Pastor How preached Faith-Based Decision Making Part 2! If you are looking for Part 1 you can find it at "Faith-Based Decision Making (Pastor Tan Seow How)"
Not gonna talk so much... here's the sermon notes!
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FAITH-BASED DECISIONS MAKING PART 2 (Pastor Tan Seow How)
Faith and Fear are not just things that you feel.
Both Fear and Faith affect our decision making, and our decisions affect our destiny.
People don't make decisions because they are afraid to make wrong decisions or bad decisions.
WRONG DECISIONS vs BAD DECISIONS
Bad is worse than wrong.
Being wrong is normal. We can't be right all the time.
Being wrong is not wrong.
Being bad is not good. This is a character issue.
Bad decisions come from bad character.
If you make a wrong decisions this is the mindset...
If there is a situation where we need to make a decision.
And given the information, options and resources available, we weigh our options and make that decision.
If our decisions turn out to be wrong, there are no regrets.
You need to be willing to make a decision that could end up to be a wrong decision.
Leadership is about making decisions.
But a bad decision is...
Bad decisions are made out of bad character...
This means you make a decision out of things like anger, fear, greed, laziness, materialism, impatience, etc.
When you look back don't beat yourself up over wrong decisions. Hindsight is always 20-20.
BUT we need to make sure that we don't make decisions out of fear or bad character.
We need to identify FEARS so that we can overcome them.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF FEARS
Intimidation is fear caused by other people.
Let's look at the classic case of intimidation
David and Goliath
1 Samuel 17:4-11
Goliath intimidates the armies of Israel and even the king.
Do you have a giant in your life who is intimidating you?
1 Samuel 17:48 (NLT)
Goliath will always attack you!
David quickly RAN OUT to meet him.
How to Overcome?
Confront your Goliath quickly.
If you don't overcome this Goliath, there will always be another Goliath until you learn.
If you are a timid person, you will always attract giants.
As a Christian, we need to be assured that when we have Christ in us, He is bigger than any giant outside.
Insecurity is fear caused by yourself.
While initimidation is caused by someone big on the outside, insecurity is caused by yourself feeling small on the inside.
We are insecure because we compare.
1 John 3:20-21
For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
How to Overcome?
Stop condemning yourself and have confidence toward God.
Joel 3:10
"...let the weak say I am strong."
How to Overcome?
Let the weak say I am strong
The worst is the combination of both.
That's what happened to the Children of Israel.
Numbers 13:32-33 (MSG)
"We felt like grasshoppers"
"They looked down on ys as if we were grasshoppers"
If you always feel that people are looking down on you, then that is insecurity and paranoia.
It is not true that EVERYBODY is looking down on you. There may be some people who do but we need to rise up out of fear.
Anxiety (Worry / Stress) is fear caused by the unknown and the uncertain.
It's all in your mind.
The anticipation of death is worse than death itself.
You need to overcome anxiety by understanding it, knowing that it is not real.
Hebrews 11:1
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Fear is also the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith imagines good things will happen to you.
Fear imagines bad things will happen to you.
Faith is illogical.
Fear is also illogical.
Fear is actually Faith for bad things.
"If both are illogical and in my imagination, then I would rather choose faith."
Your mind will always tell you a story.
It either tells you a good story or a bad story.
For most of us, our minds tell us a bad story.
We need to be the directors of the movie in our mind.
Reprogram your mind.
Anxiety is the misuse of your imagination.
Fear is the abuse of your imagination.
Vision is the right use of your imagination.
Use your imagination for good. Use it for God.
Philippians 4:6-8
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things arejust, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
How to Overcome?
Be anxious for nothing.
By prayer and petition.
With thanksgiving.
Let nothing bother or worry you.
Our reaction should be... whenever you feel stressed / anxious -- pray and petition
Be thankful -- count your blessings rather than the curses
Then the peace that surpasses understanding will come...
This peace is illogical. It goes beyond our statistics and logic.
That is faith that beats fear.
It will guard your heart and mind.
It is not passive - it guards.
Don't stop praying until you have the peace of God.
How to Overcome?
Focus your mind on these 8 things (vs 8) -- whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of virtue, praiseworthy things.
The Christian life is not stress-free.
But God has given us the tools to overcome.
We can fear God, fear sin (the Bible tells us to flee sin) ... then FEAR NOTHING.
