Pastor Andrew continued our series Self-Inflicted with a message called Pride Is The Setup. Pride is often a contributing factor to self-inflicted wounds. The deception of pride is that it romanticizes selfish desires. Pride will intoxicate you, which will lead to a path of destruction. The word of God is very clear. Proverbs 16:5 states, “The Lord detests all the proud of heart.” This is a powerful and often painful scripture to read as it challenges our lives in many ways. God is attracted to genuine humility and a posture of heart that fully relies on the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Operating in pride tricks our thinking and decision-making into patterns and behaviors that lead to deep wounds of regret and destruction. The solution Pastor Andrew encouraged is to choose humility and surrender before the Lord.
Listed below are three simple yet profound ways Pastor Andrew challenged our church to grow in humility:
• Keep the guard rails up even when you're good.
• He gave you the exact thing you take pride in.
• Daily repentance.
Scriptures:
• Proverbs 16:18
• Jeremiah 9:23-26
Additional Scriptures:
• Ephesians 4:2
• Luke 14:11
• Proverbs 11:2
• Proverbs 15:33
Big Idea: Pride is a mirage that projects current strength at the cost of future gains.
Reflective Questions for the Week:
• What are some areas in your life you carry pride in?
• How has pride affected your relationships?
• What is one thing you could do this week to foster more humility in your life?
Statements to declare over your life:
• I am a humble servant of the Lord.
• Jesus is the Lord over all areas of my life
• I will use what God has blessed me with to build His kingdom, not my own.
