Connect Study on Journaling

Journaling
The Discipline in Focus
Journaling is really simple. Just write. A journal is a book or notepad or whatever in which someone writes. Journals can be kept regularly or only in times of difficulty or transition.

Think about this for a second: “Without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God.” Agree? Disagree? Whether you agree or not knowledge of ourselves and of our condition is valuable in helping arouse our desire to seek God. Journaling is a tool for reflecting on God’s presence, work, and guidance during every day life. Journaling is a great way to be alert to our own lives. It can help keep you focused and help you understand your heart better. It can be a way of reflecting on your thoughts about God. God is always at work in you and through you for the purpose of making you like Jesus for his own glory and journaling helps us evaluate that process.

In counseling, a counselor initially goes through a process called “data gathering” when meeting with someone who asks for counsel. This step is crucial because it helps the counselor understand the big picture of what is going on. Without knowledge of a person the counselor has no idea where to begin or what the difficulty is. Journaling is similar to data gathering in that it helps us to see the big picture. It can show us our thoughts on a certain subject or it can reveal potential sins in our lives that we need to repent from. Journaling can help us see why we have made a certain decision and reveal times when God has answered prayer. Taking the time to sit down and write can be invaluable to a person who desires to be like Christ.


The Value of Journaling
1. Journaling helps with self-understanding and evaluation - There are many places through out Scripture that tell us how we should think of ourselves (for example, Romans 12:3). Journaling will help you see how you see yourself. Writing down events throughout the day and your reactions to those events will pay huge dividends in allowing you to gain insight into how you view yourself and others.
2. Journaling helps in mediation - Sitting down with the purpose of meditating on the word of the Lord and having a pen in your hand to write down your thoughts and insights will help increase your awareness and expectation of hearing from God.
3. Journaling helps express our thoughts and feelings to the Lord - Psalm 62:8 says to pour out our hearts to God. Journaling is a way to express our feelings and thoughts. We can pour out what is overflowing in our hearts. Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks (and the hand writes).
4. Journaling helps us remember what God has done - How often we forget what God has done. Journaling will aid us to be like Asaph who said, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds” (Psalm 77:11-12). Stephen Charnock once wrote, “How worthy it is to remember former benefits when we come to beg for new.”
5. Journaling helps us monitor goals and priorities - Keeping a journal can help keep before us things we want to do and focus on. Also helps us with the other spiritual disciplines and keep track of our progress.


Scripture to Reflect On
Practically all the psalms could be considered journals, Lamentations could be considered a journal of the prophet Jeremiah, Psalm 16:7, 25:4, Hab 2:1, Joshua 1:8, Psalm 119:18.

How to Keep a Journal
-Remember the purpose of journaling - for the purpose of godliness.
-Find something to write in (notebook, a journal, loose leaf paper, computer)
-Jump start your journaling by listing one verse or idea that stood out to you. Meditate on that for a few minutes and write down any thoughts.
-Consider writing down any events or situations and writing your actions, thoughts, feelings, and responses.
-Write down any prayer concerns, answered prayers, joys, sorrows, success, or failures.
-You can journal daily or weekly.
-Make a journal of photographs, articles, or drawings that you find.
-Don’t worry about spelling and grammar.

Respond
1. If you are living your life at full speed then what do you do to reflect on your life and your experiences?
2. How does writing help you focus or know what you think?
3. What is it like for you to read someone else’s published journal or diary? Notice I said published not stolen.
4. If you had kept a journal of your life up to this point do you think it would be valuable for you to read and learn from or would you think it was a waste of time?
5. How can writing in a journal help you become more like Christ? How can it help you know God better? Or know yourself better?

Be Still and Know

(If you are looking for the study for June 29 it is directly below this post)

-Dallas Willard in "The Spirit of the Disciplines" wrote, "Silence is frightening because it strips us as nothing else does, throwing us upon the stark realities of our life."

Psalm 46 says, "Be still and know that I am God." Even when you are doing Christian stuff, being busy can rob you of the very walk and communion with God that provides the kind of depth that, in the busyness, people are looking to you for.

I heard a pastor once say,

"Christians are the only people on the planet who, as they walk into frenzied situations, should have about them an aroma of Christ, a steadiness, and a strength that doesn't look nervous, frenzied, or overly fretful. People ought to detect that, though everyone else is nervous and running around, the Christian in the room seems to have roots sunk down into something solid. The wind is blowing, but the Christian isn't on the verge of uprooting.

It is really important that we keep our roots sunk deep and our branches spread high in the glory of God so that there is a peace and a steadiness about us as Christians."

Let us plan times of silence and solitude for the purpose of godliness this week.

Silence and Solitude

(Here is the study for this Sunday, June 29)

Silence and Solitude
The Discipline in Focus
The practice of being silent and of solitude involves scheduling enough uninterrupted time in a distraction-free environment that you experience isolation and are alone with God. This practice includes giving God time that is not in competition with social contact, noise and stimulation, taking a retreat, observing the Sabbath by abstaining from constant interaction with others, information and activities, addressing any lustful desire to be seen or heard by others or have the attention of others, and practicing other spiritual disciplines alone: study, prayer, journaling and etc….

Solitude and Silence is the spiritual discipline (for the purpose of godliness) that is a voluntary and temporary withdrawing to privacy for spiritual purposes. Being alone with God whether its for minutes or hours.

Purposes of Silence and Solitude and Scripture to Study
1. The practice of Silence and Solitude as exampled by Jesus – Matthew 4:1, Matthew 14:23, Mark 1:35, Luke 4:42. (To be like Jesus it is important to find time for silence and solitude.)
2. Helps us hear the voice of God better – 1 Kings 19:11-13, Galatians 1:17.
3. To express worship to God – Worship can consist of God-focused stillness. Habakkuk 2:20, Zephaniah 1:7. It is not just silence that we are seeking but it is silence before God.
4. To express faith in God – Psalm 62. The simple act of silence before God instead of a nervous wordiness can be a demonstration of faith in Him. Isaiah 30:15.
5. To seek the salvation of the Lord – A time of silence and solitude to seek the salvation of the Lord can refer either to a nonChristian seeking salvation from sin and guilt in Christ or to a believer seeking God’s salvation from certain circumstances. Lamentations 3:25-28. It is important not to minimize the importance of silence and solitude when one is considering the state of his soul.
6. To be physically and spiritually restored – Mark 6:31.
7. To regain a spiritual perspective – Silence and Solitude can help us gain a less worldly perspective. Luke 1:20.
8. To seek the will of God – Luke 6:12-13. God often makes his will clear in public places but there are times when He shows us in private.
9. To learn control of the tongue – Being silent for extended amounts of time can help us control our tongue in public. Proverbs 17:27-28. James 1:19. In a period of silence you may discern that many of the things you think you need to say you really don’t need to say. We learn to trust and rely on God’s control rather than trying to control the a situation through our words.

A Practical Response
1. If silence is new for you, begin with being silent for 10 minutes. Set a timer if you need to. Take the opportunity to think about Christ and enjoy being in God’s presence through Christ’s work on the cross.
2. Get away for times of silence – Find an empty room in the house or at the church.
3. Read a passage of Scripture and then stop and think about it. Spend time in private worship of the Creator.
4. Help someone else in your family or a close friend find time alone with God. Ask them to help you. Take on their responsibilities or chores for a specified amount of time so they can spend some time with the Lord and vice versa.



Respond
1. Besides sleeping, how much time this past week did you spend alone in silence (no music, tv, game system, other people)?
2. Does silence bother you? Do you get bored quick? Why?
3. In your words what would be the purpose of spending time in silence and solitude?
4. Why do you think people resist being alone?
5. What tends to pop into your mind when you are alone?
6. When have you felt most comfortable being alone? Uncomfortable?
7. Do you think God values time with you in silence? Explain.

Stewardship (Connect Study for June 15)

Stewardship

The Discipline in Focus

It is a biblical truth beyond all dispute: that all your money is God's (Psalm 24:1) and has been loaned to you as a steward to use in ways that maximize the glorification of God's mercy in the world (Matthew 25:14–30). And it is irrational to think that giving ten percent of that money to the church settles the issue of good stewardship. In a world of such immense need, and in a country of such immense luxury, and under the commission of such a powerful Lord, the issue of stewardship is not: Shall I tithe? but rather, How much of God's trust fund dare I use to surround myself with comforts? The question that Jesus drives us to ask again and again is not, "How much should I give?" but rather, "How much dare I keep?" How much time and money do we spend on ourselves and how much is being used wisely in worship of God.

In this study on Stewardship we want to look at two many areas to be a good steward in: time and money.

Time
When training ourselves for godliness our perfect picture of godliness is Jesus. And he used his time perfectly. So perfectly in fact that he was able to pray and tell God that all the work that had been given him to do he completed (John 17:4). If we desire to be more like Christ then it would be good for us to see reasons why we should be good stewards of our time.
1. Use Time Wisely “Because the days are evil” - Ephesians 5:15-16 - The natural course of our minds, bodies, and world is towards evil. Many things in our world actively try to steal our time and cause us to waste it. Unless we practice self-control we will drift towards time wasting. We need to be aware that we breathe God-ignoring air all day and we must make good use of our time because the days are evil.
2. In Preparation for Eternity - 2 Cor. 6:2 - In this life you must prepare for eternity because there will not be a second chance to prepare once you die. Are you prepared to find yourself standing before God?
3. Time is Short - James 4:14 - How long is your life compared to eternity?
4. Time is Passing - 1 John 2:17 - Time is always passing away. We cannot save time. Now is the time to discipline ourselves for godliness not later.
5. The Remaining Time is Uncertain - Proverbs 27:1 - We do not know how much time we have left on this earth. Our time is in God’s hands. We must plan accordingly.
6. Time Lost Cannot Be Regained - John 9:4 - If you use unwisely the time you have been given you can never get that time back. Do not waste your life.
7. You Are Accountable to God for Your Time - Romans 14:12 - “So then, each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” All people, believers and non believers, will be held accountable for the use of their time. As believers the penalty for our sinful use of time has been paid by Jesus but our eternal reward will be related to our earthly use of time. (see 1 Cor. 3:13-15).
8. Time is so Easily Lost - Proverbs 26:13-14, Proverbs 24:33-34.
9. We Value Time at Death - If you suddenly realized you had no more time left would you regret how you have spent your time?
10. Time’s Value in Eternity - Richard Baxter once said, “Does it not tear their very hearts forever, to think how madly they consumed their lives, and wasted the only time that was given them to prepare for their salvation? Do those in Hell now think them wise that are idling or playing away their time on earth?”

Money
The Bible first wants us to use our money in such a way that our needs and the needs of our family are met (1 Tim. 5:8) Let me qualify that by saying the word “needs” does not refer to those who think they “need” things that they really just lust after (bigger house, Playstation 3, new clothes, jewelry, cell phone, nice car etc).

The way we use our money says a lot about us. It is crucial to our growth in godliness because it is a matter of obedience. We are commanded first not to love money and to use our money for the glory of God and out of love for our neighbor (it is more blessed to give rather than receive).

Here are 10 New Testament Principles on Giving.
1. God Owns Everything - Psalm 24:1, Job 41:11 - We are managers of what God has given us. Everything that we think is ours alone is really owned by God.
2. Giving is an act of worship - Phil 4:18 - We worship through giving in that when we give to God all we have we are saying that we value God above all things.
3. Giving reflects faith in God’s provision - Mark 12:41-44 - The amount of your income (allowance from parents or from a job) that you give back to God reflects how much you trust Him to provide for your needs. We will only give to the extent that we believe God will provide for us.
4. Giving should be sacrificial and generous - 2 Cor. 8:1-5.
5. Giving reflects spiritual trustworthiness - Luke 16:10-13 - If we are not faithful with the use of our money, God will determine that we are untrustworthy to handle spiritual riches. Your giving reflects how much you love Christ.
6. Giving is about Love, not Legalism - 2 Cor. 8:7-8, 9:7 - God does not send out bills. Neither does the church. Giving should be motivated by your love for God. Giving should be measured in the heart and the standard is their love to God.
7. Give Willingly, Thankfully, and Cheerfully - 2 Cor. 9:7 - God does not want you to give begrudgingly. God owns it all and he wants you to give because you want to. God wants you to enjoy giving. You are not giving to a drug lord or a evil political leader, you are giving to a joyful, holy and loving God of all creation.
8. Giving - An appropriate Response to Real Needs - Give to those who are in need. Acts 2:43-45 and Acts 4:32-35 -
9. Giving should be planned and systematic - 1 Cor. 16:1-2.
10. Generous Giving Results in Bountiful Blessing - Luke 6:38, 2 Cor. 9:6-8 - This does not mean that if you give a lot to God He will make you financially rich here on earth. Though blessings will be manifested in other ways here on earth a majority of our blessing will come in the next life. (Instead of “Your Best Life Now” we could say “Your Best Life Later.”) Store up for yourselves treasure in Heaven.

Scripture
Any of the Scriptures mentioned above

A Practical Response
1. Describe a good steward?
2. Would you say that you are prepared for the end of time? The end of your life?
3. Are you using your time like God wants you to? Do you ever waste time?
4. How are you giving your time and money right now?
5. What does the use of your time and money say about what you love the most in your life?

Connect Study on Fasting (June 22 study)

(This Study is scheduled for June 22. Sunday June 15 will be on Stewardship and will be posted directly above this post. Sorry for the confusion)

The Discipline in Focus

What is Fasting? Fasting can be defined different ways. Simply, fasting is a “Christian’s voluntary absence from food for a spiritual purpose” (Whitney). It is also “the voluntary denial of a normal function for the sake of intense spiritual activity” (Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline). One more definition states that fasting is the “abstinence from anything which is legitimate in and of itself for the sake of some special spiritual purpose” (Martyn-Lloyd Jones).

Fasting, in the Bible, is something that is expected but not commanded. Jesus expected that his followers would fast (Matt 6:16-17), but never says, “You must fast.” However we should see fasting as something expected of us from Jesus for spiritual purposes.

What is the point? What is the purpose of fasting? Fasting must center on God. The point is never to lost weight, get others to notice how spiritual we are, earn God’s favor, or get something we want from God. Without a spiritual purpose fasting can be self-centered and miserable.

Purposes for Fasting (from Donald Whitney)
1. Strengthen Prayer - Fasting is not a hunger strike to get what we want from God but more of a calculated urgency in our praying and it gives a force to our pleading. It is using a God-given means of making his voice heard in earnestness. Ezra 8:23, Daniel 9:3
2. Seek God’s Guidance - Fasting can make us more receptive to the One who is guiding us. Judges 20:26-28, Acts 14:23
3. Express Grief - Fasting can often help communicate grief that words cannot. Fasting can be a means of expressing to God the depths of our feelings. 2 Samuel 1:11-12.
4. Seek Deliverance or Protection - Fasting should be one of our first defenses when we face persecution from people because of our faith. We should appeal to God with fasting for protection and deliverance. 2 Chronicles 20:3-4, Psalm 109, Esther 4:16.
5. Express Repentance and the Return to God - Fasting can signal a commitment to obedience and a new direction. 1 Sam. 7:6, Joel 2:12, Jonah 3:5-8.
6. Humility - Fasting can be a physical expression of humility before God. 1 Kings 21:27-29, Psalm 35:13.
7. Express Concern for the Work of God - Christians may fast and pray for the work of God going on throughout the world. A parent concerned for their child or a church concerned for a tragedy in their town or state. Nehemiah 1:3-4, Daniel 9:3
8. To Minister to the Needs of Others - Read Isaiah 58: 6-7. Perhaps fasting will allow you more time or money to give to others.
9. Overcome Temptation and Dedicate Yourself to God - This is exemplified by Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11. Fasting can be a way of overcoming temptation and dedicating ourselves to God.
10. Express Love and Worship to God - Fasting can be an expression of finding your greatest pleasure and enjoyment in life from God. When we fast it gives us the chance to show that whatever we are fasting from is not our God; that we are not mastered by anything.

More Thoughts on Fasting -

Fasting tests where the heart is. Do I love God or do I love bread (food). What do I love the most? Fasting reveals what we worship. It reveals what satisfies us. When fasting reveals that the heart is with God and not the world, a mighty blow is stuck against Satan. - John Piper

More than any other Discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us. - Richard Foster. (Often we cover up what is inside of us with food and other things)

Fasting is a way of revealing to ourselves and confessing to God what is in our hearts. Where do we find our deepest satisfaction - in God or in his gifts? The aim of fasting is that we come to rely less on food and more on God. Every time we fast we are saying with Jesus, “Not by bread alone, but by you, Lord. Not by bread alone but by you Lord.” - John Piper

The goal in fasting should be the glory of God and the passage behind every fast should be Phil. 3:7-8 “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.”

Fasting in not a “no” to the goodness of food or the generosity of God in providing it. Rather it is a way of saying from time to time that having more of the Giver surpasses having the gift. From time to time we need to test ourselves to see if we have begun to love his gifts in place of God. - Piper

Scripture to Study
Psalm 73: 25-26, Matthew 9:14-17, 1 Cor. 6:12, Acts 13:1-4.

A Practical Response
1. What is fasting? Have you ever known of someone who fasted?
2. Why should Christians fast?
3. What is the purpose of fasting?
4. What is something you could fast from? Why? When?

Two Angels

(If you are looking for the connect study for this week it is posted directly below this post)

Donald Whitney, in his book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, describes a short illustration told by John Newton, the slave trader who became a pastor and wrote the hymn Amazing Grace. The story goes like this...

- If two angels were to receive at the same moment a commission from God, one to go down and rule earth's grandest empire, the other to go and sweep the streets of its meanest village, it would be a matter of entire indifference to each which service fell to his lot, the post of the ruler or the post of scavenger; for the joy of the angels lies only in obedience to God's will. -

Joy in serving lies not in the task itself but in the obedience to our perfectly wise and good Father who asks us to do these tasks. Obedience, no matter the task, great or small, no matter the recognition, praise of men or invisibility, and no matter what the earthly reward, riches or rags; obedience is what were called to.

Connect Study - Serving

Serving

The Discipline in Focus

Serving is not something that comes easily to humans. It is difficult to work behind the scenes, be rarely acknowledged while performing lowly tasks. It is often something we have to do intentionally. If we do not constantly seek opportunities to serve (and take advantage of them) then we will find ourselves expecting others to serve us.

Jesus is our greatest example on servanthood and to be a servant we must follow his lead. Often when God chose to connect with humans he did so as a servant. Jesus came to serve not to be served (“even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28). We were lost in our sin and could not on our own find favor with God. Jesus served us by making a way that we might have peace with God.

Serving others is not just something we do, but as followers of Christ it is what we are. As Christians, those becoming like Christ, it is found in our identity. We are servants (check out Matthew 25: 31-46). Serving others includes sacrificing my time and money for someone I don’t know; thinking of others more highly than myself, putting other’s needs before my own, and not expecting any recognition while doing these things.

When we serve the goal is not for our own greatness or recognition, but for God’s glory and our godliness. We serve because we love God and love others. In fact, Christ valued serving so much that he said to the disciples, “whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26).

If Jesus’ life can be characterized as being a servant then our lives must be as well. How do our lives look when compared to the life of Jesus in John 13? In this passage we find Jesus serving the disciples with great humility by washing their feet. The King of King was doing something that was generally performed by the lowliest servant in the household. Jesus calls us to follow his example when he says, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

Scripture
John 13:1-20
Matthew 20: 20-28
Luke 22:24-27
Hebrews 9:14 “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”
Psalm 100:2 “Serve the Lord with gladness.”




Motivations for Serving (from Donald Whitney)
1.Obedience – Deut 13:4 We are expected to serve. Our first motivation for serving should be our desire to be obedient to God. Not to serve God is sin.
2.Gratitude – 1 Sam. 12:24 How great the Lord has been to us! He has saved us from eternal wrath to eternal satisfaction and joy in Jesus Christ. We should be forever thankful and serve with gladness and joy no matter what the task.
3.Gladness – Psalm 100:2 God wants servants who serve with joy and not with a complaining attitude or with quiet objection. Serving the Lord begrudgingly should always raise a caution as to your spiritual health.
4.Forgivness not Guilt – Isaiah 6 The people of God do not serve God to be forgiven but because we are forgiven. We are not prisoners who serve God to pay a penalty, but we serve as sons and daughters whose Father has saved them from eternal punishment and are set free to serve Him in His house.
5.Humility – John 13: 12-16 We serve with the humility that Christ showed us in washing the disciples feet.
6.Love – Galatians 5:13 We serve others because we love them. Not because of what they can do for us or give us but out of love.

A Practical Response

1.What would be your definition of a servant? If a second grader asked you, “What does a servant do?” what would you tell them?
2.Have you served anyone this past week? What was your motivation?
3.Lets say a leader in the church called you and a friend into their office. He asked your friend to lead a group of students in a bible study or mission project and he asked you to sweep the wow room on Thursday morning when no one was there, how would you feel? What would you rather do? Why?
4.Does your joy in serving come in being recognized or acknowledged or in simply being obedient?
5.What are some ways that you can serve others (parents, siblings, friends, enemies) this week?

What is the Evangelistic Message: Going Deeper

(If you are looking for the connect study for this upcoming week it has been posted directly underneath this entry)

In his book, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J.I. Packer asks the question, "What is the Evangelistic message?" He answers it by giving us four essential ingredients:

1. The gospel is a message about God. It tells us who He is, what His character is, what His standards are, and what He requires of us, His creatures. It tells us that we owe our very existence to Him, that for good or ill we are always in His hands and under His eye, and that He made us to worship and serve Him, to show forth His praise and to live for His glory.

2. The gospel is a message about sin. It tells us how we have fallen short of God's standard; how we have become guilty, filthy, and helpless in sin, and now stand under the wrath of God. It tells us that the reason why we sin continually is that we are sinners by nature, and that nothing we do, or try to do, four ourselves can put us right, or bring us back into God's favor.

3. The gospel is a message about Christ. Christ is the son of God incarnate; the Lamb of God dying for sin; Christ the risen Lord; Christ the perfect Savior. We must NOT present the person of Christ apart from His saving work. We must make clear to our hearers who it is we are introducing to them; his whole person, who he is and what he has done.

4. The gospel is a summons to faith and repentance. All who hear the gospel are summoned by God to repent and believe. Faith being the casting and resting of oneself and one's confidence on the promises of mercy which Christ has given to sinners, and on the Christ who gave those promises. Repentance is more than just sorrow, but a change of mind and heart, a new life of denying self and serving the Savior as king in self's place.

Let us all with a love for God and desire to glorify Him and a love for our neighbor discipline ourselves to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Evangelism

The Discipline in Focus

Evangelism can be defined as presenting Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit to sinful people, in order that they may come to put their trust in God through Him, to receive Him as their Savior, and serve Him as their King in the fellowship of His church (J.I. Packer). Evangelism is simply telling people the good news of Jesus Christ. Evangelism is seen in relating that salvation is found through Jesus Christ alone. Evangelism is not merely teaching moral law or general truths about God’s existence; it is not just telling of the example or the teaching of the historical Jesus, nor is it only telling of Jesus as a helper or friend, but evangelism is proclaiming a specific message of salvation in Jesus Christ. Christ is to be proclaimed as “the one mediator between God and men”, who “suffered for sins that he might bring us to God” 1 Peter 3:18. J.I. Packer states that there is no evangelism where this specific message is not declared.

Also in evangelism we are not only proclaiming a message, but are exhorting sinners to accept Christ Jesus as their Savior and Lord. In evangelism we are calling sinners to repent and believe. It is a call to turn from sin and trust in Christ. Evangelism is a work of communication in which Christians make themselves mouth pieces for God’s message of mercy to sinners. The delivery of this message involves calling the hearer to conversion.

Training Points

Evangelism is something that is expected of Christians. Jesus Christ has commanded us to witness. (Matt 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:47, John 20:21, Acts 1:8). We are all commanded to tell others the good news of Jesus Christ.

Evangelism is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Believers are empowered to evangelize (Acts 1:8). Believers are often fearful of sharing the gospel for fear of failure. But success in evangelism is in being faithful to share the message. Success is not primarily seen is the responses to the message. Regardless of the results, whenever we share the good news of Jesus Christ we are successful. It is through the gospel that God gives the power to believe (Rom 10:17, Rom. 1:16).

Evangelism is a Discipline. When we share the good news of Jesus Christ it should be similar to the message of someone who has just gotten engaged or a couple who has had their first child. It should be with great joy and excitement. A message that has to be shared because of the joy it gives. A message that overflows out of that person’s life. Evangelism is also a discipline that must be worked on. Donald Whitney suggests that we must work to get ourselves into the context of evangelism, that is, we should not just wait for opportunities but should pursuit them (see Matt 5:16 and John 9:25). It is not for lack of training that we do not share the gospel, but a lack of discipline. If we understand the message enough to accept it ourselves we should know it well enough to tell someone else how to be saved. We must train ourselves to pursuit evangelistic opportunities or we will excuse ourselves out of them.


Respond
1. How would you define evangelism? Could inviting someone to church be called evangelism? Why or why not?
2. Does evangelism have to be done the same way all the time? What are some different ways to evangelize? (door-to-door, inviting non believers over for lunch, living the gospel in front of people and looking for times to share the gospel, serving people in times of crisis, developing friendships with nonbelievers etc…)
3. What are your fears concerning evangelism?
4. What are some ways we can discipline ourselves to evangelize? (Believing that this is commanded from the Lord, knowing that God will use my words, being active in planning opportunities to share the gospel)

The Analogy of a Wedding Anniversary - Worship

(If you are looking for the Connect Bible study for this coming Sunday it is directly below this post)

The following is quoted from John Piper's book Desiring God...

Worship is a way of gladly reflecting back to God the radiance of His worth. This cannot be done by mere acts of duty. It can be done only when spontaneous affections arise in the heart.

Consider the analogy of a wedding anniversary. Mine is on December 21. Suppose on this day I bring home a dozen long-stemmed roses for Noel (Piper's wife). When she meets me at the door I hold out the roses, and she says, "O Johnny, they're beautiful, thank you," and gives me a big hug. Then suppose I hold up my hand and say matter-of-factly, "Don't mention it; its my duty."

What happens? Is not the exercise of duty a noble thing? Do not we honor those we dutifully serve? Not much. Not if there's not heart in it. Dutiful roses are a contradiction in terms. If I am not moved by a spontaneous affection for her as a person, the roses do not honor her. In fact, they belittle her. They are a very thin covering for the fact that she does not have the worth or beauty in my eyes to kindle affection. All I can muster is a calculated expression of marital duty....

The real duty of worship is not the outward duty to say or do the liturgy. It is in the inward duty, the command --"Delight yourself in the Lord!" (Psalm 37:4)....

The reason this is the real duty of worship is that this honors God, while the empty performance of ritual does not. If I take my wife out for the evening on our anniversary and she asks me, "Why do you do this?" the answer that honors her most is, "Because nothing makes me happier tonight that to be with you."

"It's my duty," is a dishonor to her.
"It's my joy," is an honor.


How shall we honor God in worship? By saying, "It's my duty?" Or by saying, "It's my joy"?

Worship

Worship

The Discipline in Focus

In Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life Donald Whitney explains that the word worship comes from the Saxon word weorthscype, which later is translated worthship. He says, “To worship God is to ascribe the proper worth to God, to magnify His worthiness of praise, or better, to approach and address God as He is worthy.” God is to be approached as the King of the world that he is. He is to be approached as Holy, Sovereign, Creator, and Judge. Worship is focusing on God and prizing him above all things, as he deserves. Worship is a response to God that shows how worthy He is of our affections, time, thoughts, and life. Worship is what happens when someone encounters the worthiness of God. Worship is more than singing and preaching. It is more than words and actions. Worship is always to be done in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:23-24). It is not something that is done just be going to a place (WOW, Connect, or “big church.” Worship is first and foremost an experience of the heart. Prayer without heart is vain. Songs without heart are vain. As believers we have within us the Spirit of truth. Without the Spirit residing in us worship will not happen. True worship is motivated by the Spirit. The Spirit is the one who makes cold hearts, hearts that are on fire for God. We also worship God according to the truth of Scripture. We worship Him as he is revealed in the Bible. We are to worship in response to truth, says Whitney.

How then is worship a discipline? Whitney again helps us by explaining, “Worship is a spiritual discipline insofar as it is both an end and a means. The worship of God is an end in itself because as we’ve defined it, is to focus on and respond to God. There is no higher goal than focusing on and responding to God. But worship is also a means in the sense that it is a means to godliness. The more truly we worship God, the more we become like Him…People become like their focus….Godliness required disciplined worship.” Focus, mediation on truth, godly responses to our circumstances, godly relationships, godly thoughts….all these are acts of worship. Prizing Christ above all things takes discipline. Worship has to do with real life. Everything we come against in this life will point us away from worshiping God. “We breathe God ignoring air,” John Piper says. We must be disciplined to continually aim our affections towards Jesus Christ.

Scripture

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2

John 4:16-26
Isaiah 6
Mark 12:30
Revelations 4:8
Matthew 15:8-9



A Practical Response

1. What does the word worship mean?
2. According to Isaiah 6 and Revelations 4:8 what does worship look like in Heaven?
3. True or False: What you love the most in your life is what you worship.
4. What does it mean to worship in Spirit and Truth?
5. Will you put actual worship into your acts of worship? (If worship is boring to you, then you are not really worshiping.)
6. What does worship look like away from the church building? (How does one worship God in their relationships, their work ethic, what they watch or listen to, etc?)

More on Prayer

(If you are searching for the Prayer Study for this Sunday look directly under this post).

Here is some more Scripture on prayer:

Pray for those who persecute you. - Matt. 5:44

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. - Matthew 6:6

And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do. - Matt. 6:7-8.

Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. - Matt. 9:38.

How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. - Luke 11:13.

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. John 14:13.

When we look at the whole of Scripture we see that Jesus desires to create a people that pray. He led by example: rising early to pray (Mark 1:35) seeking times alone to pray (Matt 14:23) spending whole nights in prayer (Luke 6:12) and preparing for his suffering and death by prayer (Luke 22:41-42).

Praying is a way of relating to God in that we receive joy and help and God receives honor and glory.

Quick Addition

Why do we pray "In Jesus' name"? Two answers by two great pastor-theolgians:

Thomas Watson says that "We are to pray "in the name of Christ." To pray in the name of Christ is not only to mention Christ's name in prayer but to pray in the hope and confidence of his merits." (The Ten Commandments, pg 240)

John Piper says "The confidence we have in prayer is owing to Jesus. He did not just teach us to pray -- he died for us and rose again to remove insuperable obstacles to prayer. Without the death of Jesus, our sins would not be forgiven and the wrath of God would still be against us. In that condition we could expect no answers to prayer from God. Therefore, Jesus is the ground of all our prayers. This is why he taught us to pray in his name. Ending our prayers "in Jesus' name, Amen" is not a mere tradition; it is an affirmation of faith in Jesus as the only hope of access to God."

Praying (Connect Study)

Praying
The Discipline in Focus
The Westminster Catechism asks, “What is prayer?” And it answers, “Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies.” Prayer is a spiritual discipline that accompanies all the other spiritual disciplines towards godliness. When we read God’s word we should pray, when we fast we should pray, when we worship we pray, when we serve we pray. In other words, prayer is important. So important in fact that J.I. Packer once said, “I believe that prayer is the measure of the man, spiritually, in a way that nothing else is, so that how we pray is as important a question as we can ever face.”

Martin Luther once said, “As it is the business of tailors to make cloths and of cobblers to make shoes, so it is the business of Christians to pray.” Prayer is something that is God expects from us. We are commanded in Scripture to pray.

Colossians 4:2, “devote yourselves to prayer.” What are you devoted to? When you sacrifice for it, spend time planning it, and make it a top priority then you know you are devoted to it.

I Thessalonians 5:17, “pray continually.” Donald Whitney says of praying continually, “Prayer is in one sense an expression of a Christian’s unbroken relationship with the Father. You might think of praying without ceasing as communicating with God on one line while also taking calls on another. Even while you are talking on the other line, you never lose your awareness of the need to return your attention to the Lord.”


Our devotion to prayer will reveal a lot about ourselves. How often you pray says a lot about who you trust. If you are constantly calling out to God in prayer then it is more likely that you are trusting God more than yourself. What you pray about is revealing as well. John Piper writes,

• What a person prays for shows the spiritual condition of his heart. If we do not pray for spiritual things (like the glory of Christ, and the hallowing of God’s name, and the salvation of sinners, and the holiness of our hearts, and the advance of the gospel, and contrition for sin, and the fullness of the Spirit, and the coming of the kingdom, and the joy of knowing Christ) then probably it is because we do not desire these things.

How we pray will show us what we love the most. How we pray will show us what our heart truly prizes above all things. Remember that prayer is a spiritual discipline that ends in God receiving glory and us becoming more like Christ.

Scripture to Study on Prayer
Matthew 6: 5-14, Matthew 7:7-8, Luke 11:1-13, Col 4:2, 1 Thess. 5:17, James 5:13-18, Luke 18:1-8.



Getting Practical
The disciples asked Jesus in Luke 11:1, “Lord, teach us to pray.” As believers in Christ we learn to pray gradually. Prayer is something every believer can and is expected to do, but just as a child learns to talk, Christians learn to pray. We learn how to pray by:
Praying – The best way to learn how to pray is just to pray. The Holy Spirit will teach us to pray as we continue to pray.
Meditate on Scripture – When you read the Psalms what you notice is that prayer and mediation go hand in hand. When a person is meditating on the laws of the Lord they are praying as well. Matthew Henry said, “David’s prayers were not his words only, but his meditations; as meditation is the best preparation for prayer, so prayers is the best issue of meditation. Meditation and prayer go together.”
Spend time praying with others – Spend time with godly men and women who are prayer warriors and love spending time meditating on Scripture.


Respond
1. How often do you pray? What do you pray for?
2. Since prayer is expected, will you pray more? What plans can you make to help you pray more?
3. What does Matthew 7:7-8 say about God answering prayer. Does he answer prayer?
4. What is the purpose of praying?
5. What does your prayer life reveal about you?

Applying God's Word: Conforming to Scripture

Sorry for the delay this week. This week we are talking about how to apply God's word to our everyday lives. We have to keep in mind that our goal is godliness; conforming to Jesus Christ; conforming to Scripture.

An old Puritan pastor Thomas Watson puts it like this:

Let us lead Scripture lives. Oh that the Bible might be seen printed in our lives! Do what the Word commands. Obeidence is an excellent way of commenting upon the Bible. "I will walk in thy truth" Psalm 136:11. Let the Word be the sun-dial by which you set your life. What are we the better for having the Scripture, if we do not direct all our speeches and actions according to it? What is a carpenter the better for his rule about him, if he sticks it as his back, and never makes use of it for measuring and squaring his work? So, what are we the better for the rule of the Word, if we do not make use of it, and regulate our lives by it? How many swerve and deviate from the rule!

The Word teaches to be sober and temperate, but they are drunk; to be chase and holy, but they are profane; they go quite fromt he rule! What a dishonor is it to religion, for men to live in contradiction to Scripture! The Word is called a "light to our feet" Ps. 119:105. It is not only a light to our eyes to mend our sight, but to our feet to mend our walk. Oh let us lead Bible conversations!

I love that last line. Oh let us lead Bible conversations!. I pray we will in our Connect groups this Sunday.

More on Memorizing and Meditating

(If you still need the study for this week it is directly below this post)

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Psalm 119:97

Charles Spurgeon once said, "It is blessed to eat into the very soul of the Bible until, at last, you come to talk in Scriptural language, and your spirit is flavored with the words of the Lord, so that your blood is Bibline and the very essence of the Bible flows from you."

On memorization Dallas Willard writes,
"Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation. If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our mind with what it needs. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. Thats where you need it! How does it get in your mouth? Memorization."

John Piper wrote in his book "When I Don't Desire God" that memorization "offers us all day the immediate beauty of Christ in his Word, and it offers us all day the weapons by which we cut the nerve of sin's sweet deception...Memorizing Scripture is one of the surest routes to going deep with God and walking in communion with him. Which means walking in joy."

Charles Spurgeon wrote that John Bunyan had "studied the (Bible) till his whole being was saturated with Scripture; and ...his writings...continually make us feel and say, 'Why this man is a living Bible!' Prick him anywhere; and you will find that his blood is Bibline, the very essence of the Bible flows from him. He cannot speak without quoting a text, for his soul is full of the word of God."

Last quote I promise:

John Piper on why he places so much emphasis on memorization in his ministry,

I spent this much time on Bible memory because I believe in the power of the indwelling word of God to solve a thousand problems before they happen, and to heal a thousand wounds after they happen, and to kill a thousand sins in the moment of temptation, and to sweeten a thousand days with the 'drippings of the honeycomb.' Christ will be seen as the fortune he is when we treasure his word more than money, and when the joy it wakens overflows with sacrificial love."


Let me challenge you to begin memorizing God's word this week so much say that you begin thinking and talking in "scriptural language."

Bible Intake: Meditating and Memorizing

Here is the study for this coming Sunday if you didn't get it. Have a great week.

Bible Intake: Meditating and Memorizing

The Discipline in Focus

If we only just read the word of God and hear it we may gain a lot from it, but in the long run it does not compare with meditating and memorizing on God’s word. The value of memorizing scripture is immeasurable. Donald Whitney gives us five rewards when memorizing the Bible.
1. Memorization supplies spiritual power – When we memorize scripture it is available for the Holy Spirit to take and bring to your attention when you need it. (Psalm 119:11, Col 3:2, and especially the example of Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11).
2. Memorization strengthens your faith – When you memorize scripture you are increasing your faith because you are constantly reinforcing the truth. (Pro. 22:17-19).
3. Memorization aids in witnessing and counseling – Scripture memory can prepare us for unexpected witnessing and counseling opportunities. (Acts 2:14-40, where Peter shares the gospel by quoting much of the OT).
4. Memorization is a means of God’s guidance – The Holy Spirit will bring scripture to our minds and provide guidance for us in times of need. For example anytime we wonder what we might say in a certain situation if we have Ephesians 4:29 memorized we will be able to proceed the best way.
5. Memorization stimulates mediation – When you have a verse memorized you can meditate on it whenever and wherever.

Mediation is often a buzzword that brings up images of Buddha, yoga, or new age movement. Many Christians are even uncomfortable talking about it. The kind of meditation done in the Bible is different from the world’s way. Mediation according to the world is about emptying your mind, but Christian mediation involves filling your mind with God and truth. Mediation, God’s way, involves prayer, and his word. Mediation is defined as deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities revealed in Scripture for the purposes of understanding, application, and prayer. Thomas Watson once said, “The reason we come away so cold from reading the word is, because we do not warm ourselves at the fire of meditation.” Mediation is key to Christian growth because it helps us to absorb the living water of God’s word. See John 15 and Psalm 1.


Getting Practical

Memorize Scripture
1. Have a plan. Select some verses on a particular topic where the Lord is working in your life at the moment. For example, memorize verses on faith or humility.
2. Write out the verses. Make a list and keep it with you. Use index cards.
3. Memorize it word for word. Make sure you know exactly what is being said in that verse. This will give you more confidence when sharing it with someone else.
4. Find a method of accountability. Meet with someone else and review your verses.
5. Review and meditate everyday. If you do not review verses you have previously memorized you will forget them. Review right before you go to sleep.
6. Don’t forget why you are doing this. Godliness.


Meditate on Scripture
1. Select the right passage. Choose a passage, phrase, verse, or word that gets your attention while reading. Choose verses that pertain to your circumstances.
2. Repeat the verse in different ways. Think deeply upon the truth that flashes into your mind each time you read a word.
3. Rewrite the verse in your own words. Paraphrasing a verse could help you understand the meaning.
4. Look for applications of the text. Ask yourself, “How should I respond to this text?” The outcome of mediation should be application.
5. Pray through the text. Pray as you meditate.
6. Don’t rush. Take your time. Make sure you have allotted yourself plenty of time to spend meditating on God’s word.

Respond
1. How important is memorizing God’s word? How important is meditating on God’s word?
2. Why are these things important?
3. Are the tasks of memorizing and meditating difficult because they take a lot of time or because you just don’t see why you should do them? (They are called disciplines for a reason).
4. What is holding you back from making a plan this week to memorize scripture?

Herme...what?

The hermeneutics and exegesis discussion is not something that you have to talk about when you teach on Sunday, but is mainly for your study. The following is a really really short explanation of hermenetics and exegesis (there are whole classes just on these words so we are talking really short). For further study check out these books: Gospel Centered Hermeneutics by Graeme Goldsworthy and Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible by Robert Stein.

When you study the Bible the basic components that help you do this are hermeneutics and exegesis. Hermeneutics is a scary word that describes the "practice or discipline of interpretation." Exegesis is a process that comes in under the umbrella of hermeneutics and is just a scary word that simply refers to the "process of understanding or interpreting a text or the careful, systematic study of Scipture to discover the original intended meaning." (Both defintions taken from Steins book). These two big words are centered around the basics of communication, meaning, and understanding? How can we understand what the Bible is saying? What does that verse mean? Everyone does hermeneutics and exegesis. The question is how well do you do it.

In all communication there are three parts: author, text, and reader. The main goal of interpreting the Bible is figuring out the meaning of the text we are reading.

The best way to approach finding the meaning is to find what the author intended to say when he wrote it. What did the author purposely will to get across to his readers? This is the basic foundation to all communication. Even as you are reading this very sentence you are seeking to understand what I (the author) am seeking to say to you. We use such things as context, languages, audience, and other things to help us understand the intended meaning.

In addition, often in the Bible we understand that what an author has willed to communicate in the past (2000 years ago) has implications for us in the present that the author was not aware of. These implications are a part of the meaning of the text. Stein gives us an illustration,

"When Paul wrote Ephesians 5:18, 'Do not get drunk on wine,' he was consciously thinking that the Ephesian Christians should not become intoxicated with the mixture of water and wine that they called wine. This saying however has implications that go beyond what Paul was consciously thinking. Paul gave a principle or patter of meaning that has implications about not becoming drunk with beer, whiskey, rum, vodka, or champagne. If asked, Paul would state that although he was not consciously thinking of these other alcoholic beverages, he meant for Christians not to become drunk by using them as well."

When we seek to interpret the Bible we are seeking to understand what the author is meaning to communicate as well as the principles or patterns of meaning he communicates. Often what we do when we study the Bible is try to understand what these implications are for us in the present.

In short, hermeneutics and exegesis are the processes we go through when reading scripture that help us understand what is being said. Ultmately "hermeneutics is about reading God's word with understanding so that we might be conformed more and more to the image of Christ" (Graeme Goldsworthy) The goal of hermeneutics and exegesis is knowing God through His word.

Because I have barely even skimmed the surface of these things please feel free to ask questions and read up on these terms and how we can use them to know God better through His word. Most of this blog entry was taken from the books mentioned above.

Reading the Word of God

Psalm 19:7-11

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover by them is thy servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

From Pastor John Piper:

"If you decide that you don’t need to receive the word, you are like a person who decides he doesn’t need to breathe. If you are spiritually dead, you can carry through that decision. You can choose not to breathe. But if you are spiritually alive, you can’t.

"So the Bible is the Word of God, and the Word of God is no trifle. It is the source of life and faith and hope and freedom and guidance and wisdom and comfort and assurance and victory over our greatest enemy. Is it any wonder, then, that those who knew best said, "The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart" (Psalm 19:8)? "I will delight in thy statutes, I will not forget thy word" (Psalm 119:16). "Oh, how I love thy law, it is my meditation all the day" (Psalm 119:97). "Thy testimonies are my heritage for ever, yea, they are the joy of my heart" (Psalm 119:111). "Thy words were found, and I ate them, and thy words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I am called by thy name" (Jeremiah 15:16).

"We despise God if we treat the Bible as a trifle in our lives."

Jesus has the words of life. Where else are we to go to find life, joy, peace, guidance and love? Where can we turn to find our purpose in living? The Word of God.

The Jouney: Training Session #1

Hey everyone, here is our first lesson for the new "The Journey" study.

The Why and What of Spiritual Disciplines

Focus
Spiritual Disciplines are those personal and corporate disciplines that promote spiritual growth. These spiritual disciplines include bible intake, prayer, worship, evangelism, service, stewardship, fasting, silence, journaling, and learning. The most important feature of any discipline is its purpose. Without purpose there will be no desire to continue any discipline. Take an Olympic athlete for example. If their training did not have the purpose of making it to the Olympic Games and winning a medal then there would be no reason to continue the training. The purpose of the spiritual disciplines is godliness aka Christlikeness. These disciplines are the God-given means we are to use in the Spirit-filled pursuit of becoming like Christ. Godly people are disciplined people. God seems to use three things that help us become more like Christ: other people, our circumstances, and spiritual disciplines. The disciplines are a way that we can further the process of holiness by God’s grace. God has given us the spiritual disciplines as a means of receiving His grace and growing in godliness. When we practice the spiritual disciplines we are placing ourselves before God for Him to work in us.

Think of these disciplines as a river out of which flows God’s grace to us. If we do not practice these disciplines we run the risk of God’s transforming grace being held back and as a result bearing little fruit. Once we begin to practice these disciplines, however, the river of grace flows and we are changed. Many times students and adults will ask, “Why can’t I change?” or “How can I become more like Christ?” Our best place to look for these answers is in the spiritual disciplines. The great Baptist pastor Charles Spurgeon once said, “I must take care above all that I cultivate communion with Christ, for though that can never be the basis of my peace yet it will be the channel of it.”

God expects us to practice the spiritual disciplines. This is implied in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” The same is true in this offer of discipleship: “Then he said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me’” (Luke 9:23). These verses tell us that to be a disciple of Jesus means to lean from and follow Him. Learning and following involve discipline, for those who only learn accidentally and follow incidentally are not true disciples. Godliness is a life long journey. The spiritual disciplines should always have the goal of godliness in mind or they will become boring and drudgeries. But if we follow the example of Jesus we will find that he was the most disciplined man who ever lived and the most joyous and passionate man to ever live.

The Word
1 Timothy 4:7, 1 Peter 1:15-16, Matthew 11:29, Luke 9:23, and Galatians 5:22-23.

Respond

1. Name some of the spiritual disciplines?

2. What is the goal of the spiritual disciplines? (Why discipline yourself to read the Bible, pray, fast, meditate, serve, evangelize, give, worship?)
3. Did Jesus practice the spiritual disciplines? (prayer, worship, bible study and etc.)
4. What is more valuable? A healthy and fit body or godliness? Read 1 Tim. 4:7-8. (We know the Sunday School answer to this question, but what do you place the most value on in your life? Comfortable life, fun, sports, friends, girlfriend or boyfriend, or godliness?)
5. How much TV do you watch? Why does this matter? How does this relate to godliness? (You can often see what you value most by how you spend your free time).
6. How much do you value godliness?

Activity Response

This week pay attention to how you spend your time. Read 1Timothy 4:7-8 and believe it as the word of God.

One God: Celebration

"Thus says the Lord: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love. justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.'" Jeremiah 9:23-24

A.W. Pink wrote that "God is only truly known in the soul as we yield ourselves to Him, submit to His authority, and regulate all the details of our lives by His holy precepts and commandments."

In other words a knowledge of God that does not leave our heads and flow into our hearts is not transforming knowledge. A knowledge of God that does not lead us to a love for our Father characterized by obedience to the Father is only knowledge that puffs up.

This week select a few of God's attributes from our study (or even some we didnt cover) and meditate on these. If anything is worth our time it is our Creator. Focus on the passages that describe our wonderful God. Think about Him. Think about how these passages should affect the way you live. Begin your times of prayer by telling God how great he is. Focus on him and not yourself in times of prayer. Ask him for a transforming knowledge of His character and that His word would capture your hearts.

More Thoughts

Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. The apostle Paul loved his Lord. Everything else paled in comparison.

When you look at the way you live your life, what do you value above all things. It is easy at church to say, "I love Jesus more than anything and he deserves all my praise." But when you look at your normal day to day life what do you see about what you love? Can someone on the outside looking in say "He counts all things as loss compared to knowing Jesus." Or is it more like, "He counts all things as loss compared to knowing/having ______________." (respect, money, easy life, nice stuff, friends, family etc.)

The point of "One God: Celebration" is to point ourselves and the students towards Jesus Christ by saying, "Hey, God is worth knowing and loving above all things in your life! Don't just think this but believe it and live like it."

Here are some of the attributes that we have talked about over the past few months. Pick one or two and meditate on them in Scripture. Be ready Sunday to share the impact these attributes have had on you.

God is faithful.
God is holy.
God is patient.
God is immutable.
God is all-powerful (omnipotent)
God is all-knowing (omniscient)
God is all-present (omnipresent)
God is loving.
God is gracious.
God is wrathful.
God is wise.
God is sovereign.
God is Father.
God is Son.
God is Holy Spirit.
God is good.
God is self-sufficient.
God is merciful.

At the end of our time on Sunday we will transition into a time of encouraging the students to continue their quest to know God and the best way to do this is through the Spiritual Disciplines (which we start on April 13.)