Foundations of the faith, personal time with God.

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Foundations of the faith, personal time with God.
(Bible reading and prayer) Psalm 119:97-112

Intro… My dad and I getting very lost in the rainy woods…hot tomato soup when we got home.
• It could’ve all been prevented had we taken a compass reading from the start.
• Setting the moral compass…

Big Pic: In this world of craziness, we need personal time with God.
• This is a time to listen to God through the reading of his word and talk to God through prayer.

Text: Psalm 119:97-105

• How many of you have heard the phrase “quiet time?” It’s actually a good name…I want to talk to you this morning about being still and quiet before God
• Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God."

Good communication involves two things, what are they?
• Talking and listening.
• We usually have no problem talking to God.
• We need to learn how to listen to him better.
• One of the ways that happens best is through time in the Bible.

A few things consistent time in the bible will do for you:
V. 97 Teaches you to love the laws of God.
• “Love your law” It takes time to get to that place, but it’s key.
• As you mature in your faith, you learn that God’s laws are for our good, our protection.

v. 98-100 & 104a Makes you wiser/gain understanding.
• Talking the other day with a friend about college costs/our kids careers etc...that’ll all come later, but for now…
• Nothing thrills me more than to see my children developing a love for God. (Elijah’s quote, “New years resolution, read a book of the bible.)
• 3 John 4 We all need a child’s eagerness for the Bible.


v. 101-102, 104b & 110 Teaches you to hate what is wrong.
• May sound harsh, but that’s actually what happens.
• As someone matures in their faith, it’s great to hear them say, “You know I don’t even have a desire to do ____________ anymore.”

v. 103 Gives you a taste of the sweet things.
• Learn to crave the meat of the word and not just the milk…
1 Cor. 3:1-3, Heb. 5:11-14
• We’re all excited about Mo and Arielle’s baby…Babies are cute and all… but we need to grow past that stage.

v. 105 Guides and directs your life.
• The bible is our roadmap/direction for life.
• I can’t tell you that the bible addresses every single issue we face, but the more time you spend in God’s word, the more wisdom you’ll have when it come to making decisions that are not “black and white” spelled out directly in the bible.
• ...living together/sex before getting married… ”But the bible doesn’t say…” Yeah, but you should know better.

“The bible does not expressly condemn many things, including racial discrimination against certain races, killing abortion doctors as a means of fighting abortion, or smoking crack, yet few people would argue that these acts are morally justified.”
• When it comes to these “unspoken” issues in the Bible, we all need to pray about them and search the scriptures.
• If you do make a change, it needs to be because God is telling you to do this, not me.
• THAT’S THE KEY! Time in the word will do that for you. We need to hear from God!

v. 107-108 Gives us perspective when suffering.
• We’ll learn to praise God through it all.
• We all know that suffering is a part of life and that it’s going to happen.
• We need to seek God’s perspective when it does.

v. 109 Keeps us focused when we continually try to make a go of it on our own.
• We need to be able to get to the point where we can say, “I’ve prayed about it, read the scriptures etc. and Lord it’s in your hands from here. “
• Prayer Always pray about everything and trust God for the outcome. Don’t be surprised is God changes you through your time of prayer…
• Ideally you have the time to spend with God in the morning before things get crazy. A nice peaceful hour with God, no interruptions...right parents?
• Or maybe it’s more chaotic...
• Somehow, somewhere, we need to carve out quiet space for God. Your personal time with God may come in shorts bursts, or later in the day.
• There will be times when it’s long and uninterrupted and time where you have to squeeze it in. Yes, you want to give God your day from the start, but don’t forget to check in with him throughout the day.

v. 111 Gives you a rich heritage and joy in your heart.
• That’s something that only God can give you, real, lasting joy.
• Not only personal time with God, but also setting the example to your families, dad and mom….family prayer time, devotions, etc.

v. 112 Gives you a heart after God.
• God only wants our hearts...fully devoted to him. Once that happens, the choices we make will be obvious.
GOSPEL

Where, how to start?
• Get a translation you can understand. Take a free bible here...
• Psalms and Proverbs…NT
• Read entire books, follow the story, resist the temptation to “salad bar” your theology…
• Start small, 5-10 min. a day before you venture in to a BSF or Beth Moore study.
• Why not embark on your own quest to read through the bible this year?

Conclusion:
Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we
treat our cell phone?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?
This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible?
Oh, and one more thing.
Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being
disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.
Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities? And no dropped calls!


Discussion/questions/thoughts etc.