Slides for Susan's talk at Blazing Fire Church. The podcast can be found at http://blazingfire.podbean.com/ Susan pulls from the Bible and her own stories to share life-giving perspectives about our walk with Jesus.

1. Becoming
So Heavenly Minded
We become Earthly Good
Pastor Susan Fochler!
November 29, 2014

2. Becoming so Heavenly Minded
we become Earthly Good

3. Maintaining our Focus on Heavenly
things is an ongoing choice
It can feel like a battle
You may have to
contend
It may not come
automatically
Our Drive-through,
immediate gratification
world contradicts this
reality

4. This Tension of being between
Heaven and earth:
IS: Being honest about your struggle and pain,
while believing Gods goodness and grace is at work
for you
IS NOT: Denying
you have fears,
doubts, frustrations,
anger.
Real Faith allows
room for Real
Feelings.

5. We became a New Creation in an
Instant
We Mature into Christlikeness over a lifetime
We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that
the surpassing power
belongs to God and
not to us. 2 Cor 4:7
Your job is to steward
the wonderful new
you God has given
you!

6. We have already been Re-created, !
Perfect and New
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new
creation; old things have passed away; behold, all
things have become new. 2 Cor 5:17 NKJV
Now we look inside, and what we see is that
anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is
created new. The old life is gone; a new one
burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God
who settled the relationship between us and Him,
and then called us to settle our relationships with
each other. 2Cor 5:17,18 MSG

7. Pollyanna Dream
Pollyanna: To be absurdly optimistic and good-hearted,
believing in a good world where
everything works out for the best all the time.
Being God-fearing and on a higher moral ground.
I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the
power of God for salvation for everyone who
believes...For in it the righteousness of God is
revealed from faith for faith to faith; as it is
written, “The just shall lived by faith.” Romans
1:16 NKJV

8. You’ll do best by filling your minds and
meditating on these things:
True, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling,
gracious; the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not
the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put
into practice what you learned from me (Paul),
what you heard and saw and realized. Do that,
and God, who makes everything work together,
will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
Phil. 4:8,9 MSG

9. The War is Over, and We have Won!
But the enemy has refused to acknowledge defeat,
and there will continue to be skirmishes that we
must engage in for the rest of our lives.

10. Saul: God’s first choice to become
King
Given a Taste of what it
was to become a“New
Man”1 Sam. 10:6-10
But decided doing what
seemed good to him and
the people around him
was more important than
obeying God.
Believed the World
System over the Word of
God

11. Saul did not put his incredible !
“new man” experience into practice
Do not copy the behavior and customs of
this world, but let God transform you into
a new person by changing the way you
think. Then you will learn to know Gods
will for you, which is good and pleasing
and perfect. Romans 12:2 NLT

12. David: Man after God’s Own
Heart !
Believed Gods Word over the World System
The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord
looks at the heart. 1 Sam 16:7 NIV David was
rejected by his own family, but the Lord looked at
the integrity of his heart.
David: The Lord who delivered me from the paw of
the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me
from the hand of this Philistine. 1 Sam 17:37

13. David: Man after God’s Own
Heart !
Believed Gods Word over the World System
The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord
looks at the heart. 1 Sam 16:7 NIV David was
rejected by his own family, but the Lord looked at
the integrity of his heart.
David: The Lord who delivered me from the paw of
the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me
from the hand of this Philistine. 1 Sam 17:37

14. David Understood Spiritual Warfare:
He knew God as his Deliverer
We are human, but we do not wage war as
humans do, waging war according to the flesh.
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the
flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion
raised against the knowledge of God, and take
every thought captive to obey Christ. 2 Cor
10:3-6

15. 2 Cor. 4:7-12 The Mirror
We have discovered this treasure where it was
hidden all along, in these frail skin-suits made of
clay. We take no credit for finding it there! It
took the enormous power of God in the
achievement of Christ to rescue our minds from
the lies it believed.
We often feel completely hemmed in on every side
but our inner space remains unrestricted; when
there seems to be no way out, we escape within!

16. At times we are persecuted to the extreme but we are
never abandoned. We are knocked down but not
knocked out. Wherever we go, whatever we encounter in
our bodies, we bear witness within us of the fact that
Jesus died our death; in this same body, we now exhibit
his life. The fact that we co-died in his death confirms
that we now co-live in his resurrection!

17. 2 Cor. 4:7-12 The Mirror
Our day-to-day experience continues to exhibit
that even in the face of death, our association with
the death Jesus already died remains the
inspiration of his life made so clearly visible within
us. This is in such contrast to the circumstances
that we are often faced with.
Living aware of our co-crucifixion with Christ in
the face of death threatening circumstance inspires
life in you!

18. Who Do You Need
God to be for you?

19. El Shaddai: Lord God Almighty, the All-sufficient One. The
all-sufficient source of all our blessings; God who completely
nourishes, satisfies and supplies His people with all their
needs; our sustainer.
El Elyon: The Most High God; the extreme sovereignty and
majesty of God and His Highest preeminence.
Adonai: The Lord, My Great Lord. God is the Master and
Majestic Lord; he is total authority.
Jehovah Nissi: The Lord My Banner: The Lord my miracle; my
refuge. He is our banner of encouragement to give hope and
a focal point. In battle opposing nations would fly their own
flags to give hope to their soldiers.
Elohim: The All Powerful One, Creator of the universe who
knows all, creates all, and is everywhere.

20. Jehovah-Raah: The Lord My Shepherd. He reveals Himself
unceasingly; he comforts, feeds and leads his flock to pasture.
He desires intimate connection with us, his people.
Jehovah Shammah: The Lord is There: God has not, nor will
ever abandon us, but will ever restore and seek the habitation
of our hearts.
Jehovah Jireh: The Lord will Provide; God intervened by
providing a sacrifice when Abraham prepared to sacrifice his
own son, Isaac. When we have nothing to give, He is there.
Jehovah Shalom: The Lord is our peace; absence of all strife
and anxiety. Rest.
Jehovah Rapha: The Lord Who Heals; God has provided the
final cure for spiritual, physical and emotional sickness in
Jesus Christ.