Why YOU MUST Have Meaningful Connections in Your Life

We’ve been reviewing the life of Samson for a few weeks, and I wonder at this point if you think Samson is a hero or a fool? Scripture leads us to believe that Samson should have led a very blessed and promising life, a heroic life – a meaningful life. But we know at this point, despite God’s power being upon Samson, his life did not end well. This reality leads me to conclude that “foolish” is probably the correct category for Samson.

From birth to death, Samson never developed a meaningful relationship with God. Because of this truth, he lacks meaningful relationships in every other aspect of his life. Over and over again, as we flip through the pages of his story, we are led to repetitively ask, “What if?” Unfortunately, today, we see the same “What ifs?” in our society.

Have you noticed how susceptible talent is to tragedy? Google these three words, “talent and tragedy,” and see what fills the screen. My browser received, as top examples, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston.

Michael Jackson was the King of Pop, earning 26 AMAs, 40 Billboard Music Awards, and 13 Grammys. He was incredibly talented. But he overdosed on Fentanyl at the age of 50 (1). In comparison, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, Whitney Houston was the most-awarded female artist of all time. She had an incredible list of awards, including two Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards, and 22 American Music Awards – eventually achieving a total of more than 415 career awards. Yet tragedy still trumped talent. At 48 years of age, she was found, the victim of a cocaine overdose, deceased in a bathtub (2).

Sadly, the list of “what if’s?” in modern society goes on and on, with incredibly talented people being overcome by tragedy.

What if these extraordinarily talented celebrities had the meaningful connections in their lives that stopped these tragic outcomes?

Too often in our world, inspiration gets mistaken for invincibility, wit is incorrectly perceived as wisdom, and charisma is confused with character. The result is that meaningful connections are avoided – or never formed – and tragedy then steals the life of talent.

It happened in Samson’s life. He is unbelievably talented in the realm of strength and warfare. But his life is full of tragedies, and it ended tragically.

WHAT IF #1

What if Samson had leaned into the relationship he had with his parents by taking their counsel and walking out life in faith as they did?

Samson’s parents attempted to create an environment where Samson could enjoy a meaningful connection with God by following the Nazirite law. This law called them to a higher degree of holiness, as Samson was meant to be set apart from birth. Under the covenant, he and his family avoided alcohol, all things dead, and cutting their hair. Samson kept his hair long and did not shave his beard. God used this outer symbolism to show that Samson was His, identifying him as an Israelite, especially since Philistines kept themselves hairless and beardless at all times. God wanted Samson to look different and be different from the world (3)!

Instead, we see that Samson kept becoming less like God’s plan and more like the world’s plot. He continuously walked in disobedience to God’s will. He separated from his parents and broke the Nazarite vow repetitively. Making matters worse, he was not forthcoming with his parents about his disobedience. It becomes easy to discern that his life came undone at the seams because he lacked meaningful relationships with God and others.

WHAT IF #2:

What if Samson had established a meaningful relationship with God and others?

It is interesting to evaluate that college students wrestle with the same struggle as Samson. Research now reveals that it is common for college students to walk away from their faith either temporarily or permanently once they are on their own. Why does this happen? Perhaps, because they are no longer under the influence of their parent’s faith or invest their time into relationships that will keep them rooted and grounded in their faith.

Maybe you can relate to that type of college experience. Or, perhaps you can relate to Samson’s own experience. Samson’s parents had deeply held beliefs surrounding God, but Samson did not. He did not have a deep knowledge of God, so he was easily led astray by pride and lust. But, this does not have to be your story!

We can all drift away from God for one reason or another. Our talents can deceive us into tragedy. We, too, can mistake inspiration for invincibility, wit for wisdom, and charisma for character. But, unfortunately, these are not just the mistakes of the famous or Biblical characters like Samson.

But here’s the good news, God wants to do something very awesome in your life! He wants to develop and/or restore the meaningful relationship between you and Him because He is a very awesome God! And to take it one step further, God wants you to have meaningful connections and relationships in your life. People you can depend on, lean on, and glean wisdom from in the times of tragedy in your life. You are not meant to walk this life alone. You were designed for a meaningful relationship with our Father, and others around you.

Please allow us to help you take your next step with God and join a meaningful community. REGISTER FOR A SMALL GROUP HERE: https://www.3trees.com/groups

I invite you to view this message in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/1oio3Vr_UE4

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE| MESSAGE NOTES

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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(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson

(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Houston

(3) Niditch, Judges, 145.

Five Ways to Know God Better

When I first started in ministry, an African Bishop visited our church. We were helping his churches in that continent. He spent the night with us, and the following day as we were having breakfast together, he looked at me and said, “Young man, you need to understand something. You're young, so this is important. The enemy's going to come at you. He's going to try to get you to fail with sexual Immorality. He’s going to try to get you to make a mistake that will damage your ministry and distance you from the presence of God. And, if he can't get you to fail in that regard, he'll try to get you to do something inappropriate with money like the misappropriation of funds or greedily stealing something that doesn’t belong to you so that he can distance you from your destiny. If that doesn’t work, he'll try to offend you. He'll try to make you bitter so that your heart will be hardened, and once again, he wants to make you feel distant from God’s purpose in your life. But, if none of the first three attempts work, the enemy will not stop. Instead, he will transform his attack and chase you with the spirit of hindrance. Distractions, interruptions, disruptions will surround every facet of your life. This attempt will get you so focused on “putting out fires” that you lose touch with any meaningful connection with God. Your prayer life will suffer. You will feel distant from God. Your decision-making processes will lack prayerfulness. Young man…the last of the four strategies of hell may be the most dangerous. So, if you overcome the first three by running away from what’s chasing you, never forget victory over the fourth attack requires you to BE STILL.”

I’m sure you can relate. The enemy is so insistent on keeping you distracted that it makes you feel like you have to be constantly moving. You have to be doing something continually, and you wrestle with the anxiety of “missing out” if you’re not present here or there or somewhere. Even the desire you struggle with to be constantly connected is probably directly related to the spirit of hindrance. Most likely, you’ve probably noticed, you are very uncomfortable with stillness, even when you’re tired. You need noise visually or audibly to make you feel normal. Stillness is awkward. Stillness feels very odd because we are so unaccustomed to it. The truth of it is that we are not comfortable with being still. And, therein lies the issue.

Many want to hear the voice of God. And, of course, God can speak in many ways, but repeatedly in Scripture, one of the things you will discover is that God's favorite way to speak to us is in moments when we are still.

So, how can we become STILL?

1. TURN EVERYTHING ELSE DOWN

We often want God to turn his voice up, but God prefers that we turn everything else down. Elijah learned God’s voice wasn’t in the fire, the wind, or the earthquake but rather the “still” small voice. In other words, one of the greatest prophets of all time did not hear God until he became still.

2. STOP MOVING

When Moses encountered God at the burning bush, God commanded Moses to take his shoes off. Although there is a lot of revelation about why he took his sandals off, most likely, in most remarkable simplicity, it meant, Moses, you need to be still. Maybe it’s just the country boy in me, but I like to view it from the vantage point of God saying, “Moses, if you want to hear my voice, then we're going to have to take off our shoes and stay awhile.”

3. CHOOSE A TIME

Adam and Eve met with God to hear his voice. As part of their relationship journey, he instructed them to take the seventh day of every week and be still. Interestingly, man’s first day (he created them on the sixth day) was God’s seventh day. The first day that humanity was on Earth, God required them to be still as he rested. Imagine how they looked around and saw all the “good” God had done on the Earth. The stillness allowed them to celebrate it, and it was a stillness that God required rather than suggested. Today, God still expects us to take a Sabbath day; although the teaching of Jesus seems to imply it does not have to be the seventh day, there must be a day of stillness, or we are in sinful violation of God’s plan for humanity.

4. SELECT A PLACE

A chosen time requires a selected place. Remember, Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 6:5-14 when praying, one should find a private place and shut the door. No hindrances, no distractions, and no public audience. And, when wrapped in the full context of the Bible, Jesus implies within this same passage, “If you want to engage the Heavenly Father in prayer, identify a space that is conducive to this approach, and be still.” Because his discourse also includes a rebuke of vain repetition and many words. Meaning – when praying – don’t just talk to be talking. Instead, offer your petition in a personalized but patterned approach, and then pause, opening your spiritual ears to hear God speak to you from his word – most potently, his written word.

5. SILENCE YOUR STORM

If you want a meaningful connection with God, you're going to have to silence your storm. We all want God to quiet the storm on the outside, but we rarely want to acknowledge the storm that’s on the inside. When you read Scripture, it is hard to find a place where God ever says that he will guard your mind for you. It reveals he will guard your heart, but he seems to put a responsibility on us to be disciplined in silencing the storms associated with our minds. For that reason, I find this verse fascinating:

Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be STILL. Psalm 4:4 (NKJV)

In other words, you and I have a personal responsibility to bring stillness to the storms inside of us!

Thankfully, if you let God settle what's happening on the inside, you'll discover that he can speak to what's happening on the outside. Jesus calmed the seas in the New Testament with three words, “Peace, be still.” Then, he rebuked the disciples as he spoke to the storms inside them – doubt, fear, and unbelief. He made them aware that those spiritual issues were affecting their ability to manage the physical storms on the outside of their life correctly.

So, my challenge to you comes from God’s command for you:

Be STILL, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10 (NKJV)

If you want to KNOW GOD and desire to be in MEANINGFUL CONNECTION with him, consider it might be time just to BE STILL.

I invite you to view this message in its entirety at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABgZzWZtqHs

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 blogs every Monday, Thursday, and Friday morning.

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE| MESSAGE NOTES

When to Move Forward & When to Stand Still

My wife, Mandy, and I have two kids, a 16-year-old daughter and a 14-year-old son. They’re very different. But, neither of them can sit still. And, they’ve almost always been that way. For instance, from the time our son was about seven months old until he turned 18 months old, we’re not sure if he ever slept a single night all the way through. Even in everyday moments, he was fidgety. Taking him to a sitting that required a child to be still was like wrestling an alligator! And, now at fourteen, he still is moving all the time. His hands, his feet, his body, or his mind – he can’t sit still!

If you’ve raised any children, you can probably relate to some degree in one way or the other. But, as well, I think all of us struggle with “stillness” in our own way. We’ve all got something child-like going on in our life spiritually when it comes to being still. In some way, I think it is probably directly connected to the enemy’s work in our life. And, here’s why.

One of the MOST FAMOUS passages in the Bible reminds us of the need for STILLNESS:

And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand STILL, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today... 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Exodus 14:13–14 (NKJV)

Notice, “Do not be afraid.” The implication is that there is something present to fear. But, when we're afraid, the last thing we want to do is stand still. But, I believe one of the things that God is communicating in this passage of Scripture is that you display that you have overcome fear by standing still when there is reason to fear. In other words, don’t run away from your enemy, just to be running. Trust God!

However, there is the potential to get confused in this text because of how the passage reads. In the context of verses 13 and 14, God is telling them to stand still, but in the very next verse, Exodus 14:15, the Lord tells them to GO FORWARD.

And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. Exodus 14:15 (NKJV)

Lord, I need clarity. I thought you just told me to stand still, and now you're telling me to go forward. God, which one is it that you want from me? Do you want me to stand still, or do you want me to go forward?”

If we were honest, many of us are in that same place of tension in our walk with God. We're not sure if we should stand still or keep moving. But, let’s unpackage it for a moment. If you look further into Scripture, you will find God says more than once, “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 20:17 also has this exact wording.

You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand STILL and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you… Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:17–21 (NKJV)

Just like, in the context of the passage, we can see the promise God shared with his people in Exodus 14, he is also decreeing in 2 Chronicles 20: his people will not need to fight their battle! Instead, they will get to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. So, when we put the two passages together, we begin to see a couple of things that match the character of God’s directives: 1) There is a time to go forward. 2) There is a time to stand still.

The purpose of going forward in association with God’s command is so that you can reposition yourself into the vantage point and placement that he prefers for your life. You’re going to get to “see” something! But the main reason God requires repositioning is because he intends to fight for you.

So, how do we know when it's time to be still?

One of the ways it becomes evident it's time to stand still is when we can evaluate our life and determine the only reason we are still moving is that we fear something that is chasing us. God has not given you that spirit or attitude. And, if you are running from relationship to relationship or job to job because you fear betrayal, relapse, or the bite of bitterness, then it may be time to stand still. Ask yourself, “Am I still moving forward because it is a clear instruction from God, or am I doing it because I'm running from something?”

The Israelites needed to go forward because the Egyptian’s had released them from captivity. But, once they started to move forward, they quickly found themselves with a mountain on each side of them and the Red Sea in front of them. If you are familiar with the story, you know that they were trapped. As a result, God parted the Red Sea, and the Israelites walked across on dry ground, escaping impending doom in the process. But, this place in the story is where things get increasingly interesting. Even though the Hebrew people were now on the other side of the Red Sea, their enemy was still chasing them. In response to this tactic of the enemy, the Bible explicitly says that God caused the wheels to come off the enemy's chariots. Meaning the thing that was chasing them couldn't chase them any longer! God was saying through this action, “You can now stand still and see My salvation.” They got the opportunity just to stand still and watch God go to work!

Our God has a way of making old things pass away and making everything new again. We become born again in Christ Jesus, and the result of that monumental event is that things that used to have a hold on us – God takes the wheels off of it. That hurt, habit, or hang-up no longer has permission to chase us. We can stop running!

What’s chasing you? Have you acknowledged that the thing that was chasing you might not be chasing you anymore? Maybe it’s time to consider being still and watch God go to work?

I invite you to view this message in its entirety at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABgZzWZtqHs

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 blogs every Monday, Thursday, and Friday morning.

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE| MESSAGE NOTES