Quiet Times Search
Search Quiet Times via a keyword or stringSearching for "god" in the Quiet Time Archive
Displaying results from "50" to "75". (1373 found)
| 2008-04-19 - Falling in Love with God - Intimacy Dictionary definition of Intimacy:
"Quiet Times" OR "our time with God" assumes there is formal meeting / impersonal only Do we treat friends or co-workers this way? God desires to know who we are at the deepest level | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-04-20 - Falling in Love with God - Communion Biblical communion at some meals:
We need to let our guard down Our relationship with God must be a feast, not a protein shake or an energy bar Intimacy with God must a priority above all else | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-04-21 - Falling in Love with God - Communication Talking to God is the best way to break the chains that our hearts captive Tempted to everything but talk to God Sometimes we feel that we need to get everything "just perfect" before going to God God listens to complainers - Job, Jeremiah, Jonah, Abraham, and Moses God prefers honest agreement to dishonest submission Psalms 42 - Half of psalms like David telling himself what he should be thinking and feeling Deepest parts of him longed to connect with what is deepest with God | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2008-04-23 - Falling in Love with God - Discerning God's voice
God's word contains God's voice | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-04-24 - Falling in Love with God - Heaven in Heaven Earth has nothing I desire besides you - Psalms 73:25 Jesus taught about Heaven and who lives there - GOD Heaven is full of angels: Children and churches have angels We might even entertain angels not even knowing it From heaven:
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| 2008-04-25 - Falling in Love with God - Heaven in Focus In heaven every knee will bow Our hope and citizenship is there If we are in love with God, we will be ready God's idea of heaven may not be "recreational" Our purest motivation to going to heaven must be to be with God On the deepest level, he longs for us to be with him The goal of our faith is salvation that we might be with him Not just peace in heaven Not just the promise of no tears or no trials So many times we want heaven on earth - 2 Corinthians 4:13-18 Focus on the eternal - feel refreshed Focus on what is seen - feel unsure, clouded and drained | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-04-26 - Falling in Love with God - Suffering Not content to wait for heaven - groaning is never spiritual Expectations on earth - we are frequently disappointed Only expectations that exceed our imagination - are satisfied from heaven Revelation 1:9 - John was a champion in the suffering; patient endurance that are ours in Jesus We can lose our love for God because we are surprised by suffering Only place for comfort in our relationship with god Paul was in conflict between the Earth and being in heaven - 1 Philippians 1:23-25 Since we have not reached the resting place (heaven for us), we don't 'as we see fit' - Deuteronomy 12:8-10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-04-27 - Falling in Love with God - Practical Inspiration Get Out of Here
Turning back the clock Rewrite the sins and people I sin against; what I was forgiven of (not an exercise in guilt but gratefulness Secret Scriptural Weapon You have to work at understanding the cross Memorizing scriptures and writing them on index cards Ephesians 3:20 - When each word is accented, the scripture can have new meanings Best for Last Create a treasure chest:
Scrapbook of the heart of God - testament to God | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-04-28 - Falling in Love with God - Forever Seeking Falling in love with God - is attainable We will find what we seek:
What are you seeking? Lord searches every heart; if you seek him, he will be found by you - 1 Chronicles 28:9-10 How many times have we tried to do something with seeking him first? None of us can be "strong" without seeking There are many decisions that you need make about your relationship with God:
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| 2008-04-29 - Falling in Love with God - Seeking Only Him If God's people will humble themselves pray and seek his face, he will hear from heaven and forgive us - 2 Chronicles 7:11-16 Even after the temple was built, God was concerned whether his people will still seek him God himself was often "felt" but not "found" - He has the same concern today Difference: being members / having a deep personal and individual relationship with God In his pride the wicked does not seek him - Psalms 10:1-4 One thing I ask: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, gaze upon the beauty - Psalms 27:1-9 Nothing will satisfy like seeking his face | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-04-30 - Falling in Love with God - God Finding Us When does seeking really start? Romans 3:11 - there is no one that seeks God Studying the Bible is simply allowing ourselves to be sought by God If it was our own effort - baptism may seem like the end of the quest We need to active learners When we were young, we understood obligation - "I gotta go to school"
Treasures are for those who will continue to seek forever; not for those who want tips and tricks for being "effective" If there were ever a moment to be a passive learner, it would be when you walk with Jesus Luke 11:1-13 - where would we be if the disciples had not asked about praying to the Father? - not know how to address the Father We need to take responsibilty to get deep and ask questions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-05-01 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Forgiveness, part 1 Jesus calls for unlimited forgiveness - disciples plea to increase their faith If on-goning relationship difficulties - maybe one or both are too concerned about who sinned the most rather than focusing on reconciliation With a willingness to forgive, we cannot be forgiven by God - Matthew 6:14; Matthew 18:23-35 We must forgive in the way that God forgives - Colossians 3:13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-05-02 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Forgiveness, part 2 1 Peter 2:18
1 Peter 3:8-9
Taking the way of the cross accomplishes:
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| 2008-05-04 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Buy Now and Pay Later Many struggle with the route of least resistance - CHARGE IT Satan invented the mind-set: Sin now and pay later God is not short-term but long-term Pay up front and gain big dividends later Righteousness is an investment of life Without perseverance through hard time times we will not grow - Romans 5:1-5, James 1:2-4, Hebrews 12:5-14 God does not "zap" change into you: Change requires:
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| 2008-05-05 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - The Easy Way Out Taking the easy way out is as normal as breathing. We love labor saving devices - medicine, cars, wash machine, lawn mower, tools Not bad for life, but there is button pushing when it comes to overcoming our sinful nature
God is determined to raise us up to maturity, despite our wailing and weeping through the rod of discipline Sooner we cooperate, the sooner our trials may end Do you want Joy? > Become spiritually mature Do you want to mature? > Pray for God to help (suffering will most likely be involved) Reject the temptation to desire the easy way That way will lead to death - Proverbs 14:12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-05-06 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Emotions and Spirituality Emotions are God-given and a blessing Some refuse to get open and honest with their true feeling - from pride and fear In times of crisis, we usually get past our emotional blockage and express ourselves much better Negative emotions are not to be trusted Unless you allow others to break into your closed system of reasoning, the illogical will continue to seem perfectly logical Satan can use emotions in a damaging way - need to allow others to gain perspective Emotions are needed and seen in Jesus:
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| 2008-05-07 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - In Touch and Out of the Pit Talking help condenses our thoughts but writing focuses our thoughts further in a more compact form David - controlled his emotions by pouring them out in writing Anguished spirit > Full of faith We need to work through our past by writing and talking about things that hurt us Our undealt-with hurts always result in anger and bitterness May also discover many forgotten positive memories Ultimately, blame goes to Satan - separate sin from the offender (some responsibility) By God's grace, healing can occur Be clear minded so you can pray - 1 Peter 4:7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-05-08 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Ambition: from God or Satan Depending on the motive: There is positive ambitions - Romans 15:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:11 There is negative ambitions - Galatians 5:20 There is pure spiritual ambitions with bad motives: Matthew 20:20-28 - wanted their shot at the left and right seats of Jesus We often want the right things for the wrong reasons
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| 2008-05-09 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Money - Root of All Evil?, part 1 Bible warns the love of money Love of Money can lead to: greed, envy, jealousy, stealing, and ingratitude For some of us, materialism/people who have money = people who have more money than we have Ecclesiastes 5:10-12 - Whoever loves money never has enough Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 - God gives man wealth and possession and enables him to enjoy them Issue not if we have money, but how we view it, obtain it, and use it God uses America churches to fund missions - not based on the level of relationship with God | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-05-10 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Money - Root of All Evil?, part 2 There are spiritual challenges for both those who have money and those who don't God promises to give us what we need, but not what we may want 1 Timothy - need for contentment with the basic of life Examine:
Seeking advancement or seeking to please God? How content are you with what you have? - Philippians 4:12 1 Timothy 6:9-12 - not just avoid but flee from the love of money - Some use people, and love money - God uses money and loves people Who is master in your life? God OR Money - Luke 16:13 Avoid the extremes of loving it and envying those who have more than you Use money to the fullest extend to serve him and bless others | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-05-11 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Escaping the Performance Trap Performance trap - termed as perfectionism (not measuring up = sin) Guilt and imagined guilt come from performance based - must learn to understand God's grace Good thing to do our best but when mixed with pride is a wrong turn Rejection (or fear of) - is the root of most of our insecurities Performance-oriented tries to conceal insecurities with a superimage of self Unless we are open about our negative points we will never reallty feel loved Paul opened up his life: 2 Corinthians 6:11-13
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| 2008-05-12 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Don't cry over split milk Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead - Philippians 3:12-14 Much of our challenge is in accepting failures without feeling like failures Peter and Judas were both betrayers Mistakes are part of the growing process
Gospel allows us to start over and over again Shock > denial > anger > depression, apathy, or peace (grace of God) BIG PICTURE - being right with God, growing in our relationship with him, and helping others | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-05-13 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Power of Negative Thinking They are stronger than we are; we seem like grasshoppers - Numbers 13:31-33
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| 2008-05-14 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - I was Born this Way Son will not share the guilt of the father - Ezekiel 18:20 Environment or heredity - most likely both Must be slow to judge situations we do not completely understand otherwise may bless us with an understanding in a way we do not want Other extreme - develop a victim mentality regarding ourselves or others Can lead to being angry, use drugs, being immoral, or just about anything else We have difficulty applying this to a murder Answer: despite it being more difficult and having different backgrounds, the standard is still the same He does not ask us to do anything he will not enable us to do Identify the sin > repent of it > start relying on God grace > formulate a plan to overcome sin Psychology can find root causes but it is powerless to find a cure Hezekiah and Josiah were righteous amount a line of kings that were evil The promises of God are far greater than our past and present challenges Pray that we may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way - Colossians 1:10-12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-05-15 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Disappointed Mathew 23:37 - Talks about how Jerusalem killed the prophets and those God has sent to them Disappointed people are not happy people Disappointed = depressed or discouraged by the failures of one's hopes Disappointment in others exposes a basic selfishness; by definition is rather self-focused Most assume that God often views us with a disappointed heart Luke 19:41-42 (parallel verse to Matthew 23:37) - If you only had known on this day what would bring you peace Are you often disappointed in yourself or others? Humility is needed - Selfishness and pride is the opposite
Disappointment is un-Godlike; Concern is the godly quality which comes from self-denial and agape love | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-05-16 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Color-Appreciative Unity Church with one only one race stand in stark contrast to the early church Rich and poor Educated and uneducated Young and old Black, Asian, Hispanics and white Only God could bring such a group together in love and harmony Our unity is a demonstration of true disciples - John 13:34-35; 17:20-23 Being Color-blinded is an absence of prejudice Color-appreciative is making us a family | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-05-17 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Spiritual vs Doctrinal Thinking, part 1 Can major in the minors and minor in the majors Tendency to be doctrinal focused - 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 2 Timothy 2:14-19; Titus 1:5-11; Titus 3:3-11 Can come from a desire to be leaders, takes focus off our personal lives Numbers 12:1-15
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| 2008-05-18 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Spiritual vs Doctrinal Thinking, part 2 Goal is the be focus on personally knowing God, being changed, and helping others to do the same Doctrine is important - Must watch it - Timothy 4:15 Must have sound doctrine - 1 Timothy 1:10; 2 Timothy 1:13; Titus 1:19, 13, 2:1 Our study helps us understand the heart of God and imitate it
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| 2008-05-19 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Sentimentality Can easily become sentimental when talking about salvation:
All have sin and have fallen short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23 Being "broader" than the Bible puts you on the wrong road God will be the judge and he has given us the basis of his judgement - John 12:48 Extremes:
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| 2008-05-20 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Heaven Can Wait 2 Corinthians 12:2-7 - Paul longed for heaven but was willing to wait in order to fulfill his purpose Death held no fear for him because heaven was so real Life goes by so quickly - Psalms 90:10 All are destined to become distance memories for those we leave behind 2 Corinthians 4:16 - we are wasting away outwardly but being renewed day by day It is far too easy to become attached to this life - hardship changes this. As beautiful as all of God's creation is, God made it as throwaway It is destined to be burned up and to pass away - 2 Peter 3:10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-05-21 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Even though Hebrews 11:8,11,17:20
He was not a blind idealist, he faced the facts: God creates the laws but he not bound by them We will not be victorious if we sacrifice our faith on the alter of reason, logic or cynicism It is time to get back to idealism that belongs to faith in God:
We have the same God who was with Abraham | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-05-22 - Purpose Driven Life - It All Starts with God It's not about you You were born by HIS purpose and for HIS purpose Our search for purpose usually starts at the wrong place - ourselves Self Help Books = Consider your dreams > Clarify your values > Set some goals Being successful <> (not equal) Fulfilling your life's purpose Easiest way to fine out the purpose of an invention is to ask its owner Ephesians 1:11
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| 2008-05-23 - Purpose Driven Life - You Are Not an Accident God planned:
God was thinking of you even before he made the world, that is why he created the world God's purpose even took in account sin and human error. If there was no god, we would all be accidents The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us - Romans 12:3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-05-24 - Purpose Driven Life - What Drives Your Life? What shouldn't drive our life (will miss God's purposes for your life): People are driven by guilt Allows the past to control their future God turned a murder (Moses and Paul) into a leader and a coward into a hero God specializes in giving people a fresh start People are driven by resentment and anger - Resentment always hurts you more than it does the other person People are driven by fear - from unrealistic expectations and high-control situations People are driven by materialism - Your value is not determined by your valuables People are driven by the need for approval - those who follow the crowd usually get lost in it Living a purpose driven life, knowing your purpose:
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| 2008-05-25 - Purpose Driven Life - Made to Last Forever This life is preparation for the next - realizing this will help you live differently
God has planted eternity in the human heart - Ecclesiastes 3:11 The closer you live to God, the smaller everything else appears The most damging aspect of contemporary living is short-term thinking This world is not our home - Hebrews 13:14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-05-26 - Purpose Driven Life - Seeing Life from God's View How do you see your life? What images come to mind? Let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind Life on earth is a Test Trials, temptations, refining, and testing occurs over 200x in the Bible Success:
Your realize that nothing is insignificant, tested by:
God wants you to pass - James 1:2-3 Life on earth is a Trust God loans you the earth, we never really own anything Want to hear: "Well done, good and faithful servant" God uses finances: As a test (in good times) and a trust (hard times) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-05-27 - Purpose Driven Life - Life is a Temporary Assignment Life is a temporary assignment It is descriped as a mist, a fast runner, a breath, a wisp of smoke Compared to eternity, life is extremely brief With this understanding. worries lost their grip on our lives In order to keep us from getting too attached God allows us to feel much discontentment and dissatisfaction in life
Some would consider them foolish and lost everything but they gained everything - God and heaven In heaven we will ask ourselves:
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| 2008-05-28 - Purpose Driven Life - The Reason for Everything The ultimate goal is to give glory to God God's glory = the expression of his goodness and all his other eternal qualities All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23
Giving glory to God will require us to change our priorities, schedule, relationships, and everything else
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| 2008-05-29 - Purpose Driven Life - Planned for God's Pleasure You are planned for God's pleasure He chose to create you for his enjoyment Bringing enjoyment to God is the first purpose in life He considers valuable enough to keep you for eternity with him Bringing pleasure to God is called worship Anything you do that brings pleasure to God is an act of worship to God Worship is a universal urge - if not worshiping God, it will be something Worship is not for your benefit, not "I got a lot out of it" Worship is far more than music Worship music is not limited to a particular style of music - nothing to do with volume or speed of the song Style of the music says more about you than it does God Worship is not a part of your life, it is your life Every activity can be transformed into an act of worship Whether you drink or eat or whatever... do it all for the glory of God- 1 Corinthians 10:31 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-05-30 - Purpose Driven Life - What Makes God Smile? (Part 1) "Noah was a pleasure to God" - Ephesians 5:10 Noah was an example of making God smile:
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| 2008-05-31 - Purpose Driven Life - What Makes God Smile? (Part 2) Noah was an example of making God smile (continued):
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| 2008-06-01 - Purpose Driven Life - The Heart of Worship (Part 1) Surrender is an unpopular word, implies losing Heart of a true worshiper of God is surrender Three barriers to 100% surrender are: fear, pride, and confusion Can we trust God? Trust is essential, you can not surrender to God if you do not trust him Fear keeps us from surrendering - God is love and love us deeply and casts out all fear God is willing to have his son die for us - Romans 5:8 Admitting our limitations The oldest temptation is want to be like God - Genesis 3:5 That desire wants complete control We want to be taller, smarter, anger, stronger, more talent, more beauty, and wealthier. When faced with our limitations we react with irritation, anger, and resentment. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-06-02 - Purpose Driven Life - The Heart of Worship (Part 2) What it means to surrender Surrendering is not for cowards It is not repressing your personality Surrendering is best demonstrated in obedience. To say "no, Lord"- can not call Jesus your Lord To trust God means doing without knowing where, when, how, or why Most difficult area to surrender is money Retirement is not a goal of a surrendered life Surrender is hard work - Warfare against our self-centered nature The blessing of surrender Blessings of surrender
Everyone surrenders to someone or something You are free to choose but not free from the consequences Nothing else works - All other approaches lead to frustration Must make it a daily habit (maybe more than 50 times a day) May be inconvenient, unpopular, costly, or seem impossible | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-06-03 - Purpose Driven Life - Best Friends with God God wants to be your friend God's ideal relationship - Adam and Eve (no rituals, ceremonies, or religion) Moses, Abraham, David, Job, Enoch, and Noah had intimate relationships with God Most in the OT had just the fear of God You are not longer servants but friends - John 15:15 Through constant conversations Make it a habit to have daily devotion time but it more than just that God wants to be included in every activity in your life (Some think you have to get away) Key to the friendship is not changing what you do but your attitude toward what you do Pray all the time - 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray as often as possible Help me trust you You are here with me I'm depending on you You are my God How awesome you are! Pray as often as possible Your goal is not a feeling but an awareness of the reality that God is always present Through continual meditation Thing about His Word throughout your day - who God is, What he has done, and what he has said Meditation is simply focused thinking - Worry is a form of meditation Friends share secrets God told his secrets to Abraham, Daniel, Paul, his disciples, and others friends When you read your Bible or hear a sermon - develop a practice of review the truth in your mind | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-06-04 - Purpose Driven Life - Developing Your Friendship with God You are as close as you choose to be to God Must work to develop your friendship Must choose to be honest ...about your faults and feelings No one in the Bible was perfect:
We may harbor resentment toward God He wants you to hold back nothing about how you feel Choose to obey John 15:14 - You are my friends if you do what I command We are not equals - We obey obey God because we love him True friendship isn't passive; it acts "Great things for God" - Great things come once in a lifetime; small things come everyday Must choose to value what God values What does God value the most? His lost children Must desire a friendship with God more than anything Longing, yearning, thirsting, hungering - that was David Nothing matters more NO: What is it worth to you? NO: What cost is too much? Problems are wake-up calls for you come back to him | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-06-05 - Purpose Driven Life - Worship That Pleases God God wants all of you All of your soul, mind, heart, strength God is pleased when... ...our worship is accurate
...our worship is thoughtful
... our worship is practical
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| 2008-06-06 - Purpose Driven Life - When God Seems Distant Easy to worship God when things are going great God matures relationship by times of separation - Job, David, Jesus God promises to never leave you or forsake you Sin separates - Friendships are tested by separation and silence Sometimes distance from God is not because of sin - feelings may be off It is not a feeling, God will remove your dependence of feelings Tell God how you feel God can handle your doubt, fear, anger, grief, confusion, and questions Remember: God is unchanging: Job praised God in these ways:
His promises do not change despite circumstances Remember what God has already done for you Even if God will not do anything else for you (very unlikely) He gave his son | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-06-07 - Purpose Driven Life - Formed for Gods Family You were formed for God's family God desired to have a family but didn't need a family God became our Father Benefits of being part of God's family:
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| 2008-06-08 - Purpose Driven Life - What Matters Most Life is all about love Most important lesson he wants you to learn on earth is how to love (have a lifetime to learn) Learning to love unselfishly is not an easy task - runs counter to our self-centered nature God trains us by giving us "family responsibilities" Love cannot be learned in isolation You have to be around people - irritating, imperfect, frustrating Life without love is really worthless - 1 Corinthians 13:3 God says relationships are what life is all about
Love God and Love People - 2 greatest commandments (Matthew 22:37-40) Busyness is a great enemy of relationships Love will last forever How you treat other people will be the most enduring impact you can leave on earth Final moments - we want people to surround us We will be evaluated on our love Spiritual maturity is measured by the quality of our relationships To love Jesus is to love his family by providing for their needs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-06-09 - Purpose Driven Life - The Value of Time The importance of things can be measured by how much time we are willing to invest in them Your time is your life Greatest gift you can give someone is your time Words alone are worthless - 1 John 3:18 Most desired gift of love is focused attention Give without loving, but you can not love without giving - God gave everything (John 3:16) Make the most of every opportunity Other and you are not guaranteed tomorrow Who do you need to spend more time with? What do you need to cut out of your day? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-06-11 - Purpose Driven Life - Experiencing Life Together Life is meant to be shared Fellowship - now refers to casual conversation, socializing, food, and fun Jesus knew that 12 was the maximum size for a group for everyone to participate In real fellowship people experience... ... Authenticity
... Mutuality (Romans 1:12)
... Sympathy
... Mercy
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| 2008-06-12 - Purpose Driven Life - Cultivating Community Community requires commitment Only the Holy Spirit can create real fellowship between believers Cultivating community takes... ...Honesty Silent when someone sins - not loving thing to do Means caring enough to lovingly confront - Proverbs 24:26 A group will remain superficial because they are afraid to conflict It is where gossip thrives Corinth church was allowing sexual immorality because no one had the courage to say anything. ...Humility Pride builds walls between; humility builds bridges Being prideful is living in opposition to God - 1 Peter 5:5 Develop humility by: admitting weakness, being patient with other's weakness, being open to correction, pointing the spotlight on others ...Courtesy Nothing to do with compatibility Basis of our fellowship is our relationship to God - We are family ...Confidentiality Does not mean keeping silent about sin Means - stays within the group - Proverbs 16:28 ...Frequency You need to spend time - make it a habit - Hebrew 10:25 Community is not built on convenience - "Let's get together sometime" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-06-13 - Purpose Driven Life - Restoring Broken Fellowship Relationships are always worth restoring God has given us the ministry of restoring God gave everything (his son) for restoring relationships Does not mean avoiding conflict or appeasement Talk to God before talking to the person God may change your heart or their hear - James 4:1-2 Tell God your frustrations Most conflict is rooted in unmet needs; some needs can only be meet by God Always take the initiative God expects you to make the first move - Matthew 5:23-24 Abandon your offering at the alter and go make things right first Acting quickly reduces the spiritual damage Bitterness is only hurting yourself Sympathize with their feelings Use your ears more than your mouth - Philippians 2:4 Focus on feelings and not facts Start with sympathy, not solutions Confess your part of the conflict Ask "Am I the problem?" - Matthew 7:5 The way you handle a conflict creates a bigger hurt Attack the problem, not the person How you say it is important as what you say Cold War - country decided on weapons that should never be used Cooperate as much as possible - Romans 12:18 Sometime it cost our pride, self-centerness Emphasize reconciliation, not resolution Reconciliation focuses on the relationship Takes a lot of effort to restore a relationship | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-06-14 - Purpose Driven Life - Protecting Your Church It is your job to protect the unity of the church Supreme model for unity is the Trinity Jesus' final moment was thinking and praying about the church's unity Make every effort to keep the unity - Ephesians 4:3 Focus on what we have in common We share the same life, salvation, and same future Conflict - focused on "disputable matters" Be realistic in your expectations People become disillusioned with church Should not be surprised - made up of sinners, including ourselves - 1 Corinthians 1:10 Reconciliation - not running away - road to stronger character and deeper fellowship If the church must be perfect to satisfy you, that same perfection will exclude you Choose to encourage rather than criticize It is always easier to stand on the sidelines than get involved Judge another believer:
Satan is the accuser of our brothers Other Christians are not the real enemy Any time spent for comparing and criticizing should be used for building others up Refuse to listen to gossip People who gossip to you will also gossip about you Great wounds usually come from other sheep, not wolves Practice God's method for conflict resolution Go to the person you are having issues with - Matthew 18 Takes a man of courage to speak the truth in love Support your pastor and leaders - Hebrews 13:17 No perfect leaders They are accountable but so are you You will give an account on how you obeyed your leaders | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-06-15 - Purpose Driven Life - Created to Become Like Christ You are created to become like Christ Jesus' mission is restore the full image that we have lost God's ultimate goal for your life on earth in not comfort but character development If we forget this, you will become frustrated by your circumstances You exist for God's purpose, not vice versa Only the Holy Spirit has the power to make the changes God wants to make in our lives - Philippians 2:13 We must cooperate with the Holy Spirit's work Obedience unlocks God's power God waits for you to act first Make every effort - Luke 13:24; Romans 14:19; Ephesians 4:3; 2 Timothy 2:15 Ephesians 4:22-24 - Responsibilities in belonging like Christ:
God uses his Word, people, and circumstances to mold us
Being like Christ is a long, slow process of growth - You are a work in progress | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-06-16 - Purpose Driven Life - How We Grow God wants you to grow up - some grow older but never grow up (Ephesians 4:14-15) Nothing shapes your life than the commitments you make God's part and your part Our part is to: Continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling - Philippians 2:12-13 Our role = "work out" salvation (grow - in a body workout we have our body but we make it better) Changing your autopilot Becareful what you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts - Proverbs 4:23 Going on a diet, exercising does not work if you do not change your thinking - "I am going on a diet" The way you think determines the way you feel - which influences how you act - Ephesians 4:23 Babies by nature are completely selfish It is not the amount of biblical information and doctrine you know | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-06-17 - Purpose Driven Life - Transformed by Truth The truth transforms us Spiritual growth is the process of replacing lies with truth Everything around you exists because "God said so" Must accept the Bible's authority
Unrealiable authorities (at the Garden of Eden as well):
Must assimilate its truth Allow yourself to be transformed by the truth
Must apply it principles
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| 2008-06-18 - Purpose Driven Life - Transformed by Trouble God has a purpose behind every problem God uses problems to draw you closer to himself God had the ability to kept:
... but he didn't Problem force us to look to God and depend on him Romans 8:28-29 (NLT) And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters.
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| 2008-06-19 - Purpose Driven Life - Growth Through Temptation Happy is the man who does not give in - will be rewarded with the crown of life - James 1:12 Every temptation is an opportunity to do good through the path of maturity How does the Holy Spirit produce fruit in our lives? - Galatians 5:22-23 By allowing you to be tempted by the opposite opportunity
Temptation follows 4 steps:
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| 2008-06-20 - Purpose Driven Life - Defeating Temptation There is always a way out Refocus attention on something else By resisting, you actually reinforce it Reveal your struggle to a gold friend or support group If you fall, a friend can help you up - Eccelesiastes 4:9-10 Resist the Devil He will flee when you resist - James 4:7 Realize your vulnerabilities The heart is deceitful above all things- Jeremiah 17:9 Don't carelessly place yourself in tempting situations, avoid them - Proverbs 14:16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-06-21 - Purpose Driven Life - Overcoming Temptation Refuse to be intimidated You will never outgrow temptation Temptation is a sign that Satan hates you Paul says, "WHEN you are tempted..." - 1 Corinthians 10:13 Jesus was tempted, but never sinned - Hebrews 4:15 The closer you grown to God, the more Satan will try to tempt you Recognize your pattern of temptation Know what exactly what trips you up - Stay alert, Satan waits til you are napping - Matthew 26:41
Plan carefully what you do... - Proverbs 4:26-27 Request God's Help Call on God in times of trouble - Psalms 50:15 Jesus is sympathetic; he understands our weakness - Hebrews 4:15 We can be embarrassed to ask God for help after failing over and over again, but let us have confidence when approaching - Hebrews 4:16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-06-22 - Purpose Driven Life - It Takes Time There are no shortcuts to maturity - it takes us years to mature physically While we worry about fast we, God is concern how strong We arrive to spiritual maturity when have gained the fullness of Christ - Ephesians 4:13 Why does it take so long to learn?
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| 2008-06-23 - Purpose Driven Life - Dont Get In A Hurry Believe God is working in your life - Expect gradual improvement Keep a notebook or journal of lessons learned
There are many examples where God goes through the process of maturing It took over eighty years to mature Moses Don't try to get out of anything prematurely - James 1:4 Don't get discouraged Things God plans don't always happen right away, just be patient - Habakkuk 2:3 A delay is not denial from God | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-06-24 - Purpose Driven Life - Accepting Your Assignment You were put on earth to make a contribution Not what we get out of life, it what you give You were created to server God God created us for a life of good deeds - Ephesians 2:10 Set apart for a special work - Jeremiah 1:5 You were saved to server God Saved us and chose us for his holy work - 2 Timothy 1:9 We are not saved by service but you are saved for service Offer yourself as living sacrifices to God - Romans 12:1 Our love for each other proves we have gone from death to life - 1 John 3:14 A saved heart is one that wants to server He leaves us here to fulfill his purpose | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-06-25 - Purpose Driven Life - The Call and Commands to Serve You are called to serve God It is full-time position A "non-serving Christian" is a contradiction in terms You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God - 1 Peter 2:9 You are commanded to serve God For Christians, service is not an option Spiritual maturity is never an end in itself Maturity is for service, we grow up in order to give out Impression with expression cause depression Study without service leas to spiritual stagnation Galilee lake full of life - takes in water but also gives out Dead sea - takes in but the is no outflow Not who is going to meet my needs -> Whose needs should I meet? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-06-27 - Purpose Driven Life - Shaped for Serving God Before God created you, he decided what role he wanted you to play on earth You were made for a specific ministry. Created in Christ to do good works - Ephesians 2:10 God does not make junk God never wastes anything - he did not give you talents and gifts unless he intended for you to use them for his glory God shapes us: Spiritual Gifts Heart Abilities Personality Experience We will look at spiritual gifts and heart today: SHAPE: Spiritual Gifts He alone decides which gift each person should have - 1 Corinthians 12:11 If you had them all, you would not need others; teaches us to love and depend on each other Given gifts for the benefit of others Gift given as a means of helping the entire church - 1 Corinthians 12:7 Two gift problems:
Heart = desires, hopes, interest, ambition, dreams, and passion Heart reflects the person - Proverbs 27:19 You may have interest that no one else has - from God Don't ignore your interest; consider how they might be used by God Serve the Lord with all of your heart - Deuteronomy 11:13 How do you know if you are serving the Lord with all of your heart?
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| 2008-06-28 - Purpose Driven Life - Applying Your Abilities We are all have abilities that God has given us To build the Tabernacle, God engaged all kinds of craftsmanship - Exodus 31:3-5 All of our abilities come from God God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well - Romans 12:6 Can not say, "I don't have any abilities to offer"
Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God - 1 Corinthians 10:31 Remember the Lord your God; he give the ability to produce wealth - Deuteronomy 8:18 What I am able to do, God wants me to do God equips you will you need for doing well - Hebrews 13:21 Seriously examine what you are good at doing and do it God will never ask to something you have no talent for Abilities are not just to make a living, but also for service for him Be sure to use our abilities to help each other - 1 Peter 4:10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-06-29 - Purpose Driven Life - Using Personality and Experiences Personality You are very unique 102,400,000,000 in DNA terms It is obvious that God loves variety It is easier to work with the grain than against it Experiences
Greatest ministry comes from our most likely come from your greatest pain When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the comfort God has given us - 2 Corinthians 1:4 Paual was honest with his bouts of depression If Paul kept his experience to himslef, millions of people would have never benefitted from it Don't waste your pain, us it to help others
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| 2008-06-30 - Purpose Driven Life - Using What God Gave You Begin by assessing your gifts and talents Take a long honest look at what you are good at Experiment with different areas of service Consider your heart and personality Examine your experiences and extract lessons you have learned Remember today what you have learned about the Lord - Deuteronomy 11:2 Were rarely see God's good purpose - John 13:7 Run with patience the particular race that God has set before us - Hebrews 12:1 Satan can steal our joy by:
Avoid comparisons, resist exaggerations, and seek only God's commendations - 1 Corinthians 10:12-18
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| 2008-07-01 - Purpose Driven Life - Real Servants (part 1) We server God by serving others How can you know if you have the heart of Jesus? Real Servants make themselves available to serve Like a soldier, always by for duty - 2 Timothy 2:4
Real servants pay attention to needs Always looking out for ways to help others Real servants do their best with what they have Servant never make excuses, procratinate, wait for better circumstances | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-07-02 - Purpose Driven Life - Real Servants (part 2) Real servants do every task with equal dedication Whatever you do, do it with all your heart - Colossians 3:23
Small taks often show a big heart Real servants are faithful to their ministry Servants finish tasks, fullfill their responsibilities, and complete their commitments Real Servants maintain a low profile Put on the apron of humility, to serve one another - 1 Peter 5:5 Servants are content with quietly serving in the shadows Be confident that nothing you do for God is a waste of time or effort - 1 Corinthians 15:58 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-07-03 - Purpose Driven Life - Thinking Like a Servant (part 1) Service starts in the mind Servants think more about others than about themselves Not thinking less of ourselves, thinking of ourselves less Self-denial is the core of servanthood Servants think like stewards, not owners Remember the God owns it all
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| 2008-07-04 - Purpose Driven Life - Thinking Like a Servant (part 2) Servants think about their work, not what others are doing They do not compare, criticize, or compete with other servants; same goal and same team If you serve like Jesus, expect to be criticized Servants base their identity in Christ They are loved and accepted by grace, servants don't have to prove their worth Insecure people are always worrying about how they appear; want others to serve them instead Servants think of ministry as an opportunity, not an obligation Serve the Lord with gladness - Psalms 100:2 The only really happy people are those who have learned to serve | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008-07-05 - Purpose Driven Life - Gods Power in My Weakness (part 1) God loves weak people and everyone has weaknesses We usually deny, defend, excuse, hide and resent weaknesses God wants to use our strengths and weaknesses - 1 Corinthians 1:27 Admit your weaknesses Might be a good idea to list them Two great confessions:
Be content with your weaknesses I am glad about my weaknesses, so the power of Christ may work - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Reasons to be content:
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| 2008-07-06 - Purpose Driven Life - Gods Power in My Weakness (part 2) All God's great people in the Bible were weak but did not stay that way:
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