Disturbing the Peace (Elevation)

John 14:27

• Peace is not the absence of conflict. Or when everything's going smoothly. When there's more money going in than coming out.

• Jesus is talking about a peace that rules and reign right in the middle of the storm. The peace the comforts and stabilizes us.

• This is the peace that God has already given me. But here might be things in my life that are disturbing the peace in my life.

3 Peace Killers

1. Unexpressed Gratitude

• Condition our heart to have an attitude of thanksgiving.

• Colossians 3:13. (was and be thankful just a tagline, last minute instruction like “brush your teeth, sit up straight, eat your veg)

• Write down 3 things we’re thankful for (things that happened/things i felt) Fill our hearts with thanks. End the day with thanks or starting it with gratitude - we go through out day being much more aware of His goodness around me. Philippians 4:8 (and with thanksgiving, present your petitions to God)

• Peace is to be surrounded by the goodness of God.

• Fill your heart with something gratitude so that there weren’t be space for anything else.

2) Unrealistic Expectations (of yourself)

• They exist at the back of my mind makes me frustrated, shameful and sometimes self resentment. Keep us in a place of discouragement, but if you verbalized it you realize you’re crazy.

• It may come from good intention, we want to be the best we want to be, everything that God calls us to be, make our mark in the world. But it can still carry unrealistic expectations.

• Well meaning but unchecked expectations are loaded with potential for resentment.

• We no longer have peace in yourself because we don’t have peace with yourself

• Love yourself like how you’d love your neighbour too. Do we have thoughts about ourselves that we will never say to other people? Yet we tolerate these thoughts about ourselves. Show yourself a little bit more compassion and grace.

• Philippians 4:8-9. There’s a connection between the thoughts I think and the peace I have.

• Psalm 139:14. “ I am fearfully & wonderfully made…”. Look in the mirror, Your works are wonderful. Because God makes me. It’s not wonderful before something happened, before i cheated, before i failed. But I am. Wonderful.

• Have goals and ambitions. But don’t beat yourself up. How do you become who God wants you to be unless you accept who you are today? Change your thoughts about yourself so that it reflects who God’s thoughts toward me.

3) Unhealthy Motivation

• Sometime we’re not in peace cause really in a trial. But there’s also times where everything is normal routine but something feels wrong. We start to change thing. Buy new clothes ,change the way we live etc.

• It’s impossible to live in peace when all our thoughts is me, me, me. Romans 8:6. The peace of God cannot come into my life when i’m being controlled by my flesh. When my primary motivation in the back of my mind whether i know it or not is “what’s in it for me”. I can never experience fully the peace of God

• Align my intentions with the purpose and plans of the Holy Spirit. It’s hard for us to have peace if our intentions of wanting to do well in school is how it will make use look. WIll people think i’m stupid, people don’t want to group with me. Hard to have peace during LG when your primary motivation for coming is how the LG makes me feel. WIll I be refreshed, will I learn something, will I feel loved and appreciated.

• Shift our motivation from whats in it for me, how does it make me feel / look. To something that is much more meaningful. Philippians 2:3.

• Maybe to have peace today, we don’t need to change our circumstances, just our motivation.. Change our course, change our gf/bf, change our LG.

• From what’s in it for me to how can i value others above myself. How can i make my life’s mission about something more than me. To see God work through me and use me to make a difference in somebody’s else life.

• A Lot of times we come into church driven by the same motivation, what’s in it for me, what can God do for me. Because God is so good and His desire is to bless us, He’ll still meet us in that place. He’ll still bless you, still speak to you, still do something in your life. But if our only concern is what GOd can do for you, it’s a limiter to what God can do in and through your life.

• Am I doing the right thing but from the wrong place?

• When I bless someone, say something to spur someone on. Is it to make myself look good, for people to notice us, for someone to acknowledge our wisdom.