#4 The Skeleton At The Feast: Adversity, Shuffle The Deck Series

#4 THE SKELETON AT THE FEAST... ADVERSITY, SHUFFLE THE DECK

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

YOUR ATTITUDES ARE THE FOUNDATION STONES OF REAL DAILY LIVING...

Matthew 7:26 (KJV) And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Matthew 7:26 (MSG) "But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. 27 When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards."

WISDOM MAY BE FOUND AT THE CORNER OF ADVERSITY AVENUE and DETERMINATION DRIVE...

Life maybe 10% of what happens to you and 90% how you handle what happens to you.

IF YOU CAN NOT ALTER THE PROBLEMS YOU FACE, YOU MUST ALTER THE WAY YOU HANDLE YOUR PROBLEMS...

I have three items before me... WE ARE DISCUSSING HEAT/PRESSURE.

1. I have a hardboiled egg. 2. I have a stick of butter. 3. I have a large tea bag.

Then we discuss what heat does to these three items. 1. Hardens, 2 melts, 3. Brings out the taste....

FEW PEOPLE LEARN THE REAL LESSON OF ADVERSITY: WHEN THINGS GROW ROUGH... IT IS THE RUBBING THAT BRINGS OUT THE SHINE.

THERE IS ONE WAY TO EVALUATE YOUR LEVEL OF FAITH...

THST IS: HOW DO YOU HANDLE ADVESITY, AFFLICTION, TRIALS AND PROBLEMS...

Proverbs 24:10 (KJV) If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

Proverbs 24:10 (NIV) If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!

Proverbs 24:10 (MSG) If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn't much to you in the first place.

PROBLEMS, HARDSHIPS, TRIALS, TEMPTATION WILL ABSOLUTELY REVEAL YOUR REAL ATTITUDES... ALTITUDES?

HOW MUCH DICOURAGEMENT AND PROBLEMS DOES LIFE REQUIRE TO DISCOURAGE YOU AND GET YOU DOWN...

WHAT BRINGS YOU TO THE PLACE OF THROWING IN THE TOWEL?

Do not tell me how you handle your emotions and words when everything is going good? Tell me what you do doing ADVERSITY? We learn so much from our blessings and when everything goes good! But if we really desire to see the real person: DON'T TELL ME WHAT MAKES YOU TICK? Show me what TICKS YOU OFF and what you say and do when things are not going well?

AS DR. PHIL SAYS: YOUR PAST BEHAVIOR CAN BE A PREDICTOR OF YOUR FUTURE BEHAVIOR?

CRUCIBLE: A SEVERE TEST...

A SITUATION THAT FORCES PEOPLE TO CHANGE AND MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS...

PERHAPS ONE OF THE GREATEST TEACHERING TOOLS IS THE CRUCIBLE...

A CRUCICBLE IS A POT IN WHICH THINGS ARE HEATED TO VERY HIGH TEMPATURES...

A VERY DIFFICULT TEST OR CHALLENGE...

We may learn many things from the way we handle ADVERSITY.

WHAT WOULD MAKE A PERSON CARRYING A TEASPOON TO THINK THEY WILL BE ABLE TO CARRY A BUSHEL?

EACH PROBLEM IS THE ATTITUDE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW AND TRAIN THE SPIRIT PERSON...

IT MAY BE LIKE CLIMBING A LADDER... TO REACH THE NEXT RUN YOU HAVE TO REACH HIGHER AND LET GO OF THE RUN BELOW YOU...

No self-discipline...I WILL WAIT FOR A MORE CONVENVIENT TIME... THE LACK OF DISCIPLINE AND NO PLANNING... QUE SERA, SERA... What will be will be...

Discipline your attitudes... correction, instruction, control that is gained by obeying and submitting to order/rules to be obeyed, rewarded for good, punished for bad

Discipline is not a little daub will do you...

Acts 24:25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

Real discipline must become a FOCUSED LIFESTYLE...

People never plan to fail, they fail to plan and thus their attitudes become a habitual trap of the

ESTABLISH YOUR PRIORITIES... I WILL DO THAT WHEN I FEEL LIKE IT...

YOUR MOOD IS DETERMINED BY YOUR ATTITUDES

Proverbs 22:13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

TAKING OWNERSHIP --- BAD ATTITUDES ARE BIRTHED BY BLAMING OTHERS FOR YOUR MOODS, BEHAVIORS AND WORDS...

Exodus 32:21 And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? 22 And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.

Exodus 32: 24 And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.