The Cost of Going Off
Strategies for Stressful Times—Part 5
Robert Madu
September 11-12, 2021
Three Essential Questions
After watching the message take some time reflect on the following three questions.
- What did you hear? What point in this message was most impactful for you?
- What do you think? How did this message challenge, change, or affirm your thinking?
- What will you do? How will you put into practice what you've learned today?
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU GET MAD?
"People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness."
Proverbs 14:29 (NLT)
"Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath…"
Ephesians 4:26 (NKJV)
"Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."
Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said…"
"So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."
But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.
Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!" So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy."
2 Kings 5:1-4, 9-14 (NIV)
1. STATUS DOESN'T STOP SUFFERING
2. SERVANTS ALWAYS START MIRACLES
ACTION PLAN: Would you like to see God working through your serving? Go to our website at https://saddleback.com/ministries to see opportunities to serve or, take your first step to determine your SHAPE for ministry by signing up for CLASS 301.
3. SIMPLE OBEDIENCE IS STRENGTH
ACTION PLAN: Do a few repetitions of a spiritual workout by thinking back through this past week. When was there a point that your anger either erupted or was stuffed? Tell God what the circumstances were and confess how your anger assassinated your assignment from him. Ask for his help to deal with similar situations according to his command to not let the sun go down on your anger.
Weekly Action Steps
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