In our culture today, feelings are often overemphasized and given too much authority. When Christians indulge in this exaltation of emotions, it can affect our spiritual life, especially our worship of God. As C. S. Lewis wrote, feelings may come and go, but “obedience is the key to all doors.” With this in mind, we must remember to praise God even when we do not feel like giving Him praise. Our feelings must not dictate our actions. Praise is a call for Christians to act. If we take the first step towards praise, our feelings will follow. God desires His people to recognize, celebrate, and express His value to Him through their praise in obedience. Praise is the visible and vocal celebration of who God is, the declaration of what He has done, and the expression of what we trust Him to do. Praise should be entirely God-focused. Praise presents a unique opportunity for us to minister to God’s heart; we shouldn’t take that lightly. We can often be enthusiastic about expressing praise for our favorite sports teams, favorite events, and best accomplishments. Still, we can be hesitant to express our praise to God. Since no one has done what God has done, our great King deserves the greatest praise. Our praise is expressed through joyful service and singing. We should serve God joyfully because we know who He is. In song, we express great thoughts and statements about God to communicate His value. We should approach praise with an attitude of submission, knowing that we are entirely dependent on Him for all we are and all we have. Praise calls us to recognize God’s person, power, and provision. He alone is God, and we need His power to work in our lives. We need to remind ourselves that all the good things in life have been provided by God. When we have this view of God, praise comes easily. Because God indwells the praise of His people, we receive an added benefit: The more we praise, the more of God we experience. GETTING STARTED How do people celebrate and praise their favorite sports teams? What otherworldly things do people praise? What are examples of songs written to praise someone or something? LET’S GET PERSONAL What obstacles keep people from praising God? What has kept you from praising God? Where has your praise been lacking? What might cause people’s praise to be less God-focused? How have you experienced God through praise? How do you need to approach praise differently to experience more of God? TAKE THE NEXT STEP How can you joyfully serve this week to celebrate God’s value to you? How has God demonstrated His power and provision in your life? This week, how can you give God praise both publicly and privately for what He has done? Want to go deeper? Take time to look at the following passages:  Psalm 100:1-5 ;  Psalm 145:1-21 ;  Psalm 150:1-6 ;  Revelation 4:10-11 ;  John 1:20-21 ;  Psalm 34:1-3 ;  Psalm 113:3 ;  Psalm 95:1-3 ;  Deuteronomy 28:45-48 ;  Psalm 107:1 ;  Psalm 29:2 ;  Psalm 66:4 ;  Psalm 7:17 ;  Habakkuk 3:16-19 ;  2 Chronicles 20:1-24 ;  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ;  Philippians 4:4-6 ;  2 Chronicles 5:13-14 ;  Hebrews 13:15 ;  Psalm 22:3 ;  Psalm 50:23 ;  Psalm 149:6-9 ;  Acts 13:1-2 ;  Ephesians 1:6 . RENEW YOUR MIND “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name." Psalms 100:4 www.ocbf.com .

F aithful trust in God, without pridefully taking credit for divine action, leads to blessing. After the lofty praises sung to Yahweh in Judges 5, we are brought down to  terra firma  with an unmistakable thud: the Israelites returned to their evil ways (6:1). Usually, at this juncture Yahweh would be raising up a deliverer. Instead we have a detour—a round of deserved divine excoriation of the nation’s behavior (6:8–10). Israel had chosen to fear and obey not Yahweh, but the gods of the Amorites. The result? Oppression of the Israelites by the Midianites. This is the first narrative in which Israel’s cry for help is answered by a rebuke (6:7–10). It is a decidedly negative characterization of the nation, worse than what had been portrayed thus far. Anyhow, Gideon is commissioned as deliverer. But the skeptical guy wants a sign (6:17). He gets it (6:20–21)—God is gracious. Yet, Gideon’s surreptitious undertakings by night—obedience in destroying idols, but under cover of darkness: covert commitment—hints at a compromised attitude to God, one that is laced with apprehension, not exactly what ought to have characterized one who has just interacted with God and obtained multiple assurances of divine presence (6:12, 14, 16, 21–24). In any case, for the first time since Othniel (3:10), the Spirit of Yahweh “comes” upon the deliverer (6:34). Then, like Ehud, Gideon “blows a trumpet” (3:27; 6:34) and, like Barak, Gideon “summons” his troops (4:10; 6:34, 35). Gideon seems to have gained some confidence. But no, the ever-skeptical Gideon now tests God with fleece (6:36–40). This, despite the fact that Gideon acknowledges  twice  that God had said he would deliver Israel by Gideon (6:36, 37; see 6:14, 16). Indeed, the fellow has the gall to admit that he is “testing” God (6:39). Yet God—again—graciously complies. OK, now on to the battle. Oh, wait—now it is God’s turn to throw a spanner in the works (7:1–8)! Yahweh is not going forward with the huge army Gideon has mustered (6:34–35). He demands that Gideon’s forces be pruned, so that Israel may not become boastful. From 32,000 to 300! This, in the face of 135,000 enemy troops (8:10): Gideon ends up with one soldier for every 450 enemy combatants! Great! Whatever confidence Gideon may have gained has now evaporated. And notice that the 300 who remain pick up …  trumpets  (7:8; likely on God’s directive)! There is no sign of any weaponry. There was no way a 300-strong weaponless army was going to successfully take on a 135,000-strong battalion. But Yahweh takes the initiative and graciously gives Gideon yet another sign-assurance of success (7:9–11). So all looks good, and the battle begins. What battle? The Israelites just stand blowing trumpets and waving torches and shrieking. It is Yahweh who fights with a sword (7:19–22). And the Midianites flee—entirely God’s doing. In retrospect, the Israelites’ earlier war cry, “For Yahweh  and for Gideon ” (7:18), looks decidedly odd. Why the urge for Gideon to personalize this war (7:18), especially when Yahweh’s expressly stated goal was to  not  share the glory of victory with humans (7:2)? It looks like Gideon wanted a piece of the limelight. In sum, Yahweh’s suspicions about Israel and Gideon (7:2) turn out to be true: humans had equated deity’s power with their own puny (non-)efforts and had become boastful (7:18, 20), daring to steal God’s glory. This is especially striking since in every other victory of every other judge until now, Yahweh’s actions are given priority: 3:10, 28; 4:14 (and even in this account, 7:15). Skepticism, sadly, had turned, not into surrender, but into swagger.

What happens when we try to plan our own repentance? Luke 15:11-19 I once read a whodunit where the murderer criss crossed the country killing people whose carbon footprints were excessively large. He had decided they didn't deserve to live, and that God would be pleased with him because he was saving the planet for future generations. This fictional story is kind of ridiculous, but it reminds me of how futile and destructive it is when we try to come to God on our own merit. In Luke 15 Jesus tells three different parables to answer the question of why he chooses to eat with sinners (Luke 15:2). The third story, the one about the prodigal son, initially teases us with the idea that maybe we can find a way to return to God in our strength. All of us can relate to this younger son who, finally in hunger comes to his senses and tries to fix what he has destroyed. But, as we dig deeper into his reasoning we see that he is confused about which sin has actually separated him from God. Maybe, we do this too. Look at Luke 15:11-24. 11 He also said, "A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.' So he distributed the assets to them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. 14 After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. 15 Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything. 17 When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I'll get up, go to my father, and say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. 19 I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers."' 20 So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was till a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. 21 The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 "But the father told his servants, 'Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let's celebrate with a feast, 24 because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' So they began to celebrate. CSB When the younger son asked his father to divide up the estate in this parable it was a scandalous request. Usually this division of wealth would not have occurred before the father's death. It must have felt to the audience listening to this parable like the son was asking for the father to die, and yet the father willingly gives his son his part of the inheritance. Keep in mind that in all three parables found in Luke 15 Jesus is telling stories about himself, so the compassionate father in this parable is a picture of Jesus. After, all the money has been spent in foolish living the prodigal son remembers how his father treated his own employees, but this memory isn't going to prove helpful. So, what happens when we use our earthly wisdom to try to approach a holy God? In self-initiated repentance we will admit we are wrong because we are hungry. Many of us have the ability to connect the dots between our bad behavior and the consequences of our sins. We know when we have begun to reap what we have sown, but we are often still blinded to how we have broken God's heart. The younger son thought his error was in his mismanagement of funds, but in reality his actions were only a symptom of his attitude toward his father. Since he did not know his father's compassionate heart he actually thought his father's acceptance had to be earned. Like the younger son it is impossible for us to trust Jesus if we think his grace only flows when we meet certain conditions. When returning to God is our idea, instead of the leading and conviction of the Holy Spirit we won't even know the root cause which has separated us from God. Jesus taught this to the crowds in John 6:44, 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. CSB The Moabites, a tribal group found in the Old Testament, tried to appease their god by sacrificing their own infant children, The Greeks thought visiting a temple prostitute was an acceptable act of worship. When we read of these ancient practices we know these were not paths to holy redemption. But, do we realize how common it is for us to believe it is possible for us to earn God's attention? Do we think that if we only fasted more, contemplated more or gave more money to a needy cause God would be obligated to answer our prayers? Unfortunately, this kind of reasoning is a system of works and not an opportunity to experience the outpouring of God's unmerited favor. Why do we primarily think about behavior when we talk of repentance? In self-initiated repentance we will always seek to make it right in our strength. Thinking the error was in his loss of the families wealth the son failed to see that father's deep desire for a relationship with him. He also, is clueless at just how generous his father is. Soon, the younger son imagines a plan for reparation. He considers the hired men who work for his father. Besides house servants or farm laborers, a land owner in Jesus' day would employ skilled professionals like carpenters, mason, or blacksmith. Maybe, the son thought an apprenticeship with one of these careers was a possibility. But, the truth is if we could eliminate our sin in our strength Jesus would not have had to die for us. Paul wrote this about our self efforts in righteousness in Romans 10:3. Since they are ignorant of the righteousness of God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to God's righteousness. CSB My heart goes out to young moms who are trying to practice the spiritual discipline of a quiet time, but still have small children. Like many mother I was never the mom who could wake up before her children. Whey my boys were little I asked them to not bother me, unless it was an emergency, while the TV show Mr. Rogers was playing in another room. It was a thirty minute window I thought might give me a short time to meditate on God's word. This worked for a little while until it didn't. One day while I was praying with my eyes open I saw my son coming toward me. Immediately, I shut my eyes hoping he would get the hint and leave me alone. Gently he began to rub my legs. Keeping my eyes tightly closed I desperately prayer, "Lord, please let him leave me alone." And, then my son said, "Uh oh mommy, it is time to shave." His comments brought tears of laughter because it was time to shave, and that unexpected hilarity ruined all attempts at a quiet reflexion that day. Knowing my desire and frustration a friend suggested I try journaling my prayers, so that when I was interrupted I could reread what I had written and pick-up my train of thought. This again worked for a while until it didn't. Trying to keep a prayer journal taught me how to write, but it also made me feel guilty when I missed this morning ritual. I became convinced that when my mornings started without prayer my day was not going to go well. Unfortunately, my efforts at practicing a spiritual discipline had transformed into a convoluted path where I was trying to earn and control God's favor, instead of seeking an opportunity to just be with him. Eventually, I came to an experiential knowledge that God loves me no matter how my days stars. If we are not careful even a noble goal like daily contemplation can b twisted into a system to earn God's approval. In self-initiated repentance we can never imagine our full restoration to true sonship. Never is his wildest dreams could the prodigal son see his rights as a son restored. To satisfy his empty belly he was content to become one of his father's hired hands. We see in these verses that God delights in exceeding even our grandest imaginations. We just want to right the wrongs we have done, and in our view balance the scales. We want to restore what was lost because of our foolish choices. We want to do some act of penance instead of rushing to the righteousness found in Christ alone. God wants a relationship with us that is based on us being born into the right family, the family of God. He wants to forgive us and make us his child. This is his primary goal every time he initiates our repentance, and not some behavioral change. Behavioral changes will come once we know we are fully loved by God, but a certain behavior is not Jesus' motivation in our restoration. This parable in Luke 15 is a picture of Jesus and his mighty power to restore his child. Look at Romans 8:15-17. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father!" 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God's children, 17 and if children, also heirs ---heirs of God and coheirs with Christ---if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. CSB Why is it freeing to remember how deeply God desires a relationship with us? In self-initiated repentance we will admit we were wrong because we are hungry, we will seek to make it right in our strength, but we can never imagine our full restoration to true sonship. Our plans to be restored to God always remain conditional, always rely on our own efforts. and always fall short of what true repentance and restoration looks like. Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost because they could not restore themselves, Yes, the son starts the journey home with the idea hi will work for his father, but his motivation does not come from a true conviction of sin, Instead, he is trying to avoid the consequences of his choices. In this parable it is the father who initiates genuine restoration when he runs to his son. We notice in this story that before the son can finish his rehearsed speech with these words "...Make me like one of your hired workers," the father interrupts his planned remarks by calling or a new robe, a ring, sandals and a party. Never, does the father ask the son to work for his acceptance. The son does have a choice to make in genuine repentance though, and it is whether he will accept this place as his father's child. There is a special irony that Jesus inserts in the son's prepared message to the father. This phrase, "I have sinned against heaven and in your sight," is actually a quote from a speech Pharaoh gave to Moses in Exodus 10:16-17. Pharaoh speaks these words when he has grown tired of the plagues, and the consequences of his own sin. We know that Jesus' audience in Luke 15 knew this quote, and we know that according to the Bible Pharaoh never repented. Remorse is not the same as trusting God. Everything comes from God, even the ability to repent. At first the younger son selfishly wanted the benefits of being his father's child without desiring a relationship with him. Like any good father, God longs for us to experience the joy of being his child. Can we hear him calling for the best rob, the fancy ring, the comfortable sandals and for a feast to be thrown in honor of our home coming? It is all true, but the greatest gift God wants to gifts us with is himself. What happens when we try to plan our own repentance? God reveals his heart in Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son.

Our main verse… 1 Corinthians 16:13… Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Matthew 24:42… Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. Galatians 5:1… It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. 1 Kings 2:2… I am going the way of all the earth. So be strong, and prove yourself a man. 1 Corinthians 16:13 is A GREAT CHRISTIAN "TETRAD" FOR ALL GOD'S CHILDREN Tetrad describes a set of four things, especially four things regarded as a similar object or thought. *Be on the alert, *stand firm in the faith, *act like men, *be strong. This great exhortation from Paul to the Corinthians who needed correction has four "staccato-like" commands, each one in the present imperative… The present imperative being: Continually or habitually follow this command! The Present Imperative is often a call to a long-term commitment and calls for the attitude or action to be one's continual way of life (lifestyle)… giving four "opportunities" (necessities) to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey. These four exhortations have a military tone. • Believers must be as sentinels on guard, they must maintain their position, they must manifest courage, and must become strong. And the exhortations were evidently needed, against insensibility to spiritual dangers, against desertion from the truth, against moral weakening. The Corinthian church was replete with problems. Paul had sent spiritual leaders and teachers among them with mixed results. He now gives a few final exhortations which are concise but poignant. In simple words, Paul is telling the Corinthian Christians to grow up and behave like men. Paul’s commands were not merely to be memorized or written down—they were meant to be put into practice immediately and lived out continually. So… Let’s look at our 1st command for victorious living: BE ON THE ALERT! WAKE UP! Be on the alert… Greek verb: gregoreuo (gray-gor-yoo'-o) (be on guard, be watchful, be vigilant, stay awake spiritually, watch out) Matthew Henry on Be on the alert… “That they should watch (KJV), be wakeful and upon their guard. A Christian is always in danger, and therefore should ever be on the watch; but the danger is greater at some times and under some circumstances. The Corinthians were in manifest danger upon many accounts: their feuds ran high, the irregularities among them were very great, there were deceivers among them, who endeavored to corrupt their faith in the most important articles, those without which the practice of virtue and piety could never subsist. And surely in such dangerous circumstances it was their concern to watch. If a Christian would be secure, he must be on his or her guard; and the more his or her danger the greater vigilance is needful for security.” We are to be watchful and ready to respond to external influences, focused, alert for the winds of temptation or overt attacks of evil. The first use of gregoreuo (gray-gor-yoo'-o) by our Lord is in relation to His Second Coming. • Matthew 24:42… “Therefore be on the alert (gregoreuo (graygor-yoo'-o) is in the (present imperative: make this your lifestyle), for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. He wants us to be alert for we do not know the hour when He will return, but we know He will return. Most of the NT uses are in reference to the Christians’ being spiritually awake and alert, as opposed to being spiritually indifferent and listless. 1 Peter 5:8… Be of sober spirit (aorist imperative): Calls for a SPECIFIC, DEFINITE, DECISIVE choice. "DO THIS NOW, AT ONCE, ONCE FOR ALL and in one quick action (in contrast to present imperative which commands a habitual action). Often expresses a note of URGENCY.), be on the alert (gregoreuo - present imperative: habitually follow this command!) (WHY???). Your adversary, the devil, (present tense - continually) prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Yes, we can cast the burden of our anxiety and cares on God, but we are not absolved of the duty to remain sober and watchful. God's Spirit will enable us to carry out both of these commands but we are ultimately responsible to carry them out in loving obedience. To sum up all of the commands given to us in the NT (of which there are in the range of 1000!), believers are 100% dependent and 100% responsible to obey! Peter is saying you must "Do this now. Keep your head clear!" So… Be of Sober Spirit… Be on the Alert! Let’s look at our 2nd command for victorious living: STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH! Paul had warned of the danger of prideful "standing" writing "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed (present imperative: Continually, habitually follow this command!) see that he does not fall.." (1 Cor 10:12) In giving the "definition" of the Gospel Paul alluded to "standing" in 1 Corinthians 15:1-2… "Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, (perfect tense: ACTION COMPLETED at a SPECIFIC POINT of TIME in PAST (●) with results CONTINUING into the PRESENT) (So they took their stand by grace through faith and still standing) 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain." Stand firm (be unmoved) in the faith… Make this the habit of your life. The only way to "stand firm" is to be standing on a rock solid, unshakeable foundation and here the foundation is the faith, not subjective faith (believing) but objective faith (the object believed) "The faith of which Paul speaks here is not the faith of trusting but the faith of truth, the content of the gospel." (MacArthur) Indeed, most often in the NT, the faith refers to the sound Christian doctrine, especially the Gospel. Paul had just written "Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand (perfect tense = your state) " (1 Cor 15:1) In other words…Paul is saying in essence keep standing firm in the Gospel of your salvation. The Gospel saved you in the past (justification - past tense salvation), it continues to save you daily (progressive sanctification) and will "save" you into Heaven (glorification - future tense salvation) when you receive your new resurrection body. In sum, the faith refers not to the ACT of believing but rather to WHAT is believed. The phrase stand firm has three modifiers in the NT and all are critical if one is to stand firm… (1) stand firm in the faith (1 Cor 16:13), (2) standing firm in the Spirit (Php 1:27+) (3) stand firm in the Lord (Php 4:1+, 1 Th 3:8+). Matthew Henry on "Stand firm in the faith… Keep your ground, adhere to the revelation of God, and not give it up for the wisdom of the world, nor suffer oneself to be corrupted by it. Stand for the faith of the gospel and maintain it even to death; and stand in it, so as to abide in the profession of it, and feel and yield to its influence. A Christian should be fixed in the faith of the gospel, and never desert nor renounce it. Galatians 5:1… It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm (present imperative calling for us to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) and do not be subject (present imperative with a negative) again to a yoke of slavery. • Present imperative with a negative… ‘’STOP an action which is already going on’’. CEASE an act in progress. Keep on refusing to do this and/or, stop doing this if it has already started! John MacArthur… “Satan cannot take saving faith away from us, but he can, and often does, obscure the content of our faith, the sound doctrines of God’s Word. If we do not hold fast to right interpretations of Scripture, we are certain to slip into wrong thinking, wrong belief, and wrong behavior.” Here is an illustration of a man who was standing firm… At the height of WWII, Protestant theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was imprisoned for taking a stand against Hitler. Yet he continued to urge fellow believers to resist Nazi tyranny. A group of Christians, believing that Hitler was the Antichrist, asked Bonhoeffer, “Why do you expose yourself to all this danger? Jesus will return any day, and all your work and suffering will be for nothing.” Bonhoeffer replied, “If Jesus returns tomorrow, then tomorrow I’ll rest from my labor. But today I have work to do. I must continue the struggle until it’s finished. Let’s look at our 3rd command for victorious living: ACT LIKE MEN! GROW UP! Act like men… This command is "short hand" for "Grow up," stop acting like little children! The thought is for them (enabled by the Spirit) to be courageous like men as opposed to little children, which is how Paul had characterized many of them (this was when he was actually present with them the first time) writing they were "men of flesh, as to infants in Christ." (1Cor 3:1). And in 1 Corinthians 14:20 Paul had written "Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature." They, the Corinthians, needed to set aside their fussiness, whining, and complaining and instead progress toward maturity in Christ, but they had failed to shed their dependence on the blankies, bottles, and binkies that had soothed them in their baby Christian days. These “props” of comfort were closely connected to the secular world around them. How easy it was for them to slip back into the secular crib of their infancy rather than learn to walk on their own two feet by the grace of God and through the power of the Spirit! Matthew Henry on Act like men… “Act the manly, firm, and resolved part: behave strenuously, in opposition to the bad men who would divide and corrupt you, those who would split you into factions or seduce you from the faith: be not terrified nor inveigled won over by them; but show yourselves men in Christ, by your steadiness, by your sound judgment and firm resolution. Christians should be manly and firm in all their contests with their enemies, in defending their faith, and maintaining their integrity.” Act like men … andrizo… act in a valiant or courageous way, be brave, conduct oneself in a courageous way, behave oneself (middle voice) with the wisdom and courage of a man, as opposed to a babe or child in Christ. LISTEN… Sexual immorality, relentless assault of feminism, overexposure to perversion, complete collapse of homes has just produced generations of bad fathers. And the reality is nothing is more devastating to a society than that, nothing. And on the other hand, the only hope for stability and the only hope for sanity, the only hope for peace in a society is masculine, virtuous men. Evil abounds absolutely everywhere. How men respond to its presence determines the survival and well-being of a society. No culture will ever rise above the character of its men. Courage is the stock-in-trade of a man: courage in the face of danger, courage in the face of temptation, courage in the face of loss, couragein the face of suffering. There’s nothing more manly than a man with consummate conviction, courage, and endurance, who is marked by love. That’s a man – not weak, not vacillating, not fearful. Let’s look at our 4th command for victorious living: BE STRONG! Paul taught that one should pray for spiritual strengthening even as he prayed for the saints in Ephesus asking the Father to "grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man (Eph 3:16). Be strong… Paul is calling for spiritual, not physical strengthening. In the physical world one might lift weights and so strengthen themselves, but in the spiritual world, believers cannot strengthen themselves for that task belongs solely to the Lord! However, don't forget that believers do have a role/responsibility in this spiritual strengthening… we are not just to "Let go and let God". The believer's "job" is to submit [yield, surrender] himself or herself to God's Spirit [believers can resist, quench and grieve the Spirit] in order for Him to strengthen us. The Greek verb passive voice of ‘Be Strong’ conveys the idea that the SUBJECT is being ACTED UPON by an OUTSIDE force or power. • SUBJECT is the RECIPIENT or the RECEIVER of the verbal action or effect. • In English passive voice is usually indicated by the phrase "to be". So, with that in mind let’s look at this verse in 2 Timothy 2:1… “We can only “be [passive voice] strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might” , and “be [passive voice] strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” “The strength to obey the Lord is not connected to an Olympian physique. It comes by the power of God to the inner person—the unseen character, attitudes, affections, and passions that drive us toward the good and away from the bad.” In Philippians 2:13… Paul lets us in on a secret about the inner power that transforms our outer lifestyle: “It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Our responsibility is to take on the world’s challenges with strength, but we must do so knowing that our strength comes from the Lord, not from ourselves. The person who thinks he is strong in himself is in the greatest danger of falling (1 Cor 10:12)....The supreme source of all spiritual strength, of course, is Christ Himself. “I can do all things through Him Who (present tense… continually) strengthens (endunamoo, (en-doo-nam-o'-o) me.” In closing… Psalm 27:14… Wait for the LORD; Be strong (act like a man!) and let your heart take courage, be strengthened in your heart. Psalm 31:24… Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD. *Be on the alert, *stand firm in the faith, *act like men, *be strong!

GETTING TO KNOW THE HOLY SPIRIT As a new believer in Jesus you have probably heard about God the Father and Jesus the Son. But have you heard of the Holy Spirit? Who is the Holy Spirit? What role does he play in the Christian’s life? God is a Triune being. This means that he is one God, but he exists as three separate persons. The Father is God. The Son is God. The Spirit is God. Yet the three persons are the One God. This can be hard to fathom nonetheless it is true. God is very different from us, isn’t he? What role does each person play? Very simply, the Father plans and commands, the Son performs, and the Holy Spirit guides and empowers. All three are equal, and all three are different, but all three are also one. Before trying to wrap your head around these ideas, take a step back, through this study, to learn how the Spirit works in the Christian life and what your relationship with Him should be like. The filling of the Holy Spirit is a requirement to live the Christian life. The Holy Spirit lives in the Christian and he is the down payment we receive of our salvation. The scripture refers to him as the guarantee of our salvation. This study will look at three aspects of the Spirit’s relationship with us: • Who Is The Holy Spirit? • What Is My Relationship To The Holy Spirit, and • Being Filled With The Holy Spirit WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT? Read: Luke 3:21-22; Matt. 28:19; Genesis 1:2; John 14:16-17; 15:7-15 God is a Triune Being. He is one God existing in three persons, the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. (Luke 3:21-22) In the passage in Luke we see all three persons of the Trinity present. The Father speaks, the Son receives, and the Holy Spirit empowers. Throughout the New Testament the Holy Spirit is spoken of as God. Since the Holy Spirit is equally God along with the Father and Son, what do you think your response to him should be? The Holy Spirit is equally God along with the Father and the Son. As such, he deserves our obedience and our worship. (Matthew 28:19) Only God is worthy of worship. As Christians we are to act in his name. In Matthew 28:19 we are taught that the authority God gives us is the authority that all three persons possess equally. Take a moment right now and pray to the Holy Spirit, that you will follow his lead and that you recognize his authority in your life. The Holy Spirit carries out God’s plan. He was present at creation. He was present in Jesus’ ministry. He was present at our new birth. (Genesis 1:2; John 14:16-17; 15:7-15) Without the Holy Spirit we can do nothing to please God. We need the Holy Spirit’s presence and filling in order to live the Christian life. That is part of his role—he empowers us to follow Jesus. Because he is present at all times we can always turn to him for guidance and trust that he will lead us and use us according to God’s plan. What kind of relationship would you like to have with the Holy Spirit? As he prompts you from deep within your heart, what do you think your response to him should be? WHAT IS MY RELATIONSHIP TO THE HOLY SPIRIT? Read: II Corinthians 1:21-22; 5:5; John 15:7-15; Acts 5:32; I Peter 1:22 The Holy Spirit dwells inside every believer. He is the down payment on our salvation. (II Corinthians 1:21-22; 5:5) A down payment means that God has given us a pledge of his promise to be fulfilled. Right now we have the Holy Spirit within us to lead, guide, and convict. But he is also present as the beginning of God fulfilling his promise to us for eternal life. Take a moment to pray and thank the Holy Spirit that he is present in your life. Ask him to help you discern when he is working in your life to guide you. The Holy Spirit convicts, teaches, and empowers us to live the Christian life. Jesus said the Holy Spirit is our helper and counselor. (John 15:7-15) The concept of the Holy Spirit as our helper and counselor is a very humbling one. Imagine the God who created the whole universe declaring that he will be a partner with you and allow you to know him through his Spirit. What a privilege we have! Think about your salvation experience. At what points in your life do you recognize the Holy Spirit as having worked to lead you to faith in Jesus? We should have a love and obedience relationship with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 5:32; I Peter 1:22) Because the Holy Spirit is God he deserves the same worship, devotion, affection, and obedience we give to the Father and the Son. He is no less God! Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal more of himself to you. Pay attention to you life and see if you can discern when the Spirit is working in you. BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT Read: Romans 8:9-11; I Corinthians 6:19; Galatians 5:22-23; The Holy Spirit expresses himself through us. Living the Christian life is the practice of living in the Spirit. (Romans 8:9-11; I Corinthians 6:19; Galatians 5:22-23) Your life is not your own! Because you have been purchased with the price of Jesus’ blood, you belong to God. God longs to express his love through you just as he did through Jesus. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to live his life through you, to guide you and give you his wisdom. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is a way of saying that he empowers us. (John 14:17; Ephesians 5:18) The power of the Christian life is in the Holy Spirit. Imagine! You have the eternal, living God dwelling inside of you through his Spirit. He wants to express himself and live his life through you. When we live in submission to him we experience his power for living. For what areas in your life would you like the Holy Spirit to give you strength of character and power? We can be filled with the Spirit right now. When we ask the Holy Spirit to guide us, teach us, convict us, and live through us, we are seeking his empowerment. As long as we do not have any unconfessed sin in our lives we can experience his power, through the expression of his character in our lives. Would you like to be filled with the Holy Spirit right now? Pray this prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to be filled with your Spirit and empowered to live the Christian life. If there is sin I need to confess to you, please reveal that to me. I want to be a clean vessel used by you for your glory. Thank you for giving me your Holy Spirit.

When we study about Rebecca, we see an interesting detail in her story. At the end of Genesis 24, we are told that Isaac loved Rebecca (יֶּאֱהָבֶ֑הָ) – and this is the very first time  the verb “love” (in Hebrew  ahav ) occurs in the Torah in a romantic sense, as referring to a relationship between a man and a woman. Isaac’s feelings for Rebecca must have been very strong if the Torah finds it necessary to introduce this verb here. Even though we do not have this verb referring to Abraham and Sarah,  we have no doubt that Abraham loved Sarah. Most of you probably know that, even today, a barren wife presents such a huge problem in a Jewish family that her barrenness provides sufficient reason for a husband to divorce her. Yet, Abraham stayed with Sarah for many long years before she bore Isaac, in spite of her being barren – so there cannot be any doubt about his love for his wife! It is clear, then, that so far we have been discussing the mothers that experienced great love from their husbands. The woman we are going to discuss today was in a completely different situation:  not only was not Leah loved, but also the main word that we find in the Torah regarding Leah – as well as the main word of her own self-description – is “hated”. How did Leah deal with that? And how did God deal with that? Let us start from the beginning. We all know the story: Jacob falls in love with Rachel, the younger daughter, works for Laban seven years in order to marry her, but on the wedding night, Laban substitutes his older daughter Leah, for Rachel. Before that, we read, “Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel,” This is how the sisters are introduced. The Torah says that “Rachel had beautiful features and a beautiful complexion,” but the only thing that we find out about Leah is that her “eyes were tender”. The word “tender” ( rakot  ) has been the subject of many commentaries over the centuries. It could mean many things: beautiful, weak, short sighted – but I personally prefer the interpretation offered by Rashi (and some midrashic commentaries as well). Rashi says that the expression “tender eyes” means, “Leah was easily moved to tears.” This girl was very emotional and very vulnerable. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks writes, “She had none of the resilience that might have carried her through her husband’s attachment to her younger sister. She was thin-skinned, sensitive, attuned to nuance, easily hurt.” <1> Sometimes we find “little” details in Scripture that provide amazing insights and can be absolutely eye opening – and yet, they can be so easily missed, especially in translation. For instance, a small detail about Rebecca overhearing a conversation between Isaac and Esau in Genesis 27, speaks volumes: If Isaac was planning to bless their firstborn son and he did not even share that with Rebecca, that indicates that the relationship between husband and wife had changed and was severely damaged throughout the years. We would not know that, however, if we miss this little fact. In the same way, we can gather a lot from the “birth certificates” of Leah’s sons: if we pay close attention to their names, we will see, not only her pain, but her amazing spiritual journey as well! We read: “ And the Lord saw that Leah was hated, so He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, Because the Lord has seen my affliction, for now  my husband will love me.  And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that  I was hated , he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time  will my husband be joined unto me , because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi. ” <2> Even in translation, it is clear that the names of her first three sons speak volumes—all Leah cares about at this point is her husband! She is asking, begging, crying out for Jacob’s love and affection!  How many tears did her tender eyes shed? How many sleepless nights was she crying in her bed, feeling rejected, unloved, hated?  It becomes even more obvious if we analyze these names in Hebrew. Even though Leah spoke about God seeing her affliction, in fact, the name of Reuben in Hebrew –  ra’u ben –  has the verb “to see” in plural and therefore implies multiple witnesses. It is as if Leah is saying: Look, everyone! I have a son! (The implications are clear: ‘I bore him a son, don’t you all think that should be enough for my husband to love me?’) There is an interesting explanation attached to the name of the third son. The name of the most spiritual, the priestly tribe in Israel, actually comes from a very practical idea. The name “Levi” has the same root as the word “ lelavot” : to accompany, to escort. Years ago, a Jewish mother with many young children explained this to me for the first time. “It’s very obvious why Leah called him Levi,” she said, “when you have two little children, you can still carry them with your two hands, one on each side; however, once a third child is born, you don’t have free hands anymore, you need your husband to carry one of the children.” Was this Leah’s simple and practical reasoning behind this name? ‘Now my husband will have no choice but to accompany me!’ Once again, all she cares about is her husband’s presence and attention! Yet, we know that Leah became one of the Matriarchs of Israel, one of the Four – and she would definitely not be there if she remained just a bitter miserable woman pleading for her husband’s love! This story had to be a story of healing: Leah would not have been able to become the Matriarch if her heart was not healed, if she did not eventually reach peace, if she did not become reconciled to her circumstances and her life. Yes, she obviously went through years of continuous humbling and pain, but through this pain, God had been dealing with her and healing her. We do not know how many tears her tender eyes shed or how many hours she spent crying desperately before the Lord, asking Him to cleanse her heart from envy and jealousy, to strengthen her, and to give her peace. However, by the end of Genesis 29, we clearly see this accomplished healing in the name of her fourth son, as we read a completely different report: “And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said,  Now will I praise the LORD : therefore she called his name Judah” <3> How different is this naming from the naming of the first three sons! Now we see a woman who wants to praise the Lord – to praise Him regardless of her circumstances. The circumstances did not change, by the way: she was still the less-loved wife, she still suffered from that, she didn’t stop loving her husband, she didn’t stop longing for his love and affection – and the name of her fifth and sixth sons show that!  However, the spiritual journey we just traced, reveals to us a woman who chooses to praise the Lord, no matter what— and that is why she becomes one of the Matriarchs in Israel. <1>  https://www.rabbisacks.org/covenant-conversation/vayetse/leahs-tears/ <2> Gen.29:31-34 <3> Gen.29:35

HOW GOD’S WORD CHANGES US ABIDING Read: John 14:23, 15:10; I 3:24, James 1:22 Becoming a spiritual young man begins by “Abiding” in God’s Word. We abide by: Knowing God’s Word (I John 2:14-17) Knowing God’s word is the first step to performing its requirements. By spending time studying the Bible, we can begin to know what God thinks about certain things, and how he desires us to react to our world. In the passage above the writer moves from knowing God, to knowing God’s word, to knowing God’s will. How do you think these are related? Keeping God’s Word (I John 3:24) To “abide” means to “live in the midst of.” John equates keeping God’s word with living in the midst of God’s word. The word, “keep” in Greek means to hold onto as if something is dear to you. With this in mind, re-read the verse. Is it possible to truly “keep” God’s word without having a heartfelt desire to know it? Why or why not? Doing God’s Word (James 1:22) The passage in James is often interpreted as “doing” or “performing” God’s word. But its real meaning is much deeper. It means to “produce,” or “make” something, like an author who writes a play. Look at the verse again. How can you “produce” God’s word in your life? Practicing God’s Word (I John 3:7) You may have heard the phrase, “practice makes perfect.” By practicing God’s word, we grow in righteousness, becoming more like Jesus Christ. How can you practice the passages you’ve read so far? STRENGTHENING Read: I John 2:14-17 As we practice abiding in God’s Word, we will become strong in the: Knowledge of God’s Word Knowing the truth is the first step to recognizing deception, or avoiding temptation. Give an example of a truth from God’s word that has helped you in your walk with God. Love of God and His Word (John 14:21-24) Notice the order of events in verse 21. We demonstrate that we already love God when we keep His commandments. Verse 23 reverses the order, signifying that love for God and obedience to His word go together. We cannot have one without the other. How can you express your love for God through His word? Character (Romans 5:3-5, Galatians 5:22-25) Good character is equated with perseverance, and holding onto the love of God, which God has already expressed for us. What kinds of character traits can abiding in God’s word build in us? Practice of God’s Word (Philippians 4:8-9, I John 2:14) Applying a steady, consistent practice of biblical principles in everyday life will strengthen us to face any challenge. Since you have come to know Christ, how have you grown strong in God’s word? Can you provide examples? OVERCOMING Growing Strong in God’s Word enables us to overcome the: The World (John 16:33, I John 2:16-17) Every person who has received Jesus Christ has already overcome the world (the operation of sin in the world). Jesus overcame the world through His death and resurrection. Embracing Jesus gives us the same victory. The world will pass away, but we will live forever. What kinds of things will pass away with the world? The Evil One (I John 2:13) Young men overcome the Evil One (Satan) by abiding in God’s word—performing its commands from the heart. The Evil One has no power over the Christian who is abiding in God’s word. Why does God’s word help the Christian overcome Satan? The Flesh (our sin nature) (Galatians 5:19-25) No one overcomes the flesh until death. This is a sad reality. God has saved our spirits, he is renewing our minds with His word, but our flesh is still corrupt and will not be saved until the resurrection. Only then will we fully, and finally, overcome our fleshly desires. However, God has made it possible for us to deny our sinful desires. In this sense, we overcome the flesh moment by moment, each time we say yes to Jesus and no to sin. What area of sin do you struggle with the most? How might you deal with it? Application: Thinking on God’s Word changes the MIND (Philippians 4:8) Dwelling on God’s Word changes the HEART (Luke 6:45, Luke 8:15, Colossian 3:16) Expressing God’s Word changes LIVES (Hebrews 4:12)

KNOWING GOD THROUGH PRAYER There is one practice in the Christian life that many Christians struggle with: prayer. Think about it this way: many Christians want to pray to God but feel frustrated speaking to a person they cannot see with their eyes, hear with their ears, or touch with their hands. Why then should we pray? Prayer is essential to the Christian life because it is our direct communication with God. As we practice prayer we will discover three unshakable truths: God sees us from our innermost hearts He hears and gives attention to our heartfelt requests, and He touches our lives through his Holy Spirit When we engage in prayer we do more than speak to God. We are in the process of learning to see, hear, and touch him in unique and satisfying ways. How does the Christian pray? Are there rules to prayer? How long must I pray? Are there certain things I must always pray for? How can I know when God is speaking to me instead of just me speaking to him? Prayer is the means whereby even the prophets of old spoke to God and learned how to hear his voice. This study will serve as a beginner’s guideline to prayer and how to experience God’s love through the regular practice of prayer. We will also look at what prayer is not so that we don’t confuse it with practices from false religions. WHAT PRAYER IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT Read: Matthew 6:5-13; Luke 22:40-42 Prayer is nothing more than having a conversation with God. (Matthew 6:9-13) How do you communicate to your family or friends? You simply talk with them. You share your life with them. Prayer, in one sense, is no different. Prayer is simply having a conversation with God about the things that are on your heart. What is on your heart? Talk to Jesus about that right now. Prayer is a means whereby God transforms us so that our will and his will come together. (Luke 22:40-42) Even Jesus prayed for his Father’s will instead of his own. Prayer is not a way to get things from God. Prayer is more than asking God for things. When we spend time in prayer and think about his Word our desires begin to transform over time to be more like his. What do you want from your life? Make a short list of the five things in life you desire the most. Now make a list of the five things you think God wants from your life. Compare them. How can these things be brought together? Prayer is not a talisman, charm, formula, chanting, or an exercise in magic or divination. Prayer is spiritual conversation. (Matthew 6:7) Because prayer is an expression within religion, many people see prayer in one of these ways. But as we’ve seen, genuine prayer that God responds to is a conversation with God. He is a person. We are persons. People communicate. Treating prayer like one of these things takes away from the simplicity of talking with God. Do you treat prayer like on of these things? Begin turning from that by having a short conversation with God right now. PRAYER PRACTICES Read: Matthew 6:9-13; Ephesians 6:18; I Thessalonians 5:17-18 Have a conversation with God about your life and interests. (Matthew 6:9-13) Matthew 6:9-13 is the perfect guide to use for prayer. Notice that it combines God’s interests with our interests. As you consider this passage you will see how it reflects your needs. As you read each verse, take a moment to pray to God about it. For instance, when reading verse 11, apply this to all of the things in life that you need and talk to God about. Do this for each verse. Have a conversation with God about his life and interests. (Matthew 6:9-13) Look at the prayer again and notice where God’s interests are mentioned in verses 9 and 10. Pray through these verses. Read verse 9 then pray through different things you can thank God for. Our relationship with God deepens as we engage in this practice. What kinds of things can you thank God for as represented is verse 9 and 10? Make a list and pray a prayer of thanks to God for them. Engage in prayer regularly to get to know God better. (Ephesians 6:18; I Thessalonians 5:17-18) The Bible encourages us to pray and think thoughts toward God continually. This does not mean at every waking moment we are praying. Rather, it means to turn to God throughout our day and bring our concerns, thanks, and praises to him. As we do this we will begin to sense and understand the things that please God. Some people make an appointment with God for prayer. Some pray in the mornings, some in the evenings, and some a various times throughout the day. What time can you give God in regular payer? POWER THROUGH PRAYER Read: Romans 8:14-16; Ephesians 1:15-18; Philippians 4:6-7 Our lives will change when we bring our concerns to God. (Romans 8:14-16) As we become accustomed to talking with God and become sensitive to his leading, we will experience a change in our innermost desires. Instead of being concerned for only ourselves we will become more concerned with the things of God. How has God begun to change your desires through prayer? As you spend more time in prayer, how have your prayers changed? We will become more interested in God’s will the more we seek God in prayer. (Ephesians 1:15-18) Prayer is one of the ways in which we get to know God’s will. As we learn more about his character and his promises, and acknowledge them in prayer, our hearts will turn more and more toward God with a great desire to know him intimately. What parts of God’s will or his character interest you the most? Talk to God about those things. What do you seem to be learning? Those who regularly and continually seek God in prayer will be more in touch with God and will experience a vibrant relationship with him. (Philippians 4:6-7) Imagine you had a friend with whom you rarely talked. You would not know that person very well, would you? But if you met with that person regularly your relationship would deepen. So it is the same when we pray to Jesus and let his Word speak to us. Do you want a close relationship with God? Spend time with him in prayer.

Nourish Your Soul: 30 Day Challenge You have a living soul that lasts forever, and it forms the very foundation of who you are. This in itself is absolutely incredible! But this forever-living foundation, this personhood of you needs care, for it can thrive or it can shrivel. Hebrews 10:22a It is God’s will that we draw near to Him. Drawing near is an invisible act of the soul and is done for our joy and His glory. As you enter this 30 Day Challenge of intentional soul nourishment, make it personal by replacing the word “us” with your name or the personal pronoun “me.” Breathe this breath prayer throughout the day. Psalm 16:11 God lacks nothing. He does not need us. But He is glorified and His mercy is magnified by giving us free access through His Son to the one Reality that can satisfy us completely and forever. The truth is: the health of our soul matters! As the driving force behind everything that is significant to us, our soul’s health is critical. Our soul requires tender, loving care in order to avoid shriveling.   Psalm 42:1-2 Our soul needs to be refreshed. Psalm 23:2-3 Our soul needs rest. Psalm 116:7God is the Soul’s Rest. Psalm 107:9 Our soul hungers Psalm 63:1 And our soul thirsts Psalm 143:6 Our soul experiences extreme thirst 9. A healthy soul depends on a strong connection with God and receptivity to Him. The soul is nourished by God Himself. God must be found in personal experience. Psalm 130:5-6 Our soul waits – expectant, believing, longing; in sincerity, not just in word. Psalm 62:5-7 Our waiting is to be on God ALONE. Notice that David charged his soul to wait. There will be times when we must talk to our soul -- instructing it to wait. Psalm 84:2 Isaiah 26:9 Our soul yearns (has an earnest, strong desire) for God. Lamentations 3:24-25 Our soul is to seek God. It is our duty to make God the portion of our soul. Our seeking will help us in our waiting. [The soul:] “The coolest, eeriest, most mysterious, evocative, crucial, sacred, eternal, life-directing, fragile, indestructible, controversial, expensive dimension of your existence.” --John Ortberg Proverbs 20:27 Our soul is a lamp; a discovering light. With the help of conscience we come to know ourselves – our dispositions and affections, our thoughts and intents, our strengths and our struggles. 1 Samuel 1:15 Hannah was more than ordinarily fervent in her prayer. Our soul can be poured out.       17. Psalm 63:5-8 God satisfies our soul.             Our soul longs for fellowship with God. Oh, that we might know Him and be taken into communion with Him        18. Psalm 103:1-2 and Psalm 146:1 Our souls can be stirred to the praise of God and are to give thanks. 19. Psalm 103, Psalm 104:1, and Isaiah 61:10 Our soul is to be employed in blessing (adoring) God.          20. Psalm 141:2 Our soul makes offering to God. Prayer is a spiritual sacrifice. It is the offering up of the soul-a sweet smelling savor to God.         21. Psalm 57:1-3 in times of fear our soul needs refuge.         22. Psalm 94:17-19 Our soul can be cheered.         23. Deuteronomy 11:18 Our soul is the storehouse (or treasury) in which the Word of God must be laid up. 24. Have your eyes constantly upon the Word allowing it to be ready, familiar and precious to you.         25. Psalm 119:129 As you deposit God’s Word into the store-house of your soul, admire it, adhere to it, treasure it as something of inestimable value.         26. Psalm 119:167 God’s Word is kept in our soul – the innermost, uppermost place of our being.          27. Psalm 66:16 Our soul is blessed with spiritual blessings by God for His glory.          28. Psalm 71:23 Praises are not only to be sung to the Lord with our lips, but also with our soul. Our soul is to sing praises to God. It is fitting for redeemed souls to be thankful souls.         29. Mark 12:30 Experience a glimpse of heaven right here on earth as the ears of your soul hear God speaking directly to you and as the eyes of your soul look out and meet the eyes of God looking in. 30. Psalm 73:25 God is to be our soul's One desire. That is God's delight, that we come to him and spend time with him. When we do, our soul is nourished. Our soul is to make its boast in the Lord, both privately and publicly. As our soul boasts in the Lord, the glory is to be given entirely to God. Our soul is to be one with God. Loving God with heart, soul, mind, and strength will protect us from all things that protect us from all things that rival Him. Deborah Haddix Writer N Speaker N Christian Life Coach www.deborahhaddix.com deborah@deborahhaddix.com ©Deborah Haddix

Christianity is a faith of relationships. This means that we were created to be with one another. From the beginning of creation when God saw that the first man, Adam, was alone he said, “It is not good that man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Then God created a woman, and the two began a family, and that family expanded and eventually became a group of societies. Church is a group in society that is purposed to teach and encourage believers and allow them to experience their relationship with God corporately. Christians who are not part of a group of believers (church) are not experiencing all that the Christian life has to offer. Every Christian needs encouragement and training. Church is where we go to acquire these important benefits. It is also where we gather to take part in sacraments that are designed to turn our affections toward Jesus in remembrance of all he has done for us. This study will look at the three basic functions of a body of believers: • Teaching the Bible • Worshipping God • Encouraging one another These basic functions of a local body of believers help the Christian grow in his or her faith into spiritual maturity. Without church the Christian cannot experience all that God has for him or her. Let this study encourage you to get involved with other Christians and together, to grow in your faith. WHAT IS CHURCH? Read: Acts 2:42,46; Luke 22:14-20; I Cor. 11:23-26; Heb. 10:23-25 Church is where a group of believers in Jesus meet together for Bible teaching. (Acts 2:42,46) Since the foundation of Christianity, Christians have met together weekly to learn the principles taught in the Bible. Knowing the Bible is a vital part of the Christian experience. Learning together under the leadership of a pastor increases our knowledge of God. Have you been reading the Bible on your own? Do you meet regularly with other believers to study the Bible? Church is where a group of believers in Jesus partake in the sacraments of Jesus—this is part of our worship of God. (Luke 22:14-20; I Corinthians 11:23-26) The Christian sacraments include Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Obeying these practices is part of our obedience and worship of Jesus. Because Jesus commanded them, we do them. Have you been baptized? Do you take part in the Lord’s Supper? Talk with your pastor or lay-leader about taking part in these rites. Church is where believers in Jesus meet for encouragement in their walk with God. (Hebrews 10:23-25) Christianity was never meant to be a faith that people practice alone. Christianity is a relationship with God through Jesus. So too, Christians must be in active relationship with other Christians to encourage one another in following of Jesus. Do you need encouragement in your faith? You can find that encouragement with a group of other believers! Are you part of a group of believers now? WHY GO TO CHURCH? Read: Hebrews 10:24-25; Romans 12; I Corinthians 12:12-14,25-27 The Bible commands us to be part of a local group of believers. (Hebrews 10:24-25) In the Old Testament God commanded Israel to gather at certain times for worship in Jerusalem. After many centuries the Jews practiced weekly gatherings in local houses of worship called synagogues. Christians continue this practice by meeting weekly in church gatherings. The Bible commands us to be part of this practice. How often do you meet with other believers in church? Are you prepared to make a commitment to participate in church? Christians must be involved in the corporate worship of God. (Hebrews 10:24-25) Throughout the history of the Bible God’s people have gathered together for corporate worship. This happens through reading the scripture, singing songs of worship to God, and observing certain rites that remind us of God’s commitment to his people. Taking part in church is an expression of worship to God. How do you express your worship to Jesus? Is corporate worship missing in your life? Believers in Jesus are all part of the body of Christ and thus we should function together—this encourages believers. (Romans 12; I Corinthians 12:12-14,25-27) We are meant to live and worship together in unity. Read the passages above. You will recognize that all Christians have a role to play in our corporate church life. Read the passages above. What role motivates you? What role would you be interested in playing with a group of fellow believers? How can you serve the needs of others? WHAT DO I DO AT CHURCH? Read: II Timothy 2:15; Psalm 95:6, 100:1-5; Hebrews 3:13, 10:25 We take part in regular Bible study to build up our knowledge of God. (II Timothy 2:15) Paul encouraged Timothy to teach the Bible in his church. From this we see that God intends for us to meet together and sit under the teaching of the Bible. The more we learn, the better we come to know God. How much do you want to know God? How can attending church help you learn more about Jesus? We spend time corporately worshipping God. (Psalm 95:6; 100:1-5) Worship is both a private and a shared experience. It encourages us when we can meet with like-minded people to worship our Savior. Singing songs of praise and reading scriptures that extol the Lord brings God honor. Only he is worthy of such affection and worship. What kind of commitment are you prepared to make to your local group of believers? Will you join them for regular, weekly worship of Jesus? We encourage one another in our common faith. (Hebrews 3:13; 10:25) Church isn’t just about worshipping God. Church is also about encouraging fellow Christians in their spiritual service. Everyone needs like-minded people to encourage them. You can encourage others in their relationship with Christ—and you can receive the same encouragement from others! Make a commitment today to take part in regular, weekly church gatherings.

“The Benefit of the Devil” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Introduction Whenever a teacher in school gave you a test, they never had much to say during the test. The teacher had nothing to say because the test was designed to show what you knew based on what the teacher taught you. Often, God uses Satan to bring difficulties into our lives to test us and deepen our experiences with God. What we sometimes fail to realize, though, is that the devil is not just the devil—he is God’s devil. So while God is awesome and holy in nature, He can use evil to bring about good, as demonstrated in Paul’s experience. God allows you, much like Paul, to be needled by thorns to keep us dependent on Him and to address actual and potential sins. Like Paul, we must endure tests from God in the form of satanic thorns. But like the master teacher He is, God has already gone before us and given us the provision we need to deal with these thorns. Because of the gift of sufficiency and empowerment of grace, God has already equipped us—just as he did Paul—to drive us in the right direction when confronted with thorns. Therefore, whatever is needling you, God gives you all that you need to handle it and deal with it until He decides to remove it if he removes it at all. When we shift our mindset to what provision we have in Christ, we drive ourselves to prayer, praise and peace in our circumstances. God never allows us to have pain without purpose. Thus, when God allows Satan to attack you, it is an opportunity to grow in your dependence on and trust in Jesus; thus, the devil becomes a benefit to you! Getting Started 1. Have you ever received a painful hangnail or paper cut? How did it feel? 2. Are you more attentive to your hand and finger once you have a hangnail or paper cut? Why? Let’s Get Personal 1. When has God allowed Satan to bring a thorn in your life? 2. How would you describe your perspective of the thorns in your life prior to this message? 3. In light of this message, how do you now view the thorns in your life, past or present? Take the Next Step 1. Do you know someone who is being needled by a thorn? How can you demonstrate God’s gift, sufficiency, and empowerment of grace to them? 2. What satanic thorns can you commit to prayer this week for yourself or others? 3. What is your go-to praise song when you feel the needling of your thorn? 4. Want to go deeper? Take time to look at the following passages: Psalm 119:67, 71, 75; Isaiah 40:29- 31; John 11:4-6; Philippians 4:10-13; James 1:5; 1 John 1:5-10. Renew Your Mind “And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

BEGINNER’S GUIDE: SHARING YOUR FAITH IN JESUS Christianity is known as a missionary religion. This means that a fundamental part of our faith in Christ is to tell others about him so that we may encourage and persuade them to also make a commitment to Jesus. This is the way in which we expand faith in Jesus to others. Romans 10:14 says, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?” Each of us has a responsibility to tell others about Jesus in some way. That means that our families, friends, and work associates should know that we are Christians and that our chief aim in life is to live for Jesus and please him in all respects. Do your family and friends know that you are a Christian? What do they think that means? In this study we will learn the basics of sharing our faith in Christ and what happens in us as a result of sharing the good news about Jesus. We will look at: • Why We Share Our Faith • How We Share Our Faith, and • The Results of Sharing our Faith Many Christians are scared to talk about Jesus openly. But if we truly love the people we know then we will be compelled to try and talk to them about Jesus. Their eternal destiny depends upon us sharing God’s love with them. What kind of commitment are you prepared to make to tell others about Jesus?   WHY DO WE SHARE OUR FAITH IN JESUS? Read: Mat. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; Jo. 14:6; I Jo. 2:23; II Jo. 9; II Cor. 5:14-15 God commands us to tell others about Jesus. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8) Part of the Christian life is to live in obedience to Jesus’ commands. Part of Jesus’ earthly ministry was to tell others about himself. He wanted people to know he was the Son of God and to believe in him. He has given us that same task of telling others about him. Have you told others about Jesus yet? Make a short list of five people that you want to share Jesus with. Start praying for those five people today and everyday. People are eternally lost without Jesus. (John 14:6; I John 2:23; II John 9) Jesus and the Apostles made it clear that the only way to gain eternal life is to have faith in Jesus Christ. No one who does not have Jesus will experience eternal life in Heaven with him. Therefore, sharing our faith in Jesus is a matter of life and death. Look at your list of five people you want to talk with about Jesus. What is their eternal fate without Jesus? How does this motivate you to tell them about him? Sharing our faith is an expression of our love for Jesus and of his love for others, expressed through us. (II Corinthians 5:14-15) The Bible’s greatest command is that we love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, and strength. This means that Jesus must become the center of our affections. If we truly are growing to love Jesus, then we will want to tell others about him. If we don’t want to tell others, then we have a love problem. How much do you love the five people that are on your list? Are you ready to tell them about Jesus? If so, then let’s move to the next part of our study and learn how to actually share our faith. HOW DO WE SHARE OUR FAITH IN JESUS? Read: Jo. 15:26-27; Acts 1:8; Luke 8:39; Rom. 6:1-2,11-14; Eph. 4:17-5:2 We share the Bible’s testimony about who Jesus is. (John 15:26-27; Acts 1:8) Telling others about Jesus means telling them about his work and identity. This means that we must tell people that God loves them, that Jesus is the only Son of God who died for them on the cross to pay the penalty for their sin, and that he rose from the dead, never to die again, and that they must receive him to gain eternal life. This is the most basic message about Jesus that everyone needs to hear. What do the people on your list know about Jesus? What will you tell them? We share the testimony about what God has done for us through Jesus. (Luke 8:39) Just as Jesus commanded the demon possessed man to tell others about what he did for him, so too we must tell others what Jesus has done for us. People must know that our lives are different because of Jesus. Do the five people on your list know how your life has changed because of Jesus? Write out a three-minute testimony about your life since knowing Jesus. Include what your life was like before Jesus and how your life is different after receiving Jesus. We live lives that demonstrate that Jesus has changed and saved us from our sin. (Romans 6:1-2; 11-14; Ephesians 4:17-5:2) No one who has had a genuine experience with Jesus can continue to live their old lives of sin. A life in the process of transformation is the mark of a person who has been changed by Jesus. Are there still sins in your life that you need to confess to God? Do that right now. Our lives are a powerful testimony of what Jesus can do for a person who comes to him. RESULTS OF SHARING OUR FAITH IN JESUS Read: Luke 19:10; Col. 1:13-14; John 1:12; Romans 8:15; II Corinthians 6:18; II Timothy 2:24-26; Hebrews 13:15-16 The lost will come to a saving knowledge about Jesus. (Luke 19:10; Colossians 1:13-14) Not everyone who hears about Jesus will receive him. But those that do will begin to experience a new life transformed by Jesus. They will move from simple knowledge about Jesus to obedience to Jesus. Believing in Jesus brings eternal life. Pray for the five people on your list, that they would come to know Jesus the way you have. Then ask God to help you share the message of Jesus with them. We will gain new brothers and sisters in the family of God. (John 1:12; Romans 8:15; II Corinthians 6:18) The Bible refers to Christians as brothers and sisters. We gain a new kind of relationship when we come to Christ. We become adopted children in God’s family and all in God’s family become our brothers and sisters. When you lead someone to Christ you are welcoming them into your spiritual family. Pray for the five people on your list, that they will become part of your spiritual family. God will be pleased with our obedience in sharing his love with others. (II Timothy 2:24-26; Hebrews 13:15-16) Telling others about Jesus is part of God’s plan for how we are to live our lives. God is pleased when we share his love and grace with others. Are you ready to share your faith with the five people on your list? Now is the time to help lead your friends and loved ones to Christ. Pick the first person on your list. Make an appointment or pay that person a surprise visit. Then be prepared to look for natural opportunities to tell him or her about Jesus.