HABITS ARE HARD TO BREAK

Text – Acts 16:16-34

 ·       Problem (16-24)

·       Praise (25)

·       Power (26-28)

·       Product (29-3)

1.   NATURE OF PROBLEMS - TO COMPLETE US

 ·       James 1:2-4 - Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

 ·       Caution: The nature of problems for Christians is to complete and mature them. That promise is not made to non-Christians. God can send problems to “harden” a person’s heart.

2.   THE HABIT THAT BRINGS POWER - PRAISE

 ·       Acts 16:25 - About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

 ·       Praising God means telling or otherwise expressing how wonderful and great we believe God is and how much we love Him.

 ·       Psalm 22:3 (NKJV) - But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.

3.   CULTIVATE A NEW HABIT

 ·       Hebrews 13:15 - Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name.

 ·       In the face of a problem, the question is: “How big is your God?”