I recently shared this message at an extraordinary Kingdom church called Harvest Pensacola. There are plenty of tidbits (and also perhaps some refreshing) that you can quickly gain from this message. There are also a few parts which especially apply to the Pensacola region. He who has an ear; let him hear.
April4Sermon from Harvest Pensacola on Vimeo.
There’s a struggle going on in your life. Mine too. Winning this particular battle brings exceptional rewards, while losing it also changes everything – but in far less desirable ways. Sometimes it feels like you are winning; other times not so much.
No I’m not talking about the ongoing battle to live right and do right. Nor do I mean fighting the fight of faith. I don’t even mean the struggle against wrong things going on in the world. Those are important! Yet the battle I’m referring to is central and personal to every Christian on the planet. I have hardly mastered it myself, but I keep working at it.
It’s the battle to truly, actively trust God no matter what circumstances you are in – not in the sense that you’ll ultimately, generally be ‘saved’ – but that He can specifically be trusted in the moment right here and now. Today. That HE not only can, but WILL deliver you in this particular area. That everything is not depending on you, that you are truly depending on Him.
Before you breeze past like you know all this — hang on just a minute.
Sure, when you and I are around other Christians we can ‘properly’ respond to virtually any challenge that we are “just trusting God”. Right? But are we really?
What does it look like to trust God?
Let me put it this way — when you find yourself anxiously wondering about a situation you’re in, or you start doubting about the future, or you’re discouraged by a promise that seems broken, or tragedy that struck, or unsure whether God is really listening and active in your very-present-today-circumstances at all, that’s NOT trusting God. It’s okay to grapple with such things but not to draw conclusions based on them. We all find ourselves there sometimes to varying degrees.
Merriam-Webster defines trust like this:
Most importantly — let me tell you how to win this battle. And in the process may I also remind you about a few of the promised rewards of trusting God: deliverance, direction, state of peace & prosperity. (Scripture references at bottom. Read them!)
This battle is won and lost by focus. When things aren’t going so well it’s so easy to focus on the fact that you probably messed things up! After all, didn’t you?! But God can and will deliver you even despite your shortcomings if you will trust Him! Or maybe you thought God shouldn’t have allowed some tragedy to strike. What about when things seem unfair? Or when it seems like things are going pretty well all thanks to you! These are all times when trust is tested.
To maintain active trust the main thing you’ll need to do is counter the distractions that want to pull you away from being able to fully trust God. When your mind is not fixed on Him, it’s usually because you’ve allowed your life to be filled up with too much ‘other’ — not enough WORD, not enough TIME, not enough INTENTION toward God == too much anxiety, too much self, to much dwelling on a circumstance that didn’t go your way, too much thinking about how you messed up, too much focus on what you wish you had, too much uncertainty in the news, etc
DISTRACTIONS to the God-centered life come in many, many forms… (What are yours?)
You can’t let such DISTRACTIONS rob your relationship with God and displace Him from the center of your life. Just simply REFOCUS my Friend. Get back to soaking in/paying attention to, the things of God, and soon you’ll notice your trust rising again. GAZE INTO the Word and see how faithful He is! The more you are with Him and you ponder His thoughts in Scripture, the greater your confidence in His heart and character toward you!!!
Trust God!
@12 mins
What’s the big deal about a being in a ‘funk’? Left unchecked, a funk can become a dream thief of your inspired dreams.
A funk is hard to describe – yet we’ve all been in one. What if you’re in one now – how do you get out? Shouldn’t you just wait around for it to pass?
You might describe a funk as an unpleasant, ongoing mental and emotional state where it seems like a cloud is hanging over you. You’re moody and volatile. You’re not as fun to be with. You know it. You may even be acting childish. You’re more in Retreat Mode than on your game. You go passive. What’s the result? Less Productive — Less Inspired — Less Optimistic – Less Confident – Less Creative. Sound familiar?
Funks are often filled with second-guessing. (Healthy re-evaluation is one thing, second-guessing everything when you’re in a funk can be self-destructive.) The longer you stay in a funk the more destructive it can be. Funks seem to get worse without a lot of effort.
They can last from a few hours to days to weeks, months and even years.
Let’s face it we all go through them. If you’re in a funk it’s okay. Relax. Just remember this: if you stay in a funk too long it can be harmful to your present and future. In a funk you can talk yourself out of what you know to be true or talk yourself into giving up on something you know you shouldn’t.
Different factors can lead to one.
I am not so concerned how you got into your funk — but let’s get out of it by doing one simple thing: intentionally locate sources of encouragement, even when you don’t feel like it. Access them. Repeat.
Remember, in a funk your perspective is off so don’t just succumb to whatever you feel. “When you’re in a funk your being a punk” – so get out now.
Link to Audible version of the Book Giants in the Marketplace, Davids in the Pew — How ANY Christian Can Change the World
Rick Hubbell -- "The Slingshot Guy" - Helping People Accomplish Great Things -- has a knack for helping people go beyond discovering their God-given destiny, to actually living it. He’s a champion of helping others connect-the-dots to achieve the great things that God has called them to, and just crazy enough to believe that ANY Christian can change the world. 
