MY HIGHEST GOAL Jerry D. Porter Southwest Indiana District Church of the Nazarene Camp Camby – 17 July 2014.

MY HIGHEST GOALJerry D. Porter

Southwest Indiana DistrictChurch of the Nazarene

Camp Camby – 17 July 2014

My highest goal for 2014:

to be like Jesus

My highest goal …

to be like Jesus

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

(Gal. 5:22-23 NASB)

To make Christlike

disciples in the nations

To make Christlike

disciples in the nations

THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH OF THE

NAZARENE…

THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH OF THE

NAZARENE…

My highest goal …

•How to transform pain into spiritual gain

•Irritations, pain, and sorrow are the common denominators of the human race

My highest goal …

The Lord is more interested in how I

REACT to what happens to me than in what

happens to me!

We all, who … contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever increasing glory,

which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Cor.

3:18)

To be like Jesus

To be like Jesus

Three wrong reactions:1. Eye for and eye2. Cast blame3. Bitterness

To be like JesusThree growth reactions:1.Thank you, LordRejoice always, pray

continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus.

(1 Thes. 5:16-18)

To be like JesusThree growth reactions:1.Thank you, Lord2.Teach me, Lord We know that in all things God

works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Rom. 8:28)

To be like JesusThree growth reactions:1.Thank you, Lord2.Teach me, Lord3.Suffer with the LordBlessed are those who are

persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

To be like JesusBlessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Mat 5:10-12)

CHARACTERISTIC

*Joy in spite of circumstances*Genuine love*Flexibility*Internal peace*Wise generosity*Strength of convictions

GROWTH

IRRITATION

*Bitter circumstance*Hard to love*Confusion*Irritations*Pressing needs*Strong temptations

CHARACTERISTIC

*Joy in spite of circumstances*Genuine love*Flexibility*Internal peace*Wise generosity*Strength of convictions

GRIEF GROWTH

Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless— that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing…

If with heart and soul you're doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you're still better off. . . Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy…

It's better to suffer for doing good, if that's what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That's what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others' sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all — was put to death and then made alive— to bring us to God.

(1 Peter 3:8-9, 13-15, 17-18 MSG)

My highest goal …

to be like Jesus

To be like Jesus

1.Physical healing2.Emotional healing3.Social healing4.Financial healing5.Church healing6.Spiritual healing

My highest goal …

to be like Jesus