Beginning with God: The Foundation of Faith

Devotional

Day 1: Experiencing God Beyond Knowledge

In our spiritual journey, there is a profound difference between knowing about God and truly knowing Him. This distinction is illustrated through the story of an actor and an old preacher. The actor, with his eloquence, could recite the 23rd Psalm beautifully, but it was the preacher's heartfelt rendition that moved the audience to tears. This story highlights the importance of having a deep, personal relationship with God, beyond mere knowledge. It's about experiencing God's presence and love in our lives, which transforms us and gives us strength in times of trial. This personal relationship with God is what sustains us through life's challenges and allows us to truly know Him. [08:22]

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (ESV): "Thus says the Lord: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.'"

Reflection: Think of a time when you felt God's presence in a personal way. How can you seek to deepen that relationship today, beyond just acquiring knowledge about Him?

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Day 2: Trusting in the Mystery of God

The knowability of God is a profound doctrine that invites us to trust in His higher ways and thoughts. While God is knowable, He is not fully comprehensible, and this mystery encourages us to deepen our faith and reliance on Him. Acknowledging that His ways and thoughts are higher than ours allows us to embrace the unknown with trust and confidence. Our journey with God is not just about acquiring knowledge but about cultivating a "knowness" of God that sustains us through life's challenges. This understanding invites us to trust in His wisdom and guidance, even when we cannot fully comprehend His plans. [10:23]

Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV): "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Reflection: In what area of your life are you struggling to trust God's higher ways? How can you surrender this area to Him today, trusting in His wisdom and guidance?

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Day 3: Prioritizing Divine Relationships

The triune nature of God highlights the importance of love and relationships. Before creation, there was love within the Godhead, emphasizing the priority of relationships in our lives. We are called to prioritize our relationship with God above all else, as it is the foundation for all other relationships and endeavors. This divine relationship shapes our interactions with others and influences how we live our lives. By prioritizing our relationship with God, we align ourselves with His love and purpose, allowing us to build meaningful and lasting relationships with those around us. [16:10]

1 John 4:7-8 (ESV): "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."

Reflection: Consider your current relationships. How can you prioritize your relationship with God to positively impact your interactions with others today?

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Day 4: Worship as a Lifestyle

Worship is not confined to a specific time or place but is a way of life. We were created to worship God, and our ultimate purpose is to glorify Him in all that we do. This understanding should permeate every aspect of our lives, influencing how we live, love, and respond to life's circumstances. Worship is reflected in our daily actions, attitudes, and choices, and it is through this lifestyle of worship that we honor God and fulfill our purpose. By embracing worship as a way of life, we align ourselves with God's will and bring glory to His name in all that we do. [24:02]

Colossians 3:17 (ESV): "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Reflection: How can you incorporate worship into your daily routine today, making it a lifestyle rather than just an event?

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Day 5: Embracing New Beginnings with God

With God, we can find new beginnings even in the midst of life's challenges. Our understanding of who God is gives us the discernment to move in a godly way, representing Him in all circumstances. This perspective allows us to embrace change and new opportunities with hope and confidence, knowing that God is with us every step of the way. By trusting in His guidance and wisdom, we can navigate life's challenges and embrace new beginnings with faith and courage. This understanding empowers us to live a life that reflects God's love and purpose, bringing glory to His name in all that we do. [30:06]

Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV): "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Reflection: What new beginning is God inviting you to embrace today? How can you step forward in faith, trusting in His guidance and wisdom?

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound truth that everything begins with God. Reflecting on Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning, God," we delved into the foundational aspects of our faith. This simple yet powerful statement sets the stage for understanding the entirety of the Bible and our relationship with God. It challenges us to recognize that before anything else, there is God, and this acknowledgment shapes our worldview and faith journey.

We shared a story of an actor and an old preacher, illustrating the difference between knowing about God and truly knowing God. The actor, with his eloquence, could recite the 23rd Psalm beautifully, but it was the preacher's heartfelt rendition that moved the audience to tears. This story underscores the importance of having a deep, personal relationship with God, beyond mere knowledge. It's about experiencing God's presence and love in our lives, which transforms us and gives us strength in times of trial.

We also discussed the doctrine of the knowability of God, emphasizing that while God is knowable, He is not fully comprehensible. This mystery invites us to deepen our faith and trust in Him, acknowledging that His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. Our journey with God is not just about acquiring knowledge but about cultivating a "knowness" of God that sustains us through life's challenges.

Furthermore, we explored the priority of relationships, as seen in the triune nature of God. Before creation, there was love within the Godhead, highlighting the importance of love and relationships in our lives. We are called to prioritize our relationship with God above all else, as it is the foundation for all other relationships and endeavors.

Finally, we examined the concept of worship, recognizing that we were created to worship God. Worship is not confined to a specific time or place but is a way of life. It is reflected in how we live, love, and respond to life's circumstances. Our ultimate purpose is to glorify God in all that we do, and this understanding should permeate every aspect of our lives.

Key Takeaways

1. **Knowing God vs. Knowing About God:** The story of the actor and the preacher illustrates the difference between having knowledge of God and truly knowing Him. A deep, personal relationship with God transforms us and sustains us through life's challenges. [08:22]
2. The Knowability of God: While God is knowable, He is not fully comprehensible. This invites us to trust in His higher ways and thoughts, deepening our faith and reliance on Him. [10:23]
3. The Priority of Relationships: The triune nature of God highlights the importance of love and relationships. We are called to prioritize our relationship with God, as it is the foundation for all other relationships and endeavors. [16:10]
4. Created for Worship: Worship is not confined to a specific time or place but is a way of life. Our ultimate purpose is to glorify God in all that we do, and this understanding should permeate every aspect of our lives. [24:02]
5. God of New Beginnings: With God, we can find new beginnings even in the midst of life's challenges. Our understanding of who God is gives us the discernment to move in a godly way, representing Him in all circumstances. [30:06]
** [30:06]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:42] - Opening Prayer
[03:27] - Reflecting on God's Goodness
[05:14] - Genesis 1:1 - It All Begins With God
[06:10] - The Actor and the Preacher
[09:31] - The Knowability of God
[11:26] - Knowledge vs. Knowness of God
[13:14] - The Single Story of the Bible
[15:00] - The Triune God and Love
[17:08] - Prioritizing Relationships
[18:58] - The Purpose of Worship
[22:53] - Worship as a Way of Life
[25:50] - The Universe as God's Sanctuary
[28:00] - Living for God's Glory
[30:06] - New Beginnings with God

Sermon Clips

1) "As we look at Genesis chapter one, and this first portion in beginning God, I shared that if we don't get this right, everything else in the Bible is at risk of not being right, of not being understood, of not being properly comprehended. Because our world tells you that there's this belief of evolution, the Big Bang Theory, and evolution suggests that nobody plus nothing equals everything. That's it in a nutshell. Just making it plain for you. But we must know the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." [09:31] (54 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2) "Your knowledge of God keeps you from failing the Bible study test, but your knowness of God keeps you from failing life's tests. That's because your knowledge of God comes from your Christian education, but your knowness of God comes from your knowledge of God. Your knowledge of God comes from your Christian experience. Your knowledge of God comes from what you heard, but your knowness of God comes from what you know." [11:26] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3) "When you delight in him is right, he will change your desire and make it tight. You can tweet that. I mean, oh my gosh. I may have to write that down again. we think about who God is, we understand, that it all begins with God. And the last week, I shared with you the first point, it said, in the beginning, there is God. First four words, the Bible formed the foundation of our faith." [12:14] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4) "God reentered the world in human flesh to redeem us, that's Jesus. And God will remake the world when he comes again. We understand that in the beginning, there is God. God is self-existent and he's self-sufficient. He needs no one. He needs nothing. But also, we shared last week that in the beginning, not only was there God, in the beginning, there is love." [14:05] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5) "For us believers, worship is the eternal thing we do. If you don't like worship, please don't die. Or at least don't die and go to glory. Because in glory, there will be worship. Y'all kind of quiet this morning. I think I need to spend more time developing the text. What y'all think? I'm on the third point, I'm ready to go home, but y'all kind of tired." [21:04] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6) "If God made you and really I'm saying if since God made you as believer you are created to worship but also everything God does is holy for worship so I'm 33 8 says let all the earth fear the Lord let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him has God ever awed you has God ever blown your mind the whole universe is God's sanctuary I mean you've been cutting up in a sanctuary and you thought you in the world the whole universe is God's sanctuary because he said heaven is my throne the earth is my footstool is that not bible so if the world if the universe is god's sanctuary the milky way is god's pipe organ the stars are god's stained glass windows" [25:50] (81 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7) "Genesis implies that with the god of new beginnings elohim you can sing again even when life sucks you in you can sing again even when life washes you over you can sing again even when life blows you away because a new beginning starts from the inside god always works from the inside and if child of god who he is you'll know what to do because you're understanding you're understanding you're understanding you're understanding of who god is gives you the discernment and you'll move in a godly and not in the world you'll move representing god and not opposing god when folk in your face you won't revert back to what you did 15 years ago because some folk don't want you to live down where you're being and you may be suited and booted you may be tucked and dressed but they'll say but i know where they came from but when you show them who you are in god you'll know who you are and you'll know who you are and you'll know who you are that speaks all the difference" [30:06] (86 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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