EMBRACING GOD’S GIFT OF LIMITS

July 10, 2022

Main Scripture: Matthew 4:1-10

Additional Scriptures: Hebrews 12:1-3, Genesis 2:14, 3:4-5, Matthew 3:17, 7:13-14, John 17:4, Psalm 90:12, 2 Corinthians 12:9,

POINTS:

• We tend to see limits as punishment. But God gives us limits to protect, provide, and draw us deeper in our relationship with Him.

• Satan attacked God’s limits for Adam and Eve in the Garden. He does the same with us today.

• Jesus examples for us what embracing God-given limits looks like.

• Jesus responds to Satan’s temptation by submitting to the limitations the Father had placed on Him.

• God-given limits are things like personality/temperament, seasons of life, singleness or marriage, financial, physical, intellectual, and time.

• Self-induced limits come from the lies we believe about our identity.

• We can tell the difference between God’s limits and self-induced limits by asking ourselves the question of “who am I trying to please?”

• To embrace God’s gift of limits we must practice God-care instead of self-care.

• Practicing God-care includes sabbath-keeping, building habits of praise, prayer and scripture study, and considering Jesus in all things.