Naaman Had A Few Things to Learn

“But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, ‘Indeed, I said to myself, He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy’” 

2 Kings 5:11

Naaman had earned the love and respect of his king. Yet for all his strength and might, Naaman suffered from the dreaded disease of leprosy. When his king learned of a Hebrew prophet named Elisha who might be able to help, he sent Naaman off with great expectations.

But rather than an impressive meeting with the prophet, Naaman received instructions by a messenger to wash seven times in the Jordan River. This enraged Naaman and he angrily refused to follow the prescription. He struggled with pride, faulty expectations, and inflexibility-much like many today.

Thankfully, Naaman had surrounded himself with individuals who could speak up and disagree with him, and they provided good counsel. Naaman changed his mind, followed the prophet’s directives, and was healed. Those who remain teachable receive ongoing blessings.

As Christians, we must always remain teachable. The world around us depends on us to listen, learn, and provide wise counsel. using the Word of God to help others! Remember, salt and light have an influence and impact!

Sunday AM

Failure

21 Christian Growth Issues in the Bible

Job 1:13-22

I. You Can Find A Lesson in Every Loss

a. Job 1:21

b. Job 42:10

II. God Meets Us at the Lowest Point

a. 1 Kings 19:1-18

III. Failure Isn’t Final

a. Lam. 3:1-33

IV. Two Failures, Two Different Reactions

a. Matt. 26:14-16, 31-35

b. Matt. 26:69-75

c. Matt. 27:1-5

Sunday PM

Trust God Not Man

Deut. 8:1-10

I. How Israel Learned to Trust God

a. Ex. 14:12

b. Ex. 15:24

c. Ex. 16:3, 8

d. Deut. 8:1-6

e. Josh. 1:5-7

II. Jesus, Our Example of Trusting God

a. Matt. 4:1-11

b. Matt. 4:1-4

c. Matt. 4:5-7

d. Matt. 4:8-11

III. Focusing Our Trust in God Today

a. Matt. 6:11

b. Matt. 6:26-29

c. Matt. 6:33

d. John 3:16

e. Mark 16:15-16

f. 2 Pet. 1:5-7

g. 1 Cor. 10:13

h. James 5:10-11

i. 2 Cor. 9:12-15

Trade Your Fears for Faith in God

Exodus 3:4

“When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush”

Brokenness involves removing inappropriate pride and self-reliance and building healthy God-reliance.  God tamed Moses’ self-reliance and pride in the desert, but to create trust He had to break the man’s fears. Moses dealt with different kinds of fear in his encounter with God:

1. Fears concerning himself. God responded by assuring Moses of his purpose.

2. Fears concerning God. God responded by overwhelming Moses with His presence.

3. Fears concerning others. God responded by demonstrating His power and commitment.

4. Fears concerning his ability. God responded by providing him with a partner, his brother, Aaron.

With his willfulness broken, his fears overcome, and his purpose affirmed, Moses finally placed himself in the hands of God.

Life is filled with trade-offs. Moses sacrificed his status and material possessions to prepare for his life purpose. And then to fulfill it, he had to sacrifice again, relinquishing the security and safety of obscurity in the desert. If you desire to lead, then you must be ready to make sacrifices.