Author: Tyler West

Bad Advice Week #2“Addicted to What?”

Luke 8:18
1 Corinthians 6:12
Romans 1:22-23 (we are trying to fill a void only God can)
Luke 18:18-30

1. Idol of Power (Depend on Your Power)
   • Luke 18:20-21 ; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
     • Traits: You accomplish everything you set out to do! You always “got this”! Never stretch yourself in faith to be more!
     • “I Have Kept”…Ruler is telling us HE did it in his own power
2. Idol Of Acceptance (Never Admit You Have a Problem)
   • Luke 18:22-23 ; Jeremiah 3:13
     • Traits: Tell yourself you can quit any time, You’ve a victim & powerless to change, Tried to quit & can’t
     • Ruler shows posture of “I’m not the one with the Problem HE IS for asking me to do such a terrible thing! It’s not that bad is it?”
3. Idol of Control (Keep Addiction Hidden)
   • Luke 18:23-25 ; Proverbs 28:13
     • Traits: Keep sin you struggle with in the dark! Don’t want people praying for you or holding you accountable!
     • JESUS LOOKED AT HIM! HUGE!
       Ruler’s posture is “I keep all of the Commandments so I should be good to go!”
4. Idol of Comfort (Gratify Your Flesh)
   • Luke 18:28-30 ; Galatians 5:16-17
     • Traits: See something you want, you get/take it, make sure you have access to whatever you’re addicted to!
     • The Ruler was stuck where he was! That’s the comfortable thing to do! Isn’t it hard enough to keep what you got already? Whew!
5. Christ Died to Set Us FREE
   • Galatians 5:1
6. Questions to Find Your Idol
   • What is the thing you worry the most about?
   • What Unanswered Prayer would make you walk from God?
   • How Do You Comfort Yourself when things are bad?
   • What Do You Want To Most Be Known for?
   • What is the ONE thing that if God took it away from you would cause you to walk away from faith? Not want to live anymore?

TakeAway:

• The light brings freedom. Tell one or two trusted people about your battle to be free
• Are You Spending Your Time, Energy, Effort on something that isn’t beneficial? Why?
• Have you ever become addicted to something? How did it start?
• Have you ever been set free from something by the power of God?

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“Drifting from God is NBD…Right?”

Luke 8:18

• Hebrews 2:1

1. Don’t Read Your Bible! Who Has Time For That?
   Psalm 119:1 ; John 1:1 ; Matthew 7:24-25
   • Traits: Not involved in Church, “God is out there”, Don’t give (tithe), Always go to Church late
   • When we make time to be with the Lord it’s AMAZING how He shows up in our lives & how we get to see Him move
2. Don’t hang out with “Church People”! They are a bunch of hypocrites!
   Hebrews 10:24-25 ; Romans 12:4-5 ; James 5:16
   • Traits: Isolated, Speak the wrong more than the right, Burned by the Church before & stay stuck, Love Just enough to correct
   • We have to surround ourselves with hungry people
   • Our Prayers are heard when we are around the people of God and confess where we fall short
3. Put You First In Everything! You Do You! God Understands!
   James 1:14-15 ; 1 John 2:15 ; Isaiah 29:13 ; 3:1
   • Traits: This is “Just the Way I am”; “The One Who Dies With The Most Toys Wins”; Go deep into debt for cars, homes and clothes that can’t be afforded; Obsess with sports, cars, fitness, etc.; Fake—fight all the time but go to Church/show and act like it’s all okay & life is good & it’s all together
   • This is the hardest thing to do…we have to put God first in all that we do
   • We can’t forget our first Love…Jesus who loved us first!
4. 4 Types of People in the World
   • Hear the Word of God and they are convicted
     • your heart is fertile soil that can yield a harvest 30, 60, 100 fold
   • Hear the Word of God and Don’t take action
     • Choked out by life! Kids, Family, School, Work…all have choked out your relationship with Christ
   • Hear the Word and Lost the Passion once felt
     • You were once on fire with passion for the Church, you walked step by step with the Lord…but you didn’t have deep roots! Renew your passion!
   • Hear the Word and it doesn’t make sense
     • You hear the Word and have tried to do it all your way. Does it always start well…then end badly? Step into a Relationship with a Savior that loves you no matter what!

TakeAway:

• What is the worst advice you’ve ever heard about God?
• Do you ever fake it to be a “good Christian?”

Interested in More About Our Thursday Night Bible Study: CLICK HERE

“Pressing On”

John 10:10

• We are called to live a life with Holy Wreckless Abandon
• We are all going to be crushed by God! Either crushed by His wrath on our sin or crushed by His mercy & grace because we believe in Jesus who has already taken God’s wrath for us!
• Resting in God’s Amazing Grace is like wearing your comfy clothes! You can be whatever God made you to be without fear of what you look like or what others see or their expectations of you! Just be who God made you to be

Philippians 3:14
Luke 12:22-34

A Little about Tyler West

• There is so much to my story I’m always willing to share! When thinking about this week 4 specific instances in my life came resonated where God allowed me to “Press On” and step into His calling on me:
  1. My Father and Grandfather’s death:
     • Father died in Dec. 1986
     • Grandfather died in Nov. 1995
       1. Begged God with Faith that he would be healed but he wasn’t
  2. Financial Struggles in Middle School & High School
     • Kicked Out of Multiple Homes & saw many cars repossessed
     • Couldn’t take vacation because of money & when we did all everyone did is stress over how to pay for it
  3. Accepted to Florida State University but Scholarship came up just short
     • Nothing like being accepted into my “dream” school and then realizing that I couldn’t afford it
  4. Transitioning out of being on staff at Church
     • Stepped into Calling God had on my life from the moment I was saved at age 7 & realized in those around me at age 16…at age 28 I finally stepped out of the “Career” into God’s calling on me!
• I share these not for pity, but to show that through all of the trials, all of the heartaches and misunderstandings God has still been faithful & God still helps us “Press On” into a life that’s deeper into His calling because our relationship grows deeper with Him!
• God allowed all of this to happen to me to show me that with Him “I never have to do life alone” and that He may not deliver me through my circumstances but He will always walk with me through them!

How Do We “Press On”

1. Give God Your Full Attention
   • John 16:33 ; Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG) ; Romans 5:3-5
     • When We focus on God and He gets our Full Attention we naturally press on because we block out all the noise of the world around us
     • We get to step into God’s “unforced rhythms of grace” when we focus on Him and yoke ourselves to Him
       1. “walk with Me, work with Me—watch how I do it”
2. Surround yourself with Hungry people
   • The only way that others around you see God’s Amazing Grace is through your story! Share it!
   • There should always be people in your life pointing you to the Bread of Life and those you are pointing to the Bread of Life
     • Without both of these types of people in your life, you will stay stuck!

TakeAway:

• Who has Jesus put in your life to not let you do life alone?
• Who is the ONE person you are going to share your story of never walking alone with?

Interested in More About Our Thursday Night Bible Study: CLICK HERE

“Straining Toward What Is Ahead”

John 10:10

• We are called to live a life with Holy Wreckless Abandon
• We are all going to be crushed by God! Either crushed by His wrath on our sin or crushed by His mercy & grace because we believe in Jesus who has already taken wrath for us!

Philippians 3:13
Luke 10:25-37

Dan Lian shared a message at NewSpring at the 6pm service in May 2012 about the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and asked 3 questions…those 3 questions changed the course of my “career” & I can see these same questions all over Luke 10 as we talk about straining ahead

1. Do You Love Your Life?
   • Priest vs. Levite vs. Traveler
     • Priest: Carries out the Acts of God (Law)
     • Levite: In the Presence of God (Law)
     • Traveler: Walks in Obedience to God (Mercy)
   • We often think that God’s plan is far off…but actually it is right in front of us (the man beaten, robbed and half naked)
   • God’s plan for our life isn’t always glamorous…it’s simply helping others instead of just talking about helping others!
   • The #1 Calling on our lives as a Christian is to Go & Tell! (Matthew 28:19-20)
2. Do You Love Your Work?
   • Traveler spent 2 days wages to pay for the beaten man…you wouldn’t spend that kind of money unless you loved what you are doing!
   • Priest and Levite were taught to help others, but they were so caught up in what others looked like & what others thought that they forgot that they were commanded to only love God & Love Others as themselves!
   • Often God’s plan involves people and places we have written off as “dead and worthless”…but those places are exactly where He wants us to be!
   • Many times we neglect God’s Plan for our lives because we don’t see results…we are just called to be obedient to the work…only God can make the results
     (1 Corinthians 3:5-9)
3. Do You Live A Life that would Invoke the Savior to Say “Well Done”?
   • The Traveler…lived out Zechariah 4:10 & understood that God blesses humble beginnings
   • What if what God made you for won’t be felt for generations down the road? Would you be willing to be a sower that may not see the fruit?
   • God Promises the Harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few…but He says that we get to reap where we did not sow! The Harvest we are getting to reap in spreading the Gospel has been on the backs of generations before us begging God to see what we get to see!
4. What Does All Of This Mean?
   • The Traveler is Jesus and we are the man robbed left for dead! He paid the price for us & will pay the price even when the judgement comes
   • God never makes a dull story…every story is AMAZING!
   • Your Story matters…so share it! Though the world & religion have passed you by…God’s mercy has not! Share that! God didn’t make your story one of tradition but instead one of REDEMPTION!
   • The World is asking the same question the man of the law asked Jesus “How can I live a life that outlasts me?” The world needs to know that hope
   • We have to keep our eyes up & see the broken, robbed, half naked left for dead people God has placed in our lives & we just have to share with them the story of the One who came along and saved us! It’s that simple…share what He has done for you on this faith-filled path you are on! Don’t water it down, and act like it’s peaches and cream…share the GRIT…cause in the Grit is where your story of REDEMPTION lies!

TakeAway:

• Who is the ONE person You are going to be Jesus to this week in the way you love them by telling your Story of Redemption?

Interested in More About Our Thursday Night Bible Study: CLICK HERE

“Forgetting What’s Behind”

John 10:10

• We are called to live a life with Holy Wreckless Abandon
• We are all going to be crushed by God! Either crushed by His wrath on our sin or crushed by His mercy & grace because we believe in Jesus who has already taken wrath for us!

Philippians 3:13
1 Kings 14:7-9

1. David Had AMAZING Potential
   • 1 Samuel 16 ; Psalm 139:13-16
     • We read from 1 Kings and say…hold up God! “David did what was right in your sight and kept your Commands”? Maybe You don’t know the same David I know!
     • We get to live a life where God takes us from the Sheep Field to the Palace
     • God wants to take us from HERE to a better THERE
     • God has made you for a specific purpose…but it starts with spreading the Gospel
       • The First Call Christ Has On Our Lives: Matthew 28:19-20
2. David Sinned
   • 2 Samuel 11:1-5
     • We drift from God when we neglect our Purpose and get Lazy
       • David wasn’t living out his purpose of being King and going to battle
     • This lead to David killing Uriah (who was living out his calling)
     • David sent his accountability out to battle
     • He knew exactly what he was doing when he went to the roof! He could have had any one he wanted…but when his focus changed to something he couldn’t have he wanted to go after it! Sin does that to us!
     • Sin takes you farther than you want to go, makes us stay longer than we are willing to stay and makes us pay more than we are willing to pay!
3. David Confessed and Repented
   • 2 Samuel 12:1-14 ; Psalm 103:10-12
     • David Knew He had to do this to achieve maximum potential in his relationship with God
4. When we see ourselves the way God sees us (like God see David in 2 Kings) we can forget what’s behind by celebrating how God brought us through it!
   • You also have AMAZING Potential! Your Story magnifies that! Share it & watch God Move!

TakeAway:

• Who is the ONE person you will share your story with this week to show what you have “forgotten behind”?

Interested in More About Our Thursday Night Bible Study: CLICK HERE

John 10:10
The Best Is Still Yet To Come

• Jesus is just getting started with what He wants to do in your life
• When you wake up & take a breath that is the very breath of God
• We are called to live a life with Holy Wreckless Abandon

Philippians 3:12-14

1. Strain Ahead
   • Philippians 3:13
     • Strenuously work forward
     • We want to live a life that counts
     • Many times we think that this comes from our works…but when we get this right it comes from tasting a small amount of God’s glory He has already given us…and once we taste that we will do anything for it!
     • When We Know What’s At Stake and What’s In Store….we throw down everything that is holding us back and go forward!
     • We are made to bring light to a dark world & when we step into God’s calling for our life we get to experience more
       • The First Call Christ Has On Our Lives: Matthew 28:19-20
2. Forget
   • Philippians 3:13
     • We have to make a choice to not be chained by our past, but deliberately moving forward (line in the sand moment)
     • When You look in the mirror, you may see all that is wrong with you and condemn yourself for it..STOP! Christ said He didn’t come to condemn the world but to save it John 3:17
     • Leave Your Trash at the alter and refuse to pick it up again because it was never meant for you to carry
     • We want to live a Lift that echos AMAZING GRACE! Not just one that know the hymn!
3. Press On
   • Philippians 3:14
     • Means to Keep On Going…to Endure
     • Are You Living a Life that shows you start something with the ending in sight?
     • Don’t respond in the moment…we have to stay committed no matter what
     • There is a voice, a drunk monkey on your shoulder, that says you can’t…knock him off and show him you can!
       1. It’s a mental game…keep pressing on
4. We are all testimonies of God’s freedom & grace! Forget the Past, Strain Ahead and Press on to finish what God has made you to do! Even though you live a battered and bruised life at times…remember that The BEST Is Still Yet To Come!

TakeAway:

• Write Down 2 Things You Struggle with “Forgetting”
• Write What Is preventing you from “Straining Ahead” in God’s Call for your life
• Write What The Words Are That Make You Not Want To “Press On”
• Lay it down at God’s Feet and let this be the day you are marked by that you finaly got to live a life that echos AMAZING GRACE

Interested in More About Our Thursday Night Bible Study: CLICK HERE

“Balance”

John 14:1-3
Balance
Matthew 11:28-30

1. Relationship with God
   • John 15:5 ; 2 Peter 3:8
     • If We Know Jesus & Aren’t seeking Him, we should expect Him to have us walk through circumstances to make us walk closer with Him!
     • How involved is Jesus in my day to day life?
     • If we serve a Lord that is in control of all time, then we can make time for anything that is important to us! We just have to seek Him within priorities!
2. Family
   • Genesis 1:28 ; 1 Corinthians 7:32-35
     • Family First! Only God comes above that!
       • God, Family, Business
     • God allows us to be fruitful and multiply not to create more of our image, but to be light bearers of His to the world and multiply the light to the world with the blessings of our children
     • We have to stay focused on what God has given us to steward!
       • Singles: Focused intently on the Lord
       • Married: Focused intently on the Lord and then our spouse
3. Relationships
   • James 5:16 ; Hebrews 10:25
     • Who Can You Be You Around? Who Can you confess everything to & it still be okay?
     • Relationships are a lot like Chocolate Milk…before their expiration they are delicious and healthy! But, outside of experience it stinks and leaves a sour taste in everyone’s mouth! Sometimes our expiration date is the tombstone, other’s it’s sooner…no matter what if we stay in our relationships well we all benefit!
       • If it’s not getting better in the relationship it’s getting bitter! So we have to work to be better together before the bitterness seeps in!
4. Health
   • 1 Timothy 4:8 ; Proverbs 23:1-2 ; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
     • Bible says that Physical Health is of some importance so we should pay attention to that!
     • Am I the best me I can be today (not yesterday or tomorrow…but today)?
     • This also means we have to be in Physical, Mental & Spiritual Shape
5. Fun/Rest
   • Hebrews 3:4-6
     • Where’s Your Sabbath?
     • My disobedience here usually leads to my loss of joy
     • Recreation = RE Creation
6. Work
   • Proverbs 18:9 ; Proverbs 24:27 ; Ecclesiastes 3:13
     • There are planting and harvesting seasons…both require work
     • Only you can answer this…Are you honoring God in your work by giving your BEST at work?
       • If you are then odds are you are going to see it as a ministry opportunity…if not you will see it as a curse!
7. Personal Finances
   • Proverbs 21:20 ; Proverbs 22:7 ; Luke 16:11
     • Honor the Lord with your wealth! Whatever step He is asking you to take in it…be BOLD enough to take it!
     • If God called you to go to a 3^rd world country tomorrow to fulfill His call on your life, would you financially be in shape to do that? Or would you be so stressed about financially about it you would have to say no?
       • Don’t Miss God’s blessing in stewardship
8. Personal Development
   1. Proverbs 4:7 ; Proverbs 3:19-20
      • Surround yourself with people who are pointing you to Jesus and you are pointing to Jesus! This is a both/and situation…not and/or!
      • Who in your life is your mentor pointing you through your next steps?

TakeAway:

• Rate Yourself 1-10 in each area and pray/work to get 1 point better in your worst area over the next 21 days!

Interested in More About Our Thursday Night Bible Study: CLICK HERE

Free Will: The Devil Made Me Do It

John 14:1-3
Free Will

• Webster Defines: The power of directing our own actions without restraint by necessity or fate
• The Bible defines Free Will as the Freedom to Make the Choice but not the Free Will to Determine the Effect…That’s what God does!

1. God Dictates Our Decisions In His Word
   • Proverbs 16:9 ; Revelation 3:20 ; Joshua 24:15
     • We don’t dictate to God what is right and wrong!
     • God clearly defines what is right and wrong in His Word
2. God’s Control Is What Gives Us Life
   • Genesis 1:1 ; John 1:1 ; John 3:16 ; Ephesians 5:14
     • God’s control as Creator gives us our very existence
     • His control as Righteous Judge gives us freedom and allows us to be blessed
     • Without God we are just zombies without a purpose! Roaming around aimlessly not caring about our decisions or how they affect us & others!
3. God knows our decision before we make it but His Grace gives us a choice
   • Luke 15:1-7 (The Lost Sheep) ; Luke 15:8-10 (The Lost Coin) ; Luke 15:11-32 (The Prodigal Son)
     • God IS Actively Involved in Seeking You For Salvation (The Lost Sheep & The Lost Coin)
     • God isn’t going to force us into becoming a Christian! We are actively involved in pursuing God for Salvation! (The Prodigal Son)
     • When God looks at us He only sees us a Sin or His Son! Nothing in between! So He alone is who is in control of the effects of our choices!

TakeAway:

• What’s the WORST decision of my life I can’t seem to shake the effects of?
• Outside of Salvation, Marriage and Family, what is the BEST decision I no longer feel the effects of?

Interested in More About Our Thursday Night Bible Study: CLICK HERE

“How Do I Know When God Is Speaking to Me?”

John14:1-3

1. The Bible
   1. Hebrews 4:13; Proverbs 30:5; Psalm 19:7-8
      • Want to hear the voice of God? Read your Bible out loud to yourself every day
        1. Why? You are literally created through the breath of God! Your vocal chords that produce sounds are what God uses to defeat Satan. (Read about Satan being thrown out of Heaven)
      • Oftentimes when we read the Bible and don’t get anything from it, it isn’t because we don’t understand…it’s because we have a problem submitting to the authority of God!
        1. The Bible clearly lays out right and wrong!
        2. God alone dictates our decisions…our decisions don’t dictate who God is! We have to have full surrender for that to be true!
      • For the Next 21 days we are reading the Bible for 10 minutes a day! Let’s see what God does in those 10 minutes!
2. The Holy Spirit
   1. Luke 2:25-27 ; John14:26 ; Ephesians 1:13-14
      • The Holy Spirit is the tool God left us to be able to remember everything that Jesus Taught!
        1. Often the Word of God (the Bible) and the Holy Spirit work together to bring others straight to Jesus (look at Luke 2)
      • Many times we don’t like to listen to the Spirit because it never tells us to stay comfortable and often it works to correct us! None of us like correction…so that makes listening to the Spirit extremely difficult!
        1. So would the Holy Spirit tell me it’s okay to live in sin? Nope…that’s where we get stuck!
      • Often the most powerful prayer we can pray is “Lord change me” instead of “Lord change them”
3. The Church (it’s people)
   1. Mathew 16:18; Ephesians 3:10
      • The Local Church is the hope of the World
        1. It allows imperfect people to come together and serve a perfect God! How cool is that? None of us have it all together!
   2. Proverbs 13:20 ; 1 Corinthians 15:33
      • We should have hungry people in our life! When hungry people find bread they are ready to share with others where they found it (Jesus tells us He is the bread of life).
      • We should surround ourselves with people who we are pointing to Jesus and those who are pointing Jesus to us!
        1. We often get caught in the two extremes but we should have balance of both types of people in our lives
        2. Often we get blessed learning from other’s quiet times more than in our own. That’s how God works!
4. TakeAway
   • When we hear God speak often this happens!
     1. Sore Spot of Sin we need to confess
        • We’ve identified the sore spot we just need to repent of the sin
        • Repentance isn’t just asking forgiveness…it’s an act out of obedience to walk away from the sin that is holding us in our life (we will never be perfect here)
          1. Quick question: when is the last time repentance to the Lord of sin moved you tears? That’s a huge sign of repentance
     2. We need to Come Home
        • We haven’t lost our relationship with Christ but have lost our fellowship with Him
          1. Like the Prodigal Son we have repented of our sin, but we stay stuck and feel we aren’t worthy to experience the blessing of our Father!
          2. But like the story the Father is waiting to have a feast with you
          3. Come home and experience the blessing of the Father!
     3. We step into a Relationship with Christ
        • We see that we are sinners separated from Him and the wages of that sin is death!
        • We see that Jesus paid the penalty of our sin so that we didn’t have to
        • We Confess that we are sinners & Believe that Jesus died on the Cross for our sin and rose again the 3^rd day to overcome our sin
        • We ask Jesus to come take over our life and teach us how to follow Him step by step the rest of our life the best way we know how!
        • We are now followers of Jesus Christ

Interested in More About Our Thursday Night Bible Study: CLICK HERE