WEBVTT 00:04.620 --> 00:13.554 [SPEAKER_00]: In today's first 15, we're continuing our series of taking hold of God's promises by looking at his promise of strength. 00:14.956 --> 00:18.281 [SPEAKER_00]: Every day I wake up, I'm reminded of my weakness. 00:19.408 --> 00:29.390 [SPEAKER_00]: No human has ever lived a perfect day, but the goodness of this promise lies in that God promises his strength when we are weak. 00:30.471 --> 00:37.272 [SPEAKER_00]: In his grace, you and I can live with the real, meaningful and powerful strength of our God. 00:38.492 --> 00:40.833 [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the first 15-potcast. 01:03.078 --> 01:03.701 [UNKNOWN]: Thank you. 01:09.912 --> 01:20.495 [SPEAKER_00]: Our Scripture for today comes from Isaiah 41, verse 10, Scripture says, fear not for I am with you. 01:21.375 --> 01:24.476 [SPEAKER_00]: Be not dismayed for I am your God. 01:25.316 --> 01:26.536 [SPEAKER_00]: I will strengthen you. 01:27.316 --> 01:28.157 [SPEAKER_00]: I will help you. 01:29.077 --> 01:32.098 [SPEAKER_00]: I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 01:35.927 --> 01:47.018 [SPEAKER_00]: Creator God in His infinite wisdom and love chose to create mankind, knowing full well that we would choose our ways over His. 01:48.780 --> 01:53.505 [SPEAKER_00]: We're made with a terrible capacity to live out of our own strength. 01:55.090 --> 02:07.594 [SPEAKER_00]: As a result, we see in both the Scripture and our own lives in credible failures, examples of our collective weakness played out before our very eyes. 02:09.155 --> 02:12.416 [SPEAKER_00]: We see it in the declining morality of society. 02:13.596 --> 02:19.518 [SPEAKER_00]: We see it in the very lives of those around us that just can't seem to get it together. 02:21.307 --> 02:26.075 [SPEAKER_00]: Weakness seems to be threaded into the very fabric of our world. 02:27.398 --> 02:31.525 [SPEAKER_00]: The world is plagued by the weakness of those who inhabit it. 02:34.062 --> 02:40.144 [SPEAKER_00]: But the Bible also contains incredible stories of the victories of God's people. 02:41.325 --> 02:57.351 [SPEAKER_00]: The list goes on and on, Moses and the Egyptians, David and Goliath, Samson and the Philistines and the early church spreading the gospel across the world despite insurmountable odds. 02:58.983 --> 03:06.650 [SPEAKER_00]: and all along with all the stories of victory, scripture also contains many stories of failure. 03:07.992 --> 03:09.813 [SPEAKER_00]: So what made the difference? 03:11.155 --> 03:16.400 [SPEAKER_00]: What separates the stories of success from the stories of failure? 03:18.101 --> 03:23.707 [SPEAKER_00]: The difference is found in the people of God allowing God to be their strength. 03:25.155 --> 03:31.397 [SPEAKER_00]: Success in Scripture came solely when God was made strong in man's weakness. 03:33.557 --> 03:48.802 [SPEAKER_00]: Psalm 103 verses 13 and 14 says, as a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him, for He knows our frame. 03:49.522 --> 03:51.743 [SPEAKER_00]: He remembers that we are dust. 03:54.646 --> 03:55.809 [SPEAKER_00]: God created us. 03:56.831 --> 03:58.375 [SPEAKER_00]: He knows our weakness. 03:59.458 --> 04:03.047 [SPEAKER_00]: He knows that apart from him we can do nothing. 04:04.657 --> 04:10.581 [SPEAKER_00]: But the beauty of the Gospel is that as believers, we are no longer apart from Him. 04:12.022 --> 04:16.104 [SPEAKER_00]: Through the death of Jesus, we are now one with Christ. 04:17.125 --> 04:19.767 [SPEAKER_00]: Rapt up in His story of redemption. 04:21.207 --> 04:26.431 [SPEAKER_00]: We have been saved from having to do life on our own in our own strength. 04:28.282 --> 04:36.429 [SPEAKER_00]: Your heavenly Father says to you today, in Isaiah 41, 10, fear not for I am with you. 04:37.530 --> 04:40.813 [SPEAKER_00]: Be not dismayed for I am your God. 04:41.874 --> 04:43.276 [SPEAKER_00]: I will strengthen you. 04:44.096 --> 04:45.257 [SPEAKER_00]: I will help you. 04:46.338 --> 04:49.801 [SPEAKER_00]: I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 04:53.516 --> 04:59.324 [SPEAKER_00]: Your God is the same God of David, Samson, Paul, and John. 05:00.365 --> 05:06.934 [SPEAKER_00]: The success that they had was the direct result of their choosing God's strength over their own. 05:08.690 --> 05:18.874 [SPEAKER_00]: Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 129, but he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 05:20.095 --> 05:28.859 [SPEAKER_00]: Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 05:31.560 --> 05:38.704 [SPEAKER_00]: Paul chose to boast of his weakness, because he knew of the steadfast strength of God in his own life. 05:40.025 --> 05:44.388 [SPEAKER_00]: He knew that his success was solely by the strength of God. 05:46.294 --> 05:49.915 [SPEAKER_00]: Your Heavenly Father promises His strength to you today. 05:51.275 --> 05:55.036 [SPEAKER_00]: Just as He worked to help Paul spread the gospel. 05:55.656 --> 05:59.256 [SPEAKER_00]: Just as He helped David slay the giant Goliath. 06:00.296 --> 06:04.317 [SPEAKER_00]: He desires to help you today in whatever lies ahead. 06:06.057 --> 06:14.299 [SPEAKER_00]: acknowledge Your weakness, but at the same time, hold fast to the knowledge of the incredible strength of your Heavenly Father. 06:16.342 --> 06:22.451 [SPEAKER_00]: Deuteronomy 31 success, he will not leave you, or forsake you. 06:24.053 --> 06:27.138 [SPEAKER_00]: The strength of God is always with you. 06:28.340 --> 06:32.145 [SPEAKER_00]: All you have to do is choose his ways over your own. 06:33.842 --> 06:46.517 [SPEAKER_00]: live in light of the revelation of your own weakness and God's strength, and you will experience the power of the Creator of the Universe, working directly in your own life. 06:48.533 --> 06:50.093 [SPEAKER_00]: Where do you need God's strength? 06:51.314 --> 06:55.275 [SPEAKER_00]: What area of your life seems to be plagued by weakness? 06:57.055 --> 07:05.258 [SPEAKER_00]: Ask God to work in your life and experience the fruit of co-laboring with your heavenly father today. 07:35.113 --> 07:38.756 [SPEAKER_00]: As we begin, reflect on your own weakness. 07:40.197 --> 07:44.659 [SPEAKER_00]: What situations in your life seem to be without the strength of God? 07:46.541 --> 07:48.022 [SPEAKER_00]: Psalm 103 verses 13 and 14 says, 07:50.792 --> 07:57.915 [SPEAKER_00]: As a father shows compassion to his children, till the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. 07:58.795 --> 08:03.637 [SPEAKER_00]: For he knows our frame, he remembers that we are dust. 08:44.849 --> 08:50.651 [SPEAKER_00]: And next, meditate on God's desire to be strong in your weakness. 08:52.106 --> 08:59.089 [SPEAKER_00]: think about stories of people in the Bible who did incredible things solely by the strength of God. 09:00.930 --> 09:09.413 [SPEAKER_00]: Second Corinthians chapter 12 verse 9 says, but he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you. 09:10.413 --> 09:13.655 [SPEAKER_00]: For my power is made perfect in weakness. 09:15.028 --> 09:23.490 [SPEAKER_00]: Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10:04.821 --> 10:09.725 [SPEAKER_00]: And last, ask God to be strong in your weakness today. 10:11.089 --> 10:17.151 [SPEAKER_00]: Ask the Spirit to guide you and work in any and every situation you find yourself in. 10:18.551 --> 10:27.314 [SPEAKER_00]: Ask him to guide your words, actions, mindset and emotions that you might live entirely in his strength. 10:29.174 --> 10:31.195 [SPEAKER_00]: Isaiah 41 verse 10 says, 10:40.551 --> 10:41.793 [SPEAKER_00]: I will strengthen you. 10:42.895 --> 10:43.897 [SPEAKER_00]: I will help you. 10:45.039 --> 10:48.365 [SPEAKER_00]: I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 11:31.058 --> 11:37.340 [SPEAKER_00]: How incredible is the heart of God that He would choose to share with us His own strength. 11:38.900 --> 11:46.043 [SPEAKER_00]: Your God cares for you so deeply, that He desires to work closely and effectively in your life. 11:47.423 --> 11:50.264 [SPEAKER_00]: The very strength that formed the mountains, 11:58.388 --> 12:01.772 [SPEAKER_00]: Rest in God's promise that He is not distant. 12:03.014 --> 12:06.819 [SPEAKER_00]: You have a strong God who loves you and is for you. 12:08.401 --> 12:15.670 [SPEAKER_00]: Live today experiencing the peace and power of God's strength, make strong and your weakness. 12:32.685 --> 12:35.167 [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks so much for listening to today's podcast. 12:35.747 --> 12:37.669 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Josh Miller with First15. 12:38.629 --> 12:43.173 [SPEAKER_00]: We'd love to hear how First15 is making an impact in your life. 12:43.933 --> 12:51.239 [SPEAKER_00]: You can let us know by leaving a rating or a review or by sending us an email at podcast at First15.org. 12:52.940 --> 12:57.707 [SPEAKER_00]: and if you haven't already, make sure to follow the podcast so you won't miss an episode. 12:58.648 --> 13:03.254 [SPEAKER_00]: Have a wonderful rest of your day today and may God bless you as you see Kim.