Quiet Times Search

Search Quiet Times via a keyword or string
Keyword(s):
Number of Studies:


Searching for "want" in the Quiet Time Archive
Displaying results from "0" to "25". (416 found)

2008-02-23 - Power of Gratitude - Trees, Clap your hands
Cows and birds do a far better job of praising God than most humans - they function the way God wants them to function.

Are at least half our times with God directed toward praise?

Pray though Psalms about praise - Read 1-2 verses at a time
  • 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


2008-03-22 - Be Still My Soul - The Pattern (Part 2)
Our Father.
  • We are longer slave but sons ans daughters
  • We can approach him with confidence because of Jesus
In heaven.
  • With Jesus as the high priest,  we can confidence to enter the into the throne room of God
  • Can gain a heavenly perspective
  • Praise God that his resources there are limitless
Hallowed be your name.
  • Being holy, set apart, above us
  • Prayer is not just asking for something but for honoring Him
Your kingdom come.
  • Kingdom has not come to every nation and place nor every person
  • Pray for God to open doors, speaking boldly, with wisdom
  • Pray for those who server and in leading roles
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
  • God wants us to pray about surrendering to his will
  • Challenges is our life must not be avoided but have a surrendered life
  • Read some command and ask yourself if you are following them
  • Jesus never asked for strength to go to the cross but only that he might surrender
  • Besides pride and rebellion, unbelief keeps us from doing God's will
Give us today our daily bread.
  • Bring specific needs to God
  • Must depend on God daily for our spiritual and physical needs
  • Pray thorough your todo list and details
  • Jesus said we could do nothing apart from God - John 15:5
Forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors.
  • Lack of confession results in a hardened heart
  • We will not mature if do not do this soul searching
  • Be specific; ask others for forgiveness if needed
  • Extend forgiveness; can not be forgiven by God otherwise
And lead us not into temptation.
  • What are your weaknesses? Have you faced them?
  • Draw on God's power before Satan strikes
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
  • Return again to praising and glorifying God
  • All power rests in his hand


2008-03-25 - Be Still My Soul - Personal
Moses enjoyed a relationship with God that few have ever known
He was face to face - It was because Moses wanted that way

When Moses was heading to the promised land God said he would not go with him - Exodus 33:2
Moses was appalled, recoils in horror
It was not enough to be forgiven
It was not enough to be successful

Moses wanted to know more of God - Now show me your glory (Exodus 33:18)

How would I react? Would I be fine with the promised land without God?
We can sing, strive to be committed, give money, work hard to share our faith, and even pray
Must be more focused on closeness to God more than on the success of our ministry

2 Corinthians 3 - in Jesus we can have a greater relationship with God than what Moses had the opportunity to have

2008-03-26 - Be Still My Soul - Pointed

We can not be close to God in prayer if we deal only in generalities
God indeed wants to answer our prayers - how will we know what God is doing if we pray in generalities?

Abraham - Genesis 18 - prayed to save the city if there were 50, 45, 40, 30, 20, even 10 righteous people

Our lack of specific praying reveals a distance in our relationship with God

  • More specific in your gratitude - become more grateful
  • More specific in confession - understand the sin you are commiting
  • More specific in your requests for friends and family - see how God will work


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


2008-04-02 - 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


2008-04-07 - 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


2008-04-08 - Falling in Love with God - Jesus: Their All
1 John 1:1-4

Jesus: that which:
  • Was from the beginning
  • We have heard
  • We have seen with our eyes
  • We proclaim
"No one ever spoke the way this man does" - John 7:46

Christ was their happiness
Christ was their peace
Christ was what they wanted to experience in life
They were committed to experiencing Christ

Paul's joy of completing the task the Lord Jesus has given him - Acts 20:16-24

They did not chafe at the cost of following Christ - cost was a chance to grow

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"



2008-04-25 - 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

2008-04-30 - 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



2008-05-04 - 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


2008-05-05 - 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

2008-05-08 - 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


2008-05-10 - 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


2008-05-14 - 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

2008-05-26 - 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)

2008-05-30 - Purpose Driven Life - What Makes God Smile? (Part 1)
"Noah was a pleasure to God" - Ephesians 5:10

Noah was an example of making God smile:
  1. When we love him supremely
    • Noah did it when no one else did
    • God wants a relationship with you - Hosea 6:6
    • It is the greatest commandment
  2. When we trust him completely
    • Problems that Noah could have had:
      • Noah had never seen rain
      • Lived hundreds of miles from the ocean
      • Rounding up all the animals
      • Many discouraging days around people
      • Children were probably embarrassed


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.


2008-06-03 - Purpose Driven Life - Best Friends with God
God wants to be your friend
God's ideal relationship - Adam and Eve (no rituals, ceremonies, or religion)
Moses, Abraham, David, Job, Enoch, and Noah had intimate relationships with God
Most in the OT had just the fear of God
 
You are not longer servants but friends - John 15:15
 
Through constant conversations
 
Make it a habit to have daily devotion time but it more than just that
God wants to be included in every activity in your life (Some think you have to get away)
Key to the friendship is not changing what you do but your attitude toward what you do
Pray all the time - 1 Thessalonians 5:17
 
Pray as often as possible
 
Help me trust you
You are here with me
I'm depending on you
You are my God
How awesome you are!
 
Pray as often as possible
Your goal is not a feeling but an awareness of the reality that God is always present
 
Through continual meditation
 
Thing about His Word throughout your day - who God is, What he has done, and what he has said
Meditation is simply focused thinking - Worry is a form of meditation
 
Friends share secrets
God told his secrets to Abraham, Daniel, Paul, his disciples, and others friends
When you read your Bible or hear a sermon - develop a practice of review the truth in your mind

2008-06-04 - Purpose Driven Life - Developing Your Friendship with God
You are as close as you choose to be to God
Must work to develop your friendship
 
Must choose to be honest

...about your faults and feelings
No one in the Bible was perfect:
  • Abraham - allowed to question and challenge
  • David - God patient during his accusations
  • Job - allowed to vent his bitterness
  • Moses - told God exactly how he felt
God listens to the passionate word; bored with predictable
We may harbor resentment toward God
He wants you to hold back nothing about how you feel
 
Choose to obey
 
John 15:14 - You are my friends if you do what I command
We are not equals - We obey obey God because we love him
True friendship isn't passive; it acts
"Great things for God" - Great things come once in a lifetime; small things come everyday
 
Must choose to value what God values


What does God value the most? His lost children
 
Must desire a friendship with God more than anything
Longing, yearning, thirsting, hungering - that was David
 
Nothing matters more
NO: What is it worth to you?
NO: What cost is too much?
 
Problems are wake-up calls for you come back to him

2008-06-05 - Purpose Driven Life - Worship That Pleases God
God wants all of you
All of your soul, mind, heart, strength
 
God is pleased when...
 
...our worship is accurate
  • 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


Next 25 >>