A Bug's Life, Philippians 4:10-13, 01/05/14

 ¹⁰ I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹ I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

 

Welcome those visiting with us

New years resolutions

First Sunday of the year

Question is asked………What will you bring to the table

Communion is celebrated

 

And we are doing a series on pixar films.  Yes

A bugs life. Yes.

Why?

 

We love stories

There are many great story types

          Comedies - Romantic comedies

          satire

          Drama

          Tragedies

          Hero stories

 

We love hero stories

·        David and goliath

·        Mahatma ghandi

·        Hariett tubman

·        Martin luther king jr

·        Charles lindberg

·        Joan of arc

·        Raol wallenburg

·        Amelia erhart

·        Todd beamer

·        Every man that stormed the beach at Normandy

 

The movie a bugs life is a story of two little ants

Flik and Dot and the challenges they face

A bugs life is simply putting the hero story on the level of a child

And we all relate to the plot

 

·        Good vs evil

·        We must face a challenge

·        Small ones and large ones

·        Those who succeed must usually reach deep within themselves to find the best of who they are

 

In 2014 Small challenges will come

You life will be interrupted.  Your cheese may be moved

There is a very funny scene in the movie where the ants line gets interrupted

Ants are  so good at walking in lines……

The video clip of the ants in line                                                       VIDEO

Gaps happen.  Deal with change.  The angst of change.  Relax when difficulty comes

 

Content not just when things go well, but content in difficulty.

When I am weak then I am strong

 

In 2014 Larger challenges may come

The grasshoppers are coming

How will we bear up under the fight

 

We have to look inside to see who we are

Difficulty brings fear.  The possibility of loss, of Failure.  We fear failure.

We don’t want to be known as failures

Everyone is watching, waiting for me to goof up

Fear of failure

 

Characters in the bugs life are “insignificant” flick and dot.  Ha ha!

She is little and cannot fly

He is always getting it wrong

 

How do you feel about who you are?

 

There is a great story from the old testament book of numbers.

Numbers 13 - Report on the Exploration

²⁶ They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. ²⁷ They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. ²⁸ But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. ²⁹ The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.” ³⁰ Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” ³¹ But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” ³² And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. ³³ We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

 

And God had told them that this was their land

Now I am sure the Hittities and the Cananites weren’t real keen on this,

But it is interesting that they are ignoring what God told them to do

 

We would never do that would we?

How do you feel about yourself?

You who are loved by god, created in his image….  Do you ever doubt

Do you ever see yourself as a lowly bug inthis world.?

 

We must decide who we are

In the bugs life, flik gives an impassioned speech  lets watch     VIDEO

Ants are not meant to serve grasshoppers

Great speech of hope.

 

Flik started as a loser, but he becomes the hero

There is a metamorphosis

There is a great scene where even early on,

he is explaining to Dot that little people can do great things………

[even before he believes it himself, he knows of the truth]                       VIDEO

 

Seeds become trees.

Every great thing began as a dream

Song- I am a promise I am a possibility

 

To believe in yourself is so important

Fred smitty story

We lost the game, but I did everything that I could do

 

Winners always want the ball when the game is on the line.

 

Difficulty will come in 2014.  It won’t be all perfect.  be ready.  Trust in God, not circumstances.

 

¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

 

Put on the armor of God and be ready for what may come in this year.

 

I can do all things thru Christ.  Thru Christ.  It is more than just me reaching down deep.

We call on the lord for help.

Jesus story is the greatest hero story of all time

Tortured and killed, he rose from the grave to conquer fear, sin and death

We can enter the new year with hope.

 

First Sunday of the year

What will you bring to the table

communion