Sunday, February 21, 2016

“A picture is worth a words.”thousand

“The more I think, the more confused I get!”

We live in a confusing world!

Absolute truth is truth that is true at all times in every situation and for every person. It is true because it is true – not because we believe it to be true. It exists independent of whether or not we choose to believe it.

John 18:37 In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.

"People by the millions are bailing out of jobs, careers, businesses, relationships and life in general. Many of these people lack commitment to a cause, lifestyle, purpose, or outcome. When it gets a little tough, uncomfortable, or they don't get the results they thought they would as quickly as they thought they should, their response is: 'I'm outta here.'"

“oxymoron” An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which contradictory words are joined together … - a fine mess - old news - a random pattern - pretty ugly - jumbo shrimp - resident alien

Chuck Colson “Certain characteristics are so inherent to Christianity that to neglect them is to become a walking oxymoron. A Christian without commitment is such an oxymoron.”

The commitment Christ calls us to is not a “once-and-done” but an “every-moment” commitment!

Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Five Commitments that Define a Christian Sunday mornings thru Easter! follow Jesus!

iWill SEEK: passionately pursuing God in all of life! follow Jesus!

Psalm 27:4 One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.

follow Jesus! Psalm 27:8 You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, LORD, do I seek." Psalm 42:1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.

follow Jesus! Psalm 63:1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 119:10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!

follow Jesus! Deuteronomy 4:29 But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

follow Jesus! 1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! 1 Chronicles 22:19 Now set your mind and heart to seek the LORD your God.

follow Jesus! Isaiah 55:6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near. Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

follow Jesus! Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

follow Jesus! Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

follow Jesus! Acts 17:26-27 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that... they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for 'In him we live and move and have our being.'

Bottom line – we are wired to be in an intimate relationship with God! Therefore we will find our greatest satisfaction and fulfillment as we seek after Him!

follow Jesus! How should we be seeking God? - With firm determination!

follow Jesus! Psalm 27:4 One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.

follow Jesus! Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness...

follow Jesus! How should we be seeking God? - With firm determination! - With continual effort!

follow Jesus! 1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!

follow Jesus! How should we be seeking God? - With firm determination! - With continual effort! - With fervent devotion!

follow Jesus! Psalm 42:1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. Psalm 119:10 With my whole heart I seek you.

follow Jesus! How should we be seeking God? - With firm determination! - With continual effort! - With fervent devotion! - With joyful expectation!

follow Jesus! Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

follow Jesus! Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

follow Jesus! James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

follow Jesus! How should we be seeking God? - With firm determination! - With continual effort! - With fervent devotion! - With joyful expectation!

follow Jesus! Toward seeking God The very first step you must take is to embrace the gospel of Christ!

follow Jesus! Embrace the gospel of Christ! Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

follow Jesus! Toward seeking God 1. Clean out your heart of competing distractions! Psalm 86:11b Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

follow Jesus! Toward seeking God 2. Work on developing a taste for God! Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good!

follow Jesus! Toward seeking God 2. Work on developing a taste for God! Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good!

The Bible reveals to us God’s nature, character, ways and will. So if we really desire to seek him and develop a “taste” for him … this is where we must begin and never stop!

follow Jesus! Philippians 3:7-8 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.

Challenge for the week: Read and pray through Psalm 63 at least three times this week. Psalm 63:1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Ask God to help you seek and thirst for him even as David did!

“To relish and rejoice in the beauty of God alone accounts for why we exist. It’s also the solution to our struggle with sin. Enjoying God is the catalyst for substantive and lasting life change. And enjoying God is the soul’s sole satisfaction, with which no rival pleasure can hope to compete. (Sam Storms in his book, One Thing: Developing a Passion for the Beauty of God)

iWill SEEK: passionately pursuing God in all of life! follow Jesus! Five Commitments that Define a Christian