Here’s Why You Might Want To Be Careful About Who You Talk To

Genesis tells the story of God’s 7-day creation process. Detailing the formation of man in God’s image, it unveils man’s fall when he encounters a snake. Amazingly, the author provides the details in subtle simplicity regarding Satan’s ultimate temptation. The snake, possessed by Satan, only spoke two times.

Two times.

Read that reality again.

Two times.

Two statements were enough to knock the entire race of humanity off its pedestal of moral purity.

This reality shows us how crucial it is to be wise about engaging in conversation.

As my momma might say, “You better be careful who you talk to!”

The enemy can bring people into your life who shift the way you think -- and not in a good way. These conversationalists begin to influence you negatively just through their words.

Ephesians Chapter 6 teaches us additional truth. We don’t wrestle with flesh and blood but with powers and principalities and powers of the heir. Personalities are manifestations of spirits. Jesus taught, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” That means what comes out of a person’s mouth is what is in a person.

Have you been talking to snakes?

Don’t be deceived. There’s no doubt that there are snakes within your life. My life. Everyone’s life. It happens because the snake is crafty. Creation’s story describes him in that way.

Crafty is another word for wise. Eight times the Hebrew word for describing the snake’s craftiness is used in the book of Proverbs. It is not associated with a negative connotation. Craftiness is not a bad thing. Being wise is a good thing! However, when wisdom comes from the wrong source, it becomes counterfeit. There is a wisdom of this world, and there is a wisdom of God’s Word. You want the latter, not the former!

The enemy operates in the wisdom of this world. He is sly as a fox, and he will set a snare to trap you.

In the Garden of Eden, the enemy appeared beautiful, like an angel of light. But, what seems to be beautiful isn’t always what it appears to be. The enemy can even make his way into the flock of sheep disguised as a wolf. This exemplifies how crafty he can be!

Jesus warned that the enemy is so crafty that he will deceive even the very elect in the last days if it were possible. (Ref. Matthew 24:24).

But, here’s a probing question that you have probably not asked yourself...are you the snake in someone's life?

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. -Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)

One of the ways darkness and wickedness manifest on Earth is through spiritual hosts. Without the Earthly host, the wickedness would stay in high places. However, it comes low when we give it a portal to work through.

We have to ensure that we are not hosting darkness -- the things of this world -- in ourselves.

What are you speaking into other people's lives?

Be careful to notice what you're consuming. What is your social media feed “feeding” you?

Out of the abundance of your heart, you will speak. Yes, even YOU. So speak life into other people’s lives. Avoid grumbling and complaining. Praise the name of Jesus! Do not allow the enemy to use you as a host.

I invite you to view this message from our new sermon series A Wise Christmas, “There’s Something You Don’t See,” in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/2Dm0_NyhsHE

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 the anointing 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.

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE| MESSAGE NOTES

4 Important Things You MUST Know About Living A Wise Life

1) BE CAREFUL WHO YOU TALK TO

Voices determine choices, and choices have consequences. The enemy will tell us whatever we want to hear, and he will use others to speak his deception into our lives. If you give too much time to the wrong conversations, some things may manifest in your life that is not of God. Did you know the snake, possessed by Satan, only spoke to Eve two times? It only took him two times to create distance, distrust, and disobedience between Adam and Eve and God. The enemy wrecks Adam and Eve's whole world with only two statements. So be careful who you talk to! Words have power.

2) DON’T LOOK FOR THE RIGHT THING IN THE WRONG PLACE

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. - James 1:5 (NKJV)

You can tap into the wisdom of this world, or you can tap into the wisdom of the Word. You can tap into the wisdom of Hell, or you can tap into the wisdom of Heaven. The choice is yours to make. But I would encourage you to be Kingdom-minded, look for wisdom in the Word, and bring heaven down.

Even the wise men realized that there was available through Jesus than books could offer them. They realized they had to seek wisdom through a relationship with Jesus.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”-Matthew 2:1-2 (NKJV)

Consider this truth. Adam and Eve were in the image of God, and He had given them EVERYTHING they needed, but when they started speaking to the wrong personality -- the snake. Immediately, they began to desire something that God had told them was off-limits -- wisdom from the wrong source. They were looking for the right thing but in the wrong place. It is nothing short of amazing how effective the enemy is at making humanity give up what we already have -- Adam and Eve already had wisdom -- to get what we’ve already got.

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. - Genesis 3:6 (NKJV)

3) YOU NEVER SEE IT ALL

Adam and Eve had it all. They were living in paradise. They were surrounded by nothing but GOOD. But they couldn’t see it. Never once did Mankind call God’s Creation good until they became fixated upon the one thing they were told they could not have. The enemy will blind you towards the goodness of God and all the provisions He has given you. The enemy will also blind you towards the destruction he is trying to bring to your life.

Look at the Scripture again:

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. - Genesis 3:6 (NKJV)

Eve only saw that the tree of the good. But, it wasn’t just a tree of good. It was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eve only saw what the enemy wanted her to see!

Don’t allow the enemy to seduce you. He is coming to kill, steal, and destroy your life, and like Eve, you may not see it coming. Ask God to show you what you do not see. Invite God to show you how to avoid the evil in and around your life.

4) WISE MEN STILL SEEK HIM

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”-Matthew 2:1-2 (NKJV)

The wise men traveled for approximately two years to get to Jesus. They took risks, and they made sacrifices. Yet, they continued to follow God’s will for their lives, even when a snake in Jerusalem, named King Harold, started speaking things into their lives that did not align with God and tried to distract them with the riches of this world.

The wise men knew that they needed a relationship with the Son of God. They realized that this relationship was the true treasure.

God will put a star in the sky for you. Maybe it’s the simplicity of a blog post. He loves you. He wants to get your attention, just like He did the wise men. He will correct your course and place you back on the path He created for you. It’s time to stop talking to snakes. Stop looking for the right thing in the wrong places. Stop ignoring the things you have refused to see. God is seeking you out. He longs for a relationship with you.

Turn off the ignorance of this world, and seek the only relationship you genuinely need in your life - the relationship that will bring you the wisdom you need to live a good life. Seek God. He will give you everything you need. Seek His wisdom in your life. He is more than willing to give it to you.

I invite you to view this message from our new sermon series A Wise Christmas, “There’s Something You Don’t See,” in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/2Dm0_NyhsHE

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 the anointing 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.

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE| MESSAGE NOTES

Why Unstable Faith Will Always Lead You Away From God’s Blessings

God is up to something good!

Sometimes things look one way, but upon further review, there is something more to see. It may look one way now, but in truth, it is something completely different. When you take time to look at what God is up to from different vantage points in your life, you will discover that the spiritual perspective dramatically differs from what you may be seeing in the flesh.

Last week we talked about Israel’s distance from God spiritually. As a result, they were in a severe drought and famine, things were pretty horrific, and God had sent a prophet named Elijah to bring fire down from Heaven and prove to the people that God was unrivaled as the only deity. God also promised that He would send rain to renew and restore what the drought and famine had taken. When the people returned to God spiritually, everything around them physically began to improve!

If you missed last week's message you can watch it here.

Have you ever experienced seasickness?

Seasickness is a form of motion sickness that occurs when the brain can’t make sense of the information being sent from the eyes, ears, and/or body. So, for example, for some people, motion in a car, boat, plane, or even on an amusement park ride can make them feel queasy, clammy, or sick to their stomach. And, all of these physical challenges are a direct result of the brain not being able to make sense of the mixed signals it is receiving. The body appears to be on something solid, but at the same time, everything is going up and down.

Have you ever considered that God might struggle with motion sickness?

Forgive me for that play on words, but ponder this passage, “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” (Revelation 3:16 NKJV)

In Revelation 3, Jesus was speaking to a church in Laodicea. He addressed people who are expected to be one way, but their faith is being manifested in an entirely different way. Jesus says I’d rather you be really hot or really cold, but this back and forth -- up and down faith -- is making me sick. Scripture tells us that He will vomit this kind of faith out of His mouth. It is a harsh but real visualization of how He feels about lukewarm faith.

How do we define hot faith? Or cold faith? How do you know if you’re only lukewarm? Most commentators tell us that it has to do with the intensity at which you pursue God.

James, Jesus’s brother, further teaches us that Jesus doesn’t have a high tolerance for anyone who is double-minded. What we know about Jesus is that without faith it is absolutely impossible to please Him, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him... and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV)

Stay hot and intense in your faith, because God rewards the diligent heart that seeks Him fully! When we keep going after God, keep enduring, keep pursuing, and keep seeking Him we are rewarded and blessed. In the book of Revelation, Chapters 2 and 3, Jesus is talking to churches and believers...people who already follow Him, and He is saying to them that we must overcome whatever is in the world. This is incredibly important because He knows there will be a fight, a distraction, a hindrance, and a battle. We must press through what the world brings against us, keeping our faith hot! If we can do this there will be a special reward for us in Heaven.

How are you going to overcome the World?

How are you going to defeat the enemy?

Through faith:

For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. - 1 John 5:4-5 (NLT)

And, God’s preference, the thing He finds most pleasing is when our faith doesn’t waver as a result of life’s circumstances:

But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV)

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:6-8 NKJV)

Straight up, bottom line, God will not bless anything or anyone that is unstable or double-minded.

Thankfully, we learn there is hope for all who do waver or struggle with stability in their faith. And, we get the life-altering lesson because of what the Bible teaches us about Elijah. He certainly had his ups and downs in life and even struggled with his faith on a very personal level, just like we do, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours...” (James 5:17 NKJV)

But when it mattered, Elijah showed up and his faith was on fire. He stood against over 850 false prophets by himself. Deeply believing in faith that revival would happen in his nation. He diligently sought God, and he believed that God would send fire to the Earth and prove His presence. He also believed that God would respond to the people's spiritual alignment and send a physical reward of restoration and renewal to the land. Through Elijah's strong faith, faith on fire, God ended the drought and famine. He brought rain and healing to their nation!

I believe God wants to do much the same for the nations of the world in our time. He just needs some Elijah’s who are ready and willing to stand firm in their faith and set the example of overcoming the world!

I invite you to view this message, “Here Again” in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/vjLKClOF-Is

Here are a few things to evaluate in your life:

1. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? This decision is the first step in receiving the anointing 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.

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE| MESSAGE NOTES