Quiet Times Search

• 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

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

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

• Abraham - offering his son
• Jacob - working for Rachael
• ...and many others

• Adam and Eve - failed when tempted
• David - failed several times
• ...and many others

• Major changes
• Delayed promises
• Impossible problems
• Unanswered prayer
• Undeserved criticism

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?

• Peace
• Freedom
• Experience God's power

• 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
  

• 4 commandments  - deal with your relationships with people
• 6 commandments - deal with your relationships with God
• All 10 commandments deal with relationships!

• Lose fellowship with God
• Expose my pride and insecurity
• Set myself up to be judged by God
• Harm the fellowship

The truth transforms us

Spiritual growth is the process of replacing lies with truth

Everything around you exists because "God said so"
Job - I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread (Job 23:12)

Must accept the Bible's authority

• Compass to be relyed on
• Counsel to listen to
• Benchmark for evaluating

Unrealiable authorities (at the Garden of Eden as well):

• Culture - "everyone is doing it"
• Tradition - "we' ve always done it"
• Reason - "it seems logical"
• Emotion - "it just feels right"

Must assimilate its truth

Allow yourself to be transformed by the truth

1. Receive God's Word - Consider carefully how you listen - Luke 8:18
2. Read God's Word - Read it as long as we live - Deuteronomy 17:19
3. Research God's Word  - Write down insights, ask questions
4. Remebering God's Word - Remember what is important to you; memorize; resist tempation
5. Reflect on God's Word  - Meditate, focused thinking

Must apply it principles

• We can fool ourselves that studying is doing
• Applying the Word is hard work
• Alway good to write down an action step from the result of your studying
  • Personal (involves you)
  • Practical (can be done)
  • Provable (deadline)

God has a purpose behind every problem

God uses problems to draw you closer to himself
Lord is close to the brokenhearted - Psalms 34:18

God had the ability to kept:

• Joesph out of jail
• Daniel out the lion's den
• Paul from being shipwrecked 3 times
• Young Hebrew from being thrown in a furance

... but he didn't

Problem force us to look to God and depend on him
None of your problem could happen without God's permission

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.

• "God causes everything" - God is behind everything
• "to work together" - work together as part of God's plan
• "for the good" - the end result is for our hearts to be more like Jesus
• "of those who love God" - those who are obedient
• "according to his purpose"  - the purpose is "become like his Son"

There is always a way out
He will not permit any temptation that you could not overcome - 1 Corinthians 10:13

Refocus attention on something else

By resisting, you actually reinforce it
Don't fight the though, change the channel
Power of suggestion - the more you think about something, the stronger it takes hold of you
Temptation begins by capturing your attention - Satan can't get your attention when you are focused on something else

Reveal your struggle to a gold friend or support group

If you fall, a friend can help you up - Eccelesiastes 4:9-10
Hiding your hurt intensifies it
Satan wants you to think that your temptation is unique - We all fight the same temptations - 1 Corinthians 10:13
The reason we hide our faults is pride - everything is under control

Resist the Devil

He will flee when you resist - James 4:7
Without Christ we are defenseless against the Devil
Satan can not make you do anything, he can only suggest
Use the Word of God as your weapon against Satan - Jesus simply answered Satan with scriptures
Don't ever try to argue with Satan - he better at it

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

• Write down insights God teaches you
• Reason we must relearn lessons is forget them
• Keep a firm grip on what you have heard - so you don't drift - Hebrews 2:1
  

• Abraham was old
• Jacob was insecure
• Leah was unattractive
• Joseph was abused
• Moses stuttered
• Gideon was poor
• Samson was codependent
• Rahab was immoral
• David has an affair and many family problems
• Elijah was suicidal
• Jeremiah was depressed
• Jonah was reluctant
• Nomi was a widow
• John the Baptist was eccentric
• Martha worried a lot
• Samaritan women had several failed marriages
• Peter was impulsive and hot-tempered
• Zacchaeus was unpopular
• Thomas had doubt
• Paul had poor heath
• Timothy was timid

• Gift-envy - wanting a gift that someone else has
• Gift-projection - expect others to the same gifts as we do

• Enthusiasm - what you love to do; no one has to motivate
• Effectiveness - passion drives perfection

• Average person possesses from 500 to 700 different skills and abilities
• Brain can store 100 trillion facts
• Can handle 15,000 decisions a second
  

Personality

You are very unique 10^{2,400,000,000} in DNA terms
All the particles in the universe is less than 10⁷⁶

It is obvious that God loves variety
God works through different people in different ways; achieves his purpose through all - 1 Corinthians 12:6
So many personality conflicts between just the 12 disciples

It is easier to  work with the grain than against it
Mimicking someone else exactly does not work

Experiences

• Family experiences
• Education experiences
• Vocational experiences
• Spiritual experiences
• Ministry experiences
• Painful experiences

Greatest ministry comes from our most likely come from your greatest pain
God allows you to go through painful experiences for ministry of others

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
He eventually put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us - 2 Corinthians 1:8-10

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

Begin by assessing your gifts and talents

Take a long honest look at what you are good at
Try to have a sane estimate of your abilities - Romans 12:3
Make a list and ask other people

Experiment with different areas of service
When it doesn't not work out, call it an "experiment", not a failure

Consider your heart and personality
Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given - Galatians 6:4

Examine your experiences and extract lessons you have learned

Remember today what you have learned about the Lord - Deuteronomy 11:2
Forgotten experiences are worthless
Paul - "Were all your experiences wasted? I hope not! - Galatians 3:4

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:

1. Compare your ministry with others - others doing a better job
2. Conform your ministry to the expectations of others - you are doing better and you full of pride

Avoid comparisons, resist exaggerations, and seek only God's commendations - 1 Corinthians 10:12-18

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
Your weaknesses are not an accident
Being "poor in spirit" is the #1 attitude he blesses - Matthew 5:3
God is never limited by our limitations

Admit your weaknesses

Might be a good idea to list them

Two great confessions:

1. You are the Chrst (Matthew 16:16) - we need a savior
2. We are only human (Acts 14:15) - we are not God

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:

1. Causes us to depend on God - the less I have, the more I depend on him - 2 Corinthians 12:10
2. Prevents arrogance - So I wouldn't get a big head - 2 Corinthians 12:7
3. Encourages fellowship
4. Increases sympathy

• Prove the truth
• Argue the case
• Press for a verdict

• Easier to relate to than principles
• Capture our attention
• People are naturally curious about experiences they never have had
• Builds a relational bridge
• Bypasses intellectual defenses

1. What my life was before Christ
2. How I realized I needed Jesus
3. How I committed my life to Jesus
4. The difference Jesus has made in my life

David - "God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course" - Psalms 119:33
Solomon - gave us books of Proverbs filled with practical lessons

Here are some questions to help you remember the lesson God has taught us:

1. Taught us through failure
2. Taught us through a lack of money
3. Taught us through pain and sorrow
4. Taught us through waiting
5. Taught us through illness
6. Taught us through disappointment
7. Taught us through people (family, friends, church, critics)

• Personal fulfillment
• Self-centered
• Goes to enrichment seminars
• Avoids missions conferences
• Prayers focused on our needs

• Saved to serve
• Eager for personal assignment
• Only one who is truly alive
• Makes a difference

Feels good to feel loved - insecurities come from not being sure or for some reason other than unconditional love

In our worst shape, God demonstrated his love for us - Romans 5:8
Love that surpasses knowledge - Ephesians 3:19
The is not of higher value than unconditional love
Not a testimony to God's softness on sin
We will be changed if we understand God's love

Love you enough to have his son killed for you - while you (and me) were enemies of God
How much is his love toward you now that you his child?
Be imitators of God, as dearly loved children and live a life of love - Ephesians 5:1-2

If God loves us this much, we should as love this way - 1 John 4:11
Do you only love God when perform as you think he should? He doesn't!

Paul - Christ came to save sinners and I am the worst - 1 Timothy 1:15

Passover - it meant freedom for the Jews (from Egypt)
Jesus choose Passover to bring freedom to all through his death

It was a new relationship with God and man
God loved mankind but man hurt God with his sin

Jesus: with my life and death, you have a new relationship, now remember this
It will be forgotten in our lives if we don't make plans to remember

In the midst of our activities and pressure of life, we forget:

• How much he went through for us
• That we can be forgiven and start over again and again
• Why we are doing things we are doing

He took bread and gave thanks for this very reason - Luke 22:19

Give thanks and examine yourself - 1 Corinthians 11:28
Don't forget that in Christ there is no condemnation - Romans 8:1

How quick human nature is to accept credit for certain accomplishments
God made us and enables us to do everything
What do you have that you did not receive? - 1 Corinthians 4:7

I will not boast about myself, except my weaknesses (Paul) - 2 Corinthians 12:5

Why boast about our weaknesses?

• The cross affrirms our worth
• Frees us from performing
• So that Christ's power may rest on us - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Who would want the power of God?

A person that truly boasts in the cross does not:

• Pull away when not feeling appreciate enough
• Rely on recongnition of other to stay faithful
• Takes correction without prove their ways
• Prove thry already know something
• Project an image of self-worth
• Have a competive spirit

Jesus could keep a full record of your credits and debts - but do you want that? sin and all?
All credit should go to Jesus

Are you trying to earn your salvation
Boast in your weaknesses. Live in the power of God.

Answered the following questions in the Q & A section:

1. How many kinds of did Noah bring into the ark, two or seven?
2. How many sons did Abraham have?
3. How many women came to the tomb?
4. Is all scripture inspired?

Sacrifice - we think of pain, suffering, loss, and the uncomfortable concept of denying self
We hear: "Do what feels good"

Sacrifice is a voluntary presentation of ourselves to God to be used for his purposes
Jesus sacrificed his comfortable position with God to serve, heal, love, preach the good news

 We can respond in serveral ways to the sacrifice of Jesus:

• Pretend it never happened
• Can decide to hide from the challenge
• Immerse ourselves in other thoughts
• Stand back with our arms folded
• Understand the facts but no personal acceptance or responsibility

Christ love needs to compel us - 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
Hiding is dishonest. Spectating is hypocritical. Committing is powerful.

What happens when you offer your body as a living sacrifice?

• It produces many seeds - John 12:24-25
• Life truly becomes life
• Our joy is multiplied
• It effects us and other for enternity

What types of sacrifices is God asking of you right now?
Is there is anyone, anything, any place, or any position you are holding on to?

• We don't like it
• Trouble figuring it out
• Try hard to avoid it
  

• Why is God doing this to me?
• Is this from God or Satan?
• Why does he allow me to suffer like this?

• Jesus, through suffering, was made perfect - Matthew 26:36-46
• Our Lord sympathizes with our weakness - Hebrews 2:18
• He was without sin during his sufferings- Hebrews 4:15
• He forgave during his sufferings - Luke 23:34
• Accepted God's will for His life

• Consider it a pure joy - James 1:2
• Know it is for our maturity - James 1:3-4
• Know it is an opportunity to prove our faith - 1 Peter 1:6

• Connection to the highest places - John 1:11
• His ability to move the masses was unparalleled - Matthew 7:28
• His understanding of what it takes to succeed was clear and unwavering - John 12:23-24
• He stayed on task until it was done - John 19:30

• Working for a promotion
• Earn more money
• Gain material possessions
• Working for the Lord - Colossians 3:23

Joy set before him endured the cross - Hebrews 12:2-3
Jesus was a joyful person; even at the cross - at the cross it seemed that everything was going wrong

Yet joy joy was still in the heart of Jesus:

• He knew God was in control
• He didn't agrue with God
• He didn't need explaination
• He didn't need to justify himself
• He entrusted himself to the one who judges - 1 Peter 2:23

When we try to take over God's role - there is no joy
Jesus prayed for his disciples to have the full measure of his joy - John 17:13

Even the violent scene of the cross brought about joy and hope
What will you allow to steal your joy?

Unity has an immense impact on our lives

Tower of Babel - God said nothing they planned would be impossible for them - Genesis 11:6
House divided against impossible for them - Mark 3:25
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit - Ephesians 4:3

What are the obstacles to unity?

• Misunderstanding and wrong assumptions (Israelite tribes) - Joshua 22
• Selfish ambition (James and John) - Matthew 20:20-28
• Inferiority and insecurity
• Jealousy and selfishness (brothers of Joesph) - Genesis 37
• Ingratitude and unforgiveness (older brother of the prodical son) - Luke 15

Sin is the ultimate cause of all disunity. Forgiveness is the ultimate cure.

It defies our nature
Reflects a surrender that trusts God's justice
Demonstrates a humility that cares less for one's own rights than for the good of others

Who do you need to totally forgive?
Forgiveness is the key to bing reunited
We need a daily "state of our unions"

Three verse opened a whole new way of understanding Jesus:

• Jesus praying: Abba, Father, everything is possible for you - Mark 14:36
• We can cry Abba, Father  - Romans 8:15
• Because you are sons we can cry Father - Galatians 4:6

Prior to Jesus it was never used as a reference to God; even scandalous if used
Simular to "da-da" in English
Before Jesus, there was no one who could tell us what he could about God

We enjoy accomplishment: meeting a deadline, A on a test

Imagine the incredible feeling God must have experienced when he first viewed his own creation:

• Enjoyed developing Israel into a beautiful bride - Ezekiel 16:1-4
• Joyously san through the angels when his Son was born - Luke 2:8-14
• When the church was born - Acts 2

How would iy affect your prayer life if you had a deep conviction that God enjoys his relationship with you?
Sometime I feel like a bother to God, a frustration to him or a source of disappointment

God Enjoys Hearing Us Talking to Him
The longer we are in the Lord, the more secure and real we should be in our prayers
David communicated whatever he felt - God was able to discipline him to be the "man after his own heart"
Do you enjoy the fact that you can be totally real with God?

God Enjoys Watching Us
Parents enjoy children playing soccer, sing in a play, and read the Bible
God is the same way

Reasoning with God in prayer is an expression of great faith
The Canaanite woman was one of two times Jesus said someone had "great faith" - Matthew 15:21-28

Persistent widow reasoned with the unjust judge - Luke 18:1-8

We cannot change the eternal purposes of God but we can change his mind on how his purposes will be accomplished

Abraham was a man who reasoned with God - his Son being sacrificed - Genesis 18:23-33

Moses was too - God decided to destroy the disobedient Israelites and start a new nation
Moses gave specifc reasons for not destroying them and God heard him and changed his mind
He prayed with great humility - Numbers 12:3

True humility is the key to the prayer of reason - not telling God what to do
Expressing our outlook and giving reasons to back up our thinking

Mark 1:35, Matthew 14:13, and Luke 4:42 - shows us that Jesus often went to solitary places to pray

Solitude is essential in developing a deep relation ship with God
Be still and know I that I am from God - Psalms 46:10
Do you have a special place where you meet with God?

Psalms 5, 38, and 42 are examples of how open and expressive David was with God
He shared everything from joy and delight to anguish and dispair
How open are you with God?
God wants our hearts
As a result, we are much more open and real with others

We get fired up by sermons, fellowship, and music - Jesus went to be alone
There is nothing in your life that God cannot change

Prayer times make special memories
Israelites setup stones to remind them of what God had done - Joshua 4:7

Ideas for times with God:

• Write a love letter
• Sing a song you composed
• Write on a ballon, let it go
• Hang a poster and write the things God has done

• Help me be a better person
• Help me to change
• Help me to love you more

Whoever the enemies may be, the words of Jesus are still the same: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you - Matthew 5:44

It our enemies who afford us the opportunity to glory God by shining like stars - Philippians 2:15
This behavior is described in the Bible as "perfect" - Matthew 5:48
Only someone who loves God earnestly and has an eternal perspective on life is able to surrender

Must forgive and love our enemies to be permitted to be sons of God - Matthew 5:44

When praying for our enemies, we should focus on:

1. Their need for forgiveness - Luke 23:34
2. The power of God to change them - Acts 4:24-28
3. Our need to continue to preach boldly - Acts 4:29

Addressing God as the Father seems pretty normal - not the case in Jesus' day

Sometimes David prayed:

• O God
• O Lord
• O my God
• O my Lord

...but nowhere will you find David addressing the living god as "Father"
Gabriel was sent to respond personally to Daniel's great prayer in Daniel 9 - yet he did not address God as Father

Patriarchs, the prophets, and the priests of Israel were all men of prayer - never addressed their prayers to God as "Father"
Jesus gave believers the right to become children of God

We begin our time in prayer with a father-child relationship

After asking for help from the Holy Spirit, then focus on the relationship with
Prayer is primarily a vehicle of relationship

Pater (greek) = father
Abba (aramaic) = intimacy and endearment = daddy

Holy Spirit in our lives is a spirit of adoption by which God give us our spiritual birthright (Romans 8:16; Galatians 4:6)

He delights when we come to Him as our Father, Abaa, Daddy:

• Mr. Bentson - wrong
• Mr. Benson - contact
• Benson - co-worker
• Chad - friend
• Dad - daughter
• Honey - wife

The closer you are, the better responce you will get
He delights in your desire to spend time with Him

This relationship is critical to a healthy and vitaul prayer life
His fatherhood becomes real in my life
Bridge the gap between what I know in my head and what I experience in my life

Nothing we experience in the physical world will ever give us the the joy of our experience in the presence if God

David - "In your presence is the fulness of joy" - Psalms 16:11

Fullness of joy is what all men long for
There is one preeminent way to be with God - prayer

Some men have been created with personalities that are very logical and others are oriented to feeling and intuition
These inherent distinctions will shape our relationship with God

As our prayer lives develop, we each need to discover what dimensions of prayer are most effective for us
Lord's prayer provides a framework

• Such a life is attractive
• They will want to be like you
• Will see something inside is real
• Will see the difference