The Life That God Blesses

Four pitfalls that we experience in life:
• Cultural distractions: pleasure, possessions, popularity, and profit
• Voices of doubt (dream busters): family, friends or yourself
• Tempting shortcuts: moral, ethical, financial, relational
• Discouraging delays

The antidote to the pitfalls:
1. Dare to be different from my culture.
(You can only make a difference by being different) (Great people never follow the crowd)
“God observed all the corruption in the world, and he saw violence and depravity everywhere.” (Gen. 6:12 (NLT)
“When God saw the extent of human wickedness, and that the trend and direction of men's lives were only towards evil, he was sorry he had made them. It broke his heart.” (Gen. 6:5-6 (LB)
“But Noah was different. God liked what he saw in Noah.” (Gen. 6:8 (Mes) “Noah was a pleasure to the Lord.” (Gen. 6:8(LB)
“Noah was the only truly righteous man living on the earth at that time.” Gen. 6:9a (LB)

2. Listen to the voice of God; not the voices of doubt.
“It was by faith that Noah heard God's warnings about things he could not yet see.” (Heb. 11:7a (NCV)
“Noah's belief in God was in direct contrast to the disbelief of the rest of the world…” (Heb. 11:7b (LB)

3. Do exactly what God tells you to do.
(God blesses the people that obey Him even when it doesn’t make sense)
“Noah always tried to conduct his affairs according to God's will.” (Gen. 6:9b (LB)
“Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.” (Gen. 6:22 & 7:5 (NLT)
“Noah obeyed God and built a large boat to save his family.” (Heb. 11:7b (NCV)

4. Refuse to give up on the dream that God gives me. (Everything takes longer than you think)
“Noah trusted God. When he heard God's warning about the future, Noah believed him even though there was no sign of a flood…” (Heb. 11:7a (LB)
“…By his faith, Noah showed that the world was wrong, and he became one of those who are made right with God through faith.” (Heb. 11:7b (NCV)
“Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Gen.6:8 (KJV)

Walking with God implies three things:
(1) Affiliation with God (2) Agreement with God (3) Alignment with God