The%20Pursuit%20of%20Happiness

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The Pursuit of Happiness

• Matthew 53

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What would it take to make you happy?
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Question Can I be happy even if circumstances
are not perfect?

• FACT
• Happiness is a CHOICE
• Happiness depends on choosing the right ATTITUDE.
• 1st Beatitude Blessed are the poor in spirit,
  For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 53)

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Greatest sermon

• Blessed lit. happy. Refers to a fortunate
  state as defined by Christ

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.

• What does it not mean to be poor in spirit?
• What does it mean to be poor in spirit?
• Means to have an attitude of humility. not
  thinking less of yourself it is thinking of
  yourself LESS.

vs. 3
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Benefits of Humility1. It reduces STRESS

• When we dont have all the answers, a great
  burden is lifted off our shoulders

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Wise sayings about Humility

• Nigerian Proverb One who asks never loses his
  way. A wise man never knows all, only fools know
  everything!
• Chinese Proverb He who asks is a fool for 5
  minutes. But he who does not ask remains a fool
  forever!

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Benefit 2 Humility improves RELATIONSHIPS

• How many of us love to be around people who are
  proud?

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3 keys to Right relationships

• 1. I am not always RIGHT
• 2. I can be WRONG
• 3. I am SORRY
• To survive a marriage and a quarrel use one of
  the above statements and you will live!

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2 Chronicles 714

• If my people who are called by My name will
  humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and
  turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear
  from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal
  their land.
• 4 steps to relate with God
• 1. Humble ourselves
• 2. Pray
• 3. Seek Gods face
• 4. Stop Sinning

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Benefit 3 Humility releases Gods Grace!

• James 46 God resists the proud, but gives
  grace to the humble.
• God gives us spiritual power strength to those
  who depend on Him.

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Gods strength is perfected in weakness

• 2 Corinthians 127-10  Because of the
  extravagance of those revelations, and so I
  wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of
  a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my
  limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me
  down what he in fact did was push me to my
  knees. No danger then of walking around high and
  mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift,
  and begged God to remove it. Three times I did
  that, and then he told me, ??   My grace is
  enough it's all you need. ?   My strength comes
  into its own in your weakness.?Once I heard that,
  I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on
  the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It
  was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my
  weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and
  with good cheer, these limitations that cut me
  down to sizeabuse, accidents, opposition, bad
  breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the
  weaker I get, the stronger I become.

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True or False?

• A. God helps those who can help themselves
• B. God helps those who realize they cant help
  themselves
• C. God helps those who think they can do
  everything by themselves

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Matthew 182-4

• Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him
  in the midst of them, 3 and said, Assuredly, I
  say to you, unless you are converted and become
  as little children, you will by no means enter
  the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever
  humbles himself as this little child is the
  greatest in the kingdom of heaven.