Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “A life that matters”
Our Bible verse for today: “For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:14 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Yes, you can.”
First of all this morning I want to remind everyone that our theme for this month, “A life that matters”, is not meant to imply that your life doesn’t matter unless you do the things I’m writing about. Of course not. All lives matter. Instead, our theme is meant to convey the great truth that your life matters so much to God that He wants you to live the very best life you can. He wants you to live a life of passion and purpose, a life that takes full advantage of the opportunities He gives you, and a life that makes a meaningful difference for the cause of Christ.
Second, as we continue to consider how we will invest our time in 2017 – the goals we will set for ourselves, the plans we will make, the changes we will implement in our lives, I want to caution you to not allow negative or defeatist thinking to enter in. All of us have some habits or patterns of living that need to be changed in order for us to be at our best. The possibilities are endless and range from taking better care of our physical body, to being more faithful in our devotional life, to breaking the stronghold of some sinful habit, and much more.
The problem many of us will run into is that Satan will attempt to get us off track and to defeat us by whispering lies. He will attempt to convince you that you’re not strong enough to break that sinful habit, or you aren’t smart enough to earn that degree, or you don’t have enough self-discipline to lose that weight. Well that’s just nonsense and it’s completely untrue. That’s what Paul was writing about in Romans 6:14 – sin cannot rule over you unless allow it to. You have been set free from the dominion of Satan and he has no power over you except what you allow him to have.
Paul also wrote about this in 1 Corinthians 10:13 when he told us, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way of escape so you are able to bear it.”
The point is that whatever sinful, destructive, or self-limiting habit or pattern you are struggling with, the Holy Spirit will help you break free from it and reverse it. Whether we’re talking about an addiction to pornography or to food; whether your problem is lack of motivation or undisciplined financial habits; whatever it is that needs to change in order for you to be living the life the Lord wants for you, you can do it! Jesus has set you free from the power and dominion of Satan. With His help you can do whatever it is He wants you to do. Paul made that very clear in Philippians 4:13: “I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
If you have doubts about whether you can achieve your goal or not, my answer to you is, “Yes, you can!”
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 