Overcomer: Overcoming the Epidemic of Apathy

Notes in black are provided by Life Church
Notes in red are notes that I have taken. 

Life.Church
May 20, 2017
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Overcomer: Overcoming the Epidemic of Apathy
Stare down your fears, shatter your insecurities, and shake off the apathy that tries to hold you back. You’re not a prisoner—you’re an Overcomer.
http://bible.com/events/219441
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Someone has said that we are the apathetic generation.  Are we?

Luke 10:31-32 NIV
A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
http://bible.com/111/luk.10.31-32.NIV

This story is a powerful image of apathy.  

Why Don’t We Care Like Jesus Calls Us to Care?

• The volume of information is overwhelming.
• We feel helpless to make a change.
• We are blessed and cursed with comfort.

Overcoming Apathy

Consistently expose yourself to something that creates a righteous discomfort.

This will be something that moves you on behalf of God.  

Romans 9:1-3 NLT
With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them.
http://bible.com/116/rom.9.1-3.NLT

In these scriptures, Paul is invested in the doing what he can for results.  

Channeling Your Passion

1. Focus on something.
   examples would be:
   Abortion
   Human trafficking
   Racial problems
   Clean water
   Something that captures your heart and not your attention.
   Team with others, Satan will talk you out of it.  
2. Embrace what hurts.
   Hurt with a purpose that exist without one

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain in to joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

— A Franciscan Blessing

Talk It Over
The best way to apply the weekly message is to talk it over and think about it during the rest of the week. Here are a few questions to get you started:

1) If apathetic is a 1 and enthusiastic is a 10, where do you rate yourself on the scale when it comes to helping others?

2) What brings you righteous discomfort? What keeps you from turning it into a fiercely righteous passion?

3) What step will you take to focus on something and join those who are doing something about it?

Choose an opportunity to Connect Locally at: www.life.church/lifemissions

Bible Plan
Overcomer
6 Days
http://bible.com/r/150

Overcomer: Overcoming the Curse of Comparing

Notes in black are provided by Life Church
Notes in red are notes that I have taken. 

Life.Church
May 13, 2017
====================================
Overcomer: Overcoming the Curse of Comparing
Stare down your fears, shatter your insecurities, and shake off the apathy that tries to hold you back. You’re not a prisoner—you’re an Overcomer.
http://bible.com/events/215833
====================================

Fastest way to kill something special is to compare it to something else. 

Where comparison begins, contentment ends.

We compare our behind the scenes with everyone else's highlight reel. 

2 Corinthians 10:12 NLT
… But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!

Comparing makes you feel either superior or inferior—neither honors God.

We all tend to live in the land of Er.  We want to be faster, smarter, prettier. Some even want to live in the land of Est. In the end, if you try to live in either land you will wind up miserablest if you try to live in Er or Est. 

John 20:2-4, 6, 8 NIV
So she [Mary] came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” 3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. …6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. …8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside.

John 21:20-22 NIV
Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”
http://bible.com/111/jhn.21.20-22.NIV

Peter was given an assignment.  Then he compares himself to John.  Jesus then tells him to do what he was told to do.  We cannot fully follow Jesus if we are comparing ourselves to someone else.  There is no win in comparison. 

Who or what is going to define my worth?
If you are a Jesus follower and the answer to this is anything but Jesus you can not win.  

Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV
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, 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.
http://bible.com/111/heb.12.1-2.NIV

Run the race in the lane marked for you. Stay in your lane. You run your own race and compete against yourself. 

1 Corinthians 9:24-26 NLT
Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.
http://bible.com/116/1co.9.24-26.NLT

You can not win someone else's race.  Run your own race.  

Bible Reading plan. 
Overcomer
6 Days
http://bible.com/r/150