Your practical life is a direct reflection of your spiritual condition.

There is practical application to your prosperity. God will not drop prosperity on you while you lie in bed.

Faith begins where the will of God is known. And the scriptures are very clear about being a faithful, diligent worker in order to experience promotion, success and prosperity.

There are no short-cuts with God, and there are no short-cuts to prosperity.

The Bible has a lot to say about being lazy, or being a sluggard. The root of the word sluggard means “to lean idly.”  It also means lazy, lethargic, or slothful.

Benjamin Franklin said, “Laziness travels so slowly, that poverty soon overtakes it.”

Proverbs 12:24 says, “Work hard and become a leader, be lazy and become a slave.” (NLT)

A lazy person will never end up being the boss. A lazy person has no priorities. He takes the path of least resistance, that’s why he’s never trusted with authority. It’s the diligent man who always rises to the top.

Some people are spiritually lazy. They come to church to be spoon-fed. As Christians we need to rise up and shake ourselves.

Proverbs 10:26 says, “Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.” (NLT)

Lazy people are an irritation to those around them.

Lazy people always have the best intentions. They’re always going to do something big…TOMORROW! If they start a project, they never seem to finish it.

Proverbs 12:27 says, “Lazy people don’t even cook the game they catch, but the diligent make use of everything they find.” (NLT)

Lazy people don’t appreciate what they have. They’re too lazy to take care of what they do have. That’s why they don’t have anything of worth. Diligent people take care of what they have. They’re grateful for what God has entrusted them with.

Proverbs 21:25 says, “Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work.” (NLT)

Lazy people refuse to work.  The work is there, but the sluggard refuses to work.

The sluggard has great desires, but never gets anything accomplished. He just can’t get motivated to get up and get going. They’re always looking for the get-rich-quick scheme.

In this life there’s only one tried and true proven way to prosper—the way of diligence. Even a gold mine has to be worked before it produces riches.

Prosperity requires effort and it’s the diligent man who ultimately prospers. He’s the one both God and man know they can trust.

Matthew 25:23 says, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things…” (NKJ)

What does the Bible say about the results of laziness?

Proverbs 24:30-34 says, “I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.” (NIV)

Nothing the sluggard has is cared for. He cares more about sleep and relaxing than anything else.  The wall, which symbolizes his protection, was broken down.

As Christians, we should be good stewards of our time. Christians are to be good stewards of all of God’s blessings, including the blessing of time.

Ephesians 5:14-16 says, “Therefore He says; awake you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (NKJ)

Ben Franklin said, “Do you love life? Then don’t squander time. For that is the stuff life is made of.”

As Christians, we should learn to be self-starters, able to motivate ourselves.

Smith Wigglesworth used to say, “If the Spirit doesn’t move me, then I move the Spirit.”

King David had the same idea in Psalm 103:1, where he said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul.”

David was a self-starter. If nothing motivated him, he did it himself.

So what are the results of laziness? Poverty!  While the sluggard sleeps, everything around him grows up in weeds.

Proverbs 26:13-15 says, “Loafers say, ‘It’s dangerous out there! Lions are prowling the streets!’ and then pull the covers back over their heads. Just as a door turns on its hinges, so a lazybones turns back over in bed. A shiftless sluggard puts his fork in the pie, but is too lazy to lift it to his mouth.” (MSG)

Sometimes lazy people go to great extremes for excuses, like a lion on the street.

Hinges on a door are a good description of a lazy person; always moving, but going nowhere.

The first step to cure laziness is to take responsibility. Quit blaming your problems on others. Admit the truth, as difficult as it might be; your situation is your fault.

The Bible says not to be ignorant of Satan’s devices. One of his favorite weapons is deception. He doesn’t give you thoughts like, “Don’t pray, don’t read your Bible, and don’t go to church.”  You already know those things are wrong. The devil wants to get you to think, “I’ll do it tomorrow.”

James 4:17 says, “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” (NLT)

Another cure for laziness is to present your body to God.

Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (NKJ)

The Amplified Bible says it this way: “… make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. (AMP)

The final cure for laziness is to ask God to help you by His grace.

You have not because you ask not. ASK GOD TO HELP YOU!

Grace is exchanging your weaknesses for His strength. It is undeserved favor.

Be the best employee you can be. Have integrity and be the best “Jesus” that some will ever see or hear.

Proverbs 13:4 says, “The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.” (NKJ)

The New Living Translation says it this way: “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.”

If you are out of work…work!  Stay busy through serving, helping your family, painting, cleaning the car, serve the church through volunteering, clean out your closet, or serve your neighbors.

Stay busy by taking care of your Spirit (who you really are), taking care of your Soul (learning people skills, increasing your knowledge in business) and taking care of your Body (exercise).

He who is faithful with little will be ruler over much. (Matthew 25:23)

Proverbs 4:23 (NKJ) says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”

The New Living Translation puts it like this: “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

This scripture emphasizes that above anything else, we are to guard our heart. If our heart must be guarded, then it must be vulnerable. Our heart determines the course and quality of our life—it’s where life comes from!

The contents of your heart determine the condition of your heart, and the condition of your heart colors how you see, hear and interpret life.

Your heart is the “soil” and therefore it will try to “grow” whatever is “planted” in it. If those “seeds” are not life giving, good or godly, don’t let them get in your heart. But if those seeds do get planted in your heart, don’t let them take root. If they have taken root, then get them out! If they are already deeply rooted, flag them and mark them to be removed. Some of you have trees—literally Sequoias!—growing in your heart! It’s time to dig them up and get rid of them!

Guarding your heart involves dealing with the past and present. First, you must be proactive when guarding your heart, and then you must be reactive to prevent things from getting in your heart.

Luke 6:43-45 (NKJ) says, “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

And Mark 7:20–23 (TEV) says:  “And he went on to say, ‘It is what comes out of you that makes you unclean. For from the inside, from your heart, come the evil ideas which lead you to do immoral things, to rob, kill, commit adultery, be greedy, and do all sorts of evil things; deceit, indecency, jealousy, slander, pride, and folly—all these evil things come from inside you and make you unclean.’”

The Message Bible says the “heart is the source of your pollution.”

Now, none of us were born with the label “evil.” We’ve been exposed to things in life that resulted in seeds being planted in our heart. So, what we need to do is examine our heart.

No leader is effective if he does not have self-awareness.

Socrates said: “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

Ask yourself: Why am I undisciplined, defensive, rebellious, bossy, addicted, angry, critical, can’t relax, promiscuous, a work-a-holic, lazy, insecure, easily offended, irresponsible, feel overly responsible, can’t finish things, discontent….? Where do these things come from? They come from the heart.

Your biography often shapes your theology and your system of beliefs (an event, crisis, trauma, training, things were modeled for you, words that were spoken, companions, friends, environment, etc.). Somewhere a seed got planted, it was allowed to lie there, it took root, it started to grow and now it’s a tree!

Essentially, there are three ways people deal with things that happened in their past:

1) Deny it. You will ignore it, outrun it, stay busy, noisy, surround yourself with people and activities. (You can’t fix anything by saying it’s not there.)

2) Cope with it. You learn to live with it, carry it and compensate for it, or you think, “This is my lot in life.” “It is what it is.”

3) Take action! Deal with it. Examine it, confront it, uproot it, chop it down, and grind the root!

You cannot avoid how you are designed—spirit, soul and body. You need to know that Jesus is your answer! Your help comes from the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth, and if he made Heaven and Earth, He can certainly fix your deal!

Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT-SE) says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

Here are three takeaways:

First, invite God—the One who knows you best and still loves you most—to search your heart.  You can trust Him! That means you need to show up, sit/bow down, be quiet, be still and invite a holy God to search your heart.

Second, acknowledge and agree with whatever He shows you. Don’t argue with Him! Give Him a holy, “yes, sir.”

Third, follow Him step by step, day by day. You can keep up. He won’t outpace you. Remember, anything that is locked or unlocked, God can and will show you the key; there is nothing broken that he can’t fix or make new.

Apply these takeaways and allow your heart to become cleansed, healed, softened, renewed, filled, and stirred. Keep your heart guarded, because out of the heart is where your life comes from. Bow and humble before a holy God and invite Him to search your heart.

Tonight our topic is “emotional stability.” We were designed by God to be emotional, and we have broad ranges of emotions—anger, joy, happiness, etc. Our goal is to be happy, STABLE, fruitful, and blessed.

First of all, you are a three-part being: Spirit, Soul, and Body. That’s the scriptural order. The real you is your Spirit. That’s the eternal part of you. You have a soul and you live in a body—the body being the least important, but the one most of us fuss about the most. (Some people are more worried about their paint job than their motor!) The soul consists of your will, intellect and emotions.

Ever heard of mood swings? We all have them, and some swing a lot harder than others! You will always have emotions and you can’t get rid of them, but you can and must learn to control them or they will control you.

One thing that affects our emotions is sin, habitual sin; it will depress you. That’s why we should keep a short account with God.

A lot of people have emotional habits, and when certain things happen, they react. Some people don’t know how to argue/fight right because bad habits were modeled for them at a young age. You must learn how to get your emotions under control and break some of these habits.

Your emotions and feelings do not have to be your guide. You do not have to give in to your feelings. “You can deal with how you feel.” Your emotions cannot be trusted when making decisions.

Our goal is that we would be STABLE, or MATURE. We must have emotional stability, first of all, for you. You’re going to enjoy the ride much better on an even road. You are an advertisement for God, and if you’re all over the map, well, who’s going to want that?

In 1 Samuel 30:6 (NKJ), David encouraged himself in the Lord: “Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”

How do you encourage yourself? How do you encourage others? You counter what they are thinking, saying or feeling with WORDS, such as: “It’s going to be all right!” “This will work out.” “C’mon, you know better than that!” “God is with me!” “Everything always works out for me!” “God will provide!” Encourage yourself with self-talk.

To change a thought, speak words. If you allow thoughts in your mind, they will grow. You have speech centers in your brain, and whenever you speak, it will override a thought. If you want to overcome a depressing, fearful or negative thought, speak over yourself. Go to Scripture. What does it say? Counsel yourself. Get alone and talk out loud to yourself. Repeat what the Word says about you and your situation.

You don’t have to give in to every emotion! Resist it. You might get afraid, angry, down, but don’t stay there. Remember the goal: emotional stability and maturity.

1 Peter 5:7-9 (AMP) says, “Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.”

Notice you have an enemy. He is defeated and you have power over him in the Name of Jesus! He is an emotional wreck, and he wants you to join him! He is seeking whom he may devour. Inform the devil, “You may NOT devour me!” When you are stable, it reminds the enemy he is doomed!

Philippians 1:28 (AMP) says, “And do not [for a moment] be frightened or intimidated in anything by your opponents and adversaries, for such [constancy and fearlessness] will be a clear sign (proof and seal) to them of [their impending] destruction, but [a sure token and evidence] of your deliverance and salvation, and that from God.”

And Psalm 94:12-15 (AMP) tells us, “Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, THAT YOU MAY GIVE HIM POWER TO KEEP HIMSELF CALM IN THE DAYS OF ADVERSITY, until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off nor spurn His people, neither will He abandon His heritage. For justice will return to the [uncompromisingly] righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.”

God is the same yesterday, today and forever. The more you commune and fellowship with an unchanging God, the more stable you will become.

Proverbs 4:23 (NKJ) says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”

The New Living Translation says it like this: “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

There are things in your life you need to guard—above all else! All your impulses, desires, and motivations come from your heart.

Jesus said, in Matthew 15:19 (NKJ), “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”

Jesus said that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. You need to be careful what you’re listening to, watching on TV, etc.

The Bible tells us that we love, serve, give, speak, forgive, obey, believe and worship from the heart.

When we are disappointed, burned, betrayed, fearful, blessed, honored, grateful, or surprised, we hold our “heart”…not our “brain” because life flows from the heart.

If the heart must be guarded, then it must be vulnerable. The word “guard” means “to protect, maintain, watch over, and to monitor.”

The condition of your heart is your responsibility! Your thoughts, words, actions and motives flowing from your heart create either blessings or consequences.

The contents of your heart determine the condition of your heart, and the condition of your heart colors how you see, hear and interpret life.

Mark 4:13–20 (NKJ) The Parable of the “Soils,” says, “And He said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.’”

The condition of your heart is going to determine if your life is fruitful or not.

Here is the principle we need to grab hold of: our heart is the soil. The soil will try to “grow” whatever gets “planted” in it. (For example, a fencepost, weed, seeds, pop bottle, rock, trash, etc.)
Some of you have trees growing in your heart! You may be fruitful in one area of your life but in other areas, it’s a toxic waste area! At some point something took place in your life and you didn’t deal with it properly.

If it’s not life giving, good or godly, don’t let it get in your heart. But if it does, don’t let it take root. If it has taken root, then get it out! If it’s already deeply rooted, flag it and mark it to be removed.

You must guard your heart. The contents of your heart determine the condition of your heart, and the condition of your heart is going to “color” how you see, hear and interpret life.

The things of God come to us by explanation and revelation. When the heart is “good,” the eyes and ears “work.”

Start guarding your heart with all diligence because the course and direction of your life flows out of your heart.

Everything has to do with decisions and directions. When you make wrong decisions and head in wrong directions, you will incur damage. So, why do we make wrong decisions and go in wrong directions? Because of our convictions. It is time that you get settled on some issues. It is time that you know why you believe what you believe.

Ephesians 2:2 (MSG) says, “You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience.”

Romans 14:5 (NKJ) says, “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. LET EACH BE FULLY CONVINCED IN HIS OWN MIND.”

When you are a person of conviction, you will be confident and consistent, living by principle vs. circumstance. When you live by Bible-based principles and convictions, 98% of your decisions are already settled!

Take the time, make the effort, consider, examine, research, pray, counsel, search Scripture, wrestle it to the ground and settle it!

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.” (1 Corinthians 10:23, NKJ)

It boils down to your worldview (lens, filter) through which you “see” the world around you. It’s how you get your take on reality, make sense of life, set priorities and make decisions.

All ideas have consequences. A bad idea = bad consequences; a good idea = good consequences.

There are two ways to do anything: God’s way and any other way!

All worldviews center on questions about deity, origins, human nature, and moral rules.
We basically have two worldviews: Biblical/Theistic (God) and Atheistic (man and nature). There’s a small percentage of what we would call atheists. They’re not religious but they are spiritual. Practical atheism believes in God, but their decisions and directions are as if there was no God. They don’t consult with God or allow His Word to have weight in their life. Consequently, there’s no joy or victory.

Biblical worldview is viewing the world, the beginning of the world, people of the world, problems of the world, government of the world, issues of the world, solutions of the world, and the future of the world through God’s Word!

If you have a worldview, your problems and solutions are spiritual. If you don’t have a biblical worldview, then you’ll try to solve problems through the government, intervention, education, technology, PR campaigns, etc. If your worldview is off, your convictions will be off.

Here are five ways to build convictions in your life:

1st—Scripture must be your authority.
2nd—Let the Holy Spirit teach, guide, remind, convict, and deal with you. Do not harden your heart or close your ears.
3rd—Listen to your conscience!
4th—Do not impose your convictions on others.
5th—Do not cause others to stumble.

Take these issues and wrestle them to the ground. How do we do this?
• By spending daily, personal, quiet time with God.
• Be consistent in your church attendance. Get planted. Don’t be a floater or “glory bug.”
• Be careful of your companions, because evil companions corrupt good character.
• Be careful what you’re listening to, reading and watching.
• Spend time in reflection and introspection.
• Seek counsel.
• Let your biography help shape your theology.

Bottom line: let the Word of God be the standard for your life. Let every man be fully convinced in his own heart. Get it settled, get centered up and your life will run so much smoother. It is vital that you take the time to establish your convictions!