My notes/outline/ideas

Well, here it is.  I figured I would put this up here, but my dad also suggested it so it must not be too stupid an idea.  These are my notes from the talk I gave on Friday at the Jr. High Retreat.  It went pretty well and I ended up talking for about 25 minutes (which I think was about 5 minutes too long).  Anyhow, this is just the outline, I have no idea what I actually said while it was happening.  That’s probably a good thing.  I’m interested to see how this gets formatted when I post it… so here it goes.


Obstacles to Community  (softball team as an example of community?)
What are examples of physical obstacles you can think of?
Things that ruin community with each other:
- putting others down, excluding others, not sharing,

Realizing the impact of words
James 3: 4 - 6

• What we say really does make a difference


• Positive – When someone tells me that I did something well I can think back on that when I’m having trouble.  (principals, my parents)


• Negative – When someone says that I don’t know how to do something I doubt myself the whole time I’m doing it.


• What we say shows what is inside – Matthew 12: 33-35


• What is inside that causes us to tear down and not build each other up?

Selfishness
Romans 12: 10

• We think of ourselves first


• We are afraid of what happens when we don’t make ourselves look good


• We base our confidence on the wrong things (others opinions)


• God gives us all we need

Revenge
Romans 12: 17 – 18

• If someone hurts you, you want to hurt them back


• To make things even


• To feel better


• Usually you feel worse

Laziness
Proverbs 13: 4
Ecclesiastes 10: 18

• It’s easy to make a joke


• When people are different


• When you can’t think of anything else to do or say


• It’s easy to spend time with the same people over and over


• It takes effort to reach out to someone else and include them

The need to make conscious changes

• Your heart needs to change


• Can we change our heart on our own?


• God changes our heart if we let go of having our way

Psalm 51: 10 – 12

Questions:  Which obstacles seem the most daunting?  In what ways can God help us overcome those obstacles?