Jesus Is My Way

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Real Christianity is not merely a religion; it is a relationship with a Person.

1 Corinthians 2:14: The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Through this relationship God reveals His will and invites me to Join Him where He is at work.  When I obey, God accomplishes through me something only He can do.  Then I come to know God in a more intimate way by experiencing Him at work through my life.  I want to join God where He is already at work and not just start my own work.  I am tired of doing things the hard way.  I want to do things Jesus’ way because His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

I have been frustrated in my Christian experience because I know God has a more abundant life for me than I have experienced so far.

I want to:

·        Hear when God is speaking to me

·        Clearly identify His activity in my life

·        Believe Him to be and do everything He has promised

·        Adjust my beliefs, character, and behavior to Him and His ways

·        Recognize a direction He is taking in my life and identify what He wants to do through my life

·        Clearly know what I need to do in response to His activity in my life

·        Experience God doing through me what only He can do!

The Scriptures are my Source of Authority for my faith and practice!

The Holy Spirit will be my personal teacher (John 14:26: But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.) during this study.  He will guide me to apply these truths according to God’s will.  He will work to reveal God, His purposes, and His ways to me.  Jesus said in John 7:17:
If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

The Holy Spirit working in me will confirm in my heart the truth of Scripture.

Therefore, my intimate relationship with God, cultivated through prayer, meditation, and Bible study, will be an indispensable part of this course.

I cannot depend on traditions, my experience, or others’ experiences to be accurate authorities on God’s will and ways.

Anything significant that happens in my life during this study will be the result of God’s activity in my life.  I will let the Spirit of God lead me into an intimate relationship with the God of the universe, “who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” Ephesians 3:20.

My goal is not to finish this course but to have a life-transforming encounter with God!

I want to experience a Person-Jesus Christ.  Time, meditation, and personal application are necessary to allow the Holy Spirit to make Christ real in my life.

My relationship with God is the most important part of knowing and doing God’s will.  Without an intimate relationship with Him, I will miss what He wants to do in and through my life.

When I am looking for the Lord’s guidance I want to say: “Lord, as You go with me, tell me what to do one step at a time.  I will do it!”

Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way”

·        He did not say: He would show me the way

·        He did not say: He would give me a road map

·        He did not say: He would tell me which direction to go

·        He did not say: He said, “I am the way.”  Jesus knows the way; He is my way!

If I follow Jesus one day at a time, I will be right in the center of God’s will for my life!

When I get to the place in my life where I trust Jesus to guide me one step at a time, I will experience tremendous freedom.  If I don’t trust Him I will worry every time I make a decision.  I will become immobilized with worry.  This is not the way God intends for me to live!

I have found that when I release my way to God, then I immediately respond to everything He tells me each day.  He gives me plenty to fill every day with meaning and purpose.  If I do what He says, I am in the center of His will when He wants to use me for a special assignment.  My primary concern should not be, What should I do with my life tomorrow? But, What does God want me to do today?

I am willing to follow God by faith and not by sight!

Matthew 6:33-34: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

·        I agree that God is absolutely trustworthy.

·        I agree with God that I will follow Him one day at a time.

·        I agree to follow Him even when He does not spell out all the details.

·        I agree that I will let Him be my Way!

Philippians 2:13: for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Dear Lord, I pray that you will show me a statement or Scripture from this lesson that You want me to understand, learn, or practice. And please show me what you want me to do in response to this truth. In Your name I pray, Amen.

What was the most meaningful statement or Scripture I read today?:

·        I want to experience a Person-Jesus Christ.  Time, meditation, and personal application are necessary to allow the Holy Spirit to make Christ real in my life.

My Prayer is:

·        Daddy, I want to experience a Person-Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Help me with my Time, meditation, and personal application so that I can allow the Holy Spirit to make Christ real in my life.  In Your Son’s Name I pray, Amen.

What does God want me to do in response to today’s study?

·        I believe God wants me to focus totally on Him and not on my life.

The Memory verse for this unit is:

“I am the vine, you are the branches if a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit.  Apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5