Words of Encouragement –Patience

Romans 2:4

4 Don't you realize how kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Or don't you care? Can't you see how kind he has been in giving you time to turn from your sin? (NLT)

Sometimes it is very easy to forget how kind and tolerant and patient God is toward us. It is not God who has the problem but it is us. We need to be very thankful that God is patient with us. Giving us time to see the sin in our life, confess our sin to Him and repent of our sin.

We need to be patient with others as God is patient with us. Within our lives we need to focus on the Lord Jesus Christ’s life and how He lived it and model our own lives in the same way. We need to seek Christ and His will for us and live a life that the life of Christ is flowing out of us.

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Words of Encouragement – Patience

James 5:10-11

10 For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord's plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy. (NLT)

To learn patience and how to endure suffering we must turn to the scriptures and those who have modeled patience. Of course, one of the best examples is Job. Job loved God and obeyed God to the very end. Job never doubted God or turned his back on God but continued in faith believe God’s will be done regardless of the final outcome. From his experience we see how the Lord's plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy. Regardless of our circumstance, God is on our side and He is full of tenderness, mercy, grace and love. In Jeremiah 29:11 it says, "For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (NLT) Wait patiently on the Lord and He will bring it to pass.

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Words of Encouragement –Patience

Titus 2:1-2

1 But as for you, promote the kind of living that reflects right teaching. 2 Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have strong faith and be filled with love and patience. (NLT)

We must promote right teaching. We need to teach self-control, respect, wisdom, faith, love and patience. When we teach others we need to have strong faith in God that He will use us to teach others wisely. In teaching others the Word of God we must have patience, for the ones who taught us had patience with us for the things we did not understand. They had patience with us when we still lived in the world and not fully for Christ. So then have patience with those you share with for they are not at the same place in their walk with Christ as you are. Be filled with love and patience.

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

 

Words of Encouragement –Peace

2 Corinthians 13:11

11 Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Rejoice. Change your ways. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. (NLT)

Rejoice in the Lord. Change your ways through your obedience to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and live according to God’s will for you. Be encouraging to each other as God encourages you through His Word which brings grace and blessings. Live in peace and harmony with each other as well with those who live in the this world. Remember that in Christ your home is no longer here on this earth but in heaven above and while you are here live in peace with your fellow man as best as you can. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Words of Encouragement –Peace

1 Peter 1:2-3

2 God the Father chose you long ago, and the Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed Jesus Christ and are cleansed by his blood. May you have more and more of God's special favor and wonderful peace. (NLT)

Isn’t it wonderful to know that God chose you long before you were born to be His child and to be with Him forever. And that through the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that we have been cleansed by His blood and made holy by the Holy Spirit. These things should make us shout for joy. God through Jesus Christ has given us wonderful peace and through Christ we have peace with God. Now that we have peace with God we have His special favor. We are no longer condemned but now we have God’s special favor. God is not against us but His special favor is upon us to do His will and to bring glory to His name. Therefore go in God’s peace and accomplish His will for His favor is upon you.

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Words of Encouragement –Peace

Romans 8:5-6

5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. (NLT)

The sinful nature wants to dominate your life. It wants you to have nothing to do with God. It only wants to destroy your witness and your life in Christ. But praise to Jesus that He did not leave us alone in this but sent His Holy Spirit to live within us and to help us in this journey. When we allow the Holy Spirit to have control of our mind we have peace and life. Sin wants to distract us from God’s Will and the Holy Spirit wants to bring us closer to Christ. There is a battle going on for your mind and the one that wins out is the one you feed the most. Do you feed your mind with worldly things or do you feed your mind with the Word of God? The world brings death but Christ and the Holy Spirit brings life and peace. Which one is the better choice? Which one do you choose?

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Words of Encouragement –Peace

Romans 12:17-18

17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible. (NLT)

It is our responsibility to live at peace with everyone around us. God does not say that it will be perfect because He knows we are sinners but we are to do our best to be at peace with our neighbors. As we are now at peace with God we need to impart peace to others. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone but give grace, mercy and peace as much as possible. Let Christ shine through you.

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Words of Encouragement –Peace

Philippians 4:6-7

6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (NLT)

If you do this - pray about everything - you will experience God’s peace. We cannot truly and fully understand God’s peace but God has given us His peace through Jesus Christ. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Instead of worrying – pray. You want peace in your life – pray. God is on your side and He has already given you His peace, now just pray and pray about everything for God wants to hear from you and He wants to hear everything you have to say – pray.

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

John 14:27

27 "I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid. (NLT)

Peace is a gift from the Lord Jesus Christ. No matter what we go through here of earth we will always have Jesus’ peace and we will have peace with God. We do not need to worry for we have peace of mind that Jesus is always looking out for us and that is why He sent His Holy Spirit to live within us. Jesus did not give us peace like the world gives peace which could be here today and gone tomorrow. The peace Jesus gives is everlasting and will never go away. So then with having the peace of God living in us we never need to be troubled of afraid.

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Galatians 5:22-23

22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. (NLT)

Review:

The source of our Joy is God.

Our guide to Joy is the Holy Spirit.

The fulfillment of our Joy is Jesus Christ.

The beginning of our Joy is obedience to Christ.

We are to continue in the Joy of the Lord even in our trials.

Let the Holy Spirit have control of your life to guide you into all truth and joy.

Rejoice in the Lord and again I say - Rejoice

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Words of Encouragement – Joy

Romans 14:17-19

17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God. And other people will approve of you, too. 19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. (NLT)

To live life to the fullest we must live it in the Holy Spirit. For us to have goodness and peace and joy we must give ourselves to the Holy Spirit and let Him guide, direct and teach us the way of Christ. Aim for harmony in the church, with each other and strive to build each other up in Christ. For the Kingdom of God is not about eating or drinking but doing the will of God to the praise and glory of Christ. Joy will come through obedience to Christ in a Spirit lead life. Give yourself wholly and completely to the will of God and begin your real journey of life and you will have peace and joy.

Our Mission is to Lead People into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Words of Encouragement – Joy

Psalm 43:3-4

3 Send out your light and your truth;

let them guide me.

Let them lead me to your holy mountain,

to the place where you live.

4 There I will go to the altar of God,

to God — the source of all my joy.

I will praise you with my harp,

O God, my God!

(NLT)

The source of all our joy is God.

He fills us with light, truth, love, blessings and joy.

The fruit of the Spirit is what we are to pursue and it will guide us.

We are to be seeking the Kingdom of God, where true joy is found, and leading others there too.

Real joy and happiness comes only from living in Christ and abiding in Christ.

Joy is the result of our obedience to the commandments of Christ.

The source of all our joy is Christ

Words of Encouragement – Joy

John 15:9-11

9 "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! (NLT)

Jesus loves us and wants us to be filled with His joy -- the same joy that He has with the Father. Yes, your joy will overflow! When we are obedient to the Lord Jesus and we remain in His love, He fills our lives with joy, with joy in the Holy Spirit and yes, your joy will overflow! Jesus always gives us a choice, either to obey or to disobey, one choice comes with blessings and the other comes with discipline. We can either be filled with joy in the Lord or emptied of happiness. Choose Christ first and be filled with the Holy Spirit and yes, your joy will overflow!