Mission Hills Church
If anything is in short supply right now, it’s peace. But peace is never a product of our circumstances, it’s always a by-product of what we choose to pursue. Join us as we discover six surprising things God calls us to set our sights on that will bring us peace that cannot be stolen by our circumstances.
Peace is never a product of our circumstances.
We know that peace is always a by-product of the pursuit of godly character.
Proverbs 6:16-19 NIV
A lie is a deliberate distortion of reality to serve a personal agenda.
The truth is an accurate description of reality, even when it’s personally painful.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD Godhad made. (Genesis 3:1a)
Revelation 12:9 NIV
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. (Genesis 3:1a)
He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (Genesis 3:1b)
The very first lie was an omission.
When we omit something because it doesn’t assist our agenda, we lie.
He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (Genesis 3:1b)
Genesis 2:16-17 NIV
The second lie was an exaggeration.
Relationship Hack: Eliminate the word “always” and “never” from your vocabulary.
Exaggeration doesn't just distort facts, it distorts feelings.
The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden…(Genesis 3:2a)
but God did say, (Genesis 3:2b)
'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" (Genesis 3:2c)
The third lie was a fabrication.
Genesis 3:4-5 NIV
The first fabrication was that sin doesn't lead to death.
The second fabrication is that power to make His own decisions is all that makes God, god.
The third fabrication is that God is motivated by fear.
The truth is that God is motivated by love.
1. Truth produces peace by creating solid ground.
2. Truth produces peace by minimizing drama.
3. Truth produces peace by inviting grace.
Raising the truth-level in our lives will also raise the peace-level.
Love without truth is weak, but truth without love is a weapon.
1. Am I more prone to omission, exaggeration or fabrication?
2. Am I living a lie that needs to be replaced with the truth?