Shine Like Stars (All Age) Series

Let me tell you a story. Tim and Jane were brother and sister. Tim was 15, Jane was 11. One day they had an incredible row because both wanted to play on the Playstation

- Tim wanted to play "Timesplitters: future perfect"

- Jane wanted to play Itoy play 3

- They argued about it! They went and complained to their mum about it- why each of them should be able to play the game they wanted.

- Then, when mum told them to ’sort it out and stop arguing’- they both sulked about it

o Strangely- it just made each of them feel worse. Neither could agree to play any game… and ’expressing their anger’ (as they had been told at school) didn’t seem to make them feel any better either

- Tim just said "well, that’s the way I AM. Like it or leave it. I’m grumpy… and I’m made for games like ’timesplitters’

- But Jane thought. She thought: perhaps if I deliberately stop arguing and complaining- we’ll work something out

o She deliberately controlled herself. It was hard at first

o Then she said "I’ll play timesplitters with you if you want, Tim"

" She felt SO much better inside!

o Tim said "it’s not for little girls!! Besides- it’s better in single-player mode!.....

" But I suppose I could do the race with you on Play 3

" Because Jane had become so laid-back… it kind of influenced him

And they did. And they both enjoyed it

You see- moaning and complaining doesn’t make you better- inside or out. It makes you worse. Things worse. Compounds it.

- and Paul and the Bible know this! (PPT- "makes things worse")

- It might make you feel better for a WHILE… but after that it poisons you!

- Psychologists say we ARE…become…. what we say, act, reinforce, repeat

o This says the same, but in the positive sense:

o Apply your WILL… act as God wants… and it will affect how you are

Let me illustrate it this way (PPT- takes to blank page)

- complaining and arguing does not take the lid off the pressure cooker of your life/feelings (PPT cooker and lid)

o well- it feels like it does, for a minute! And sometimes you need to ’let out’

- but do it for long and it adds to the goods/pressure inside the cooker. Adds to the flame! Adds to the pressure. (PPT)

So- want to become blameless and pure? (PPT- takes you to new page)

¢ do everything without complaining or arguing (PPT)

¢ and it will become second nature. Change your nature

o If you do things without arguing or complaining- then, in time, you will ’become blameless and pure’

" Act right… get the right attitudes… and God will see to it that it changes who you ARE

" inside

Why become blameless and pure? (PPT)

¢ it’s a whole lot better! More fun! (PPT)

¢ Says here "so you may become children of the Lord"- in other words look more like your heavenly Father and Saviour, Jesus! (PPT)

Mini-talk 2- shine like stars (start PPT 4)

So- why is ’not arguing and complaining’… becoming ’blameless and pure’ so important? (PPT)

- because we want to please God and be like Him

- … but because our ACTIONS speak even louder than our words! (PPT)

If you work on this… and let God work In you…

- 1) you will shine like a star (PPT)