The Number One Way to Live a Life Void of Meaning

Dr. Larry Petton tells the story, “A well-known author once told this story of an account he had with seagulls: “Several years ago our family visited Niagara Falls. It was spring, and ice was rushing down the river. As I viewed the large blocks of ice flowing toward the falls, I could see that there were dead fish embedded in the ice. Gulls by the score were riding down the river, feeding on the fish. As they came to the brink of the falls, their wings would go out, and they would escape from the falls. “I watched one gull which seemed to delay and wondered when it would leave. It was engrossed in the fish, and when it finally came to the brink of the falls, out went its powerful wings. The bird flapped and flapped and even lifted the ice out of the water, and I thought it would escape. But it had delayed too long so that its claws had frozen into the ice. The weight of the ice was too great, and the gull plunged into the abyss.”

How sad that even though the bird had plenty of time to fly away, it paid the ultimate price because it delayed. Now think of this story in terms of the Christian life. When we become overly enthralled with the things of this world, we lose sight of what lies ahead, and we can be brought down as we “fish” for the things of lesser meaning than our overall well-being.

That story and scenario are a perfect visual for what happened in Samson’s life. As Scripture gives us an overview of the life of Samson from his birth to his death, things start with the realization that Samson’s conception was a blessing from God as a result of his mother's prayers. His parents declared over their home that their child would be in a covenant with God upon his first breath. As part of this covenant, Samson was never to be in a relationship with a woman not of his faith. However, Samson disobeys and enters into an intimate relationship with a pagan woman named Delilah.

Pagans were the enemy of God. And, that truth quickly proves itself in Delilah’s life as she is bribed with money to help Samson’s enemies bring him to destruction. She is paid to find out where the source of Samson’s power originated. Samson misleads Delilah, playfully telling her a lie about how he can be defeated…and even though several red flags are raised...he is so overcome by lust that he can’t see them.

Lust can make us blind – and if may be so bold, stupid – because it distorts our ability to discern what is happening. That’s why people wreck their whole world for a one-night stand or lose everything they’ve worked for to get just one more hit from a drug. Lust desires a feeling that one does not presently have, and if the fire in one’s flesh becomes intense enough, one of the first things it consumes is our rationale.

I encourage you to be ready in advance for such setups from the enemy. Invite the Holy Spirit to gift you with the discerning of spirits. Because throughout your life, you are going to meet the same spirits repeatedly. Names and faces will change, but personalities will stay the same, and you need to be aware of many of these ill-intentioned personalities at hello!

A secondary element of the covenant between God and Samson also indicates that he was never to allow his hair to be cut. But after he betrayed this commitment with confession to Delilah, she had the seven locks of his hair shaved while he was asleep. When he woke up surrounded by Philistine soldiers, he wrongly anticipated that God would bail him out again. Samson thought he was above the rules. He reached a place in his spiritual journey where he evidently thought the conditions of the covenant were not required for him. He was too strong, famous, and powerful to have to abide by regulations that would have applied to anyone else in covenant with God.

What happens next is devastating:

And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him. -Judges 16:20 (NKJV)

Those might be the saddest words in the Old Testament. To think that a man who was used so profoundly could become so distant from God that he lost any sense of God’s departing presence. So deceived was he that he didn’t even realize when God was fully removed from his life.

The enemy soldiers took him captive. He was then enslaved and mocked endlessly. They made him perform, like a jester, for their amusement.

The number one way to live a meaningless life is to become a performer. Performing for others in your career, church, home, and marriage has no meaning. Acting and performing for others is empty and done in vain. We see this all the time in modern-day Christianity. Meaning gets lost because we ignore the covenant of God. Haven’t you seen the performance-oriented, concert-style venue with a speaker offering a motivational talk with only a slight God slant? All performance, little meaning, and yet we wonder why true transformation isn’t taking place.

If you want to lead a meaningful life, you don’t just go to a small group, lead a prayer group, or throw money in a bucket to perform – it must have meaning. Your serving must come from the foundation of a powerful prayer life. Let it bubble up from a personal and intimate relationship with God.

You can not – WE can not – settle for performance.

Scripture shows Samson’s hair grows back, but he is found performing for the enemy. Why is he unable to break free? Why is he settling for just being a performer? I believe this verse answers the question.

Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, and took him down to Gaza…they set him to grinding grain in the prison. -Judges 16:21 (NIV)

The first thing the enemy did was take out his eyes because they knew if his strength came back, it wouldn’t matter as long as he couldn’t see what he was swinging at. Solomon hath wisely shared:

Where there is no vision, the people perish… -Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)

Thankfully, Samson eventually prays the second prayer of his life and cries out to God, asking God to make the enemy pay for every day he had spent without vision:

Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance… for my two eyes!” -Judges 16:28 (NKJV)

Maybe you lack vision, as you are distracted by life's current events. Right now, ask God to give you a vision for your family, allowing you to see the unseen and know the unknown. Ask Him for wisdom in areas where you have lacked it. Ask for a God idea, not just a good idea.

We must realize the strength that God gave us is not meant for performance; it is intended to impact the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth and push back the powers of darkness, putting the enemy in his place. God’s got something MORE for you than simply performing for the amusement and pleasure of others. Never settle for a lifestyle of hypocritical performance – that approach will only lead to a downward spiral in your life and a life without meaning.

Samson’s life reveals we must live prayerful lives, seeking God for discernment, because being a performer never leads to meaningfulness. All the while, we must have the vision to keep moving forward. Walking out these things in our own lives will lead to a meaningful life, a life well-lived:

1. Pray for the gift of the DISCERNING of spirits.

2. Refuse to settle for PERFORMANCE.

3. Never live a day without VISION.

I invite you to view this message in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/yQcFRq9R8Dk

We want to connect with you and help you take your next steps!

1. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? This decision is the first step in receiving peace in your life. If you are ready to give your life to Jesus, we would love to celebrate with you at 3trees.com.
   

2. Do you need to rededicate your life to Jesus? If yes, please connect with us at 3trees.com.
   

3. Do you feel God prompting you to take your next steps? If yes, BEGIN is waiting for you! You can walk through our ONLINE BEGIN class at 3trees.com/begin
   

4. Would you like to make a difference in our community? Join our captivate team! Visit 3trees.com to find out how you can participate in community outreach opportunities.
   

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This is How You Can Live a Meaningful Life Despite Your Failures

Pride always goes before any spiritual fall, and, unfortunately, it’s often the one who thinks he is the greatest that falls the furthest. As well, it seems pride causes us to stumble perpetually. Despite all the warnings of pride’s danger, humanity continues to be tripped by it over and over again. Pride itself convinces us that it can’t happen to us personally. Simon Peter is an excellent example of this sinking thinking.

We can see Peter’s pride in the Upper Room during Jesus’ last supper with his disciples. Jesus gathers his closest followers together, and He informs the group that one of them will betray Him. The gathering’s response is bewildering. But, almost immediately, they divulge into a conversation about who is the greatest among them.

Nothing much has changed among Jesus’ followers. There is still betrayal in our midst, yet we continue to argue about who deserves the most recognition, likes, views, or fame. It happens in churches, workplaces, and even in our families.

As I revisit Luke’s account of the events that were transpiring, I can’t help but wonder if Simon Peter was winning the debate that night because it seems that amidst the argument about greatness, Jesus singles Peter out as the one who would fall soon.

The FALL

Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times. So Peter went out and wept bitterly.” -Luke 22:59-62 (NKJV)

Simon Peter proceeds to deny Jesus three times. Only when he hears the rooster crowing in the background that he fully understands what Jesus was trying to tell him. Can you relate to Simon Peter? Have you ever experienced what you were warned would happen because you ignored every warning?

If so, just like Simon Peter remembered what Jesus had told him when the rooster crowed, aren’t you glad you have a history with God? Thankfully, He helps us remember what He has spoken, and from his Word, the work of the Holy Spirit brings conviction into our life. The tears of repentance in failure give way to the joy of restoration.

But, something we can’t miss about Peter’s story is that he was only given the opportunity for restoration because he was not immediately incarcerated.

When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword? And one of them (Peter) struck the high priest’s servant (Malchus) and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear and healed him. -Luke 22:49-51 (NKJV)

When the army had come to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter had already become his fall from Godly character when he arose in anger and cut the ear off of Malchus’ the High Priest’s servant. This sinful act was punishable by death. Yet, Peter was never arrested. Why? Because Jesus destroyed the evidence! This action is remarkable because in doing this, Jesus is saving Simon Peter’s life! Had this moment not happened, there may have been four crosses on Calvary, not just three. Despite what the servant may have accused, Jesus destroyed the evidence of the fall!

We have all been under attack. And many of us may have fallen. In fact, we have all fallen at one point or another. Scripture clearly says, “we have all sinned, and we all come up short of the glory of God.” And “Anyone who denies this is a liar.” But the incredible thing about our God is that He takes everything the enemy meant for evil and uses it for our good! God transforms us, just like He did Simon Peter on the other side of his fall!

Simon Peter went on to become an outstanding servant of Christ. He had to be sifted, churned, and shaken so that every particle that did not belong in him could be broken. But on the other side, he preached a 10-minute sermon that saved 3,000 lives, and he demonstrated great faith in adversity! He knew that Jesus would not fail him.

We should praise God for the sifting happening in our lives because the fall can’t prevail. God wants to bring you into a period of restoration! Jesus is faithful and just to forgive you if you confess your sins. He not only forgives, but He forgets. The blood of Jesus wipes away the fall.

1. You can have a meaningful life despite the attack.

2. You can have a meaningful life despite the fall.

3. You can have a meaningful life because of God’s power of restoration.

We have a God who is willing to destroy the evidence! Let Him in. He is ready to heal whatever you’ve torn up.

Simon Peter’s ups and downs serve as an inspiring example of the relationship we can have with God. DESPITE falling, the beauty of God’s true restoration can be manifest in each of our lives.

I invite you to view this message in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/6bd3yscBYWw

We want to connect with you and help you take your next steps!

1. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? This decision is the first step in receiving peace in your life. If you are ready to give your life to Jesus, we would love to celebrate with you at 3trees.com.

2. Do you need to rededicate your life to Jesus? If yes, please connect with us at 3trees.com.

3. Do you feel God prompting you to take your next steps? If yes, BEGIN is waiting for you! You can walk through our ONLINE BEGIN class at 3trees.com/begin

4. Would you like to make a difference in our community? Join our captivate team! Visit 3trees.com to find out how you can participate in community outreach opportunities.

5. Subscribe to EricGilbert.org using this link:https://www.ericgilbert.org/subscribe. You’ll be able to receive updates directly to your email inbox as we post additional blogs each Thursday and Friday morning.

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE| MESSAGE NOTES

The Danger of Ignoring This One Thing that Scripture Warns Us About

Pearl Harbor was a horrific event in history. Taking place on American soil, December the 7th of 1941, it transpired as Japanese bombers flew over, dropping bombs on the naval base and destroying all types of ships and aircraft. But, if the military had heeded warnings, the entire event could have most likely been prevented.

Radar technology indicated that aircraft were moving towards the base, but military leaders took for granted it was American soldiers returning and not a foreign enemy. In addition, an American Destroyer was making practice rounds and perceived a Japanese submarine. They even fired shots at it, but nothing transpired. So they went on with life, as usual, having no idea the horrific events that were about to happen moments later.

Several warnings occurred before Pearl Harbor’s destruction, yet senior naval leadership and soldiers anticipating weekend furloughs overlooked them. Many historians believe the only reason the event took place is that no one within Pearl Harbor’s administration believed it could! How could they miss it so badly? How did they not see the warnings?

Yet as we read through Scriptures, we are repeatedly given warnings that we ignore and look over!

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. -John 10:10

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. - 1 Peter 5:8

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. -1 Peter 5:8

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. -2 Corinthians 10:4

Straightforwardly, Jesus tells us that we have an enemy. Likewise, over and over again, we are told in the New Testament that spiritual warfare is raging perpetually throughout time and space. Yet, we seem content to ignore the warning signs and the unseen battle.

You can't just ignore the enemy; you have to resist the enemy. He will attack!

Simon Peter's life is an excellent example of what happens when we ignore the warning and don’t formulate a resistance against the enemy’s attack.

The ATTACK

And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail, and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and death.” Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.” -Luke 22:31-34 (NKJV)

Jesus tells Simon Peter there will be an attack but notice that Jesus does not say that He will prevent the attack. Instead, Jesus only states that He will pray for Peter in the middle of the challenge. This event is powerful, and we need to understand that just because we have accepted Jesus as our Savior – and He loves us – this truth does NOT mean we will never come under attack.

Jesus tells Simon Peter, the enemy will sift him, meaning he will be churned and shaken. But, even as Jesus is telling Peter the enemy will sift him, Peter continues to struggle with his pride, brushing Jesus off with overconfidence. But Jesus rebukes Peter by telling him he will deny Him.

It can be very unpleasant when the enemy comes into our lives, and we experience this shaking effect. So many of you are going through this experience right now. It feels like your life is being churned, stirred up, and shaken by the enemy. Sifted. (I would venture to say that the Church as a whole from 2020 forward has been in a period of sifting!)

If you’re not familiar with the term sifting, Bonappetit.com explains it as “an action done to promote consistency in recipes by removing the large particles that could potentially result in a baked good sinking in the middle.”

“Sinking.” An interesting word considering who we are referencing! (See Matthew 14.) But, just like God allowed the sifting to take place in Simon Peter's life, He allows it to happen in our lives too. The sifting removes parts within us that are not of Him. More specifically, it removes anything prone to sink!

You won’t break during the sifting; you will become spiritually stronger!

For many of us, because of the last two years, our relationship with God is presently more vital than it’s ever been. The pandemic itself has been nothing more than a sifting in your life. And, now we are entering a period in Church history when the hot are getting hotter, and the cold are getting colder. But, thankfully, there are people like you that continue to seek God with fervency! So, press onward and upward, allowing everything that can be shaken to be shaken so that which can not be shaken will be all that remains!

I invite you to view this message in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/6bd3yscBYWw

We want to connect with you and help you take your next steps!

1. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? This decision is the first step in receiving peace in your life. If you are ready to give your life to Jesus, we would love to celebrate with you at 3trees.com.

2. Do you need to rededicate your life to Jesus? If yes, please connect with us at 3trees.com.

3. Do you feel God prompting you to take your next steps? If yes, BEGIN is waiting for you! You can walk through our ONLINE BEGIN class at 3trees.com/begin

4. Would you like to make a difference in our community? Join our captivate team! Visit 3trees.com to find out how you can participate in community outreach opportunities.

5. Subscribe to EricGilbert.org using this link:https://www.ericgilbert.org/subscribe. You’ll be able to receive updates directly to your email inbox as we post additional blogs each Thursday and Friday morning.

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE| MESSAGE NOTES