How to be at peace with God in the day to day of everyday

How to be at peace with God in the day to day of everyday. In our fast-paced and often chaotic world, finding peace can feel like an elusive goal. We seek peace in our relationships and in our connection to God. How can we cultivate a deep and lasting peace with God amidst the demands and distractions of everyday life? Learn more in the message - Live at Peace with God in the day-to-day of everyday. We can find peace by using these strategies.

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TL/DW How to be at Peace with God in the day-to-day of everyday

When we talk about people being at peace with God, it’s usually that they are approaching death or have died. It’s a euphemism to say they know where they are going; they know the hope to which they have been called; they are at peace with the Lord; they know that to be absent from the body is to be present with Him and they know this world is not their home and they’ve been created to live forever with him.

All of that is true, but I’ve found I need to have peace with God in the day to day of everyday.

I can only argue with him for so long, before I agree He’s right and I’m not.

I can only tolerate sin in my life so long, because I know he won’t let sin master me.

I need to, as long as it depends on me, live at peace with all people because I know the horizontal relationship affects the vertical one and the vertical one affects the horizontal ones.

I need to forgive, I need to ask forgiveness, I need to make amends. I need to seek justice with mercy.

We’ll get to all that. But let’s start with what Peter wrote to the church in Asia minor.

Read 1 Peter 3:8-16 NLT Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.” Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.

Can I pray?

I know God is not finished with me yet. He wants to make me more and more and more like His son. I know I’m not there yet, but I know by the grace of God I am who and I am and his grace was not without effect.

We know we want peace. The world wants peace, it just doesn’t know how to get it. We know we need peace and God has given us they path to it.

We need peace with others and peace with ourselves, but ultimately we need peace with God and peace from God.

Problem -

Paul blessed the church in Thessalonica with:

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 ESV

You and I need His peace at all times and in every situation. It doesn’t help if you sing “I’ve got peace like a river…” while your river is like this picture.

It’s toxic peace to deny the reality of the situation you’re in and claim you have peace from God when you don’t feel like peace at all.

We are told to seek peace and work to maintain it. We have a role to have peace at all times and in every situation.

What I’m trying to say we have the God of peace always with us. Will you be with him?

Will you trust him in the day-to-day of everyday so you can have peace at all times and in every situation?

We will have trouble

Jesus told us that in this world there will be trouble. All of us have things happen to us and around us. We all experience trouble.

Will that trouble make us bitter or make us better?

That depends on us.

It’s God’s plan to work everything together for the good of those who are called. It’s up to us to agree that’s what’s happening, even if we don’t see it. It’s up to us to trust Him and cast our cares upon him because we know He cares for us.

We need to be salt and light and be ready to give a reason for the hope we have with gentleness and respect. And for people to ask about your hope they have to first see your peace and joy.

Do people see your peace and joy? When they do, they’ll ask about your hope.

I’ve learned that anything that costs me my peace is too expensive.

So how do we stop giving up our peace? That’s a great question, I’m so glad you asked.

I’ve come up with a tool.

IDENTIFY with the Peace of God

Let’s start with what the Bible say about peace.

We have peace with God…

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Romans 5:1

We have peace from God…

Jesus said, ““I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27

The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace. Psalm 29:11

Because God is the God of peace…

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.1 Thessalonians 5:23

So, we will not IDENTIFY with peace until we trust God as our sole source of peace.

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3

IDENTIFY with the Peace of God Tool 1 Peter 3:8-16

I - Ignore Offense v.8

D - Decide to Bless v.9

E - Enjoy God’s Blessings v.9b

N - Navigate Peace v.11

T - Turn Prayers into Exchanges v.12

I - Invest in Repentance v.12b

F - Forgive freely v. 13-14

Y - Yield to His Lordship V.15

I - Ignore Offense

Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. v.8

Peter gives this advice in Chapter 4…

If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? 1 Peter 4:14-17

We can be offended at others, offended at God and offended at ourselves. I find I take more offence at others when I’m living offended at God. When we feel offended at ourselves for something we’ve confessed and repented of, it’s often the sin of unbelief. If I have confessed and repented of my sin, he is faithful and just to forgive me my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. “He can forgive me, but I refuse to forgive myself.” How silly does that sound?

In this world, you will be offended. Choose to be unoffendable. Ignore it. Put others needs ahead of your own.

Do I get offended at things that don’t offend God?

D - Decide to Bless

Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. v.9

Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Romans 12:14

You are blessed to be a blessing. You can’t do this without the help of Holy Spirit. If you want to be at peace with God, you need to be at peace with others. Remember it’s God will avenge, he will repay. (Romans 12:19) Your role is to bless those who curse you and pray for those who persecute you.

The act of praising God before the battle is won. We bless the Lord, even before the answer comes. It changes us to magnify God so that he’s bigger than our problem in our own estimation.

We bless those who curse us and we bless God before the answer comes. How about we bless ourselves by thinking of ourselves more like God thinks of us and less like how the enemy thinks of us?

When we are at peace with God, we are at peace with ourselves and at peace with others, as far as it depends on us.

Can I bless those who curse me?

E - Enjoy God’s Blessings

That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. v.9b

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Blessing of the Bible -

Powerful people harass me without cause, but my heart trembles only at your word. I rejoice in your work like one who discovers a great treasure. I hate and abhor all falsehood, but I love your instructions. I will praise you seven times a day because all your regulations are just. Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble. Psalm 119:161-165

Two things I want to point out with theses verses.

1. We can never overestimate the role gratitude has for us to live at peace with God, peace with ourselves and as far as it depends on us, peace with everyone in the day-to-day of everyday. Gratitude is a game changer. Think about being thankful.
   
   Never neglect to show your appreciation.
   
2. Learn or re-learn to love His word. When we love His instructions we have great peace and do not stumble. If you want to reignite your love for his instructions approach it with gratitude. Too often we approach it with legalism…I’m going to check that box on my reading list, often all you get is a check mark on your reading list. Approach his word with gratitude and you will learn or re-learn your love for his instructions.

Do you love His word? You’ll have great peace.

Do you obey His word? You’ll have gratitude to maintain His peace.

Is gratitude an attitude I work to maintain?

N - Navigate Peace

“If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. v.11

If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, = peace with God

keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips = peace with others

Turn away from evil and do good = peace with yourself

We get peace when we trust in God (Isaiah 26:3 read) We get peace and hope and joy when we trust in God. (Romans 15:13 read) The peace of God lets us have peace with others and peace with ourselves.

Do I have peace with God, peace with others, and peace with myself?

T - Turn Prayers into Exchanges

The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. v.12

casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. 1 Peter 5:7 AMP

Prayers aligns our heart with God’s heart. If you leave your time of prayer with having God’s peace, there’s a good chance all you did was complain. Prayer is the place of exchange. I bring God my problems and he exchanges the with his peace.

Learn to cast your cares upon him, knowing he cares for you. If you don’t trust he cares for you you won’t cast your cares on him. When we trust him, we have peace. If you don’t have peace, ask yourself and Holy Spirit where you are not trusting him.

Do I exchange my problems for His peace?

I - Invest in Repentance

But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.” v.12b

Sin separates us from our Holy God. He’s not offended by it because he’s offendable, he’s offended by sin because it hurts us and makes us less and less like His son.

He gives us the tools of Confession and repentance. Confession is agreeing with him what you did or didn’t do was a sin. Repentance is changing your mind and turning around and going in the opposite direction.

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:8-9

Is there anything I need to confess?

F - Forgive freely

Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. v. 13-14

When bad things happen to us… and they will. Will we let those bad things make us bitter or will we learn to let God make us better?

Forgiveness is so key to be at peace with others, and with God and with ourselves. Don’t wait to forgive. It’s a choice. It’s an action to bless. It’s a feeling of peace when we forgive. If you think you’ve forgiven but you don’t have peace, we can help you have the peace that comes with forgiveness.

A big reason we don’t forgive is that we don’t trust God to avenge. We don’t trust God to make it right.

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15

Is there anyone I need to forgive?

Y - Yield to His Lordship

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. v.15-16

In your heart set apart Christ as Lord.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

It is not that we “make him” Lord of our lives, He IS Lord. We agree with all creation - before we bow in fear we bow in awe - and declare He IS Lord.

Is He Lord of everything in my life?

When you do these things, when you IDENTIFY with the Peace of God, people will ask you about the peace that you have. This world needs peace. Will you bring his peace to the day-to-day of your everyday?

Conclusion

I - Ignore Offense v.8

Do I get offended at things that don’t offend God?

D - Decide to Bless v.9

Can I bless those who curse me?

E - Enjoy God’s Blessings v.9b

Is gratitude an attitude I work to maintain?

N - Navigate Peace v.11

Do I have peace with God, peace with others, and peace with myself?

T - Turn Prayers into Exchanges v.12

Do I exchange my problems for His peace?

I - Invest in Repentance v.12b

Is there anything I need to confess?

F - Forgive freely v. 13-14

Is there anyone I need to forgive?

Y - Yield to His Lordship v.15-16

Is He Lord of everything in my life?

May you have His peace at all times and in every situation.

How to understand and enjoy the Gifts God has for you Today

As Christians, we have all been blessed with an abundance of spiritual gifts from Holy Spirit, Christ and Our Father. These gifts are meant to serve each other and empower us in our day-today of everyday. Learn more in the message: How to Understand and Enjoy the Gifts of the Spirit, the Gifts Christ gave the Church and the Gifts God has given us Today

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Read Gifts God Has for you Today

I’m going to sharing with you something I’ve been contemplating and researching for quite some time. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it taught and that excites me, because it may be new revelation. It troubles me because I was taught “The church has a word for new doctrine - that word is HERESY!”

I don’t think what I’m about to say is heresy. I also don’t know if there is transformational value in understanding this the way I’m going present it. However I am convinced it may show us a little more of our absolutely mind boggling God who loves us and gives us gifts.

Read Ephesians 1:3-23 NLT

Can I pray?

We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3

• Gifts from the Spirit - 1 Corinthians 12;14
• Gifts Christ gave the Church - Ephesians 4:11-16
• Gifts God has given Romans 12:6-13

Two Options understanding God’s Gifts

While there is duplication, none of these lists are the same. We have two options to understand this in two ways. Both could be correct at the same time.

First, it could mean there is no limit to gifts God can give. I believe that’s true. I’ve learned the hard way not to put God into any box. Don’t put God in a box. He’s too big.

Another option - and this is just me - I’ve never heard anyone else teach it this way. But this has been a nugget that caught my attention.

It’s clear the gifts the Spirit’s give us. and it’s clear the gifts Christ gave the church.

What if Paul used “God” as a stand in for the term Father?

What difference would that mean for us in the day-to-day of everyday?

That’s what I want to explore today. I will share with you how to eagerly desire and activate the gifts of the Spirit, How to know when you’ve been called a gift to the church, and what it means to have gifts from God to be commands and invitations for all of us.

So, let’s understand these gifts with this perspective.

Gifts God - Spirit - 1 Corinthians 12;14

Given for building up of each other 1 Corinthians 12:7

Χάρισμα - charisma - gifts

We can understand them in 3 categories…

• Knowledge - wisdom, knowledge, distinguishing spirits
• Speech - tongues, interpretation, prophecy
• Power - faith, healing, miracles

All of these are given by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4) . He gives them out just as he wants. ( 1Corinthians 12:18) But remember we are told to eagerly desire them. (1 Corinthians 12:31, 14:1, 14:12, 14:39)

We can be trained to move in these gifts more naturally, but people who have been given these gifts move in them naturally.

How do we activate the gifts of the Spirit? That’s a great question.

How to activate the gifts of the spirit tool

EAT

Eagerly Desire (1 Corinthians 12:31, 14:1, 14:12, 14:39)

Holy Spirit responds to our desires Psalm 37:4, Mark 11:24

Am I eagerly desiring the gifts of the Spirit?

Activate by Faith (Luke 11:5-13)

Faith is understanding what the Word of God says and applying it to our lives in the spirit in which it was said

Am I using the faith God provides?

Train to follow Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19, 1 Corinthians 14:31-32 )

Experiment inside the church. We’re told in the Old Testament to stone a prophet who speaks incorrectly. (Deuteronomy 18:22) But after the Spirit is given we’re told to test everything and hold to the good. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21) Am I willing to risk using the gifts of Holy Spirit?

Gifts God the Son - Ephesians 4

Given for the maturity of the individuals of the church (Ephesians 4:14)

Ephesians 4:11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.

These are gifts to the church, not positions in the church. They only have authority in relationship.

Gifts to the church - my call to be a pastor, how I learned it is what I do, not how I’m paid.

Only credible in Relationship - The most apostolic people I know, would never want to be called or thought of as an apostle. People who take the title apostle, only have credibility to people who see them as an apostle.

Let’s go through each of these quickly.

Apostles

ἀπόστολος - apostolos - Roman General sent to change a culture

Jesus named his 12 disciples apostles in Luke 6:13-16

Yes, ἀπόστολος means “sent”, but it’s sent with a purpose to change a culture to Kingdom culture

These people are Fathers and Mothers. They want their ceiling to be their children’s floor.

Apostles change the culture to a Kingdom culture.

Prophets

προφήτης - prophētēs interpreter of oracles, in Hebrew it’s the same word as “insane” or “fool” Jehu was “driving like a prophet (נבל)

Forth-telling (edification, exhortation and comfort - 1 Corinthians 14:3)

Calling into being that which is not. (Romans 4:17-18)

and Foretelling (Agabus - famine Acts 11:28, Paul’s future Acts 21:10-11)

Predicting the future.

Jesus told us that prophets are only without honour in their home town. (Mark 6:4) Remember we are told to test everything and hold to the good. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21) Realize true prophets know God’s will and declare God’s will.

Prophets know God’s will and declare God’s will.

Evangelists

εὐαγγελιστής - euangelistēs - bringer of good tidings with signs and wonders

In Acts 21:8 Philip is named as an evangelist, and in 2 Timothy 4:5 Paul exhorts Timothy to do the work of an evangelist. These are the only three uses of the word evangelist in the entire Bible. Philip is the one person specifically called an evangelist in Scripture. Basically, it seems the were to bring the good news but they were not apostles.

Philip had been one of the seven deacons chosen so that the apostles could do their work of teaching and prayer (Acts 6:3). Philip’s evangelistic work was in Samaria (Acts 8:4–8). He “proclaimed the Messiah” to the Samaritans (verse 5) and performed miracles, including casting out demons and healing paralytics. It is noteworthy that Philip performed water baptism in the name of Jesus, but the baptism of the Holy Spirit did not occur until the apostles came to Samaria.

Jesus said in Mark 16:17 that signs and wonders would follow all who believe. And Philip performed signs and wonders. Interestingly it wasn’t until Peter and John the apostles came to Samaria and laid hands on them that Holy Spirit came upon them.

Evangelist proclaim with signs and wonders. Apostles change the culture to Kingdom culture. Transformation is the work of Holy Spirit.

Peter and John’s presence in Samaria and the Spirit’s indwelling of the believing Samaritans (Acts 8:17) confirmed Philip’s ministry there. As an evangelist, Philip had preached the gospel, and, when the Samaritans believed it and received the Spirit, they were welcomed into the church. Where there had previously been division and animosity between Jews and Samaritans, there now existed the spiritual bond of love (Colossians 3:14). Philip’s trailblazing efforts laid the foundation for his hearers to receive the Holy Spirit by faith. The evangelist’s pre-work unto salvation is what those called evangelists have done ever since.

Philip’s ministry as an evangelist continues in Acts 8 as he is led by an angel to go the desert road to Gaza. On the road he meets an Ethiopian eunuch—a court official to the queen of Ethiopia. Philip opens the man’s understanding of the Word of God, and the eunuch is saved. Philip baptizes the man, and the Holy Spirit snatches Philip away (Acts 8:39). Philip later “appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea” (verse 40). Everywhere he went, Philip shared the gospel. That’s what evangelists do.

The office of evangelist will be needed until the church reaches the maturity of Christ Himself (Ephesians 4:13).

Evangelists prepare the way for salvation with signs and wonders.

Pastor

ποιμήν - poimēn - lit. shepherd

A shepherd is someone who doesn’t mind the muck and the mire. Cares more about people than position. Wants everyone to come along together. Will wait for the young and old to catch up.

Matthew 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

We’ve taken “Pastor” and made it a position. If you’re a pastor you need to have your full income come from a local church. It’s wrong. We need to repent of that thought.

As a pastor I’m telling you, the church and the world needs more pastors. We need more people gifted and trained to walk with people and stay at their pace. We need pastors outside the pulpit.

Shepherds nurture and protect.

Teacher

διδάσκαλος - didaskalos - teacher

James 3:1Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.

Teachers need to do two things. Teachers need to be able to understand and teachers need to know how to explain. We train teachers in our society. We had at least two graduate from teaching in last couple of weeks. You know a teacher who has a gift for teaching because they can explain things that you only marvelled at before.

• Teachers understand and explain.
• Apostles change the culture of an area to a Kingdom culture.
• Prophets know God’s will and declare God’s will.
• Evangelists prepare the way for salvation with signs and wonders.
• Shepherds nurture and protect.
• Teachers understand and explain.

Now if we can have positions of people with these gifts it’s awesome. It needs to be a goal for a local church to be in relationship with people who have these gifts, whatever that looks like. I’d like to have churches acknowledge and honour these people who are gifts, but I know from history that we lose their significance when they become positions and not relationships.

How do you know if you’ve been given as a gift to the church? That’s a great question. I’m so glad you asked. Here’s three questions you can ask.

How to discern if you should pursue a possible call Tool

Do you have the ILK?

Interest - Do I think I might be called to be gift to the church? If yes, then…

Love and learning - Do I have the heart and can I learn the skills I need? If yes, then…

Knowable agreement - Do others who know me well, agree I have the heart and can learn the skills I need?

Apostles help launch and affirm the other gifts Christ gave the church. Look for a father or mother to reaffirm your call.

Gifts God (Father) Romans 12

Given because we’re all different (Romans 12:4-5) but we still all need his Grace… In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. Romans 12:6

The strange thing about every one of these gifts, is that we are we’re all commanded or encouraged to do them…

Read Romans 12:6-8

Prophesy

So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.

Encouragement - 1 Corinthians 14:5 I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened.

Serving

If your gift is serving others, serve them well.

Command - Galatians 5:13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.

Teaching

If you are a teacher, teach well.

Command - Colossians 3:16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.

Encouraging

If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.

Command - 1 Thessalonians 5:11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

Giving

If it is giving, give generously.

Invitation - Luke 6:38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back

Leading

If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.

Encouragement - Matthew 7:12 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

Kindness

And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Command - Ephesians 4:32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

How to Understand Gifts God

So, if all of these are gifts of God, and all of these are commands and encouragement for all of us to live our life with way, what is going on?

Χάρισμα - charisma - gifts

Χάρις - charis - Grace

Romans 12:6 In his grace Χάρις , God has given us different Χάρισμα gifts for doing certain things well.

The word charisma (χάρισμα) comes from the word for grace (charis, χάρις). The suffix (-ma, -μα) indicates a result from grace. Charisma is something that is given as a result of the grace of the giver.

Paul is emphasizing the grace God has for us in this chapter. Remember, grace is his empowerment to do the things he wants us to do, that we can’t do ourselves.

Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

His grace is sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

It’s not by our own will and personality that we can access the Gifts of the Spirit, or become one of the gifts of Christ or work out of the gifts God gives us. It’s only by the grace of God. Romans 12:6 In his Χάρις , God has given us Χάρισμα gifts for doing certain things well.

His grace gives us the ability to do the things we can’t do on our own.

How to we operate in the gifts God has for us? That’s a great question, I’m so glad you asked.

Let me remind you of the

Am I serving in the strength God provides Tool?

SERVE

S - Surrender your agenda.

Isaiah 64:8 Do I let him be the potter? Am I not eagerly desiring your gifts because I don’t want to be embarrassed?

E - Enjoy His light yoke.

Matthew 11:28-30 Am I carrying His light yoke? Am I being guilted into doing more?

R - Remember to work as unto the Lord.

Colossians 3:23-24 Am I working as unto the Lord with my whole heart? Am I wanting a gift to look good?

V - Verify you are seeking first His Kingdom.

Matthew 6:33 Am I seeking His Kingdom in this? Am I looking to make a name for myself or see Jesus glorified?

E - Encourage others and be encouraged.

Proverbs 11:25 Am I looking to bless or simply to be blessed? Who do you want me to bless today?

Emphasizing the grace of God for the gifts reminds me do much to honour Him on my own. I don’t have much to offer the creator of all.

To move in the gifts of the Spirit…

How to activate the gifts of the spirit tool

EAT

Eagerly Desire (1 Corinthians 12:31, 14:1, 14:12, 14:39)

Holy Spirit responds to our desires Psalm 37:4, Mark 11:24

Am I eagerly desiring the gifts of the Spirit?

Activate by Faith (Luke 11:5-13)

Faith is understanding what the Word of God says and applying it to our lives in the spirit in which it was said

Am I using the faith God provides?

Train to follow Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19, 1 Corinthians 14:31-32 )

Experiment inside the church. We’re told in the Old Testament to stone a prophet who speaks incorrectly. (Deuteronomy 18:22) But after the Spirit is given we’re told to test everything and hold to the good. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21) Am I willing to risk using the gifts of Holy Spirit?

To be a gift of Jesus for the church…

How to discern if you should pursue a possible call Tool

Do you have the ILK?

Interest - Do I think I might be called to be gift to the church? If yes, then…

Love and learning - Do I have the heart and can I learn the skills I need? If yes, then…

Knowable agreement - Do others who know me well, agree I have the heart and can learn the skills I need?

To use the gifts God provides…

Am I serving in the strength God provides Tool?

SERVE

S - Surrender your agenda.

Isaiah 64:8 Do I let him be the potter? Am I not eagerly desiring your gifts because I don’t want to be embarrassed?

E - Enjoy His light yoke.

Matthew 11:28-30 Am I carrying His light yoke? Am I being guilted into doing more?

R - Remember to work as unto the Lord.

Colossians 3:23-24 Am I working as unto the Lord with my whole heart? Am I wanting a gift to look good?

V - Verify you are seeking first His Kingdom.

Matthew 6:33 Am I seeking His Kingdom in this? Am I looking to make a name for myself or see Jesus glorified?

E - Encourage others and be encouraged.

Proverbs 11:25 Am I looking to bless or simply to be blessed? Who do you want me to bless today?

Conclusion

Take the time to ask “Is there a gift I need to desire or a gift I need to become?”

How to let the fruit of Holy Spirit TRANSFORM You

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit outlines nine attributes that should be evident in the life of a true believer. These attributes include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. While it is easy to read about these characteristics and know what they mean intellectually, transforming them into part of our daily lives can be challenging. However, by understanding how to yield to the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to work within us, we can experience a transformation that brings us closer to God and makes us more like Jesus Christ. Learn more in the message How to Let the fruit of Holy Spirit Transform You

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Read How to let the fruit of Holy Spirit TRANSFORM You

So today we’re going to explore how to be transformed by the fruit of Holy Spirit. It’s good to start with where we get that term. Paul is writing to the church in Galatia when he writes Galatians 5:13-25.

Where we learn Holy Spirit Transforms us

Galatians 5:13-25 NLT …So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Can I pray?

We all love to quote the fruit of the Spirit. Most of us have artwork around our house with this verse or words from this verse. Sometimes we repeat it to ourselves hoping it will help it grow. It might. God’s word has a way for not coming back void.

Other times we speak it others to whack them over the head with truth of the scripture.

Getting mad at the ‘right things’ we can get mad at is not the fruit of the Spirit. Being able to quote the fruit of the Spirit is not the same as growing the fruit of the Spirit. Knowing right (orthodoxy) is not the fruit of the Spirit but doing right (orthopraxy) often can be. Can I try to explain the problem with the fruit better?

The problem

The biggest problem with the Fruit of Holy Spirit is something I’ve done myself. I have taught and tried to live the fruit of the Spirit as a check list to see how my spiritual life was doing. Did I have enough or did I need more:

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control?

It’s not a checklist. Stop thinking of the fruit of the Spirit as a checklist for spiritual maturity. It’s not a standard that you and others need to live up to.

The fruit of the spirit are the result of putting to death the sinful nature and keeping in step with the Spirit

Look what Paul tells the church in Rome…

Romans 12:1-2 NIVUK Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Do not conform…but be transformed.

Look what it says in Ephesians…

Ephesians 4:21-23 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Do not conform…but be transformed.

Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.

It’s Holy Spirit who transforms us.

It’s not something we can do in ourselves. We didn’t save ourselves, we won’t transform ourselves. We can’t finish in the flesh what was started in the Spirit (Galatians 3:3). In fact, Paul tells us in what we read at the start - Galatians 5:16

Galatians 5:16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

And I appreciate how the NLT approaches Galatians 5:22

Galatians 5:22-23 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

It’s Holy Spirit that produces that fruit in our lives.

It’s not my role to produce those things in me. It’s Holy Spirit that does the transformation.

That doesn’t mean I’m lazy. Far from it. Paul tells us:

1 Corinthians 15:10 NIVUK But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Did you catch that?

We have a role. He has a role. Our role is to work with the grace He provides. His role is to finish the good work He’s started.

And the good news is what Paul tells the Philippians

Philippians 1:6 NIVUK: … he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Holy Spirit empowers us to transform and He will finish the good work He’s started

And he’ll do until Jesus comes or you go home. He’ll keep working to make you more and more and more like the Son, whom the Father loves.

So the question becomes how...?

How do I keep in step with Holy Spirit? How do I let Holy Spirit transform me? What’s my role in this transformation?

Those are great question, I’m so glad you asked. Here’s a tool that can help you not conform but be transformed by Holy Spirit.

This is your role; only as you are empowered by Holy Spirit to have the grace to live out God’s will in your life.

How to let Holy Spirit TRANSFORM You Tool

TRANSFORM

T - Trust God cares for you.

R - Remember to obey what He tells you to do.

A - Agree to work as unto the Lord.

N - Never forget what He’s done.

S - Stand on His promises to you.

F - Fill your thoughts with gratitude.

O - Only let His voice hold sway.

R - Remember He will finish the good work He’s started.

M - Move to the rhythms of His grace.

And to my surprise and awe… every one of the fruits can be a result of allowing God’s grace to work in each of these areas.

T - Trust God cares for you.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7

The result of allowing God’s grace to work in you help trust He cares for you is the fruit of love.

Love ἀγάπη - love that is a decision.

1 Corinthians 13:6-7 NIVUK Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

When you love God, you trust God and his perfect love casts out all fear.

We need to trust God in the day to day of everyday. When we trust him we know he cares for us and so we can cast our cares on him. The more we know his love, the more we trust his love, the more we share his love.

Think about what Jesus said with the vine and branches. When you produce fruit you’re pruned to be more fruitful as you remain in Him you produce much fruit. It is not a pleasant process.

Transformation happens when you move from order, to disorder, to re-order

It’s not an easy process. It’s tough. It’s easy to give God credit for the works of the one who comes to kill, steal and destroy.

In time, as you’ve gone from order to disorder to reorder and from order to disorder to reorder and from order to disorder to reorder and from order to disorder to reorder ….

When we go through that process, we need to stop giving God credit for the works of the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy. - John 10:10 We need to trust Him, knowing that He cares for us.

The question you can ask Holy Spirit:

Do I know that You care? Do I cast my cares on you?

R - Remember to obey what He tells you to do

James 1:22-25 NLT But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

The result of allowing God’s grace to work in you to obey what He tells you to do is the fruit of joy

Joy - χαρά

John 15:9-11 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!

Have you been lacking joy? Have you been obeying what he has told you to do?

The question you can ask Holy Spirit:

Have I been stuck because I have missed or even refused to obey something You said?

A - Agree to work as unto the Lord.

Colossians 3:23-24 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.

The result of allowing God’s grace to work in you to agree to work as unto the Lord is the fruit of Peace

Peace - εἰρήνη

Luke 10:2-7 He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. ‘When you enter a house, first say, “Peace to this house.” If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

Essentially when Jesus sent out his 72 disciples he said, “Find people of peace and let them serve you.”

Can you find a better example of “working as unto the Lord? Trusting God to take care of you through people. The result of trusting God is peace.

Whatever you do, when you do it as unto the Lord you’re trusting God to take care of you. You’re trusting him to fight the battles. You’re trusting him to be true to His word. You’re trusting him to work everything together for good.

When you’re trusting God’s grace to work in you as you agree to work as unto the Lord is the fruit of Peace.

The question you can ask Holy Spirit is:

Do I do all that I do like I’m working for Jesus? Do I have the peace that proves that?

N - Never forget what He’s done

Psalm 103:2-5 NLT Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things! My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

The result of allowing God’s grace to work in you to never forget what He’s done is the fruit of Patience.

Patience - μακροθυμία

Colossians 3:12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

How do you clothe yourself with patience? You remember what He’s already done. If He did it before, He can do it again. If He did it for others, He can do it for me. Patience is not having a stiff upper lip when have to endure, it’s a solid and growing agreement that God is good and He’s in a good mood.

Revelation 12:11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.

Patience grows as we understand God better through what’s he’s already done. Testimony grows patience.

The question you can ask Holy Spirit:

Lord, what do You want me to remember about your goodness to me?

S - Stand on His promises to you.

Psalms 145:13 For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does.

The result of allowing God’s grace to work in you to stand on His promises for you is the fruit of kindness.

Kindness - χρηστότης

Romans 2:4 NLT Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

We are to clothe ourselves with kindness. How do we allow God’s grace to work in us to show kindness?

When we see His kindness towards us, we can clothe ourselves with kindness to others.

We see His kindness towards us in His promises and in His faithfulness.

2 Corinthians 1:20-22 For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory. It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first instalment that guarantees everything he has promised us.

The question you can ask Holy Spirit:

Do I agree with the promises of God on my life?

F - Fill your thoughts with gratitude

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

The result of allowing God’s grace to work in you to fill your thoughts with gratitude is the fruit of goodness.

Gratitude is a game changer.

Goodness ἀγαθωσύνη

Ephesians 5:6-10 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.

What pleases the Lord? Doing His will. What is His will?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything and thank him in all things, knowing that’s his will for you. - Philippians 4:6-7

The question you can ask Holy Spirit:

What can I choose to feel grateful for right now?

O - Only let His voice hold sway

Philippians 4:8-9 NLT And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

The result of allowing God’s grace to work in you to only let His voice hold sway is the fruit of faithfulness.

Faithfulness - πίστις

Luke 17:3-5 NIVUK So watch yourselves. ‘If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying “I repent,” you must forgive them.’ The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’

What Jesus said next is really amazing.

Luke 17:6-10 NLT The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you! When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”

What is he saying?

“If you want faith, be faithful. Obey what I say, even if it seems impossible.”

We need to only let his voice hold sway. When he says “go” we go. When he says “stay” we stay. When he says, “Love” we love. When he says “Trust” we trust.

Jesus said.

John 10:10 NIVUK The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

His words are life. Why do we allow other voices to drown his voice out? Holy Spirit will empower us to only listen to His voice.

The question you can ask Holy Spirit:

Do I agree with words of life or words of death?

R - Remember He will finish the good work He’s started

Philippians 1:6 NLT And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

The result of allowing God’s grace to work in you to remember He will finish the Good work He’s started is the fruit of gentleness.

Gentleness - πραότης

Galatians 6:1NLT Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.

1 Peter 3:15 NIVUK But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

Gentleness is important for those inside the church and those asking us about the hope we have.

We can be gentle when we remember God is God and we’re not and that’s a good thing. When we trust him to finish the good work he’s started in us, we can trust him to finish the good work he’s started in others. Since he gently leads us, we can show gentleness to others. It’s not up to me to see people transform. That’s Holy Spirit’s job. My job is, with His help, to love. And when I love, I am gentle.

The question you can ask Holy Spirit:

Am I confident You will finish the good work You’ve started in me… and others?

M - Move to the rhythms of His grace

Matthew 11:28-30 MSG Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

The result of allowing God’s grace to work in you to move to the rhythms of His grace is the fruit of self control.

Self Control - ἐγκράτεια

2 Peter 1:5-8 NIVUK For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

You don’t want to be ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of Jesus. The good news is that it’s Holy Spirit who works in you can add

Faith to Goodness to Knowledge to Self-control to Perseverance to Godliness to Brotherly kindness to Love.

He’s the one at work in you to make you look more and more and more like Jesus.

Jesus said “my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Keeping yourself - with Holy Spirit’s help - to His yoke takes self control.

The question you can ask Holy Spirit:

Am I moving to the rhythms of His grace?

TRANSFORM

T - Trust God cares for you.

R - Remember to obey what He tells you to do

A - Agree to work as unto the Lord.

N - Never forget what He’s done.

S - Stand on His promises to you.

F - Fill your thoughts with gratitude.

O - Only let His voice hold sway.

R - Remember he will finish the good work He’s started.

M - Move to the rhythms of His grace.

It’s only with Holy Spirit’s help that we can do any of these things. He empowers us to accomplish every good work prompted by our faith. He’s the one

We have a lot of questions we can ask Holy Spirit. We’ll make space now to listen to what He says…

Do I know that You care? Do I cast my cares on you?

Have I been stuck because I have missed or even refused to obey something You said?

Do I do all that I do like I’m working for Jesus?

Lord, what do You want me to remember about your goodness to me?

Do I agree with the promises of God on my life?

What can I choose to feel grateful for right now?

Do I agree with words of life or words of death?

Am I confident You will finish the good work you’ve started in me and others?

Am I moving to the rhythms of His grace?

Take time and ask Him these questions today

How to know and experience more of our Triune God Today — Why the Trinity is so essential

The doctrine of the Trinity is a complex yet essential concept in Christian life and theology. Many believers struggle to understand its implications. But understanding this concept is important for any Christian because a good view of the Trinity is a safeguard against false teaching. Learn more in How to know and experience more of our Triune God Today — Why the Trinity is so essential.

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TL/DL/DW Why the Trinity is so Essential

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14

Paul sums up his second letter to the Corinthians with this blessing that encompasses the entire Godhead.

…and it would take us a long time to properly unpack each of those statements.

The problem of talking about the Trinity…

1. How do I explain…

Grace of Lord Jesus Christ. How do you grasp a grace that’s from before the beginning of time? 2 Timothy 1:8-10.

Love of God - How do you explain the love that surpasses knowledge? Ephesians 3:19

Fellowship of Holy Spirit - How to comprehend the Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children Romans 8:14-16 or that GOD is with us?

2. How I explain it can be heresy or easily lead to heresy. Which gets us to early creeds of the church.

3. Can bore you with the background for the Nicene Creed . There’s a lower place in heaven for anyone who bores you by talking to you about God and the things of God.

We know God is One. Can we agree there is only One God?

If God is One how can He be three?

Why does it matter?

It matters because a good view of the Trinity is a safeguard against false teaching. It matters because the more we understand the Trinity the more we understand the good news and the more we understand the good news the more we understand the Trinity.

Someone has said it this way: If you try to explain the Trinity, you will lose your mind. But if you deny it, you will lose your soul.

That’s what I was tasked with this week.

Let’s start with the grammar of God.

The Grammar of God

Grammar lays out the basic rules of a language and ensures we are speaking correctly.

Even though I took Gorilla Grammar in grade 8, it wasn’t until my second semester of Attic Greek that I finally understood what a participle was. English grammar is not that easy to get and almost impossible to understand. The grammar of God is like it in that…

There is a way of talking about God that is the only way it makes sense. It’s not easy to understand, but it’s the only thing that makes sense based on what we have in the Bible and history.

Trinity = tri-unity = 3 in 1 this can confuse people who know that 1+1+1 = 3 and realize we’re saying 1+1+1=1

But please understand it’s not a schematic to understand the inner workings of the creator of all.

God is God and we really can’t explain Him better than saying God is One. That’s the first rule of God Grammar.

The second rule is - The Father is God, The Son is God, Holy Spirit is God.

The Third rule of God Grammar is…

The Father is God and is not the Son and is not Holy Spirit.

The Son is God and is not Holy Spirit and is not the Father.

Holy Spirit is God is not the Father and not the Son.

And yet we insist and agree with Scripture that God is one.

Congratulations. You just started your journey to understand the Grammar of God.

Let’s start unpacking that a little bit and look at how 1+1+1=1 is the most logical conclusion with the evidence. We’ll move through this quickly and you can use the notes to study it more.

7 Reasons why 1+1+1=1 is the most logical conclusion

1. All three are called God

The Father 1 Corinthians 8:6, Isaiah 64:7, 1 John 3:1

The Son - Colossians 1:15, John 1:1, John 10:33,

Holy Spirit - Acts 5:3-4, Matthew 28:19, 1 Peter 1:1-2

2. Each one created everything

The Father - Genesis 1:1

The Son- John 1:3

Holy Spirit - Genesis 1:1

3. Each is everywhere present (omnipresent)

The Father - Jeremiah 23:24

The Son - Matthew 28:20

Holy Spirit - Psalm 139:7

4. Each of them are always with us -

The Father - Ephesians 4:6,

The Son - Colossians 1:27

Holy Spirit - John 14:17

5. Each is all-knowing (omniscient)

The Father - Romans 11:33

The Son - John 16:30

Holy Spirit - John 14:26

6. They are all all-powerful (omnipotent)

The Father - Jeremiah 32:27

The Son - Matthew 28:18

Holy Spirit - Romans 15:19

7. All Are Unchanging (Immutable)

The Father - Malachi 3:6

The Son - Hebrews 13:8

Holy Spirit - Haggai 2:5

8. They Are ALL Eternal

The Father - Psalm 90:2

The Son - John 1:1

Holy Spirit - Hebrews 9:14

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are each called God in Scripture. In addition, divine attributes that can only apply to God are attributed to all three of them.

Only God is all-powerful, all-knowing, eternal, everywhere present, and unchanging. Yet the Scripture says these attributes belong to each member of the Trinity.

All three of them possess attributes that only God can possess. Therefore the three of them must be the one God.

CS Lewis had an illustration for God that the people at the Bible Project pick up on and use.

Your brain hurt yet?

Great. Know you have head knowledge. Now let’s look at how to experience more of our Triune God.

The Trinity is the very heart of who God is and it is one of the most incompressible things we can think about. Best way is use Biblical pictures of it…

In the Baptism of Jesus we see unifying purpose, with distinct roles. The Son goes into the water and Holy Spirit settles on him like a dove and the voice from heaven says this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.

What scripture gives us is the relational dynamic between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When we talk about the trinity, we are fundamentally talking about relationship.

One God has eternally existed in three persons. The way we see these three persons primarily expressed in the Bible is in the way they relate to each other and in a unified and distinct way and function together. The relating is right in their titles - Father, Son and Spirit. A Father can’t be a father without a son, the Spirit equips and enables the Son and us to complete his earthly ministry.

If you want extra homework - speed read the Gospel of John and look for inter-trinitarian dynamics.

The Father sends the Son (Galatians 4:4-5). The Father and the Son sends the Spirit (John 15:26). The Spirit brings glory to the Son (John 16:13-14) and the Son points us to the Father (John 8:19). And the Father says, “Here is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 17:5). And the son says, “Don’t move a muscle in fulfilling the Great Commission, until the Father sends the Spirit with power.” (Acts 1:4-8) And the Son said “I am the Father are One” and then says “The Father is greater than I” The Son prays to the Father and the Spirit prays through us with groans that words can not express.

It’s mutual love, mutual edification, mutual glorification And why shouldn’t it be? Remember…

God is love. 1 John 4:8;16

God is light. 1 John 1:5

God is Spirit. John 4:24

God is good. Psalm 34:8

God is One. James 2:19

God is great. 2 Samuel 7:22

God is One.

God is One. God is Father. God is Son. God is Holy Spirit.

How do you experience more of the triune God? That’s a great question, I’m so glad you asked.

How to Experience more of our Triune God Tool

TRIUNE

T - Take time to know His unknownable love

R - Remember He’s always been Father and Son and Spirit

I - Investigate the hidden things of the One God

U - Understand His amazing grace for you.

N - Navigate the fellowship of Holy Spirit

E - Enjoy the otherness of God

T - Take time to know His unknownable love

Ephesians 3:19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

God is love. The Father is love. The Son is love. Holy Spirit is love. And because we are loved by God we can love others with the love He shows us. Perfect love that casts out all fear comes from God to us and we share it with others.

Never forget…

God is love. 1 John 4:8;16

What difference has God’s love made in my life this week?

R - Remember He’s always been Father and Son and Spirit

1 John 1:1-5 We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy. This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.

The implication for us is that we can rejoice in the revelation of God being triune. GOD - ever existing as the Son - became man and died in our place and rose again providing a way for us to friends again with Him. Eternity starts the moment we respond to the Spirit’s call and acknowledge He is Lord and goes on for forever.

Never get so familiar with that revelation that it leads to unbelief. Familiarity can lead to offence and offence to unbelief. (See Matthew 13:54-58)

You can’t be a Christian if you don’t understand the Trinity to some degree. You might not get God Grammar, but you know Jesus and Holy Spirit are somehow God. The better you understand the Trinity, the better you understand the gospel. The more you understand the good news, the more you understand the Trinity.

Remember…

God is light. 1 John 1:5

Have I been letting familiarity lead to offence and offence to unbelief?

I - Investigate the hidden things of One God

Ephesians 4:4-6 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.

If you think you know everything you need to know about God, you’ve just got tired of thinking. God is outside time and space and yet stepped into time and space and still steps into time and space because of his great love for people he made from dirt.

When Jesus was talking with the Samaritan women he revealed to her and us…

God is Spirit. John 4:24

Do I worship Him in Spirit and in truth?

U - Understand His amazing Grace for you.

2 Timothy 1:8-10 So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News.

Grace is God’s supernatural enabling of you to do something He wants you to do, but you can’t do on your own… think of salvation. His grace is sufficient for you and your situation. Whatever He calls you to do He empowers you to do. He empowers you to accomplish every good work prompted by faith.

Remember…

God is good. Psalm 34:8

Do I live knowing I have His grace to share His grace ?

N- Navigate the Fellowship of Holy Spirit

Romans 8:14-16 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.

The Trinity exists in mutual love, mutual edification, mutual glorification .

That’s why community is so important to Him. That’s why when God calls you to himself, he calls to you community. He’s always existed in the community of mutual love, mutual edification, mutual revelation. That’s what he wants for us, who he chooses to call His children.

We’re made to exist in a community of mutual love, mutual edification, mutual revelation of our good and great God.

It is a mystery how to do it, except we have Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth.

God is good - Psalm 34:8

and we’re to be kind to each other. (Ephesians 4:32)

God is love - 1 John 4:8;16

and we are to love one another. (John 13:34)

God is light - 1 John 1:5

and we are to bear one another’s burdens. (Galatians 6:2)

God is forgiving - Psalms 86:5

and we are to forgive one another. (Colossians 3:13)

Remember…

God is One. James 2:19 and Jesus prayed for you and me that we’d be one. (See John 17:20-21)

Do I live out the fellowship of Holy Spirit?

E- Enjoy the otherness of God

Psalm 145:1-3 I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!

No one can measure his greatness.

GOD took on flesh and camped out for a while. He died to make a way for us to be friends again with Himself and gave us His Holy Spirit to teach and empower and comfort us as we journey together.

Never, never, never, get comfortable with those thoughts. God is beyond time and space. That right there should make your brain hurt. If it doesn’t, spend time seeking a greater revelation of His greatness.

When He reveals a bit of his greatness and glory…it changes you for ever.

When I heard his audible voice tell me I was to a pastor… well it turned eventually into an understanding that to have a call as pastor didn’t mean I’d always be paid to be pastor but I’d always be a pastor doing whatever I did. Without that dramatic call, I could have convinced myself that my identity rested in my position. It doesn’t. Your identity is in Christ. What He says about you matters because He’s good and He’s great.

God is great. 2 Samuel 7:22

What difference in my life does it make knowing God is great?

Contemplating God’s greatness led David to praise. What does it do for you?

TRIUNE

T - Take time to know His unknownable love

R - Remember He’s always been Father and Son and Spirit

I - Investigate the hidden things of One God

U - Understand His amazing grace for you.

N - Navigate the fellowship of Holy Spirit

E - Enjoy the otherness of God

As we spend time in His presence reflecting on His nature, perhaps one of those questions stirred something in you to ask Him about.

What difference has God’s love made in my life this week?

Have I been letting familiarity lead to offence and offence to unbelief?

Do I worship Him in Spirit and in truth?

Do I live knowing I have His grace to share His grace ?

Do I live out the fellowship of Holy Spirit?

What difference in my life does it make knowing God is great?

Pray.

How to Know God as your Good, Good Father

Knowing your good, good Father is one of the most important aspects of faith. We explore why it's crucial to build a strong relationship with our Father and how this knowledge can bring peace and hope, and joy into our lives. Learn more with “How to Know God as your good, good Father”

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Do you think you know God?

That’s a loaded question. You have received a revelation of Him and Jesus through Holy Spirit, so yes, you do know God.

But God is GOD. He is altogether Holy, altogether awesome and altogether right…and we’re not.

But that’s a good thing. We can never stop learning, never stop experiencing His nature and His love.

Through time there is a progressive revelation of who God is down through the centuries. We see this revelation in the names that are used to describe God.

16 Names of God in Hebrew Scripture

1. El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty) Occurs 7 times. First used in Gen 17:1
2. El Elyon (The Most High God) Gen 14:18 Occurs 28 times. It occurs 19 times in Psalms
3. Adonai (Lord, Master) Occurs 434 times. First used Gen 15:2
4. Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah) Occurs 6,519 times. is first used in Gen 2:4. Yahweh geek out. Tetragrammaton divine name. No vowels all consonants. Don’t know how it was pronounced. Adonai vowels 2nd century BC Masoretics. There’s no Y in Latin. It’s replaced with J. By the 16th century Jehovah appears. It’s relatively modern…if you agree Shakespeare is modern. Similar thing happened with Yeshua becoming Jesus. Latins couldn’t say “ua” so it became “us”. This has no bearing on if you can trust your good, good Father, but it pretty cool for logophiles.
5. Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner) occurs only once in Exd 17:15.
6. Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd) is used in Psalm 23.
7. Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals) is used in Exd 15:26.
8. Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There) occurs only once in Ezekiel 48:35.
9. Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness) is first used in Jer 23:6.
10. Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You) is first used in Exd 31:13.
11. El Olam (The Everlasting God) is first used in Gen 21:33.
12. Elohim (God) occurs over 2000 times. Elohim is first used in Gen 1:1.
13. Qanna (Jealous) occurs 6 times. Qanna is first used in Exd 20:5.
14. Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide) occurs only once in Gen 22:14.
15. Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace) occurs only once in Jdg 6:24.
16. Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts) occurs over 285 times. It is most frequently used in Jeremiah and Isaiah. Jehovah Sabaoth is first used in 1Sa 1:3.

In the Hebrew Scriptures God is holy. God is other…we are made in his image, but there is so much more to God. However throughout the Bible we find God portrayed as a Father. This portrayal, however, is surprisingly rare in the Hebrew Scriptures.

God is specifically called the:

Father of the nation of Israel 8 times see ( Deut 32:6 ; Isa 63:16 ; 64:8 ; Jeremiah 3:4 Jeremiah 3:19 ; 31:9 ; Mal 1:6 ; 2:10 )

Father of certain individuals 15 times see ( 2 Sam 7:14 ; 1 Chron 17:13 ; 22:10 ; 28:6 ; Psalm 68:5 ; 89:26 )

At least another 9 times the father imagery is present although the term "Father" is not used see [ Exod 4:22-23 ; Deut 1:31 ; 8:5 ; 14:1 ; Psalm 103:13 ; Jer 3:22 ; 31:20 ; Hosea 11:1-4 ; Mal 3:17 ]

Father to the Fatherless

Psalm 68:5 ESV Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.

New Testament Revelation

But it wasn’t until Jesus came up out of the water and the Spirit descend like a dove and voice from heaven said “This is my beloved son, in whom I well pleased, that we see a shift from the holiness of God to the Fatherhood of God.

Then we come to the sermon on the mount and listen to the language He uses.

Read Matthew 5:43 - 6:33

Your Father is in heaven Your Father sees what is done in secret and will reward you Your Father knows what you need Your Father sees what is done in secret and will reward you Your Father forgives you Your Father sees what is done in secret and will reward you Your Father feeds... Your Father knows that you need them. Your Father is perfect

In the New Testament, God is frequently referred to as Father, according to ChatGTP, depending on the translation God is called Father 245 times, and Jesus calls God Father 165 in the Gospels.

Rom 1:7; 15:6; 1 Cor 8:6; 2 Cor 1:3; Gal 1:1 Eph 4:6; Jas 1:27; 1 Pet 1:2–3; 2 John 3; Jude 1

It’s clear that the focus in the New Testament is that God is our good, good Father. Need proof? Whenever anyone says; “it’s obvious” or “it’s clear” expect them to provide examples.

21 Attributes of Our Father God

God our Father is…

1. Loving– 1 John 3:1

2. Kind – Ephesians 2:7-8

3. Compassionate – Psa 103:8

4. Giving– John 3:16

5. Faithful – Lamentations 3:22-23

6. Merciful – Ephesians 2:4-5

7. Strong – Psa 24:8

8. Forgiving– 1 John 1:9

9. Good – Psa 136:1

10. Righteous– Psa 145:17

11. Caring– Matthew 6:26

12 Sovereign – Psa 103:19

13. Shepherd– Psa 23:1-3

14. Ever-Present– Psa 46:1

15. Refuge– Psa 91:1-2

16. Gracious – Psa 116:5

17. Healer – Exodus 15:26

18. Powerful – 1 Chronicles 29:11-12

19. Rejoicing over you. Zephaniah 3:17

20. Your Helper– Isaiah 41:10

21. The One Who Makes All Things New– Revelation 21:5

We have a good, good Father.

What is the problem with knowing God as Father?

The problem with knowing God as Father, is that we’ve all had fallen fathers.

Some of us have had evil fathers, some have had missing fathers, some have had bad fathers, none of us have had perfect fathers.

But our experience can’t define who God is. He’s God. By definition He’s the one who defines himself.

Why do we want to know God as our good, good, Father?

Because then we can trust him.

When you trust God you get three signs to show that you trusting him.

Romans 15:13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

When we know God as our good, good Father - when we TRUST God as our good, good Father we have joy, and peace and hope.

So the question becomes:

How do we TRUST God as our good, good Father?

That’s a great question, I’m so glad you asked.

How to TRUST God as your good, good Father Tool

T - Take time to wait for the Lord always. Psalm 27

R - Remember what He’s done Revelation 12:10-11

U - Understand there is more of His love to experience Ephesians 3:14-19

S - Surrender fear. Let His love rule. 1 John 4:17-18

T - Thank God for what He’s done. Colossians 3:14-17

Let’s upack this...

T - Take time to wait for the Lord always.

Read Psalm 27

Psalms 27:13-14 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

The Hebrew word for waiting is not passively sitting back.

kaw-vaw' is a Hebrew word meaning 'to wait or look eagerly for, to lie in wait for, to collect and bind together in expectancy.

The parable of the outrageous Father …. You may know it better as “The Prodigal Son”

Luke 15:20 NLT “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.

The Hebrew word kaw-vaw' is not in the Greek text but I can’t think of a better example than this for how we need to wait on the Lord.

We need to give up our expectations and live with expectancy.

When we live with expectancy; we lie in wait for God to move.

You get the irony right? If we’re the prodigal child, then God is the outrageous Father. And so he’s the one lying in wait for us. When he sees us even a long way off; He’s filled with love and compassion and runs to embrace us.

In order to TRUST God as our good, good Father we need to know God as our good, good Father. Make space to curl up on His lap. Give Him your problems. Receive from Him His peace.

Do I wait for the Lord? How can I start doing that again?

R - Remember what He’s done

Revelation 12:10-11 Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.

If you want to know God as your good, good Father you need to look at what he has done and is doing and decide to focus on what’s still left undone.

Remember the time that John the Baptist was in jail and he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the one or if they should wait for another? He expected the Messiah to come and set the prisoners free and he was in prison. So John wanted to make sure the voice he heard from heaven had got it right. What did Jesus tell John’s disciples to tell John?

Matthew 11:4-6 NLT Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen—  the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.”  And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.”

Some translations say “and blessed is he who is unoffended because of me”

When we look to out lack, instead of to our Lord, we can become offended at God.

Look to the Lord, not to your lack. How do we do that?

Through testimony. It’s what Jesus gave John’s disciples to take back to John. He told them to tell him what the saw and heard.

This is the power of testimony. This is why we need talk to each other about what God is doing in our lives. Make it a practice to remember your testimony - write it down and share your testimony - talk to each other about the good things of God.

The saints will overcome by the blood of the lamb AND the word of their testimony.

What can I remember Father God has done for me?

U - Understand you can experience more of His love

Ephesians 3:14-19 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Did you know you can know more and more and more about God? Look at what Paul says in

1 Corinthians 13:11-13 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

This follows up his section defining what agapeo love is… that love that’s a choice. Love that is patient and kind that isn’t jealous or boastful or proud or rude or demand it’s own way or be irritable or keep record of being wrong … that’s the love we can choose to have and that’s the love God has towards us.

We can’t know that until we experience more and more of his grace. His grace for us and his grace for others.

But what a good goal …experience the love of God, though it is too great to understand fully.

Never stop growing in the love of the Father.

Am I putting God the Father in a box?

S - Surrender fear. Let His love rule.

1 John 4:17-18 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

Have you experienced His perfect love? When you experience it you never want to lose it. If you lost it you know you need to have it back.

How do you do that?

When Jehoshaphat was facing three armies; he sent his praisers at the head of his army. When Paul and Silas where thrown in a jail in Philippi… let’s look at that one quickly.

Acts 16:20-26 NLT “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.” A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods.  They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.  Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.  Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!

There is something that happens when we praise God when it doesn’t make to praise God. The chains don’t always fall off physically; but emotionally and spiritually they do. Sometimes we have to fight the battle, but it’s always best to praise your way through it.

Give up fear. What does Peter tell us?

1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

We can cast our worries and cares on God, because He cares for us.

What’s that song we sing? Praise your name

I'm gonna sing my way out of the valley
I'm gonna shout my way up to the mountain
I will take hold of the truth of Your promise
I'm gonna praise, I'm gonna praise
I'm gonna push through till every lie crumbles
I'm gonna dance in the midst of the rain
I'm gonna rest in the arms of the Father
I'm gonna praise, I'm gonna praise Your name

Praise him before the victory. Show gratitude and appreciate before the blessing. It’s not wishful thinking it’s rewiring your mind to think about what is true, and noble, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable—and excellent or worthy of praise.

If you want to trust God as your good, good Father you need to surrender fear and embrace perfect love.

Do I let His perfect love drive out all fear?

T - Thank God for what He’s done.

Colossians 3:14-17 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Gratitude is the attitude that helps us trust God to be our good, good Father.

David knew how to thank God. Look at this example from Psalm 28

Psalm 28:6-9 NLT Praise the Lord! For he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.  I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. The Lord gives his people strength.  He is a safe fortress for his anointed king. Save your people! Bless Israel, your special possession. Lead them like a shepherd, and carry them in your arms forever.

Thanksgiving motivates us to spend more time in His prescence. (Psalm 100:4) It empowers our testimony. (Psalm 103:1-4) It gives us a hunger for more of His love. (Colossians 2:6-7) Thanksgiving reminds us we don’t have to fear. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) If He’s done it before, he’ll do it again.

Gratitude helps us to TRUST God as our good, good, Father.

Do I have a grateful heart?

T - Take time to wait for the Lord always.

R - Remember what He’s done

U - Understand there is more of His love to experience

S - Surrender fear. Let His love rule.

T - Thank God for what He’s done.

It’s not enough to know God the Father, we need to experience more and more of His love. Let’s take time to do that today…

Can we play the music?

Pray.

Reflection

Psalm 139: 1-18 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!

More than all the sand on every beach on every ocean and every dune in every desert are His good thoughts towards you.