Recognizing Your Strengths and Weaknesses

February 3, 2013 Romans 6:

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Proverbs 21:5 - The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance. (ESV)

John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Planning to Grow

1. Continue to Discuss, Refine, and Implement Our Discipleship Process.

2. Organize and Launch Our New Cluster of Ministries at Faith West.

3. Work Together as a Church Family to Develop Our Next 5-Year Strategic Ministry Plan.

Proverbs 6:6-11 - Go to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, which, having no chief, officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provision in the harvest. How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest”— Your poverty will come in like a vagabond and your need like an armed man.

Romans 8:28-29 - And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son…

3 steps to analyzing our current situation wisely

I. Develop a Balanced and Biblical Way of Evaluating Yourself

Romans 12:3 - For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

A. The importance of making sound judgments

"to think so as to have sound judgment"

B. The benefit of acknowledging what's right

1. As an occasion to praise God

Romans 7:25 - Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

Psalm 139:14 - I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.

2. As a source of confidence

Romans 6:12 - Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,

Romans 6:4 - Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

3. As an opportunity to place accomplishments in perspective

Philippians 3:4-6 - …If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

Philippians 3:7 - But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.