Functional Family - The Ring
Functional Family Part 2
Hey There, I’m Neal Preston. My Wife Amie and along with our 3 children, Bradlie, Kaden and Quincie and a host of friends and family have dedicated our lives to helping people find their God-Given calling. We only have a short time here on earth and we need to make every moment count. Life is meant to be enjoyed and is too short to live miserably. We create resources, books, planners, courses and coaching to help you Find the Way. You can check out these resources on our website, NealAndAmie.com — We also are the pastors of Triplefect church in wofford heights california. If you are in the Kern River Valley or surrounding areas we would love for you to join as at one of our services, we meet at 10:30 every Sunday. Go to our website for more information. Again. That’s Neal and Amie .com Today we are talking about dysfunctional families. I mean let’s be honest. Every family has its dysfunction, right? Some family dysfunction is our own faults, other aspects of our dysfunction are not our faults at all, and we just were stuck in it. In today’s episode we are going to look at the difference between dysfunctional and functional families and see what God has to say about it through diving into His word. Let’s jump into today’s episode.
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This is part 2 of the series we are calling Functional Family! God’s idea was to have functional people functioning in a functional family! Through that functional family we are supposed to spread good function to people around the world. The devil, whose name also means “divider” is doing anything he can to disrupt and destroy God's plan. He wants us to be dysfunctional people who lead dysfunctional families in a dysfunctional world. Last week pointed out that one of Satan's greatest tricks is to create offense in people and between God and people. When someone is walking in offense, what happens is “a fence” forms around them, separating people from God and each other. If you missed the episode go to our website to give it a listen! Go to NealandAmie.com, look for a link to our podcast. “The Triplefect Podcast” ____________________________________________________________________________
This week we are going to talk about protecting our hearts from OFFENSE so we can step into the OPPORTUNITY (O - O) when offense happens bitterness can set in, when bitterness sets in we hold grudges and withhold forgiveness. The one holding the grudge is the one drinking the poison The one holding the grudge is one missing the opportunity Being offended is like holding a bottle of poison, wanting the one who offended you to pay while you sip on the poison bottle. OFFENSE keeps “A-Fence” around you so you don’t take OPPORTUNITY to access your inheritance in Christ. (you have opportunity to access a divine inheritance)
Let’s look at the Parable of the Lost Son in Luke 15: The Story of the Lost Son 11-12a Then he said, “There was once a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, I want right now what’s coming to me.’ 12b-16 “So the father divided the property between them. It wasn’t long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to feel it. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corn-cobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any. 17-20a “That brought him to his senses. He said, ‘All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I’m going back to my father. I’ll say to him, Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.’ He got right up and went home to his father. 20b-21 “When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: ‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.’ 22-24“But the father wasn’t listening. He was calling to the servants, ‘Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a prize-winning heifer and roast it. We’re going to feast! We’re going to have a wonderful time! My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!’ And they began to have a wonderful time. 25-27“All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day’s work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. He told him, ‘Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast—barbecued beef!—because he has him home safe and sound.’ 28-30“The older brother stomped off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t listen. The son said, ‘Look how many years I’ve stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!’ 31-32“His father said, ‘Son, you don’t understand. You’re with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours—but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he’s alive! He was lost, and he’s found!’”
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What do you think happened from here??? Who knows, that is for you to decide. Do either of the brothers fully realize what it means to wear the family ring and bear the family name?
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OFFENSE keeps “A-Fence” around you so you don’t take OPPORTUNITY to access your inheritance in Christ. (you have opportunity to access a divine inheritance) Offense keeps us distracted from our inheritance Opportunity is in front of us to access true sonship and daughterhood. The Devil wants to distract us from our Destiny. If he can’t do it through waywardness and wandering He will try to do it through offense You have an inheritance as part of the family of God. Many people who are part of the family of God do not live in their full blessing and function and leave the riches of heaven sitting in the bank. Heavens riches are not just for enjoying in heaven they are for On Earth as it is in Heaven Understanding our inheritance begins with discovering the deeper purpose behind God saving you….. To RESTORE YOU TO THE FULL ACCESS OF BEING A CHILD OF GOD.