Song of Solomon 2:15
"Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom"

YOU LITTLE FOX YOU – PART 2:ENVIRONMENT

Intro; Why is this even a topic?

God believes in environment. His Kingdom is an environment. His gospel sets the rules for His environment. To more we have of God’s kingdom, the better the environment we live in.
An environment makes possible or impossible the fullness of God’s heart towards our lives.

Tonight, we pray, accurate diagnosis and proper prognosis. Seeing ourselves rightly and following through on good decisions thoroughly. Your life could change tonight.


If KOG = the best environment, what does that look like?

1.    Gal. 5,22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love; joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
2.    Assurance
3.    A culture of truth
4.    An atmosphere of joy
5.    Whole-heartedness
6.    Light, self-disclosure
7.    Faith
8.    Daring and overcoming
a.    Knowing how to fail well.

Tell’s of a great environment

1.    Lightness, easy to live with.
2.    Humour
3.    A good, healthy, faithful perspective.
4.    Stability, not being rocked by any story or situation
5.    No booby traps in conversations…

Enemies of God and His kingdom

1.    SELF
a.    Because the Kingdom is about another.
2.    FEAR
a.    Because it is the opposite of love
3.    LEGALISM
a.    Because it undermines the finished work of Jesus
4.    APATHY
a.    Because it removes the person of God out of the universe.

Then, what are the enemies of a great environment?

1.    Perfection.
a.    Hypocricy!
2.    Excuses
a.    It erodes life-purpose
b.    An excuse is an Illegal authority to close any case/task/obligation.
c.    Shows moral weakness
d.    We have to use 1st person language.
3.    Keeping score
4.    Grumbling/complaining
a.    Is faithless! It cannot and will never please God or a spouse.
5.    Embarrassment of a spouse
a.    Pride
b.    Isa 54…Shame of your youth. Don’t let it set your life agenda!!


How then, do we create a great environment?

1.    Accepting your spouse.
a.    Duuuh… Mandy on “You can’t change your spouse…”
b.    Dove commercial video… PLAY
2.    Stir up interest
a.    Intellectually
b.    In other people
c.    In history
d.    In God…
i.    Dad challenged me to find a fourth dimension to find God…
ii.    Inspired moment. Pray to God for these…
3.    Quick sorry’s and Radical forgiveness
a.    Be quick
4.    Flexibility
a.    Physical changes, body weight changes, etc
b.    Learn to manage disappointments/delays/losses
i.    Don’t always speak your honest mind.
ii.    Wait on God. This is not a cliché.
iii.    Don’t view losses as a final destination.
5.    Work at every problem from 2 ends
a.    If the husband enjoys a clean house
i.    He can relax his attitude and not make demands.
ii.    She can choose to use her freedom to serve.
6.    Respect (To look upon. To look away from all else at one object and to look steadfastly. To look.)
a.    Find it.
b.    Comm it.
c.    Meditate on it.
i.    Having a high view of your husband
7.    Accommodate correction
a.    Doubles tennis against the environment underminer..
8.    Faith, not religion
9.    Be at ease with each other’s humanity.
10.    Enjoy your spouse
a.    Eye contact, lingering on his/her point, facing her in open discussions, listening when she speaks, physical touch in public, declaring strengths to one another…
11.    Meditate on your partner’s life, gifts, strengths, joys…
a.    Find ways to make things happen that makes her blossom.
b.    Find ways to end things that hinder fullness.
c.    Husband, your wife is your testimony.
12.    A Great environment doesn’t equal a Disney-environment
a.    It is not primarily about making everyone feel better.
b.    When someone self-destructs, don’t just motivate them out of it.
i.    Help them towards truth and grace.
ii.    It will form an understanding of the gospel.
13.    Practice failing well.
a.    Don’t sulk. Don’t blame circumstances. Don’t allow bad losing.
b.    Absolute reassurance of love in failure!
c.    Learn to laugh swiftly at yourself.


General observations about environment…
1.    You are currently trying to recreate or resist the environment you grew up with.
2.    Watch the pendulums.
3.    Environment creation is not instant. It takes time, diligence, hands-on discussions, actions, decisions and implementation.
4.    Environments are access points to God’s Kingdom or not…