Drifting Away from God, week 2. Special Guest speaker: Craig Groeschel, Pastor of LifeChurch.tv!
This week we take another look at how to avoid drifting away from God...(in other words, how to run toward Him! :) )
I encourage you to write down / type out your answers to the questions that are asked in the video. Just simply pause the video, type out your response and save it for yourself, or post it so we can read it! I would love to get some great discussion started out of this video! So please start discussing! I will be posting my responses around Tuesday/Wednesday!
And in case you did not know, to comment simply click on the "comments" link at the top right of the video (right above it) (it will be there every week).
I look forward to some great discussion and hope God moves in you through the words spoken!
Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. Revelation 2:5
What's your 1-degree that you need to eliminate? How are you going to eliminate it?
Pray and ask God for help in these things! Burn with passion to be on track!
This experiment of Satan will hinder you from: 1) Growing Closer to God and 2) Hearing God's voice
How do we overcome? We realize,
"We make time for what we value." - Craig Groeschel
and re-prioritize and get back alone time with God.
When I have alone time with God, I feel so close to Him, hear Him so clearly, and praise Him so much. When I miss alone time with Him...I feel distant, feel like I can't hear Him at all, and praise Him not nearly as much.
That shows how important making room for God is in our every day lives.
I encourage you to read the Word....God's Word, the Bible, and meditate on it and simply talk and listen to God throughout the process. Throughout your day make reminders in your cell phone calendar...and post-it-notes...and little reminder tools of any sort.
Just don't be the average person as God said...................................no, make room for Your God! We make time for what we value!
One more quick note: I don't even really like calling it "making" room for God. - If you are taking notes, remember this: We don't find time for God, we don't make time for God, but we take the time He has so graciously given us and say, "I will praise You!"
The lion slowly got up and pinpointed its target.Slowly brushing past the tall brush, it gazed at its next meal. One paw at a time, until it stopped. Then sat down.
That’s what happened for about 30 minutes as we watched a lion hunting an injured zebra. It was interesting how the lion, at first, sat, looking at all the animals, until it intelligently zoned in on the one that he knew he could take – the injured zebra. Now, I could get into a cool lesson over the lion, but I want to focus more-so on his prey: the zebra.
The zebra is best known for its stripes. The black and white, vertical and horizontal stripes have always seemed to interest humans. When I started thinking about the zebra and its stripes, I came to an amazing thought:
The stripes of a zebra seriously attest to a Designer.
Just as an artist would paint beautiful stripes on a canvas, it seems that God just beautifully showed his artistry by painting the zebra. Just looking at the zebra makes me realize, even more, that this universe is not random…it didn’t come by just chance or by a “big bang” that led to the creation of everything from nothing. The stripes of a zebra really attest to a Creator, a Designer, who intricately and beautifully designed everything.
In fact, as far as I’ve been able to research, scientists have yet to come up with valid reasoning as to how the zebra got its stripes. I just typed out the different info I’ve gathered from a college textbook on Developmental Biology and from a U.K. newspaper, but decided not to post it. Because it just keeps pointing to the same point: Scientists can explain facts about the current presence of stripes and the possible uses the zebra has for them…but they cannot explain how they got there.
A Designer drew them.
Romans 1:20 – “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Thinking about what I just wrote about the zebra, doesn’t that make you smile? :) It makes me!
The stripes of a zebra beautifully, brilliantly, and boldly proclaim the presence of the Creator and Designer: God – who also created you. And a beautiful life story he has planned for you :).
Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you…
Listen to God as He leads you through life. His plans are amazing! Better than ours could ever be…There’s a problem though – sin separates us from God (so it’ll be hard to understand or even see His plan for your life if you don’t even have a relationship with Him). There’s a beautiful solution – Jesus Christ. His Son, who He sent to take your sins and die with them. God then raised him from the dead – this all points to what Christ wants us to know – if you trust in him you will be saved. Christ is the only way to God…the only way. It’s another one of God’s beautifully designed plans. And here’s another awesome part – you’re part of that plan. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
Here’s another awesome part: “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
The truth is that the end of the world is near. We all know this…we can feel it. And the truth is that at any second you or I could die. The only question is this: Are you ready?
Begin a relationship with God today. Open yourself to Him. Pray He comes into you. Believe and ask for forgiveness….seek Him. And when you seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).
There is a Designer and a Planner. It’s God – and we are invited into His story :).
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