read more, Scripture: Proverbs 13:4 says, "The soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing, but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. Little boys testing their strength and dexterity against one another revert back to this proverbial slap in the face by throwing down the gauntlet of this time proven stab. Everybody in the world has been fascinated by the court case here in Florida. as Christian men should, whilst it is called to-day. Beaverton, Oregon 97005 [Proverbs 13:11, 25; 15:16-17; 23:4-5; 24:3-4], 9. Beware the great lie of procrastination. read more, Scripture: Ask the Spirit to make you a hard worker for God.b. Romans 16:12.Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Title: Drama and Diligence Text: Acts 9:1-22 Thesis: Both the exceptional and the everyday experiences with the living Christ are valid and necessary in accomplishing God's work in and through our lives. Do it. These simple commands elevate ones work to the status of moral obligation to our fellow man and the Lord. Congregational. If, on the other hand, we set ourselves to our tasks, then out of faith will come, as the blossoms mysteriously and miraculously do out of an apparently dead stump, virtue, manliness, and knowledge, and temperance, and patience, and godliness, and brotherly mindedness, and charity. God honors hard workers by crowning them with his personal blessing. Therefore, use wisdom, look ahead, exercise forethought, and choose tasks as objects of your work that are of the highest priority. The easy way is saying take it easy, slow down, back off, dont have a heart attack. Dont work only in order to receive. There may be no wind at your back. whatever your image of God Go bigger. Its the way of laziness, the way of the sluggard. This week. Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity (II Peter 1:57). A great need comes upon him, which required time to prepare precious time that he has twiddled away and so, his life falls into ruin. However, not only is our reputation evidenced by our diligence in labor, so is our Gods reputation! However, all work. Diligence is working out one`s dreams (Proverbs 13:4) Here is what has helped me: As mentioned, the beginning or end of an important task can be the most difficult. Text: Acts 9:1-22 Stay awake and you will have food to spare. Proverbs 20:13, The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. Proverbs 21:5, He who loves pleasure will become poor. Proverbs 13:4. 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, Denomination: The hard road which appears to be so difficult is ultimately the road of prosperity, the road of wealth and blessing, the road of fulfillment, happiness, and personal satisfaction. In 2 Peter chapter one, before Peter even mentions the first of the virtues to add to our lives, he mentions applying all diligence (2 Peter 1:5), and near the close of this section he says again, Therefore brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you (2 Peter 1:10). 'All their yesterdays have lighted' such idlers 'to dusty death,' because in each they were saying, 'to-morrow we will begin the better course,' instead of beginning it to-day. Nehemiah 4:16-23 However, the answer is not always to play life completely safe. Let the records show I am in favor of vacations. CONSISTENCY IS HARD WORK the account of Joseph in Genesis 39). It is the way of destruction, poverty, starvation and desperation. The cross is Hard Work and Providence And Thomas Fuller noted, To be employed in useless things is half to be idle. Being tired is no excuse for bypassing the opportunity to work, and no one appreciates the murmuring, because such complaining belittles the toil that others produce. Here is what has helped me push through: Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017, Home | About Us | Sermons | Videos | Resources | Members | Contact Us There is a middle ground between greed and laziness. Good, wise, saintly people may be industrious and wealthy without being greedy lovers of money. We must believe and hope, as God has promised, that such efforts can accomplish worthwhile, even eternal good (. Our application has focused primarily on physical labor. The only thing certain is that failure to try will always fail! The easy way is the way of saying the boss isnt around, nobody is seeing me, it is good enough for government work. She is still an immature girl! (Proverbs 4:20-27) The last of the fields in which this virtue finds exercise is expressed by our letter, when Peter says, 'Seeing that we look for such things, let us be diligent, that we may be found of Him in peace without spot, and blameless.' While it is true that All things are difficult before they are easy (Thomas Fuller). Hard work yesterday has to be followed up with hard work today to guarantee tomorrows prosperity. Consider its ways and be wise. Sermon illustrations on Work. 4/25/2010 Accordingly, we have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions in order to comply with GDPR. 2 Timothy 2:1-10, THE CENTRALITY OF THE CROSS The attorneys on both sides have laid out their case for the jury to make a decision. Day 5 of 40 days of fasting! 10 27 13 Diligent Leadership 'Giving all diligence, add to your faith ' -- 2 Peter i.5. Sermon Submitted 9 months ago. let him labor, working with his hands what is good, Galatians 6:9; Colossians 3:22-24; Ephesians 6:5-9, Colossians 3:24; Ephesians 6:8; I Corinthians 15:58, As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is, The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly., The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, but. God only holds us responsible for what we can do. Always be faithful on your duty post until the job is done. I am going to tell you one of my favorite stories this morning because it illustrates perfectly how many of us think about the relationship between what we do and what God does. One month of self-control will not help us become all we can be in this life. It is just a game to him. Lifelong Diligence - A Godly Work Ethic. All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing.Proverbs 21:25, The sluggard says, Theres a lion outside or Ill be murdered in the streets Proverbs 22:13. Romans 12, Romans 12:11, Ezekiel 16:49, Denomination: Place of Israel in the Gods Plan of Salvation Work is our place of God's provision and a place of witness. He that diligently seeketh good procureth favor: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him (Proverbs 11:27). Be the best prisoner you can be! He, by the way, was a born again Christian. Although seductive pitfalls abound, which lure us into a denial of the consequences of laziness, the wise will grow in the knowledge of Gods Word, overcome, and diligently lead a life of commitment. a. All of us would rather be on the easy road. Seest thou a man diligent in his business? If I am going to be faithful to the Lord in my service, I must be adequately prepared and the preparation is my responsibility. The Office gives us a glimpse into the cubicles and . Be sure you know the condition of your flocks. Everyone has difficulties in life and work. The rest is history. The Christians reward, hope, and faith in his work is two fold: First, there is a personal reward that comes from the Lord in obeying and glorifying Him (. The Pattern for Life and Love -- Diligence II. Joshua chapter 10:6-15 Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (II Peter 1:1011). Thesis: Both the exceptional and the everyday experiences with the living Christ are valid and necessary in accomplishing Gods work in and through our lives. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat (Proverbs 23:13). [Proverbs 16:26; 19:14; 21:5; 26:15], 11. It is a very lowly virtue. God's Breath Publications: http://www.godsbreathpublications.com/ Of one fellow-worker, Paul said, And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found diligent in many things (2 Corinthians 8:22). Diligence is engaging the mind for productivity (Proverbs 21:5) 3. Baptist. A husband and father must work extremely hard. They become discouraged, when they do not feel like they are being used to their full potential. Thus, the first notion in the word is haste, which crowds every moment with continuous effort, and lets no hindrances entangle the feet of the runner. read more, Scripture: The same idea is seen when it comes to the quality of diligence. Preached by Jimmy Seibert Another of the phases of the virtue, which Peter here regards as sovereign, is represented in our translation of the word by 'earnestness,' which is the parent of diligence. There is a great seduction in the question, What will a little sleep hurt?. Abandoning laziness and growing in diligence means you must be controlled by the Holy Spirit. It may, however, be misguided. Be like the ant! The easy road looks easy but once you get on it, it turns into the hard road. The moments granted to any of us are too few and precious to let slip unused. If you are a lazy person, or if you tend toward laziness in certain areas of your life, confess your sin to God. The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious (Proverbs 12:27). Wise haste has sometimes to be content to go slowly. read more, Scripture: What an incredibly powerful quality long term diligence can be in our lives, because obviously: Samuel Johnson was spot on when he observed, Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance. 10 Must-Have Tips For Giving A Public Invitation, I'd Rather Preach To Angels Than A Megachurch Crowd, Five Preaching Applications From The Movie Gravity. 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