Holding too tightly

Worship Songs

Sharing of Testimony

Message

Thanksgiving

Closing Prayer

Prayer Meeting

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

What A Friend We Have in Jesus

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

(end)

Years I spent in vanity and pride,Caring not my Lord was crucified,

Knowing not it was for me He died on Calvary.

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;Pardon there was multiplied to me;

There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.

At Calvary

By God’s Word at last my sin I learned;Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned,Till my guilty soul imploring turned to

Calvary.



Now I’ve given to Jesus everything,Now I gladly own Him as my King,

Now my raptured soul can only sing of Calvary



Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at

CalvaryMercy there was great, and grace was free;

Pardon there was multiplied to me;There my burdened soul found liberty at

Calvary.(end)

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,Count your many blessings, name them one by

one,And it will surprise you what the Lord hath

done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,Count your blessings, see what God hath done!Count your blessings, name them one by one,And it will surprise you what the Lord hath

done.

Count Your Blessings

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?Does the cross seem heavy you are called to

bear?Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,

And you will keep singing as the days go by.


done.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;

Count your many blessings. Wealth can never buyYour reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,Count your blessings, see what God hath done!Count your blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,Do not be disheartened, God is over all;

Count your many blessings, angels will attend,Help and comfort give you to your journey’s

end.


done. (end)

Holding Too Tightly

18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull

down my barns, and build greater; and

there will I bestow all my fruits and my

goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you

have much goods laid up for many

years; take your ease, eat, drink, and

be merry.

20 But God said to him, You fool, this

night your soul shall be required of you:

then whose shall those things be,

which you have provided?

21 So is he that lays up treasure for

himself, and is not rich toward God.

13 And one of the company said to

him, Master, speak to my brother, that

he divide the inheritance with me.

14 And he said to him, Man, who made

me a judge or a divider over you?

15 And he said to them, Take heed, and

beware of covetousness: for a man's

life consists not in the abundance of

the things which he possesses.

16 And he spoke a parable to

them, saying, The ground of a certain

rich man brought forth plentifully:

17 And he thought within

himself, saying, What shall I

do, because I have no room where to

bestow my fruits?

Luke 12:13-21

II. There is more to life than living for

yourself• A. In the parable, God blessed a rich man with abundance.

But the one who received this great provision failed to acknowledge the Lord as its source. In arrogance, he planned to take life easy, but God ended his life that very night.

• B. It is foolish to ignore our Maker and think only of what we can experience, achieve, or accumulate.

Luke 12:15 And he said to them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.

• Relationships

A sure way to destroy a relationship is to smother or try to control someone.

• Goals and dreams

We should ask the Lord to show us which goals to pursue.

III. What do people hold too tightly?

•The past

One of the most destructive things you can cling to is the past.

•Old hurts

Surrender those difficulties, heartaches, and problems to the Lord.

E. Wrong ideas and perceptions

Every thought should be tested against the Word of God

F. Timing

We must learn to submit to God’s schedule.

G. Possessions

We should be careful not to make anything into an idol.

A. Stability

In the midst of life’s storms, a solid relationship with God is your anchor.

B. Security

You can have the assurance that He is always with you, ready to help in any situation or circumstance.

IV. Benefits of Intimacy with the Father

C. Serenity

Intimacy gives you quietness and peace in your spirit, no matter what happens. You can trust that the Lord will guide you through difficulty.

D. Sensitivity

God will give you greater spiritual understanding and increased awareness to the needs of others.

A. Some people believe that Judas betrayed Christ in hopes of forcing Him to take military action and set up an earthly kingdom.

B. Pilate agreed to have Jesus crucified because he feared losing political power.

C. King Saul relentlessly pursued David, who had been anointed as the next king.

D. Peter tried to protect the Lord, even when his good intentions hindered Christ’s divine mission.

E. Potiphar’s wife forfeited all interaction with Joseph when her false accusations put him in jail.

F. When the children of Israel tried to hoard manna, it always spoiled.

V. Biblical Examples

• Fear of loss

Remember that if God gives you something, He can guard it for you.

• Failure to trust God

When we start to love His gifts more than we love Him, we lose our contentment and joy.

• Pride

We can grasp our positions, possessions, or prominence in a way that deeply hurts other people.


• Wrong sense of values

Many folks place too much importance on worldly goals, such as accumulating wealth. Don’t let anything ruin your relationship with God.

• Jealousy

Do you ever wish you could have someone else’s looks, accomplishments, or wealth? Most likely, you wouldn’t be prepared for it. God gives each of us what we are equipped to handle.

• When we make anything a higher priority than our relationship with the Lord, He sees it as competition.

• God will target whatever comes between Him and us.

• The Lord may allow us to experience brokenness so that we turn from sin. He doesn’t want any idol to hinder our fellowship with Him.


A. Begin by recognizing that God is not first in your life.

B. Then ask Him, “How much of my time, thoughts, or energy do I put towards this item, position, or person?”

C. Acknowledge that you devote more time and energy to something other than the Lord.

D. Decide to put everything in its proper place. Let Jesus be first, and He will help you arrange all other priorities.

VI. How can you release your grip?

• Is the Lord the most important person in your life? Don’t fixate on your own objectives and thereby miss out on His blessings and purpose for you.

• I pray that you will make the Lord top priority. Open your hands and let Him have what you’re holding. When you allow God to be number one in your life, the blessings will flow beyond human explanation.

Conclusion

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Holding too tightly