Key Verse: Psalm 27

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If you live in Massachusetts, please call the office of Senator Elizabeth Warren and reach out to her letting her know you are offended and appalled by her vicious and verbal attack on the Pro Life movement.  If we claim to be Christians we cannot have a pro-choice view.

Office of Elizabeth Warren warren.senate.gov/contact

202-224-4543

As a church, we support Abundant Hope ahprc.org and Harmony harmonycareri.org

Proverbs 8:36  but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death. 

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God’s people lack confidence today.  Persecution against Christians worldwide is rising at never before seen levels.  In 2021, there was a 24 percent increase of worldwide persecution of Christians simply for their faith.  Currently, it is somewhat easy to be a Christian in America, but that is subtly changing. 

The Church is the last great hope of Planet Earth.  We are the salt and light but if salt loses its saltiness it is good for nothing. We need to be confident inspite of our cultural conditions.  We lose our confidence as we get older. But we need to be born again of confidence to run the race that God put before us.

Icebreaker:

Q. In what ways have you lost confidence from when you were younger?

Psalm 27:1 ESV

If we are not careful we will sink into a level of fear.  The Devil knows that if  we fear we will sin.  Fear is the first result of sin.  We were made to be unashamed, having no fear or not being self-conscious living in harmony with creation and Creator.  But sin came and removed that confidence.  

Insecurity roots itself anxiety.  God wants to change our hearts and minds and break us free from the insecurity of sin so we can walk boldly in life and know He walks with us and nothing can separate us from him in Christ Jesus.

Genesis 3:9–10 (ESV)

Adam was afraid of God because of sin.

Without the CONFIDENCE God gives, our lives UNRAVEL with the CONFUSION the world OFFERS.

We may fear of not having enough, of what others think of us, or our future but fear is a Spiritual problem and sin is the result.  

Q. What are some sins you have acted on out of fear?

Psalm 27:3 (ESV) 

David mentions 9 troubles he is faced with.  Even thought he faces these challenges, he has confidence in the Lord.  Confidence does not come by just sitting, it does not just happen. 

It’s entirely possible to experience CONFLICT and still be CONFIDENT in God.

We can have faith but yet doubt.  We are sinners saved by grace.  There are two parts of us and the world likes to tap in to our anxiety and fear but God says that is not who we are!  We are not what others say, we are what God says we are!

Joshua 1:5-7 (ESV)

We grow in confidence when: 

1. We embrace God’s PROTECTIVE CARE.

Ephesians 1:4 (ESV); James 1:17 (ESV)

God is going to take care of us.  We are his and we are his idea. Our beginning did not start with mom and dad, but in the mind of God before he even said, “Let there be light.”  We are God’s idea.  If he thought us up, he will take care of us.

Psalm 27:13 (ESV)

We are his and he is ours.  We, as Christians, must have a personal relationship with Jesus not a religious affiliation.  We must look to the cross, not look at what we have done.  He makes our way possible.  Religion is what we do, relationship is what Jesus has done.

1 Samuel 17:36–37 (ESV)

Johna 2:9

Jonah tries to kill himself and God says no.  He provided a way out for him.  The Lord saves us. His protective care is unending confidence.

Q. For what work of God on your behalf are you most thankful for and why?

We grow in confidence when: 

2. We prioritize TIME in God’s PRESENCE.

Confidence is the fruit of decisions we have made in Jesus.

Psalm 27:4 (ESV)

Asking and seeking go together. We cannot just ask God for things, we have to seek them out.  We need to put ourselves in His presence.  We have to do something to get in His presence. Ask then seek. Ask and make deliberate choices to seek His presence. 

Q. How do you prioritize your time with God (or what changes can you make in your day to day to prioritize your time with God)?

We grow in confidence when:

3. We know God ANSWERS our PRAYERS.

God always answers prayer. Every prayer of our life has been answered.  Sometimes  we don’t like the answer. He answers every prayer with a Yes, No, Slow, or Grow. He knows what is best but we know we can ask and trust him with the response.

Q. What are some no, slow or grow answers to prayer that have been difficult for you to understand at first?

Psalm 27:6-9 (ESV) 

God answer me is confidence.  David knows he is sinner, yet saved.  He knows he should be cast off but is expecting God won’t cast him off because he knows God is the One who told him to seek Him in first place. We seek God because he put in our hearts to seek Him. 

John 6:44 (ESV); Genesis 3:8–9 (ESV) 

God seeks and saves us.  We were not seeking God we were seeking rest and relief from something. 

Psalm 27:10 (ESV)

Our identity is not tied to what our parents did or not did, nor what other people have said about us.

1 John 5:14 (ESV)

We grow in confidence when: 

4. We receive God’s PRESCRIPTION for LIVING.

Psalm 27:11 (ESV) 

A lot of people want the presence of God but avoid the prescription.  His presence is felt in holiness and righteousness.  If we want confidence we need a teachable Spirit.  We need to ask God to lead us where He wants to lead us.  We should not want to just be saved from Hell but walk in newness of life.  We should want Him to teach us.

Psalm 119:104 (NLT)

There is nothing like God’s word.  When we find the truth we hate the lies.  When we hear the lies we cannot tolerate them.  

Romans 12:2 (ESV)

We cannot like the world and enjoy heaven.  None of the worldly stuff has any place in the kingdom of God.  We should want God to change our mind.  We should allow Him to renew our minds.  We don’t know what is good, perfect, and acceptable, we should want God to transform us.

Q. What are some areas in your Spiritual life do you lack ‘teachability?”

We grow in confidence when: 

5. We remind ourselves of God’s PROMISES.

Psalm 27:13–14 (ESV) 

We need to tell ourselves what we believe. There may be times we don’t even feel like we are saved.  We listen to ourselves far more than we speak to ourselves.  We need to tell ourselves what we believe.  We cannot let the Devil  or world remind us of what we are.  We need to tell our Spirit what we believe.

Q. How do you remind yourself of His promises?

Be strong, take courage, and wait for the Lord.

Joshua 1:9 (ESV)

SUMMER CHALLENGE:  READ THROUGH THE PSALMS