Attached: Strings

TEACHING OUTLINE

INTRO:

Our moods can change quickly.

How many emotions do you experience in a typical day?

TENSION:

Our moods change because we’re attached.

People are like human yo-yos, up and down. Why do things in life affect us so much?

TRUTH:

We need to attach ourselves to something stable.

What if instead of clinging to other people, accomplishments, or stuff, we attached ourselves to something more stable?

“Who but a fool would make his own god—an idol that cannot help him one bit!” (Isaiah 44:10 NLT).

“He [the wood-carver] uses part of the wood to make a fire to warm himself and bake his bread. Then—yes it’s true—he takes the rest of it and makes himself a god for people to worship! He makes an idol and bows down and praises it! He burns part of the tree to roast his meat and to keep himself warm. Then he takes what’s left and makes his god: a carved idol! He falls down in front of it, worshiping and praying to it. ‘Rescue me!’ he says. ‘You are my god!’ Such stupidity and ignorance! Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see. Their minds are shut, and they cannot think. The person who made the idol never stops to reflect, ‘Why, it’s just a block of wood! I burned half of it for heat and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat. How can the rest of it be a god? Should I bow down to worship a chunk of wood?’ The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes. He is trusting something that can give him no help at all. Yet he cannot bring himself to ask, “Is this thing, this idol that I’m holding in my hand, a lie?” (Isaiah 44:15-20 NLT).

APPLICATION:

Don’t let things that change define your emotional world.

CONCLUSION:

Attach yourself to the One who never changes.

What are you attached to? What are you trusting in to make a bad day good or a good day better?