Sermon Central
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Trusting God’s Guidance Series
Contributed by Bobby Stults on Jul 29, 2010 (message contributor)
Summary: We seek after it... We receive it into our lives... We test it to make sure its from God... but until we fully learn to TRUST God’s guidance, our Christian walk will NEVER be what God wants it to be for the simple reason that we trust ourself MORE than we
SERMON BRIEF
Date Written: July 27, 2010
Date Preached: Aug 1, 2010
Church: OPBC (AM)
FOUNDATIONAL ELEMENTS
Series: Finding God’s Guidance in this World
Title: Trusting In God’s Guidance
Text: Proverbs 3:5-6
ETS: The writer of Proverbs wanted his readers to rely on Godly wisdom and not trust in human wisdom
ESS: This passage also speaks to believers today and lets us know we should rely on Godly wisdom and not trust in human wisdom
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”
Introduction:
Today we begin a new month, and we look back at 2010 and see that 7 months have past… we are over ½ way thru this year! Today, like we do every Sunday we come to worship and give praise to God who brought out of darkness and has shined His holy and purifying light on us.
For many of us here, the future seems a bit murky, a bit out of phase and although we can see the road God has placed us upon, we cannot see very far ahead! We also know that when God is leading us, the road is well planned, but without God’s wisdom and guidance to lead us we will not understand the path God has set.
We have so much more to look forward to this year as a fellowship. We have come so very far over the past 7-10 months. We have seen 16 people join our fellowship and 6 by way of baptism and next week we will be baptizing at least 4 others into our body! This has been truly a great and moving year for our fellowship!
But this year is FAR from over, we have many things to look forward to during the remainder of this year and they are going to take us down roads that we may feel we cannot travel, but rest assured that even though it may seem complicated and confusing with all the twists and turns it will bring, God is there to guide us and as long as we rest on His wisdom, we cannot fail… in fact the Bible tells us we have already WON!
When we face these twists and turns of life, it is naturally going to throw us for a loop… it will naturally challenge our highest knowledge and our deepest understanding of the things of life. There ARE going to be hills for us to climb as a fellowship… there ARE going to be waters to cross for us as a body of believers! There ARE going to be bumps in the road and rapids in our way!
Preacher how will we manage to survive? How can we know with assurance that, as a church, we can successfully traverse these scary and uncharted waters? Is there anything that will guarantee that we are safe in God’s will? Is there anything out there that will definitely lead us in the direction we should go?
This morning we will be looking at a passage that answers these questions. The passage says that we CAN make it – and that we WILL make it victoriously if we but trust in the guidance of God.
Our Scripture this morning says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”
GUIDANCE…that is an excellent watchword for us as believers as we face the remainder of this year and what God has for us as a fellowship! I believe it to be a a battle cry for our believers as we face the testing times within our fellowship! I believe it will be THE comfort and strength we look to and seek in ALL the uncertain times that we will all encounter.
This guidance is a sufficient substitute for a road map, even though our eyes cannot ‘see’ the turns in the road, the stops that lie ahead, the difficulties in our journey, or the pleasures that God has in store for us.
So pastor what are saying? What does this passage mean for my walk in Christ? What does this passage mean for the life of our church? How can we use this passage of Scripture and apply it to our lives in serving God here at Oak Park?
First I see that…
God can guide us in our everyday living:
In every decision we make, in every action that we take, in every development in our lives, God WILL be there and God will direct our paths.
An analogy comes to mind when I see the word ‘direct’ in this passage.
The analogy is one of a road builder and a maintenance man for the road. These people assure us that when we travel to a desired destination we will make it because they have built the road and they have also maintained it.
