Tested And Approved

Tested & Approved.zarahlim

2008

TESTED AND APPROVED Theme: Objective:

PERSONAL LIFE To challenge congregation to double up in their personal development, aiming for a TESTED AND APPROVED mark from God. Scripture Text: John 10:10 Jesus said that He came so we can have life and have it to the full. John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” This month’s theme is about PERSONAL LIFE. Just as God wants us to be prosperous in our spiritual, social, family, financial, career, and health life, he also wants our PERSONAL life to grow.

WHAT CONSTITUTES OUR PERSONAL LIFE? • Anything apart from work (work ≠ personal life – therefore the existence of personal leave) • Close relationships (ex. Family: personal life contacts ≠ Colleagues, classmates, acquaintances) o “That’s none of your business; it’s a personal matter.” More than these, our personal life is composed of:
Our inmost thoughts and feelings
Our personal take on matters
Our personal growth & development In our reading last week, we came across Paul sending his greetings for his friends. One greeting especially caught my attention: Romans 16:10 “Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ.” Illustration: • • •

Quality control – has standards to be attained (Reaching your potential) Products – constant need to upgrade and improve Advertisements

Thought to Ponder: “If my life gets scrutinized, will I pass the test and be approved?”

WE NEED TO WORK ON OUR PERSONAL LIFE! It is just as important as the other areas of our life.

God’s plan for us is not to be mediocre! Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Tested & Approved.zarahlim

2008

Don’t be content with where you are right now. Normal, average people use less than 10% of their brain’s capacity. Even geniuses were known to have reached only __% of their brain’s capacity.

Brain exercises made simple: Practice doing routine tasks in a different way. (example: if you write using your right hand, practice writing with your left hand; brushing teeth, etc) This is to stimulate nerve cells in the brain in forming new cell connections, thus improving brain function. Doing tasks routinely stops the brain from making new connections. New task = new stimulus = new connections = new information pathway = better brain function.

TESTED: AREAS of our personal life WHERE WE ARE TESTED: 1. Attitude – How we react in trying situations through our words, thoughts, and actions. a. Bad thoughts (worries, doubts, etc.) b. Bad words (cursing, gossip, etc.) c. Bad actions (7 things God hates, plus etc.) 2. Integrity – How we act when no one’s looking. 3. Motive – Why do we do the things that we do? APPROVED: HOW TO GET THE “APPROVED” MARK? 1. (Attitude check) Offer yourself to God. Rom. 12:1 2. (Integrity check) Do everything with excellence. Col.3:23 a. Pursue knowledge. 2 Tim. 2:15 (KJV: “Study to show thyself approved unto God...”) i. Study about God and His Word. ii. Catch up on current events. iii. Pursue continued education if possible. iv. Read quality books. Illustration: • Benefits of signing up for trainings and other workshops/seminars: o Opportunity to learn o Opportunity to make new contacts o Discovery of one’s strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, etc. What have you done lately to improve yourself? When the last time you read something or did something that could contribute to your self-improvement? “People listen to you when they know you have something for them that’s worth listening to.” 3. (Motive check) Check your motives. Prov. 17:3 a. You may have started out doing things for God, but after pursuing knowledge and success comes, are your motives still the same?

Comment [U1]: This does not mean discontentment with your present situation. Rather, it means pushing yourself to reach your fullest potential (Maximize your potential).

Tested & Approved.zarahlim

2008

Earning a “tested and approved” mark constitutes effort. This does not mean that we have to earn our salvation; rather it means that in this life, we will surely undergo testing and trials and we must be able to come out victorious (approved).

We do not gain approval from God through our good works – He already accepted us before we even accepted Him. But He loves us enough not to let us stay the way we are. Imagine yourself before you knew God. Ragged, dishevelled, angry, bitter, and any and every negative adjectives you could think of. Now, Jesus already paid for your ransom. He accepted you the way you were. But after that, do you really want to stay as is? Stay bitter when you can know true forgiveness? Stay angry when you can experience true love? Stay unrighteous when you can actually know the feeling of being clean? That’s personal development right there! Strive to improve so you can do more and be more for God.

Romans 16:10 “Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ.” Wouldn’t you like to see YOUR NAME here? (Your Name)

, tested and approved in Christ.