We’re in a message series called “Keep Your Dream Alive.” God has a dream for your life. Your privilege in life is to live out the dream of your creator of the very best life you can have.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
This verse is about God’s dream for the life of each believer. You were created by God to accomplish things for God, here called good works. This dream that God has for your life was prepared for you before you were born. This morning, if you’re not a believer, the first step in receiving God’s dream for your life is to become a believer.
Today, my message is entitled “Roller Coaster Integrity.” Have you ridden a roller coaster recently? We went with the children on 6-Flags roller coasters this last summer. A roller coaster takes you up high, then you plunge down the track to a low, then up to another high, then to another low. A roller coaster is exciting because it’s a mix of highs and lows. Life is a lot like a roller coaster, isn’t it. There are times when you seem to be on top of the world, everything is going good, that’s a high. Then there are times when nothing is working out, you can’t seem to see hope on the horizon, those are lows. Can anybody relate this morning? How many think their life is like a roller coaster?
Now the problem with a roller coaster life is that our integrity and faith tends to weaken at the lows. Sometimes at the highs we tend to forget God because everything seems to be working without him. God wants your integrity and faith to remain constant through the roller coaster ride of life. Now, why is life like a roller coaster for believers? Shouldn’t God work it out so we can live our lives on the mountain top?
James 1:2-3 (NIV) Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
This verse speaks of facing trials of many kinds. What part of the roller coaster ride is that speaking of? Well, the lows of course. Now underline the phrase “the testing of your faith.” The lows in your life are God testing your faith. When your faith is tested, you can either pass or fail the test. God wants you to pass the test and develop perseverance that can face any low with a strong faith. How do you pass a test of your faith? You pass a test of your faith by keeping on believing, by keeping on living with integrity, by continuing to show godly character. We should approach the lows with joy, because with God’s help we can pass His test of faith. So, today we’re going to talk about maintaining integrity on the roller coaster of life.
In our message series, we’re looking at the life of Joseph. As a young teenager, God gave Joseph several dreams of Joseph rising to a leadership position over his brothers and family. What part of the roller coaster ride were those dreams? They were definitely a high. Joseph’s brothers didn’t like him or his dreams, in fact they hated him so much they wanted to kill him and threw him into a cistern in the ground. When Joseph was sitting in that dark underground cistern, it was definitely a low. He was then sold as a slave to Egypt, which was a continuation of the low part of the roller coaster. So, now let’s look at how to live with integrity …