THE WORD


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THE WORD

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The Preaching Ministry of Ashley River Baptist Church

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Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God Reality 2: God Pursues a Continuing Love Relationship with You that is Real and Personal

God Himself pursues a love relationship with you—takes the initiative God desires that you: -Know Him -Worship Him -Love Him OBEDIENCE AND LOVE Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15 Obedience: the outward expression of your love of God. If you have an obedience problem, you have a love problem. QUESTION: Could you describe your relationship to Him by saying, “I love You with all my heart and all my soul and all my mind and all my strength”? THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT Jesus said the greatest commandment in the law is: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength”. Mark 12:30 Everything depends on this! If your love for God is not right, nothing in your life will be right. A love relationship with God is more important than any other single factor in your life. GOD DRAWS US TO HIMSELF: John 6:44-45,65 God always takes the initiative to establish a love relationship with you. You were created for eternity. (Phil. 3:4-14) Orient your life to the purposes of God and make sure you are investing your life, time, and resources in things that are lasting and not things that will pass away. This guidance will come as you “walk” with Him and listen to Him. Walking with God: When your relationship is as it ought to be, you will always be “walking” in fellowship with the Father. Time with God: Keep that time alone with God, not in order to have a relationship, but because I have a relationship. (2 Cor. 5:14)

REAL, PERSONAL, AND PRACTICAL: The Scriptures reveal God relating to people in real, personal, intimate and practical ways. God is a very practical God. Love must be real and personal. God-Centered Life: In order to be rightfully oriented to God and His work, you need a God-centered life! Sin is a shift from a Godcentered to a self-centered life. When we come to a denial of self and a return to God-centeredness, God can accomplish through us the purposes He had before he created the world. God centeredness requires a daily death of self and submission to God. (John 12:24–25) To live a God centered life, you must focus your life on God’s purposes and not your own plans. You never find God asking persons to dream up what they want to do for Him. We must realize that doing things God’s way is always best! (Psalm 81:10-12) Be careful: often when we see God at work we become selfcentered rather than God-centered. A God-centered life will immediately put that life alongside God’s activity. Practically speaking, there is no “method” to learn how to apply these concepts. The key is not a method but a relationship to God. Your love relationship with God prepares you to be involved in God’s work by developing God-centered living. Focusing your attention on God’s plans, purposes and ways rather than your own is essential. My surrender to God’s initiative: Dear God, you have shown me again the deep meaning and total necessity of a continuing love relationship with You. Thank you that You love me so much. Forgive me when I fail to spend time with you each day. I commit myself right now to spending time every morning with you before I start my day in other pursuits. Continue to purse me Father and show me how to express love to You in real, personal and practical ways. Let me be fully aware of the real, personal and practical ways You are expressing your love for me. I love you. I worship you. I will serve you in time and for all eternity.