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John 10:10; Matthew 6:31-34; Galatians 5:1; 4:1-4; 5:2-10, 7; 3:1-5; Romans 8:14; II Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 4:7; [I Corinthians 12:12-31]; Mark 5:22-24, 35-37; I Timothy 4:1,2; John 9:24; Matthew 15:22-29; 20:1-15; I Corinthians 1:11-13; 3:1-3; Acts 13:6-11; Luke 5:17-20; 9:59-62; Mark 16:3,4; Hebrews 12:1; Psalm 55:17; Daniel 6:10; Matthew 21:22; John 14:13; Job 23:12; Psalm 119:12; Jeremiah 15:16; Matthew 4:4; II Timothy 2:15; Mark 11:25; Luke 17:4; Colossians 3:13; Ephesians 4:32; I John 1:9; Isaiah 50:7; [Philippians 3:14]

When we become sons and daughters of God and have holy spirit inside of us, we are no longer accountable to the flesh but to God. We may say to ourselves we are content to stay the same or we can take a stand for God and live the more abundant life. Jesus Christ says we are to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness and all our needs will be taken care of (Matthew 6:33).

We can remain in bondage to the elements of this world or be free in Christ. We must ask ourselves — Who or what is keeping us from being our best for God? When we are first born again, we have a fire in our hearts for God, but over time, we allow the fire to die down as we get caught up in the things of the world. But the ember is still there and we need only "blow" on it to spark back the flame. It is subtle how we are distracted from claiming and acting upon our rights as God’s children. Four ways a person can be distracted from the doing the things of God are as follows:

Family — God warns us there will be those who will speak lies and hypocrisies in attempts to seduce us away from the Word of God. Sometimes they are from family and friends and we must be aware of how subtly those words can draw us away from God.

Church — Perhaps we are envious of someone who may get more attention in the church. Or perhaps we feel someone does not meet the criteria of our religious standards. Instead of being distracted by others, we are to stay focused on the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the head of the body of Christ.

The World — People around us can subtly distract us from receiving the things of God. Acts speaks of the deputy who was being bedazzled by the men around him. Paul challenged him to focus on the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and then the deputy believed. We also cannot let circumstances or the affairs of this world keep us from doing our service to God in the body

Ourselves — We often are the greatest hindrance to staying focused and avoiding distractions. We allow our thoughts and ways we "think things should be" to keep us from seeing how God is working to handle the situation.

Ways to avoid distractions and to stay focused are:

Pray — and pray frequently throughout the day. Be ready to ask God for help
in every situation, including how to stay focused on what He would have you
to do.

Study The Bible — When we are feeding our minds on God’s Word, He will help us to stay focused. We must remember the hunger we had when we first learned God’s Word and study to show ourselves approved unto God.

Forgive — If we do not forgive those who may be distracting us from God’s Word, we cannot stay focused in prayer and study.

There will always be times in our lives when we get off track but we must remember — God is there to help us stay focused and avoid distractions.


#263 Stay Focused -- Avoid Distractions -- Mar. 3, 2002 ©2002 / Faithful Word Ministries 71:34 minutes
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"Stay Focused -- Avoid Distractions" -- Rev. Sixto Aponte John 10:10; Matthew 6:31-34; Galatians 5:1; 4:1-4; 5:2-10, 7; 3:1-5; Romans 8:14; II Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 4:7; [I Corinthians 12:12-31]; Mark 5:22-24, 35-37; I Timothy 4:1,2; John 9:24; Matthew 15:22-29; 20:1-15; I Corinthians 1:11-13; 3:1-3; Acts 13:6-11; Luke 5:17-20; 9:59-62; Mark 16:3,4; Hebrews 12:1; Psalm 55:17; Daniel 6:10; Matthew 21:22; John 14:13; Job 23:12; Psalm 119:12; Jeremiah 15:16; Matthew 4:4; II Timothy 2:15; Mark 11:25; Luke 17:4; Colossians 3:13; Ephesians 4:32; I John 1:9; Isaiah 50:7; [Philippians 3:14] When we become sons and daughters of God and have holy spirit inside of us, we are no longer accountable to the flesh but to God. We may say to ourselves we are content to stay the same or we can take a stand for God and live the more abundant life. Jesus Christ says we are to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness and all our needs will be taken care of (Matthew 6:33). We can remain in bondage to the elements of this world or be free in Christ. We must ask ourselves — Who or what is keeping us from being our best for God? When we are first born again, we have a fire in our hearts for God, but over time, we allow the fire to die down as we get caught up in the things of the world. But the ember is still there and we need only "blow" on it to spark back the flame. It is subtle how we are distracted from claiming and acting upon our rights as God’s children. Four ways a person can be distracted from the doing the things of God are as follows: Family — God warns us there will be those who will speak lies and hypocrisies in attempts to seduce us away from the Word of God. Sometimes they are from family and friends and we must be aware of how subtly those words can draw us away from God. Church — Perhaps we are envious of someone who may get more attention in the church. Or perhaps we feel someone does not meet the criteria of our religious standards. Instead of being distracted by others, we are to stay focused on the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the head of the body of Christ. The World — People around us can subtly distract us from receiving the things of God. Acts speaks of the deputy who was being bedazzled by the men around him. Paul challenged him to focus on the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and then the deputy believed. We also cannot let circumstances or the affairs of this world keep us from doing our service to God in the body Ourselves — We often are the greatest hindrance to staying focused and avoiding distractions. We allow our thoughts and ways we "think things should be" to keep us from seeing how God is working to handle the situation. Ways to avoid distractions and to stay focused are: Pray — and pray frequently throughout the day. Be ready to ask God for help in every situation, including how to stay focused on what He would have you to do. Study The Bible — When we are feeding our minds on God’s Word, He will help us to stay focused. We must remember the hunger we had when we first learned God’s Word and study to show ourselves approved unto God. Forgive — If we do not forgive those who may be distracting us from God’s Word, we cannot stay focused in prayer and study. There will always be times in our lives when we get off track but we must remember — God is there to help us stay focused and avoid distractions.