Achieving Our Goals God’s Way (Part 2)

Goals are as unique as we are. They should reflect our unique personality and passions. And we arrive at them via different avenues. Whatever our goals may be, let's first examine their purpose. If we will consult the Lord before and in the midst of our goal planning, seeking His guidance, and submit to His will, we'll be amazed not only at the destination of our goals, but, also by the journey.

A goal is: something that you hope to achieve in the future.

1) Start with Prayer
Prayer is the best way to jump-start our process of goal setting. If you set goals in the context of prayer, there is a much higher likelihood that your goals will glorify God, and if they don’t glorify God, then they aren’t worth setting in the first place. So start with prayer.

2) Check Your Motives
If you set selfish goals, you would be better off spiritually if you didn’t accomplish them. That’s why we need to check our motives. Take a long, honest look in the mirror and make sure you’re going after your goals for the right reasons.

3) Think in Categories
Life goals, family goals, relationship goals, business goals, long-term and short-term goals.

4) Be Specific
Just like our prayers, our goals need to be specific. If a goal isn’t measurable, we have no way of knowing whether we’ve accomplished it. And it’s ok to make revisions to our visions.

5) Write It Down
“The shortest pencil is longer than the longest memory.” If you haven’t written down your goals, you haven’t really set them. Something powerful happens when you verbalize a goal, whether in a conversation or in a journal. And it’s more than a good idea; it’s a God idea: “Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets.”
At some point in the process of goal setting, you need to muster the courage to verbalize it. That act of verbalization is an act of faith. When you write down a goal, it holds you accountable.

6) Include Others
Shared goals; nothing cements a relationship like a shared goal. Goals are relational glue.

7) Celebrate Along the Way
When you accomplish a goal, celebrate it. When God answers a prayer, throw a party. We should celebrate with the same intensity with which we pray.

8) Dream Big
Our life goal list will include goals that are big and small. It will include goals that are short-term and long-term. But I have one piece of advice: Make sure you have a few BAGs (Big Audacious Goals) on the list. We need some God-sized goals that qualify as crazy. Here’s why: big goals turn us into big people.

9) Think Long
Most of us overestimate what we can accomplish in two years, but we underestimate what we can accomplish in ten years. If we want to dream big, we need to think long. Big dreams often translate into long goals.

10) Pray Some More
Goal setting begins and ends with prayer. God-ordained goals are conceived in the context of prayer, and prayer is what brings them to full term.

Achieving Our Goals God’s Way (Part 1)

Goals are as unique as we are. They should reflect our unique personalities and passions. And we arrive at them via different avenues. Whatever our goals may be, let's first examine their purpose and then look at them through these biblical keys. If we will consult the Lord before and in the midst of our goal planning, seeking His guidance, and submitting to His will, we'll be amazed not only at the destination of our goals, but, also by the journey.

A goal is: something that you hope to achieve in the future.

Biblical Keys to Goal Setting

1) Faith: We serve a big God who can accomplish the impossible.  There is nothing He can’t do.  We can believe that He journeys with us and always has our best in mind.  He is trustworthy and faithful.

2) Humility: We never want to be in a position of demanding that things work out or that all our goals are accomplished exactly as we say. God's Will must always supersede our own.  We need to be sure our attitude is one of humility before our holy and mighty God.

3) Commitment: We need to commit ourselves to the tasks at hand.

4) Diligence: Goals often require hard work.  We need to be diligent in our effort.

5) Perseverance: We will face setbacks and disappointments, but need to persevere through rough times. 

6) Alignment with God’s Word and Will: We must remain within the parameters of God’s Word and His Will.

7) Forethought & Planning: Do the appropriate homework before starting our task; count the cost.

8) Motivation: What is our reason for setting the goal; is our heart (desire) pure?

9) Plan ahead and have goals. "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?" {Luke 14:28-31}

10) It is wise to have a goal in mind. "A wise man thinks ahead; a fool doesn't and even brags about it!" {Proverbs 13:16}

11) Get wise counsel to help you in setting goals. "Plans go wrong with too few counselors; many counselors bring success." {Proverbs 15:22}

 12) Plan your goals carefully and deliberately, not in haste. "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty." {Proverbs 21:5}

13) Goals should include submission to God. "What you ought to say is, 'If the Lord wants us to, we shall live and do this or that.' Otherwise you will be bragging about your own plans, and such self-confidence never pleases God." {James 4:15-16}

Serving God by Serving The (His) Church

Serving God is one of the most important principles of our faith. As believers, we are expected to serve the Church with a joyful spirit. Here are some scriptures that reference serving and how we are to serve His Church.

Hebrews 6:10:
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

Galatians 5:13:
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

John 12:26:
Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

Matthew 23:11:
The greatest among you will be your servant.

Mark 10:45:
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

2 Chronicles 15:7:
But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”

1 Peter 4:10:
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

Romans 12:9-13:
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Proverbs 11:25:
Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

Colossians 3:23-24:
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward and that the Master you are serving is Christ.”   

Titus 3:8:
This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.” 

The Ministry of Helps (Part 2)

Biblical Foundational Reference: (1 Corinthians 12:27-31)

1) God set the "ministry of helps" in the Church. No man made it up. No committee put it together. It says right there in (1 Corinthians 12:28) that the same God who created the heavens and the earth set the "ministry of helps" in the Church.

2) The "ministry of helps" is a supernatural ministry that is just as valid and just as anointed as the offices of the "pastor" or the "apostle." The reason is that our God is not a respecter of people. (Acts 10:34.) In other words, He does not value some of us above others.

3) There is a big difference between calling church workers volunteers and calling them what the Bible says they are: "ministers of helps". The mindsets of volunteers are completely different from the mindsets of ministers, so their actions are different. Let me explain:

Volunteers:

 • Consider themselves just helpers.

 • Help when it is convenient.

 • Are hesitant to make decisions.

 • Do not see themselves as essential parts of the Church or ministry.

 • Fail to see the true reward in serving.

Helps ministers:

 • Realize their area of service is a ministry.

 • Know they are a vital part of the church and ministry.

 • Know they have been empowered to minister within the guidelines set forth by the leadership of the Church.

 • Understand that their service is building up eternal rewards.

4) There is a difference between recruiting volunteers and commissioning "ministers of helps." When pastors commission "ministers of helps", they are not only doing the work of the ministry the Bible way, but they are also releasing the gifts and ministries of the members of their Churches.

5) When a member of a congregation is commissioned to a "ministry of helps", they understand that their contribution is vital to the health and success of their Church.

6) There are no big guns and little guns in the body of Christ. There is only one gun (the Church), and we are all bullets in it.

7) Many Christians tend to think of the Church as having two rooms, one with "helps" and "governments" and the other with "apostles", "prophets", "evangelists", "pastors", and "teachers." Most of us think we want to be in that second room. We think that room is where it is all happening. We also think if we get in that first room, we will get stuck and never get out.

8) The Church doesn't have two rooms. There is only one. There is no division in the body of Christ. There is only one Body. There are no “big guns and little guns” but one “gun,” the body of Christ.

9) If you are helping anyone in the c

Church, or if you are helping the weak or needy, you are operating in the "ministry of helps", a “gift” set in the Church by God. This is a ministry just as valid, just as anointed, as if God had asked you to be a prophet. God is not a respecter of persons, nor should we be.

10) An usher, a nursery worker, a soundman, a musician—anyone giving assistance in the body—is in the "ministry of helps."

11) The person that serves in the "ministry of helps" is just as important as the of person that serves in a position of leadership.

12) Faithfulness is necessary to everyone in the “helps ministries.”

13) God doesn't place higher regard, a higher honor, on some offices in body of Christ, we do.

14) If you are rendering assistance in any way inside or outside of your church walls, you are operating in the supernatural “ministry of helps.” The person serving in the “ministry of helps” is as anointed as the person serving as an apostle.

15) 5 percent of the people in the Church do 90 percent of the work. We should be what God wants each of us to be because the church needs every member. We need all the parts of the body working together.

16) Help your Church; help your Pastor; do your part. It's time to serve.

17) God uses stars and candles. {Philippians 2:15-16}

18) God remembers what we do to help others.

19) No gift that serves others is little.

20) There is no hierarchy in the "gifts of God." 

21) The ministry of the Church does not rest on status, but on service.

22) Status does not impress God; status does not move God.

23) Make the decision to be faithful; we are faithful by choice.

24) This is what it means to "Minister": to contribute to, to serve, to attend, and to wait upon.

25) You have a ministry, and it's called the "ministry of helps."

26) Whenever we’re asked to serve God, by serving His people (in our local assembly), we should say yes.

27) Many of us weekly: drive (come) to a building, sit in a room, listen to stories about God, and go back home. There is more! Get involved; serve!

28) Wherever we fit in the body of Christ, we are of equal value in God’s eyes.

29) The "ministry of helps" is a supernatural ministry set in the Church by God to help bring to pass the vision or goal God gave the pastor.

30) God never intended for any believer to be a "pew sitter" week after week. He put us in our local assembly (Church) to help.

31) The Church has been called by God to be knit together as one body. Our success in this world depends on our unity.

32) Know your role; we all have a part.

33) A vision cannot be borne on the shoulders of just one. It's carried in the hearts and hands of many.

34) Every member of the body of Christ is called to serve.

35) The "ministry of helps" is about serving, helping, following and covering.

36) Ministry is not one, but many, each one operating in their proper function.

37) A person unwilling to take responsibility, and serve others, cannot be trusted with the authority to minister to others.

38) We serve God by serving His Church (the body of Christ).
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Ministry of Helps (Part 1)

Biblical Foundational Reference: (1 Corinthians 12:1-31)

"The Ministry of Helps: Having Enough Loving People Serving"

The definition of helps is literally “one who gives assistance.”

The Ministry of Helps is a supernatural gift from God. 

a) It is a supernatural ministry, listed among spiritual gifts as the "working of miracles" and the "gift of healings."

b) It is a “gift” God has set in the church like a concrete pillar to hold things up.

People who are maturing, growing up in Christ, will exhibit two qualities:

1) They will build up and add to the welfare of God’s family, the Church.

2) They will learn to minister - to help or serve others.

You can tell mature Christians in every situation by those who help and not hinder.

Here are 2 hindrances to the Ministry of Helps: 1) division and 2) sin

Here are 4 requirements for those that serve in the Ministry of Helps:

1) Faithfulness: be steadfast, dependable, reliable, consistent, and loyal.

2) Punctuality: be prompt, precise, on schedule. Don’t plan to arrive on time, plan to arrive early!

3) Balance: the proper distribution of time and energy. It is crucial for every believer to keep Christ first in every area of his or her life.

4) Accountability

You can find your place in the Ministry of Helps through:

1) Prayer

2) Seeking wise counsel

3) Watching and observing; assessing where you can best serve.

4) Getting started

The believer that serves in the Ministry of Helps must:

a) Pray

b) Understand that the Church isn't perfect.

 

c) Respect everyone

d) Refuse to be offended.

e) Never get too big to do the small things.

f) Never plan to arrive on time, plan to arrive early. Be dependable.

g) Retain your joy! Enjoy what you do!

h) Build relationships with other believers.

i) Be big enough to be corrected, rebuked, or instructed.

j) Be willing to submit to authority. Do what you are instructed to do, not what you want to do.

k) Be very flexible and open to change. Serve as if you were serving Jesus Himself.

 

l) Remember that loyalty and commitment go beyond personal feelings.

m) Serve without expecting anything in return. Don’t expect Pastor or anyone else to praise you, reward you, or thank you.

n) Have a servant’s heart and attitude.

o) Remember, you don't have to serve, you get to serve! It's a privilege!!!

God knew the importance of placing a Helps Ministry in the Church. In order for the body of Christ to grow and mature, a Helps Ministry must be in place. 

The Believer’s Daily Confession

Lord Jesus,
You died for me, and in Your death, I died. I died to sin, to Satan, and to the world. I was buried with You. I rose again with You, in newness of life.

I ascended with You, and I am seated with You in heavenly places, far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in the world to come.

You sent Your Holy Spirit to live in me, and the life that is in me today is Your resurrection life.

I am dead to sin and alive unto you. I have been crucified with You, and it is no longer I who live, but You live in me.

So, the life I now live in this body, I live because of your faithfulness as the Son of God, who loved me and gave Yourself for me.

Biblical Salvific Truths

Salvation is the "saving" of a sinner from the righteous judgment of God. When someone appeals to God and seeks forgiveness in Jesus, their sins are forgiven; they’re cleansed. Their relationship with God is restored, and they become a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). All of this is the work of God and not of man. Salvation is a free gift of God (Romans 6:23). We are saved from damnation. When anyone sins, and we all have (Romans 3:23, 6:23), we deserve eternal separation from God (Isaiah 59:2). Yet, because of His love and mercy, God became a man (John 1:1, 14) and bore the sins of the world in His body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24, 1 John 2:2). We are forgiven when we realize that there is nothing we can do to earn the favor of God and we put our trust in what Jesus did for us on the cross (Ephesians 2:8-9, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Only God saves. The only thing we bring to the cross is our sin. Remember, it was the Father who sent the Son (1 John 4:10) to be the Savior. 

Conversion is a turning from evil to God. God converts (Acts 21:19) the unsaved into the saved, from the unregenerate to the regenerate. It is produced through the preaching of the gospel (Romans 10:14; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and results in repentance (Acts 26:20) and a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). The fruit of conversion are listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

To be justified is to declared legally righteous. It is a divine act where God declares the sinner to be innocent of their sins. It is not that the sinner is now sinless but that they're "declared" sinless. The sinner is not made righteous in that their soul is changed or that their soul is infused with God's grace. Instead, justification is a legal act of imputing the righteousness of Christ to the believer (Romans 4:11, Philippians 3:9). This justification is based on the shed blood of Jesus, " . . . having now been justified by His blood . . . " (Romans 5:9). When God sees the believer, He sees us through the sacrifice of Jesus and "sees" us without sin. This declaration of innocence is not without cost, for it required the satisfaction of God's Law, " . . . without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness," (Hebrews 9:22). By the sacrifice of Jesus and in the "one act of righteousness, justification is given to all that believe." (Romans 5:18). In justification, the justice of God fell upon Himself (Jesus). We receive mercy. We are not judged according to our sins, and grace is shed upon us. We receive eternal life. This justification is a gift of grace (Romans 3:24) and by faith (Romans 3:28) because Jesus bore our guilt (Isaiah 53:12).

To sanctify means to be set apart for a holy use. God has set us apart for the purpose of sanctification not impurity (1 Thessalonians 4:7), and being such we are called to do good works (Ephesians 2:10).  The believer is to sanctify Christ as Lord in their heart (1 Peter 3:15). God sanctified Israel as His own special nation (Ezekiel 27:28). People can be sanctified (Exodus 19:10, 14) and so can a mountain (Exodus 19:23) as can the Sabbath day (Genesis 2:3), and every created thing is sanctified through the word of God and prayer (1 Timothy 4:4-5).

Sanctification follows justification. In justification our sins are completely forgiven in Christ. Sanctification is the process by which the Holy Spirit makes us more like Christ in all that we do, think, and desire. True sanctification is impossible apart from the atoning work of Christ on the cross because only after our sins are forgiven can we begin to lead a holy life.

The Work of the Holy Spirit in regard to our Salvation

The Bible describes the Holy Spirit as being very active in our salvation. In fact, the Spirit is indispensable for anyone to be saved. The Holy Spirit's work can be divided into three general categories of activity: His pre-conversion work, conversion work and post-conversion work.

The Pre-Conversion Work of the Holy Spirit

Prior to anyone placing his or her faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is involved in setting the conditions that allow for someone’s faith response to the Gospel. One of these roles is the convicting of sin and truth. John states, “And He (The Helper = Holy Spirit), when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged” (John 16:8-10). One could supplement this idea with the concept that the Holy Spirit speaks to individuals though the preaching of the Gospel. Paul writes to the Thessalonians “our Gospel did not come to you merely in words, but in power and in the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

The Conversion Work of the Holy Spirit

Regeneration may be defined as “the impartation of new life” or “the washing of the new birth.” This washing and new life is accomplished by the Holy Spirit. The primary verse that supports this is from Paul’s letter to Titus. He states, “He [God] saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). In Acts, Peter states, "Repent, and each one of you and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Here, the gift of the Holy Spirit is conditioned upon repentance in relation to the Gospel preaching of Peter.

Upon conversion, the believer in Jesus Christ is said to be baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. In baptism metaphorically speaking, Christ becomes our head and we are joined with believers as fellow members of the body. Paul states, “For in [or by] one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Whether Jews or Greeks or slaves or free, we were all made to drink of the one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13). 

This baptism forms our union with Christ and with fellow believers. Related to the baptism of the Spirit is the indwelling of the Spirit. Upon and after conversion, the Holy Spirit indwells the life of the believer. Paul reminds the Corinthian church, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). In the book of Romans, Paul adds, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him” (Romans 8:9).

Believers, who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, are also sealed with the Holy Spirit. Paul writes, “And when you heard the word of truth (the Gospel of your salvation) – when you believed in Christ – you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit, who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14). Sealing communicates God’s mark of permanent ownership on us. The Holy Spirit is also described in these verses as a pledge or down payment that ensures that God will complete His salvific work in us.

Healing Confessions for the Believer

Jesus Christ has borne my sicknesses and carried my pain. He was stricken, smitten of God and afflicted for me. He was wounded for our transgressions and He was bruised for my guilt and iniquities. The chastisement needed to obtain peace and well-being for me was upon Him, and with the stripes that wounded Him, I am healed and made whole. I now have perfect health in my body. {Isaiah 53:4-5; 1 Peter 2:24}

Jesus destroyed the works of the devil, which were diseases, sicknesses, and bodily infirmities; therefore, all the works of the devil upon my body are destroyed and I have perfect health in Jesus name. 

{Matthew 8:17; 1 John 3:8; Acts 10:38}

The Spirit of God who raised up Jesus Christ from the dead dwells in me and He who raised up Jesus Christ from the dead also quickens and gives life to my mortal body through His Spirit who now dwells in me. {Romans 8:11}

I will not just have manifestations, I will have evidence!

I confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in my heart that God has raised Him from the dead. I am saved and I am healed. For with my heart, I believe unto righteousness and with my mouth confession is made unto salvation, healing and health. {Romans10:9,10; Mark 5:23; Acts 14:9}

My health springs forth and the glory of the Lord is revealed in me. The Lord brings me health and cure, revealing unto me the abundance of His peace and truth. {Isaiah 58:8; John 17:22; Jeremiah 33:6}

I walk in divine health, for Jesus has conquered sickness in my life. I walk in divine health and divine life, because I have God's divine nature. Jesus took all my sickness upon His body, and by suffering, I am healed; divine health pulsates through every cell of my body daily. Sickness and disease cannot, and will not latch itself to or stay in my body. {2 Peter 1:4; Matthew 8:17}

What Jesus Taught about the Holy Spirit

In three important chapters (John 14-16 and Acts 1:5,8) the Lord Jesus opened His heart to His disciples. With compelling love, He poured out His soul. Shortly, He would pour out His Spirit upon His disciples. In the record of His last hours with the people He had chosen to be with Him, and with words full of compassion, He spoke to them as friends. What He said was full of insight into what the Holy Spirit would mean in their lives after He went back to His Father. Jesus made the following statements about the ministry of the Holy Spirit to the believer:

1) God the Father sends the Holy Spirit.

2) He will be with us always.
3) He teaches us all things; He reminds us of what Jesus has said.

4) He gives testimony of Jesus.

5) The world cannot receive Him; He reproves the world of sin; He convinces the sinner of their sinfulness.

6) He guides us into all truth.

7) He will show us things to come.

8) He glorifies Jesus.

9) He will tell us what Jesus is saying. 
10) He baptizes us into Jesus Christ; He puts us into Christ.
11) He empowers us to give a clear and understandable testimony of Jesus Christ; He empowers us to witness. He enables the hearer to understand our testimony; our witness.

You might as well try to hear without ears or breathe without lungs, as try to live a Christian life without the Spirit of God in your heart. (D. L. Moody)

The average church member’s understanding of the Holy Spirit is so vague it is nearly non-existent. The study of the Holy Spirit in theological terminology is called pneumatology. The study of the Holy Spirit raises certain basic questions. Who is the Holy Spirit? What is the biblical evidence for the personhood of the Spirit? What did the Holy Spirit do in regard to creation and revelation? What is the Holy Spirit’s role in a person’s conversion and sanctification? What about spiritual gifts? The Holy Spirit is a member of the Trinity and as such is a Person. 

The Holy Spirit has attributes that only a person could have:

a) He has intelligence. (1 Corinthians 2:10-13)

b) He has feelings or emotions. (Ephesians 4:30)

c) He has a will. (1 Corinthians 12:11; Acts 16:6-12)

d) He prays. (Romans 8:26) 

e) He does miracles. (Acts 8:39)

f) He can be lied to. (Acts 5:3) 

g) He can be insulted. (Hebrews 10:29)
h) He brings spiritual gifts; He gives spiritual gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)

God Loves Us with All of His Heart

A) God is love; wholehearted love (1 John 4:16). 
The very essence of God is wholehearted love. Wholehearted love is of the most importance to God’s personality and in all of His relationships; to the Son, to us, and in what He desires from us. From eternity past, God loves with all of His heart and strength. This is how the Father loves the Son, and the Son loves the Father.

B) The love in God’s heart has at least five distinct expressions that are deeply interrelated:
1) God’s love for Jesus: God intensely loves Jesus with all His heart.

2) God’s love for us: He loves us with all of His heart, mind, and strength. He loves the redeemed with the same intensity that He loves Jesus.

3) Our love for God: God’s very own love is imparted to us by the Holy Spirit.
    (Romans 5:5)

4) Our love for ourselves: We love ourselves in God’s love and for God’s sake.

5) Our love for others: We love others in the overflow of experiencing God’s love.
    (1 John 4:19)

C) God loves us with the same intensity that God loves Jesus, and we must abide in this truth all of our days (John 15:9; 17:23).

D) Abide in love:
To abide in love means to continually live in it. This requires that we focus on living in God’s love. We set our heart to understanding this (1 John 3:1). We must be students of God’s emotions; growing in our understanding of His multi-faceted love.

E) The union in the Godhead reveals the nature, quality, and intensity of God's love and relationships.
These relationships are a picture of what perfect love is, and of how God relates to God, how He relates to us, and how we relate to Him and others. Each person of the Trinity enjoys and fully engages in the relationship with the others. Jesus has joy and enthusiasm in His love for the Father. He is moved in loving the Father and in being loved by the Father. His love is never mechanical. He is not disinterested or bored in His relationship with the Father.

F) We best understand God’s love as we consider the glorious truth of the Trinity.
The way that God loves within the Trinity is the way He loves us, it is the very same love. He never suspends one attribute for even one moment. He always loves in fullness; He never loves us with just a part of His love, because that would be to deny His own character. He will never diminish or grow in love, because His love is infinite in measure and eternal in duration.

G) God’s greatness includes His intense love, infinite power, great wisdom, and majestic splendor.
Insight into God’s greatness includes seeing the quality of His love and the relationships within the Godhead. This gives us insight into Jesus’ beauty, supremacy, and worth.

Lesson on Psalm 34

If we fear the Lord (love, worship, honor and reverence Him; are in awe of Him) we are admonished to do the following:
     1) keep our tongue from speaking evil 
     2) stop telling lies
     3) turn away from evil and do good
     4) pursue and maintain peace
     5) seek the Lord by setting our mind and heart on Him

Those of us that worship God will have His best; worship opens doors to all His goodness. {Psalm 34:9}

If your heart is broken, God is right there with you, and He saves those whose spirits have been crushed. {Psalm 34:18}

The righteous (those in right standing with God) face many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. {Psalm 34:19}

Our full surrender to God gives us the privilege to enter into His perfect plan and destiny for our lives. We can't have more of God without a full surrender to Him.

In Psalm 34, David tells us how to enjoy God and His blessings:
To enjoy God and His blessings, seek Him for salvation, fear (worship) Him, and walk in His ways. David is aware that deception and evil are not the way to the good life. Rather, seeking God for deliverance, fearing (worshipping) Him, and walking in His ways are the way to enjoy God and His blessings.

We can draw four practical lessons from this Psalm:
1) The life that God blesses is not free from extreme trials.
      a) Some trials are due to our own sins and shortcomings.
      b) Some trials are due to the sins of others against us.
      c) When we turn to the Lord in our trials, God can use even our past sins for His holy purpose.

2) Our trials should drive us to the end of ourselves so that we seek the Lord for salvation as we fear Him and learn to walk in His ways.

We can break this down into four components:
     a) To come to the end of ourselves, we must be brokenhearted and contrite over our sins.
     b) Our brokenness should drive us to seek the Lord for salvation and take refuge in Him.
     c) To experience God’s salvation, we must fear (worship) Him.
     d) To fear the Lord is to live in obedience to Him.

3) When we experience God’s blessings, He expects us to share it with others and to invite them to experience God’s blessings, too.

4) The ultimate experience of God’s blessing and salvation will not be in this life, but in the life to come.