February 21 2016 Daring To Grow A Deep Soul

DARING TO GROW A DEEP SOUL

Daring Faith: The Key to Miracles – Part 7

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Matthew 22:37 (NIV)

Spiritual growth is a process in which GOD AND I EACH HAVE A PART.

1. GOD’S PART: HE INVITES

MY PART: I RESPOND

Ephesians 1:4 (NLT) "Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes."

James 1:21b (NJB) "Humbly welcome the Word which has been planted in you and can save your souls."

2. GOD’S PART: HE IS FOUND.

MY PART: I SEEK HIM.

Jeremiah 29:13­14a (NIV) "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord . .

Psalm 27:8 (NIV) "My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek."

3. GOD’S PART: HE TEACHES ME.

MY PART: I LEARN.

John 16:13a (ESV) "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth."

Hebrews 5:11­14 (NLT) There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is dif icult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word.[a] You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the dif erence between right and wrong

4. GOD’S PART: HE BRINGS GOOD OUT OF EVIL.

MY PART: TO ENDURE.

Romans 8:28 (NJB) "We are well aware that God works with those who love him, those who have been called in accordance with his purpose, and turns everything to their good."

Colossians 1:11 (Msg) "We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory­strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy."

Jeremiah 17:7­8 (NLT) "But blessed are those who trust in the Lord, and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing

Philippians 1:11 (Msg) ". . . bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and

GOD’S GUARANTEE: GOD WILL FINISH WHAT HE HAS STARTED.

Philippians 1:6 (Amp) "And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ (right up to the time of His return), developing that good work and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you."

February 9 2014 Building My Life On The Bible

Building My Life On The Bible

HOW DO I BUILD MY LIFE ON THE BIBLE?

JAMES 1:19-25

1. I receive it with my ears.

Romans 10:17 (NIV) “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.”

James 1:19-21 (NIV)“Everyone should be QUICK TO LISTEN, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly ACCEPT THE WORD planted in you, which can save you.”

For “Good Reception” I need to be …

  • Quiet 

“Be quick to listen and slow to speak …” 

  • Calm

“and slow to become angry …”

  • Clean

“get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent”

  • Humble

“humbly accept the Word planted in you which can save you.”

2. I read it with my eyes.

James 1:22-25 (NIV)“Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like! But the man who LOOKS INTENTLY into the perfect law that gives freedom, and CONTINUES to do this, NOT FORGETTING what he has heard, but DOING IT—he will be blessed in what he does.”Get a Bible Reading Plan

3. I research it with my hands and my mouth.

Bible “STUDY” requires

  • writing down what I learn
  • talking about what I learn

John 5:39 (NLT) “You search the Scriptures because you believe they give you eternal life. And the Scriptures point to me!” 

4. I review and remember with my mind.

James 1:25 (NIV) “The man who looks intently into the perfect law … and CONTINUES to do this, NOT FORGETTING what he has heard but doing it, he will be blessed in what he does.” The Bible term for remembering & reviewing God’s Word is meditation.

Joshua 1:8 (NIV) “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

5. I respond to it with my actions.

James 1:22 (NIV) “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. DO what it says!”

Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV) “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. BUT everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

July 29 2012 How To Be Blessed By The Bible

How To Be Blessed By The Bible

James 1:19-27
The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it, he will be blessed in what he does.

1. I must receive God's Word.

Verse 21 - Accept the word planted in you.

Attitudes for Good Reception

• Careful attitude.

Verse 19 - Be quick to listen, slow to speak.

• We need to be calm.

Verse 19b - and slow to become angry.

• We need to be clean.

Verse 21 - Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent.

• We need to be teachable.

Verse 21b -humbly accept the word planted in you.

2. I must reflect on God’s Word.

Illustration: God’s Word is like a mirror.

How?

• We must read.

Verse 25 - The man who looks intently into the perfect law.

Questions:

• Is there a sin to confess

• A prayer to pray

• A promise to claim

• An error to avoid

• An attitude to change

• A truth to believe

• A command to obey

• Something to thank God for

• An example to follow

• Review God’s Word.

Verse 25 - and continues to do so.

• Remember.

Verse 25 - not forgetting what he has heard.

3. I must respond to God’s Word.

Verse 22 - Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Verse 25 - The man who puts the law into practice wins true happiness.