How To Know Something Is Worth Fighting For

Last week, in the message, Is It Time To Flee?, we discussed how the Bible gives precise instructions on when we are to FIGHT and when we are to FLEE.

But you, O man of God, FLEE these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. FIGHT the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called, and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. - 1 Timothy 6:11-12 (NKJV)

Sometimes there is a need to get involved in a fight on behalf of our faith, but we can not enter that battle haphazardly or casually -- we must move forward with intentionality. And a significant part of choosing to fight spiritual battles with intentionality is choosing to “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10 NKJV)

No one can put on the armor of God for you; it’s something you must do yourself.

Memorize the armor elements and pray through their placement in your life daily, the helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, loins girded with Truth, the sword of the Spirit, and feet Shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace. God has called and commissioned you to fight the GOOD FIGHT of faith, and you must be equipped for battle, “Fight the GOOD FIGHT of faith…” (1 Timothy 6:12 NKJV)

There are two kinds of spiritual fights that exist, one is the good fight, and one is the bad fight. Let’s examine examples of the differences between the two.

BAD FIGHT vs. GOOD FIGHT

PERSONAL RECOGNITION vs. GOD’S GLORY

PERSONAL OPINION vs. GOD’S TRUTH

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE vs. GOD’S PLAN

PERSONAL PREFERENCE vs. GOD’S PRESENCE

PROVE A POINT vs. BLESS OTHERS

TEAR DOWN vs. BUILD-UP

HURT OTHERS vs. HELPS OTHERS

POLITICAL IDEOLOGY vs. SOUND DOCTRINE

We best sum this up by saying that a GOOD FIGHT happens when we fight for others, not against them.

• Hell’s PLOT: We fight each other.

• God’s PLAN: We fight for each other.

It is not God’s plan for us to be fighting each other; we are to be fighting for each other! Why? Because we do not wrestle against FLESH and BLOOD, we wrestle against powers and principalities! Yes, you may be dealing with a personality, but that personality is hosting spiritual darkness. Never lose sight of that truth. It will help you to keep the fight from becoming personal.

When the enemy uses people to come against us, hard conversations become unavoidable. But, unfortunately, those conversations can often feel like a fight. So, how do you have the necessary discussions and maintain a good fight, not a bad fight?

When HARD CONVERSATIONS must take place, follow this strategy:

1. CONVERSE PRIVATELY FIRST

Moreover, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. - Matthew 18:15 (NKJV)

2. SPEAK TRUTH IN LOVE

...no longer be children… carried about with every wind of doctrine...but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in Christ-

-Ephesians 4:14-15 (NKJV)

3. FILL YOUR SPEECH WITH GRACE

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. -Colossians 4:6 (NKJV)

4. OFFER BLESSING, NOT CURSING

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse…” If your enemy is...thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” -Romans 12:12, 20 (NKJV)

At the best you can do, there will still be moments when you recognize a SPIRITUAL fight is becoming increasingly PERSONAL. I borrow Paul’s recommendations for suggesting your next step, “Now I urge you, brethren, NOTE those who cause divisions and offenses...and AVOID them. (Romans 16:17 NKJV)

The takeaway of that verse is that sometimes, when dealing with challenging personalities, we have to take good notes (if you’ve ever been through a legal battle, you know what I’m talking about!), and on occasions, altogether avoid them.

Another way of saying it is that sometimes we have to understand that there will be personality conflicts with people. However, we can still love and bless them while simultaneously setting healthy boundaries, so that offense and bitterness do not take root within our hearts.

It’s essential to align our battle strategies with God’s instructions because the result will be something we can celebrate, “I want you to be wise in what is GOOD… And the God of peace will CRUSH Satan under your feet shortly.” (Romans 16:17-18 NKJV)

Give God praise! This approach is how you will win! It’s amazing what happens when you stop trying to fight your way -- the bad fight -- and fight God’s way -- the good fight!

“Fight the GOOD FIGHT of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called…” (1 Timothy 6:12). In this letter, Paul is telling Timothy to fight the GOOD FIGHT. Years later, Paul writes another letter stating, “I have fought the GOOD FIGHT, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7 NKJV)

• I HAVE FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT. I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH!

Don’t you want that proclamation to be your testimony?

Your kids are worth fighting for... your family is worth fighting for... your calling is worth fighting for… God’s church and God’s truth -- sound doctrine is worth fighting for... Don’t stop fighting! Fight the GOOD FIGHT, it won’t come cheap, and you may have to sacrifice your pride, personal recognition, and even personal preference at times. But, I challenge you to realize that there is no more remarkable testimony than to say, “I have kept the faith, I have fought the GOOD FIGHT, God CRUSHED the enemy under my feet!

You can view the message in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/smWkQi0Gu9o

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE | MESSAGE NOTES

God Is...LOVE

Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God for God is love. -1 John 4:7-8 NKJV

Are you becoming a more loving person? If not, you may be missing the most important part of being a Christian, because God is love we must love abundantly too. We are to love God with our whole heart, mind, and soul, because if we do not, Satan can steal our hearts away from the love of God.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in Him. - 1 John 2:15

John warns us not to be in love with the things of this world but love God. How much space is God occupying in your heart compared to other things?

Nothing is better for a man that he should eat and drink and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw was from the hand of God.

-Ecclesiastes 2:24.

Do a full evaluation of what you love, is it your car, your house, your boat, a particular person, your family, your garden, sports, a job, music, money, sex, or status. Remember where your treasure is, so is your heart. We live in a beautiful world, and we are to enjoy these beautiful things and enjoy our lives, but we must be careful not to let these beautiful things replace God in our lives or become our idols.

The love of God will change you...it will change your identity. We live in a world where many people are going through an identity crisis. They no longer know who they are, and it is creating a regression in our nation through division, anger, hatred, separation, tribalism, blaming, and victimization. So many people feel good and behave badly because they have not accepted the love of God in their lives. They do not know they are children of God, extravagantly and abundantly loved. Being a Child of God is the only identity that matters because every other identity will pass away.

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God. -1 John 3:1

God’s love is given lavishly to His children. We will never truly be able to understand the depth of God’s love, and nothing can separate us from the love of God. We are children of God not because we love Him, but because He loves us. God does not want anyone to perish eternally but desires every one of us to have a born-again experience.

By this, we know love because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay our lives down for our brothers. - 1 John 3:16

Godly love equals obedience. Love is not a feeling, it is an act of will. Love obeyed must be displayed. We are meant to be ambassadors of God. We show our love to God by our actions, practices, giving, keeping God's commandments, and loving others! You can express the love of God right where you are. It starts right within our homes, our neighborhoods, places of employment, and local churches.

For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.-1 John 5:3

Because God loves us we must love others. If you are feeling like you have been struggling with loving God or loving others lately I invite you to watch this message by Dr. Terry Swan, Cross Training, out of our God Is… series. It will transform the way you think about God’s love.

“Love is more caught than it is taught.”

- Dr. Terry Swan

I invite you to view this message from Dr Terry Swan, God Is...LOVE, in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/I6I9cB90Fng

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE | MESSAGE NOTES

How We Can Discover What is at the Center of Our Life

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD. The fruit of the womb is a reward. (Psalm 127:3 NASB)

Children are a gift! Parenting is a true gift from God, and He gives us children to enjoy. But it is possible to fall into the trap of enduring a child’s behavior issues rather than genuinely enjoying the child as a gift from Heaven.

It brings us to a fundamental question: How do you raise children you enjoy?

We must start with the heart. The Bible tells us that everything flows from the heart. Think of it this way: Your child's heart is upstream, and anything flowing out of them is downstream, such as characteristics and behaviors.

As Christian parents, it is essential to deposit the correct teachings into our children's hearts so they learn and develop self-control. I have come to believe that one of the most crucial elements of parenting is to embrace this truth:

The purpose of parenting is not to control the child but to teach the child self-control.

This principle becomes increasingly important in present times because whether we choose to realize it or not, every time our child scrolls through social media or launches a playlist on YouTube or Apple Music, the world teaches them lifestyle philosophies. And, unfortunately, most of those philosophies are centered in darkness. It seems we are raising our children in a spiritual Babylon, similar to the culture in the Book of Daniel. As a result, when it comes to any unholy ideology that culture may be using to take our kids captive, our sons and daughters must be raised in such a way that they can respond with uncompromising attitudes like Daniel, Shadrach, Meschach, and Abendago.

What are you teaching and developing in your child? Because the most important disciple you will ever make is your child. And… Making a disciple comes down to helping people get centered.

We as parents must be the ones to sow seeds of godliness into our children and center them in Christ so that anything transpiring around them externally will not affect what is inside of them. Because if our children are centered correctly, that which flows from their hearts will be of God, and they will have the power within them to defeat any attack the enemy forms against them!

What is your family's center? What is your child’s center? How do we evaluate our priorities to make sure we are centered correctly?

These are essential questions to answer as parents. I invite you to watch this crucial message, How to Lead Your Family Well, as I walk through the significance of centering our families in the things that matter most.

It's our responsibility to plant the correct seeds within our children's hearts and keep them centered. We are blessed with the opportunity to make our children into disciples!

“But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15 NKJV)

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE | MESSAGE NOTES

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