Heyhey sotong here!~ I loved today's sermon! :) Think it's very applicable to everyone's life coz who doesn't need or even WANT love in their lives! heez... Anyway we missed the OAC peeps~! Hope you all had a great time at Ubin! Glad that you all turned up for Central gathering afterwards anyway =p Hmmm... okiez to spare jon some of the burden, shall post what I learnt at service today! =) Hope it helps! =)



13th Jan 2007's sermon: TOUGH LOVE
by Pastor Shirley

[Micah 1: 1-7]
- 'Micah': who is like God
- Micah lived among the Israelites. He is a prophet - someone who hears God's message directly to tell his people.
- Walking right with God
- Tough love does not mean no tender love is involved - God showers a good balance of tough love and tender love upon us! <3
- Sometimes God manifests His tender love in terms of discipline too

1) God won't let us remain in sins (v2-4)
- God loves us so greatly to the extent that he can't bear to see us remain in sin
- He insists on experience and truth in our relationship with Him
- God does not insist against sin because of His personal preference, but because He hates the fact that sin destroys us and wrecks us
- When God sees that we are not living life to the maximum (e.g. we find intimacy in the wrong things at the wrong time - BGR, lust, pornography, etc.), God feels very wrecked and upset that we are being ruined
- God cares for us. He cares too much to remain silent in watching us sin.
- [Hebrews 12:6 (MSG)]: 'It's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects.'
- God is not an irresponsible Father. He gives us what we NEED, rather than what we WANT, because He knows best what is best for us.
- [Hebrews 12:11] --> It's the well-trained (in God's discipline) that find themselves mature in their relationship with God.

2) God points out where we have gone wrong (v5)
- When God tells us our mistakes, He is telling us the TRUTH, because HE LOVES US! =)
- God tells us our specific area of mistake lovingly but firmly, so that we don't have to go about trying to guess our wrongdoings/sins
- [Psalm 139: 23-24]
- God knows the areas that we need to change in and He'll use people around us to point out our growth areas. Hence, don't get angry against people who tell us our mistakes, because God may be using them to tell us our mistakes, whether blatantly or not.
- Although we may make mistakes at times and are very ashamed ourselves, be glad that God gives us the chance to see our mistakes and help us to change ourselves.
- God is very forgiving.
- Difference between life with satan and life with God:

• Life with satan -
  => General Condemnation (v. general criticism about oneself and one's whole life, etc.)
  => Remorse (just dwelling on the past and feeling like you can never improve)
  => Guilt
• Life with God -
  => Specific Conviction (relevant to a specific area/event so that we KNOW what to improve in, how to change, etc.)
  => Repentance (not so worried about the past, but focused on change in the future)
  => FAITH!

- [2 Corinthians 7:10]

3) Our choice results in consequences (v6-7)
- [Exodus 34:6b]
- God is very forgiving and compassionate
- What happens if we insist on sinning and walking away from God?
= Each choice we make results in consequences! ('cause-and-effect' theory)
- [Galatians 6:8] --> What we sow, what we reap!
- God is very patient, but if we insist on sinning, consequences will catch up with us some day in our life and we will realise how life without God's favour is so joyless, directionless, insecure and filled with guilt
- We need God's favour to live life to the fullest in clear conscience and freedom, under open heavens in peace and joy
- Life with God makes so much more sense!
- Three motivations to walk with God:
= Grace of God (God's forgiveness)
= Fear of God (not slavish fear, but holy fear -
--> When we have the fear of God, we have wisdom because we run our lives based on biblical principles, not at random
--> Also, we will try to keep our lives pure and blameless when we know that someone is watching us!
= Love of God (God's love knows no boundaries!)
- [2 Peter 3:9]


Happy reading!
Hui Ying :)

Labels: sharings (: