Sitting Down With God

I am about to start a Bible Study at my home, and it is my turn to pick the subject.  So in the next few weeks, we will be talking about fear;  the spirit of fear, Fear of God, and just plain being afraid in our day to day life.  I thought that maybe ya'll would be interested in my notes for your own personal study.  So here is the first sessions notes.  I hope that you find them comforting and encouraging.  God Bless!

  I took a deep breath and I walked in.  To my amazement, everyone smiled at me.  People I had never met before were shaking my hand and hugging me.  I walked as fast as I could to find a seat and look inconspicuous.  I was just blown away at the response of these strangers.  Wow, I mean they don't even know me and they are so welcoming.  With this I sat back and watched as service began.  I am a people watcher.  I am looking at everyone and everything.  When I tell you that you could feel the presence of God in this place, I mean goose-bumps on your arms and tears falling out of your eyes and you don't even remember starting to cry.     I felt like I had come home.  Now, I moved from South Florida when I was a junior in high school.  Before, I moved I was involved sporadically in youth group down there.  When I moved up here to the Florida Panhandle, I knew absolutely no one.  I went to several diffe...

Life is full of choices.   The most important choice I have ever made was becoming a Christian.   I made the choice to love an almighty God. The Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.   Every choice you make has a consequence, some good and some bad.               When you choose to live for God; to proclaim off of every rooftop the love of His Son, you will be persecuted.   In being a Christian, we know what our reward is.   We know that no matter what troubles befall us on this earth, that in the end we win.   There are consequences to being a Christian: ·         You can no longer live a life full of debauchery: o    Drunkenness o    Lust o    Idolatry ·         You will lose friends o    The people you associated with are not going to change what they do because you have made a...

GAIN FREEDOM FROM THE WORLD:           Lesson Three, You can’t straddle the fence.   You can’t be of the world and of God too.   You have to make a choice.   You either live in the world or you live like Christ is in you. Galatians 5:1 ESV, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”           When you are of the world you are a slave to sin.   I know that before I dedicated my life back to Christ that I was a slave to sin.   My heart had gotten so hardened against what was right, that being wrong seemed right to me.   My conscious no longer worked.   I couldn’t hear God’s voice if he was standing at my ear with a megaphone.   In the world, I battled alcoholism and drug abuse. I battled debt and insecurity.   I was angry all the time and my hope was in earthly things.   I got so far dow...

          Lights, camera, action!   You are the up and coming star in a new reality TV show.   Cameras will be on you 24/7 from here on out.   You are required by contract to be 100% yourself for the next year.   You have to talk, dress, and interact with others just like you would if there was no camera crew following you around.             Now, reality is that the chances of one of us being on a reality TV show is small, but think about it really hard.   What kind of person would you show the world if you had a camera following you around all the time?             I was walking into work tonight and this question presented itself to me.   I feel that as a Christian I would like to think that I would show good qualities to the world, but the truth is none of us are perfect.   However, I feel like this was a ...

    I was doing my bible study today and a thought was put before me.  The question was " How often do you take a shower?"  How does this pertain to a bible study? Ha ha, I know what you mean.  I was like,really?  What kind of question is that?  But, as I read on in my study the answer was so clear.  I bathe everyday.  I take a shower sometimes twice a day depending on how dirty I get in the course of my day.  So if I bathe daily or more than once a day; why am I only going to the cross every now and then?     Doesn't sin make you feel unclean?  This is a good question.  If sin makes my soul unclean and dirt makes my body unclean.  Then why am I bathing my body and not my spirit?  I have really been trying to have a better walk with God and I need encouragement daily to keep myself strong in my personal convictions for a better life.  However, I find myself knowing that even though I do my bi...

          I was sitting at my desk at work the other night and one of my coworker's turned to me and said, " You know, I am glad you found God and everything, but its like it has just sucked the life right out of you.   You don't act the same anymore and I think you were just fine before you started going to church."   She looked at me expecting me to get angry with her for saying this.   All I could do was laugh.           I thought to myself. " God, what a great opportunity to witness of your amazing love and glory today.   Thank you."   I sat back and my coworker and I had a very good chat.   I said to her, " Thank you, that is probably the best compliment anyone has ever gave me."   She looked confused and I broke it down for her.           It is great that she can see the changes in my life.   That is a witn...