2. Experiencing God Based upon the book, Experiencing God, by Henry and Richard Blackaby and Claude King.

3. Seven Realities of Experiencing God 1. God is always at work around you. 2. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal. 3. God invites you to become involved with Him and His work. 4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit, through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church, to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.

4. Seven Realities of Experiencing God 5. God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action. 6. You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing. 7. You come to know God by experience as you obey Him, and He accomplishes His work through you.

5. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal. 1.God loves YOU deeply and desires a full relationship with YOU. 2.God wants you to love (and worship) Him.

6. Deuteronomy 10:12-13 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul...”

7. Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you? But to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

8. Mark 12:29-30 Jesus answered him, “... ‘And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment...”

9. The pitfalls of not having a love relationship with God obedience - love legalism service (for God?) -love works righteousness

10. The crazy thing about God and his love for us is this: When God created you, He created you in a way that only you can give Him what He truly desires. (Because love must be a choice).

11. God pursues a continuing love relationship with your that is real and personal. 1.God loves YOU deeply and desires a full relationship with YOU. 2.God wants you to love (and worship) Him. 3.God’s love and His pursuit of you have nothing to do with your past actions.

12. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal. 4.Your noisy life hinders your ability to hear/see God seeking you. 5.Noise must be overcome to realize that God is seeking you (or more of you).

13. Two types of noise Bad Noise Addictions Unresolved anger Un-forgiveness Past pains/grief Tragedy Illness Love of money/stuff Good noise Our spouse Our child(ren) The need to provide Success Our ministry Our boy/girlfriend* The internet*

14. 3 ways to overcome noise Get rid of it* Distance yourself from it*

15. Luke 5:15-16... the news about him [Jesus] spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. but... Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

16. 3 ways to overcome noise Get rid of it* Distance yourself from it* Turn up the God volume*

17. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal. 6.Satan’s desire (is not necessarily that you have a relationship with him) is that you don’t have a relationship with God.

18. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal.

19. Your challenge for the week Quit running. Allow God’s love for you to catch-up with you and your life! Embrace Him.