{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"New Song Church OKC","title":"Pastor Smothermon - The Art of Surrender","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2146,"description":"1 Samuel 12:24\nBut be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve Him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.\nJohn 12:26\nAnyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.\nMatthew 23:11-12\nThe greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.\nServing - Service = keeps us aware of other’s needs and it stops us from focusing only on ourselves\nTo be a servant, you must surrender your will to God’s will\nSurrender is an act but it is also a process\nSurrender = to yield to the power, control or possession of another upon compulsion or demand\nBiblically as believers, we completely give up our will to His will\nWe will all experience disappointment and discouragement at times. But if we ever understand servanthood is surrendering our will to His will, we won’t stay there.\nWhen we aren’t true servants, we get stuck in our disappointment and discouragement… We are always thinking, “if I had more I would be happier or more successful.”\nBUT God says “serve me where you are” - use what He has put in your hands first\nMatthew 25:29\nTo those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.\nNumbers 14:27\nHow long must I put up with this wicked community and its complaints about me? Yes, I have heard the complaints the Israelites are making against me.\nPhilippians 2:14\nDo everything without complaining or arguing.\nGod wants us to serve Him - to surrender our will to Him. It will help us all enjoy the process more.\nWe look for comfort and material blessings, but God is more concerned with character development.\nWe tend to hate testing and spiritual exercise that will strengthen our faith and make us stronger.\nIf you can’t surrender with what is in your hands right now, even if you get...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/bnHuiqv1vzbVKS3-CGSScUOuOFSAm4CGeToUp1bnpos/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8zOTVl/MTRhMTgxNzM4MDZl/YmFlNGVmYzkzMGRm/MjkyZi5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}