Devotional Spirituality Study 8

Devotional Spirituality Week 8: Falling in Love with God

Life and Ministry

· How was your week?

· What is God doing around you?

· How did you influence someone this week in their relationship with Christ?

Main Idea

What are the keys to loving God, and how can we cultivate a growing intimacy with him? This section explores what it means to enjoy God and to trust in him. Henry Scougal observed that “the worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love.” We are most satisfied when we seek God’s pleasure above our own, and we gradually become conformed to what we most love and admire.

Overview

As we grow in our understanding that God is our highest good, we become increasingly willing to renounce the aspirations of the world so that we can pursue God’s pleasure. These verses focus on the abiding relationship with Jesus and cultivating a passion for him.

Sub-Themes

• Our Image of God: Session 1 & 2

• The Contemplative Way: Sessions 3-5

• Falling in Love with God: Sessions 6-8

Principles and quotes come from Conformed to His Image: Biblical and Practical Approaches to Spiritual Formation by Kenneth Boa

Directions

There are three passages for each week. Read them in light of the Semester Theme and the Week’s Focus found in the boxed section above.

A daily spiritual discipline is to learn to hear God’s voice from his Word.

Please don’t look at this as a homework assignment.

Find a quiet place each day to read the passage(s) slowly a couple of times through.

1. Summarize the passage(s). You might want to journal it.

2. What is God saying to you through the passage(s)? (Commands to obey, praise to give, sin to confess, example to follow, etc.) Make note of it to better remember it.

3. What does it mean to fear God? Another way to say it, what does the fear of God look like in a Christ follower’s day?

4. Be prepared to share how some of the Bible passages impacted you in your weekly group meeting. (No question mark needed here)

The key to effective application: Being a group member of like-minded Christ followers for encouragement and accountability.

Isaiah 30:18

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.

1. Summarize the passage(s). You might want to journal it. It’s God’s desire to be gracious to us, to show us mercy and love, He is a just God, but a merciful One, blessed are those who wait on His justice.

2. What is God saying to you through the passage(s)? (Commands to obey, praise to give, sin to confess, example to follow, etc.) Make note of it to better remember it.

Praise—it’s amazing that God waits on us so He can show us grace and mercy, patient and kind, not wanting any to suffer and perish but all to come to repentance. His justice will be paid, we can trust in it.

Confession—how often do I forget these characteristics of God, these unique and exemplary characteristics.

Promise—blessed are we if we wait on Him for justice, not taking matters in our hands and exacting justice.

3. What does it mean to fear God? Another way to say it, what does the fear of God look like in a Christ follower’s day? Fearing God means trusting God and waiting on Him to bring His justice when He sees fit, now or in the end. It also means exalting His characteristics that He exalts, those of grace and mercy.

4. Be prepared to share how some of the Bible passages impacted you in your weekly group meeting. (No question mark needed here)

Revelation 22:3-4

No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

1. Summarize the passage(s). You might want to journal it. When God sets up His eternal kingdom, nothing will be unholy, God will be on His throne and we will worship Him, face to face.

2. What is God saying to you through the passage(s)? (Commands to obey, praise to give, sin to confess, example to follow, etc.) Make note of it to better remember it.

Praise—God will set up His eternal kingdom where there will be no more pain or suffering, and we will worship that God of our sight and not just of our faith.

Promise—we will one day see God face to face, and see Jesus our Lord. All will be right and good, holy.

3. What does it mean to fear God? Another way to say it, what does the fear of God look like in a Christ follower’s day? Fearing God means being in awe of Him, seeing Him face to face one day in His kingdom, seeing Jesus, having no more suffering, unreal and I can’t wait.

4. Be prepared to share how some of the Bible passages impacted you in your weekly group meeting. (No question mark needed here)

Weekly Group Time

Hearing from God

· What is God saying through His Word?

· What passage of Scripture spoke to you?

· How did this study change the way you live?

Talking to God

· What do we need to say…to God about others and His Kingdom?

· Personal: From the discussion, what can we pray for you?

· Ministry: Where do you need God’s help in ministry this week?