First off...I don't know why I still call this blog "experiments" ...very few of my posts have been about all my experiments...I should think about changing that...or organizing better.
Anyway!
On December 18th, 2011, I started doing something I've never done before. I started going to a Bible Study. I felt lost, confused, etc...and my relationship with God was something I wanted to work on. I also wanted to understand the Bible better.
Well, I can say that now that I've gone through 1 1/2 books (Titus and James) I'm still fairly lost and confused, but feel like I have a much stronger understanding and relationship with God. So I wanted to compile all the great things I have learned and have taken away from these weekly get togethers. Hopefully other people would find these useful.
Take 12 - C/U - For first time ever -...wait! Those are notes from something else...whoops! Wrong page!
...okay, here we go! :)
- Show that people can be trusted
- Ask for God's strength for motivation to stop doing something...evil!
- Use the want/desire of that to draw closer to God and that's how you can gain God's strength
- Be a man of your word
- Family most important
- Nope, relationship with God is MOST important - can trust that He will always be there and THAT is most important, that relationship must develop!
- Don't talk nonsense or give un-important information...unless it's funny :)
- Direct access to God through grace/redemption - gets you closer to God
- When hearing other talk about God, take their info and compare to the Bible - keeping Christ as what you are following
- Make sure you're heart is in the right place - A PLACE OF LOVE
- Pray before doing things
- My negative attributes aren't that bad and not the only one who has them
- Not sure where to go with life feeling lost...be careful to NOT go to SELF DESTRUCTION
- Trials help us grow, temptations lead to sin
- Should embrace trials - experience it - USE IT TO LEARN
- Find joy in the progression to be complete - seeing overtime how you've grown leading to maturity
- Knowledge is good, but wisdom is important
- During trials can really only control your attitude!
- Don't worry about things you can't control - lean on God for these!
- You won't understand everything about God
- During pain, God knows we rely on Him more.
- God is looking for a relationship, not a service
- Call God into it...Call Him into EVERYTHING...pull Him in!
- Joy fueled by God - more consistent that way
- The joy of growing - During trials what will you do? Grow? Mature? Or be depressed?
- Devil takes something true - then adds false things and twists it around for manipulation
- Patience is key! Get patience from trials! ... -PATIENCE!!!
- The trial WILL be used later for our betterment
- Temptation is not from God, but from Evil, but God can allow it
- God DOES test us...our faith
- It's not God's goal to break us - only allow these things in our life 'cause it will develop us more as people and help build us!
- Sin creates distance from God
- Free will = Desires = Temptation = Distance from God = Bad
- Give in to sin - hurts relationship with God till you repent with God, doing a 180, which builds it back
- God can only make Good... God = Good
- Super Mario ...(I can't remember why I wrote down this note...)
- Get polluted with greed from seeing what others have and wanting it
- Greed pollutes my world and thus pollutes me
- Greed is similar to temptation
- Also relates to entitlement. Believing I am entitled to it so it fills me with anger/frustration when I don't receive what I believe I deserve
- Good deeds helps keep self from being polluted by the world
- Be in the word/walk the right light will transform your desires
- Be active in finding answers to prayer!
- Be a participant! Be active! Face real emotions! - Must jump in!!
- LISTEN to God
- God is looking for a relationship, not a service
- Call God into it...Call Him into EVERYTHING...pull Him in!
- Don't fight God on things...you'll lose.
- Show your heart to God. Be genuine and be HONEST. And He can show you what needs to change
- Listen with an actual attempt to reply...listen with compassion...ACTUALLY LISTEN!
- God's a great listener
- Humble yourself for the Holy Spirit...to be able to really listen...and understand what to do
- God takes it upon Himself to take care of us
- God's not afraid of your questions
- When reading a passage, ask God to convict you of the passage
- God always asks for Good
- He DOES have everything under control
- Develop relationship with Him to really learn how to listen and understand
- He knows how to make it happen - don't get in the way His plan
- Get speck out of own eye FIRST! SO I CAN SEE CLEARLY FIRST!!!
- See yourself properly
- Always consider best way to show your love in each moment
- Try to support people as much as you can, and they need to understand that you are doing it as you much as you can
- Let go...as hard as it can be...sometimes you will need to let go...
- Be slow to speak...it's fine to take your time to answer
- Anger - tough to have self control. Let Him take over any emotion, instantly. Find the truth within myself during anger...let God act out on anger, let Him be wrathful...not me
- Hulk
- Show love towards someone, they won't fell judged
- HELP YOURSELF BEFORE YOU CAN HELP THE OTHERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- It's important to treat everyone the same...don't judge...give people the benefit of the doubt
- When in need, don't deny others
- We're all in the same boat, any sin = any sin
- Want God to be proud
- Take the low road...just act in love...always towards others AND OURSELVES!!
- Try to love at least...
- Try
- Try!
- TRY!
- TRY!!!
- TRY!!!!!!!!
- Love...so much love...soooooooo much love...love...lots and lots of love...love, love, love, love...LOVE LOVE!!! <3 <3 <3 ¡<3!
- Actions of love are good signs 'cause it takes something out of you
- Patience/love is necessary
- Look at the positive in people, love the positive...present the negative to God
- Use the negative to drive to be better, to fuel more compassion
- "I care about you and I'm afraid etc...is really hurting you...and it's hurting me..."
- God is a friend too!
- Wake up saying "yes" to God, "what do You want me to do?"
- God can't use my faith for His divine purposes if I don't act on my faith
- God knows what is best
- Pray that God's will will be fulfilled and I can be used the way God wants
- Always ask HOW IS THIS GOING TO BRING GLORLY TO GOD???
- Healing is for the physical (not guaranteed), forgiveness is for the spiritual (guaranteed)
- So many trivial, superficial things I do/worry/focus on that just aren't important...they really aren't. There are so many other important things...there really are. Stop worrying about the stupid things. So many more important things. Sure wanting a family is important, but I have to trust that that will happen and worry about things that do ACTUALLY matter! I'm going to try hard to not trust that I'll have a family but trust that what You want to happen with me, will! And I just hope that I don't get in the way of what YOU want.
