I-640 West to Exit 6 to turn right onto N. Broadway, Turn left onto Old Broadway, Turn left onto Walker Blvd. Follow to dead end. Building on the left at 4464 Walker Blvd. We are currently meeting upstairs.
From Halls, South on Broadway, Turn right onto Old Broadway, Turn left onto Walker Blvd. Follow to dead end. Building on the left at 4464 Walker Blvd. We are currently meeting upstairs.
From Downtown, Follow N. Broadway to Mineral Springs, Turn left onto Old Broadway; Turn right onto Walker Blvd. Follow to dead end. Building on the left at 4464 Walker Blvd. We are currently meeting upstairs.
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Matthew 10:39
Matthew 25:40
The Bible talks about the old nature that God is saving us from and the new nature he is birthing inside of us(Ephesians 4:22-24). From this same scripture we see that we are not to be living in the old nature but “putting it away” or leaving it behind. Some have called this old nature our “false self”. I think this is a good way to look at it. Because as believers and followers of Jesus we need to see that our old way of living - habits, reactions, views, pleasures have died with Jesus (Galatians 2:19, 20). This is a spiritual transaction and process that we need to yield ourselves to intirely to be able to commune and experience God more. Paul in the Ephesians scripture above talks about putting on the new self. Those that refer to our old nature as our false self refer to this new nature of Jesus as our “true self”.
We must interact with God through his Spirit dwelling in us to do this by renewing our minds. That’s why contemplative prayer is so important. It allows us to quiet ourselves, meditate upon scripture, listen for his voice and be renewed. Do yourself a favor and make time for this ancient approach of coming into God’s presence.
]]>So many times I come to him with a list of things I need or things I want him to change And I believe that is legitimate. Usually though I have already got my answer in mind. I already know what needs to happen or what I need. As I have come to just sit in his presence and seek God for himself I have received more peace and strength than before. Things I desperately need. And I have found a growing desire to be closer to him. I believe this is in answer to Jesus’ prayer before he was crucified in John 17. He said he want to be in us and us in him - for us to be one. This speaks of unity, love, and intimacy. As much as I want to see God show up in my life and do the miraculous I am growing more to the end of being so close to him that he is all that is seen. I am discovering that prayer is more about listening than ordering or requesting. It is about his presence with me and me with him than about my to do list.
Seek God while he may be found. I am sitting and listening at the door of my heart. Revelation 3:20
]]>“Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10
]]>1Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
]]>Lets look at David before he became king of Israel:
Read 1 Samuel 17:20-58
- When David arrived to the battlefield, what was the first thing he encountered from his own brother? (Has this happened in your life?)
- What did David remember that encouraged him to fight Goliath and convince King Saul that David could fight the giant? (verses 33-37)
- David tried wearing Saul’s armor but couldn’t. Have you ever tried being something your not to get you somewhere in Life? With God?
- God has given you all that you need to overcome what your facing. Spend some time before God in prayer quietly praying and meditating asking God to reveal those things he has placed within you that he wants to use. Write them down as he speaks. Pursue him with the same passion as David.
- When David went out to the giant to fight and the giant cursed him what did David do? What do you do when you face opposition and hardship in life?
- Who won?
]]>I was working in my backyard yesterday dealing with some of these same fears and walked into my garage. There is a picture on my work bench, actually its a collage of several pictures that Beth made for me. One of the pictures is a photo of my brother Nathan, myself and my dad hiking on the back side of our family farm. I took a moment and looked at my dad. He’s been dead now for nine years. And God spoke to me and said what your worrying and stressed about isn’t really that important is it? It isn’t. I really doesn’t matter what others think about me or the things that I do as long as I am doing what God wants me to.
Read Matthew 6:19-34.
Ask yourself what are you really worried about?
The last statement in this passage states that each day is sufficient for its own trouble. In other words believe in God where ever your at because his love has given everything we need for each day that we live.
Seeing the photo of my dad reminded me that the relationships that I have and the love that I share with the people around me is more important. And most importantly is loving God by the way I follow him.
]]>In the spiritual life, our battle is not against flesh and blood but spiritual forces that we face everyday in our thinking and feelings. The greatest battle area is our minds and our thoughts. This is what Paul is talking about here in this passage.
What do you dwell your thoughts on through out the day?
Do you know God’s thoughts well enough to wage war in your thinking? (His thoughts are what is compiled in the Bible.)
As you listen to the Spirit of God he will reveal the mind of Christ. Read also 1 Corinthians 2:10-16
]]>He asked me, What if your were to trust me and totally abandon your yourself to me like a little child?
Then I went to Matthew 18:1-4. Basically the greatest people in the kingdom of God are those that become like little children. I never got this scripture until I became a parent of my own. Kids are absolutely, totally needy. And the only things that my kids get upset about is went are we going to eat, do we have to go to bed and can we go outside and play. Conquering the world or negotiating a multi-million dollar deal doesn’t even register.
Jesus even said that if we were to enter the kingdom of God we would have to humble ourselves like little children.
Whats gotten you afraid today? (its a red flag that your not letting go of something that you can’t really control any way)
Think of some attributes of a little child.
Are these things that you are incorporating into your relationship with God?
Pray to God and give your fear overt o him. Ask him to speak to you and anchor your heart to his word.
]]>In Ephesians 6:11,12 Paul describes our fight - “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
In 1 Peter 5:8,9 Peter describes our enemy this way - “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for some one to devour. Resist him by standing firm in your faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
Don’t be surprised when you make a decision to follow Jesus that opposition comes your way. Your enemy hates it when you get serious in your commitment to God. Stand firm in your faith - your not alone in what your going through. Others are facing similar trials. The enemy will confront you with fearful thoughts, stress, feels of being pushed and rushed, and temptations to sin and fall back into old sin. Much like Peter, James said in James 5 for us to resist the devil and he will flee from you. Stand firm in your faith in your thinking and perception of what ahppening around you and expect God to move and deliver you. He will if you stand strong. With God there is always Hope!
]]>Ask yourself these questions as you read through this passage:
1- What will empower you to over come your sinful nature that naturally rises up inside of you?
2- Is there a war that rages inside of you at times? What is it usually over? Do you see some of the things that you know that are inside of you that you don’t like in verses 19 through 21? Don’t worry if you don’t see specifically what your dealing with because Paul is not giving us a detailed, exhaustive list here.
As you seek to obey the Holy Spirit in your life he will start by placing you in situations where you will have to choose between what you want or what God wants. This usually brings into play some type of the fruit of the Spirit also in that you will have to demonstrate one or a few to follow through with God.
3- Are there some fruit here that you feel your strong in? Some you are weak in or need to work on?
Pray that God will grow you in the areas of the fruit and he will start putting you circumstances that you can you them. Trust the Holy Spirit to work them into you and through you. If you fail in what God has given you to do then ask forgiveness and trust him for greater strength next time.
4- In the last verse what does it mean to live by the Spirit?
Obey him even when you feel unable to do what he’s tell you to do. When you are weak he is strong.
]]>As you read I want you to read slowly, this is not an Olympic foot race. Also as you read be asking God what he wants to tell you in these verses. All the while let the verses sink into you. Pause as you read and reread parts that are harder to understand. Ask God to show you what he saying here.
Ask yourself these questions also:
1- If your living under the control of the Spirit what is there now no more of?
2- If your mind is continually focused on the nature of your flesh (sinful nature), what is that going to bring into your life? For a better understanding of your fleshly nature read Galatians 5:19-21.
3- If your mind is under control of God’s Spirit what is He going to bring into your mind and life?
4- Can the fleshly nature ultimately bring about the good that God wants to produce in your life? What is that nature’s attitude toward God?
5- How do you get the Spirit of God in you according to these verses?
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