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Searching for "thoughts" in the Quiet Time Archive
Displaying results from "0" to "25". (55 found)

2008-02-25 - Power of Gratitude - Solitary Places
When gratitude cause us to rise early to spend time with God - seeing one of the greatest fruits
No one says that QT must happen in the morning - it always goes better than the days when trying to work out another time during the day

I learned to pray when I sensed that I would come apart at the seams emotionally unless I didn't

Three things helped with prayer life:
  • Solitary place - no bothered for a curtain amount of time
  • Can walk and pray
  • Can pray out loud
writing can help - proven by therapists -  helps with negative thoughts

There is  no gratitude without prayer

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?

2008-03-09 - 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


2008-03-16 - Be Still My Soul - Keeping a Journal

Reasons for a journal:

  • It give you a jump start to your day - helps to remember and build on previous QTs
  • Can build on a thought or a theme
  • Reveals our spiritual progress
  • Keeps us focused on our goals and convictions
  • Becomes a seedbed of great inspiration and insight

Practical advice about journals:

  • Set aside a notebook  - better than random pieces of paper
  • Have a place to write down random thoughts and things that need to be done so you are not distracted
  • Keep our goals before you

 



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

2008-06-16 - Purpose Driven Life - How We Grow

God wants you to grow up - some grow older but never grow up (Ephesians 4:14-15)

Nothing shapes your life than the commitments you make
Many are afraid to commit to anything and drift through life

God's part and your part

Our part is to: Continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling - Philippians 2:12-13

Our role = "work out" salvation (grow - in a body workout we have our body but we make it better)
God's role = "work in" us

Changing your autopilot

Becareful what you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts - Proverbs 4:23
Changing what you think, changes you

Going on a diet, exercising does not work if you do not change your thinking - "I am going on a diet"

The way you think determines the way you feel - which influences how you act - Ephesians 4:23

Babies by nature are completely selfish
Many never grow beyond that kind of thinking

It is not the amount of biblical information and doctrine you know
Deeds must be constant with our creeds / Beliefs backed up with Christlike behavior



2008-08-07 - 30 Days at the Cross - Spectators or Sacrifices

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?



2008-09-15 - Teach Us To Pray - Changes in Character
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place - Psalms 51:6
Character can grow if we take a sober gut-level check look at who we are

Too often we pray:
  • Help me be a better person
  • Help me to change
  • Help me to love you more
We don;t know specifically what we need to change
When we aim at nothing, that is what we hit

The word of God discerns the thoughts and intentions of our heart - Hebrews 4:12-13
Like a mirror reflecting how we look spiritually - James 1:23-25
We also learn the truth about ourselves from other people in our lives - Proverbs 20:5

Ask God to help you see what you need to change
Ask others what things they see in your sinful nature

How badly do you want to change?
It will show by the way you pray
My power is made perfect in weakness - 2 Corinthians 12:9

2008-10-05 - Man of Prayer - Name
In Jesus' day, a person's name reflected one's character
God had powerful encounters with an individual, he would change the person's name with the change in them

Halllow mean to treat with great reverence
Focusing our thoughts helps lead to a response of worship

Many focus on telling God their needs, need to focus on God
Seek first his kingdom - Matthew 6:33

In interpersonal communication, remember a person's name is very important
Moses asked God, "Who shall I say sent me?"
God answered, "Tell them I AM has sent you"

YHWH (Yahweh) is the proper name of the living God
God is the God who is, who causes to be, and who will be who He will be
Thinking about God in this way gets my focus on Him

2008-11-01 - Man of Prayer - Getting Honest
On a daily basis we need to allow the Holy Spirit to show us areas of our life to be brought to confession

Psalms 139:23-24
  • Search me
  • Know my heart
  • Test me
  • Know my anxious thoughts
  • See if there is any offensive way
  • Lead me to the way of everlasting
Psalms 19:12-13
  • God can discern our errors
  • Forgive our faults


2009-02-21 - Jesus with People - Devil in Disguise

John 13:27-31

Jesus knew all men - John 2:24-25
He knew their thoughts - Matthew 12:25
He knew Judas would betry him to death - John 13:11

Have I not chosen you, the twelve? Yet one of you is a devil! - John 6:70

Jesus not only tolerated Judas, he lavished love on him
So perfectly that the other 11 did not even suspect Judas after 3 years



2009-04-03 - Promises of God - Prayers Real Purpose (part 1)
We must understand our God if we are going to truly understand the promise offered to us in prayer

His thoughts are not small nor his purposes shallow
He is in the control of all things and these is nothing he can't do

He is the God who take out a heart of stone and put in a heart of flesh - Ezekiel 36:26

He can forgive our sins and forget them - Hebrews 8:12

2009-07-26 - A Life of Impact - Taking the Offensive

Taking the Offensive

Mark 10:2-12

  • Jesus was tested the hostile audience.
  • Instead of backing down or becoming apologetic, he answered questions with questions.
  • Jesus told them that their hearts were hard. He always backed his answers with scripture (clear and definitive).
  • He didn’t care if his answer offended some people.

Judgment

  • God is more concerned with the spirit of the law than the letter of the law.
  • God searches the heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.
  • What people say and do is secondary importance to the condition of their hearts.


2009-07-28 - A Life of Impact - Tough love

Tough love

Mark 10:17-31

  • This young man was secure in his own material goods.
  • Are we willing to lay such tough, “make or break” challenges before people? Even when it puts your relationship on the line?
  • Are you willing to let people walk away? · Allow people to make their own decisions?
  • If we compromise our standards, our standards are meaningless.

Reassurance - Leaders need to first overcome his own negative thoughts and feelings in order to help his followers avoid becoming discouraged.



2009-10-28 - Repentance - Illustrations (part 2)
Paradigm Shift
  • Paradigm - describes the way that scientists work within a model for making sense of the world through observed data
  • Shift/meta – changing one’s thoughts of the world
  • Since paradigm shifts represents drastic changes to the rules of game – it is rarely done by scientists

Solar system

  • Man/earth was the center of the universe.
  • As we found for planets, it was more complex to think the earth was the center
  • Copernicus (1530) put the sun in the center – leading astronomers rejected the new paradigm


2010-01-02 - First the Kingdom - Healthy Heart
What is your spiritual diet?

The Word is what purifies us
It discerns the thoughts and attitudes of the heart
It will diagnose and sanctify us

Keep our hearts pure by living according to God's word - Psalms 119:9
David had a steady diet of the Word

To keep a healthy heart:

1. Maintain a healthy diet - David "set before his eyes no vile thing" - Psalms 101:3
  What do we need to cut out of our lives?

2. Need exercise to make our heart strong
  • Be honest; Be vulnerable when it is not easy
  • Server when it is not convenient
  • Forgive when treated unfarily
A strong heart is a heart that is always being put to the test for God

2010-01-04 - Kingdom First - Making Peace with Others
Having peace with God - story is not over
We are in a world to wage peace just as God does

Jesus is our example
Courage and honesty destroy barriers
Openly expressing his thoughts and feelings pulls down superficiality and distrust

Jesus expressed his:
  • Fears - Matthew 26:36-46
  • Disappointment - Matthew 11:14-17
  • Anger and Frustration - Matthew 23
He wanted people to be totally united, regardless of differences

If you want real peace, don't avoid conflict
Do whatever is required to settle matters quickly

2010-03-18 - To Live is Christ - Know Christ
Paul wanted to know Christ - Philippians 3:10-11

Did he not know him yet?
  • Three days of fasting and prayer? - Acts 9:9
  • After 3 years of personal training? - Galatians 1:11-24
  • After a visit to the 3 heaven? - 2 Corinthians 12:1-6
Geek verb ginoskein - close to intimacy of marriage

Paul knew about Jesus
He was will aware that simply doing the right thing did not give him intimacy

Do we really know Christ?
To become like him in his death is become like him in life:
  • Give when you are tired
  • Pray when you do not want to
  • Stand your ground against emotions and thoughts
  • Overcome fear and to love in practical, unselfish way
To live like this is to know Christ
The spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you - Romans 8:11

2010-03-23 - To Live is Christ - Anxious About Nothing

Paul urges them to be anxious and worried about nothing and to pray about everything because God is in control - Philippians 4:6-7

Peace never comes without surrender
Surrender never comes without a decision to trust

Something instead of dealing with our emotions, we try an avoidance pattern
Adam and Eve hid from God and themselves

We must be in touch with happens to others and ourselves
It is why we must consistently and unashamedly pray about all aspects of our lives
It is not just for some - it is normal experience - just people deciding to trust God in every situation

Guard (a garrison of angel are available to help) our hearts - Satan wants us to trust ourselves and to doubt our God
Our own thoughts are not always the truth

How challenging to turn everything over to God. Yet, how foolish not to!

 



2010-07-19 - Desire's Journey - Deeper Desire (part 6)
From the section about Jesus' trial in the dessert

2. Trail comes after we determine not to take matters into our own hands

By refusing to turn stones into bread, Jesus choose to trust God
Satan tries to attack our sense of God's heart toward us
If our thoughts are: "Do I really have to wait that long? Do you care me, God?" - Satan will jump all over this

Jesus came to answer once and for all our question: "Do you love me?"
We can stand firm on the ground of the cross against the doubt
We don't need for God to prove his love for us - he has at the cross

2010-08-17 - Waking Dead - Thoughts and Courage of the Heart
Our deepest thoughts are held in our hearts
Our behavior is driven by our heart

Scripture judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart - Hebrews 4:12
Not the feelings of the heart but the thoughts

It is with your heart you believe and are justified - Romans 10:10

They hear with their ears and understand with their hearts - Matthew 13:!5
The heart is the dwelling place of our true beliefs

It takes courage to love and takes courage to follow Jesus
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid - John 14:27

Courage  > Old French cuer > Latin cor = heart
The battle for the heart is going to take all the courage you can muster

2010-08-30 - Waking Dead - Pay Attention to our Heart
Most of us have not been trained to pay attention to our heart
It will take a little practice to tune in to it

Many understand how to play the beautiful instrument of the heart
  • Advertisers work on you to get you to buy their product
  • Your boss knows how to keep you moving
  • Devil is the master at manipulating the heart
The hairs of our head are easier to count than to understand the movement of the heart

The enemy to distress you by throwing all sorts of thoughts your way and blaming you for it
We must proceed with the assumption that your heart is good - Romans 7
Over time you will grow familiar with the movements of your heart

Just like if any counsel or word that presents itself as being from God - must be checked against his word

The flesh will try to use your freedom to get you to do things you shouldn't do
Any discouragement, condemnation (Romans 8:1), accusation, confusion is not from God

His conviction brings desire for repentance - 2 Corinthians 7:10

2010-11-01 - Contagious Christian - A Matthew Party
Like today, many of the religious and non-religious of Matthew's day did not have intersecting social circles

Some he planned a party for the religious and non-religious to come to - Luke 5:29
  • Matthew recently became a Christian
  • In those days, being a tax collector was a license to extort
  • He had not learned yet how to teach the gospel to people
  • Jesus was always moving a round, spontaneous
  • Solution throw a big party and invite Jesus and everyone else
  • Pharisees found out about it and were not happy with it
  • Did Matthew have second thoughts when he saw the interactions between the Pharisees and Jesus?
  • Jesus defended Matthew's party idea with explaining the sick need a doctor
  • Mixed groups are not only acceptable but essentials to God's redemptive plan
Learning from Matthew:
  • Be innovative and creative
  • Come up with a plan to be with more people
  • Pray hard and be willing to go out on a limb
  • Learn from mistakes and adjust accordingly


2010-11-11 - Contagious Christian - Starting Spiritual Conversations
It is not enough to merely have high impact (HI) and close proximity (CP)
We have got to talk about our faith and put the spiritual concepts of the gospel into everyday words

People won't figure out the gospel out on their own - Romans 10
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways - Isaiah 55:8
Watching the life of a Christian (even a contagious one) won't be enough
Someone has to articulate the gospel

Must take the initiative and steer the the conversation toward spiritual topics
This book contains a limited number of examples - meant to spur our thinking

Must start with the heart-felt assurance that the gospel is good new my life and for others
If you need a firmer foundation:
  1. List some benefits of knowing Christ
  2. Review the promises of Christ for this life and the next
  3. Thank and worship Him for the countless blessings of knowing Him
We will wonder why anyone could pass up His offer of forgiveness

2010-12-20 - Worlds Wisdom vs Gods Wisdom (part II)
Before we go on:  What is the “world’s wisdom”?
  • If you asked a person who is street smart or the person on Wall Street or just a person who watches a lot of TV, what is at the heart of the world’s wisdom about how to live?
    • “Look out for number one.”
    • “Get what you want.”
    • “Get the power, the pleasure, the control you want.”
    • “Get the money.”
    • “Protect yourself.”
    • “Guard your rights.”
    • “Maintain your independence.”
  • And so what is at the center of man’s wisdom? Self! (See 2 Timothy 3:2)

Matthew 16:24-26
  • What is Jesus’ message? How is it the opposite of the world’s message?
    • Deny self– “disown” (Matthew 26:34). We renounce our old self, our old approach to life.
    • Take up the cross (instrument of death). Die to ourselves.
    • Follow Jesus. Make his life our model. Jesus life is a demonstration of his message.
  • What does Jesus say will be the bottom line for those who “save their own lives”? For those who foolishly lose their lives for him?
Final thoughts
  • What is everything on the left side (world’s wisdom) called? Sin.
  • What is everything on the right side (God’s wisdom) called? Love.
  • How have you lived according the world’s wisdom?
  • Have you ever made a decision to renounce it?
  • Which side was Peter still on (though he was religious)?
  • Which side are you on?


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