MORE of Him, FIRST
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MORE of Him, FIRST
Psalm 37:4 (ESV) Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Luke 12:29–31 (ESV) And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
In 2020, God has MORE. MORE for me. MORE for you. MORE for us. MORE through us for them! I will not wait for MORE to simply show up. I am STRETCHING for the MORE God has for me. The STRETCH is the catalyst that unlocks the MORE that He has. As I do my part, God will miraculously do His part! I am stretching for MORE, because that is who God is. God is the God of MORE.
The first MORE we will always stretch for is MORE of Him.
DESIRE: something wanted that leads to a quest
There are two types of DESIRE: EMOTIONAL and INFORMED. Bother will take you to its destination.
Emotionally Fueled Desires Have Drawbacks:
have to be continually refueled by emotions and emotions often change, to sometimes contradictory desire, requiring a change of direction
easily influenced (turn off soundtrack in a scary movie)
can be easily manipulated (child support commercials – flies, watery eyes, dump, sad music)
can be misinformed, even deceived (think you’re being pulled over by police)
the epicenter where temptation occurs
difficult to arrive at specific solid destination
most destinations are filled with unmet expectations
Informed Desires Have Great Strengths:
ignores emotion, distraction, misinformation, manipulations, temptation, by continually re-informing itself of the “why”
regularly arrives at specific, highly valued destinations and regularly enjoys the benefits.
“The heart wants what the heart wants” is only half true. You can tell the heart what to want and it will!
When you set your heart on a desire and experience it, it is amazing. But in God’s economy, there is one superfluous desire that radically unlocks all other desires…Deisring More of God, FIRST!
When More of God is Your First Desire:
1. your first desire will be satisfied - Jeremiah 29:12–14 (ESV) Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord.
2. He will influence your other desires for the better - He will give you the desires of your heart.
3. your other desires will also be satisfied - Proverbs 10:22 (ESV) The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.
4. He will meet all of your needs – Luke 12:29-31 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
MORE of God, FIRST is more than an idea, it is a way of living!
it is a series of simple, informed decisions that turn into a lifestyle filled with MORE!
Set Time With God, First
doesn’t have to be first thing in the morning
doesn’t have to be the longest time slot
focused, distraction free, intimate
time in the Word, time in prayer.
Listen To God, First
decide in advance to say YES to anything and everything that God says
when your discover God requires an adjustment in thinking or action, do it immediately.
when you disobey scripture, you put yourself first, or someone else first.
·allow the input of others to come after you have consulted Him
His words to you are at the level of scripture
don’t ignore, reject and ultimately grieve the Holy Spirit
Become Like Him, First
we look to others and emulate them, becoming more like them
we are made in His image, but the image is skewed
Romans 8:29 (ESV) For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV) And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
we should always have one or two areas in nonconformity that are being conformed
the big external obvious tend to be first: murder, theft, lying, sexual sin, drunkenness
the deeper works of the soul come next: fear, identity,
Give To Him, First
give is against our nature, the first struggle every child experiences – we are first
tithe – when God gives to you, your return a tenth to Him before you do anything else
offering, sacrifice offering – dreaming about a trip, large ticket item… dream about a big amount to give to him
service
you can give to him by giving to others - Matthew 25:40 (ESV) And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.