Day 1: Week 4 (Our Most Necessary Ability)

[russhutto]

Here we go. Week 4! Glad you all are still journeying with us! Pull up a comfy chair, grab your favorite warm beverage, and let's go!

Our Most Necessary Ability

1) Central Passage(s):

• 2 Timothy 3:16
• Proverbs 11:14
• 2 Samuel 12:12
• Romans 2:4
• 1 Corinthians 2:13
• John 14:16; 16:13
• Acts 9
• John 10
• Matthew 13:15
• Mark 8:14-21
• Matthew 16:15-17
• 2 Chronicles 20:12

2) My Daily Praise:
Describe and thank God for the last sunset you took in!

3) My Daily Surrender:

• 1 Samuel 3:10b
• Write down what God is speaking to you, His servant, right now!

[bkwestman]

1. Central Passage
- Practicing the presence of Jesus - what a great theme for this week! I can say that I have personally experienced all four of the ways that God speaks to us today. I love reading His Word and learning something new each time, even when it's in the same passage. His Word is alive and full of His truth. I've heard God speak through people and circumstances as well. Determining the voice of the Holy Spirit has always been an area where I've desired more clarity. This is the area where it seems easy to mistake your own thoughts and desires or conscience for the voice of the Holy Spirit. Maybe I just need to spend more time getting to know His voice, as Dwayne described in this section.

2. My Daily Praise
- I just saw a sunrise yesterday morning as I was heading in to church. I saw it from inside the church, so I didn't see the whole sky, but the colors were so vibrant it caught my attention. The sky was so red! Beautiful shades of red and orange filling the huge windows in church. I was amazed at God's beauty and creativity. It was only there for a minute, then the colors faded. I wondered how many other people saw that same image that morning...

3. My Daily Surrender
- Lord, keep me surrendered to You, so I can hear Your voice when You call, and help me not have my own goals and wants overshadow Your plans for me. Let me now get in Your way with what You want to do with me. I am willing to go where You want me to go, and do what You would have me do. I have my own thoughts, but that's all they are - just my own selfish desires. Lord, speak - for your servant is listening.

[WorshipVanguard]

Central Passages:
In reading 2 Timothy 3:16, I was also reminded of Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” The part that always gets me is “dividing the soul and spirit.” Honestly, I had to do extra digging to find out what that means exactly. Our souls relate us to each other whereas our spirits relates us to God. Since the word of God is sharp enough to divide between how we relate to others and how we relate to Him, we gain additional discernment as to what is from Him and what is “bad pizza” when we are attempting to hear his voice.

Another part that stuck out was Matthew 16:15-17, and I’ll add verse 18 to the mix. Like Dwayne Moore pointed out, “only the Spirit of God can open up God’s word to us and help us understand what the Lord wants to say to and through us,” verse 18 adds to it by saying “on THIS rock I shall build my church.” As the Lord’s word is reveled to us, God is building his church with Christ as the cornerstone by revealing the truth of His word to us!!! It’s hearing God’s voice, and recognizing His voice that equips us to help build his kingdom. What an incredible truth!!! How much more important is our spiritual sensitivity knowing this?

My Daily Praise:
Honestly, my sunset gazing is somewhat limited. However, the last sunset I noticed was quite a sight. My husband and I were driving and noticed the Lord’s work, and my husband said, “How can anyone deny God exists with something like THAT?” Today was an overcast day, so I will have to take in a sunset later. The Lord is still good, and he is still majestic!

My Daily Surrender:
Lord, now that my husband and I are “in transition,” we are more sensitive than before because we no longer have the distractions. Our spirits are wide open to where your Spirit is, and what He is doing. When we find the place you have for us, our spirits will know without any doubt. Thank you for being with us during this transition time. We know you are with us, and you are where we need to go. I pray our hearts remain open no matter how long is takes. Lord, speak, for your servants are listening!

[Wannabe a Worshiper]

Central Passages
This week's study is going to be very difficult for me. There is so much noise in my head, I'm not sure I would hear God's voice if he yelled at me. That being said....

The verses we looked at from John 10 were right on the money. If I am his sheep, then I have been given spiritual ears, and I should be able to hear him speak to me. Frequently, while reading the Bible, something jumps out at me that never had before, and that is God speaking. My SS teacher and my pastor, when explaining and teaching the Word, are God's voice to me, and I should listen intently. And what happens around, and to me, often contains a message for me from God, if I am paying attention.

But the John 10 verses say that God speaks to me directly, through the Holy Spirit. It is this voice that I have the hardest time hearing. Hopefully, this week's study will be beneficial to me in learning how to hear that "still, small voice."

My Daily Praise
Today was cloudy, so there was no sunset to see. Yesterday, when I left the house to go to the evening service at church, the sun had set, but there was still a lot of color in the western sky. The slivers of clouds had lost their color, and were streaks of gray among the pink-fading-to magenta-fading to purple sky.
Sunsets and sunrises almost always evoke praise, because I recognize them as gifts from God. It is a way for God to remind us of his uniqueness, of his majesty, his creativity. Sunsets are little love letters from God. And each day's love letter is unique; never to be repeated exactly that way again.

Thank you, God, for the beauty you spread across the sky morning and evening. Thank you that your mercies are new every morning, and that they are not always the same. Thank you that I can consider sunrises and sunsets to be love letters from you. By the way, I missed your love letter today, because of the arriving storm.

My Daily Surrender
God, I know that I will not hear your voice spoken to me if I don't want to hear it, or if I'm listening to some other voice. I confess to you that hearing your voice has not ben very high on my list, and according to what I learned, hearing your voice is totally necessary if I am going to do your work. Help me, this week, to consciously work on removing the obstacles to hearing from you that are everywhere in my life.

[Wannabe a Worshiper]

Determining the voice of the Holy Spirit has always been an area where I've desired more clarity. This is the area where it seems easy to mistake your own thoughts and desires or conscience for the voice of the Holy Spirit. Maybe I just need to spend more time getting to know His voice, as Dwayne described in this section.

Well said, my friend.
Tom

[Wannabe a Worshiper]

One more post tonight, then I'm through (maybe)

Last year, I posted these words on the Songwriters page, hoping for a collaborator, but no one bit. The words came from my heart based on the study we are on this week, and as I read today's lesson, the memory of the words came to mind. I am posting the words here, because I believe, to some extent, this is the struggle we all face.
Tom

Speak To Me, Lord

Speak to me, O Lord
I need to hear from you
The enemy's waging battle
And I don't know what to do
I humble myself in silence
I wait to hear your voice
But how can I hear your word to me
When my head's so full of noise?

Wash away the uproar
Silence all the noise
That gets in the way of hearing
That still, small voice

(repeat)

I humble myself in silence
I wait your voice to hear
What joy to hear you call my name
As you tell me not to fear!
For the battle belongs to the Lord
I need not fear the foe
Just raise my voice and praise your name
And I'll see the enemy go!

(Bridge)

Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
The Lord has won the battle
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
The Lord has saved the day

Speak to me, O Lord
I need to hear from you
The enemy's waging battle
and I don't know what to do
I humble myself in silence
I wait your voice to hear
What joy to hear you call my name
As you tell me not to fear!
For the battle belongs to the Lord
I need not fear the foe
Just raise my voice and praise your name
And I'll see the enemy go!

Speak to me, my Lord
I need to hear from you
Speak to me, my Lord
Speak to me
Speak to me

[InHisName]

Beautiful, Tom! I always like reading your lyrics. You always seem to be able to compress a thought or a concept so well in your writing. Maybe (if no one beats me to it ) I'll mess around with a melody. I love the chorus.

Central Passage

John 10:3b really stuck out to me. "He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out". Simple. Nothing else needs to be said. He calls us, he leads us. But I agree with Tom, with all the noise around us (even now I'm writing this in the front room, with my husband watching TV...noise!) it sometimes seems impossible to hear him. But we need practice, and a CONSCIENTIOUS effort on our part to listen. I guess that's when "quiet times" come in to play. I haven't really had a quiet time since the girls were born. Used to before work, now I read the Bible with my 3 year old at the breakfast table. Actually, this study is really helping, since most of the time I do this at night, by myself, in bed.

Daily Praise

After the last storm here in California there was a beautiful sunset. The clouds that had gathered in the west were completely pink, tinged with white and gray. And the light reflecting off of the clouds made the mountains and hills glow with a golden sheen. It was beautiful, and the weather contributed to it...wind, cold temps...the first real storm of the season. God is in the sun, he's in the rain, he's in the light that reflects off the clouds.

Daily Confession

Continue doing what I have asked you to do. Continue practicing, improve your piano skills, continue writing songs. Lead worship.
Care for your family. Be a light for me wherever you go.
Move forward.

[InHisName]

This came to me as I was writing my other post...my very first effort at writing lyrics, years ago when I first started on Wed. evening WT. It seems to fit today's lesson. Blessings.

Your oceans are clearest glass breaking
and the mountains your glorious making
above human eyes
the heavens arise
how beautiful is your creation

(Ch)

You are beautiful in my eyes
and your loveliness brushes the skies
a touch of your hand
creates fertile land
how beautiful is your creation

The glow of the warm setting sun
the earth loved by the heavenly one
winds whisper through trees
as your voice comforts me
how beautiful is your creation