Welcome to Graceway 1' Communication Card' 2' Offering Box' 3' Cross' 4' Mailer card' 5' PrayerWorsh

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Welcome to Graceway! 1. Communication Card.2.
Offering Box.3. Cross.4. Mailer card.5.
PrayerWorship Team
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Today, we continue our series, 23-7
Stressbusters. Often, we face challenges that
are difficult to bear. We wonder how we will be
able to get through them. The woman in this video
has found unbelievable strength in Gods
presence.
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Sometimes we find ourselves facing challenges
that we never thought we would face. It may not
be a situation as dramatic as the one we just
saw, but nevertheless when tragedy occurs in our
own lives it hurts just as bad. How do you handle
life when the enemy comes against you?
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Today, I want to look at how we can handle
hurts. All of us at some point in our lives will
experience hurt. We get hurt because we live in a
FALLEN WORLD. That hurt can put unbelievable
stress on us. How we bust that stress depends
greatly on our relationship with God.
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I love the 23rd Psalm. If you have your Bible,
please turn there, and if not, you can read along
with me on the screen. Today, we are going to
focus on verse 5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies You anoint my head
with oil. My cup runs over.
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Now, before we go on, I think that we need to
understand what an enemy is. My dictionary says
an enemy is one who opposes a person or a
cause. Have you ever had anyone oppose you? Then
youve probably been hurt before.
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How do you handle your hurts? Many times we
handle hurts the wrong way. There are at least
five wrong ways that people often handle hurts,
then there are three right ways to handle hurts.
First, we will look at the wrong ways.
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IGNORE it. Maybe it will just go away. This is
the Tim Allen waythe macho manaarr aarr!
Pretend it doesnt exist. Many people just flat
deny that it even exists. That didnt hurt me.
Im not mad. Some delay it. Ill deal with that
later. I dont get mad, I get even. Then others
minimize it by saying, Its no big deal. It
didnt hurt so bad.
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Ignoring your hurt never heals it. Youve heard
it said that time heals all wounds. Never
believe that. Its not true. Covering up some
hurt in your life is like ignoring an
infectionit begins to spread.
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Look at what Psa. 392-3 says about trying to
ignore hurt I was mute with silence, I held my
peace even from good and my sorrow was stirred
up. My heart was hot within me While I was
musing, the fire burned.
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Ignoring our hurt does not work, it makes it
worse. But lets consider what others dothey RUN
from it. This is the Mr. Chicken approach in
dealing with hurt. Escape. Retreat. Run as fast
as you can. This is human nature.
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Its not a new thing. Psalms 556-8 says, So I
said, Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would
fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander
far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. I
would hasten my escape from the windy storm and
tempest.
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Im guilty. I cannot tell you how many times I
have told my wife, We ought to just sell
everything and buy a hillside in WV. Well just
build a log cabinno cable tv, no phones, no
nothin! Ill just sit on the porch and shoot
rabbits for food. Theres only one problemmy
wife wont go.
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Im kidding. Unfortunately, a lot of people do
run. They turn to drugs and alcohol. They spend.
Some get divorced or turn to sex. They use the
hurt as an excuse. But, it wont solve a thing.
In fact, running will compound the problem.
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Others simply HIDE it. Many people are experts at
hiding their hurts. They wear a mask. We dont
dare tell anyone that we hurt. When someone asks,
Are you okay? We quickly respond, Oh, Im
fine, knowing right as soon as we say it that we
are not telling the truth.
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We dont want to admit we are hurting because we
are afraid that revealing it will make it worse.
But, the first part of James 516 says, Confess
your trespasses to one another, and pray for one
another, that you may be healed
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Now, I want to be real careful here. The Bible
says that we are to confess our sins to one
another, and pray for one another. This verse is
not talking about a public confession. It is
speaking about sharing your feelings with someone
you can trust. Confidentiality is a must.
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We are to pray for one another. Realize that
everybody has hurts. Youre not alone. Then
others WORRY over it. I almost wanted to say that
some want to bask in it. I really believe that
some people enjoy being hurt.
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They love worrying about being hurt. Thats all
they think about. They go over and over it in
their minds. They have pity parties for
themselves. Colossians 22-3 says, Set your mind
on things above, not on things on the earth. For
you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in
God.
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The most self-destructive way to handle hurt is
to become BITTER over it. I cannot tell you how
many times in my 23 years of ministry that I have
seen this. Being bitter never makes you better. I
can tell you from personal experience that
bitterness is an enemy that will eat you alive.
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I have been hurt before to the point that I held
tremendous bitterness against those who hurt me.
I can tell you that they went on their merry way.
I was the one who was sufferingand the more
bitter I became, the more I hurt. I was being
poisoned by my own bitterness.
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Many times we want to carry out our vengeance.
But, the Bible tells us in James 120 that the
wrath of man does not produce the righteousness
of God. To put it in more familiar terms, two
wrongs dont make a right.
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Ignoring it, running from it, hiding it, worrying
over it, or becoming bitter about it, will never
solve the hurts that come against us. If we look
closely at Psalm 235, we can see how God expects
us to respond to the enemy.
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In this verse, I can see three right ways to deal
with hurt. Psalms 235 You prepare a table
before me in the presence of my enemies You
anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over.
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Circle the word YOU at the top of your
Gracenotes. It occurs twice. Each time You is
mentioned, a specific plan follows. YOU is the
Lord Himself. He is the One who can heal your
hurt. So, the first thing to do, is to
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Let Jesus PROTECT you. Sheep have many
enemieswolves, coyotes, bears, ticks and snakes.
Sheep are almost defenseless by nature. They do
not have sharp teeth. They dont have claws. But,
they do need protection, and that is the job of
the Shepherd.
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You see, we are the sheep. Jesus is the Shepherd.
God says, let Me handle those who hurt you. Let
Me set things straight. Let Me take care of your
enemies. Let Me set a table before youeven in
the presence of your enemies. Look at Romans
1217-19 says
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Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good
things in the sight of all men. If it is
possible, as much as depends on you, live
peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge
yourselves, but rather give place to wrath for
it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,
says the Lord.
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Part of having faith in God is trusting that He
will protect youeven from your enemies. The more
you try to get revenge, the less you are trusting
God, so let Him protect you. Allstates slogan is
Youre in good hands with Allstate. Well,
youre even better hands with God.
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Secondly, why dont you let Jesus HEAL you? The
second part of verse 5 says, You anoint my head
with oil. There are two reasons that Shepherds
anoint the heads of their sheep with oil 1) to
soothe, and 2) to heal.
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One of the worst enemies of sheep are flies. Have
you ever been aggravated by deer flies or those
little black biting flies? Sheep are aggravated
by flies, too. If not protected the flies will
bite the heads of sheep so much that they begin
bleeding. Then, the more blood, the more they
bite.
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Isnt it amazing how such little things can cause
so much irritation? The shepherd knows how to
protect his sheep from even the little things. He
takes olive oil and mixes it with sulfur and
anoints the head of the sheep with it. This
mixture acts as an insect repellent.
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Oil is also used as an ointment to sooth and to
heal wounds. Psalm 1473 tells how God heals our
hurts He heals the brokenhearted and binds up
their wounds. I dont know about you, but that
is comforting to me.
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There are several ways that the Good Shepherd
heals us. Sometimes He sends someone to help
usthat is called fellowship. Sometimes He heals
by making His presence be known in our livesthat
is called worship (He inhabits the praise of His
people).
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Even when we have been totally healed, there are
scars. Some scars we carry with us for the rest
of our lives. You have a choice as to how you are
going to feel about these scars. You can look at
them and remember the hurt, but it is best to
remember the healing.
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It is really your choice, and it is a matter of
attitude. Do you want to focus on the hurter or
the Healer? As for me, I choose to focus on the
Healer! Reminding ourselves that God cares for us
brings comfort for us.
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Then, thirdly, you need to let Jesus BLESS you.
In the Bible, an overflowing cup is a symbol of
total satisfaction. It represents that all my
needs are being taken care of. I am totally taken
care of. I am blessed! Not a little
blessedtotally blessed!
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Im not regular-sized blessedI am super-sized
blessed! My cup is not just up to the brim, it is
overflowing. My cup runs over! Right in the
middle of my trials. Right in the middle of my
difficultiesin the presence of my enemies.
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Let me ask youare you being blessed? Are you
living a life that will allow God to bless you? I
can tell you that until you surrender your hurts
to God, He cannot bless you. You must allow Him
to bless you.
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If you want to live in the realm of victory
instead of defeat, you must stay close to the
Good Shepherd. Let me tell you, if Jesus is your
Savior, you can experience a cup that runs
over!
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So, before we close today---lets talk a few
minutes about HOW Jesus blesses His sheep. Again,
speaking from experience, I have found that my
cup runs over with 3 things1. My cups runs over
with HOPE.
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Romans 1513 says, Now may the God of hope fill
you with all joy and peace in believing, that you
may abound in hope by the power of the Holy
Spirit. What a powerful blessing! Look at some
of the words FILL YOU. ALL JOY. ABOUND. POWER.
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These are key words of overflowing. And HOPE.
Please understand that this word is more than
just a wish. Its not like we would say, I hope
I win the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes.
Thats a wish. It probably wont happen.
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Biblical hope is different. It is looking forward
to a reality. It is something we can count on.
And, as a believer, you can abound in hope by
the power of the Holy Spirit! And, I might also
add, In the presence of my enemies! In the
middle of my hurts.
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Not only will our cup overflow with hope, my cup
runs over with LOVE. Look at what Gods word says
in 1 Thes. 312, And may the Lord make you
increase and abound in love to one another and to
all, just as we do to you. See the key words
INCREASE. ABOUND.
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These are words of overflowing. God is the source
of love. He IS love. That is one of His
attributes. The closer we get to Him, the more
our cup will overflow with love. When the
troubles surround you, when you feel that no one
cares, draw close to the Shepherd, and He will
overflow your cup with love!
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Then, in closing, my cup runs over with JOY. In
the last part of John 1624, Jesus gives a
promise Ask and you will receive, that your joy
may be full. Have you checked your joy level
lately? Are you about two quarts low? If you are,
its your fault.
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Why? Well, the first part of the verse tells why
Until now, Jesus says, you have asked nothing
in My name. It is not in your notes, but you
might write this verse down. It is James 42,
You do not have because you do not ask. Do you
want your cup to overflow with joy? Then ask!
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Have you ever had someone visit you, and it
seemed that they didnt know when to leave? Well,
in the Middle East they have a custom. The host
will continue to fill the guests cup as long as
they are welcome. When it gets late, the host
will stop filling the cup.
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In Gods house, you are always welcome! He will
not only fill your cup, He will fill it to
overflowing, and it will continue to overflow!
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Diana Ross used to sing a song, When you are
lonely and your troubles surround you, you can
always go downtown. Thats okay as long as the
money holds out, but if you use that as a
solution, when the money runs out, the joy runs
out.
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I suggest we sing a new song When you are
lonely and your troubles surround you, you can
always goto Gods house! There, your cup will
always overflow. Your welcome never wears out.
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Oh, how I love the promise that Jesus gives in
Rev. 320, Behold, I stand at the door and
knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the
door, I will come in to him and dine with him,
and he with Me.
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That ties right in with our text today You
prepare a table before me in the presence of my
enemies You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs
over.
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As our worship team comes to prepare for our
closing song, I want to ask you a question Will
you let Jesus in your life today? He stands at
your hearts door knocking. He will not force His
way in. He wants to commune with you. He wants
you to experience the joy of His presence.
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I love the book by Warren Wiersbe, Try Joy. It
Beats Being Happy! Why? Because happiness is
based on circumstances. Joy is not. You can
experience overflowing joy, even right in the
middle of your battle. Why dont you come sit at
the table that God has prepared for you?
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Next week Handling Hurts