Quiet Times Search
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Displaying results from "0" to "25". (268 found)
| 2008-02-23 - Power of Gratitude - Trees, Clap your hands Cows and birds do a far better job of praising God than most humans - they function the way God wants them to function. Are at least half our times with God directed toward praise? Pray though Psalms about praise - Read 1-2 verses at a time
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| 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! |
| 2008-03-07 - 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:
"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
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| 2008-03-12 - Be Still My Soul - Time Outdoors Do you realize that nearly all of the people we read about in the Bible spent most of their time outside?
FInd park, trails, and open spaces. When is the last time you:
Psalms 19:1-4; Psalms 65:8-13 Time outside with God is just what many of us need and nothing else will suffice |
| 2008-03-30 - Be Still My Soul - Psalms You Sing Nothing is quite as effective as music in improving our moods and softening our hearts
Frees us from a mere intellectual approach Humbles us, especially those of us who are vocally challenged Get a songbook and start singing during your quiet times If your relationship with God seems dry and lifeless, music may be the missing element |
| 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 It is OK for a journey to have highs and lows Why love God? What touches you most about God?
Despite all the good qualities of God - our relationship with God still takes work |
| 2008-04-02 - Falling in Love with God - Bitterness An emotional response (along with fear) that succeed at undermining our love for God A result of an uncard-for emotional wound Matthew 18:15-17 - can resolve most issues Examples
Bitterness will actively oppose any attempt to restore our love for God Bitter or better - a channel of curses or blessings Disciples need Jesus' example to overcome the pain of the cross Jesus wants us to have his attitude toward suffering
Bible command us to get rid of all bitterness
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| 2008-04-03 - Falling in Love with God - Fear The other emotional response that undermines our love for God Perfect love drives our fear - 1 John 4:18 Fear one of the most powerful and universal tools Satan uses for:
There is healthy fear (like fearing God) but unhealthy fear is one that controls us and causes us to turn away from God's direction
God understands the destructive nature of fear |
| 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:
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. |
| 2008-04-19 - 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 |
| 2008-04-30 - 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 |
| 2008-05-05 - 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 |
| 2008-05-11 - 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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| 2008-05-14 - 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 |
| 2008-05-25 - 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 |
| 2008-06-02 - 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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| 2008-06-08 - 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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