Spot-On Advice from a Seasoned Coach, Part 2

When a person decides to receive Jesus Christ as Lord. Everything changes within what, in addition to the regeneration of the soul. The Bible teaches us that believers should pursue specific goals. Here's how Paul framed it in Colossians 3 he said Scituate been raised to a new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll challenges us to heed Paul's counsel picking up right where we left off on Thursdays program teaching from Colossians chapter 3 Chuck titled his message spot on advice from a seasoned coach. Things that we need to get rid of. First is a group of sensual things is a group of materialistic things and you will see the third group of verbal verbal habits. The emotional part of our lives, which has to do with anger and deliciousness.

These areas of our emotions and words out of control. Look at it now's the time to get rid of anger some people have a seething of that of anger. Just under the surface. On occasion, you will see evidence of it, but the kind of live as an angry person.

We refer to people like that is needing anger management because they live in the rental of the angry and he warns us against that sense get rid of that long-lasting slow burning you that refuses to let go and give up. The second is the word for outbursts of anger recall this chapter.

It's correctly rendered rage. We have the words road re-that's not a seething low level anger that is a an abrupt violent act that lashes out on the road when somebody cuts him on the money or somebody gets to the lot door holds up the light before you're able to make it and then they go across Monticello and you'll get a good and you're not careful you catch up with them and did bad things happen is called rage. You may live with the person is given to rage. If you are that person.

This is written to you. Get rid of anger, rage, here's 1/3 malicious behavior. This is a viciousness of mind that plans evil against another person. In fact, it rejoices when misery falls on that individual.

Recall that individual. A malicious person and that maybe your weakness. If it is, it's time to get rid of it.

Malicious behavior has no place in the Christian's life. It will not only run your life. It'll ruin your marriage if you happen to be married it'll ruin your family relationships if you happen have a family, malicious behavior, and then he goes to slander which everybody understands and that he coins the word news. Nowhere else in all the New Testament translated in this version dirty language.

It's a word for dishonoring words abusive words. Words that Shane perhaps our best synonym would be obscene language that is obscene. Get rid of it.

This is coach Paul instructing all of us as our very qualified guy through life saving. Set your sights vertically not horizontally once there set rid yourself of the things that drag you down sensual things materialistic things and these things that are in the round of anger, slander, and dirty language. I left out one of the group. I saved it for the last year and this group don't live to each other by the way, this is interesting.

He's writing to Christians is easy to think as you sit there. I wish my neighbor were here to hear what's being said from our pulpit that he may or she needs to hear.

This is not written to your neighbor is written to you. You know the harshest letters I've ever received.

I received from fellow Christian you know the ugliest words ever said to me had been sent to me by fellow Christian the worst things done to me had been done to me by so-called brothers and or sisters in the family of God.

Frankly some folks who live more often than the tell the truth, are often Christian setting is an it's a tough one to hear. I on occasion will marry a couple, and I always ask for the opportunity to do some premarital counseling. They always think it's going to be great because her get ready to get married and everything is honeymooning fine and going to be one ring after another and is going to be a joy that I can't wait.

First of that love is Debbie so good and I say I like to meet with and what I like to talk to you about something.

When I get through them. It's like we really want to go through with this job bringing to reality and one of the first things addresses their language and we learn a lot of each other.

When we did you do that when you're dating the bride-to-be loves a symphony you hated, she says simply front you go that's what you line right through… You go again you get marriages, as you say, are you what are you smoking is no way I'm going to be a single exhibit. You guys know what you did was lie teaching people to talk. The truth is one of the most difficult things in the world. Some of you regularly lot intermarried part even though you're married to you regularly tell them something that isn't true. But I want to tell you I chances are good you have a problem, even it may be as mild as exaggeration or your slander may be a hidden prejudice use are careful where you use those words but is down the and you haven't dug it out back to the story about marriage and all that well very very good friend who became missionary, he was wife shortly after they married, they were in a terrible auto accident.

Both of them were thrown from the car. Cars total her vertebrae. The one that paralyzes your limbs was the one that broke and she became even though just weeks, months along in the marriage. A quadriplegic every time I married a couple. I tell them about my friend who had that to face shortly after they've been at the altar and for the rest of his life. His wife who cannot move arms or legs.

When he talks about love and commitment. It's a whole new level when I tell that story to people that are going to get married there like an and in the end they look like that's not gonna happen.

You don't know you know what's gonna happen with your love, which is really commitment that's what we want talk about has to bypass all all physical disabilities.

All emotional battles you may marry a man who within a matter of months falls into depression and need serious counseling series work and is no longer the man you thought you and your married to a leader on the passage when it says love is one thing binds us together is when you search review carefully the get rid of all line if you begun to form the habit of lying is a great habit to stop as of today.

Get rid heaven no longer part of your life. Then we come to this transition. Now that we've gotten clearly in mind that were to be coaching him up were to be focusing on the vertical. Now that we understand the things and ultimately decide to go through transition. That's verses 10 and 11 put on your new nature and be renewed as you learn to know your creator and become like a great line you got a new nature so act like it.

Take into action get underway.

Let it take over your life and be renewed as you learn to know the God you say you believe in back is another letter that Paul wrote were he says mimic God love that line. Learn the things that characterize your God, and then begin to live like that as you get to know him, you learn of him your creator and your gold medal in this transition is to start becoming like and he is the ideal model to follow.

Verse 11 in this new life. It doesn't matter and look at the list.

If your Jew or Gentile, circumcised, or uncertain, you know, that doesn't mean a lot to us because were all Gentile. Most of his era Gentiles, but many of those reading the letter were Jewish and all their lives.

The Gentile was the dog the mangy dog. The Roman was the swine. That's how they were raised. But if the if person was a Gentile trust in Christ. He's a member of the same family. Good to see whether Jew or Gentile weather circumcised or uncircumcised. The barrier was down and is describing it so that you realize you can't hide behind the fact that your overall were of different races or were different backgrounds, what's what it's all about. That's what makes the family so exciting to live in this family is a place that you don't live freely in any other area of life. There are lines of demarcation. In fact, look at the third one in the list. There is no longer the uncircumcised or the barbaric what the person that they would call the person was uneducated and and and rather crude.

They would read referred to as bar bar bar bar bar is the word to use form and they became to be known as barbaric person may come from a background not a lot of seasoning and a lot of class very different from the way you were raised. Maybe you were taught good manners and you you weren't raised you did to raise yourself like a lot of them to. But he said were all the same family barbarian uncivilized look at slave or free lesson you were in the slave market probably never. Unless we refer to sleep traffic, which by the way he is everywhere but in these days it wouldn't hidden it wouldn't secret By those who traffic in that realm. It was public. You slave your Mark often branded. He says in the family of God.

Doesn't matter if your background is safe. You have the marks of shackles and the rest doesn't matter.

You and the family seat when you go through this transition, you begin to look at people in with new eyes.

And you don't care about the color you don't doesn't bother you that their background is so so different from your back right you you are thrilled her and the family. Only Christ can blend together life like this, so he writes to people in Colossae who would been raised so prejudice toward a body of people. In fact, look at how Indians Christ is all that matters. And he lives in all of us think they were the same thing are equal to each other. Perfect example is Christ now that we made the transition were on our way to a new way of life.

Look at the garments were to wear back these are if you will. Fred's that are woven into the garment that were to where since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, don't miss that set apart to him, people he loves, you must clothe yourself with these eight qualities last time I talked about a list you need to ignore. Pay no attention to since it represents a legalistic standard. Someone's private force on you. This is not legalism. This is a good list written under the inspiration of the spirit of God and here are the eight here the things to put in your new garment, tenderhearted mercy say you know what Chuck I wouldn't I would raised to be tenderhearted not asking how you were raised on talking to you about your new family. I'm coaching you or Paul is in a holy way of life, tenderhearted mercy is appropriate in fact essential for us to get along in this divergent family.

Look at the next one. Kindness would be great if everyone were just kind I love the way my sister puts it, she says, on occasion, I just wish that everyone were nice. Just be nice. It was shock some folks, but said it's good for him to realize you got a nice side.

Maybe you had to be tough to make it through your there's a place for top and it is in the family.

This is becoming about humility.

Humility disarms everyone around us for there's pride everywhere. On occasion you meet someone, genuinely humble arete about headmaster of the school that was a wonderful man that everyone loved one of his characteristics is humility, and they have placed these people getting awards in the line and of the others in front of them walking onto the stage and then they said, and now to the one we consider the most humble individual in the school and he steps back and asked the lady behind to take the stage. Everybody else is up what he thought I had a great it is that that they recognize that humility is humility, not looking for the applause yourself not expecting it. Being surprised by the fact here is a humility is a part of the garment gentleness and patience when you stay there very long. This move right on to verse 13 the next. Robert called forbearance forbearance would be number six making allowance for each other's falls. You need to do that you need to make room for the lead people to catch up on their own. Bear with them and then forgive them. Those who offend you, forgive them right now. If you're not careful you are you you are massaging a list of things that that you don't like in certain individuals and you got those people in Europe. The black book of your mind reading the black book, we hear the name. Don't think first of of something you don't like about them forget that if anyone offends you, forgive your past member, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others and above all, here it is. Clothe yourself with love and how we all benefit from these things. We all benefit from it because we are not only the recipients of these things we are models of the state and we become the guide for others to learn from helpfulness that think of yourself not simply as a recipient of these agree qualities thanks to the grace of God, but now is one who can be a mental and you begin by teaching them to your own children, and then you spread that to your circle of friends and fellow fellow believers that you have in your life and before long you have change the whole perspective in the lives of I gotta tell you and I and I close with these comments. I know that there's anything more valuable wit regarding attitude than the right perspective how we look at thing makes all the difference. If it leads to what we look forward to something or dread something for the were excited about something or we we we would wish it would never happen perspective. We held our insight for living board meeting this past week you happen to fall right at the anniversary of D-Day happens to be the 70th anniversary. John, hope you did take time. Paulson and give God thanks for the hero who flooded that beach in Normandy and those who flew planes and gliders and those who parachuted into into dangerous places the whole turning point of the war.

You watched a saving Pvt. Ryan. Unless I miss my guess, the first 30 minutes you had to look away a timer to its overall one of our board members told us that his father was on the very first ones that jumped into the darkness of night and landed by parachute, of all places in a tree. Think of it already.

Marcus is his massive parachute above you and now you're hanging in a tree somehow was able to slide down without being detected and been lived to tell the story of the fight. Another one of our board members pass along to be happens to be a Lieut. Gen. retired in the Air Force and and he said I got a story Chuck that I think you would love it's about perspective. I thought boy thanks Gary you gave them my conclusion, this is it this is what I need to veterans of D-Day were being interviewed for a program commemorating the anniversary of the Allied assault to defeat Nazi Germany and restore freedom to Europe.

One of the men had fought the battle on the ground on Omaha Beach. The other fought it in the air high above the seashore. The first man described the scene on the sands of Omaha Beach as it was depicted in the movie saving Pvt. Ryan.

He saw nothing but his compatriots dropping all around him one after another and to him.

It looked hopeless and despairing.

He kept telling himself were going to loose were going to lose. That's how he feels in the heat of the battle that day, but the other man the pilot saw something completely different. He saw the movement of the troops on the beach he so some of them taking this particular area that was once held by the Nazis in and overthrowing the silencing that gun in the taking.

Another one, and he remembered saying out loud in the cockpit of the plane and same battle opposite perspective. I will tell you without reservation or hesitation, you make your focus.

A vertical focus in your life will be spent repeating the words were going to win because we will you turn it to the horizontal and focus on all the stuff happening around you all the bad news all the sad news all the disappointments all the disease all the debts and if you're not careful you spend your life thinking what would never make it.

I'm not going to make.

I'm in a losing effort. Here you can lose the coach tells us how to win, but telling us where to fix our focus.

What to get rid of how to turn a corner to live a whole new way. And then ultimately even the garments to where to turn us into the kind of people known for their love for one another. Amen, amen. You are awake good bow with me. Would you please how thankful we are our father. How grateful we are that Christ is our all in all, we thank you that to having won the victory. He sat down and being in him the victory is ours not to plead for not to hope for. Not even to fight for but to clean up was to know how to do that in a way that keeps us from being passive and out of touch and in different give us a focused life filled with being free of the things that would hurt us in embracing the things that would make a strong as we turn our hearts toward you, reminding ourselves again and again were going to win. Thank you for that promise. And thank you for the truth that we have learned from a book that is as timeless as it is true me these verses from Colossians 3 become a part of the way we live. Even how we die. The name of Christ masses. Everyone said he spot on advice from a seasoned coach. That's the title Chuck Swindoll gave to his message from Colossians 3 and this is insight for living.

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