1) God expects those things I VALUE to be yielded to His Lordship.
Matthew 10:37-39 The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Anyone finding his life will lose it, and anyone losing his life because of Me will find it.
Matthew 19:29-30 And everyone who has left houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother,children, or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
Luke 5:10-11 and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners. “Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people!” Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed Him.
2) Jesus appeals to me to accept His YOKE
Taking Jesus's YOKE
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(an event where I relinquish my perceived right to live and make decisions independently = LORDSHIP or SURRENDER),
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followed by learning from Him (a process of learning to walk daily in harmony with Him = ABIDING).
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
3) Who do I view as being in charge of the process of my spiritual growth? _____________
John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.
The perception that I am in charge is typically based on:
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PRIDE
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An INFLATED VIEW of my own discernment and capabilities
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A distored understanding of GOD'S CHARACTER
4) Who do I view as being in charge of the process of my spiritual growth? _____________________
God deals with me according to MY MATURITY LEVEL (just as good parents do with their children) and my willingness to learn from Him.
Psalms 103:10, 14 He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our offenses. For He knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust.
5) So, where do I get inputs so I can be engaged in the transformation process?
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Read MY BIBLE (which is good and helpful)
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Observe OTHER BELIEVERS
1Corinthians 11:1 Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.
This is the easiest method but also the most DANGEROUS. WHY?
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Listen TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.
John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.
X's represent BEHAVIOR THAT IS NOT PLEASING TO GOD.
O's represent BEHAVIOR THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY PLEASING TO GOD.
G's represnt MY TRANSFORMED UNDERSTANADING, RESULTING IN BEHAVIOR THAT IS THE 'GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE AND PERFECT WILL OF GOD." (Romans 12:1)
“As a Christian is transformed in his mind and is made more like Christ, he comes to approve and desire God’s will, not his own will for his life. Then he discovers that God’s will is what is good for him, and that it pleases God, and is complete in every way. It is all he needs. But only by being renewed spiritually can a believer ascertain, do, and enjoy the will of God.”
(Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.
6) God never forces me, but as I choose to be TEACHABLE, He will use His Word and other means to gradually ILLUMINATE areas of my understanding He wants to alter.
John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.
Ephesians 4:22-24 You took off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires; you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds; you put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.
But I have to COOPERATE with Him in allowing Him to make those changes.
Psalms 63:1 God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You. I thirst for You; my body faints for You in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.
7) FOR REFLECTION THIS WEEK
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What (or who) am I holding onto that God is convicting me about?
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About what thing (or person) do I respond, “Please don’t take this from me nor ask me to give it.”
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What room in my house does He wants me to allow Him access to, but the door is shut?
