Today's Message: Inculcating Mindsets about challenges

I was attending this morning service, and the today's message entitled "Think Big - Even when the Chips are Down." (Philippians 4:10-13)

With such economic & financial turmoil, a question is being asked, which is "Is anything UP?" By that, the answer is a definite "YES". Here's why:-

*The opportunities for exploration, resourcefulness and creativity is up.
*The opportunity to serve people in need is going up.
*The opportunity to learn to trust God is going up.
*The opportunity to build a strong faith when the storms of life hit is going up.

2 things that we should do are as proposed below:-

1. Pray More. Complain Less.

See, in Ephesians 6:18 says: "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions wil all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints".

Therefore, complain less when all circumstances are coming our way.


2. Inculcate 4 mindsets about challenges (<-- In my opinion, this is really cool) a) No Pain. No Pearl. (James 1:2-4)
Why Pearl? What does pain has to do with the result of being a pearl?

Here's how jewel is being defined.
"the tiny jewel was conceived through irritation, born of adversity and nursed by adjustments."

A depiction of Charles W. Colson's life who was once the chief counsel for the American President Richard Nixon which brought him to prison (on a watergate scandal) which moulded him to be one of the most sought after Christian author to day. "Born Again" was being written in 1976, which by then also founded a non-profit organisation called Prison Fellowship.

b) No Wind. No Strength (Psalm 1:1-5)

"Character and substance are shaped in the crucible of adversity. Show me someone who lives a carefree life with no problems or trials or dark nights of the soul and I'll show you a shallow person." Pastor David Jeremiah's, A Bend in the Road

c) No Wilderness. No Promised Land (Isaiah 51:3)

"The only way OUT is THROUGH; and when you are through, you bring with you the goodies of the land".

d) No Brokenness. No Wholeness. (Psalm 51:17)

* One person faces circumstances and has PEACE; another foes to PIECES.
* One man builds CASTLES; another digs CAVES.
* One man's WEED is another man's FLOWER.
* One man's TRASH is another man's TREASURE.
* The secret of success lies in what people do when they are BROKEN - not in how many BREAKS they get!
* It is wonderful to know Jesus Christ as our Saviour. But we could never know Him as our SAVIOUR if we had not been SINNERS.
* We could not be SAVED if we were never LOST.
* We could not be HEALED if we were never SICK.
* We appreciate the DAWN because there has been a NIGH.
* We do not know VICTORY unless we have known DEFEAT.
* Experiencing POVERTY makes us appreciate PROSPERITY.