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WEEK 2 – Encourage

1. See it how God sees it 2. The power of your tongue 3. Characteristics of encouragement 4. You are a vessel of God’s

encouragement

1. See it how God sees it

• As human beings we can very naturally fall into the pattern of complaining and finding fault with

things and people – judging, criticising and throwing uninvited opinions.

Proverbs 10:11 (MSG) The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well, but the mouth of the wicked is a

dark cave of abuse.

• Discuss the difference between a “cave” and a “deep well”.

• Read Judges 6:11-14.

� Discuss how God saw Gideon.

� Why would God see Gideon in that way?

� If we were to take the same approach on everyday living, how would that look like?

What’s stopping us from doing it?

2. The power of your tongue

• In Judges 6:11-14, how did God encourage Gideon? Discuss.

Proverbs 18:21 (NIV)

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

• The words that we speak can either:

1. Create life & build & encourage; or it can

2. Kill & destroy & pull down & discourage.

• God delights in encouraging us through His word … and even more … He delights in using us as

vessels of His encouragement.

• At C3 Church Townsville we embrace an encouraging culture and we are committed to creating

encouraging atmospheres.

“Encouragement is the communication of God’s truth

in ways that empowers others in faith, hope and love” Ps Jorge El-Khouri – C3 Church Townsville

• Encouragement empowers people to:

1. Succeed;

2. Overcome problems; and

3. Achieve goals.

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3. Characteristics of encouragement

• Here are four distinctive characteristics of encouragement that empowers:

1. Encouragement affirms identity and value.

Judges 6:12 (NKJV)

And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty

man of valor!”

� God re-affirms Gideon who he is – “mighty man of valor”

� God speaks to Gideons’ potential, not his feelings nor his shortcomings. Discuss how this

can be practiced on a daily basis.

• Read John 1:41-42

� Discuss how Jesus affirmed identity in Peter.

• Our identity is in God (not the world).

2. Encouragement points people towards their dreams and help them see that it is possible to

achieve them.

Judges 6:14 (NKJV)

Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from

the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”

� Although this may have been a scary thought for Gideon, God’s encouragement empowered him to

see the dream and take steps towards it.

“The path to your dreams is full of scary steps of faith.” Ps Jorge El-Khouri – C3 Church Townsville

• We all have dreams. We all aspire to something greater than what or where we are. God puts those

dreams in our hearts.

Psalm 37:4

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

• Be committed to encourage people in ways where they are empowered to see their dream and believe

they can take steps to accomplish it.

• This is the will of God – it brings glory to His name in the lives of people.

3. Encouragement compels us to go the extra mile.

Judges 6:16 (NKJV)

And the LORD said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one

man.”

• Without encouragement people can easily stop short of their best and give up.

• But with encouragement they are empowered to go the extra mile.

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Philippians 3:12-14 (NKJV) Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of

that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have

apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward

to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in

Christ Jesus.

“In every area of our lives –

marriage, relationships, finances, career, and health – success is always in the extra mile.” Ps Jorge El-Khouri – C3 Townsville

4. Encouragement lifts us out of our discouragement & disappointments.

• Gideon was full of discouragement. He had lost all hope and he was very disappointed with life.

Judges 6:13, 15 (NLT)

“Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? ... “But

Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole

tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!”

� How did God answer Gideon’s question (verse 13)?

� How did God address Gideon’s low self esteem (verse 15)

Proverbs 13:12 (NKJV)

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

� God established hope in Gideon because God is the God of hope.

� Hope brings with it a desire to live and to accomplish our dreams.

Psalm 30:11 (NLT)

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes

of mourning and clothed me with joy,

� We live in a world full of discouragement and disappointments. But what a privilege it is to be

conduits of God’s hope – in the lives of people, in their relationships, in marriages, in health, re-

igniting dreams and aspirations.

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4. You are a vessel of God’s encouragement • Here are three simple tips to help us become more effective vessels for God to encourage and

empower people in our world.

1. Know God’s word – so you can use it effectively

• It’s not our cleverness that empowers people. It’s the power of God’s word.

• Let it overflow from our lives and lets learn how to use it effectively in the context of the

generation and culture we are trying to touch.

• This requires spending time with God, in His word and in prayer.

Romans 15:4 (NLT)

Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the

Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s

promises to be fulfilled.

2. Be a good listener.

• God gave us two ears and only one mouth.

• Listen to people talk about their lives. Ask them questions. A simple strategy to ask

questions is the F.O.R.M. – family, occupation, recreation, motivation.

• Then listen, listen, listen. It’s a time to hear how great they are, not to tell them how

great we are.

Job 21:1-2 (NLT)

Then Job spoke again: “Listen closely to what I am saying. That’s one

consolation you can give me.

• Listening demonstrates genuineness on our part, shows that we are interested in their

story, they feel a sense of greater importance and we can be more effective.

3. Make it a deliberate goal when you meet people.

• Be a carrier of encouragement wherever you go.

• In church, be deliberate about promoting add and enhance an encouraging atmosphere.

Hebrews 10:25 (The Message)

So let's do it—full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and

out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always

keeps his word. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love

and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring

each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.

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5. What are some of the things we value at C3 Church? • The culture that we nurture has a direct influence in what we value.

Every week in DNA culture we will look at some of the things that we value at C3 Church.

1. Church twice on Sunday (in future when doing multiple services).

o Once to serve and once to be fed. If you are only being fed you get fat. If you are only

serving you can become burnt out.

Hebrews 10:24 -25

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some,

but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day

approaching.

2. Serving in an area of church (C3 Kids, First Impression, Worship & Multimedia, etc)

Psalm 110:3

Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power;

In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning,

You have the dew of your youth.

3. Responding to the preaching of the word

o Be excited at the offering.

o Sit as close as possible to the front rows with open Bible and a notepad.

o Respond to the message in agreement – “Yes”, “Come on”

o Be passionate for the House of God.

Nehemiah 8:5

And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing

above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.

4. Spirit of encouragement: directly and indirectly.

Ephesians 4:29 – 32

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary

edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy

Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all

bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with

all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another,

even as God in Christ forgave you.

Hebrews 3:13

But exhort one another daily, while it is called “today,” lest any of you be

hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.