Summary: Gen. 6:5-8, Lev. 26:8-9, Ps. 5:2, Ps. 84:11, Ps. 90:17, Prov. 3:3-4 (How do we get favor? Binding mercy and truth to our neck and hiding God's word in our heart) Micah 6:8 (mercy and justice), Dan. 1:9, Luke 1:28-30, Acts 2:46-47 1. Favor is the outworking of God's grace (grace is getting what we don't deserve; mercy is not getting what we deserve) - Titus 2:11 - grace appeared in Jesus - if you yield to grace, it wants to come and free you from habitual sin 2. We must battle against our instincts to qualify for God's favor - we often put up walls because we think we need to qualify for grace 3. We don't qualify for God's favor, we receive it 4. Favor is not based on who you are, but whose you are (Matt. 7:9-11) - I am God's child - it's not about being better than others, it's about being part of the family of God 5. When you are favor-minded, you will see favor increase - if you're trouble-minded, you see trouble increase - if you're anger-minded, you see anger increase - if you're poverty-minded, you will always be in poverty - you're not just looking to get favor, but to give it 6. Don't allow yourself to think differently about yourself than God has thought about you (Num. 13:30-33) 7. You can grow and increase in favor (Luke 2:52, 1 Sam. 2:26) - God's favor will give you favor in the eyes of the right people at the right time to do and be what He has called you to do and be - when you have confidence in God's favor, it releases you from the striving of getting man's favor. - confidence in God's favor releases you from having to feel that you have to manipulate yourself to the top - if you join the rat race, it makes you a rat - have confidence that God will take care of you. He will put you where you belong and need to be.
