Dave Rains: Dr. Jim has laid a really good foundation for us on what 0/100 looks like.

And as Brother Bosley mentioned before he dismissed these different sessions, workshops, Now that we have this opportunity now to look at a couple of these different specific areas where we can apply that life of zero self, 100% dependence on God and see impossibilities come to pass. And I believe at home, it’s definitely an important session and I’ll explain why here as we begin.

So, home is a testing ground for a 0-100 life. And if you can’t live 0-100 consistently at home, you’re likely to fail at living 0-100 consistently in any other area of the Christian life.

Every teen who struggles with some area of weakness is going to find a root problem in his home. Here’s an example.

If you get caught many times hanging out with the wrong kind of friends and you’re constantly being warned by your parents or a youth director or somebody in your life and saying, hey, be careful, those aren’t maybe the best friends. Or maybe you find yourself being instructed, hey, you’re flirting too much with the opposite gender.

Do you know what that reveals? It likely reveals that there’s an issue, an insecure and improper relationship at home with a mom and a dad.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how impossible is it for you to live the Christian life at home?

you think about that for a moment every home will have a different rating obviously because some homes are marked by the consequences of sin more than other homes are I’m thankful for the home that I grew up in my dad was a deacon at McGonagall Baptist Church and was there all of my life and I’m thankful for a mom and dad who consistently taught me the truth of God’s word so I would have to say that I had a very good

home very thankful for and not a home that’s full of arguing by mom and dad and fighting and or drunkenness or unsaved parents and things like that.

So I praise the Lord for my home, but each one of you, I understand, come from a different home. And to each one of you, it might seem more impossible than it does to your neighbor to live for God.

So here’s an example.

A divorced home situation is typically harder than a home with a mom and dad who is serving God in the ministry. the problem in any home situation really is still the same regardless of what home you live in because whether you’re in a good home or what you might consider a hard home to live for God you have to still make a choice to step out of the boat and live for God and it might be in a different way in

different areas so we’ll talk about some of those a lot of times the honestly the problem is you live in dependence on yourself rather than God.

And that’s what creates a problem. Kids in a good home sometimes just do what they’re supposed to do because they know it’s the right thing, but they fail in exercising faith and boldness to step out of the boat and live for God in a powerful, impacting way.

And on the other hand, a kid who’s growing up at home where it feels difficult and impossible, he’s thinking either I’m just going to give up or he’s going to make that choice of faith and exercise 0/100, living with God’s grace in his life and able to then accomplish the impossible. So I want us to here go through a short progression that kind of lays a foundation of what it is to live 0/100 at home.

And first of all, God desires for every home to fear him, to keep all his commandments always, that it might be well with them and with their children forever. Deuteronomy 5 and verse 29 tells us that truth.

It says, Not every home is perfect. Right?

In fact, no home is perfect. Do you find your home or do you find your friend’s home or anybody’s home to be that which has a heart in them, the parents, the children, everybody that they fear God, keep his commandments always?

No, nobody’s perfect, right? But here we have a standard.

Here’s a foundation for us to build our homes upon. So God set a standard.

Fear him always. Make that your heart and keep his commandments always.

Now, as we discussed earlier, every home is different. when compared to God’s standard of fearing Him, keeping all of His commandments always.

As a result, some homes are easier, you might say, in human wisdom, to live the Christian life than another home would be.

Again, here’s the example. In a divorced home situation, it’s more difficult.

Kids are living between mom and dad, going back and forth. You might have a saved or an unsaved home situation.

One of your parents is saved, the other one’s not saved. Or maybe you’re in a divorced home situation.

Your mom’s saved, but your dad’s unsaved. And so when you go to see dad, there’s all kinds of alcohol and partying, and there’s all kinds of wicked lifestyle going on that you, because a Christian, you know those things are wrong, but your dad’s not saved.

And so it creates conflict and difficulties, challenges, and as you might consider, impossibilities. I can’t live for God.

This is too hard. so then thirdly here i want us to see that the bible never gives any excuse to live less than god’s standard for the christian life so whether you’re in a home where it seems impossible or whether you’re in a home where you have godly parents they’re serving god maybe they’re in the ministry your dad’s a pastor maybe he’s a deacon your mom and dad are disciple makers doesn’t matter what kind of a home that you live in

God’s standard is still the same.

The amazing thing is that God is big enough to help in any situation. And this is really the main point that I’m wanting us to get.

We’re laying a foundation. God has given us his commands of what a home should look like, to fear him and keep his commandments always.

And I understand. And as you’re sitting there thinking, you realize that’s not every home.

That’s not my home, maybe you’re thinking. And that’s the point.

Every home is different. But the number one thing you need to realize is that God is able to give grace and enable you to do what you need to do to live victorious at home.

So the Bible doesn’t give you an excuse because God provides grace sufficient to meet every single need. Remember what Paul said, my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

Of course, Paul wrote that Jesus is speaking this. Paul recognized and understood God’s grace is there no matter what situation I’m going through.

And this is a promise that I want to challenge you. You might be living in a home where you think, I can’t live for God.

This is impossible. Am I failing all the time?

I’m constantly struggling in these areas. And we’ll talk about some of these areas you might be struggling.

But recognize that God’s grace is sufficient. Who promised that?

God promises that. Jesus said, my grace is sufficient.

So no matter what area of impossibility you face, you need to recognize, hey, I can praise God because I can’t do this. This is impossible.

That’s exactly what you need to look at and see from that perspective and recognize in an impossible situation, I can praise God because I can’t do it anyways.

God’s grace is there to help me. and so you need to take that promise you need to write that verse down make sure if you’re living in a home where this is impossible you need to recognize God’s grace is sufficient and I must depend on God’s grace also Romans 5 and verse 12 tells us that where sin abounds grace much more abounds you might be living in a home where sin abounds you know God’s grace is sufficient to help you where

sin abounds grace much more abounds The devil can’t outdo God, can he?

We all know that. But yet sometimes we get trapped in this, ah, this is impossible, and so we give up.

We stop trying to live the Christian life. And you know what?

That’s honestly what you need to do is stop trying and recognize that God’s grace is sufficient. I don’t have to live in failure and defeat.

I can look to God with my eyes fixed on Jesus, claiming this promise, God’s grace is sufficient. And even though I’m weak, that’s good.

That’s where you need to be. God is strong.

So God provides grace sufficient to meet every single need. Look in 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 13 if you have your Bibles.

This is a very helpful verse that helps us understand a little bit more of this truth. We just quoted a couple verses here about God’s grace, and those verses are great promises that you need to claim.

You might also consider writing down 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 13 and recognize at home and really anywhere in life, this is a verse that I need to consider and claim for my life. There is no temptation taking you, but such as is common to man.

God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape. that you may be able to bear it.

Do you know God is omniscient and he knows everything about your life?

And do you think your home is hard? You think your home is too difficult?

You know what? God is saying my grace is sufficient.

I can provide a way of escape. But if you’re not looking to God, if you’re looking at yourself and you’re looking at how you can accomplish this, are you going to be able to win?

No. Are you going to be able to find the way of escape?

No, you can’t do it. But the moment you put your eyes on Jesus and you recognize every temptation, everything that I face in my life, every situation at home that’s difficult, too difficult for me, I can recognize God has provided a way of escape for me.

I don’t have to fight. I don’t have to argue.

I don’t have to build up barriers between my mom and my dad and myself and my siblings. I can have victory in home because God’s grace is sufficient and God provides a way of escape.

So regardless of where your home rates on God’s standard, remember God’s standard is to fear him. Oh, that there was such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all of my commandments always.

So regardless of where your home rates on God’s standard, what area do you need God’s grace? to take the way of escape.

And what’s the biggest area of struggle, the biggest impossibility that you face? Take a moment, think about that.

Where do I struggle the most at home? Maybe that’s a good thing to write down.

Sometimes it’s helpful to just be honest and put something right down on that paper and it helps you be honest with yourself. I do struggle in this area.

I find myself doing this, and I’ll list a few things here and talk about them. Just a moment.

So what are those impossibilities and big struggles that you face at home? Whether you’re in a good home, you’re still facing impossibilities.

You fail in some areas of your life. Or maybe you’re in that home that’s got a divorced home situation.

Mom’s not saved or dad’s not saved. And my parents don’t go to church.

I just go on my own. Hey, that’s great.

But what impossibilities, what struggles are you facing? I have four different categories here, and I think these four categories cover a lot of what you might be struggling with and be facing as an impossibility in your home.

And I want to briefly touch on these things. But first of all, I think the main thing that I wanted to get across to you here today is that you need to recognize the impossibilities that you’re facing aren’t too hard for God.

God already knows what you’re facing and what you’re going through. He already has a way of escape provided.

But you’re going to have to learn to look to God and to trust Him and to take that way of escape. You’re going to have to get out of the boat, walk on water.

Maybe you’re thinking here, this could be any home again, whether it’s a good home or a tough home, the situation that you’re living in. And you’re thinking here, you know what, my devotions, my time with God at homes, pretty much nothing.

Or maybe you are doing it, but it’s pretty much not getting you anywhere and you’re realizing, how am I supposed to meet with God? I’m failing, I’m struggling in my relationship with God.

Remember, God’s standard is, oh, that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me. Keep all of my commandments always.

If you’re not in God’s word, you’re not going to know God’s commandments. If you’re not in God’s word, you’re not going to have a heart that fears God.

you’re not going to have a heart that has a good relationship with God.

This is really the foundation for a Christian life. If you’re not meeting with God, how can you expect to live 0-100 when you’re out soulening?

How can you expect to live 0-100 when you’re at school? In any scenario, any situation, if you’re not meeting with God and you haven’t started with the proper foundation of a good relationship with God, you don’t even know God.

So how can you look to God? How can you believe that His grace is sufficient?

That’s honestly one of the number one things that you and your home need to get settled in your heart. You need to start right now.

You need to be reading through the Bible. You need to be spending significant time in God with prayer.

And we had a great session with Pastor Ben Geldman here earlier today, this morning, teaching us how to pray, to read our Bible, to spend time with God. Take that.

Learn from it. I’m going to give you a couple names.

from the Bible.

I want you to… What do you think of when I tell you the name David?

Think of the character David in the Bible. Can you raise your hand?

Give me a couple things that come to your mind. Yes?

Okay, good. Okay, good.

He was a king. Yes, ma’am.

Okay. He was a warrior.

A warrior? Sin and confession.

Good. One more.

Defeated a giant. All right.

Good. So we touched on a lot of the good things here in David’s life.

Maybe one of the things, and as Brother Sam there mentioned, sin. What sin comes to your mind?

We all remember David committed adultery with Bathsheba, didn’t he? A major sin, big flaring problem.

Then it also led to murder. That’s pretty bad, isn’t it?

But then we also think of King David as a man after God’s own heart. How can David be a man after God’s own heart?

How can God say this about a murderer and an adulterer? Read the book of Psalms.

Do you think David had a relationship with God? Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

And then you come to Psalm chapter 23, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. As you read the book of Psalms, you realize David had a wonderful relationship with God.

Many people quote, he’s the sweet psalmist. He had a special relationship with God and knew how to worship God, how to pray and talk to God, depend on God.

And when he sinned, he knew how to confess and get right back with God. David had a relationship with God.

He knew how to meet with God. And that marked his life.

Does it mark your life? Do you know how to meet with God?

Do you know how to take time at home to discipline your life? To depend on God to meet with him?

That’s what it takes. You need to depend on God.

You need to get to know God. How about Moses?

Moses grew up in a pretty rough home situation. He was pulled away from his parents.

And if he hadn’t been, he probably would have been killed. Of course, he wouldn’t have really known it at that age.

But then where did he go? One of the most worldly places you could ever live in the king’s palace.

A wicked place. How is it that Moses turned out to be a man of God?

He knew how to meet with God. He knew how to hear God’s voice, step out of the boat, and trust God.

You’re going to have to do the same. God wants to use you to do the same, to do impossible things.

That was impossible in that home situation. But Moses trusted God and knew how to meet with God.

How about Abraham? Did Abraham know how to meet with God?

What about the rest of his family? What kind of choices did they make?

You think of Lot, remember Lot? Abraham decided, I’m going to put my faith in God.

I’m going to trust God. And God took him to places that were impossible.

But Abraham knew how to trust God. He had met with God.

God was real to him. And that made a difference in his life.

It marked his life. Abraham knew how to fear God and to keep his commandments.

Certainly there was failures, just like in your home. No home is perfect.

But if you want to meet with God, if you want to step out of the boat and live 0-100 at home, you’re going to have to meet with God. Maybe you say, I’ve got bad character.

Maybe that’s your struggle. I’m lazy.

You’re selfish. You don’t really think about others at home.

Constantly finding yourself fighting, frustrated, conflict with siblings, with your parents. Maybe you don’t have a servant’s heart and servant’s attitude.

Can I challenge you here with something? Let’s take our Bibles and look at 1 Samuel chapter 20.

1 Samuel 20, verse 38, the Bible says, And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not.

Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows and came to his master. You know what story we’re in the middle of here?

David’s out hiding in the field because King Saul wants to kill David. And Jonathan, David’s closest friend, says, tomorrow I’m going to tell you what the king says.

And by the way I shoot these arrows and tell my armor bearer what to do, you’re going to know if you can come back and everything’s fine or if you need to run and flee. So why are we looking at this verse?

Verse 39 also says that the lad didn’t know anything. Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed haste, stay not.

And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows and came to his master. What if the lad asked Jonathan why?

What if he stomped into the field with a bad attitude? I don’t want to do this.

I’m not following you anymore. do you ever ask your parents why do you ever stomp your feet say I’m not doing that I’ve got a bad attitude and I’m going to show it to you I’m going to stomp my feet what if the lad got distracted found a snake out in the field and starts pursuing and playing with that do you think he’s going to be an armor bearer for very long for the prince no Do you think maybe this armor

bearer learned some good character at home before he got onto the battlefield, before he became the armor bearer for a prince?

What kind of a vision, what kind of a life do you have in front of you? Do you want to be used by God in a powerful way?

You’re going to have to learn some things at home first. You’re going to have to step out of the boat.

You’re going to have to build up some character in your life. What if the lad only got two of the arrows and just left the other one out in the field?

Have you ever done that before? You just do half the job?

How well does that go with your instruction that your parents are giving to you? What if the lad made excuses and said, I can’t get those arrows.

I can’t find it. I’m just going to quit.

I’m done. I’m giving up.

Do you ever give excuses at home? What if the lad yelled back and said, no, you go do it yourself?

You ever done that before? Mom or dad gives you instruction and you say, no, you do it yourself.

I’m not doing that. What kind of a character do you have?

Maybe that’s your struggle and you’re going to have to learn to step out of the boat. God, I need your help.

I often respond to my parents wrong. I’m giving excuses.

I’ve always got to know why. I don’t like what they’re telling me to do.

And you’re going to have to step out of the boat and recognize it doesn’t matter what I think or what I want. if I want to be used of God I’m going to have to learn to trust God God I need your grace to overcome this problem in my life maybe the lad could have said hey just a minute when you’re out in the battlefield Jonathan doesn’t have time for just a minute and if you’re going to serve God and be

used of God God doesn’t have time for just a minute you’ve got to learn now build your character trust God and accept God’s grace to do what God and what your parents want you to do now.

You don’t have to know why. This armor bearer didn’t even know why.

He didn’t know what was going on. But he had learned to build character in his life, to be obedient, to respond immediately.

And I can guarantee he learned that at home.

No one’s used of God by someone else out in the workplace or at church if they haven’t first learned how to do it at home. so maybe your devotions are a struggle maybe you’re facing that impossibility maybe your character is bad and you’re selfish you’re lazy you don’t have a servant’s heart maybe that’s what you’re facing as an impossibility maybe it’s stuff hidden from your parents you know you can’t be right with God and live 0/100 when you’re not right with

your parents when you’re doing things that you know your parents don’t want you to do.

Maybe it’s something you’re looking at. Maybe it’s something you’re watching.

Maybe it’s a book you’re reading. I don’t know what it is, but if there’s something hidden in your life that you know mom and dad don’t want you to do it, or you know, even though your parents are unsaved, so they might not care, you know God doesn’t want you to do it.

You’re hiding things. How are you going to live 0-100 at school, at church, among your friends, on your phone, if you haven’t learned how to live 0/100 right here with mom and dad.

You’re going to have to take a step of faith, step out of the boat, and communicate with your parents. You’ve got to be open and honest.

This takes God’s grace to step out of the boat, to go out of the comfort zone. Peter stepped out of the boat.

That wasn’t very comfortable, I don’t think. None of us even try to step out of the boat and walk on water because that’s not natural, right?

So to step out of the boat, to go talk to your parents, trust me, I’ve been there before. I’ve had to step out of the boat and go talk to mom or dad and confess, apologize.

I’ve had to do that with my wife. It’s not easy.

But you know, he that covereth his sins shall not prosper. But the next part of the verse is, he that forsaketh them shall have mercy.

You want God’s mercy? You want God’s grace?

You’re going to have to step out of the boat. You’ve got to be open and honest.

Lastly here, I want us to also consider anger, frustration. Maybe you’re an arguer at home.

Maybe you’ve got a temper. Maybe you find yourself fighting, blowing up and yelling.

You’ve got a spirit of rebellion at home. And you want to live 0-100 at school or in any other area of your life?

It’s not going to happen. If you’re not living 0/100 at home, how do you think you can do it anywhere else?

This is where it all starts. If you’ve got a problem with these anger, frustration, you know what, it probably is leading to an area of pride inside your life.

Can you look at Proverbs with me for just a moment? Proverbs chapter 13 is what we’ll…

Begin there, Proverbs 13 and verse 10. Familiar verse, Only by pride cometh contention.

Contention shows there’s conflict. Arguing shows conflict.

Fighting shows conflict. Blowing up and yelling at people.

Rebellion, frustration, and arguing. All these show conflict.

You can’t do that just with yourself. You have to have someone else that you’re in conflict with.

And when you find yourself in conflict and arguing and fighting, you know what reveals? Pride.

I’m right. No, you’re wrong.

I’m right. Mom, you’re wrong.

I’m right. Dad, I’m going to do what I want to do.

You’re going to have to step out of the boat and begin to confess that. Look to God.

God’s grace is sufficient. You find yourself in these problems and struggling with these impossibilities.

Hey, at least you’re recognizing it’s impossible. That’s where it begins.

Now you need to take God’s grace. Proverbs 15 and verse 1 says that a soft answer turneth away wrath, and grievous words stir up anger.

You find yourself angry and frustrated and arguing and fighting. You know what?

There’s pride that’s happening. A soft answer turneth away wrath.

Proverbs 8 and verse 13. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil.

Pride and arrogancy and the evil way in the froward mouth do I hate. There it all ties together.

You find yourself arguing and fighting, blowing up, yelling. It’s because there’s pride in the middle of all that.

And you’re not willing to give it up. You need to give up of yourself.

Die to self. Take a step of faith and believe God.

Trust Him. Do you know why you’re not 0-100 consistently in other areas of your life?

because who you are at home is the real you. You might see glimpses of zero self and 100% dependence on God in other areas, maybe soul winning.

You might see glimpses of that in your life. But living this way consistently at home is a true foundation to living zero and 100 at school, at church, with the gospel, with your parents, with your phone, with technology.

you’re going to have to learn to live zero self, 100% dependence on God right now in your home every single day.