GOING DEEPER INTO THE WORD OF GOD

Transcription

1 DEEPER WITH GOD GOING DEEPER INTO THE WORD OF GOD When you go deeper into the Word of God, you open up your life to receive more of what God has for you. The depth of God s Word takes you to a level that not only exposes you to more of God s Holiness, but also reveals more of His character and purpose in your life. LESSON 3 LIVING THE EXCHANGED LIFE Going deep into the Word of God involves more than reading and studying the Scriptures it involves a change of attitude. Your attitude determines how God s Holy Spirit speaks the Scriptures into your life. Living the exchanged life results in a changed mindset and a receptive attitude for going deeper into the Word of God Corinthians 5:15 And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him Who died for them and was raised again. a. Who do you now live for? b. How do you live for Christ? 2. Colossians 3:1-2 Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. a. As you live your life on a daily basis, how do you determine your choices and priorities? 3. John 5:30 By Myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and My judgment is just, for I seek not to please Myself but Him Who sent Me. a. What should your criteria be in making decisions and living your life? 1

2 4. Joshua 24:15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." a. What is the beginning of living an exchanged life? 5. Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, a. Why are your decisions and actions governed by God and not your earthly circumstances? b. What does it mean to have your citizenship in heaven? 6. Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is His good, pleasing and perfect will. a. What three things can you do to live an exchanged life with Christ? 7. Matthew 6:33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. a. What are your priorities in life? 8. Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me. 2

3 a. How are you to live? b. What does it mean to be crucified with Christ? RESULTS OF COMPLACENCY AND COMPROMISE You can have the best intentions in wanting to go deeper with God, but if your life is plagued by complacency and compromise, you will erect walls that shut God out. These walls will thwart God s power in you and prevent you from experiencing the fullness of life that God wants you to experience. 9. Philippians 3:18-19 For as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. a. What three things cause you to live at enmity with God? 10. Deuteronomy 8:10-11 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land He has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe His commands, His laws and His decrees that I am giving you this day. a. What risks occur with success and abundance? 11. Ezekiel 33:31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. a. Knowing, seeking, and praising God is good. But what does God want? 3

4 12. Deuteronomy 8:14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, Who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. a. Not spending time with God prevents you from going deep into His Word and developing an intimate relationship with Him. What is the root problem that keeps you from spending time with God? 13. Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. a. When you divide your priorities between God and the world, you begin serving the world over God. The Lord does not want to share His throne with anyone or anything. When you allow other things to occupy God s throne, you will never be at peace with God or yourself. A divided heart robs you of your ability to grow into a deeper relationship with your Lord. Allowing God to solely occupy the throne of your life frees you to know Him without other interests getting in the way. What are some of the things you can do to make this happen? CHANGE ONLY COMES THROUGH DEPTH OF RELATIONSHIP When you realize that it is only through God that you can experience God s fullness, you will pursue a depth of relationship that results in Godly character, contentment, and a fullness of life that is beyond your reach through earthly means. 14. Colossians 3:16 Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. a. What is the result of God s Word going deep into your life? 15. James 1:25 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. 4

5 a. What is one of the keys to going deep into the Word of God? b. What is the result of applying God s Word to your life? 16. James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, Who does not change like shifting shadows. a. What is the result when you go to God and intimately know Him? 17. Hebrews 5:12-6:2 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's Word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. a. Moving from elementary Biblical teachings for only your benefit to teachings that direct and guide your Christian walk for God s ministry and purpose reflects maturity in Christ. What results from Christian maturity? TOOLS FOR GOING DEEPER WITH GOD The following tools are available for helping you go deeper in the Word. Which ones, how much, and how often they are used is between you and God. Understanding what the Lord has for you and where He is taking you will help you understand the tools needed for your tool box in going deeper with Him. If you lack clarity of direction, going deeper into His Word and prayer is a must. As you understand His leading, going 5

6 deeper in His Word and prayer continues to be critical, because it is out of your intimate walk with Christ that your Christian life is empowered. Seek from God the tool box that He wants you to use in your daily walk with Him. Tool boxes may vary between Christians and change as your ministry and walk change. Whatever tool box you use, God wants to consistently take you deeper into His life through His Word, prayer, and empowerment of the Holy Spirit to help you experience His full abundance and work. The following list are personal disciplines, but your participation in a church, small group, group Bible Study, and conferences for growth are all helpful in your spiritual growth. Potential tools are: 1. Reading the Bible in a year. 2. Having daily quiet times where you meet, hear, and converse with God. 3. Journal what God is saying to you. 4. Study the Bible. There are many great Bible studies in Christian bookstores that can benefit your study of God s Word. Just ask a sales associate! 5. Memorize Scripture to always have it in your heart. 6. Catalogue your notes to increase your accessibility to truth. 7. Pray in the fullness of prayer using the acronym ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication). 8. Train yourself in Scriptural concepts to be equipped for the circumstances that you will encounter. Congratulations on completing Deeper with God. The goal of Deeper with God was not to teach you truths about God but to help you cultivate your relationship with Him. If this study has imparted Biblical truth yet your relationship with God continues to be distant, I encourage you to go back through this study focusing on the applications of God s truth in your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to impress you with God s desire to have a living, intimate, and powerful relationship with you. Ask God to make those truths a living reality to you. Do not leave this study without allowing God s truth to move you to a deeper relationship with Him that controls, directs, and impacts every area of your life. Before leaving this study, determine your commitments to developing your intimacy with God. I suggest your prayerful consideration of some or all of the following commitments: 1. Have a daily quiet time with God. 2. Pick your time and duration for meeting with God each day. 3. Commit a specified amount of time for studying God s Word each week. When questions concerning God s Word arise, write them down for future study. 6

7 4. Consider a commitment to memorizing Scriptures to enrich your relationship with God, for continual meditation of God s Word, and for deepening your Biblical knowledge. Be faithful in your commitments. Let the Holy Spirit inspire and direct you as you are fulfilling your commitments. Perform them out of devotion to and love for your Savior not merely as an activity. May God s Word deeply penetrate and touch your life so that you can grow in Christlikeness. Be blessed and used in all you do! CONSIDERATION FOR FUTURE STUDIES Many problems that a person has are often related to his or her concept of God. The goal of this study was to help you cultivate your personal relationship and walk with Christ. The principles and truth in this study are instrumental in experiencing full abundance in your Christian life. Your success in the Christian life is hinged upon your ongoing relationship with Christ. Success is defined as not only knowing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, but also having an intimate relationship with Christ that releases the abundance of life He has for you. Several important Bible Study resources that can help you in developing intimacy with Christ as well as experiencing a fuller and more abundant life in Christ. These studies are designed to help you grow where you are. The following is a brief description of each spiritual growth study to help you determine which resources will be most beneficial to you. Your Life in Christ is a nine lesson study which will help you establish your life in Christ. Even though many of the topics will be familiar, it may still be important to do this study to fully establish your life in Christ. Many Christians often experience failure and a lack of abundance in their Christian lives because of lack of understanding of Who Christ is in their lives or how they should live their Christian lives as well as because of corrupted beliefs that are affecting their ability to relate and walk with Christ. Growing in Christ will help you establish your relationship with Christ to help you experience God s very best. Discipleship is for the Christian who strives to actively walk with Christ on a daily basis. You seek to have a devotional life that allows you to live in the constant presence and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Your relationship with the Lord is opening your life wider to receive and hear His Word. As God speaks, you will be prompted to step out in the areas of your giftings and the calling that He has for you. Stepping out and allowing God to live His purpose through you will draw you closer to Him in discipleship. Discipleship will help your life in Christ expand to its full purpose and fruitfulness. 7

8 The Laborer study is not yet fully developed. It will be a study that deals with how you allow God to utilize the gifts in your life with which He has blessed you. This study will help balance your walk with Christ you will develop a proper balance of impression by God s Word with expression of God s work through your life. You can learn more about other Growing in Christ Bible studies and resources by going to 8