with unlawful shedding of blood. Some eccentric believers,  “overly supersensitive” to sin fall into the trap of being deeply buried in guilt from previous offenses or commitments. The ultimate outcome is that the victim becomes vulnerable to circumstantial abuses; believing that they are being meted to him/her as a result of past actions. This attribute has barred a lot of people from accepting forgiveness as well as the graces of God. They resort to the practice of self-deprivations (e.g. penance, giving of alms) as a way to gratify their consciences. Guilt gives birth to depression, its attendant loss of enthusiasm or life. We need joy to take over from guilt in order to prosper.  Text: Psalms ...

We all hate to fail. This tendency is so strong that whenever our wrongs or misfire is/are pointed to us, we immediately turkey-off our egos. Not many people learn from failure as a result of this eventually as the opportunity to learn is diverted to unproductive denial and "making-up for the occasion." A review of experiences recorded in the Bible however, demonstrates there is a lot to learn from dismal situations. We aim to learn from those who failed and how they bounced back to lime light. Texts: Gen. 21:8-12; 2Samuel 12:1-13; Judges chapter 16 (selected verses in the chapter) 1.         Accepting responsibility Compare David's response to Eli's (1Sam. 3:16-18) after they were rebuked for wrong-doing. 2.         Retracing your steps Discuss the steps Abraham and David took to rediscover their goals 3.         Bouncing back What factor motivated Samso...

Heb 13:6. “ So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Fear is responsible for failure and poor performance of people engaged in different endeavours. Fear is the price one pays to purchase failure. The only way to avoid failure being shipped to you is not to pay the price for it. Satan works best within an atmosphere of fear, doubt and intimidation. God works where there is faith, boldness and courage. Fear must thus be tackled to achieve meaningful progress. Texts 1Sam. 17:25-47; Josh. 1:6-9; Ps. 91:1-12; 27:1-3 1. Discuss the effects of fear. -1Sam 13:11,12; 17:24 -Numbers 13:31-33 2. Discuss the manner David tackled the "fear environment" created by Goliath. 3. Dealing with fear i. God's part He has given us the Spirit of boldness and sound mind. 1Tim 1:7 He will help you. Isaiah 41:10-12 He shall revenge on our behalf. Heb 10:30 ii. Your part Josh. 1:6-9; Ps. 91:1,2; 27:1-3; Isaiah 35:4,5 Things to do: a.  ...