Day 5: Week 3 (Byproducts of Knowing God)

[russhutto]

Week 3 is almost completed! Along with your daily thoughts and prayers feel free to include what really came to life for you this week!

Byproducts of Knowing God

1) Central Passage(s):

• Colossians 3:2
• 2 Corinthians 3:18
• Colossians 2:6-10
• Romans 8:31
• 2 Corinthians 8:9
• Philippians 4:10-13
• Matthew 5:6
• John 6:33

2) My Daily Praise:
Consider 1 or 2 of the benefits we studied today and share a prayer of thanksgiving to God for blessing you with these and the opportunity to know Him more!

3) My Daily Surrender:

• Philippians 3:10
• Can you commit yourself to knowing God at all costs?

[Wannabe a Worshiper]

Central Passages

The thing that jumped out at me today was right at the start: "We always become what we worship. If we focus on the world or other individuals, we'll become like them. If we focus on God, we'll become like him."
If I desire godly character, then my heart, time, attention and focus must be on God, not on all the glitter and distractions.

I need to become so deeply rooted in Christ that no storm or any amount of digging can uproot me.

When I learn to love my Savior as I should, the desire to reach out to others will come naturally.

And if I feed at the right table, I will truly be satisfied, and will no longer feel the need to satisfy myself on junk.

Daily Praise
Thank you Father, for the assurance that your blessings will abound when my heart is in line with your will. I have experienced this blessing some, but not nearly enough. Thank you that, as I learn to love and trust you more, the things of the world will lose their luster and pull on me. Thank you that you can develop in me a heart that is truly content with my lot in life.

Daily Surrender
God, in the praise I just wrote above this, I listed the promises that you offer me, things you will give me when I submit fully to your guidance. I cannot truly say that any of the benefits listed in today's lesson are a regular part of my life. I have spent most of my life holding you at arms length, and you cannot embrace me from there. Please, Jesus, come to me and embrace me in your loving arms; I'm letting go. I want to know you, I want to experience your blessing and power in my life, from this moment on.

[InHisName]

Central Passage

At first I read the phrase "we always become what we worship", and thought it wasn't quite right. After all, our goal is not to BECOME God, but to be more like Him. But then Moore goes on to say, "if we focus on the world, we'll become like them...if we focus on God, we'll become like him." So that's the goal-to become like Him. A REALLY tall order for someone like me. I'm still kind of wrapping my mind around the greatness and majesty of God...are we supposed to emulate that, too? Or be like his more "human" characteristics...patience, love, mercy?

Daily Praise
Compassion and satisfaction...Lord, please bless me with these benefits of knowing you more. May I seek to serve others and meet their needs. May I also be satisfied wholly in you. You are all I need. I pray the world will not cloud my desire for you. Thank you so much for your presence in all I do.

Daily Confession

Lord, help me to know you, no matter how difficult it might seem, no matter how disconcerting it might be, help me to know all of you. Open my eyes to what you want me to know. Help me to know you intimately, that you will be more than just words on a page or in a song. Help me to experience you in a myriad of ways. Lord, you are my creator, the creator of the universe. What an inexplicable blessing that you want us to know who you are. Help us, Lord, to know you fully.

[bkwestman]

1. Central Passage
- What great reminders about the benefits of knowing God personally! All of the ones he listed: character development, freedom from intimidation, compassion, true satisfaction and contentment in God are things that people in the world seek after. How reassuring to know that God gives and develops those things in us as we seek after Him.

2. My Daily Praise
- Lord, thank you for how we can become more like You as we spend time with You and get to know You more. Thank you for shaping us, conforming us to become more like You as we go through the things that life brings us. Some of them are hard to learn, and I thank You for those as well. And thank you for the contentment that we can learn from trusting You. You know that You are teaching us how to be content in all situations. Lord, help me to stay focused on You, and learn to be content in any situation.

3. My Daily Surrender
- Lord, this is a hard prayer to pray, but I do commit to knowing You at all costs. No matter what situations You use to conform me and make me like You, I surrender them to You. Lord, I want to know the power of Your resurrection as well as the fellowship of sharing in Your sufferings. Thank You for how You've used both the good and bad to teach me those things so far in my life.

[WorshipVanguard]

Central Passages:
I love each byproduct mentioned here, and I love the emphasis that we never need to “work up” a burden for non-Christians. As our relationship with God grows, our compassion for people is a natural development of our relationship with Him. I’ve heard so many times that we need a “heart for the nations” and a “heart for” this and a “heart for” that. All we really have to do is have a heart like Jesus, and the “heart for” everything else naturally develops out of that. I love it when messages are this simple!

My Daily Praise:
Lord, I am extremely grateful for all four of these byproducts mentioned in this study. Because of my current circumstances and my circle of godly mentors, I’m noticing additional character development in me. Thank you for continuing to mold and shape me for your glory and your kingdom. Also, thank you for answering my question regarding compassion. I’ve always thought compassion was a “spiritual gift.” In your reality, it is a byproduct of knowing you. As we gain your heart for people, we gain the compassion necessary to love others (even our enemies), which is YOUR compassion. Thank you for reminding me that I can never force myself to be compassionate, it is a natural flow from your Spirit, as long as I am open. Lord, you are always good to me.

My Daily Surrender:
Lord, I must confess I do not really know what it is like to share in your sufferings. The only areas I can pertain that to are personality conflicts. Whenever I am rejected because of your name, or labeled a “religious zealot,” it is the closest I can think of in sharing in your sufferings. However, you were wounded for my transgressions and bruised for my iniquities. Am I to expect personal injury as I commit to know you more? If I am stricken with cancer, is that a way of sharing in your sufferings? If others suffer physical harm because of your name, what shall I do? Lord, I admit I am ignorant of such thinking, but I am willing to learn. I’m just not sure if I should be willing to receive injury or simply knowing you better would prepare me if/when such a circumstance occurs. Please help me gain clearer understanding.