WHAT DOES IT REALLY TAKE TO BE A FOLLOWER OF JESUS?
Simple obedience? The word “obey” is one of the least used and understood words in American culture today. It seems antiquated, irrelevant and
YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU DO
You’ve just been introduced to someone for the first time. There are a couple of niceties exchanged and then without fail, almost
WHY YOU WILL WANT TO BE PHYSICALLY FIT
There are so many challenges you face every day, that if you don’t get in shape and toughen up, you will not
THE FOUR FOUNDATIONS OF A MAN’S LIFE
There are four areas of Life that every man faces every day. And the way they are handled will bring either joy
LEARN GOD’S TAKE ON MONEY
The Bible offers 500 verses on prayer, fewer than 500 verses on faith, and more than 2,000 verses about money!In fact, 15
GOD’S POWER TO LOVE YOUR SPOUSE
If you are a married man or plan on getting married you will expect to be happily married to the woman you
DEFINING SUCCESS FOR YOURSELF
"Show Me The Money!" That line out of the Tom Cruise movie, Jerry Maguire, pretty much tells the story for most American men.
8 STEPS TO A HAPPY MARRIAGE
Knowing what it takes to consistently love your wife in such a way that it guarantees that you will have a happy
7 STEPS TO CREATING INTIMACY WITH GOD
God made you. God loves you. God has a purpose for your life. The classic definition from the Westminster Catechism sums up our
WHO’S GOT YOUR BACK?
I’m a guy who, probably like you, prefers action movies. My favorites almost always seem to be battles of war based on
HOW TO HANDLE BULLIES!
There isn’t a single human on earth who at some point doesn’t have to deal with a bully. Define bully any way
MAYBE FOLLOWING JESUS ISN’T SUCH A GOOD IDEA?
“They left everything and followed him.” Lk 5:11After meeting Jesus the apostles made a radical decision that would change their lives forever. But
WHY IS THE “GOSPEL” CALLED GOOD NEWS?
Our men’s Bible study was looking to get a better grip on the meaning of the “Gospel. ”So we asked, “What exactly is
TAKING THINGS FOR GRANTED?
On occasion I’m able to walk the beach and catch a sunrise. The beauty and magnificence of God’s artwork can take anyone’s
HOW COME YOUR FAITH ISN’T GETTING YOU WHAT YOU WANT?
Okay so maybe you have been standing firm in your faith believing God for something you truly believe is His will. Could be
YOU CAN’T STOP GOD’S BLESSINGS!
Does it ever seem to you that sometimes God’s blessings are unstoppable?Unstoppable for others that is! Why does God do that? You peer
7 STEPS TO CREATING INTIMACY WITH GOD
God made you. God loves you. God has a purpose for your life.
The classic definition from the Westminster Catechism sums up our primary purpose in life best: “The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”
But how does one go about doing that?
The same way you go about any relationship … spend time together. Spending time with God is the only way to become intimate with who He is and how He goes about doing things. Some refer to spending time with God as a “Quiet Time.”
Quiet time simply means taking a brief period of time to quiet oneself from all distractions and spend it reading God’s Word, meditating on what He says and talking it over with Him. Some call it devotions, God time, etc., and you can call it anything you want as a way of describing a designated time you will spend meeting with God.
Just as sleep is required for the body to regenerate on a daily basis, so is a daily quiet time needed to rejuvenate the spirit. Being sleep-deprived can cause severe and permanent physical and mental problems. It’s probably why sleep deprivation has been used as a torture technique when looking to break down a captive.
Depriving our spirit of time to connect intimately with God can also lead to all kinds of problems. We can become severely sidetracked from living out a vibrant, spiritually strong and intimate relationship with God. Without daily quiet time, intentionally planned out, we can become vulnerable to the deceptions of our enemy, the devil.
There is an invisible world all around you, whether you believe it or not. The devil and demonic forces are at war with God and His angelic beings, you are caught up in it, because you are a target. The devil’s goal is to discredit and disprove God. He is trying to prove a point that with his influence, little finite human beings like you will reject the invisible Creator God, and that you will instead choose to be your own god.
The benefit of spending intimate time everyday with the God who made you means you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Here are seven steps to creating intimacy with God:
1. Make a commitment to have a Quiet Time every day
Determine the value intimacy with God has in your life. View it equally as important as food for your body or the oxygen you need to breathe.
2. Prioritize your Quiet Time
This really has to be your first and most important activity of your day. It’s likely that every day you have to decide which things you’re going to do that have the highest priority. If you make a list of things to do, put this as number one.
3. Choose a place and schedule a time daily to have your Quiet Time
For most people, the first thing in the morning seems to work well. It helps set the day in the right direction with the determination to follow the Lord’s lead. Select a comfortable spot that keeps you free from distractions. I have a favorite chair by the window. But yours could be something entirely different that best suits your needs. I’ve heard of everything from having it in the car in the parking lot outside work, to a busy mom with little kids retreating to a closet. Whatever location you select, view it as a sanctuary where you can meet one-on-one with God.
4. Read God’s Word
There are so many great Bible reading plans with a variety of ways to go through the Scriptures. Almost every year since I surrendered my life to Christ, I make it a goal to read through the Bible in a year. It has been the number one way for me to gain God’s perspective on who He is and how He relates to us.
5. Use a journal to record your thoughts and insights
This does not have to be a lengthy nor complicated process. As you read or when you’ve finished reading a section of Scripture, simply write down a few words, phrases or sentences that express your insights. Make it personal and make it applicable.
6. Pray
This is not some kind of formal, lengthy, religious ritual. Rather it is simply a conversation, in your own words, talking with God about the insights He shared with you. You will want to praise Him for who He is, thank Him for what He’s done, and like a child with his father, ask Him for what you (or others) need.
7. Make it count
Find the one thing from your time spent with God that you will take with you throughout the day. Make it something you can apply to your everyday life as a tangible action item.
“Come away with me. Let us go alone to a quiet place and rest for awhile” (Mark 6:31).
7 STEPS TO CREATING INTIMACY WITH GOD
God made you. God loves you. God has a purpose for your life.
The classic definition from the Westminster Catechism sums up our primary purpose in life best: “The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”
But how does one go about doing that?
The same way you go about any relationship … spend time together. Spending time with God is the only way to become intimate with who He is and how He goes about doing things. Some refer to spending time with God as a “Quiet Time.”
Quiet time simply means taking a brief period of time to quiet oneself from all distractions and spend it reading God’s Word, meditating on what He says and talking it over with Him. Some call it devotions, God time, etc., and you can call it anything you want as a way of describing a designated time you will spend meeting with God.
Just as sleep is required for the body to regenerate on a daily basis, so is a daily quiet time needed to rejuvenate the spirit. Being sleep-deprived can cause severe and permanent physical and mental problems. It’s probably why sleep deprivation has been used as a torture technique when looking to break down a captive.
Depriving our spirit of time to connect intimately with God can also lead to all kinds of problems. We can become severely sidetracked from living out a vibrant, spiritually strong and intimate relationship with God. Without daily quiet time, intentionally planned out, we can become vulnerable to the deceptions of our enemy, the devil.
There is an invisible world all around you, whether you believe it or not. The devil and demonic forces are at war with God and His angelic beings, you are caught up in it, because you are a target. The devil’s goal is to discredit and disprove God. He is trying to prove a point that with his influence, little finite human beings like you will reject the invisible Creator God, and that you will instead choose to be your own god.
The benefit of spending intimate time everyday with the God who made you means you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Here are seven steps to creating intimacy with God:
1. Make a commitment to have a Quiet Time every day
Determine the value intimacy with God has in your life. View it equally as important as food for your body or the oxygen you need to breathe.
2. Prioritize your Quiet Time
This really has to be your first and most important activity of your day. It’s likely that every day you have to decide which things you’re going to do that have the highest priority. If you make a list of things to do, put this as number one.
3. Choose a place and schedule a time daily to have your Quiet Time
For most people, the first thing in the morning seems to work well. It helps set the day in the right direction with the determination to follow the Lord’s lead. Select a comfortable spot that keeps you free from distractions. I have a favorite chair by the window. But yours could be something entirely different that best suits your needs. I’ve heard of everything from having it in the car in the parking lot outside work, to a busy mom with little kids retreating to a closet. Whatever location you select, view it as a sanctuary where you can meet one-on-one with God.
4. Read God’s Word
There are so many great Bible reading plans with a variety of ways to go through the Scriptures. Almost every year since I surrendered my life to Christ, I make it a goal to read through the Bible in a year. It has been the number one way for me to gain God’s perspective on who He is and how He relates to us.
5. Use a journal to record your thoughts and insights
This does not have to be a lengthy nor complicated process. As you read or when you’ve finished reading a section of Scripture, simply write down a few words, phrases or sentences that express your insights. Make it personal and make it applicable.
6. Pray
This is not some kind of formal, lengthy, religious ritual. Rather it is simply a conversation, in your own words, talking with God about the insights He shared with you. You will want to praise Him for who He is, thank Him for what He’s done, and like a child with his father, ask Him for what you (or others) need.
7. Make it count
Find the one thing from your time spent with God that you will take with you throughout the day. Make it something you can apply to your everyday life as a tangible action item.
“Come away with me. Let us go alone to a quiet place and rest for awhile” (Mark 6:31).