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2008-04-07 - Falling in Love with God - Dashed Hopes
We had hoped to become leaders
We had hoped not to move again
We had hoped that people would understand our needs
We had hoped overcome sins
We had hoped husband or wife would make changes

On the road to Emmaus - they did not see Jesus in their walk until Jesus' lit a fire under them

It is not until lost it all - that we will listen to God

David (1 Samuel 18-22)
  • Lost a position
  • Lost his wife
  • Lost a wise counselor
  • Lost a friend
  • Lost self-respect
The purpose is rediscover him
  • Lost hope in your relationships - God may want you to rediscover how He can meet all your needs
  • Lost hope in financial stability - God may want you to rediscover how to totally depend on him
  • Lost hope in someone changing - God may want you to rediscover his expectations for you


2008-04-09 - Falling in Love with God - Jesus: Anointed One
Jesus is the Christ, Messiah - meaning the "Anointed One"

The book of Acts - Christ was lifted high
  • The good news that Jesus is the Christ - Acts 5:42
  • Proclaimed the Christ there - Acts 8:5
  • Jesus is the Christ - Acts 9:22
  • "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ" - Acts 17:3
  • Testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ - Acts 18:1-5
God's Christ was not confined to mere 33 years
By him all things were created - 1 Colossians 1:16-20

Sometimes we forgot - The Christ still lives today


Romans 8:28
  • Who can be against us? No one
  • Who will bring any charge against us? No one
  • Who is he that condemns? No One
Christ is "begging God for us" Hebrews 7:25 (Dios Habla Hoy Bible)

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



2008-04-12 - Falling in Love with God - Our False 'Gods'

Here are some false 'Gods' we can create in our mind:

  • He get "attitudes" when we misbehave
  • He does not really forgive
  • His power is limited to people's choices
  • He has no reason to his plan
  • He does not always answer prayer; too busy
  • He thinks we ask for too much stuff
  • He does not want to "over-bless"
  • He will bless when you have earned it
  • He looks are the results of our performance
  • He barely tolerates our presence

All of these ideas are false, contridict the Bible, and are from Satan

If this is my "Father", I will have a turbulent relationship with "him"



2008-04-13 - Falling in Love with God - Our Perception

We must wafe through our fog of experience and except the truth about God

We can not love a God who is created in our own image

God's timing doesn't always make sense to us:

  • Sarah - 25 years before blessing her with a son
  • Moses - was 80 years old before God
  • Joshua - 40 years of preaching outside of Jersalem
  • Jesus - 40 days of tempation in the dessert for about 1000 days of ministry

Some of us have bad days, maybe years. How do we return to God?

Our only hope is to believe in his promises more than we believe in our own perceptions



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

2008-04-19 - Falling in Love with God - Intimacy
Dictionary definition of Intimacy:
  1. Marked by close acquaintance
  2. Relating to one's deepest nature
  3. Innermost
  4. Marked by informality
  5. Very personal
Respectful, but must not be formal - personal

"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:
  • Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor; he reclining at the table with them - John 12:2
  • Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table - Luke 22:14
  • Here reclined at the table with them - Luke 24:30
To fall in love with God, we need to relax and "recline at the table" with our maker
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

2008-04-22 - Falling in Love with God - Listening
Whose voice should I listen to?

There are many voices:
  • Voice of guilt that reminds me of the past
  • Voice of doubt tries to tell me about the future
  • Voice that says we are weak and can not do it
  • Voice that judges me of wrong doing and bad motivation
Reason for the voices is our own sinful nature

To deal with these other voice we need to memorize scriptures - to not be swayed and know the correct voice to listen to

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

2008-04-27 - Falling in Love with God - Practical Inspiration

Get Out of Here

Sometimes the first step in restoring our hearts is simply to get out of the house
Why go outside?

  • Quiet - able to meditate
  • Parents - able to get up before the kids do
  • Nature is full of inpsiration
  • Much more freedom outside

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
Insights of yesterday about the cross need to be consistently refreshed
God never spoke louder than he did on Calvary

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:

  • Baptism photos
  • Special note from friends
  • Wedding Vows
  • Memorabilia from children being born

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:

  • If we seek relief in salvation, this is what we will find
  • If we seek acceptance and a community, this is what we will find
  • If we seek wisdom and insight, this is what we will find
  • If we seek effective ministry, this is what we will find
  • If we seek God more and more deeply, this is what we will find

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
Talent, experience, and insight are cheap gifts and can never take the place of a heart that seeks after God

There are many decisions that you need make about your relationship with God:

  • How much time should go by without special prayer time?
  • What am I trying to accomplish in my Bible study?
  • What do I need to allow the message of God really soak into our heart?
  • Where can I go and be really free to wrestle emotionally with the will of God?


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
John 6:44 - No one can come to me unless the Father draws him

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"
After high school, we may go to college and narrow our focus of learning and become passive learners

  • We listen to the voice of our experience as the final authority
  • We learn mostly from our mistakes
  • We learn when we are forced to out of control - crisis, illness, death

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



2008-05-03 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Rest of the Story
The first person who presents a case - seems right - Proverbs 18:17
  • Marriage counseling - one view, then a different view
  • Forming opinion without all the background information
  • Good leader - realizing he does not know everything about every subject
  • Been hurt by others - assume others are the same way
Good thing to say: "I have seen something which concerns me, but I haven't heard your side yet"

Involving everyone on a decision will help others to feel valued and for you to consistently have good decisions

We have trouble listening to other opinions besides our own

Can you get hurt by other that love you? Yes
 - Double indemnity insurance policy against unresolved issues (Matthew 18:15-17 and Matthew 5:23-24)

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
  • Deny self daily
  • Repentance - when we don't respond to God's grace - God will find a way to help us to repent
    • Through kindness - Romans 2:4
    • Through discipline - Hebrews 12:5-11
  • Persevering though suffering - James 1:2-4
Greater the gain in spirituality, the larger the price tag

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:
  • Cried regularly - Hebrews 5:7
  • Open about disappointments - Luke 19:41-44
  • Open about struggles - Matthew 26:36-46
Thank God for those who are both emotionally based and spiritually strong at the same time

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

  • Too focused on positional goals in the church
  • Excel at work or school - not working for the Lord but working for self - Colossians 3:23
  • Too much pressure for a child to succeed - Train a child in the way he should go - Proverbs 22:6
  • Allowing secondary motivation become the primary motivation
Examples of primary and secondary motivations:

Subject Primary Secondary
Job Glorify God Make money; Career
Following God Love God with everything we have Learning Bible facts, being disciplined, spiritual goals


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:
  • How much have we accumulated?
  • Why have we accumulated it?
  • How much are we using?
  • How are we using it?
  • How attached are we to it?
Colossians 3:23 - work for the Lord
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
Guilt-ridden people are not joyful people, poor advertisements for God's kingdom

Good thing to do our best but when mixed with pride is a wrong turn
Ex. Parental pride = making children reach a goal that unattainable

Rejection (or fear of) - is the root of most of our insecurities
We either pull back or prove ourselves through performance
Much of our competitiveness come from this source

Performance-oriented tries to conceal insecurities with a superimage of self
Deep-down we want love and acceptance
Real love is unconditional

Unless we are open about our negative points we will never reallty feel loved

Paul opened up his life:

2 Corinthians 6:11-13

  • Spoke freely
  • Open wide his heart
  • Not withholding affection


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
  • Negativity oftn excites stronger emotions
    • Easily swayed by the negative report
    • Forgot God's amazing miracles and victories
  • Negative thinking is a pervasive tendency
  • Majority of people inevitably practice negative thinking
    • No wonder so many people reacted negatively to Jesus
    • How many were confident that the resurrection would follow? Next to nil
  • Negativism is deceptive to observers - seems normal
  • Negatives are often mixed with positives to sound better
  • Leaders have a responsibility to determine the thinking of the group
  • Negativity is tragic in its results - destroys faith and unity of the group
No one remembers the names of the spies, we do know the name of those who avoided or overcame negativeness

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

2008-05-17 - 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
  • v1 - Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses
  • v2 - Hasn't God also spoken through us?
  • Had a personality conflict but did not want admit it - fought over doctrine
  • v9 - Lord anger burned against them and left them
Unity of believers is the acid test of whether we are really his disciples - John 17:20

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


Doctrine thinking Spiritual thinking
Arrogance
Humility
High blood pressure Inner peace
Division Unity
Leads people to hell Leads people to heaven
Man-centered God-centered
Unspiritual Spiritual


2008-05-19 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Sentimentality

Can easily become sentimental when talking about salvation:

  • Family, people you are emotionally connected with
  • Thinking about people in remote parts of the world
    • It would be cruel to share the gospel with someone who hadn't heard it and was saved
    • Like not throwing a life jacket because you think they will be alright
  • Religous people - would you be willing to stand before God with - infant baptism or non-disciple life?

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:

  • We become judgmental and reason like Pharisee; we are policeman, God is the judge
  • Lose our conviction religious doesn't equal salvation

 



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
  • Even though he did not know where he was going
  • Even though he was pass age to have kids
  • Even though he God said to sacrifice his son
  • Abraham reasoned... spiritually
Romans 4:18 - Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed

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 can change
  • Our children can change
  • Our marriages can change
  • Our hearts can change
  • We just can't give up

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
  • Discover your identity and purpose through Jesus
  • God was thinking of you long before you ever thought about him
  • Purpose of your life fits into a much larger purpose


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's purpose is not limited to our past

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:

  1. Gives meaning to your life
    • I have laboed to no purpose - Isaiah 49:4
    • My life drags by - day after hopeless day - Job 7:6
    • My life makes no sense - Job 7:16
  2. Simplies your life
    • You have just enough time to do God's will - too much to do means you doing things you shouldn't be doing
  3. Focuses your life
  4. Motivates your life
  5. Prepares you for eternity


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:
  • Abraham - offering his son
  • Jacob - working for Rachael
  • ...and many others
Failed:
  • Adam and Eve - failed when tempted
  • David - failed several times
  • ...and many others

Your realize that nothing is insignificant, tested by:
  • Major changes
  • Delayed promises
  • Impossible problems
  • Unanswered prayer
  • Undeserved criticism

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
Earth is only a temporary residence
Christians should carry spiritual green cards

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
It is a fatal mistake to assume God's goal for your life is material prosperity or popular success

  • Paul was faithful - ended up in prison
  • John the Baptist was faithful - was beheaded

Some would consider them foolish and lost everything but they gained everything - God and heaven

In heaven we will ask ourselves:

  • Why did I place so much importance things so temporary?
  • What was I thinking?
  • Why did I waste so much time on thing that will not last?


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

2008-05-31 - Purpose Driven Life - What Makes God Smile? (Part 2)
Noah was an example of making God smile (continued):
  1. When we obey him wholeheartedly
    • Noah was given detailed instructions on: size, shape, number of animals, and materials
    • Completely, wholeheartedly, without delay, without explanation, joyfully, with enthusiasm
    • Wholeheartedly = completely and exactly
    • Partial obedience is disobedience
  2. When we praise and thank him continually
    • Noah built an altar to the Lord - Genesis 18:20
    • We are to offer a sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving - Hebrew 13:15; Psalms 116:17
  3. When we use our abilities
    • God enjoys every detail, not just "spiritual" activities - Psalms 37:23
    • Reject yourself, you reject God's wisdom in creating you
    • There are no nonspiritual abilities just misused ones
    • Children do not have to anything special to make their parents happy


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
 
  • Peace
  • Freedom
  • Experience God's power
Surrendered people are the ones God uses
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

2008-06-05 - 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
  • Must be based on the truth (Not Idols)
  • John 4:23 - Based on Spirit and Truth
... our worship is authentic
  • With ALL of your heart and soul
  • God sees the attitudes of the heart
  • Biggest distraction in worship is yourself
  • Best style of worship is the one that most authentically represents your love
 
...our worship is thoughtful
  • Be different - think about the meaning
  • Be specific - I love you, praise you (why?)
  • Make a list of names for God
  • Avoid repetition, cliches
  • Be sensitive to unbelievers
 
... our worship is practical
  • Offer your bodies - Romans 12:1
  • God says "Give me all you got"
  • "I'll be with you in spirit" - Body and spirit can not separate until death
  • Real worship costs - cost us of our self-centeredness


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:
  • Good and loving - Job 10:12
  • All powerful - Job 42:2; 37:5, 23
  • Every detail of his life - Job 23:10, 31:4
  • He is in control - Job 34:14
  • Has a plan for my life - Job 23:14
  • He will save me - Job 19:25
Trust God to keep his promises
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

2008-06-08 - 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
  • 4 commandments  - deal with your relationships with people
  • 6 commandments - deal with your relationships with God
  • All 10 commandments deal with relationships!
 
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?

2008-06-10 - Purpose Driven Life - A Place to Belong
You are called to belong
Relationship with Christ is personal but not private
Your organs are connected to other organs to fulfill a purpose
Organ severed from the body will shrivel and die
 
Christ loved the church and gave his life for it - Ephesians 5:25
 
Church is Christ's bride
Can't say to Christ "I love you but I do not love your wife
 
Why you need a Church Family?
 
1. Identifies you as a genuine believer
 
2. Move you out of self-centered isolation
 
Lab for practicing unselfishness
Learn to care about others
If one part suffers, all suffer - 1 Corinthians 12:16
We ought to lay down our lives for our brothers - 1 John 3:16
 
3. Helps develop spiritual muscle
Isolation breeds deceitfulness
 
4. Body Needs you
 
5. Share in Christ's mission - He works through us
 
6. Church family will help you from backsliding
 
"Mind your own business" - not a Christian phrase
It is your responsibility to help those who need help
 
Difference between a church attender and a church member is commitment

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
  • Honest with who you are - otherwise we are just fooling ourselves - 1 John 1:7-8
  • Requires courage and humility
  • We only grow by taking risks - being honest is a major risk
 
... Mutuality (Romans 1:12)
  • Depending on each other
  • Sharing responsibility
  • Mutual accountability
 
... Sympathy
  • Sharing pain of others (Colossians 3:12)
  • Meet needs of being understood and the validation of our feelings
  • Self-Pity dries up sympathy for others
  • Times of crisis, grief, doubt when we need each other the most
 
... Mercy
  • Can't have fellowship without forgiveness
  • Bitterness and resentment always destroys fellowship
  • Never be asked to forgive someone more than God has forgiven you
  • Energy for retaliation or resolution?
  • Forgiveness immediate; Trust takes time


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:
  • Lose fellowship with God
  • Expose my pride and insecurity
  • Set myself up to be judged by God
  • Harm the fellowship
 
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:
  • Choose to let go of old ways
  • Must change the way we think
  • Must put on the "character of Christ by developing new, godly habits

God uses his Word, people, and circumstances to mold us
  • Truth we need to grow
  • Support when we need guidance or when we fail
  • Environment we need to practice Christ-likeness
In many religions, the mature isolate themselves, not those who are being like Christ

Being like Christ is a long, slow process of growth - You are a work in progress

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