The Power To Change - Week 3

Welcome! Church Online is a community of people all over the experiencing God and connecting with one another like never before in history. Introduce yourself in the chat and let us know where you're from! Get Connected Check us out on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram Find a Small Group www.southpoint4u.com/groups Find out more at www.southpoint4u.com Notes: How do I become the “me” I want to be? National Quitters Day: Lasting life-change needs more than motivation and willpower External motivation, also known as extrinsic motivation, has limited ability because it often only provides temporary results, can diminish intrinsic motivation (the desire to do something for its own sake), and may not lead to sustained long-term engagement or quality performance, especially when compared to internal motivation driven by personal interest or values. - GOOGLE External motivation cannot do what only internal inspiration can. News about Jesus kept spreading. Large crowds came to listen to him teach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. - Luke 5:15-16 Prayer (communication) is not a religious obligation; it’s a relational necessity! “And when you pray…” - Not for public show - It’s personal and private - Be real – not religious - Matthew 6:5-7 “Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who seeks will find. And the door will be opened for everyone who knocks.” - Matthew 7:7-11 “Would any of you give your hungry child a stone, if the child asked for some bread? Would you give your child a snake if the child asked for a fish?” - Matthew 7:7-11 “As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” - Matthew 7:7-11 Prayer is the relational connection where our busted heart meets the perfect heart of Father God, which alters how we see, think, and act. The study also found that social contagion was strongest among close friends. When our friends engage in certain behaviors or adopt particular attitudes, we are more likely to do the same. This is because we are more likely to trust and emulate the behavior of those closest to us. - Harvard / UC San Diego Study We often think that self-control comes from within, yet many of our actions depend just as much on our friends and family as ourselves. Those we surround ourselves with have the power to make us fatter, drink more alcohol, care less about the environment and be more risky with sun protection, among many things. - BBC article 5/24 Prayer Reconnects Us Prayer Reestablishes Us Prayer Releases Us Prayer Reimagines Us Regular prayer relationally connects us to our Heavenly Father. Being connected to God inspires meaningful and lasting life-change. ACTS: Adoration Confession Thanksgiving Supplication