wise words of Andy Stanley

Posted by Fidelity in

“The pleasures of life will eventually cause almost every single element of your belief system to become inconvenient. In order to continue believing, you’re going to have to give up some pleasure. And if your faith is purely circumstantial, you will opt for pleasure over faith every single time, and you’ll adjust your belief system to match your lifestyle.”
Andy Stanley, in the sermon Faith, Hope and Luck: Better Odds.

The pleasures of my life: softball, eating, dancing, family, friends
will cause almost every single element of my belief system: my faith in God, Jesus and Holy Spirit
to become inconvenient: too busy to read my Bible, nobody to go with me to Church, not enough time
in order to continue believing (in the cross) you're going to have to give up some pleasures. And if your faith is purely circumstantial (based on good times) you will choose pleasure over faith every single time (pleasure and enjoyment and being in control over dependency) and you will adjust your belief system to match your lifestyle (change your beliefs to coordinate with what you want).

prayers of my life:

"Father God, thank You for Your grace and mercy in my life. Thank You for believing in me, for giving me a hope and a future. Today I choose to stretch; I choose increase; I choose to rise up higher so that I can be all You’ve created me to be. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

Dear Lord, I want to please you with my words of my mouth and meditations of my heart. I want to spark a revolution for our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. I pray that you let my whole life be a blazing offering, a life that shouts and sings the greatness of the king. Bend me and mold me use me for your glory. In Jesus' name. Amen

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

2 corinthians 4:7-12

The gospel so much exceeds the law in glory, that it eclipses the glory of the legal dispensation. But even the New Testament will be a killing letter, if shown as a mere system or form, and without dependence on God the Holy Spirit, to give it a quickening power. (2Co 3:12-18)

Dear Lord, I need Your loving touch today. Let Your love song wash over me and fill my heart. I release my feelings of doubt to You and rest in Your undying love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.