Untitled Slide

Negative Influences

• What are negative influences?
• Examples of negative influences?
• How do these negative things affect us?

Bartimaeus

Bartimaeus

• Blind
• Beggar
• Meaningless Life
• Dependent on Others

Living Like Bartimaeus

• Get up and go, but lives never go anywhere
• Lots of stuff, but never do anything with it 
• Live for weekends to party, sleep, fish, hunt, football
• Selfish living is never satisfying

Living Like Bartimaeus

• Never been washed by the blood of Christ...
• You are living in sin!
• Living in sin = Not really living (Bible)
• How do we rise up from our sin?
• How do we truly begin living?

1: Face Reality

• Bartimaeus faced reality
• Blind, Hopeless, Desperate, Not Satisfied
• You and Me can live the same way...
• Blind to what real living is.  Caught up in sin. 
• Lost and Hopeless

Face Reality

• Face the reality of your sin!
• Where have your choices led you?
• Luke 15 Prodigal Son
• "PigPen" moment in your life.
• Realization of sin in your life. How did you feel?

2: Cry Out To Jesus

• Bartimaeus faced reality!
• He knew he wasn't going anywhere.
• No change without Jesus
• He did the only thing he knew to do...
• Cried out to Jesus

Cry Out To Jesus

• "Jesus, have mercy on me!" Bartimaeus cried out to Jesus.
• Shouldn't that be our prayer to God?
• Shouldn't we be seeking mercy from God?
• Reality is sin separates us from God. 
• We need God's mercy & grace to save us from our sins.

Cry Out To Jesus

• How do we cry out to Jesus?
• Repentance and Baptism
• Change your life! 
• Obey the Gospel

Action

• Face Reality
• Realize you need God
• What are you waiting on?
• Why put off baptism any longer?
• Rise up above sin and live for Christ!