Chapter 4 Profile of the Lukewarm
"So there is an incalculable, fautless, eternal God who loves the frail beings He made with a crazy kind of love. Even though we could die at any moment and generally think our puny lives are pretty sweet compared to loving Him, He persists in loving us with unending, outrageous love."
Are we sold out for God? Do we always assume we are the good soil? Jesus wasnt interested in those who fake it. "Speakers dont use Jesus' tactic to eleminate people who are not sincere seekers." Do you find this to be true or not? To those without the Holy Spirit we sometimes sound like we are talking in parables. We want God and... we dont want just God. There are stipulations we put in our lives so we dont give God complete control over every part of who we are. How do we interact with the world. How would our lives be different if we suddenly stopped believing in Christ? Would our lives look any different? There has to be a heart change. Lukewarm people do not live by faith. They structure their lives so they never have to. Are you living by faith or by sight? Here's the thing; if we are living by sight, what happens when we become surrounded by darkness? How do we know where to go? We should recognize our lives as God's own and not ours. What are we going to do with what God has given us? Put it on a shelf or use it????
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Chapter 3 Crazy Love
Chapter 3 Crazy Love
"Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so"
We have all heard, and probably sang, this song sometime during our childhood, but have you every really sat down and thought about what those words mean? Jesus loves ME; not my great singing voice or my stellar grades on that biology test; ME. Do you really understand that Jesus is a person who loves you through it all and whether we thank Him or not, will always be here supporting us?
Here is what we talked about in Bible study on Wednesday. Feel free to comment or add your own thoughts!
How do our feelings about our family impact our feelings toward God? How do the relationships with our parents affect our relationship with God?Do you feel wanted by God? Why is it so hard for us to realize God truly wants us?Do we fear God? Why dont we fear God the way the Bible says?God knew us before we existed. How hard is it to wrap our minds around that? God has designed us for specific work and tasks and people to interact with. He has a definite plan in mind for each of us.Why does God love us so passionately when we don’t feel or appear lovable?Isaiah 64:6 “All your works are like filthy rags” Our good never outweighs the bad.The greatest knowledge we can ever have is knowing God treasures us.“The greatest good on this earth is God!” God’s goal for us is Himself.
"Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so"
We have all heard, and probably sang, this song sometime during our childhood, but have you every really sat down and thought about what those words mean? Jesus loves ME; not my great singing voice or my stellar grades on that biology test; ME. Do you really understand that Jesus is a person who loves you through it all and whether we thank Him or not, will always be here supporting us?
Here is what we talked about in Bible study on Wednesday. Feel free to comment or add your own thoughts!
How do our feelings about our family impact our feelings toward God? How do the relationships with our parents affect our relationship with God?Do you feel wanted by God? Why is it so hard for us to realize God truly wants us?Do we fear God? Why dont we fear God the way the Bible says?God knew us before we existed. How hard is it to wrap our minds around that? God has designed us for specific work and tasks and people to interact with. He has a definite plan in mind for each of us.Why does God love us so passionately when we don’t feel or appear lovable?Isaiah 64:6 “All your works are like filthy rags” Our good never outweighs the bad.The greatest knowledge we can ever have is knowing God treasures us.“The greatest good on this earth is God!” God’s goal for us is Himself.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Did you finish the chapter?
Seriously? Did you? This post's purpose is for the people that have missed the discussion aspect of the study to ask questions or throw in a powerful two cents that you would like to have talked about during the study. It doesn't matter how small or big it is. As long as its relevant we want to hear how your King is talking to YOU!
stop praying.
We sit here, in Florence, South Carolina. Its our world, its what we know. But what about the things we don't? I don't think we could ever fully comprehend just how large our lack of knowledge truly is. Yet, God knows it all. Everything. Everything that there possibly is to know and understand he comprehends in full! I cannot begin to fathom such a fact. Although God created and knows everything we are an absolutely HUGE deal to Him. Last Wednesday the group discussed that God knows the hair on our heads. Out of all the things in the universe, both seen and unseen, our Lord takes the time to know each one of us personally, so personally that he does indeed know absolutely everything about us.
Yet when we step back and observe the love God has for us, we cannot begin to really grasp the love that he deserves. Not only because its so much, but also because of ourselves. We are so selfish, with our time, our money and everything else. But why do we think we have any control with a God so sovereign? He sees everything, while we only view a small moment that we too often think will last. If we consider just how outside of time God truly is we can hardly imagine why he would want to take the time to be involved in such a moment of His time. Our eighty years on earth are nothing compared to the depths of times that He spans across.
The challenge that we come draw from this is to turn off a bit of the noise of our everyday lives. Our cellphones, iPods, computers, cars, EVERYTHING! To just take a moment of our lives to really take in God. Though he is not something that can even be contained in us. He's far to big. But if we fill ourselves with Him then we can come just a bit closer to fully grasping His, despite how impossible it really is. This should lead to our fear in God. We should tremble in his almighty love for us and his complete creation.
Do we love Him like he deserves?
Yet when we step back and observe the love God has for us, we cannot begin to really grasp the love that he deserves. Not only because its so much, but also because of ourselves. We are so selfish, with our time, our money and everything else. But why do we think we have any control with a God so sovereign? He sees everything, while we only view a small moment that we too often think will last. If we consider just how outside of time God truly is we can hardly imagine why he would want to take the time to be involved in such a moment of His time. Our eighty years on earth are nothing compared to the depths of times that He spans across.
The challenge that we come draw from this is to turn off a bit of the noise of our everyday lives. Our cellphones, iPods, computers, cars, EVERYTHING! To just take a moment of our lives to really take in God. Though he is not something that can even be contained in us. He's far to big. But if we fill ourselves with Him then we can come just a bit closer to fully grasping His, despite how impossible it really is. This should lead to our fear in God. We should tremble in his almighty love for us and his complete creation.
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."
-Psalm 19:1-4
-Psalm 19:1-4
Do we love Him like he deserves?
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