Day 27: I Am Confident
Elevate 28 - A 28 Day Challenge to Intentionally Engage with God's Word
DAY 27
"for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught."
Proverbs 3:26
TEACHING
"Confident Hope"
By James MacDonald, Walk in the Word
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13, ESV).
It doesn’t take a long look at the world around us to wonder if the whole thing has gone crazy.
In the midst of so much chaos, where can we stake our hope? Exhorting us to endurance, the Apostle Peter urged us to prepare “your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
The energy to live the Christian life is found in one place—in our focused, conscious choice to put our hope in Jesus. Hope is the confident expectation of better days ahead.
As you look to the future:
Don’t set your hope on your physical health—set your hope on Jesus. “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day”(2 Corinthians 4:16).
Don’t set your hope on your stuff—set your hope on Jesus. “And [Jesus] said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions’” (Luke 12:15).
Don’t set your hope on people—set your hope on Jesus. “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God” (Psalm 146:3, 5).
No leader, pastor, family member, friend, or spouse can be everything that we hope and dream he or she will be. People, places, and positions always let us down. Only Jesus is worthy of all our hopes and all our confidence. Maybe you find yourself a little down today. Like Peter standing on the water, the moment you take your eyes off the Lord you start to sink (Matthew 14:22–33). Lift up your eyes; set your hope fully on Jesus.
Our confident expectation is in God, who sees, knows, and will ultimately turn an upside-down world right-side up at the appearing of our Lord. Every righteous decision will be rewarded. Every wrong choice will be judged. Every motive will be revealed.
Is your faith faltering as you look at the world coming unhinged around you? Are you struggling to carry on? Do you need hope that will endure?
Set your hope fully on Jesus.
James MacDonald is a Canadian-born evangelical Christian pastor, Bible teacher, and author. He was the co-founder and senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, and was the Bible teacher for the former broadcast ministry, Walk in the Word.
REFLECT & RESPOND
Gabriel’s Playlist is a Why Not Charleston mission project
The purpose of this project is to bring God’s message through music. Gabriel’s Playlist is not a for profit song provider. It is a FREE music mission that will provide favorite song lists by theme including interactive polling, comments and sharing options for members.
The following list includes Gabriel’s favorites that bring God’s message of HAVING CONFIDENCE.
Download the following titles using Apple Music, Spotify, or any preferred music provider platform.
Enjoy watching videos with the links below. (Parent Preview Recommended)
Unstoppable – The Score : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8o0RVh82lo
You Can’t Stop Me – Andy Mineo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHKpi2u4pvY
Unstoppable – Sia : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1Vk7d509Rk
Thunder – Imagine Dragons : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFhs7WVvuXk
Superhero – The Script : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHXXktQcd-g
Impossible - Building 429 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=123&v=zegqjuz4Cro
It's On Again - Alicia Keys and Kendrick Lamar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC3QYGLwBzQ&index=15&list=PLXotVtjXDjHDIVHe2rvEc5I8zmh4KBEn
This activity was provided by the Teacher Love Project - a Why Not Charleston community education initiative. The Teacher Love Project aims to provide love and encouragement to teachers that will elevate their wellness and care and therefore, enhance student achievement. We must care for those who care for our children - we must love each other because God loved us first.
"We love because he first loved us."
1 John 4:19
POWERFUL PRAYER
"I Am Confident "
by Taraea L. Griffith
Father I am confident of this very thing, that the good work you began in me you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ. I am also confident I will see Your good while I am here in the land of the living and I will wait patiently for you Lord being brave and courageous. My obedience brings forth a confidence that allows me to know that in You I will do even more than what is asked of me and you do more for me than I asked. In Jesus Name Amen
Philippians 1:6 NASB
Psalms 27:13-14
Philemon 1:21
Taraea L. Griffith lives in Charleston with her husband, children, and grandchildren. She is a poet and writer, and making an offering of her special gifts and talents as a Why Not Charleston 2020 contributor.
THRU THE LENS - FINDING YOURSELF IN GOD'S WORD
A blog by regular men and women about finding themselves in God's world
" Confidence"
By Kathy Lewis
There are many ways to consider God. One way is to know he is there and hedge your bet by giving him credit. That way of thinking creates poverty of the mind and spirit. This concept used by many today leaves people with a great burden of desperation and frankly deep insecurity. Another way to think about is a most do and that is with a divided mind which the bible calls lukewarm. This is the mindset which creates liars and hypocritical lifestyles. The spiritual mind trust that God is the author and creator of our lives and we exist for His mission. This is where true transformation occurs. This mind is connected to eternity all of its richness. It transforms daily by wisdom which creates peace, joy, kindness, love, forgiveness and so much more. This mindset knows God as the author and accepts the reality of the flesh. One thing for sure we are limited without know the God from who we traveled from and from whom we will travel home. This journey requires the during confidence of the Holy Spirit. The spirit which takes our stories to places we ourselves could never dream up.
Ephesians 3:12
In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence
Confidence humanly speaking is a word that stirs up many mental pictures. It is a quality deeply valued and aggressively pursued. It is a trait focused on by parents and rewarded by strangers. Confidence has been deeply researched by psychologist, investigated by authors, and manufactured by industries and yet remains a mystery to most of the world. The concept of confidence in a fallen and ever changing world is one of the great faith contradictions. Enduring confidence can never be a product of any thing, person, or circumstance other than a Holy God.
True Confidence is not something that you can manufacture or cultivate. It is essence drawn directly from the Holy spirit. It is rooted in the unshakable faith that You are chosen, that you are loved, that you are appointed, created perfect, and most of all that you are a gift to the world hand selected by by our creator. When these things take up residency in your heart enduring confidence becomes your greatest weapon. Proverbs 14:26 says “In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence” While most of us would associate courage with a lack of fear, courage has much more to do with what we fear. Courage is rooted in purpose and purpose is derived in faith and delivered in Godly wisdom. Proverbs 9:10 explains that “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” When we finally develop a holy fear, a fear of not being at the feet of our savior we will then have an experience with true confidence.
We are people of faith. We have access to a creator who gave us His word full of his promises that we might be ushered through this fallen world. Through our faith. His word and our brothers and sisters we can cultivate an enduring confidence and allows our faith to burn so bright inside of us that self doubt has not place to reside.
How amazing our savior gave us the greatest story of unlikely confidence in Luke chapter 7 with the “sinful woman” She like many others changed my mind. With everything working against her she waked into a room, unwelcome, unworthy, and unequipped and yet unmoved. She pushed past rules, culture, and even fear of death to sit at the feet of Jesus. Her desire for a perfect love pushed past her own inadequate position. Our confidence is an outcome a faith lived well!
Faith gives you the strength for obedience:
1 Kings 17:2-4 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah “Leave here, turn eastward and hidden the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”
It will allow you to take only the steps you need now
It will allow you to see the details of God over even what might appear minor
It will allow you to walk confidently in a direction which might not make sense to others
Faith drives you to have a new look at life:
John 4:7-14
A Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?“ The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. ) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” Sir, the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
Faith will change the way you do life
Faith will change the way you see people
Faith will change the way you see the circumstances
Faith will change the what you pay attention to
Faith will change your witness
Faith will provide a new confidence for the future
Therefore, brothers, since we Hebrews 10:19-23confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, … let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, …. Let us hold unswerving to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. have
Faith will change the facts
Faith will see beyond today
Faith knows the end of the story
Faith operates from an eternal perspective
Godly confidence does not always face the facts; AND doesn’t know how to give up. The body of Christ has every reason to be walking in this unshakable, undeniable, unlikely, unapologetic confidence.
Kathy Lewis resides in Charleston, SC with her husband, Glenn. They have 6 beautiful children together. She is the founder of Why Not Charleston, a ministry that seeks to strengthen the influence of the gospel in our City. To find out more about Why Not Charleston, go to www.whynotcharleston.com
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