sunday's scuds (september 9, 2007)

We kicked of a new series at NewPointe Sunday. If the first message was any indication of what we can expect for the rest of the series...well, it's going to be a good one. Here are the scuds Dwight delivered in the first message from The Secret Revealed series:

• "What is the secret to life? Character."


• "The definition of character: Doing what is right (as God defines right) regardless of the cost or the consequences."


• "Character is the ability to meet the demands of reality."


• "Most people don't deal in reality. That's why we have so many addictions."


• "You can't make good decisions on bad information."


• "God wants to form you into someone who has the character it takes to face the reality in your life."

Four things fight against our character:

• Success (What I do is more important than who I am).


• Satisfaction (What I feel is more important than who I am).


• Security (What I have is more important than who I am).


• Status (How I look is more important than who I am).

When we choose these over character, our relationships suffer. Dwight continued...

• "God is more interested in your holiness than your happiness."


• "There is a standard of right and wrong and God's the One who sets it. He says, 'Here is the standard, adjust your life to it.'"


• "We all value character but we're always more interested in seeing character developed in other people's life than we are in seeing it developed in our own lives."


• "We say this: Your lack of character bothers me more than my lack of character does."
  

...what is it the Lord requires of you: only to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 hbc

• "Integrity is the basis of all success. If you don't have integrity, it's not true success."


• "Faithfulness is the secret to God's blessing in your life."


• "Humility is not denying your strenghts, it's acknowledging your weaknesses."


• "When we are committed to developing integrity in our lives it's then that God says, 'Now I can work with that.'"


• "The bad news: you can't say a prayer and instantly become a person of character."


• "The good news: We have a Heavenly Father who says, 'If you'll get on the (potter's) wheel--submit yourself to me, I'll begin to transform you.'"
  

Prayer: God give me the wisdom to know what is right and the courage to do it.