Seeking God's Guidance for Abundant Living
Summary
In this sermon, I was reminded of the importance of seeking God's guidance in all aspects of life. The speaker emphasized that God is not obligated to bless our plans, but His plans are already blessed. This means that instead of making our own plans and expecting God to bless them, we should seek His will and follow His plans for our lives. The speaker also highlighted the story of the disciples who went fishing and caught nothing until Jesus instructed them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. This story serves as a reminder that our own efforts can often be fruitless, but when we follow God's guidance, we can experience abundance.
The speaker also touched on the concept of recognizing God's presence in our lives. There are times when God is working in our lives, but we fail to recognize it. This could be due to our preoccupation with our own plans or lack of spiritual discernment. The speaker encouraged us to pray for the ability to recognize when God is at work in our lives. This is because God is interested in every detail of our lives and there is no place we can go where He is not present.
Key Takeaways:
- God's plans are already blessed and we should seek His guidance in all aspects of our lives. ([20:49])
- Our own efforts can often be fruitless, but when we follow God's guidance, we can experience abundance. ([21:48])
- We should pray for the ability to recognize when God is at work in our lives. ([22:57])
- God is interested in every detail of our lives and there is no place we can go where He is not present. ([24:02])
- We are never alone in our journey because we have a constant companion in God. ([25:17])
Study Guide
Main Points from the Sermon:
1. God is interested in every detail of our lives, and He is always with us. We are never alone because there are two of us - us and God. This is the great thing about being a Christian, we get a helper, a companion, a friend. ([20:49])
2. Jesus is an example of service and humility. He knew who He was, and therefore, He didn't have to prove who He was. He served others, even to the point of cooking breakfast for His disciples. ([22:57])
3. We need to know who we are in Christ. We are the righteousness of God in Christ, set apart and made holy by the blood of Jesus. We are the head and not the tail, above and not beneath. Everything we lay our hand to prospers and succeeds. ([25:58])
4. We need to ask God what He wants us to do. Instead of making our own plans and expecting God to bless them, we should seek His will and follow His plan, which is already blessed. ([13:30])
5. We need to acknowledge that we are not in control. We need to let go of our attempts to control everything and trust God to take care of things. ([07:01])
Bible Chapters for the Group to Read:
1. Leviticus 1-7
2. Numbers 1-4
3. John 13
4. James 4
Discussion Guide:
Observation Questions:
1. How does the sermon illustrate the concept of God's interest in every detail of our lives?
2. What examples from the sermon demonstrate Jesus' humility and service?
3. How does the sermon describe our identity in Christ?
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the detailed description of the Ark and the Tabernacle in Leviticus and Numbers reflect God's interest in our lives?
2. How does Jesus' act of cooking breakfast for His disciples in John 13 demonstrate His humility and service?
3. How does James 4:13-15 relate to the sermon's point about seeking God's will instead of making our own plans?
Application Questions:
1. How can we apply the understanding of God's interest in every detail of our lives in our daily routines?
2. How can we emulate Jesus' humility and service in our interactions with others?
3. How can we seek God's will in our decision-making processes?
Devotional
Day 1: God's Detailed Interest in Our Lives
God is not just present in our lives for emergencies, but He is interested in every intricate detail of our lives. He has numbered the hairs on our heads and is our constant companion. This is a reminder that we are never alone and that God is always with us, even in the smallest details of our lives. [07:40]
Bible passage: Psalm 139:13-16 - "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where you felt alone. How can you remind yourself of God's constant presence in your life?
Day 2: The Importance of Surrendering to God
Surrendering to God and allowing Him to take control of our lives is a much better option than trying to do everything on our own. We are not as smart or as in control as we think we are. God's plan is already blessed, and we need to align ourselves with His plan rather than expecting Him to bless ours. [05:12]
Bible passage: Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where you tried to control the outcome. How could surrendering to God's plan have changed the situation?
Day 3: Recognizing Jesus in Our Midst
Sometimes, Jesus is in our midst and we do not recognize Him. We need to pray that we do not miss the things that God does in our lives. This is a reminder to be aware of God's presence and work in our lives. [07:54]
Bible passage: Luke 24:31 - "Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where you may have missed recognizing God's work in your life. How can you be more aware of His presence?
Day 4: The Futility of Trying to Change Others
Trying to change others to fit our desires or expectations is a futile endeavor. It is not our job to change others, but to love and accept them as they are. This is a reminder to focus on our own growth and let God work in the lives of others. [11:42]
Bible passage: Romans 14:4 - "Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where you tried to change someone else. How can you shift your focus to accepting and loving them as they are?
Day 5: Asking God for Guidance
Instead of making our own plans and expecting God to bless them, we should ask God for His guidance and direction. This is a reminder to seek God's will in all our decisions and actions. [14:22]
Bible passage: James 1:5 - "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent decision you made. How could asking for God's guidance have influenced your decision?
Quotes
1. "If you're gonna fight and win you gotta know who you are and you gotta know who's you are, who you belong to, and who you are in Christ. Walk around your house, when the devil's after you and say, 'I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I am set apart and made holy by the blood of Jesus. I am the head and not the tail, above and not beneath. Everything I lay my hand to prospers and succeeds.'" - Joyce Meyer 25:58
2. "I'm thankful that God didn't let me do what I wanted to, when I wanted to do it because, although, I had a gift, I was still very much in need of developing more godly character. And, that's where a lot of people do make a mistake. They get an opening to go out and do something because they're gifted. And, you know, as leaders we can even be guilty of putting somebody in a position long before they're ready for it spiritually." - Joyce Meyer 26:47
3. "We don't want our ministry to be cloned after somebody else's ministry. We want it to be what the Holy Spirit wants us to do. We want to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. And let us--let him show us exactly what we'd do-- what we're supposed to do." - Dave Meyer 27:36
4. "Maybe some of you need to just get out of control and love it. How wonderful would it be if we could ever get to the point where we knew that we did not have the ability to run the world and make everybody in the universe do what we want them to do?" - Joyce Meyer 13:30
5. "If you cannot love God in the hard times, you will not love him in the good times. And I know people think that doesn't make sense, but it actually does because we are more inclined to seek God when we've got a need than we are when we don't have a need." - Joyce Meyer 17:03
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