Stop Complaining

Do you know someone who complains a lot? Is it you? No ones looking you can say it. Pastor Craig Groeschel  held a survey and found that people complained about everything.

A lot of people complained about their job, others about not having a job!

Some said too much to do! While others said being bored and nothing to do!

People complained about their kids, and others about not being able to have kids!

Women complained about their husbands, some about not having a husband.

Men complained about traffic, bad drivers, paying for parking and pot holes! Lol

One guy said he complained about people who complained all the time!

Complaining isn't new to us, it's been happening since the beginning when Adam complained about Eve. It most likely goes back further than that, I'm sure that Satan was doing a lot of complaining before God threw his butt out!

Job did some complaining and even gave free rein to it in Job 10:1. The Israelite's complained all the time, even after all the things they had seen God do! In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. Exodus 16:2. 

Complaining offends the heart of God! Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. Numbers 11:1-2

Complaining carries consequences! "How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. 28 So tell them, 'As surely as I live… 30 Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home...  Numbers 14:27-28, 30

If you're a complainer, you will always find something to complain about! The humming bird goes out every day and finds nectar, but the buzzard also find something dead every day! Just Saying!

So what do we do? Here's the What, Why, and How!

WHAT? DO NOT COMPLAIN.

Do everything without complaining or arguing... Philippians 2:14 Quote this scripture a lot!

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

Don’t complain this week! Bite your tongue! You won’t talk as much this week! lol

WHY? SO YOU CAN BECOME MORE LIKE CHRIST.

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation… Philippians 2:14-15

Blameless and pure, children of God – to be like Jesus!

HOW? CHOOSE TO REJOICE NO MATTER WHAT.

But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me. Philippians 2:17-18

Even if I give my life for this! Even if I die, I will rejoice! How could Paul say this? Because he knew that Jesus was the reason for his entire life! He said "I am Crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me!" Is that your philosophy? Just Asking!

Do you know that all that complaining does nothing? It hasn't changed anything in my life! 

I know why God placed me with my wife Angela. She always tells me, You're blessed! You are living the dream! You don't have anything to complain about, people would love to have your life! You have every Monday off, while everyone else is on their way to work! When you go on vacation, it's never on a weekend so you always have the whole place, just for your family! She sure is good at pointing out the blessings!

Quit complaining and offending the heart of God! Start counting your blessings! You can do this!

Money... that's what's up!

People are usually willing to talk about anything, but when you start teaching on money they get freaked out! Well here are some simple things on money from Dave Ramsey! Hope you enjoy and just do them!

Write a Game Plan

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. What is the first thing you will do? Won't you sit down and figure out how much it will cost and if you have enough money to pay for it? Luke 14:28

What's your plans for the future? Do you have it in writing?

Do you act Your Wage

Without guidance from God, law and order disappear, but God blesses everyone who obeys his Law. Proverbs 29:18

Don't spend more than you make! Live within your means, stop usinng them credit cards!

Have you started to Save Money

Be sensible and store up precious treasures--don't waste them like a fool. Proverbs 21:20

Are you acting like a fool and living paycheck to paycheck? Hey I didn't say it, the Bible did!

Are you working to get out of Debt

The poor are ruled by the rich, and those who borrow are slaves of moneylenders. Proverbs 22:7

I don't want to be a slave to nobody! The only thing we have financed is our home. We cut up our credit cards and we've been paying them off!

Are you a Biblical Giver

You people are robbing me, your God. And, here you are, asking, "How are we robbing you?" You are robbing me of the offerings and of the ten percent that belongs to me. Malachi 3:8

Some say, "well this is old testament" I say OK, let's look at new testament!

If you give according to what you have, you will prove that you are as eager to give as you were to think about giving. It doesn't matter how much you have. What matters is how much you are willing to give from what you have. 2 Cor. 8:11, 12

I like the part that says as you were to think about giving! lol Stop thinking about it and GIVE! Paul said it very well Phil. 4:17

I am not trying to get something from you, but I want you to receive the blessings that come from giving. I have been paid back everything, and with interest. Philippians 4:17, 18

Now this blessing thing is taught in old and new testament!

I am the LORD All-Powerful, and I challenge you to put me to the test. Bring the entire ten percent into the storehouse, so there will be food in my house. Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing. Malachi 3:10

We all know this, but we just have a hard time doing it.

I hear all the time; I know if we gave, God would bless us, we just can't give right now! huh?

It’s so simple a program, so simple that we won’t do it!

If someone looked at your monthly statements, what would your spending say about your heart?

Would they see a giver?

Can you think of some mistakes you've made with money that made you change the way you handle it?

Are you making mistakes now that need to be changed?

What money habits will you change to become weirder with your finances?

Pray and ask God to reveal to you how He would like you to be in giving. He will show you, if you take the time to really learn what He wants.

Religion or Christ?

First we'll talk about Religion!

Every religion has some sort of set rules! I don’t smoke, I don’t drink & I don’t chew and I don’t run with those who do! If I believe the right thing, behave the right way – I pray every day in this direction and say it a certain way, I will make it! Religion is full of do's and don’t do's. We need to Worship the right way, and make sure to join the right denomination! The Pharisees had a problem with this, you can read up on it in Matt. 23:25, 26, Luke 11:39. They were more concerned with outward appearance, then they were with matters of the heart and soul. All about external, not the internal!

We also find this in Isa. 29:13 when the Lord said "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.

Many people feel they have to wear the right clothes and look a certain way, but what’s inside your cup?

RELIGION LEADS TO:

 PRIDE – Luke 18 – the Pharisee prayed for himself and thanked God that he was not like the tax collector! We all know someone like this, super holy, you don't need to point them out!

 DESPAIR - I’m not good enough, I’m not to say bad words but they keep popping up! I can’t even go to church 2 weeks in a roll and don’t even get me started on tithes! Some people like to pray all the time, it’s just too much for me, I start, Lord give us this day our daily bread, Mmmm I like bread! Where was I?

Check out what Paul says here.

If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. Phil. 3:4-6

He was #1 in bible school, only listened to Christian music, Baptized by Billy Graham in the Jordan River… with the pope watching. LOL Paul had it all right here! Know somebody like that?

He goes on to explain...

7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ… Phil 3:7-8

rubbish: Skuvbalon (scoo’-ba-la) rubbish, garbage, human or animal waste. KJV reads Dung.

In the English language this word can’t be said in church, it’s not poop, it’s a dirty word. Let’s just say you can find bumper stickers that read Skuvbalon happens! Now I’m about to remove that fuzzy feeling you like!

According to Paul religion is a pile.

Some people have it neater and more organized than everyone else, I guess you could say you got your Skuvbalon together!

Some people have it bigger than everyone else. You can handle a lot of Skuvbalon!

Some are so proud they put a flag in it! Call it a denomination, our Skuvbalon is the best!

Some folks create their own religion, A little Budahism, New Age, some Raccoon, now you got your own Skuvbalon!

You can add Sprinkles, Baptize it, Glaze it, Bronze it. It’s still a pile!

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I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. Phil. 3:8b-9

Many have a head knowledge of this, but not a heart understanding! We can’t wrap our minds around it! Righteousness that comes from God!

You can’t believe this casually… Let's look at it side by side.

Religion                                       Relationship

What I do                                     What Jesus has done

About me                                     About Jesus

If I obey God will love me         Because God loves me I can obey

Which will you chose? Religion or Jesus? 


In Christ there is freedom from religion!


Further reading - http://bible.org/article/brief-word-study-font-facegreekskuvbalonfont