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BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 6.1-9 DISCUSSION: In this passage God gives commandments to the Israelites regarding his law. They are to teach the law, and how can they teach it to their children if they themselves do not know it? In order for us to learn Gods word, we must study it. Use these 3 tips by Richard Foster when studying God’s word. 1.       Repetition – who can’t recite a good ol’ James Sokolove, Geico, or cheesy lawyer commercial? It’s because we see and hear them all the time. The same is true for both bad and good things. Repetition works – teach it both day and night! 2.       Concentration – our minds have the incredible ability to both focus on one singular task or many at one time. In our world we are constantly multitasking, but this isn’t always a good thing. How many times have you seen someone driving, drinking or eating and talking on the phone all at once? You can’t tell me their focus is on the road! We n...

BIBLE READING:  James 4.2-8 DISCUSSION: This week we have been talking about Spiritual Bankruptcy – or being out of God’s Spirit. Praying is another practical way to invest in growing with God. Talk with your family about ways to prayer differently. Maybe you always pray before a meal – what would it look like to do this differently? Being open and honest is a huge part of growth. Marriages cannot grow without honesty. For our relationship to grow with God we must first be honest with ourselves so we can be honest with God, after all he already knows the truth. APPLICATION: Be honest with yourself and your family and talk about something you need prayers for. Prayer Requests: ____________________________________________________________

BIBLE READING:  Psalms. 119:97, 101, 102 DISCUSSION: Thinking about God – sounds like a great thing to do right? On a daily basis, do we think about God? I understand that most decisions we make should be based on our relationship with God, but outside of our Bible readings and prayer times – do we spend time just thinking about God. One great method of this is memorizing scripture. Find a Bible verse and work on memorizing it for the next day or so. When you get frustrated at work or home – see how much of it you can recite. When you feel anger towards others, go back to that verse. Meditation doesn’t have to take place on a hilltop somewhere with your head shaved – it happens in between your ears. This is a practical way to get out of spiritual bankruptcy.   APPLICATION: Memorize at least one Bible verse in 24 hours. Recite it tomorrow with your family. Prayer Requests: ____________________________________________________________

BIBLE READING:           Galatians 6.7-10 DISCUSSION: Declaring bankruptcy is way more than just a statement. It involves understanding that you cannot fix the problem on your own. Richard Foster describes it as Paul did with sowing and reaping. In order to sow and reap we must first break up the ground. This is our hearts. We have to understand that we are broken and need God’s spirit in our lives. Next comes putting God’s spirit in our lives. So the question comes – what does this look like. What does it look like to have God’s spirit in us? Here are some tips: 1.       Getting into God’s word 2.       Getting into God’s work 3.       Getting into God’s will Think about farming – even after planting the seed it is still up to nature to allow the plant to grow.  This force in our spiritual lives is God’s grace. We can’t grow by ourselves – b...

BIBLE READING:           Psalm 42.1-2 DISCUSSION: In his book, Celebration of Discipline, minster Richard Foster tells the story of the first church that he worked with. He describes how for the first three months he was there he worked and worked pouring out his soul into his ministry and at the end of the three months – there was barely any change. He attributed this to the fact that he and the church were spiritually bankrupt. There was a lack of deep spiritual growth and the spirit working in their lives. For the problem to be fixed, and Foster to lead the congregation to growth, he himself had to grow first. This week we will be looking at spiritual disciplines that can help us grow deeper to appreciate and love God on a new level. That’s what David was talking about when he wrote the 42 nd Psalm – growing deeper with God! Whether you are 5, 50, or 105 we can all learn to fill up more on God spirit and less on the things ...

BIBLE READING: 2 Corinthians 12.9,10 2 Corinthians 12:9,10 “……….Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecution, in distress for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong.” Struggles are an essential part of our wellbeing. A young man decided that a struggling emperor moth needed help to get out of the cocoon.  He snipped off the end, making it easy for the moth to crawl out. He didn’t realize that the added struggle was necessary for the further development of the small creature.  Its body was swollen and its wings shriveled. It could not fly when it emerged.  Our own struggles are often essential to preparing us for life’s challenges. Life’s struggles force us to look to God and depend on Him instead of ourselves.  Think of them as character building opportunities.  Paul said, “but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulations produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and charac...

BIBLE READING: 1 Timothy 4. 13-16                                      Spend time alone with God’s Word.  Besides the spiritual growth we will gain from study, we will also come to know Him better.  Reading His word brings us in touch with Him.  Jesus tells us in John 14:7 – “If you had known Me, you would have known my Father also.”   Just studying the life of Jesus will help us to know God better.   In seeking God’s help, we can draw closer to Him through prayer, meditation, nature, and study.  “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law doeth he meditate day and night.” Psalm 1:2  I Timothy 4:13,15 - “Give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine… meditate on these things; give yourself wholly to them.”   Regardless of our circumstances we can rely on God’s unchanging character.  God is good. God loves me. God ...