Review of Week 19:

FREE: Serving a belief system isn’t the same as serving a living God. There is a difference between believing the Bible and believing the one whom the Bible reveals.

COST: Can you pay the price to follow Jesus? Absolutely, Jesus knew when He called you that you were up to it. Don’t doubt it now.

UNWAVERING: God does the aiming. Persevere through the stress and strain. His release, at the right time, creates a mighty rush of purpose, during which we must fly true. And yes, we’ll go through the process again and again.

REVELATION: Without revelation, the people cast off restraint. Without vision, they perish. Without an understanding of God, we fall all over ourselves. Facing life with ideals is good, but it doesn’t lead to the same result as proceeding on revelation.

ADD: Pray for discernment - leave God’s business God’s business. Take care of the business He gives to you. Take the initiative.

ADD LOVE: You won’t reach the love of God on tiptoe, no matter how tall you are. Allow His life, and therefore love, to dwell IN you, and you won’t get easily HUFFED

HABITS: Our habits aren’t to be worshipped, God is.

May 13 - CONSCIENCE

Acts 24:16 “...In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men...”

Why was Paul telling Felix this? Why did Paul do his best to maintain a blameless conscience?

Acts 24:14 “...But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets;..”

Acts 24:15 “...having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked...”

He served God, believed the law and the prophets, and hoped in God because there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

How’s your conscience?

What is conscience and what does it do for you? [a right and wrong meter]

It convicts, bears witness, it testifies.

It can be good, clear.

It can be weak, wounded, seared, evil, defiled.

Without a good conscience, you can shipwreck your faith.

The old covenant can’t perfect the conscience. The blood of Christ can purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Does everyone have a conscience?

O.C. says conscience is the eye of the soul that looks either toward God or towards what it regards as the highest standard (revelation vs. Ideals)

Is it more than a belief system? Do we recognize the difference between thoughts and conscience?

It needs to be clean (by the blood), it needs to be heard, and it needs to be immediately followed.

What happens when it’s ignored, or when more attention is paid to thoughts than conscience? Improper action leads to weakening, searing, and defilement.

When has your conscience been the most good and clear?

May 14th - ADVERSITY

2 Cor. 4:7-10 ”...But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body...”

Do we enjoy adversity?

Do we embrace adversity?

What is the difference between choosing adversity and embracing adversity? [not looking for it, but accepting it]

What opportunity presents itself in adversity? [a chance to manifest the life of Jesus through circumstances]

It isn’t being saved from Hell that makes an impression on the world - its being saved from self (maybe some similarities)

From what do you think you need to be saved? Are you? Is it the kind of salvation others can see and want?

What kind of disagreeable things have tested your faith walk? Flat tires? Rebellious kids? Inconsiderate people?

Is it realistic to think we can enjoy the disagreeable?

May 15 - VITALITY

Eph.1:18 ”...I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,...”

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians.

What does it mean to “...work out your salvation with fear and trembling...” (Phil.2:12)?

The Israelites were freed from captivity, but had work to do to fulfill God’s intentions for them - removing the giants.

What giants need destroying in our lives?

- be right, look good, stay in control.

- fear, incompetence, unworthiness.

Is it easy to face our giants? What is needed?

- David’s confidence was in God as he faced Goliath.

- We need to know God’s character, intentions, and expectations.

Did Jesus ever dictate to God the Father the way things had to be? [No, He lived out His life in obedience to the Father’s purposes]

What is necessary for us to live with the same vitality that Jesus demonstrated?

- eyes of heart enlightened.

- knowing the hope of His calling.

- knowing the riches of the glory of His inheritance

When people want what people want - they never can be free.

When people want what the Father wants, riches of the glory of His inheritance are available.

How does a clear conscience that embraces adversity lead to vitality?

God can use fiery trials to expose our selfishness.

The toughest stains take the most elbow grease to remove.

Are we more likely to demonstrate spiritual vitality or a complaining spirit?

May 16 - PARTAKERS

2 Pet.1:3,4 “...seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust...”

Do we have all things that pertain to life and godliness?

Are we partaking of the divine nature?

Have we escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust?

How do these things happen?

- Everything pertaining to life and godliness - through the true knowledge of Him

- Partakers of the divine nature - by precious and magnificent promises.

- Escape from a lustful world’s corruption - by His divine power.

2 Peter 1 then continues with the call to be diligently increase in faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and agape.

To miss this is to be short sighted.

Think of an extremely rich person. Think of being that person’s child. Can you imagine considering yourself poor? You could only think that way if you didn’t know your Father or you didn’t partake in his life.

Do we consider ourselves to be lacking in things that pertain to life?

Have we taken on the nature of God, being generous with what we have and who we are?

Have you ever had a pity party and no one came? The only thing worse is one where people do come - because the party goes on longer.

Self on the throne obscures our knowledge of Him and we fail to habitually walk in His divine nature.

May 17 - JESUS

Luke 24:51 - “...While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven...”

What is the story of Jesus?

Birth - stable

Baptism - behold the lamb of God

Ministry and Miracles - taught with authority, even the demons obeyed

Transfiguration - met with Moses/Elijah “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased”

Gethsemane - sweat blood

Cross - nailed up with the thieves to die

Resurrection - defeated death

Ascension - entered heaven having accomplished all He was sent to do

William Parker wrote a hymn for his Sunday School class in 1885

Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear;

Things I would ask Him to tell me if He were here;

Scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea,

Stories of Jesus, tell them to me.

First let me hear how the children stood round His knee,

And I shall fancy His blessing resting on me;

Words full of kindness, deeds full of grace,

All in the love light of Jesus’ face.

Tell me, in accents of wonder, how rolled the sea,

Tossing the boat in a tempest on Galilee;

And how the Maker, ready and kind,

Chided the billows, and hushed the wind.

Into the city I’d follow the children’s band,

Waving a branch of the palm tree high in my hand.

One of His heralds, yes, I would sing

Loudest hosannas, “Jesus is King!”

Show me that scene in the garden, of bitter pain.

Show me the cross where my Savior for me was slain.

Sad ones or bright ones, so that they be

Stories of Jesus, tell them to me.

Tell me the story of Jesus, I love to hear.

Things I would ask Him to tell me, if He were here

Was this man Jesus normal?

- No-one else lived, died, and rose like he did.

- No-one else opened the door to heaven like he did and does.

- No-one else was transfigured, revealing the glory that was His, then left the glory to be crushed by the weight of human sin.

What kind of life did He live? [The normal godly life]

Without revelation, mankind stumbled all over themselves. Shouldn’t the revelation of the Way, the Truth, and the Life, change humanity forever?

Why is so much of humanity still stumbling all over themselves?

We must remember Him, know Him, and partake of His divine nature.

We must be and build disciples of Christ Jesus. He’s our norm.

We can’t be deceived by the father of lies. We can’t put our eyes on another.

We can’t hunger for anything like we hunger for His kingdom and His righteousness.

May 18 - KISS

Matt.6:26-28 “...Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,...”

Context: A section of scripture that reveals the cure for anxiety.

Does our world need a cure for anxiety?

Is there a cure that is more effective than anti-anxiety drugs?

How difficult is life for a bird? Would your life be simpler if you were a bird?

How about the life of a lily? Would you struggle if you were a lily?

Thirty eight years ago I was asking questions like these. I’d hop on my ten-speed, peddle away from campus, out into the country. I’d find a spot up on a hill and contemplate what it would be like to be a cow.

No, I wasn’t on drugs. I just had this awareness of the craziness and futility of the rest of creation. This was the crack through which God reached into my heart and started me on my pilgrimage toward His truth.

Are humans self absorbed? Can a Christian be self absorbed in pursuit of spirituality?

- We are a created people.

- He is the creator.

- Life is as simple as looking to Him and having His life form in us.

May 19 - INTEGRATION

Rom.8:35 “...Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...”

I have a suspicion. No, its more that a suspicion because I’ve seen it with my eyes. I have an awareness of a condition that plagues us as Christians.

Segregation: Not a separating of men from women, race from race, denomination from denomination, but separation of spiritual life from the rest of life.

- In the right setting we talk about God, we know the answers, we say the right things.

- In most of the other settings of our lives we live differently.

Are there two worlds? Are we two people?

James 1:8 “...being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways...”

Double-minded is a recipe for instability.

Nothing can separate us from the love of God? Can anything separate you from your spiritual life, your eternal life, your knowing Him?

Do we face?

Tribulation? Severe trial or suffering.

Distress? Great pain, anxiety, or sorrow.

Persecution? A program or campaign to subjugate a people because of their beliefs.

Famine? Extreme and general scarcity.

Peril? Exposure to injury, loss, or destruction.

Nakedness? Without the customary covering or protection - exposure.

Sword? A symbol of war, combat, violence, or aggression.

How do we live in the face of these things?