Drinking Sand Part II

Isaiah 55

So many in life are drinking from empty wells in their search for joy and peace. Hear this man on the side of the road calling out to come, drink and experience the living water.

To Those Who Thirst:

I. Recognition ofNeed is Mandatory  v.1-2a

12  StepProgram and Isaiah 55

Step One: “Need”- We admitted we werepowerlessover (___) ... that our lives had become unmanageable.Romans 7:18 

II. Recognition of God's Abundant Provisionsis Necessary  v.2b-5

Step Two: “God“- Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restoreus to sanity. 2 Corinthians 12:9

· Discerned through Relationshipwith God  v.2a & 3a

· Desiring God's meeting of our needsover our wants  v.2b

· Discovering God's mercydisplayed in history v.3b-5

III. Recognition of the Urgencyof the Need  v.6

Step Three: “Now”- Made a decision to turn our willand our
livesover to the care of GOD as we understood Him.  Luke 9:23

· God's presence is dependent on His nature

· Experiencing God's presence is dependent on our response

IV. Recognition of the Necessity of PersonalChange v.7-9

· The requirement of innerchange for proper understanding. v.7

Step Four: “Honesty”- Made a searching and fearless moralinventory of ourselves.  Lamentations 3:40 

Step Five: “Confession”- Admitted to GOD, to ourselves and to another humanbeingthe exact nature of our wrongs. James 5:16

· The apartness of God's thoughtsand ways  v.8-9

Step Six: “Trust”- Were entirely ready to have GOD remove all these defects of character.  Isaiah 1:19 NIV

V. Recognition of the Powerof God's Word  v.10-11

Step Seven: “Surrender”- Humblyasked Him to remove all our shortcomings.  James 4:10 NIV

· The power to produce change

· The power to accomplish God’s planin our lives

VI. Recognition of God's Desired Result  v.12-13

· A new attitudein life  v.12

·  A new resultin life  v.13