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Searching for "ever" in the Quiet Time Archive
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2008-02-24 - Power of Gratitude - Badly out of Focus
Children - they notice the one toy they do not have even with having a dozen other toys - how do we do?

Gratitude and ingratitude are based on our focus in life
  • Negatives - ingratitude
  • Positives - gratitude
You can tell the size of the person by the size of things it takes to make him angry

Philippians 4:8 - think about these things
Philippians 4:12-13 - secret to being content in any and every situation

Being content is a decision - 10% what happens to us; 90% how we react to the situation

Romans 8:38-39 - nothing can separate us from the love of God

2008-02-27 - Power of Gratitude - Free at Last

MLK - as bad as slavery was - there a slavery that last for eternity

2 Corinthians 5:21 - Jesus might become sin for us

As existence of righteousness does not ensure we receive it

Satan tries everything to help us miss this opportunity

Jews after saw their failures in the past - created many regulations so they would not sin

  • Not the content of their character
  • Basis of conformity to rules
  • Majored in the minors and minored in the majors

Religion that is performance based is doomed

  • what must we do to please God
  • Condemn others outwardly
  • Condemn ourselves inwardly
  • Everything becomes a matter of right and wrong
  • Hearts focused if we have done enough and have done it right
1 Corinthians 15:10 - I worked harder than all of them - yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me
Romans 7-8 - Focus is not on themselves but on him who died for them; Because they are saved
James 1:23-25 - Law points out their sin clearly / making them feel more indebted to God

Motivation to last a lifetime - Our love responding to his grace

Other motivations:
  • Fear - only for a while
  • Christian fellowship - until other's disappointments and failures
  • Ambition - until our disappointments and failures
NOT: Measure up and I will accept you
YES: I'll accept you, now let's walk together in my strength

2008-02-28 - Power of Gratitude - Thank God Im a Country Boy
What ever background we have, we can not change it

Cultural heritage - Jesus from Galilee and Nazareth
Job - Jesus was a carpenter son's
Appearance - Jesus "nothing in his appearance that we should desire him" (Isaiah 53:2)
Speech - Disciples "are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?" ( Acts 2:7 )

Why?
"God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise" (1 Corinthians 26-29)

Jesus understands and sympathizes - No one knows more about temptation than he.

Let he happy for how God made us and use it for his glory

2008-03-01 - Power of Gratitude - Don't waste your sin
Use the past to encourage others
Paul did - chief of sinners - 1 Timothy 1:15-16

Joseph did:
  • Told his brothers to not be distressed or angry with themselves for selling him to slavery
  • Purpose was to save the lives of his family - Genesis 45:5
  • He saved himself a lifetime of bitterness and self-pity
Until and unless we see God's presence in our challenges, we are going to sin
Rejection leads to rebellion, which in turn led to failure

We must become thankful rather than resentful or hurt - give the benefit of the doubt
Key to a life of acceptance is develop a deep gratitude for what God has done through our challenges
  • We must come to peace with the past
  • Develop his perspective on the matters at hand
  • Be gracious is your evaluation of others' roles
  • Forgive yourself and others
  • Never waste the impact that your past can have on others
  • Be thankful


2008-03-02 - Power of Gratitude - Making Peace with the Past
Putting the past behind us is very important to maintaining the attitude of gratitude
God is the God of new beginnings
Also also need to put past sucesses behind us - if glory days are in the past, so is our gratitude

Sins in the past - either what someone did to you or what you did to other/God

Dealing with past - goal to find how the past is messing up the present not to live in it

David psalms - he struggled at the beginning of many of the psalms and figured it out at the end during most
Writing feeling to help resolve the past - not new, David did it centuries ago

Forgetting the past was never to be inclusive of past blessings

What were you worry about a year ago? Don't know? God brought us through it!

2008-03-04 - Power of Gratitude - It is so Hard and but I Love it
Marriage - hardest year of a good marriage is the first one and the hardest year of a bad marriage is the last one

God brings opposites together - rigid and let it go types
Because God is trying to work off the rough edges

If we are to grow through trials, we must learn to view them correctly
First comes hurt, then can come anger or try to ignore it
Other turn to "grin and bear it" or "this too must past" - blocks us from growth

Garden of Gethsemance - Jesus expressed and dealt with emotional pain with prayer - Hebrews 5:7-10
If Jesus had to suffer, how much will we need to be perfected - Colossians 1:24
Trial both mature us and attract others at the same time
Rejoice in the sufferings - 1 Peter 4:13

Must have heaven's perspective in every situation
Even when can not figure out what God is doing - requires a child-like response

Why me? > Why not me?

2008-03-05 - Power of Gratitude - Is your Job Sacred or Secular?
A large percentage of our waking hours on the job
God expects even a slave to be happy with their lot in life - Colossians 3:22
Whatever you do, do it in the Lord's name - Colossians 3:17
Offer your bodies as living sacrifices - Romans 12:1

Full-time ministry
We are full-time if we are disciples
Others have gifts not in "up-front" roles
No child of the King of Kings should feel like a second-class citizen

  • Hospital worker = God's minister to the medical professionals
  • Factory worker = sweating it out for the Lord
  • Programming = designing and mental stress for the Lord


2008-03-07 - Power of Gratitude - Day-Tight Compartments
Sentence of death is on us and everyone we know

Matthew 6:34 - Focus on today, live in day-tight compartments, rather than worrying about tomorrow

The most important factor in remaining effective and thankful as we get older is to stay busy doing things that matter to God

Women of noble character was busy from dawn to dusk - Proverbs 31
Being happy with our lot in life and our work - Ecclesiastes 5:19-20

Worried about aging and death - No, because I would be ungrateful for all the blessing God has given me
Every good and perfect gift is from above (people in our lives) - James 1:17

What percentage of your thoughts focus of past regrets and future worries?

2008-03-08 - Power of Gratitude - Is This All There Is?
Most of the physical pursuits of life (Ecclesiastes) are substitutes for what we really need - a relationship with God

"Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ" - Philippians 3:7-11

The answer - to be totally immersed in my relationship with God through Christ
To know God in such a way and at such a level that all else pales into comparision
When this level is reached, nothing else will matter:
  • Not position
  • Not recognition
  • Not performance
  • Not respect
Fear of death will lose its hold

"For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain" - Philippians 1:21

Thankful books

Do it just before going to bed every night
God is too good for us not express gratitude
Ideas: come up with 7 areas of gratitude and incorporate one area into your prayers each day
  • Physical blessings
  • Family blessings
  • Spiritual blessings


2008-03-09 - Be Still My Soul - Early Morning Time

Jesus went to God early in the morning
If Jesus needed to do this, how much more should we?

Excuses:

  • I'm not a moring person
  • I have to leave for work early
  • I have to get the kids off to school
  • I don't want to be legalistic

How does spending the early morning with God help build a closer relationship with him?

  • Show the priority of this relationship
  • Our waking thoughts determine the tone and course of our day
  • Quietest times of the day
  • Emotion have had time to recover
  • Able to clear our consciences of guilt
  • Cast our burdens upon the Lord
  • Able to draw from his power for the day ahead (Psalms 5:1-3)

Hard time getting our of bed?

  • Go to bed at a decent hour
  • Set a definite wake up time
  • Be responsible for getting out of bed - your responsibility
  • Do whatever it takes to wake up
  • Take an early morning shower
  • Two clocks, far from bed


2008-03-10 - Be Still My Soul - Quiet Time

Jesus deeply valued his time alone with God

Jesus sought out quiet time
"Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest" - Mark 6:31b
"Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" - Luke 5:16
Occasional devotions are OK but should never replace our private time with God

Jesus found a quite place
"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father" - Matthew 6:6
If you have no quite place - your relationship will be shallow and limited

Jesus urged alertness
Jesus pleaded with them to be awake and alert in prayer - Mark 14:37-42
Be "clear minded and self-controller" so that we can pray - 1 Peter 4:7

How long? until a sense of peace and closeness with God

How much time in prayer and study? mix it up; our relationship should not become stale

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you" - John 15:4-8



2008-03-14 - Be Still My Soul - All the Time
To be real, a relationship with God must be all-the-time
If not, you are compartmentalizing your walk with God

"I am with you always" - Matthew 28:20
""Pray continually" - 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Nehemiah prayed, wept,and fasted for days before talking wit King Artaxerxes then he prayed again right before talking to him just before opening his mouth - Nehemiah 2:4b

  • Your relationship with God does not depend how you have a quiet time
  • We should learn to pray short prayers throughout the day
  • If we don't remember God throughout the day, can become legalistic about our quiet times

Both are needed - a quiet time can never replace all-the-time

2008-03-18 - Be Still My Soul - How to Study
God intends for every disciple of His to delight in His Word - Psalms 119:18

Ways to study:
  • Study one book of the Bible - Make a simple outline; sometimes we lose patience in our understanding - keep working at it
  • Study a section of a book - ie Sermon of the Mount; Jesus and the disciples in the upper room
  • Study one chapter of the Bible - Hebrews 11, 1 Corinthians 13, and others
  • Study one verse - This is really deep! compare it, cross reference words, look up meanings
  • Study one topic - understand and master; use topical, chain-reference, and concordance
Take notes and review each day

2008-03-20 - Be Still My Soul - Bible Studies That Changed my Life
Author, Sam Laing, describe different times in his life when quiet times were life changing including:
  • Gospel of John - John 13-17
  • As a young ministry intern, Paul's letters to Timothy and Titus
  • As a mature Christians, David and the Psalms
  • After failure, Isaiah 40-66
  • Entering forties with cynicism and anger, Book of Ecclesiastes
  • All the time, study of Jesus
Never tire of reading about Jesus - his words, poise, love, and balanced character

2008-03-22 - Be Still My Soul - The Pattern (Part 2)
Our Father.
  • We are longer slave but sons ans daughters
  • We can approach him with confidence because of Jesus
In heaven.
  • With Jesus as the high priest,  we can confidence to enter the into the throne room of God
  • Can gain a heavenly perspective
  • Praise God that his resources there are limitless
Hallowed be your name.
  • Being holy, set apart, above us
  • Prayer is not just asking for something but for honoring Him
Your kingdom come.
  • Kingdom has not come to every nation and place nor every person
  • Pray for God to open doors, speaking boldly, with wisdom
  • Pray for those who server and in leading roles
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
  • God wants us to pray about surrendering to his will
  • Challenges is our life must not be avoided but have a surrendered life
  • Read some command and ask yourself if you are following them
  • Jesus never asked for strength to go to the cross but only that he might surrender
  • Besides pride and rebellion, unbelief keeps us from doing God's will
Give us today our daily bread.
  • Bring specific needs to God
  • Must depend on God daily for our spiritual and physical needs
  • Pray thorough your todo list and details
  • Jesus said we could do nothing apart from God - John 15:5
Forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors.
  • Lack of confession results in a hardened heart
  • We will not mature if do not do this soul searching
  • Be specific; ask others for forgiveness if needed
  • Extend forgiveness; can not be forgiven by God otherwise
And lead us not into temptation.
  • What are your weaknesses? Have you faced them?
  • Draw on God's power before Satan strikes
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
  • Return again to praising and glorifying God
  • All power rests in his hand


2008-03-23 - Be Still My Soul - Pour Out Your Heart
We can to one of a few things in challenging times:

  • Handle it ourselves
  • Turn to God superficially; mentioning thing to God
  • Turn to God - pouring out our hearts

Pour out your hearts - Psalms 62:8
I pour out my complaint before him  - Psalms 142:2

How can we be close to someone if we have not poured out our hearts

God is all-knowing but unless we tell him our feelings we will never draw close
Everyone has feelings; it may be difficult at first

Jesus: offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears - Hebrews 5:7

Suggestions:
  • Get in the habit of telling God how you feel
  • Be in a private place
  • Take a period of time away
  • Allow yourself to cry - frustration, sorrow, or joy


2008-03-25 - Be Still My Soul - Personal
Moses enjoyed a relationship with God that few have ever known
He was face to face - It was because Moses wanted that way

When Moses was heading to the promised land God said he would not go with him - Exodus 33:2
Moses was appalled, recoils in horror
It was not enough to be forgiven
It was not enough to be successful

Moses wanted to know more of God - Now show me your glory (Exodus 33:18)

How would I react? Would I be fine with the promised land without God?
We can sing, strive to be committed, give money, work hard to share our faith, and even pray
Must be more focused on closeness to God more than on the success of our ministry

2 Corinthians 3 - in Jesus we can have a greater relationship with God than what Moses had the opportunity to have

2008-03-29 - Be Still My Soul - Praise
Thanksgiving is praise made practical
  • We always thank God - Colossians 1:3
  • Overflowing with thankfulness - Colossians 2:6-7
  • And be thankful - Colossians 3:15
  • Being watchful and thankful - Colossians 4:2
What should we be grateful for?
  • Answered prayer
  • Blessings of family and friends
  • Health
  • Material blessings
  • Church
Our appreciation grows, our anxiety decreases, and our joy abounds
Never known a person who habitually expressive of gratitude to be afflicted with continual discouragement and depression
Good idea to start and keep a gratitude list

2008-03-31 - Falling in Love with God - Intro

Loving God is a journey

Father draws us to himself - John 6:44

Father does not change - James 1:17
Hard to understand God when we are so inconsistent

It is OK for a journey to have highs and lows

Why love God?
Why not just obey him?
Why not just "gut out" our journey with God? Because we are commanded to

What touches you most about God?

  • He never quits
  • Always a refuge
  • Always will take you back
  • He will make sure you know where you are
  • Champion of the truth and the underdog
  • Tender with the weak and brokenhearted
  • Hammer the arrogant and pround
  • Never makes a mistake

Despite all the good qualities of God - our relationship with God still takes work



2008-04-04 - Falling in Love with God - Doing vs Being
Remembering the height from which you have fallen - Revelation 2:1-7
Doing the right works does not mean you are doing good

Not a substitute for dealing with our heart

Satan's plan: Damage our relationship with God, then damage our faith about our ability to change

Ephesians
  • Are Hardworking
  • Have Persevered
  • Are Intolerant of Evil
  • Endured persecution
We can not draw near to God by activity

2008-04-08 - Falling in Love with God - Jesus: Their All
1 John 1:1-4

Jesus: that which:
  • Was from the beginning
  • We have heard
  • We have seen with our eyes
  • We proclaim
"No one ever spoke the way this man does" - John 7:46

Christ was their happiness
Christ was their peace
Christ was what they wanted to experience in life
They were committed to experiencing Christ

Paul's joy of completing the task the Lord Jesus has given him - Acts 20:16-24

They did not chafe at the cost of following Christ - cost was a chance to grow

2008-04-10 - Falling in Love with God - Jesus: Together Forever
No eye has seen,
 No ear has heard
  No mind has conceived
   What God has prepared for those who love him - 1 Corinthians

Our Journey to heaven is like a race:
  • If you start too fast, you can die
  • The most important thing is finishing
  • Cannot compare myself to anyone else or I will get thrown off
  • I think about walking when I think no one is looking
  • Envy people standing on the sidelines
  • Finish line seems to literally pull me along
Heaven is the finishing line that should literally pull me along

Can you imagine what it will be like to see Christ face to face?
He might say something like "I never doubted; I knew you would make it!"

I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far - Philippians 1:21-26

Better than what? Better than all.

2008-04-11 - Falling in Love with God - Remembering The Father

It is good to be reminded of who God the Father is:

1. God's love is unconitional

  • Thomas, the douber, was forgiven
  • Peter, who deied the Lord, was forgiven
  • Paul, killer of Christians, was forgiven

The only ones who dail to receive forgiveness are the ones who fail  to ask for it

2. God always comes through

God is faithful, he can not disown himself (2 Timothy 2:13)

3. Nothing is impossible for God

God's power is absolute
He can change anyone and anything
It is never an issue of whether or not God has power, it is if we believe

4. God never makes a mistake

He knows what we can bear - he is always right



2008-04-15 - Falling in Love with God - Holy Spirit with us
What else should I be conscious of regarding the Holy Spirit:
  • Spirit's circumcision of my heart - Romans 2:29
  • God pours his love into my heart via the Spirit - Romans 5:1-5
  • God's Spirit lives in me - 1 Corinthians 3:16
  • Holy Spirit within me cries out to God - Galatians 4:6
  • Credit for all wisdom and revelation goes to the Spirit - Ephesians 1:17
  • He himself testifies to us that he lives within us - 1 John 4:23
Every spiritual thought we have is the result of the workings of God's Spirit within us

2008-04-17 - Falling in Love with God - Experiencing the Spirit
What does it mean to NOT experience the Spirit?

Paul had six questions (Galatians 3:15)
  • Who has bewitched you?
  • Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law or believing what you have heard?
  • Are you so foolish?
  • Trying to attain your goal by human effort?
  • Suffered so much for nothing?
  • Does God give you his Spirit because you observing the law or because you believe?
Paul's point: You are falling out of love with God

Our works will never validate our relationship with God
Only relying on the Spirit, can we feel free to have deepening relationship with God

Spirit helps with:
Help not have a heart of stone - Ezekiel 36:24-27
Speak to us not to fear - Haggai 2:1-5
Encourage one to return to God - Isaiah 44:22

No phone calls, sermon, nor spiritual book can move my heart live the Spirit

Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing - John 6:63

We are never alone on this journey - constant source of strength, wisdom, truth, and refreshment

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