dF u l f i l y o u r

Lord of the Rings, “The Two Towers” Used by Permission, CVLI

DEVINE, DESIGN, DESIRE & DESTINATION

D is for. . .

ENTHUSIASTIC ENGAGEMENT with our LORD, LOCAL CHURCH, LIFE, the LOST and our LEGACY

E is for. . .

STEWARDSHIP

S is for. . .

TRIAL is TRAINING for TRIUMPH

T is for. . .

Five  causes  of  occurrences  in  our  lives:  

1.   God  influences,  leads  and  directs  us.  2.   Satan  comes  to  steal  kill  and  destroy.  3.   Other  people  make  decisions  and  ac@ons  that  affect  us.  4.   We  make  decisions  and  carry  out  the  consequences  of  those  decisions.  5.   Natural,  physical  incidents  in  the  world  impact  us.

James 1

2  Consider  it  pure  joy,  my  brothers  and  sisters,  whenever  you  face  trials  of  many  kinds,  3  because   you   know   that   the   tes@ng   of   your   faith   produces   perseverance.   4   Let  perseverance   finish   its   work   so   that   you   may   be   mature   and   complete,   not   lacking  anything.  …12  Blessed  is  the  one  who  perseveres  under  trial  because,  having  stood  the  test,  that  person  will  receive  the  crown  of  life  that  the  Lord  has  promised  to  those  who  love  him.  

13  When  tempted,  no  one  should  say,  “God  is  temp@ng  me.”  For  God  cannot  be  tempted  by  evil,  nor  does  he  tempt  anyone…  16  Don’t  be  deceived,  my  dear  brothers  and  sisters.  17   Every   good   and   perfect   giW   is   from   above,   coming   down   from   the   Father   of   the  heavenly  lights,  who  does  not  change  like  shiWing  shadows.    

Hebrews 12:1-13

12  Therefore,  since  we  are  surrounded  by  such  a  great  cloud  of  witnesses,   let  us  throw  off   everything   that   hinders   and   the   sin   that   so   easily   entangles.   And   let   us   run   with  perseverance   the   race  marked   out   for   us,   2   fixing   our   eyes   on   Jesus,   the   pioneer   and  perfecter  of   faith.  For   the   joy  set  before  him  he  endured  the  cross,   scorning   its   shame,  and  sat  down  at  the  right  hand  of  the  throne  of  God.  3  Consider  him  who  endured  such  opposi@on  from  sinners,  so  that  you  will  not  grow  weary  and  lose  heart.  

4   In  your   struggle  against   sin,   you  have  not  yet   resisted   to   the  point  of   shedding  your  blood.  5  And  have  you  completely  forgo]en  this  word  of  encouragement  that  addresses  you  as  a  father  addresses  his  son?  It  says,  

Hebrews 12:1-13

“My   son,   do   not   make   light   of   the   Lord’s   discipline,   and   do   not   lose   heart   when   he  rebukes  you  6  because  the  Lord  disciplines  the  one  he  loves,  and  he  chastens  everyone  he  accepts  as  his  son.”  7  Endure  hardship  as  discipline;  God  is  trea@ng  you  as  his  children.  For  what  children  are  not   disciplined   by   their   father?   8   If   you   are   not   disciplined—and   everyone   undergoes  discipline—then  you  are  not  legi@mate,  not  true  sons  and  daughters  at  all.  9  Moreover,  we  have  all  had  human   fathers  who  disciplined  us  and  we   respected   them   for   it.  How  much  more  should  we  submit  to  the  Father  of  spirits  and  live!  10  They  disciplined  us  for  a  li]le  while  as   they   thought  best;  but  God  disciplines  us   for  our  good,   in  order   that  we  may  share  in  his  holiness.  11  No  discipline  seems  pleasant  at  the  @me,  but  painful.  Later  on,  however,  it  produces  a  harvest  of  righteousness  and  peace  for  those  who  have  been  trained  by  it.      12   Therefore,   strengthen   your   feeble   arms   and  weak   knees.   13   “Make   level   paths   for  your  feet,”[b]  so  that  the  lame  may  not  be  disabled,  but  rather  healed.  

Strengthen yourself

Straighten your path

12   Therefore,   strengthen   your   feeble   arms   and  weak   knees.   13   “Make   level   paths   for  your  feet,”[b]  so  that  the  lame  may  not  be  disabled,  but  rather  healed.  

Acts 16

16  Once  when  we  were  going  to  the  place  of  prayer,  we  were  met  by  a  female  slave  who  had  a  spirit  by  which  she  predicted  the  future.  She  earned  a  great  deal  of  money  for  her  owners  by  fortune-­‐telling.  17  She  followed  Paul  and  the  rest  of  us,  shou@ng,  “These  men  are  servants  of  the  Most  High  God,  who  are  telling  you  the  way  to  be  saved.”  18  She  kept  this  up  for  many  days.  Finally  Paul  became  so  annoyed  that  he  turned  around  and  said  to  the   spirit,   “In   the   name   of   Jesus   Christ   I   command   you   to   come   out   of   her!”   At   that  moment  the  spirit  leW  her.  

19  When  her  owners   realized   that   their  hope  of  making  money  was  gone,   they   seized  Paul  and  Silas  and  dragged  them  into  the  marketplace  to  face  the  authori@es.  20  They  brought  them  before  the  magistrates  and  said,  “These  men  are  Jews,  and  are  throwing  our  city   into  an  uproar  21  by  advoca@ng  customs  unlawful   for  us  Romans  to  accept  or  prac@ce.”  

Acts 16

22  The  crowd   joined   in   the  a]ack  against  Paul  and  Silas,  and   the  magistrates  ordered  them  to  be  stripped  and  beaten  with  rods.  23  AWer  they  had  been  severely  flogged,  they  were   thrown   into   prison,   and   the   jailer   was   commanded   to   guard   them   carefully.   24  When  he  received  these  orders,  he  put  them  in  the  inner  cell  and  fastened  their  feet   in  the  stocks.  

25  About  midnight  Paul  and  Silas  were  praying  and  singing  hymns  to  God,  and  the  other  prisoners  were  listening  to  them.  26  Suddenly  there  was  such  a  violent  earthquake  that  the  founda@ons  of  the  prison  were  shaken.  At  once  all  the  prison  doors  flew  open,  and  everyone’s  chains  came  loose.  27  The  jailer  woke  up,  and  when  he  saw  the  prison  doors  open,  he  drew  his  sword  and  was  about  to  kill  himself  because  he  thought  the  prisoners  had  escaped.  28  But  Paul  shouted,  “Don’t  harm  yourself!  We  are  all  here!”  

Acts 16

29  The   jailer  called  for   lights,   rushed   in  and  fell   trembling  before  Paul  and  Silas.  30  He  then  brought  them  out  and  asked,  “Sirs,  what  must  I  do  to  be  saved?”  

31   They   replied,   “Believe   in   the   Lord   Jesus,   and   you   will   be   saved—you   and   your  household.”  32  Then  they  spoke  the  word  of  the  Lord  to  him  and  to  all  the  others  in  his  house.  33  At  that  hour  of  the  night  the  jailer  took  them  and  washed  their  wounds;  then  immediately  he  and  all  his  household  were  bap@zed.  34  The  jailer  brought  them  into  his  house  and  set  a  meal  before  them;  he  was  filled  with  joy  because  he  had  come  to  believe  in  God—he  and  his  whole  household.  

Strengthen yourself

Straighten your path

12   Therefore,   strengthen   your   feeble   arms   and  weak   knees.   13   “Make   level   paths   for  your  feet,”[b]  so  that  the  lame  may  not  be  disabled,  but  rather  healed.  

TRIAL is TRAINING for TRIUMPH

dF u l f i l y o u r