PDL 8 (1/2/2017)

  • Worship is not about you getting something from it. It is about bringing pleasure to God. You can worship in just about anything you do as long as you actively think about it as doing it for Jesus.
  • God has emotions too. God can suffer as He did through Jesus.
  • QTC: Everything I do for work, I can consider as worshiping God. When I interact with people, anyone really, but especially with family and friends, I can try to see Jesus in them and worship him by building my relationship with Jesus through them.

 

 

PDL 9 (1/3/2017)

Pleasing God should be the primary goal of your life

  • 1) Love him supremely to bring Him pleasure
    • He loves you and desires your love in return
    • You should love Him and accept His love as well.
  • 2) Trust him completely to bring Him pleasure
    • Do it like Noah did even though he didn't know what it would lead to
    • Trust that He knows what is best for your life
  • 3) Obey him wholeheartedly to please Him
    • Obey completely and exactly
    • Partial or delayed obedience is disobedience
      • "I'll attend church but I won't tithe."
    • God doesn't owe you an explanation for everything
    • Obedience unlocks understanding
  • 4) Praise and thank Him continually to please Him
    • God has emotions too!!! We are made in His image.
    • "He smiles when we express our adoration and gratitude to Him.
    • Because of Jesus' sacrifice, we no longer sacrifice animals. (Why?)
    • Analogy of praising mom for her great cooking.
  • 5) Use your abilities to please Him
    • God watches EVERY detail of your life.
    • He enjoys it when you do everything humans were made to do.
      • Make love to spouse, have babies, raise families, plant crops, eat meals, etc.
    • God intentionally gifted people differently for his enjoyment.
    • You only bring Him enjoyment by being you. Don't try to be someone that He didn't make you.
    • He also gains pleasure from watching you enjoy His creation.
    • God does not wait for you to reach maturity before He starts liking you. He loves and enjoys you at every stage of your spiritual development.
    • God looks at the attitude of your heart: Is pleasing Him your deepest desire? How much pleasure is God getting out of my life?

 

 

PDL 10 (1/4/2017)

  • Trust is an essential ingredient to surrender. I need to trust God wholly with my life, not just 95% of it.
  • Pride was my huge barrier to surrendering to God. I didn't want to admit that I wasn't in control of everything. I am not God and I will never be.
    • Satan desired to be God, and I become like him when I want things only for myself.
  • God often calls on surrendered people to do battle on his behalf***
    • God wants to use your unique personality.
    • You can't call Jesus your Lord if you refuse to obey him.
  • Rely on God instead of trying to manipulate others, force your agenda, and control the situation.
    • You also know you are surrendered when you don't react to criticism and rush to defend yourself.
  • Jesus surrendered to God
    • "Father, everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine."
      • "God, if it is in your best interest to remove this suffering, please do. But if it fulfills your purpose, that's what I want, too."
  • Surrender is very hard work against our self-centered nature.
    • BUT you get peace, freedom, and God's power in your life.
  • Everyone eventually surrenders to something, whether it is money, work, etc.
    • You will either surrender to God, or you will surrender to self-destructive stuff.
  • I discovered that it wasn't others that was the impediment to God, but myself. My self-will, my stubborn pride, and my personal ambition.
  • Surrendering is a lifestyle, not a moment in time.
    • You will be tested.
    • I will make a contract with God.
  • QTC: Tithing 10%.

 

 

PDL 11 (1/5/2017)

  • God wants to be my BEST friend - How do I do that?
  • Converse with Him constantly in everything I do
    • It's all about the attitude of doing it for God.
    • Have short conversational prayers continually throughout the day
    • My prayer all the time: "God, I hope this pleases you."
      • I say it with the hopes that my words and actions have honored God.
      • You must train your mind to remember God. Practice will develop this habit.
    • The goal is not a feeling, but a continual awareness of the reality that God is always present.
  • Continual meditation = thinking about His Word throughout your day
    • It's impossible to be God's friend without knowing what he says.
    • "Pray lets you speak to God. Meditation lets God speak to you."
  • QTC: I realized I already talk to God throughout the day. I can try to say a prayer before every case starts and then think about God every time I finish an interaction with a patient.

 

 

PDL 12 (1/7/2017 - 12:31 am)

  • You are as close to God as you choose to be.
    • You must work hard at the relationship.
  • Honesty is a core building block for a relationship with God
    • He wants complete honesty, not perfection
    • He actually ENCOURAGES frankness; it is okay to complain, second-guess, accuse, and argue with God, as long as you are being honest about your feelings.
    • God has similar emotions to us as well.
      • "He expressed total disgust with Israel's disobedience."
      • I think that with this revelation, I've discovered that we really are made in God's image. God is someone who can feel love, hurt, disgust, etc. However, He is the perfect version of us. We are the fallen version of Him, but when we strive to be like Him, we are the perfect version of ourselves that He had initially intended.
    • What may appear as audacity to other is authenticity to God
    • You must share your true feelings, not what you think you ought to say or feel
    • Bitterness is the greatest barrier to friendship with God. The antidote is to remember that God always acts in your best interest, even when it is painful and you don't understand it.
      • Healing comes from releasing your resentment and revealing your feelings
      • Book of Psalms catalogues every emotion towards God from His friends
    • Expressing doubt is sometimes the first step towards intimacy with God.
  • A relationship with God requires you to obey in faith.
    • God appreciates small acts of faith rather than "great things."
    • Acts of obedience mean more than sacrifices.
  • I must choose to value what God values.
    • What does God value most? The redemption of His people. That's why He sent Christ.
  • I must desire friendship with God more than anything else.
    • God isn't offended when we wrestle with Him because it requires personal contact and it brings us closer to Him.
  • Pain is the fuel of passion. It wakes us up from spiritual lethargy.
    • Ask God to reignite your passion for Him, and don't stop until you have it.
  • QTC: Talk to Him as often as I can. Give Him thanks and praise for all in my life.

 

 

PDL 13 (1/8/2017)

  • God wants all of us.
  • Our worship must be accurate.
    • Cannot make up your own impression of God. Must worship the God based in Scripture.
  • Our worship must be authentic.
    • Being sincere is not enough; you can be sincerely wrong.
      • You need both accuracy and authenticity.
    • Music can hinder worship if it only makes you focus on your feelings. Make sure it is focused on God.
  • Our worship must be thoughtful.
    • You must engage your mind.
  • Worship should be practical.
    • Offer your body, for your body contains your spirit.
    • Real worship costs.
  • QTC: God is more pleased with my private worship right now. I talk to Him a lot, also because I'm going through a lot of stuff right now. I need to increase my amount of public worship. Don't be afraid to shout His name. Don't scare away nonbelievers either, but do not hesitate to share God where you can.

 

 

PDL 14 (1/8/2017) - When God Seems Distant

  • God is ALWAYS here with me. Even if I don't feel His presence. It's not about having a feeling, but rather about knowing and believing that He is always with you and has the BEST in mind for you. Even in tough times. The struggles are meant to build your character and to test your relationship with God.
    • Struggles are what really determine who you are. What you do during those times reflects who you are and who you have become as a person. Being faithful to what you know to be true is the ultimate act of worship. Giving thanks to God even in the worst of times is the ultimate worship.
    • Thank you for my relationship with Julie. My struggle is difficult, but I know it is making me infinitely better for whoever you have planned for my life.
      • Side note: I just realized that you really don't have that many years to be married. In 30 years, I'll already be 60. That'll already be most of my life. Better choose carefully and make it count. Be present. Make the most of every day together.
  • QTC: How do I stay focused on God's presence when He feels distant? Just remind myself of the 5 reasons why I believe in Him. Remember that He was watching me the whole time. I just didn't know it.

 

 

Week 1: What on Earth Am I Here For?

Week 3: You were Formed for God's Family

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