Alright, the readers voted and the winner is…… Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby.

Every day if you are registered, you will receive an email containing the lesson for the day. I will post the bible memory verses and any questions from the book. I will comment on the sections as well as give you all the lesson for the day along with the assignments. I encourage everyone to actively particpate and discuss the content.

My goal is to get 1000 readers by the end of the year.

I encourage everyone to tell their friends about this site. I will add more as we go along. The first lesson will be coming later on today!

As an introduction Experiencing God is a daily walk. It requires that you contemplate and focus on Jesus. Since the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden God has been actively seeking a relationship with man. Since we are sinful, we can not commune with God because He is Holy and can not associate with sin. When we seek after Him, He will draw near to us. This is the will of God in our lives. As we study through this book, we will not only seek this relationship but we will 1. Learn to hear when God is speaking to us, 2. Find out where God is working and join Him, 3. Experience God doing through you what only God can do!

Alright, the readers voted and the winner is…… Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby.

Every day if you are registered, you will receive an email containing the lesson for the day. I will post the bible memory verses and any questions from the book. I will comment on the sections as well as give you all the lesson for the day along with the assignments. I encourage everyone to actively particpate and discuss the content.

My goal is to get 1000 readers by the end of the year.

I encourage everyone to tell their friends about this site. I will add more as we go along. The first lesson will be coming later on today!

As an introduction Experiencing God is a daily walk. It requires that you contemplate and focus on Jesus. Since the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden God has been actively seeking a relationship with man. Since we are sinful, we can not commune with God because He is Holy and can not associate with sin. When we seek after Him, He will draw near to us. This is the will of God in our lives. As we study through this book, we will not only seek this relationship but we will 1. Learn to hear when God is speaking to us, 2. Find out where God is working and join Him, 3. Experience God doing through you what only God can do!

As some of you probably have already known I have had a birthday recently. It was significant because I turned the big 4-0. With turning 40 I have to get doctor’s check up. Especially with it being summer and I’m off work because I am a teacher, I have the time to go. My first visit was for a blood test and examination of some spots on my arm. The result was that I have high cholesterol and I am showing signs of glucose intolerance, the pre-stages of diabetes. WHAT?!?!? What about my arm? I have these hard spots under the skin and I’m being told about a blood test from 6 months ago?Hmmm… I now have to go back in for a glucose test. So I drink the nasty concentrated orange soda and wait for the nurse to come in and prick my finger every hour. Yep my glucose level is high, which means that my body isn’t getting rid of the sugar. Solution? Diet and exercise. Doc said that the diet needs to be high protein and low carb. Little did I know that trying to stay on this diet was going to be a battle. For one thing the food is expensive and second I didn’t realize how much I love carbs. (I am eating ravioli as I write this… shhh don’t tell my Dr.) He said he wants to put me on Metformin. It’s a medicine that re-instructs my body on what it’s supposed to do with insulin.

Next was to get my ears checked. For a while now everyone says I have to have them repeat things in a conversation. My wife says that I can’t hear thunder which is my excuse when trying to participate in conversations in crowded rooms or social get togethers. The first doctor I go to tells me that I have stress in my throat and prescribes me Omnaris. What? Stress? Isn’t Omnaris an allergy med? For the throat? At least that is what I think he said. So, needless to say I went to make an appointment at another audiologist. Dr. Jones, now we have this thing goin on… (sorry bad joke). This result came out that I had a hearing problem. My left ear is really bad and my right is moderately bad. At best I can only hear 47% of the conversations. There was a commercial a while back that had 3 men in a conference room having a meeting. Two of the guys were doing most of the talking but the third guy was struggling to understand. He heard them talking gibberish which is what the audience hears them to say. Things like “Bubble gum cappuccino wrapped in cheese”. This scenario describes exactly what I hear in a conversation in a crowded room. Anyway the audiologist recommended that I get hearing aids. I kind of figured that is what he was going to say and did a little research. The cheapest aids on the market are at least $1500 for one. And they only last for about 6 years. Insurance companies consider these a cosmetic device and covers only a portion of them. My coverage is for $1000 every 3 years. So I do more research and found that I can get a used pair from ebay or craigslist for under $1000. But there is one catch. I don’t have $1000 and my flex spending card can’t be used for purchases in this manner.

I did in fact find a great deal. It was for a pair that has every feature I liked and was one of the top of the line hearing aids on the market. They were for $500. I told my wife and she gave me the answer “I good with whatever decision you make”. This is usually how we make money decisions in our family. We use the protocol of asking the other spouse for permission and want them to give the right answer but the other dodges responsibility and puts it back on the other. Kinda like tennis.

Finally I asked her “I want you to tell me you real answer. What do you think i should do?” She said, “Don’t be a Saul, be a David.” Since my first name IS David, I was wondering what she meant. She explained that her boss at work had a Bible study about Saul and David. Saul was the king that tried to do things himself and then wanted God to either honor it or make it the right thing to do in the situation. David, who was known as a man after God’s own heart, waited for God to work.

As I thought about this concept, how many times have we wanted God to make what we did great instead of letting God do the great thing? Hmmmm. Come to think about it, this concept is taught throughout the Bible. We tend to try to do things under our own power and fail miserably. Why can’t we be a David and let God be God!

How about you? What are some ways that you have wanted God to move in your life and you were impatient and moved for yourself? How did it work out? (I do realize that sometimes we do the right thing and we do succeed)

Have you ever trusted God whole-heartedly? How did that work out?

Have you ever witnessed these scenarios in other people’s lives? Did it work out for them? What would be something different that you would have done?

Please remember to comment!!!

As some of you probably have already known I have had a birthday recently. It was significant because I turned the big 4-0. With turning 40 I have to get doctor’s check up. Especially with it being summer and I’m off work because I am a teacher, I have the time to go. My first visit was for a blood test and examination of some spots on my arm. The result was that I have high cholesterol and I am showing signs of glucose intolerance, the pre-stages of diabetes. WHAT?!?!? What about my arm? I have these hard spots under the skin and I’m being told about a blood test from 6 months ago?Hmmm… I now have to go back in for a glucose test. So I drink the nasty concentrated orange soda and wait for the nurse to come in and prick my finger every hour. Yep my glucose level is high, which means that my body isn’t getting rid of the sugar. Solution? Diet and exercise. Doc said that the diet needs to be high protein and low carb. Little did I know that trying to stay on this diet was going to be a battle. For one thing the food is expensive and second I didn’t realize how much I love carbs. (I am eating ravioli as I write this… shhh don’t tell my Dr.) He said he wants to put me on Metformin. It’s a medicine that re-instructs my body on what it’s supposed to do with insulin.

Next was to get my ears checked. For a while now everyone says I have to have them repeat things in a conversation. My wife says that I can’t hear thunder which is my excuse when trying to participate in conversations in crowded rooms or social get togethers. The first doctor I go to tells me that I have stress in my throat and prescribes me Omnaris. What? Stress? Isn’t Omnaris an allergy med? For the throat? At least that is what I think he said. So, needless to say I went to make an appointment at another audiologist. Dr. Jones, now we have this thing goin on… (sorry bad joke). This result came out that I had a hearing problem. My left ear is really bad and my right is moderately bad. At best I can only hear 47% of the conversations. There was a commercial a while back that had 3 men in a conference room having a meeting. Two of the guys were doing most of the talking but the third guy was struggling to understand. He heard them talking gibberish which is what the audience hears them to say. Things like “Bubble gum cappuccino wrapped in cheese”. This scenario describes exactly what I hear in a conversation in a crowded room. Anyway the audiologist recommended that I get hearing aids. I kind of figured that is what he was going to say and did a little research. The cheapest aids on the market are at least $1500 for one. And they only last for about 6 years. Insurance companies consider these a cosmetic device and covers only a portion of them. My coverage is for $1000 every 3 years. So I do more research and found that I can get a used pair from ebay or craigslist for under $1000. But there is one catch. I don’t have $1000 and my flex spending card can’t be used for purchases in this manner.

I did in fact find a great deal. It was for a pair that has every feature I liked and was one of the top of the line hearing aids on the market. They were for $500. I told my wife and she gave me the answer “I good with whatever decision you make”. This is usually how we make money decisions in our family. We use the protocol of asking the other spouse for permission and want them to give the right answer but the other dodges responsibility and puts it back on the other. Kinda like tennis.

Finally I asked her “I want you to tell me you real answer. What do you think i should do?” She said, “Don’t be a Saul, be a David.” Since my first name IS David, I was wondering what she meant. She explained that her boss at work had a Bible study about Saul and David. Saul was the king that tried to do things himself and then wanted God to either honor it or make it the right thing to do in the situation. David, who was known as a man after God’s own heart, waited for God to work.

As I thought about this concept, how many times have we wanted God to make what we did great instead of letting God do the great thing? Hmmmm. Come to think about it, this concept is taught throughout the Bible. We tend to try to do things under our own power and fail miserably. Why can’t we be a David and let God be God!

How about you? What are some ways that you have wanted God to move in your life and you were impatient and moved for yourself? How did it work out? (I do realize that sometimes we do the right thing and we do succeed)

Have you ever trusted God whole-heartedly? How did that work out?

Have you ever witnessed these scenarios in other people’s lives? Did it work out for them? What would be something different that you would have done?

Please remember to comment!!!

As some of you probably have already known I have had a birthday recently. It was significant because I turned the big 4-0. With turning 40 I have to get doctor’s check up. Especially with it being summer and I’m off work because I am a teacher, I have the time to go. My first visit was for a blood test and examination of some spots on my arm. The result was that I have high cholesterol and I am showing signs of glucose intolerance, the pre-stages of diabetes. WHAT?!?!? What about my arm? I have these hard spots under the skin and I’m being told about a blood test from 6 months ago?Hmmm… I now have to go back in for a glucose test. So I drink the nasty concentrated orange soda and wait for the nurse to come in and prick my finger every hour. Yep my glucose level is high, which means that my body isn’t getting rid of the sugar. Solution? Diet and exercise. Doc said that the diet needs to be high protein and low carb. Little did I know that trying to stay on this diet was going to be a battle. For one thing the food is expensive and second I didn’t realize how much I love carbs. (I am eating ravioli as I write this… shhh don’t tell my Dr.) He said he wants to put me on Metformin. It’s a medicine that re-instructs my body on what it’s supposed to do with insulin.

Next was to get my ears checked. For a while now everyone says I have to have them repeat things in a conversation. My wife says that I can’t hear thunder which is my excuse when trying to participate in conversations in crowded rooms or social get togethers. The first doctor I go to tells me that I have stress in my throat and prescribes me Omnaris. What? Stress? Isn’t Omnaris an allergy med? For the throat? At least that is what I think he said. So, needless to say I went to make an appointment at another audiologist. Dr. Jones, now we have this thing goin on… (sorry bad joke). This result came out that I had a hearing problem. My left ear is really bad and my right is moderately bad. At best I can only hear 47% of the conversations. There was a commercial a while back that had 3 men in a conference room having a meeting. Two of the guys were doing most of the talking but the third guy was struggling to understand. He heard them talking gibberish which is what the audience hears them to say. Things like “Bubble gum cappuccino wrapped in cheese”. This scenario describes exactly what I hear in a conversation in a crowded room. Anyway the audiologist recommended that I get hearing aids. I kind of figured that is what he was going to say and did a little research. The cheapest aids on the market are at least $1500 for one. And they only last for about 6 years. Insurance companies consider these a cosmetic device and covers only a portion of them. My coverage is for $1000 every 3 years. So I do more research and found that I can get a used pair from ebay or craigslist for under $1000. But there is one catch. I don’t have $1000 and my flex spending card can’t be used for purchases in this manner.

I did in fact find a great deal. It was for a pair that has every feature I liked and was one of the top of the line hearing aids on the market. They were for $500. I told my wife and she gave me the answer “I good with whatever decision you make”. This is usually how we make money decisions in our family. We use the protocol of asking the other spouse for permission and want them to give the right answer but the other dodges responsibility and puts it back on the other. Kinda like tennis.

Finally I asked her “I want you to tell me you real answer. What do you think i should do?” She said, “Don’t be a Saul, be a David.” Since my first name IS David, I was wondering what she meant. She explained that her boss at work had a Bible study about Saul and David. Saul was the king that tried to do things himself and then wanted God to either honor it or make it the right thing to do in the situation. David, who was known as a man after God’s own heart, waited for God to work.

As I thought about this concept, how many times have we wanted God to make what we did great instead of letting God do the great thing? Hmmmm. Come to think about it, this concept is taught throughout the Bible. We tend to try to do things under our own power and fail miserably. Why can’t we be a David and let God be God!

How about you? What are some ways that you have wanted God to move in your life and you were impatient and moved for yourself? How did it work out? (I do realize that sometimes we do the right thing and we do succeed)

Have you ever trusted God whole-heartedly? How did that work out?

Have you ever witnessed these scenarios in other people’s lives? Did it work out for them? What would be something different that you would have done?

Please remember to comment!!!

I remember watching cartoons on Saturday morning while eating my cereal and seeing one of the characters that was just put in a dilemma. You’ve seen them where the character has to make a choice and then *POOF* there are two figures one on each shoulder and one in a red devil outfit and the other wearing a white gown with a halo. They were trying to convince the character to either do the right thing or the wrong thing. Did you ever wonder where they cartoonist got the idea for that? Well in the book of James of course.

What is the source of the wars and the fights among you? Don’t they come from the cravings that are at war within you?
James 4:1 (HCSB)

How many times per day are you bombarded by thoughts that conflict with each other? I mean that while we know that we are to be honoring God all the time and we are to put Him first in all things BUT we also have our own desires that are “at war” with holy thoughts.  All the time right!?!

I am not saying that we have bad thoughts all the time. I am saying that sometimes we have a disordered mind in that we tend to the selfishness side (or we listen to the character in the red suit on our shoulder).

Do a self test. List the top 5 things that you want to do today. Things you want to get accomplished. Things you want to acquire. Now look at your list and ask yourself where did God fall into the mix?

According to James, the war that rages in our minds as Christians is due to our desires that battle against each other. The disordered mind, or what I what dubbed it the “Gospel ADHD”, has both good and bad desires jumbled together with little order. This will is not in control of thinking. Therefore little tought is given to what we think about. Then our thoughts often lead to actions. Godly thoughts lead to Godly actions. Wrong thoughts lead to wrong actions.

The minds of Christ was not disordered but ordered. He controlled His thinking in such a way that only godly actions came through His life. This is one reason you and I need the mind of Christ.

I remember watching cartoons on Saturday morning while eating my cereal and seeing one of the characters that was just put in a dilemma. You’ve seen them where the character has to make a choice and then *POOF* there are two figures one on each shoulder and one in a red devil outfit and the other wearing a white gown with a halo. They were trying to convince the character to either do the right thing or the wrong thing. Did you ever wonder where they cartoonist got the idea for that? Well in the book of James of course.

What is the source of the wars and the fights among you? Don’t they come from the cravings that are at war within you?
James 4:1 (HCSB)

How many times per day are you bombarded by thoughts that conflict with each other? I mean that while we know that we are to be honoring God all the time and we are to put Him first in all things BUT we also have our own desires that are “at war” with holy thoughts.  All the time right!?!

I am not saying that we have bad thoughts all the time. I am saying that sometimes we have a disordered mind in that we tend to the selfishness side (or we listen to the character in the red suit on our shoulder).

Do a self test. List the top 5 things that you want to do today. Things you want to get accomplished. Things you want to acquire. Now look at your list and ask yourself where did God fall into the mix?

According to James, the war that rages in our minds as Christians is due to our desires that battle against each other. The disordered mind, or what I what dubbed it the “Gospel ADHD”, has both good and bad desires jumbled together with little order. This will is not in control of thinking. Therefore little tought is given to what we think about. Then our thoughts often lead to actions. Godly thoughts lead to Godly actions. Wrong thoughts lead to wrong actions.

The minds of Christ was not disordered but ordered. He controlled His thinking in such a way that only godly actions came through His life. This is one reason you and I need the mind of Christ.