Category: Habit Miscellaneous

Devoted Goals

On By BrianIn Habit Miscellaneous, Holidays

This past Fall our church looked at five habit of growth to which we should be devoted. Then during advent, we looked at being devoted to the gospel. Below is my attempt to pull it all together with the goal of applying our study to our lives during the coming year. I believe these would be good questions for any Christian to ponder as we look at a new year, a new month, and a new week.

Annual Goals (Review at least monthly)

Gospel: What habit will I begin this year to better remember, focus on, and live out the hope, peace, joy, and love found in Jesus?

Worship: What habit will I begin to better prepare my heart to come into God’s presence for corporate worship each Sunday? 

Prayer: What is one way I would like to grow in prayer this year? 

Word: What portion of Scripture (Old Testament, New Testament, Book(s) of the Bible, etc.) will I commit to read and meditate on throughout this year? 

Fellowship: In what ways will I partner with my church family this year in serving, giving, and prayer?

Outreach: What habit will I begin to become more watchful for opportunities to share the gospel this year? What will I do to become better prepared to share the gospel this year?  Who might I specifically pray for to receive salvation this year?

What might distract me from these goals, and how can I overcome that?
How can I live out these goals as expressions of love instead of pride?

Monthly Goals (Review at least weekly)

Gospel: What might I do to better grasp some aspect of the gospel this month, and let that aspect of the gospel better grasp me?

Worship: Is there an area in my life that I need to start submitting to God this month, and what will I do about it?

Prayer: What promise or attribute of God will I incorporate into my prayers this month?

Word: What passage of Scripture will I memorize this month?

Fellowship: What practical need in my church family will I seek to help with this month?  Who can I get together with this month around a meal?

Outreach: What practical need do I see in my workplace, neighborhood, or community that I could seek to meet this month?  How might God lead me to help with this month’s church outreach activity and/or outreach/missions project? How do I specifically need to pray for my missionaries this month? 

Weekly Goals (Review daily)

Gospel: What aspect of the gospel from my Bible reading or Sunday’s sermon will I meditate on this week?

Worship: In the midst of my current trials and temptations, what attribute of God or aspect of the gospel will I cling to this week to tune my heart to praise Him? 

Prayer: Who and what do I specifically need to pray for this week?

Word: What Biblical truth from my personal reading or Sunday’s sermon do I need to very specifically apply to my life this week?

Fellowship: Who in my church family might God be leading me to care for and/or seek to encourage this week, and how will I do it?

Outreach: How might I better shine as a light with integrity, hope, and love this week? What is one way I might purposefully seek to share the gospel this week?

Thanking God for Himself

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah, Habit Miscellaneous, Virtue Miscellaneous

Today I want to thank God that he is:

A Saving God – Isaiah 1:18

Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.

A Soon and Coming King – Isaiah 9:6-7

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

A Sovereign Lord – Isaiah 14:24

The LORD of hosts has sworn:
“As I have planned, so shall it be,
and as I have purposed, so shall it stand.

A Solid Rock – Isaiah 26:4

Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.

What Worship Is

On By BrianIn Habit Miscellaneous1 Comment

In his commentary on Acts, R. Kent Hughes shares this excellent quote on the definition of worship.  To worship is:

To quicken the conscience by the holiness of God,
to feed the mind with the truth of God,
to purge the imagination by the beauty of God,
to open up the heart to the love of God,
to devote the will to the purpose of God.
– William Temple

Habits for Growth in 2012

On By BrianIn Habit Miscellaneous, Holidays

In response to God’s grace and by His grace:

Which habits are you already practicing that you will continue?

Which habit are you already doing that you will seek to enhance?  How?

Which habit will you seek to begin this year?

Some Habits

  • Daily time with God in His Word and prayer
  • Read through the New Testament
  • Read through the Bible
  • Regular Scripture memory
  • Join a Sunday School class or small group Bible study
  • Greater commitment to prayer
  • Regularly attend Prayer Meetings
  • Closer fellowship with other believers
  • Join a Bible-believing, gospel-preaching church
  • Actively seek ways to encourage others
  • Serve in some church ministry
  • Better stewardship of time
  • Better stewardship of money
  • Tithe
  • Personal evangelism
  • Get involved in church outreaches

Coming To Worship

On By BrianIn Church Life, Habit Miscellaneous1 Comment

At the Pastor’s Conference I attended last week, Jim Grier discussed worship from Hebrews 12:18-29.  A few highlights to ponder as you prepare to gather with God’s people this Sunday to worship God:

As we gather for worship, we come into the very presence of our God.

It doesn’t matter if the worship is acceptable to us, but if it is acceptable to God.

Acceptable worship is worship with careful reverence, awe-filled fear, and incredible joy.

I wonder how different our Worship Services would be if we could just grasp and live out these three principles.

Be Still Before God

On By BrianIn Habit Miscellaneous1 Comment

Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.  The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
– Exodus 24:15-16

Moses goes up on the mountain. 
For six days he is surrounded by God’s glory. 
No instructions.  No commands.  No activities. 
Just dwelling in God’s presence.

How much we need this!
To slow down.  Stop rushing.
Just rest in God’s presence.

Each morning is an opportunity.
To commune with God.
To be still before him.
In awe of his glory.

Yet too often I let the activities of the day crowd in.
My focus is lost in a gigantic to-do-list.
My communion is interupted by an array of projects.
And I need to push them back.
There will be time enough for those things later.
I need to first rest in his presence.

I suspect Moses needed 6 days to just sit in awe.
Before he knew the plan, he needed to know the Planner.
I suspect the same is true for us.

But I’m in a hurry.
I have lots to do.
I don’t want to wait.
I can’t imagine six days!
I want to get busy for God now.

But no – first be still in his presence.
Know him.  Know his glory.  Sit in awe.
Then we will be ready to hear him speak.
Then we will be ready to listen.
Then we will be ready to obey.
But first we must be still before him.

Our Joy

On By BrianIn Habit Miscellaneous, Virtue of Joy1 Comment

One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
– Psalm 27:4

As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
– Psalm 42:1-2

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
– Psalm 63:1

It is our joy to spend time with God. 
Not a chore.  Not a duty.  Not another item we have to check off our to-do-list. 
It is a joy.  It is what we seek earnestly.  It is what we thirst for. 
It is the one thing we want more than anything else. 

And it is more than a once-a-day activity.  It is an all-day opportunity. 
To walk in his presence.  To bring our cares to him in prayer. 
To thank him for blessings as they come our way. 
To follow his Spirit’s leading.  To abide in him always. 

It is our joy to spend time with God.

Father, help us to grow in this joy this week for your glory.  Amen.