American Idol is in its 14 th Season

American Idol is in its 14 th Season, each year inspiring hopeful singers with the dream of “going to Hollywood. ”

“As we see ourselves through the lens of our experiences, beliefs, and perspectives, we all have our blind spots. ” - Craig Groeschel

“As we lie to ourselves, we start to believe our lies. The more we tell the lies, the more we believe they are truth… We deny, suppress, or minimize what is true. When we finally see the truth, we think the truth is a lie. ” - Craig Groeschel

Psalm 36: 1 -3 1 “I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked… 2 In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. 3 The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful;

As a nation, many of us enjoyed the story of U. S. cyclist Lance Armstrong overcoming testicular cancer and valiantly winning 7 Tours de France titles; as well as his Nike Live. Strong campaign and bracelets. We later came to find out, it was all built on deception.

2 Timothy 3: 13 “… evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. ”

Matthew 26: 33 -35 33 Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will. ” 34 “Truly I tell you, ” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times. ” 35 But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you. ”

Self-Examination for Self-Deception * * * “I don’t have a problem with this. ” “This is how I need to cope with stress. ” “It’s not a big deal. ” “I’m not as bad as most people. ” “I can quit anytime. ” “This is just how I am. ”

Proverbs 15: 31 -32 31 “Whoever heeds life-giving correction will be at home among the wise. 32 Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding. ”

1 John 1: 8 -9 8 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ”

The Imperial Orchestra & “Facing the Music”

As we continue to ask help from God, respect the wise counsel of His Word, & listen to the advice of those who love us; we can better see our “blind spots” and then turn those over to Jesus for our cleansing and renewal.