Sermon Tone Analysis

Review

God created for us a love relationship.

Has there been a time in your life when you questioned God’s love for you?

In that experience, were there ways God was expressing His love for you?

What scriptures do you turn to when looking for assurance of God?

Two relationship focuses: His Work, and His Relationship with Us.

This unit will focus on the second reality - our relationship with Him (through His work within us).

QUESTIONS:

What are you becoming in Christ?

How should that influence your life today?

How did Paul deal with his past?

God Desires a Relationship

It doesn’t matter what WE have done.

It doesn’t matter what WE think.

It doesn’t matter what WE wan.

It’s all about developing a relationship with God.

What is your current relationship with God? How do you describe it?

Matthew 22:37 (ESV)

37 And he (Jesus) said to him (the lawyer), “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

We have to have our priorities in place with our relationship with God before He can EVER start working fully in our lives.

Jesus reminded the Pharisee lawyer of Deut 6:4-5

Describe These Love Relationships

Loving, Obeying, Holding Fast

BRINGS

Life and length of days & dwelling in the land God promised!

Why should we love God with all our heart, mind, and might?

Because HE first loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins!

(Turning away of anger by the offering of a gift).

We have been pardoned from the wrath/anger of God through the gift given by Jesus!

“Everything in your Christian life, everything about knowing Him and experiencing Him, everything about knowing His will depends on the quality of your love relationship with God”.

A Love Relationship With God

“A love relationship with God is more important that any other single factor in your life.”

I’d Rather Have Jesus written by Rhea Miller

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold

I'd rather be His than have riches untold

I'd rather have Jesus than houses or land

I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand

I'd rather have Jesus than worldly applause

I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause

I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame

Yes, I'd rather be true to His holy name

Than to be the king of a vast domain

And be held in sin's dread sway

I'd rather have Jesus than anything

This world affords today

What can compete with Jesus for a person’s love and attention?

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold

I'd rather be His than have riches untold

I'd rather have Jesus than houses or land

I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand

I'd rather have Jesus than worldly applause

I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause

I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame

Yes, I'd rather be true to His holy name

Than to be the king of a vast domain

And be held in sin's dread sway

I'd rather have Jesus than anything

This world affords today

Why is this so important to our relationship with God???

How easy is this?

Why is it more important to be focused on God that the things of this world?

What things will be added to us?

Treasures in heaven!

How does our past influence the limits in our lives?

Family problems?

Failures?

Shame over sin? (family or self)

Past abuse?

Pride?

Unhealthy desires?

fame, success, recognition, wealth?

Looking back at Philippians 3:4-14, what are some of the things in Paul’s past that could have influenced his present?

What did Paul do to prepare for a future prize?

Philippians 3:13-14 “13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.

But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

What are WE investing in today?

Walking With God

How many of us pursue quiet time with God daily?

verb (pursues, pursuing, pursued)

1 follow in order to catch or attack.

2 seek to attain (a goal).

3 proceed along (a path or route).

4 follow or continue with (a course of action).

▶ continue to investigate or discuss.

When we think of the time we spend with God, I encourage you to put it into perspective: how much time do we spend eating, sleeping, talking on the phone, spending time on technology, watching TV, all of the routines compared to our alone time with God?

Note the quote from page 59:

“People who struggle to spend time with God don’t have a scheduling problem; they have a love problem.”

God Pursues a Love Relationship

How do we know God loves us?

God initiated the love relationship with us!

He is waiting for US to return that love.

What keeps us from returning that love?

Does God only pick certain ones to love?

If God draws a person, does that mean there are some who He will not draw?

John 6:45 (ESV)

45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—

Jesus clarifies His statement in John 6:65

The only way a person comes to Jesus is to hear, and those who hear then have the choice to respond, whether it be positively or negatively.

However, God is willing to accept anyone who come to Him, through faith.

How is it He works through us?