THE STORIES WE TELL

Proverbs 18:20–21 (ESV) From the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.  Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

1. SEED - the event that happened, is happening or will happen.

2. MODIFICATION - the story we compose regarding the event. 

The events are the events but we filter the events based on the posture of our heart and this impacts the narrative that comes out of our mouth. 

  • Opportunity Or Injustice

  • Faith In God’s Promises/Word

  • Our Internal Code of Honor

3. PLANTING  - The modified story we repeat to ourselves and others.

  • Our Words Are Prophetic 

  • Our Words Marinate Create Atmospheres Impacting Our/Others Lives

    • David was discouraged that His son was killed in battle and it impacted his soldiers.

    • David encouraged himself in the Lord and it impacted His discouraged army

4. HARVEST - The residual events we experience resulting from the story we told.

What story are you telling and how is it impacting you?

Heart Filters:Opportunity/Injustice  - it inappropriately magnifies my problem. 

    • Psalm 37:23–24 (ESV) The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way;  though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.

    • Numbers 13:25–29 (ESV) At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land…They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land… It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.  HOWEVER, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large…

Heart Filters: Faith/Unbelief 

    • Numbers 13:30–33 (ESV) But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.”  Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.”  So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height.  And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”

Heart Filters: Honor/Dishonor

    • Numbers 14:1–3 (ESV): Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”

  • Psalm 51:10 (ESV) Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

  • James 4:8 (ESV) Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Steve ParrishSteve ParrishComment