Pause "Taking a Time Out"

That night we talked about the importance of taking a "time out" in order to gain some perspective in how we want to conduct our lives.
The idea was to Pause, Check yourself, and move forward.

Here are some thoughts

Deuteronomy “give heed to yourself, take care of your soul diligently” Jesus said “be on guard so that your heart won’t be weighed down by anticipation, by drunkenness, or by the worries of life.

1 Timothy “Pay close attention to yourself”

So I just wanted to make tonight a moment where we could get some water, talk to the coach, and say “God I’ve got a new year in front of me, are there some things out there I need to adjust. Is there some baggage I’m carrying I need to grab loose of?”

David did that in the Psalm 139

- He started off thinking about God.

- He said “You know everything, you know my thoughts and my actions, you know when I sit down and when I get up. You know what I’m going to say before I say them, you know my thoughts from far off, you know what I’m thinking, everything I’m doing, everything I’m saying, you’ve got a grip on it.”

Then he moves onto His omnipresence. “In fact there isn’t anywhere I could go, you’d know. You’ve got that kind of intel on me.

And David gets real creative he says. “I could go to heaven, you’d be there”

I could get on a boat and go to the farthest part of the sees and you’d be there.

I could go anywhere… you’re there.

And you know everything about me.

Man I could try to hide in the darkness and you’d see me.

Darkness is as light to you.

The depths of the deepest pit, and you’d see me.

I could go into the deepest depths of depression and you’d know where I’m at.

Because darkness is just like light to you.

In fact, when I was a fetus. When I had know concept of myself you knew me already.

No feet, no ears, no toes, no nose, you knew me.

I don’t know if anyone has pre-birth memories

I had no memories and you remembered me.

You know me

And then he turns to others

You see the evil of others.

Then he turns to himself.

You see me and you see them?

Search me, try me, know me see if there’s anything that displeases you in me and get it out of me and then guide me in everlasting life.

Pull me over on the side of the road and check me out. Check my map.

And if there’s anything you want to see in me this year. See me, try me, know me, guide me, and then I’ll go on in your light.

It’s beautiful what he does. See me, know me, try me, test me, and guide me.

This is intimate knowledge that’s meant to drive me into action.

David doesn’t “see me so God can be informed. “

Like “Oh David I didn’t see you there.”

David is saying, “Ok God, involve me in the process.”

David’s pull over is a guided and participate event.

1. God is there anything I’m anxious about, that I need to trust you in? As I contemplate my future is there anything stressing me out?
1. 1 Peter tells me to cast my cares on you, because you care about me.
2. If some anxieties come to mind, I invite you to cast them onto God
2. Father, is there a hurtful way in me, that I need to confess?

1. Am I participating in a way of thinking or acting that hurts you, other people, or myself?

i. Will you show me?

2. If you get a sense of this, confess it.

i. That doesn’t mean saying you’re sorry… it’s saying “God I see this, and it’s wrong.”

Jonathan Edwards wrote a kind of an article called “Christian Cautions: The Importance of Self-Examination.

And I want to ask you some questions from it.

His First part is about your Secret Life.

So think about the parts of the day where nobody sees you.

1. Are you attending to the secret duties of the believer?
1. In a secret place are you reading the word of God or is that something you’ve let fall by the wayside?
2. Secret Sins: God in my secret place, am I cherishing something you hate?

1. Am I indulging in something that’s against the law?
2. Or am I using something good in a bad way when I’m on my own?

i. Ask for help if you are.

3. Concerning people: Are you extra annoyed by somebody? Am I impatient with somebody in my schedule? Are you quick to fire off at a person or a group of people that are just doing something clearly stupid?
1. Do you need to confess impatience?
4. Is there someone that you hate for real or imagined injuries to you?
5. Is there someone that you envy? That you hate their success and that you wish ill on them?

1. If you heard about something bad happening to them, does that make you happy?

i. That’s not good. You need to confess that.

6. Lord, is there any group of people I need to get away from?
1. Psalm 1 says “1 Blessed is the man
   who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
   or stand in the way of sinners
   or sit in the seat of mockers.
2. Proverbs 13 says, “a companion of fools will be destroyed.”

i. Are you hanging out with some monkeys? Some bad people

ii. Are there some people that Lord love em they need Jesus, but you’re just not the one to bring them to Him. And it’s just killing you?

iii. Is there a group of people you need to move away from? Then pray for the strength to do that.

7. Is there Somebody you need to move toward? Somebody that God has put in your way to minister to them and you just haven’t done it? Bring them forward and pray for the grace to do so.

8. Is there something good He’s calling you to do?
1. You’ve got 9 months. There’s a lot of needs. Is He moving you to lead a Bible study? To work in a nursery… I’m thinking of children not plants, talk to some friends about hope, to work in Pioneer clubs.
2. To say something encourage somebody.
3. To confront somebody on their sin? Leviticus says “Don’t hate your fellow countrymen, but reprove him when he’s in sin.” It’s mean to not help someone when they’re sinning. Is there someone you need to help? Is there a good you can do?

We ended the night in prayer.