The Seek God Challenge Day 8

January 8, 2012 by Jules Leave a Comment

SEEK AND FIND

READ

9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.11 What father among you, if his son asks fort a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" - Luke 11:9-13

THINK

This passage is directly after Jesus gives the model prayer. We see that given to disciples at their request. Likewise Jesus is asking us here to do what?

Verses 11-13 give us a picture of what? What is God telling us that He desires to give us (verse 13)?

Jesus is essentially telling us here that when we seek Him we will find Him, when we ask he gives and when we knock He will answer. What are you seeking, asking, and knocking for?

PRAY

These thoughts and prayers are just a guide to get you started in your conversation with God. Think of them as conversation starters rather than a check list to quickly pray.

Jesus rewards us for our boldness in our prayers. His children that desire to know Him are seeking Him greater and greater.

Ask God that your heart may desire more of Him, that you will never be satisfied with Him, and that you will always desire to know Him more.

Pray that you will be diligent to seek God boldly as you learn what it means to really ask, seek, and knock

DO

Take a few moments and sit down and think about what would you do for God if you could not fail, write that down and put it somewhere you won’t lose it.

Download the guide here

Filed Under: Seek God Challenge Tagged With: Challenge, Chase, Christ, Christianity, Father God, God, Holiness, HolySpirit, Jesus, Josiah, love, Luke, Passion, Passionate, prayer, purity, Pursuit, Seek

The Seek God Challenge Day 4

January 4, 2012 by Jules Leave a Comment

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Desire is NOT Passion

READ

“29 And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 39:29

17 “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

THINK

For most of us the concept of seeking God’s face is awkward. Most of us don’t really have a clear picture of what that means. What is the most difficult part for you of the concept of seeking God’s face?

The concept of seeking God’s face is to know God’s person. To be intimate, to look into His eyes and be near Him. What are some ways that you can seek His face? No Sunday School answers allowed, ie. Pray, read His Bible etc. Be creative.

In order to be transformed into the glory of God requires first off knowing Jesus as your Savior, if you have never made Jesus Lord of your life stop right now and give Him your whole person. If you need assistance call Matt at 870-692-8855 he will be happy to walk you through that!

For those who have the Holy Spirit of Christ living in you, what is keeping you from reflecting the glory of Christ to those around you?

PRAY

These thoughts and prayers are just a guide to get you started in your conversation with God. Think of them as conversation starters rather than a check list to quickly pray.

Seeing Jesus face to face has an effect on us. His presence does something to you.

Pray that your seeking will be after His face and not His hand, that you will desire Him for Him and not for what He gives.

Ask God to increase your desire to know Him in way that is passionate and real.

DO

Find a picture (online or in print) that represents the face of God to you (it can be whatever reminds of that) then save it as the background on your phone or hang it somewhere you’ll see it often (in your locker or the dashboard of your car) when you see it simply tell God that you want to see His face.

Down the guide here

Filed Under: Seek God Challenge Tagged With: bible, Burning, bush, Christ, Christianity, Egypt, Follow, God, Holiness, Holy, HolySpirit, Israel, Jesus, Lord, Passion, Pursue, Pursuit, Religion & Spirituality, Second Epistle to the Corinthians, Seek, Sunday School

The Seek God Challenge Day 2

January 2, 2012 by Jules Leave a Comment

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PURSUE GOD WITH PASSION

READ

Philippians 3:7-11

“7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith int Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”

THINK

How is just “accepting Christ” different from the passion pursuit that Paul talks about here?

Paul says that, “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” which means that in comparison to knowing Jesus everything this world has to offer is insignificant. How is our worldly view of life and accomplishments different from this perspective? How would this type of perspective change how you go about your day?

Paul says “and “so somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead” other translations have “by any means" he's telling us that the difficult things (ie. Persecution, being unpopular, even death) will be worth it, in light of the goal of sharing knowing Christ deeply and sharing in His resurrection. How is that contrary to our American Christianity and the thought that only church attendance and “good living” is required for Christians? Does the thought of giving everything up to chase God scare you or excite you? Why?

The Greek word for garbage or rubbish had one of two uses: excrement from the body, or table scraps that were fit only to be thrown to the dogs. So saying that “I consider them (his abilities/accomplishments) garbage” is strong wording. Literally, Paul considers them as excrement - as dung; not only worthless, but offensive. In order to have this type of distaste for the world you must be passionately seeking God. You have to have been close enough to see Him for the things of this word to look as garbage and be offensive to you because they stand in your way of knowing Him more. What is your image of God today? Do you hunger for Him or is He just some part of your life? How can that change?

PRAY

These thoughts and prayers are just a guide to get you started in your conversation with God. Think of them as conversation starters rather than a check list to quickly pray.

Has you separated faith in God from a passionate pursuit of God? Is He just part of your religion or Lord of your life? When we see the King we want to know Him deeper.

Pray that your heart will be ignited and begin to burn with passion for the King of kings

Are there things in your life that you are placing as more valuable than a pursuit of God? A good way to evaluate that is what is the majority of your time spent doing?

Pray that a passionate pursuit of God would become the main priority of your life

DO

Stop right now and grab something to write with and write down an honest assessment of what you're doing with your time. See what things jump out as obvious priorities, and which ones are causing you to seek God deeper.

Download the guide here

Filed Under: Seek God Challenge Tagged With: Christ, Christ Jesus, Christian, Epistle to the Philippians, Follow, God, Holiness, Holy, Jesus, Lord, Passion, Paul, Pursue, Pursuit, Seek

The Seek God Challenge Day 1

January 1, 2012 by Jules Leave a Comment

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SEEK HIM PERSONALLY, SEEK HIM CONTINUALLY

READ

“1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father,” -2 Chronicles 34:1-3a

THINK

Matt mentioned Josiah sought God both personally, and continually. What does seeking God look like in your life today? How should/could that be different?
Verse two tells us that Josiah “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” and he “did not turn aside to the right hand or the left”. Why do you think that was?
Verse three actually answers our last question; “For in the eighth year of his reign…he began to seek…God” How do you think that seeking God caused him to do “what was right” and “not turn aside”?
Look for a second at John 5:19
“19 So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” - John 5:19
We know that Jesus was fully man and yet was without sin, and I believe that he gives us the secret right here in John 5:19. Do you see it? What is it?
He was in constant communication with His Father. He didn’t choose any decision on His own. He didn’t take any job, trip, or activity without the Father’s direction. Like a life GPS it gave Jesus the exact, perfect will of God the Father. For us pressing into God is the only way to learn to hear the Father in every situation. If you have surrendered your life to Christ then He’s already equipped you to be victorious you just have to learn when and how to use what. How is your life GPS operating? When was the last time you turned it on and listened?

PRAY

These thoughts and prayers are just a guide to get you started in your conversation with God. Think of them as conversation starters rather than a check list to quickly pray.
The kind of passionate seeking God that changes your generation is hard, persistent, and it will bring about hardship. There will no doubt come some sort of distraction that will attempt to edge out your time seeking God over the next month, it’s the things that we place the most value on that we use our time doing.
Pray that you will have the discipline to stick with it for the whole 30 days.

As you seek God you will be drawn deeper into Him, and with that comes a greater love of His character and his love for you. In light of that we’ll quickly see sin in our lives and the decisions that put us there. Holiness is not easy. Opposition from the enemy is promised, as is persecution from the world. It’s here that we decide if it’s worth it.

Pray that you will release the boldness God has given you to be a city on a hill that cannot be hidden.