Is it worth the effort of developing the habits and skills required? Every time you trust God's wisdom and do whatever he says, even when you don't understand it, you deepen your friendship with God. You may have been passionate about God in the past but you've lost that desire. Don’t live in the past, live in the present. There is nothing-absolutely nothing-more important than developing a friendship with God. Even through such simple acts as telling the truth, being kind, and encouraging others, we bring a smile to God's face. We are often challenged to do `great things" for God. Friendship with God requires being available for it. #1.In developing your friendship with God: you must choose to be honest with God! It won’t happen by accident. If you don’t feel close to God, you have to ask, “Who moved?” knowing that it wasn’t Him. You’ll see how he has sought you out, and that he really desires to know you as a friend. The first building block of a deeper friendship with God is complete honesty—about your faults and your feelings. Rick points out that progress in friendship with God is linked closely to doing something about what God says. Developing Your Friendship with God 2. You’ll also learn the basic tools for two-way communication with God. He offers his friendship to the godly - Proverbs 3:32 Draw close to God and God will draw close to you. Bitterness is the greatest barrier to friendship with God: Why would I want to be God's friend if he allowed this? They consist of Family, Co-workers, People from high school, etc. They may be unnoticed by others, but God notices them and considers them acts of worship. You’ll discover in a fresh way the God who loves you. Day 12: Developing Your Friendship with God I've got a lot of friends. God told the captives in Babylon, "When you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed.”. For another, friendship with God leads to a wider and wider circle of friends as we realize that God’s desire for friendship includes all people. Three of these caught... Point to Ponder. It's a relationship that will last forever. It takes desire, time, and energy. Joshua 24:15 …choose you this day whom ye will serve… What is your attitude? So uh but yeah, I mean you know, he says. You can do something about it starting now. You can pray like David: "I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles. Paul told Timothy, “some of these people have missed the most important thing in life-they don’t know God.” Remember, it’s your choice of a friendship with God. This is the first building block with any relationship because complete honesty about your faults and your feelings will open arms and hearts. But the point I am insisting on as foundational is that you must trust in Christ as your sin-bearer before you can develop a friendship with God. That’s certainly a part of God’s values. The second dearest thing is when his children share that news with others. Day 12: Developing Your Friendship with God. James 4:8 (NLT) You are as close to God as you choose to be. Actually, God is more pleased when we do small things for him out of loving obedience. God said to Moses, `All right. Copyright © 2021 ACADEMY OF PUBLIC POLICIES, Royal Academy of Nutrition and Health Eating, Breast Cancer Prevention (several languages), Stroke - Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) (several languages), Combating Human Trafficking, Pedophilia, Prostitution, Pornography and Sex Industry, Royal Academy of Globalization & Business. It’s a relationship that will last Forever. Do you take time to listen to him - and his cares? Can God handle that kind of frank, intense honesty from you? We obey God, not out of duty or fear or compulsion, but because we love him and trust that he knows what is best for us. That was the problem of the Christians in Ephesus-they had left their first love. Friendships take time, and friendship with God is not an exception. Bitterness is the greatest barrier to friendship with God. Do you desire a deeper relationship with God? As so many people in the Bible did, tell God exactly how you feel. Remember, it's your choice. You are as close to God as you choose to be. The Amplified translation expresses the full force of Paul's passion: "My determined purpose is that I may know Him-that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly. Day Twelve – Developing Your Friendship With God Bible Passages. God listens to the passionate words of his friends; he is bored with predictable, pious cliches. The word Jesus used when he called us "friends" could refer to the "friends of the king" in a royal court. 1. Like any friendship, you must work at developing your friendship with God. The amazing part of that story is that God, who is all powerful, let Jacob win! Purpose Driven LifeChapter 12: “Developing Your Friendship with God”*we do not have the copyright of this music*-“Friend of God” by Israel Houghton Nothing mattered more; it was the first priority, total focus, and Ultimate goal of his life. Are you a person that God can use? God allowed Abraham to question and challenge him over the destruction of the city of Sodom. God told them, "You haven't been honest either with me or about me-not the way my friend Job has.... My friend Job will now pray for you and I will accept his prayer.". To be a friend of God, you must care about all the people around you whom God cares about. We want to follow Christ out of gratitude for all he has done for us, and the closer we follow him, the deeper our friendship becomes. It won’t happen by accident. It won `t happen by accident. Point to Ponder: I'm as close to God as I choose to be. God doesn’t expect you to be perfect, but he does insist on complete honesty. Just as you say; this also I will do, for I know you well and you are special to me.”, God doesn't expect you to be perfect, but he does insist on complete honesty, Bitterness is the greatest barrier to friendship with God. God's agenda was his agenda, and God's passion was his: "The thing that has me so upset is that I care about you so much-this is the passion of God burning inside me!" Like any friendship, you must work at developing your friendship with God. Developing your friendship with God He offers his friendship to the godly. Because of God’s grace, Jesus is still friend of sinners. Every time you trust God’s wisdom and do whatever he says – even when you don’t understand it – you deepen your friendship with God. You are as close to God as you choose to be 3. Warren quotes the Bible eighteen times using seven translations and paraphrases. Notice that Jesus expects us to do only what he did with the Father. Jacob's passion for God's blessing on his life was so intense that he wrestled in the dirt all night with God, saying, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."" - James 4:8. But instead of masking their misgivings with pious clichés, they candidly voiced them openly and publicly. It is also a passionate activity, and God loves it when we are passionate with him. Remain in my love. They did all the right things, but out of duty, not love. Jesus said, "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. To be God's friend, you must be honest to God, sharing your true feeling, not what you think you ought to feel or say. The Bible tells us, "What pleases the LORD more: burnt offerings and sacrifices or obedience to his voice? Every possible emotion is catalogued in the Psalms. Unbelievers often think Christians obey out of obligation or guilt or fear of punishment, but the opposite is true. Abraham pestered God over what it would take to spare the city, negotiating God down from fifty righteous people to only ten. To be God’s friend, you must be honest to God, sharing your true feeling, not what you think you ought to feel or say. What had Jesus been doing for thirty years that gave God so much pleasure? The chapter speaks about developing our friendship with God but God is so much more than a friend. At one point, I had close to 500 from playing online games. I’ve felt abandoned and left to walk the path of life with no guidance or direction. It is God's way of arousing us from spiritual lethargy. – PSALM 27:4. Job was allowed to vent his bitterness during his ordeal, and in the end, God defended Job for being honest, and he rebuked Job's friends for being inauthentic. It won’t happen by accident. You can do something about it starting now. I pray God is plentifull. David passionately desired to know God above all else; he used words like longing, yearning, thirsting, hungering. God doesn't expect you to be perfect, but he does insist on complete honesty. The Bible says nothing about those hidden years except for a single phrase in Luke 2:51: "He went back to Nazareth with them, and lived obediently with them" (Msg). Point to Ponder: I’m as close to God as I choose to be. David felt the same way: "Passion for your house burns within me, so those who insult you are also insulting me. Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller "The Purpose Driven Life." He may be as close to God as he chooses to be—since He was created in the image of God, he was empowered to make the decision to accept God’s gift of salvation; and, he is empowered to exercise choice, which should be governed by the … It won’t happen by accident.It takes desire, time, and energy. Powered byEunosmedia created by Antonio Vaz. God encouraged it. God doesn’t expect you to be perfect, but he does insist on complete honesty. Intimate friendship with God is a choice, not an accident. When you read the emotional confessions of David and others, realize this is how God wants you to worship him-holding back nothing of what you feel. The first building block of deeper friendship with God is complete honesty – about your faults and your feelings. When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love. Catch up on our series, "Little Brother, Big Truth," here: https://crossroadsthechurch.com/media/playlist/little-brother-big-truthDownload the … We don’t normally think of obedience as a characteristic of friendship – that’s reserved for relationships with a parent or the boss or a superior officer – not a friend. But releasing your resentment and revealing your feeling is the first step to healing. Have you been missing out on the most important thing in life? Last week, we looked at this and how, through prayer and meditation, you can be closer to Him than you are now. Yes, your joy will overflow!". Chapter 12: Developing Your Friendship with God. If perfection was a requirement for friendship with God, we would never be able to be his friends. The antidote, of course, is to realize that God always acts in your best interest, even when it is painful and you don't understand it. Paul is the best example of this. He is our loving leader, and we follow him. VERSE: James 4; 8a Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you QUESTION: What practical choices will I make today in order to draw closer to God? Paul was another man passionate for friendship with God. This chapter talks about how we can develop our friendship with God. Is it worth giving up other things? There is nothing-absolutely nothing- more important than developing a friendship with God. It takes desire, time, and energy. It won’t happen by accident. Do you really want it-more than anything? God also listened patiently to David's many accusations of unfairness, betrayal, and abandonment. Question to Consider: What practical choices will I make today in order to grow closer to God? WONDER ABOUT IT: You are as close to God as you choose to be. If your presence doesn't take the lead here, call this trip off right now! More intimate? To instruct us in candid honesty, God gave us the book of Psalms-a worship manual, full of ranting, raving, doubts, fears, resentments, and deep passions combined with thanksgiving, praise, and statements of faith. The first building block of a deeper friendship with God is complete honesty—about your faults and your feelings. We are friends with God, but we are not his equals. The more you become God's friend, the more you will care about the things he cares about, grieve over the things he grieves over, and rejoice over the things that bring pleasure to him. Like any friendship, you must work at developing your friendships with GOD. Like any friendship, you must work at developing your friendship with God. ", The more you become God's friend, the more you will care about the things he cares about. Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and most influential churches. Matthew 11:19 In the Bible, God’s friends were honest with their feelings, often complaining, second-guessing, accusing, and arguing with their Creator. It takes desire, time, and energy. What may appear as audacity God views as authenticity. We don't normally think of obedience as a characteristic of friendship; that's reserved for relationships with a parent or the boss or a superior officer, not a friend. Here are 8 ways you can grow your friendship with God 1. In one startling example of frank friendship, God honestly expressed his total disgust with Israel's disobedience. It won’t happen by accident. Like any friendship, you must work at developing your friendship with God. It won't happen by accident. Developing Your Friendship with God ~ Day 12 Proverbs 3:32 "Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you" (James 4:8). God is not mad at you; he's mad about you, and he will do whatever it takes to bring you back into fellowship with him. God treasures simple acts of obedience more than our prayers, praise, or offerings. “Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you.” James 4:8 (NLT). I'm a nice guy and I'm good at making friends. It is likely that you need to confess some hidden anger and resentment at God for certain areas of your life where you have felt cheated or disappointed. There seem to be many times in my spiritual journey with Christ where I’ve been confused and desperately frustrated. Online Services | 11:30am, 3:00pm & 6:00pm, Christian Life Center | 2699 West Commercial Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 | (954) 731-5433 | info@clcftl.org. Expressing doubt is sometimes the first step toward the next level of intimacy with God. Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. If you want a deeper, more intimate connection with God you must learn to honestly share your feelings with him, trust him when he asks you to do something, learn to care about what he cares about, and desire his friendship more than anything else. If so, this study is a great place to learn that God is a friend worth having. That's the whole reason Jesus came to earth. He told Moses he would keep his promise to give the Israelites the Promised Land, but he wasn't going one step farther with them in the desert! It won’t happen by accident. Just look at my facebook page, over 240 "friends". You are as close to God as you choose to be 4. The thing I seek most of all is the privilege of meditating in God’s Temple, living in his presence every day of my life, delighting in his incomparable perfections and glory. He said, "The thing I seek most of all is the privilege of meditating in his Temple, living in his presence every day of my life, delighting in his incomparable perfection and glory." Ties right in with what Jesus says about hearing his words and acting on them. We need a level of honesty with God. Fortunately, because of God's grace, Jesus is still the `friend of sinners."'. He craved God. How else will I know that you're with me in this, with me and your people? Honestly share your feelings with Him. If you want a deeper, more intimate connection with God you must learn to honestly share your feelings with him, trust him when he asks you to do something, learn to care about what he … It takes desire, time, and energy. But there is an easier way to reignite your passion for God: Start asking God to give it to you, and keep on asking until you have it. This is the reason God used Paul in such a great way. His relationship with his Father is the model for our friendship with him. Great opportunities may come once in a lifetime, but small opportunities surround us every day. Like any friendship, you must work at developing your friendship with God. Are you traveling with us or not?...' Remember, it’s your choice. Like any friendship, you must work at developing your friendship with God. God, however, didn't seem to be bothered by this frankness; in fact, he encouraged it. You are as close to God as you choose to be! Genuine friendship is built on disclosure. You are as close to God as you choose to be. Verse to Remember: “Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you.” James 4:8 a (NLT). Your love, LORD, means more than life to me. You are as close to God as you choose to be. However, Jesus made it clear that obedience is a condition of intimacy with God. When Jesus asks us to love others, help the needy, share our resources, keep our lives clean, offer forgiveness, and bring others to him, love motivates us to obey immediately. God was fed up, and he let Moses know exactly how he felt. Friendships don’t develop by accident - they take time and effort. It is better to obey than to sacrifice.". Thirty years of pleasing God were summed up in two words: "lived obediently"! He offers his friendship to the GODLY (proverbs 3:32) Draw close to GOD, and GOD will draw close to you (James 4:8) You are as close to GOD as you choose to be. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16) -- then you and your friends can know -- enough to prove God is real for yourself and then bless the whole world with God… James 4:8 a (NLT). You'll you'll do these things anyways, they'll come naturally to you and uh and that's the thing about developing your friendship with God is that you know the more you fall in love with him and the closer you get to the easier it is to trust him and obey him and have this relationship with him. Your friendship with God will also develop when you learn to desire his friendship more than anything else. Jesus did whatever the Father asked him to do-out of love. I must choose to value what God values. Kailangan mo maglaan ng oras at lakas. Every time you trust God’s wisdom … You, frankly, can be as close to God as you want to be and it depends on you. It takes time, desire and energy.If you want a deeper, more intimate connection with God you must learn to honestly share your feelings with him, trust him when he ask you to do something, learn to care about what he cares about and desire his friendship … Absolutely! God’s friendship has to be that way. You are as close to God as you choose to be. He knows who and what is best for you. If we want to be close to God, we must first learn to be honest with Him to include Him; to include Him in our lives. The truth is-you are as close to God as you choose to be.

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