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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
  • Psalms 8, 24, 29, 47, 92, 93, 95, 96, 98, 100, 104, 113, 135, 147, 148
The more we talk about something, the more it becomes reality to us.

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


2008-03-27 - Be Still My Soul - Persistence

We "should always pray and not give up" - Luke 18:1

Disciples who are not close to God are simply not being perisistent

Examples of persistent prayers:

  • Elisha - prayerd 7x before the promised rainfall came down  -1 Kings 18:42-45
  • Jesus - returned three time to the garden of Gethsemane to surrender to God's will - Matthew 26:36-FF
  • Paul - prayed three times before given an answer he did not want - 2 Corinthians 12:7-9
  • Early church - prayed all night for Peter's deliverance - Acts 12:1-17


2008-03-28 - Be Still My Soul - Postures
Prayer is not only for our minds and hearts, but our bodies

Types of prayer postures:

Kneeling
  • Elijah - with his face between his knees (1 Kings 18:42)
  • Daniel - knelt in prayer three times a day (Daniel 6:10)
  • Peter - knelt in prayer for the life of Tabitha (Acts 9:40)
Standing - Jesus gave instructions and standing in prayer (Mark 11:25)

Prostrate
  • Moses - for 40 days (Deuteronomy 9:18, 25)
  • Daniel - fell prostrate before the angel Gabriel (Daniel 8:17)
  • Jesus - fell on his face in prayer at Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36)
Lifting and spreading out hands
  • David - Psalms 28:2, 63:4, 88:9, 119:48, 143:6
  • Ezra - Ezra 9:5
  • Moses - Exodus 9:29
  • Solomon - 1 Kings 8:22
Gazing upward - Jesus looking up to heaven (Matthew 14:19, Mark 6:41, 7:34)

Out loud and silently - Esther 4:1, Hebrews 5:7, James 4:7-9 / 1 Samuel 1:13

If prayers are not offered from a variety of postures then we are not praying as we ought

We can not separate our bodies from our hearts

Author has developed the ability to pray with great concentration and intimacy while running

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
  • I will sing and make music - Psalms 57:7
  • I will sing and make music to the Lord - Psalms 27:6
  • Make music to your name - Psalms 92:1
  • Extol him with music and song - Psalms 95:2
  • I will sing and make music with all my soul - Psalms 108:1
  • The Lord is my strength and my song - Psalms 118:14
Use of music in our personal devotions is of utmost importance and is possessed of immense power
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

2008-04-02 - 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
Sometimes we are just called on to forgive
Not forgiving is like allowing a physical cut become infected

Examples

  • Esau wept bitteryly when he failed to receive the blessing - Genesis 27:34
  • Israelites incrediblity harsh and treatment from the Eyptians - Exodus 1:14
  • Naomi changed her name to Mara, meaning "bitterness" (losted husband and sons) - Ruth 1:21
  • Hannah wept "in bitterness of soul" because of her infertility - 1 Samuel 1:10
  • David's men because of the loss of their children - 1 Samuel 30:6
  • Job while not understanding the discipline of God - Job 7:11
  • Missing the grace of God cause bitter root - Hebrews 12:15
  • Envy becomes bitterness - James 3:14

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

  • What form do we expect our Christian suffering to take?
  • Are we looking for a Christianity that does not involve suffering?

Bible command us to get rid of all bitterness
Two ways to overcome bittereness:

  • Forgive - Ephesians 4:32
  • Trusting God is at work in all things for our good - Romans 8:28


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)

2008-04-19 - 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

2008-04-21 - 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

2008-04-25 - 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?


2008-05-04 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Buy Now and Pay Later
Many struggle with the route of least resistance - CHARGE IT

Satan invented the mind-set: Sin now and pay later

God is not short-term but long-term
Pay up front and gain big dividends later
Righteousness is an investment of life

Without perseverance through hard time times we will not grow - Romans 5:1-5, James 1:2-4, Hebrews 12:5-14
God does not "zap" change into you:
Change requires:
  • Practice until our character is different - Hebrews 5:14
  • Patience if did not get it right for ___ time
  • Trust God that this change is for our own good - Romans 8:28
We always know what we want, God always knows what we need


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

2008-05-26 - 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)

2008-06-02 - 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

2008-06-06 - 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

2008-06-11 - 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


2008-06-18 - Purpose Driven Life - Transformed by Trouble

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"


2008-06-19 - Purpose Driven Life - Growth Through Temptation
Happy is the man who does not give in - will be rewarded with the crown of life - James 1:12

Every temptation is an opportunity to do good through the path of maturity

How does the Holy Spirit produce fruit in our lives? - Galatians 5:22-23
By allowing you to be tempted by the opposite opportunity
  • God teaches love by putting unloving people around us
  • God teaches peace by allowing times of chaos and confusion
You can not claim to be faithful if you've never had the opportunity to be unfaithful

Temptation follows 4 steps:
  1. Satan identifies a desire within you - Comes from within - Mark 7:21-23
  2. Satan tries to get you doubt what God has said about sin - Don't let your doubt turn you from God - Hebrews 3:12
  3. Satan tries replace truth with lies - He is the Father of lies - John 8:44
  4. Our disobedience - Drawn away and trapped by our own desires - James 1:14-16


2008-06-21 - Purpose Driven Life - Overcoming Temptation
Refuse to be intimidated

You will never outgrow temptation
Temptation is a sign that Satan hates you
Paul says, "WHEN you are tempted..." - 1 Corinthians 10:13
Jesus was tempted, but never sinned - Hebrews 4:15
The closer you grown to God, the more Satan will try to tempt you

Recognize your pattern of temptation

Know what exactly what trips you up - Stay alert, Satan waits til you are napping - Matthew 26:41
  • When am I most tempted?
  • Where am I most tempted?
  • Who is with me went I am tempted?
Don't give the Devil a chance - Ephesians 4:27
Plan carefully what you do... - Proverbs 4:26-27

Request God's Help

Call on God in times of trouble - Psalms 50:15
Jesus is sympathetic; he understands our weakness - Hebrews 4:15
We can be embarrassed to ask God for help after failing over and over again, but let us have confidence when approaching - Hebrews 4:16

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