RAISED FLAGS
RAISED FLAGS
clayy nesmith | july 2
Flags are made to be symbolic representations. They have meaning, and stand for something. The American flag’s 13 stripes represent the original 13 colonies, the 50 stars represent the states, and all of the colors have special meanings, too. On the beach, a red flag means that there is danger in the water, so stay out of the ocean. Acts 13:22
God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’
Wouldn’t we love for God to say that about us? But often, we feel He will never be able to say that about us because of the red flags in our lives. The red flags hold us hostage from fulfilling the purpose God has in store for us. Our red flags keep us up at night, get us addicted, break our relationships, or leave us nervous, depressed, or angry all the time. But even David had his own red flags: 2 Samuel 11:2-5
Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home. Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, “I’m pregnant.”
His red flag went up and he took his focus off the vision of who God created him to be. It began to destroy David’s life.
Page 1
RAISED FLAGS
clayy nesmith | july 2
David tried everything. He ignored the red flag until Bathsheba told him she was pregnant. He tried to pass the blame—it was her fault for being so beautiful, or God’s fault for creating David with those desires. David tried to hide the flag, by sending Uriah home from battle to be with his wife, but Uriah didn’t take the bait. And he tried to manage the flag, by having Uriah sent to the front lines so he would be killed. All of this haunted David;s soul because he was not created to spend his time on the red flag. After God sent a messenger named Nathan to speak into David’s life, David wrote this Psalm: Psalm 51:1-4
Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.
To take our red flags down, we have to own them. Admit we’ve made mistakes and sinned. It’s not easy, but we have to change our focus by looking to God. God wants to bring healing to our situations. Don’t hide your red flag and make excuses for it—let God help you advance in life. Psalm 51:5-12
For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there. Purify me from my sins,and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.
Page 2
RAISED FLAGS
clayy nesmith | july 2
Sin is used by the enemy to harm us, but God wants to use our mistakes to break us down so we realize we can’t do life without Him. We need to ask God to remove our red flags and restore us. Psalm 51:13
Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you.
Be ready for God to develop and do amazing things in the world through you. Tell others how you took down your red flag. David was able to express God’s heart because he had experienced it firsthand. Be ready to do your assignment by following after God’s calling on your life with everything in your being.
Group Questions What are the red flags in your life? How do those flags keep us from fulfilling the calling God has placed on our lives? What do you tend to try and do with the mistakes you’ve made—ignore, hide, blame, or something else? Why is it so difficult to admit to our red flags, without making excuses? What can we do as a group to help each other remove the red flags in our lives?
Page 3
clayy nesmith | july 2
Flags are made to be symbolic representations. They have meaning, and stand for something. The American flag’s 13 stripes represent the original 13 colonies, the 50 stars represent the states, and all of the colors have special meanings, too. On the beach, a red flag means that there is danger in the water, so stay out of the ocean. Acts 13:22
God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’
Wouldn’t we love for God to say that about us? But often, we feel He will never be able to say that about us because of the red flags in our lives. The red flags hold us hostage from fulfilling the purpose God has in store for us. Our red flags keep us up at night, get us addicted, break our relationships, or leave us nervous, depressed, or angry all the time. But even David had his own red flags: 2 Samuel 11:2-5
Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home. Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, “I’m pregnant.”
His red flag went up and he took his focus off the vision of who God created him to be. It began to destroy David’s life.
Page 1
RAISED FLAGS
clayy nesmith | july 2
David tried everything. He ignored the red flag until Bathsheba told him she was pregnant. He tried to pass the blame—it was her fault for being so beautiful, or God’s fault for creating David with those desires. David tried to hide the flag, by sending Uriah home from battle to be with his wife, but Uriah didn’t take the bait. And he tried to manage the flag, by having Uriah sent to the front lines so he would be killed. All of this haunted David;s soul because he was not created to spend his time on the red flag. After God sent a messenger named Nathan to speak into David’s life, David wrote this Psalm: Psalm 51:1-4
Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.
To take our red flags down, we have to own them. Admit we’ve made mistakes and sinned. It’s not easy, but we have to change our focus by looking to God. God wants to bring healing to our situations. Don’t hide your red flag and make excuses for it—let God help you advance in life. Psalm 51:5-12
For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there. Purify me from my sins,and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.
Page 2
RAISED FLAGS
clayy nesmith | july 2
Sin is used by the enemy to harm us, but God wants to use our mistakes to break us down so we realize we can’t do life without Him. We need to ask God to remove our red flags and restore us. Psalm 51:13
Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you.
Be ready for God to develop and do amazing things in the world through you. Tell others how you took down your red flag. David was able to express God’s heart because he had experienced it firsthand. Be ready to do your assignment by following after God’s calling on your life with everything in your being.
Group Questions What are the red flags in your life? How do those flags keep us from fulfilling the calling God has placed on our lives? What do you tend to try and do with the mistakes you’ve made—ignore, hide, blame, or something else? Why is it so difficult to admit to our red flags, without making excuses? What can we do as a group to help each other remove the red flags in our lives?
Page 3
