05 Apr “A Closer Walk with God” | part THREE – ‘HOW TO GET STRONGER IN GOD’
Key Verse: 1 SAMUEL 30
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LEGACY OFFERING – POSTPONED
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TUNE INTO WATERSCHURCH.TV FOR SCHEDULED EVENTS TO KEEP YOU INFORMED AND TO ENTERTAIN AND FOR YOUR KIDS TO TEACHINGS FROM WATERS KIDS
ALSO EVERYDAY AT 1:00P THERE WILL EITHER BE A LIVE SMALL GROUP OR SOMETHING ELSE LIFE GROUP RELATED
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ALL CLASSES ARE CHANGING TO BE DONE ONLINE – I WILL GET YOU THAT INFO
Waters Church Facebook Page now has groups set up for each campus and a group set up for Life Groups.
To join the groups, just go to the Waters Church FB page and go to groups and join the ones you want. Make sure you join the Life Group (group) so we can get people interested in joining a Life group. The Heach Coaches and I will be moderating the group and adding topics for discussion.
CLASSES; Baptism class is every 4th Sunday of the Month. at 11:30 / Growth Track runs the first 3 Sundays every month at 11:30 – this is a one and done registrants only need to attend one session / Starting Point runs every 1st and 3rd Sunday at 11:30 – details and descriptions can be found on the registrations which are located under Events on the HUB.
Holy Week Schedule
Seven Days of Seeing Jesus
Starting Monday at 9:00a
Good Friday Service – Fri. 4pm & 6pm. waterschurch.tv
Get a candle and have it ready for this service.
Easter Sunday Services – post invites to Social Media, get them at waterschurch.org/invites
Luke 29: father if you are willing take this cup…
1 Samuel 30:1–6 (ESV)
David hit rock bottom and everything and everyone was against him. He was completely alone and turned to God in that moment. Great heroes of the faith have rock bottom moments, not just highlight moments. We need to realize people in scripture also have low moments. Goliath was David’s high moment then it was followed by a succession terrible moments.
Everything has been taken from David and his home was burned to the ground. David and his men weep until they have no more energy.
Q. What is the highest moment you have had and the lowest moment you have had in your life?
How to STRENGTHEN Yourself in the Lord:
1. I must have a RELATIONSHIP with the Lord.
(1 Samuel 30:6)
‘But David Strengthened himself in the Lord his God.’
David’s army, the very last thing he has, wants to stone him. David is gripped and overwhelmed with sorrow. BUT David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
We strengthen ourselves in things we do daily. There are things we have to do on our own, like eating when we are hungry. We don’t necessarily need someone to eat with when we are hungry. We need to learn how to strengthen ourselves in the Lord. We don’t only get stronger when things are going well, when prayers are answered, we can get stronger when we have nothing and no one and when we feel trapped.
It starts with a relationship with the Lord. It is entirely possible for us to have a relationship with the church and not the Lord.
Q. Are you finding it difficult to strengthen yourself at this time and why?
Lord His God – Yahweh / Elohim
GENESIS 1-2
Genesis 1: “Elohim” – “God” of Creation (generic term for God)
Genesis 2: “Yahweh” – “Lord” in the Garden (a word sacred to Israel),
He is the God over everything (creation) and do you know Him (garden).
3 Realities of a GARDEN (Genesis 2):
- A garden speaks of INTIMACY.
A garden creates intimacy with people and with the creation. We are planting, watering and becoming intimate with the creation. We are closer to God when we grow our own food.
Q. If you garden, how has it brought you closer to God through the experience?
2. A garden speaks of CULTIVATION.
It’s work. We can’t take the short route, when it comes to gardens there is none. As in our relationship with God, we have to put the effort in. We need to put time and energy into it and turn off the tv and our phones.
Q. What short cuts have you taken in things that really require work only to find out you should not have taken the short cut (maybe a test, in a job you had, even your walk with Christ, etc.)?
3. A garden speaks of GROWTH.
God wants me to have an INTIMATE relationship with Him that I CULTIVATE daily and GROW from continually so that I can THRIVE in life.
Our current response to this crisis (lack of peace, fear, feeling over-whelmed) is the by product of our relationship with God and the amount of effort we had put in before this crisis. We need to learn from this.
Q. How is the way you are handling this current crisis a byproduct of your relationship with God before the crisis happened (example: were you cultivating your relationship with God before, or are you just starting to do that now, etc.)?
Psalm 63:1 (ESV)
Sometimes he takes everything away so that he is all that we have and learn that he is all we need. If we want a relationship with the Lord, we can’t just be raising our hand for salvation or just coming to church. We cannot be just checking off boxes, like going through the waters of baptism but not experiencing life change. Baptism is a ritual. If we want a relationship we have to make a billion smaller decisions. God wants to do cool things in our lives right now.
Q. What needs to change in your life, if you are one who is just checking off boxes?
Psalm 84:10 (ESV)
If we want to get stronger in the Lord we need to strengthen our relationship with God.
2. I must PRIORITIZE my RELATIONSHIP with the Lord.
He has to come first.
1 Samuel 30:7 (ESV)
Ephod were like dice and in the Old Testament they rolled them to determine the will of God (now we have the Holy Spirit in us to determine the will of God). David turned to God.
1 Samuel 13:8–9 (ESV)
Saul breaches the command of Lord and acted as a prophet instead of a King. He breaks the word of the Lord to appease people. He disobeyed what God said to please others. David looked for what God said and did it in spite of what others said.
If you want to get stronger, God’s voice MUST be LOUDER than men’s opinions.
Q. Who is speaking the loudest in your life, what are they saying, and how are you handling what is being said? (are you listening to the news, friends, relatives, etc)?
Psalm 119:28 (ESV)
Q. When this crisis is over, how are you going to daily strengthen yourself in the Lord?
3. I must REGULARLY INVEST in the PRIORITY of my RELATIONSHIP with the Lord.
Simpler: If the Lord is your FIRST priority, act on it.
If the Lord is first then He is who we listen to first; before the news, the banker, the financial advisor, etc.
Psalm 25:1-5 ESV
At rock bottom David tuned into God. Everything he counted on was pulled out from under him. He wanted God to teach him during this time. We need to be teachable and ready to listen to what he is saying to us.
Q. What is God teaching you through this crisis?
Luke 5:15–16 (ESV); Psalm 25:1–2 (ESV); Psalm 25:4–5 (ESV)
Hebrews 10:25 (ESV)
We need to gather together as a church even now. Jesus is closer to coming back now more than ever. The times are coming to an end.
Q. How affective has meeting together online been for you; are you finding encouragement and peace in the Lord even though we are not physically together (church services, life group, etc.)?
Isaiah 10:25 (ESV)
The Lord is saying in a very little while this will come to an end. God is allowing this crisis as he is doing a work. When it comes to an end we need to get serious about our relationship to the church and people that are going be with us in heaven. Sadly, for some, your closest relationships are people that don’t know Jesus. Some we have to have relationships with (relatives, etc.) but our chosen relationships, people can talk to need to be Christians. We need to gather ourselves around God’s people all the more as we see the Day approaching.
Q. Who do you confide in more, Christians or non-Christians and why is it so important that we surround ourselves with Christians?
Luke 22:41–43 (ESV) He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him
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