The Same Old Body with Lots of New Choices
Luke 10: 41-42, Mark 5:19, Mark 10:21
Well today my message is…The Same Old Body with Lots of New Choices. I don't know why that scale says 232 pounds. I don't know what Ian was trying to say there. But anyway… We have lots of new choices this year. There are millions of Americans who have made resolutions. They've made new choices of how they're going to live in 2010. I don't know if you're a person who makes resolutions, but there are millions of people who have done that.
These are the top 10 resolutions for 2010 by America…stop smoking is the number one. Get rid of that disgusting habit. Get fit. Lose weight. It's interesting that number 10 says that they want to help others as many in our culture are becoming more aware of helping other people. That has crept into the top 10 there. As you look at that list, you'll see that list is very similar to lists in previous years. Those things that people want to change in their lives are somewhat similar. Can I ask you a question? Was 2009 spiritually for you what you wanted? Did you make any resolutions spiritually for 2010?
My friend Dale Kinnear sent me his spiritual journey for 2009…what God took him through in 2009…and what he hopes to see God accomplish in his life in 2010. I would love to read that about you. If you'd like to email me your spiritual journey for 2009, and what you hope God will do for you in 2010 and with your life in 2010, I would love to read that. But I hope also that many of you have made resolutions this year spiritually.
Today, I want to talk about those kinds of resolutions. I want to say that most people think through their Christian life and say, "If I do this, then I'm going to be closer to God." I don't think there is a person in this room who doesn't want to be closer to God. Many times, we say, "If I do these things, I've heard about this, or I've seen my friend do this, if I add that to my life, or I begin doing that, then I'll be closer to God." What I hope to accomplish today and let the Holy Spirit work in our lives is to offer you some other thoughts. I'm not saying that what you resolve to do spiritually in 2010 is the wrong thing to do; I'm just saying today that sometimes how we come to resolutions spiritually may not always be the right way.
In fact, today I'm going to show you through Scripture how… In fact, I could have chosen 50 or 60 Scriptures. I'm going to take three today, where people really in the life of Jesus said, "I'm doing things to try to get closer to You." Jesus says, "That's not what I want from you. In fact, that won't get you any closer at all. I want this to happen in your life. Today, through the end of the message I hope I can present to you and offer to you some thoughts that you would allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you. Maybe it's a different way that God wants to change your life in 2010. Maybe one of the resolutions we could say is we'll all take notes. Everyone at the Grove will take notes this year. That would be a good resolution. They're inside your bulletin, the left-hand side, number one today…
1. To consistently choose discipline is hard. I'd like you to circle the word consistently. There is the key. To consistently choose discipline is hard. You know what? Making New Year's resolutions…that's not very hard for me. Was it hard for you to make resolutions? I find them quite easy. I can make lots of resolutions. It's keeping the resolutions that is hard. That's the hard thing…keeping the resolutions, challenging for us. In order to make change effective, we need to have discipline, and discipline is hard. Even more so, consistent discipline is hard.
When our children were young, we wanted them to go to bed about 7:30. We wanted to have life for ourselves at night, and we were busy people, so we wanted our kids to go to bed early. Some people think that's cruel that we put them to bed so early. I think all parents should put their kids to bed by 7:30. Do I hear an amen to that? There you go. Okay. Kids shouldn't rule our house until 11:00 at night. But there was that training period where we put Mike and Dan to bed and then when we heard them giggling or talking we had to go back and say, "We're serious. We're going to… We don't want this to continue." After a while, they got the idea, but there were times when Carol and I were sitting on the couch and we had been back once or twice and we heard them giggling again and we said, "Aw, should we just let them go?" But we realized we had to be consistent if we wanted that to change.
I remember when we were little kids, we would always talk and fool around at night. My mom would come in there three or four times and we'd always sort of… Doesn't matter. Then I hear my dad's footsteps. Be quiet. Dad is coming. We knew that was serious business. He didn't come in to talk, in case you want to know. When Dad comes, different things happened. But consistency…
That's why diets… Is anybody going to have trouble on your New Year's resolution diet from January 1 to the 8th? Man, we are good. We are good the first week. We really are. We're out there doing it. You know we're running. Isn't it funny? I don't know if you jog or walk outside. I do. Isn't it funny to see all the people in January…all the people who join you, you know. They're in their new outfits. They're all bright, new outfits, and they're walking. You know they're happy. Then you don't see them the rest of the year…February, March, they're long gone. Those new uniforms are hanging up on the thing…you know, on their treadmill. They never use them again.
Carol and I saw this guy. He was riding his bright, new bike, a mountain bike, which you're supposed to ride in the mountains down the bike lane…spinning really fast. You know he's in 15th gear or something, had a bright, new little Speedo embarrassing outfit on. I told Carol, "He won't be here in February." It's not hard. It's not. But about the 30th, you know, or February, that's when those commitments are hard.
See with the resolutions we have choices. We always have to be consistent in our choices. It's 7:30 at night. You've finished dinner. The kids have done their homework. You can sort of hang out and relax, or you can put on your jogging shoes and go out. You have a choice to make. What choice do you make? You're sitting on the couch. The kids are in bed, and you have a choice. You can keep up with your reading through the Bible or watch TV. What choice do you make?
It's 10:00 at night and you have the mad-munchies. You've made a resolution to be healthy. You can choose an apple or pop popcorn, or have some yogurt or finish off the ice cream and cookies. What choice do you make? You know it is 5:30 in the morning. The alarm goes off. You can hit the snooze button or you can get up and exercise or read. What choice do you make? We always have choices when we want to change our lives.
We have made resolutions, and resolutions aren't hard to make. It's the discipline, the consistent discipline each day to make right choices…listen to me…until those right choices become habits and those habits become a new lifestyle. They tell us that when we do something for about 30 days it becomes a habit for us. So as we make right choices, those right choices become a habit, and those habits become a new lifestyle. That's what we're looking for.
You know, to me, even when I have choices I know if I make this choice I'm going to feel better, those choices are still hard. I know 30 minutes after I'm done jogging I'm going to feel better, but that choice to put my shoes on and get out there is still hard for me to make. I know that when I choose to get up early and do my devotions and my quiet time, I know my day is going to go better, but still when that alarm goes off, I have to get up. Even though we know that eating right will make us feel better rather than eating bad food, the choice not to eat sweets is difficult for us…the consistent choice. Even when we know it's good for us, something has to happen. When the desire or the need is great enough, we will make change. When the desire and the need is great enough, we will make chance.
Ninety-nine percent of you in here today…you know every morning when you step on a scale, if you see a certain number, that number is it. You know when you hit that and you look down you say, "Whoa! I have to diet." You can write down that number right now. You can tolerate anything underneath it. In fact, you have those scales that go, you know 203.6. You know 203 is your ending point, but you like that 203.6 because you can hang in there. When it gets to that number, you check the batteries. You make sure the floor is not slanted. We do all kinds of things. Did I get on it with the right foot? We hit it again. We do all kinds of crazy things. We know when our pants size or the dress size gets to a certain place, when you're in "those clothes," we know now I have to diet. Sadly, people do that spiritually also. They come to a place when they say, "When these things happen, then I'm going to make a change spiritually." That's what I hope doesn't happen in 2010.
2. 2010 will bring many of the same questions. 2010 will bring many of the same questions because we're spiritual people, because we love God, because we want to be different, we've had the same kinds of questions in Christianity for many, many years. Each year Christian people ask, "Lord, I read my Bible, but I just don't get anything out of it. Why is that, God?" Because we want to hear from God. We ask the question, "God, why do I feel dry spiritually? God why don't You speak to me? I want to hear Your voice so clearly. God, don't You care about me?" We ask those questions. Our desire is to be close to God, so that's the reason we ask those questions. But again, as we move through that we realize for change to happen we must be consistent in our discipline and make that a reality.
I don't believe there is a person here who wouldn't want this verse to be part of your life for 2011. Jesus speaking from Matthew 11:28-30 to people who are longing to be with Him. He says, "Are you tired?" This is from the Message Bible. "Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me," Jesus says, "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."
If you could resolve to live that way, would you? I'm not a betting man, but I believe most of you would here today. We want to be close to God. We want to have relationship with Him. Let me just remind you here today that if you feel far away from God, if you feel like you are not connected to God like you want to be, the issue is not with God. God is always desirous of a close relationship with us. He wants to have that intimacy. He wants us to have close communion, so we need to make choices on our side to join with God in that communion that He longs to have with us.
When our desire gets to a place where we say, "It has to happen," then it will. For some, that means they need to hear there needs to be trouble in their marriage or in their family and they realize, "I'm so far away from God. God, I need You back." There is a sickness or there is some kind of issue that sometimes sparks this kind of desire to be close to God and to get right with God, but I would encourage you that we shouldn't live that way. We want to be right with God. We want to have that intimate relation with Him even despite all those things that may happen, we want to live right with Him.
Number three, a reminder for 2010 for all of us…
3. Jesus never intended to be our genie in a bottle. Jesus never intended to be our genie in a bottle. I think all of us would like to have a genie in a bottle. We'd rub this little lantern and out pops a genie and the genie would give us three wishes, and the third wish would always be for 100 more wishes. We've all thought through that, I'm sure. We'd wish for things like this…we wish we could be the weight and size we want without working at it. We wish we could eat anything we want without gaining weight and always staying fit. We wish we could have a close relationship with God in three minutes a day. We may wish, but it's not a reality. For everything in life that is worthwhile takes discipline, consistent discipline.
Now I want to show you three verses, and again it could be 50 or 60, and this is what I sort of want to drive us toward this morning in your resolutions spiritually. For these people thought, and asked in doing something for God or asking God for something, or Jesus for something, that it would put them in the right relationship. Jesus heard their words, but He rather than agreeing to do what they wanted, said, "That's not what you need. For what you need to have, the kind of relationship with Me that you desire is this…for you to be the kind of person I want you to be, this is a spiritual discipline you need."
This morning I want to talk about spiritual disciplines…things that allow and open our hearts up and our lives up to hear better from God. The first one comes from the book of Luke, chapter 10, verses 41-42. For our new believers, this is a story about Mary and Martha, and they were sisters. Jesus was coming to their house. Martha was a person who was always busy. She always had to be doing something, and Mary, at this time, was one who when Jesus came was just going to sit and be with Him. Martha was upset with Mary because she wasn't helping her clean the house, and fix the food, and make it right for Jesus. She thought that Jesus would be pleased with her if she had everything in order…if she was busy doing things.
Jesus told her at this time, "That's not what I desire. In fact, Martha, that's not even what's best for you." Jesus tells Martha, "'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things.'" You're busy. Is there anyone here this morning and your life is just busy? You're always doing something. You're always trying to do something to gain God's favor. That's what Mary was doing, and Jesus said for her at that time now, in that particular time, "but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better." That was spending time with God. "And it will not be taken away from her."
Martha said, "If I'm busy and I do all these things for You, that will help our relationship." Jesus says, "I don't need you to be busy doing things." In the Christian walk today, many Christians relate being close to God with being busy for God. It's good to do ministry, and we should do ministry, and we should have activity, but in this situation Jesus said, "What's best for you right now, Martha, is to sit quietly and have a friendship with Me." Could He be speaking that to any of you this morning?
In the gospel of Mark we see another story…a demon-possessed man. This is interesting because this man thought, If I do what everyone else who was healed by Jesus did, then I'll have a close relationship. That's what Jesus wants. See Jesus now is at the height of His popularity. He's going from town to town, city to city, village to village, and He's healing the sick. He comes to a new city and He heals this demon-possessed man. What was happening is that these who had been healed by Jesus were following Him, and great crowds were following Jesus from town to town, city to city, village to village. They were, as Jesus was talking, they had opportunity to give their testimony of what God had done for them that God had healed them and great things were happening.
This demon-possessed man probably heard what was happening and figured, "I want to be in the Jesus crowd, too. I'm going to follow You. I'm going to leave my town. I'm going to leave those that I'm related to, and I'm going to go." Jesus said, "No, that's not what's best for you right now." In Mark 5:19, Jesus did not let him go and join the Jesus crowd, but said, "'Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.'" Obviously, Jesus wanted him to have more preparation. He wanted him to deal with his family. He wanted him to begin to share in a smaller way, in a quiet, intimate, personal way.
Again, there are those who say, "You know what? If I do this great thing for Jesus, if I do this great ministry, if I'm involved in this, that will please Jesus. I want to be in the Jesus crowd where everybody sees me." Sometimes Jesus says, "That's not what I want from you. I want you to quietly do this ministry. This is what's best for you right now."
In Mark 10:21, the third of many, many Scriptures like this, it is a Scripture about the rich, young ruler. The rich, young ruler comes to Jesus and says, "You know what, if I keep Your commands, if I keep the commandments of the law, that will earn me heaven. That will earn me eternal life. That's what You want. You want me to be a commandment keeper." God didn't want that. He wants us to keep His Word. But Jesus looked at this man, and he thought by keeping the commandments, by checking things off the list that that would please Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and he was a rich, young ruler. He realized that his priorities were out of whack. He says, "No, it's not about keeping the commands. It's not about checking off the list. What you need right now is a change of heart. I want you to see life differently. I want you to see values differently." He tells him…"Jesus looked at him and loved him. 'One thing you lack,' He said. 'Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.'" Jesus said, "That's not what you need. You don't need to be a commandment follower, although that's a good thing to do. He said, "You need a change of heart. That's what I want for you."
So why do I bring those thoughts to you this morning? I think that many today made resolutions. Why did you choose those? Did you choose those because you've seen it in other people and you say, "That looked good for them, so I'll do it?" Spiritual disciplines and our change spiritually won't happen unless God is in it. We can't look at someone else and say, "Oh, it worked for them so that's what I need also." We need to go before God and say, "God, I need to hear from You. I need to hear Your voice today, God. I want to know what You want for me n 2010. I want to know exactly what will bring me closer to You. I don't need to do what Tom does or this guy does or this person does. I need to hear from You."
See these three people, and many more as you read through the New Testament this year in your reading, you'll see they thought they knew what Jesus wanted from them, and Jesus said, "No. That's not going to get you closer. That's not going to get you to the goal. That's not going to make you the person I want you to be. This is what is necessary." This morning, do you know what is necessary spiritually? Do you know what Jesus wants from you? That's what I want to bring to you this morning just to open your thoughts to some things you may not have thought or considered.
4. Disciplines are never the goal. Spiritual disciplines are never the goal. Spiritual disciplines for the wrong reasons…if we do these things for the wrong reason, they take us farther from God. They don't help. They take us farther from Him. I've heard people tell me, "I'm looking forward to my fast. I hope to lose weight." If you do fasting to lose weight, you may lose weight, but there is no spiritual benefit from that when you're doing it for the wrong reasons.
When we do these spiritual disciplines I'm going to present to you in a moment to gain brownie points from God, that won't help either. Spiritual disciplines are things that we do that allow God to speak to us. It puts us in a place that God wants us to be so He can speak to our hearts, so He can change us, so He can make us the people He wants us to be. It opens us up to hear from God.
I love Psalm 37:4. I hope you've all memorized it. Psalm 37:4 is really the spiritual discipline verse where it says, "Delight yourself…" Put yourself in a place where you just worship God and you love Him. It says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." That doesn't mean if you love God and worship Him and praise Him that He's going to give you everything you want. What it means is simply this, as we delight in God, He puts His desires in our heart.
We realize pretty soon that we begin thinking and acting like God. He has placed His desires in our heart. Our desires are now His desires. If you really want to know and sense who God is, begin to worship Him and praise Him and honor Him and He begins to put His desires in your heart, then His desires are our desires.
5. Do we have an ache for change? Do we really want change? If I had to rephrase that I'd say are we really happy with being okay?
Years ago, Carol and I decided we're not going to be okay with a bad marriage, or a poor marriage, or an average marriage, or a good marriage. Our goal was a great marriage and everything we do in life is pointed toward making our marriage great. Are you okay with where you are spiritually? If you're okay with where you are spiritually, there will be no change. There is not an ache for change. There is not a desire, a longing to be different.
I don't know who God was speaking to today from the message I received, who have heard His Word, who knew that you were supposed to change in 2009, but I would say this to you, you didn't have an ache for change in 2009. Your desire to please God wasn't greater than a desire to please yourself so you remained the same. But when we come to a place when our desire, we have an ache for God, when we want to be more like Him, then change happens. Then change will happen in our lives.
Disciplines are intentional ways to open our lives up to hear from God. In your bulletin, I have listed some spiritual disciplines for you. I want you to take out this sheet in your bulletin. This is not the end-all, cure-all, all in all of spiritual disciplines. It's just one that I like. I didn't write it on there, but it comes from one of my favorite books on spiritual disciplines, the book from Calhoun called The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook. It will be on the website, so you don't have to write it down, and you can see it here after service.
I want to go over a few of these, and I would say, I don't know, maybe what you have decided to do spiritually for 2010 is exactly where God wants you to be, but what I would like to propose this morning is that you'd open yourself up. Sometimes for a lack of knowing some different areas God may want to change in your life, that we just keep on doing the same old things and trying to, like Martha, work harder to be closer to God.
They're on that one side where it starts out with…accountability partner. I think that's a great one to think through starting off is the desire to give a regular and honest account of my choices, priorities and temptations to a godly and wise companion who points me to Christ. Do you have that person in your life? If you don't have an accountability partner in your life, you are going to fall. If you don't have someone you're honest with, you're going to fall because there is no one to hold you accountable.
Control the tongue is down further. There are lots of good ones here. Control the tongue is a spiritual discipline to turn the destructive way I use words into authentic, loving, and healing speech. Is there anyone here this morning who needs a spiritual discipline of controlling your tongue?
Going on down…gratitude. To be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's prompting, to live with a grateful heart cognizant of God's work in my life and my abundant resources.
Justice…we're about justice here at the Grove. To love others by seeking their good, protection, and gain in fair treatment.
On the other side, I love the Ps and the Ss of spiritual discipline. If you really want to know where I sort of hang out, it's in the Ps and the Ss. The practicing and the presence. That's a great one. To develop a continual openness and awareness of Christ's presence living in me.
Praying Scripture. Have you done this? Maybe that would help you get closer to God. To allow God to shape my prayer life through the words of Scripture.
Sabbath…to set apart one day a week for rest and worship of God. Today, if you say, "I have to get home because I have to get back to work," you haven't developed Sabbath Day rest. God has promised us if we trust God, God says, "If you work six days but take a Sabbath Day for rest, I will bless those six days much more than if you work seven days in a row." Now do we trust God? It's like when God says, "If you give back to Me financially, I'll bless your money more than if you keep it all yourself." There are Scriptures like that, that we need to say, "Do I trust God, or do I not?" Many in America today don't understand Sabbath rest. There needs to be a new rhythm to life. It only happens with Sabbath Day rest.
Simplicity…to uncomplicated and untangle my life so I can focus on what really matters. I love that. Here's a great one. Martha needed this.
Slowing…to curb my addiction to business, hurry and work-a-holism, to learn to savor the moment.
Small groups…to make that journey with friends.
Truth telling…to live an authentically truthful life.
I want to share one more. I like it a lot. Unplugging…to be fully present, to be uninterrupted in my interactions with God and others. That means turning off your cell phone, don't Tweet, Facebook, whatever else we do, but just have a time when we figure out God.
This is what I want you to do with that paper. I'd like you to take that paper this week and again, it's not the end-all, in fact, there are two great books on spiritual disciplines. The one that all of us who went to Bible college we had to read, it's the classic Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline. I think everybody should read a book on spiritual disciplines. Another one I like is by Whitney. It's Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Again, I'll have those on the website. You can read them up here.
I'd like you to take that paper home this week. Again, you could be spot-on with what you already decided to do spiritually in 2010. But I'd like you to say, "Holy Spirit…" For our new believers, this is a way you begin to hear the voice of God. You ask a question like this, "Holy Spirit, am I missing something? I know what my thoughts and plans are to get closer to You, but maybe I'm wrong. Holy Spirit, if You'll speak to me, if it's one of these areas or something else, but I want to do what You want." In a quiet moment without talking and just beginning to listen, you'll hear God speak to your heart and your mind. You'll sense it's a different kind of voice. I can't tell you…my mind receives that differently. I don't know how to tell you any other way. It's not an audible voice, but I know it's not my thinking.
Last night when I was down here, it was so clear to me to speak the Word of God to you. That has happened over years. You don't get there all at once. But unless you're quiet before God, unless you want to hear His voice, unless you remember wherever there is something God gives, it's good, Satan tries to counterfeit it. So we ask God, "Let me be aware of that counterfeit voice."
For those of you who are new believers and you sense God has spoken something to you, you find a pastor or mature believer and you go to them and say, "This is what I think God has spoken to me." And you test it with a mature believer, okay? Some of the things you need to do when you're growing your faith is to test those thoughts you think you get so you're not deceived, you're not mistaken. A mature believer can help you with that. I'd like you to allow God to speak to you what He'd want you to do in 2010.
Lastly, point number six…something I want you to write down. A few considerations for 2010. Last night at the 5:00 service, we doubled in size. People make a decision to come to church. I'd like you to resolve, if you think through this…
6. To be here every week. We need to be accountable to each other. The church is better when you're here every week. You would say, "Well Tom, you have a big church. There are 3,000 adults every week. It doesn't matter if I come or not." It does matter if you come or not. It matters to us. It matters to the person sitting next to you, behind you and in front of you. It matters to God. God says that we should not forsake the gathering together. Hebrews tells us, "And all the more as you see the time approaching we need to be in God's house." So I encourage you to be in God's house.
I encourage you to consider how to be a consistent give this year. We're not going to make it in 2010 unless we're all consistent givers. We need to be in this together, and so I encourage you to do that. I'd also like to see you in some kind of small group…men's group, women's group, Little Church. That's why we have those signups outside.
In the next two months, I want you to do something for me. I think all of us have a friend who doesn't know Christ. If you don't have a friend who is unsaved, you need to get out more and meet new people. What I'd like you to do is think of the friend right now who doesn't know Christ, who you say, "I wish they would come to church. I wish they would know Christ." Write that name down today. I want somehow on your prayer list; I want you to pray for that person every day in January.
The first week in February, we're going to pray for those people also. We're going to give all of you who want, after the first week in February, we're going to give you this book. It's Valentine's Day. We want to give God's love to other people. We're going to give you this book by Pastor Mike Barnes, The First Steps Toward the Christian Life. We want you, after you've prayed for someone for this whole month, we want you to give this book to that person and say, "I'd like you to read this book. If it's okay, I'm going to call you in a week or so and ask you what you thought of it." That's what we're going to ask you to do…to follow up and make a phone call or see them in person and ask them, "What did you think of the book?"
Now you might say, "Well, then what are you going to make me do, Tom?" Nothing else. I know some of you are uncomfortable in sharing your faith, and if you are, you should go to Mike Barnes' First Steps class. It is four weeks long. It goes all throughout the year. If they're interested, we'll follow it up if you don't want to. We'd like to see great numbers of people accept Christ in February, and you can be a part of that by trusting that God has placed someone in your life that needs to know Him. You have influence with them. They'll receive the book from you. They're not going to receive it from me. So we pray for them. We're going to see the power of prayer this month as we pray every day for a person.
Write that person's name down. Would you, please? You know that person already. That person goes on your prayer list, and then in the first week of February we'll give you this book. It will be free to you. You'll give that book to your friend. The only thing you ask them to do is…can I call you in a week or so and ask you what you thought of the book? Just see what God opens up for you. Do you want your friend to spend eternity with you in heaven? Simple way to do it. I believe God wants to do great things through the Grove in 2010. I look forward to doing that with you.
The ushers are coming for the offering this morning. Let me pray as they come. Let's pray together: God, we thank You for who You are and what You do in our lives. You are a great God. God, I'm thankful. I believe You've spoken many truths for resolutions to many people here this week already. You've spoken just the things you want them to do and for those, God, we just give You thanks and praise. But I think so many times we think if we do certain things, if we busy ourselves, if we join into the Jesus crowd then You'll be pleased, and just like we read in Scripture, that's not what You didn't want for those people, and maybe not what You want for us.
I pray these thoughts and ideas of spiritual disciplines will open our heart to Your speaking to us. I pray for those who know Your voice that they'll hear this week. For those who are beginning to learn Your voice, God, that this week will be a great time of beginning to hear Your voice and understand the difference. God, I especially pray for those who shut You out in 2009. I know today You want to do something in those lives. I know You want us to be more than just hearing Your voice, You want us to respond to it. Today again, I pray if God has spoken to you today through that word, that you would respond. That you would no longer keep Him at bay, but allow Him to come in and begin to work in your life and make changes in your life.
Today God, we have a chance again, through our offering to prove our faith and our trust in You. So for the first time this year, God, we give back an offering. As we always ask, we would ask that You would use it to build the kingdom here in Riverside and around the world that all people would know about You. We give You thanks and praise for this. In Jesus' name, Amen.
