Important Safeguards For Life Series

TITLE: 2 Important Safeguards in Life

WELCOME: Good morning! Welcome to Olathe Life Fellowship. Thank you for choosing to spend a part of your weekend with us here this morning.

The ushers are coming down the aisle to pass out our Sunday morning attendance sheets. If you are a first time guest with us this morning ¡V you can relax¡K we have a ¡§NO HASSEL¡¨ guarantee¡K we¡¦re not going to send people to your house on 10-speeds to deliver fruit cake or anything.

Regular attendees please look for NEW people in your row so you can introduce yourself after the service!

If you are NEW here I would recommend you go through our web site to get all your questions answered. And if you still have questions after reading through the web site please feel free to call us we¡¦d love to help you any way we can. Thank you!

INTRODUCTION: I hope everyone here realizes that God loves you. No matter how messed up you think your life is, or how bad you have been¡K He still loves you and He wants to help you live a fulfilled and happy life.

I think we wonder, ¡§Well if that is true then ¡§WHY¡¨? Why is this happening to me, or why did that happen over there¡K?¡¨

I think we think its automatic¡K and we forget that a BIG part of us living the Life God has intended for us depends on us, and those we¡¦ve surrounded ourselves with and our willingness to change. Like I mentioned last week¡K we need to take responsibility for our lives.

So, we finished up our series, THE GOOD LIFE last week and we are onto a new series called, STUFF WE NEED TO KNOW.

So today we are going to talk about; 2 VERY IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS IN LIFE.

Two things that we need to have in our lives to protect us from ruining our lives¡K or derailing our lives.

So many times we find ourselves derailed, and typically it¡¦s because we didn¡¦t listen to the safeguards¡K the things that could have protected us from the pitfall.

Sometimes we look at safeguards as hindrances, restrictive, obtrusive, limiting¡Kwe say, ¡§it¡¦ just slows us down.¡¨ That¡¦s a lie we all fall victim to.

Speed limits are an example of safeguards¡K and when we ignore them (though I never do ¡V laugh) we pay the price¡K safeguards are in place to protect us.

Here is the truth ¡V WE ALL NEED SAFEGUARDS.

Why? Many times we make choices that we would condemn others for making. It is helpful to ask ourselves how God and others see our actions. Unfortunately we all have a huge capacity to lie to ourselves. God still provides 2 safeguards against self-deception ¡V His Word & True Friends.

The tough part is allowing these 2 safeguards to speak to us¡K because many times it can be painful ¡V as they say, ¡§truth hurts!¡¨

John 8:32 ¡§Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.¡¨

THEME: Accountability ¡V God¡¦s Word & True Friends

MAIN POINT: All of us need safeguards, or checks-n-balances in our life to keep us on track! Also this morning I hope to heighten in you a desire or hunger to read the Bible¡K not so you can say, ¡§I read the Bible today¡K¡¨ and you get a sticker! (laugh)¡K but for what it will make of you!

2 SAFEGUARDS

1.) The WORD of God. (The Bible)

„Ï Psalms 119:105 ¡§Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.¡¨

The words of God offer us direction; it is a guide to help our lives be the best it can be.

This is why they put the word ¡§bible¡¨ after a title¡K the Cooking bible¡K why? To communicate in a title that this cookbook will tell you everything you need to know about cooking¡K a guide to being a better cook!

The Bible is just that¡K a guide to being a better person¡K to have a better life¡K logically it makes since that the Bible would be helpful, since God created life, then spoke to and through men of old who then wrote down what God said¡K and if we¡¦d study the writings found within we¡¦d be guided better in this life.

James 1:22-24 ¡§Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.¡¨

2.) True FRIENDS.

Scripture qualities of a friend¡K

„Ï Proverbs 17:17 ¡§A friend loves at all times¡K¡¨

„Ï Proverbs 17:9 ¡§He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.¡¨