Now another principle
00:00:05.67\00:00:07.00
that is extremely
important is this.
00:00:07.04\00:00:10.91
Make sure they
understand the topic
00:00:10.94\00:00:14.54
before going to the next lesson.
00:00:14.58\00:00:18.01
Now I want to say something
I really want this to sink in.
00:00:18.05\00:00:22.42
People don't make decisions
00:00:22.45\00:00:25.22
on things they don't understand.
00:00:25.25\00:00:28.79
Did you catch that?
00:00:28.82\00:00:30.26
I'm gonna say it again.
00:00:30.29\00:00:32.09
People don't make decisions
00:00:32.13\00:00:35.13
about things that
they don't understand.
00:00:35.16\00:00:39.23
If there is something
about that lesson or topic
00:00:39.27\00:00:42.34
that doesn't make sense to them,
00:00:42.37\00:00:44.24
they're not gonna move
forward and make a decision.
00:00:44.27\00:00:47.68
For example,
00:00:47.71\00:00:49.04
if there is
something about the Sabbath
00:00:49.08\00:00:50.95
if they just
aren't quite grasping
00:00:50.98\00:00:53.15
or understanding
00:00:53.18\00:00:54.62
they're not
gonna make a decision
00:00:54.65\00:00:56.28
to keep the Sabbath Holy
00:00:56.32\00:00:57.89
and make it a
part of their life.
00:00:57.92\00:01:00.22
The questions
have to be cleared up
00:01:00.26\00:01:02.36
in their minds.
00:01:02.39\00:01:03.86
And this is true
in the secular world.
00:01:03.89\00:01:07.00
I mean, when
you're buying a new car
00:01:07.03\00:01:09.20
and you're sitting there
00:01:09.23\00:01:10.57
and you're
looking at the contract
00:01:10.60\00:01:11.93
and you're about to
sign this notes payable.
00:01:11.97\00:01:14.90
If you don't understand
what that contract is saying
00:01:14.94\00:01:18.87
and you don't understand
what you're committing to,
00:01:18.91\00:01:21.24
are you gonna
sign that contract?
00:01:21.28\00:01:23.41
Of course not.
00:01:23.45\00:01:24.78
Because even in the real
world we don't make decisions
00:01:24.81\00:01:28.48
about things that
we don't understand.
00:01:28.52\00:01:32.69
Any more than a
freshman in college
00:01:32.72\00:01:34.86
might be able to decide
what their major is gonna be,
00:01:34.89\00:01:37.73
it may take them sometime.
00:01:37.76\00:01:40.46
So we have to let
people ask questions,
00:01:40.50\00:01:45.07
let them clear things up.
00:01:45.10\00:01:47.27
And I'm gonna talk
about answering questions
00:01:47.30\00:01:49.47
in just a minute.
00:01:49.50\00:01:51.21
The other principle was,
00:01:51.24\00:01:52.57
ask for little
decisions along the way.
00:01:52.61\00:01:54.94
You say, "What do
you mean by that?"
00:01:54.98\00:01:57.61
Don't wait until the
end of 25 or 26 lessons
00:01:57.65\00:02:01.95
and ask them to accept
the whole package all at once.
00:02:01.98\00:02:06.09
That's too much to
handle at one time.
00:02:06.12\00:02:09.46
I mean, let's think
about it for a second.
00:02:09.49\00:02:11.66
If we wait to the
end of say lesson 26
00:02:11.69\00:02:14.86
and we're gonna ask
Joe, and we're gonna say Joe,
00:02:14.90\00:02:17.13
"Are you willing
to accept the Bible
00:02:17.17\00:02:18.83
as the Holy inspired Word of God
00:02:18.87\00:02:20.54
and we need to obey it?
00:02:20.57\00:02:21.90
Are you willing to accept
when Jesus comes, it's literal,
00:02:21.94\00:02:24.74
it's audible, it's visible
00:02:24.77\00:02:26.11
and there is no such
thing as a secret rapture?
00:02:26.14\00:02:28.21
Are you willing to
accept Jesus Christ as your Lord
00:02:28.24\00:02:30.81
and your personal Savior?
00:02:30.85\00:02:32.18
Do you believe that
He's your high priest
00:02:32.21\00:02:33.75
in a heavenly sanctuary?
00:02:33.78\00:02:35.15
Joe, are you able to let
God write His law in your heart?
00:02:35.18\00:02:38.29
Joe, are you willing
to accept the Sabbath
00:02:38.32\00:02:40.06
and make those
changes in your life
00:02:40.09\00:02:41.66
and change your
job if necessary?
00:02:41.69\00:02:43.53
Joe, do you realize
that when someone dies,
00:02:43.56\00:02:45.36
they don't go to heaven,
they just rest in the grave?
00:02:45.39\00:02:47.66
Joe, do you realize that
hell doesn't burn forever,
00:02:47.70\00:02:50.40
but it comes to an end?
00:02:50.43\00:02:51.77
Joe, are you
ready to be baptized?
00:02:51.80\00:02:53.80
Are you ready to take
unclean foods, and smoking,
00:02:53.84\00:02:56.17
and tobacco, and
drugs out of your life?
00:02:56.20\00:02:58.21
And Joe, are you ready to accept
00:02:58.24\00:03:00.01
that the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:03:00.04\00:03:01.38
is the remnant
church of Bible prophecy
00:03:01.41\00:03:03.01
become part of it
00:03:03.04\00:03:04.38
and realize
that we need to honor
00:03:04.41\00:03:05.75
the Spirit of Prophecy?
00:03:05.78\00:03:07.12
Joe, you're ready to
become part of the church?"
00:03:07.15\00:03:09.58
I mean, really,
00:03:09.62\00:03:10.95
if we give them
all that at once,
00:03:10.99\00:03:13.89
they are not
likely to make a decision.
00:03:13.92\00:03:16.69
Little decisions,
00:03:16.73\00:03:18.33
little baby steps along the way.
00:03:18.36\00:03:21.33
The neat thing
with most Bible lessons
00:03:21.36\00:03:23.83
is they have
application questions
00:03:23.87\00:03:25.90
at the end.
00:03:25.93\00:03:27.67
For example,
00:03:27.70\00:03:29.04
someone just does the
lesson on the Second Coming.
00:03:29.07\00:03:32.87
We might ask them,
00:03:32.91\00:03:34.44
"Well, Joe, would
you like to pray a prayer
00:03:34.48\00:03:37.38
and ask God to
help you to be ready
00:03:37.41\00:03:39.88
for Christ soon return?"
00:03:39.91\00:03:42.35
You're asking Joe
to make a decision,
00:03:42.38\00:03:44.55
it's a little decision.
00:03:44.59\00:03:46.02
Now I don't mean little
00:03:46.05\00:03:47.39
in that it's
unimportant or insignificant,
00:03:47.42\00:03:50.03
but it's not the whole package.
00:03:50.06\00:03:51.39
You're asking him to take
a little step one at a time.
00:03:51.43\00:03:55.33
When you do the
lesson on accepting Jesus
00:03:55.36\00:03:57.50
as your Savior,
00:03:57.53\00:03:58.87
you may invite Joe,
00:03:58.90\00:04:00.64
"Joe, would you like to pray
00:04:00.67\00:04:02.00
and ask Christ to
come into your life?"
00:04:02.04\00:04:04.71
It's a little decision.
00:04:04.74\00:04:06.78
When you do the
lesson on the law,
00:04:06.81\00:04:08.68
you may say, "Well, Joe,
00:04:08.71\00:04:10.05
would you like to
have a word of prayer
00:04:10.08\00:04:11.41
and let's ask God to
write His law on our hearts?"
00:04:11.45\00:04:15.32
When you do the
lesson on the Sabbath,
00:04:15.35\00:04:17.59
you may ask Joe and invite
him to just come to church
00:04:17.62\00:04:20.09
with you one Sabbath,
00:04:20.12\00:04:21.46
just to experience
the Sabbath blessing.
00:04:21.49\00:04:23.89
You're not asking
him to quit his job,
00:04:23.93\00:04:25.46
you're not asking him
to do a bunch of changes,
00:04:25.49\00:04:27.60
just a little decision
00:04:27.63\00:04:29.46
inviting him to take
one small step forward.
00:04:29.50\00:04:33.54
And then when you get
to the end of the lessons,
00:04:33.57\00:04:36.04
you're simply asking
for one more small step.
00:04:36.07\00:04:39.54
They need to be
making smaller decisions
00:04:39.57\00:04:42.34
all along the way.
00:04:42.38\00:04:44.98
And a good set of lessons
00:04:45.01\00:04:46.82
will have decision
questions in the end,
00:04:46.85\00:04:49.32
at the end of each page
or at the end of each lesson
00:04:49.35\00:04:52.75
and so you want
to be sure to look
00:04:52.79\00:04:54.56
for those kinds of lessons.
00:04:54.59\00:04:57.63
Now one question you may ask
00:04:57.66\00:04:59.49
is there's something called
the clear and set principle.
00:04:59.53\00:05:02.93
For example,
00:05:02.96\00:05:04.30
when you've studied the Sabbath,
00:05:04.33\00:05:05.67
you might say,
00:05:05.70\00:05:07.04
"Joe, have you ever
studied the Sabbath before?"
00:05:07.07\00:05:09.60
Or is this new to you?"
00:05:09.64\00:05:11.91
"Oh, yes, this is new.
00:05:11.94\00:05:13.27
I never knew about this."
00:05:13.31\00:05:15.01
"Well, is it clear or
do you have any questions?"
00:05:15.04\00:05:17.85
"Oh, yeah, it's clear.
00:05:17.88\00:05:19.21
I'm surprised I
never saw this before."
00:05:19.25\00:05:22.02
"Well, Joe, would you like
to start keeping the Sabbath
00:05:22.05\00:05:24.32
and experiencing its blessings?"
00:05:24.35\00:05:27.29
See, first you ask is this new?
00:05:27.32\00:05:30.09
Is it clear?
00:05:30.13\00:05:31.46
Then invite them
to make a decision.
00:05:31.49\00:05:33.70
Once it's clear,
00:05:33.73\00:05:35.10
the door is open
for them to act on it.
00:05:35.13\00:05:37.63
But if something's not
clear they won't move forward.
00:05:37.67\00:05:42.77
Now let's talk
about asking questions.
00:05:42.80\00:05:47.08
This is what people
seem to be afraid of.
00:05:47.11\00:05:49.84
What if they ask me a question
I don't know the answer to?
00:05:49.88\00:05:54.15
And that is entirely possible.
00:05:54.18\00:05:57.25
People have asked me questions
I don't know the answer to.
00:05:57.29\00:06:00.59
Any pastor has
been asked questions
00:06:00.62\00:06:03.12
he doesn't know the answer to.
00:06:03.16\00:06:04.49
But guess what?
00:06:04.53\00:06:06.03
It's okay to say, I don't know.
00:06:06.06\00:06:10.73
Don't fake the answer,
00:06:10.77\00:06:12.33
people know when
you're faking it.
00:06:12.37\00:06:14.44
And most people
don't want to study,
00:06:14.47\00:06:16.04
but they know it all anyway.
00:06:16.07\00:06:18.07
You can simply say, "Well, Joe,
00:06:18.11\00:06:20.41
I never
actually thought of that.
00:06:20.44\00:06:22.01
That's a really good
question, I don't know.
00:06:22.04\00:06:24.25
But, you know what?
00:06:24.28\00:06:25.61
I'll study it this
week and get back to you.
00:06:25.65\00:06:28.68
And then what you can
do is go home that week
00:06:28.72\00:06:31.02
and search the scriptures.
00:06:31.05\00:06:33.52
Now I'll tell you
what you don't do.
00:06:33.56\00:06:35.66
And you probably not
gonna like me for this,
00:06:35.69\00:06:37.39
but it's the truth.
00:06:37.43\00:06:38.89
What you don't do,
00:06:38.93\00:06:40.56
you don't go back home
and then call your pastor
00:06:40.60\00:06:44.43
and ask him to
give you the answer,
00:06:44.47\00:06:46.84
because that's not
what the pastor's for
00:06:46.87\00:06:49.70
and that's not his job.
00:06:49.74\00:06:51.94
Now you're probably
shocked at that statement
00:06:51.97\00:06:53.64
and you're thinking,
but that's why I pay tithe.
00:06:53.68\00:06:57.88
Well, returning, first
of all, you don't pay tithe,
00:06:57.91\00:07:01.05
you return tithe,
00:07:01.08\00:07:02.42
you're returning
00:07:02.45\00:07:03.79
what doesn't
belong to you anyway.
00:07:03.82\00:07:06.15
Tithe has never been to
pay for a pastoral service.
00:07:06.19\00:07:11.16
Tithe is used to take the gospel
00:07:11.19\00:07:13.76
to the unentered
areas around the world.
00:07:13.80\00:07:17.30
Now I'm digressing a little bit.
00:07:17.33\00:07:19.87
But what we're gonna do here
00:07:19.90\00:07:21.60
is don't ask your pastor
just to hand you the answer
00:07:21.64\00:07:24.74
so that you don't have to study.
00:07:24.77\00:07:26.24
You go search the scriptures,
00:07:26.27\00:07:28.58
open the Bible, get
out your commentaries,
00:07:28.61\00:07:32.75
get out the Spirit
of Prophecy if necessary
00:07:32.78\00:07:35.42
and search for yourself.
00:07:35.45\00:07:37.59
Because the same Holy Spirit
that speaks to the pastor,
00:07:37.62\00:07:41.52
is the same Holy
Spirit that will speak to you
00:07:41.56\00:07:44.69
and that lives in your heart.
00:07:44.73\00:07:46.09
Can you say amen?
00:07:46.13\00:07:47.46
Don't short-circuit the process
00:07:47.50\00:07:50.23
of studying the
Bible for yourselves,
00:07:50.27\00:07:52.80
it will be a blessing to you.
00:07:52.83\00:07:54.44
That's the great thing
00:07:54.47\00:07:55.80
about studying
with someone else.
00:07:55.84\00:07:57.17
Forces you to
study the Bible too.
00:07:57.21\00:07:59.77
Now after you have
diligently searched
00:07:59.81\00:08:02.78
on your own,
00:08:02.81\00:08:04.15
then if you still
don't know the answer,
00:08:04.18\00:08:06.21
then you can go ahead
00:08:06.25\00:08:08.05
and talk to your pastor
or maybe one of the elders.
00:08:08.08\00:08:11.39
But don't get upset
00:08:11.42\00:08:12.75
if they don't
spoon feed it to you.
00:08:12.79\00:08:14.19
They might just give
you the verse to look for.
00:08:14.22\00:08:17.29
Then you can go back
to the person and say,
00:08:17.33\00:08:20.20
"Hey, I found the answer,"
00:08:20.23\00:08:21.96
or if you think you
don't know how to explain it,
00:08:22.00\00:08:25.30
find a little booklet somewhere,
00:08:25.33\00:08:27.20
a little piece of literature
00:08:27.24\00:08:28.57
that talks about that subject
00:08:28.60\00:08:30.31
and then you can give it to them
00:08:30.34\00:08:31.74
at the Bible study
the very next week.
00:08:31.77\00:08:34.64
Learn to use literature,
they answer questions too.
00:08:34.68\00:08:40.12
Now let's talk
about a few other things.
00:08:40.15\00:08:42.85
Now this next principle
may seem a little elementary,
00:08:42.88\00:08:47.26
but it's true.
00:08:47.29\00:08:49.42
Have prayer with them
before and after each lesson.
00:08:49.46\00:08:55.66
You say, "Well, I
kind of know that, "
00:08:55.70\00:08:58.67
but there is a purpose for it.
00:08:58.70\00:09:01.14
You see them making a decision
00:09:01.17\00:09:03.64
and having a good
Bible study with you
00:09:03.67\00:09:06.68
has nothing to do with
how intelligent you are.
00:09:06.71\00:09:09.81
It has nothing to
do with how eloquently
00:09:09.84\00:09:11.95
I might be able
to explain things.
00:09:11.98\00:09:14.95
No matter how good
you may think you are,
00:09:14.98\00:09:18.09
the only thing
that's going to change
00:09:18.12\00:09:21.02
the human heart
00:09:21.06\00:09:22.39
and bring
conviction to their soul
00:09:22.42\00:09:24.66
is the Holy Spirit.
00:09:24.69\00:09:26.90
You and I cannot do that,
00:09:26.93\00:09:29.50
so we need to make
sure that we are relying
00:09:29.53\00:09:32.17
on the power of prayer.
00:09:32.20\00:09:35.17
And what you will
eventually want to do
00:09:35.20\00:09:37.51
is invite them to pray
00:09:37.54\00:09:39.41
before or after
one of the lessons.
00:09:39.44\00:09:42.78
Now you may not
ask that right away
00:09:42.81\00:09:44.85
because some people
00:09:44.88\00:09:46.21
are a little
nervous and uncomfortable
00:09:46.25\00:09:48.05
about praying out loud.
00:09:48.08\00:09:50.05
But once they get
used to studying with you
00:09:50.09\00:09:52.29
and you build a
trusting friendship,
00:09:52.32\00:09:54.82
invite them to pray sometime,
00:09:54.86\00:09:57.63
because it is then teaching them
00:09:57.66\00:09:59.46
how to have a
personal prayer life
00:09:59.49\00:10:01.73
and how to have a
daily devotional life.
00:10:01.76\00:10:05.67
Now I do want to add
a piece of advice here.
00:10:05.70\00:10:08.87
When you do pray
before the lesson starts,
00:10:08.90\00:10:11.87
don't pray a fancy prayer,
00:10:11.91\00:10:15.68
because it will intimidate
them and they'll think,
00:10:15.71\00:10:18.58
"Oh, I can't pray like that,
00:10:18.61\00:10:20.02
so I'm not gonna pray at all."
00:10:20.05\00:10:22.92
This hit me very hard
one day in my own home.
00:10:22.95\00:10:26.99
Now sometimes my parents
come to visit us where we live
00:10:27.02\00:10:30.79
and we'll have a family worship.
00:10:30.83\00:10:32.99
And I remember,
at one family worship
00:10:33.03\00:10:34.96
we were kind of
sitting in a circle
00:10:35.00\00:10:37.33
and we were each
gonna pray a short prayer
00:10:37.37\00:10:39.87
before our children went to bed.
00:10:39.90\00:10:42.27
We have two girls at home.
00:10:42.30\00:10:44.47
But I noticed that
when it came time for my mom
00:10:44.51\00:10:47.28
to pray in the family circle,
00:10:47.31\00:10:50.01
she paused and all of
a sudden she walked away
00:10:50.05\00:10:53.65
and she went downstairs.
00:10:53.68\00:10:56.99
And so after you
know our prayer was over,
00:10:57.02\00:10:59.45
I went down and I
said, "Mom, what's wrong?"
00:10:59.49\00:11:03.63
And she was sitting on the bed
and she had tears in her eyes.
00:11:03.66\00:11:07.90
I said, "Mom, what's happening?"
00:11:07.93\00:11:10.53
And I'll never
forget what she told me.
00:11:10.57\00:11:13.37
She said, "David,
00:11:13.40\00:11:15.10
all of you pray
such beautiful prayers
00:11:15.14\00:11:18.37
and mine just sound dumb."
00:11:18.41\00:11:22.21
See, the reason my mom said that
00:11:22.24\00:11:24.18
is she's
uncomfortable praying out loud,
00:11:24.21\00:11:27.42
because of the
background that she came from.
00:11:27.45\00:11:30.29
Since she came
from a broken home,
00:11:30.32\00:11:31.92
where she never
really had a father.
00:11:31.95\00:11:34.49
And so, it's always
been more difficult for her
00:11:34.52\00:11:36.99
to relate to God
in a personal way.
00:11:37.03\00:11:40.06
So praying out loud has
never come easy for her.
00:11:40.10\00:11:43.87
And so I realized that by
us praying these fancy prayers,
00:11:43.90\00:11:47.94
we were intimidating her.
00:11:47.97\00:11:50.54
So when you're praying
with someone in a Bible study,
00:11:50.57\00:11:53.51
don't pray long fancy
prayers, keep it simple.
00:11:53.54\00:11:56.75
So it will encourage them
to one day step out in faith
00:11:56.78\00:12:00.28
and to pray too.
00:12:00.32\00:12:02.72
Now this point I want
to pause for a second,
00:12:02.75\00:12:04.75
and I want you to break
up into your small groups
00:12:04.79\00:12:07.39
for about a minute or two.
00:12:07.42\00:12:09.32
And I want you to
think about this statement.
00:12:09.36\00:12:12.59
If you teach them the truth,
00:12:12.63\00:12:15.13
but they fail to
know Jesus personally,
00:12:15.16\00:12:18.83
then you haven't
taught them the truth.
00:12:18.87\00:12:22.77
In your groups I want
you to answer the question,
00:12:22.80\00:12:25.54
what do you think
that statement means?
00:12:25.57\00:12:28.88
So let's break
up into our groups
00:12:28.91\00:12:30.41
for about two minutes.
00:12:30.45\00:12:32.88
Okay, now you had some
time to think about that.
00:12:32.91\00:12:34.95
I'd be interested
in what you had to say.
00:12:34.98\00:12:37.65
And some of the things
00:12:37.69\00:12:39.02
that probably came
to your mind is this.
00:12:39.05\00:12:42.59
Sometimes we think
00:12:42.62\00:12:44.73
that if we teach
them the doctrines,
00:12:44.76\00:12:47.90
if we teach them
all 28 fundamentals,
00:12:47.93\00:12:51.00
I've given them the truth.
00:12:51.03\00:12:53.27
As long as they memorize
the doctrines in their head,
00:12:53.30\00:12:56.50
that's good enough.
00:12:56.54\00:12:58.91
But, folks, people need
more than just information.
00:12:58.94\00:13:03.58
Information
doesn't change anybody.
00:13:03.61\00:13:07.12
Information by itself
doesn't change the human heart.
00:13:07.15\00:13:10.99
Now it's important to
have right information,
00:13:11.02\00:13:13.59
but the person needs
to know Jesus personally.
00:13:13.62\00:13:17.83
We need to teach them
00:13:17.86\00:13:19.23
how these doctrines
are centered around Jesus.
00:13:19.26\00:13:22.40
We need to teach them
00:13:22.43\00:13:23.77
how to have a
personal prayer life,
00:13:23.80\00:13:26.10
how to have a
daily devotional life
00:13:26.13\00:13:28.50
and spend time
with Jesus every day.
00:13:28.54\00:13:31.74
It always amazes me
00:13:31.77\00:13:33.11
how some of our
Bible study lessons sets
00:13:33.14\00:13:36.18
go through all the doctrines,
00:13:36.21\00:13:38.21
but don't even have a
topic in about how to pray
00:13:38.25\00:13:42.02
or how to have a
daily devotional life.
00:13:42.05\00:13:45.35
Folks, we need to make sure
00:13:45.39\00:13:46.72
that we're not just
giving them information,
00:13:46.76\00:13:49.49
but that we're also showing them
00:13:49.52\00:13:51.36
how to have a living
born-again relationship
00:13:51.39\00:13:54.83
with Jesus
00:13:54.86\00:13:56.20
and how to connect
with Him in a personal way.
00:13:56.23\00:14:00.90
Now there's a few
other things to keep in mind.
00:14:00.94\00:14:03.84
Build a friendship together.
00:14:03.87\00:14:06.37
Every time you come together,
00:14:06.41\00:14:08.24
it doesn't have to
be to do a Bible study.
00:14:08.28\00:14:11.28
Now I know that sounds
a little bit heretical,
00:14:11.31\00:14:13.42
but think about it.
00:14:13.45\00:14:15.05
Friendship is
always the first step
00:14:15.08\00:14:17.89
of soul winning.
00:14:17.92\00:14:19.25
That's what Jesus did.
00:14:19.29\00:14:21.29
I mean, Jesus went
to a wedding in Cana,
00:14:21.32\00:14:24.06
not because He
planned to preach there,
00:14:24.09\00:14:26.16
but to build
relationships with people.
00:14:26.19\00:14:28.86
So you can feel
free go bowling together.
00:14:28.90\00:14:31.40
You know, do other
recreational activities
00:14:31.43\00:14:33.30
together.
00:14:33.34\00:14:34.67
Your friendship
will grow closer,
00:14:34.70\00:14:36.74
they will learn
to trust you more
00:14:36.77\00:14:39.17
and they will be
even more comfortable
00:14:39.21\00:14:40.84
asking you spiritual questions.
00:14:40.88\00:14:43.11
Sometimes you'll
talk about the Bible
00:14:43.14\00:14:44.85
even when you're
not doing a Bible study.
00:14:44.88\00:14:47.82
So continue to
build that friendship.
00:14:47.85\00:14:51.45
The other thing is,
00:14:51.49\00:14:53.12
if they don't make a decision
at the end of the lessons said,
00:14:53.15\00:14:57.03
continue to be their friend.
00:14:57.06\00:14:59.06
I mean,
00:14:59.09\00:15:00.43
if someone gets to
the end of the lesson
00:15:00.46\00:15:01.80
and they say,
00:15:01.83\00:15:03.16
"Well, I'm not
ready to be baptized
00:15:03.20\00:15:04.63
or come to church,"
00:15:04.67\00:15:06.00
and then I cut off
my friendship with them
00:15:06.03\00:15:08.74
or what am I
really communicating?
00:15:08.77\00:15:11.01
I am saying to them,
00:15:11.04\00:15:12.61
I'll be your
friend as long as you do
00:15:12.64\00:15:14.81
what I want you to do
00:15:14.84\00:15:16.24
and make the decision
that I want you to make.
00:15:16.28\00:15:19.91
Now if they don't
make a decision at the end,
00:15:19.95\00:15:22.28
will it be disappointing?
00:15:22.32\00:15:23.92
Sure, it will. It
will be discouraging.
00:15:23.95\00:15:27.12
But continue to be their friend
00:15:27.16\00:15:29.26
and spend time with them,
00:15:29.29\00:15:30.99
because again the door
may open later in the future,
00:15:31.03\00:15:34.93
and as long as I'm their friend
that door will remain open.
00:15:34.96\00:15:40.10
Now if they want to do
a second set of lessons,
00:15:40.14\00:15:42.30
go ahead.
00:15:42.34\00:15:43.67
There's been many a people
00:15:43.71\00:15:45.04
who have had to do
two sets of lessons
00:15:45.07\00:15:46.84
or go through more
than one evangelistic series
00:15:46.88\00:15:49.91
before it all
made sense to them.
00:15:49.94\00:15:52.58
And then, of course, in
your daily devotional life,
00:15:52.61\00:15:55.75
don't just pray
with them, pray for them.
00:15:55.78\00:16:01.42
Now when it comes to
Bible studies on video.
00:16:01.46\00:16:06.06
If you're a little nervous
00:16:06.09\00:16:07.43
about given a
verbal Bible study.
00:16:07.46\00:16:10.17
The church has so
many Bible studies
00:16:10.20\00:16:11.93
on DVD now.
00:16:11.97\00:16:13.74
You can buy them
00:16:13.77\00:16:15.30
and you can
share it with someone,
00:16:15.34\00:16:17.24
you can give them one
disc at a time and say,
00:16:17.27\00:16:19.91
"Hey, Joe, watch
this in your own house
00:16:19.94\00:16:22.08
and tell me what you think."
00:16:22.11\00:16:23.51
Then when they bring
back disc number one,
00:16:23.55\00:16:25.91
you simply ask the question,
00:16:25.95\00:16:27.78
"Well, Joe, what did you think?
Did you have any questions?"
00:16:27.82\00:16:30.99
And that will start a
spiritual conversation.
00:16:31.02\00:16:34.12
Then you give
them disc number two.
00:16:34.16\00:16:36.26
And you just keep
repeating the process.
00:16:36.29\00:16:39.53
Now I know if some
Bible studies and video
00:16:39.56\00:16:41.83
that you could obtain.
00:16:41.86\00:16:43.47
Now really I
can't list them all,
00:16:43.50\00:16:44.83
you got to go
00:16:44.87\00:16:46.20
to the Adventist
Book Center website.
00:16:46.23\00:16:48.10
But there is
Revelation Speaks Peace
00:16:48.14\00:16:50.11
from It Is Written.
00:16:50.14\00:16:51.47
You see the web
address on the screen.
00:16:51.51\00:16:54.28
There's the Voice of Prophecy
00:16:54.31\00:16:55.64
Speaks from the
Voice of Prophecy.
00:16:55.68\00:16:57.85
You have a New Revelation
00:16:57.88\00:16:59.25
and the Prophecy
Code from Amazing Facts,
00:16:59.28\00:17:01.92
and there's a set
that we just produced
00:17:01.95\00:17:03.75
called Discover Prophecy Seminar
00:17:03.79\00:17:06.42
that you are more
than welcome to use,
00:17:06.45\00:17:08.52
the website is
also on the screen.
00:17:08.56\00:17:11.66
They, any of them are
well worth the investment.
00:17:11.69\00:17:16.20
Now last but not least,
00:17:16.23\00:17:19.07
I want to talk
00:17:19.10\00:17:20.44
for a few moments on conviction.
00:17:20.47\00:17:24.31
Because very rarely
00:17:24.34\00:17:25.67
do we talk about
what is conviction?
00:17:25.71\00:17:28.34
If I were to ask,
00:17:28.38\00:17:29.71
have you ever had a class
on recognizing conviction?
00:17:29.74\00:17:33.05
Most people would
not raise their hand
00:17:33.08\00:17:35.22
because we don't talk about it.
00:17:35.25\00:17:37.49
But I want you to notice
what is written in the book
00:17:37.52\00:17:40.09
Gaining Decisions
for Christ, page 30.
00:17:40.12\00:17:43.86
This is written by Louis Torres,
00:17:43.89\00:17:46.19
a proven soul winner.
00:17:46.23\00:17:47.80
He says,
00:17:47.83\00:17:49.46
"The most significant
element necessary for a person
00:17:49.50\00:17:53.74
to make a true
spiritual decision
00:17:53.77\00:17:56.77
is the element of" what?
00:17:56.81\00:17:59.27
"Conviction."
00:17:59.31\00:18:01.98
If that person is
not being convicted
00:18:02.01\00:18:04.85
in their heart,
00:18:04.88\00:18:06.48
it doesn't matter how
many studies you give them,
00:18:06.51\00:18:09.18
it doesn't matter how
well you explain things,
00:18:09.22\00:18:12.49
they're not going
to make a decision.
00:18:12.52\00:18:15.89
We have to learn to recognize
conviction when we see it.
00:18:15.92\00:18:21.83
So here's what we're gonna do.
00:18:21.86\00:18:23.20
I want you to
break up in your groups
00:18:23.23\00:18:24.57
one more time for just a minute.
00:18:24.60\00:18:26.43
And I want you to
talk among yourselves,
00:18:26.47\00:18:28.90
give me the definition
00:18:28.94\00:18:30.84
of what you think conviction is?
00:18:30.87\00:18:34.38
So break up in your
groups for just a minute
00:18:34.41\00:18:36.18
and talk about
00:18:36.21\00:18:37.55
what is the
definition of conviction.
00:18:37.58\00:18:40.15
We said some very
interesting things,
00:18:40.18\00:18:42.85
but we could say that
conviction is the evidence
00:18:42.88\00:18:46.52
that the Holy Spirit is
moving on someone's heart
00:18:46.55\00:18:49.76
and they are
considering making a decision.
00:18:49.79\00:18:54.26
Now what is the difference
00:18:54.30\00:18:56.06
between being
convinced and being convicted?
00:18:56.10\00:19:01.47
They are not the same thing.
00:19:01.50\00:19:04.37
I remember one of my mentors,
John Moyer was his name,
00:19:04.41\00:19:08.18
he once said,
00:19:08.21\00:19:09.71
"A person
convinced against his will
00:19:09.74\00:19:13.08
is of the same opinion still."
00:19:13.11\00:19:17.19
See, when a person is convinced
00:19:17.22\00:19:19.29
of something
that's in their mind,
00:19:19.32\00:19:21.92
when we're convicted
00:19:21.96\00:19:23.46
that has to do
with the human heart
00:19:23.49\00:19:25.56
and acting on him.
00:19:25.59\00:19:27.10
Just because you're convinced
doesn't mean you're convicted.
00:19:27.13\00:19:30.53
How many people do
we know, who would say,
00:19:30.57\00:19:33.03
"Yes, I know about the Sabbath,
00:19:33.07\00:19:34.97
I know the seventh
day is the Sabbath,"
00:19:35.00\00:19:37.31
but they're not
living it in their life.
00:19:37.34\00:19:39.51
They're
convinced intellectually,
00:19:39.54\00:19:42.38
but they're not
convicted to live it.
00:19:42.41\00:19:46.28
So how can we recognize
00:19:46.31\00:19:48.62
if someone is experiencing
conviction in their heart?
00:19:48.65\00:19:53.19
Well, here are
some signs to look for.
00:19:53.22\00:19:56.69
Do they have joy in their face
00:19:56.73\00:19:58.99
during the Bible study or
during your conversations?
00:19:59.03\00:20:02.50
Are they sharing
00:20:02.53\00:20:03.87
what they've
learned with others?
00:20:03.90\00:20:05.70
Are they asking questions?
00:20:05.73\00:20:07.77
Do they have a
positive attitude?
00:20:07.80\00:20:09.77
Are they giving
you absolute attention?
00:20:09.80\00:20:13.07
If they are,
00:20:13.11\00:20:14.44
they're probably under
some sort of conviction.
00:20:14.48\00:20:17.58
Now there can also be
00:20:17.61\00:20:18.95
negative
indicators of conviction.
00:20:18.98\00:20:20.78
How about tears?
00:20:20.82\00:20:22.48
I can guarantee you,
00:20:22.52\00:20:24.55
if there are
tears in someone's eyes,
00:20:24.59\00:20:27.12
whether it's during a
sermon or during a Bible study,
00:20:27.16\00:20:30.13
something is
going on significantly
00:20:30.16\00:20:33.50
in the human heart
00:20:33.53\00:20:34.86
and you'll need to find out why?
00:20:34.90\00:20:37.00
Are they avoiding you?
Or are they getting angry?
00:20:37.03\00:20:40.37
Now there's something
00:20:40.40\00:20:41.74
very important
to understand here.
00:20:41.77\00:20:43.91
You're not just looking
00:20:43.94\00:20:45.27
for one of these
signs and saying,
00:20:45.31\00:20:46.71
"Oh, they're under conviction."
00:20:46.74\00:20:48.54
You know, you might say,
00:20:48.58\00:20:49.91
"Oh look, they're avoiding
me, they're under conviction."
00:20:49.94\00:20:53.35
No, it may be they
just don't like you.
00:20:53.38\00:20:56.45
You need to look
for multiple signs,
00:20:56.48\00:20:58.72
not just one.
00:20:58.75\00:21:00.09
When they have joy in their face
00:21:00.12\00:21:01.66
and they're asking questions
00:21:01.69\00:21:03.26
and there's tears in their eyes.
00:21:03.29\00:21:05.06
The more of those signs you see,
00:21:05.09\00:21:07.73
the more potential
and likelihood there is
00:21:07.76\00:21:10.80
they're experiencing
some type of conviction.
00:21:10.83\00:21:15.64
Now the truth is you and
I can't see the human heart.
00:21:15.67\00:21:19.07
And sometimes we will be wrong.
00:21:19.11\00:21:21.18
There have been times
00:21:21.21\00:21:22.54
I thought someone
was under conviction
00:21:22.58\00:21:24.41
and they weren't.
00:21:24.45\00:21:25.78
Only God can
read the human heart.
00:21:25.81\00:21:28.15
But if we look for these signs,
00:21:28.18\00:21:30.22
we can have a pretty good idea.
00:21:30.25\00:21:33.46
I'll give you
two quick examples.
00:21:33.49\00:21:35.96
There was a young man named Mike
00:21:35.99\00:21:37.46
that I studied
with in Pennsylvania.
00:21:37.49\00:21:40.13
Mike was in his
early to mid-20s.
00:21:40.16\00:21:43.63
Every time we had a Bible study,
00:21:43.67\00:21:45.73
Mike always came prepared.
00:21:45.77\00:21:48.17
He loves studying the lessons,
there was joy in his face,
00:21:48.20\00:21:52.14
he was sharing what
he learned with others
00:21:52.17\00:21:54.44
and he was
starting to come to church.
00:21:54.48\00:21:56.95
So let me ask you.
00:21:56.98\00:21:58.81
Was Mike under
conviction, what do you think?
00:21:58.85\00:22:01.88
Yes, chances are he was.
00:22:01.92\00:22:04.62
In fact, Mike
eventually was baptized
00:22:04.65\00:22:06.76
and he is still a
part of that church
00:22:06.79\00:22:09.12
in Pennsylvania today.
00:22:09.16\00:22:11.89
And there was another
person I studied with.
00:22:11.93\00:22:13.66
I think they were
probably in their 30s.
00:22:13.70\00:22:16.33
Actually I was
studying with his girlfriend
00:22:16.36\00:22:19.37
and he would sit in
on some of the studies.
00:22:19.40\00:22:23.10
Now he seemed
somewhat interested at first.
00:22:23.14\00:22:26.27
But then I noticed
00:22:26.31\00:22:27.64
he never really
came along to church
00:22:27.68\00:22:31.15
and later on I
started hearing stories
00:22:31.18\00:22:33.48
about verbal and physical abuse.
00:22:33.52\00:22:37.29
So what do you think,
was he under conviction?
00:22:37.32\00:22:41.56
Most likely not.
00:22:41.59\00:22:44.59
If we can look for these
signs, we can recognize it.
00:22:44.63\00:22:49.10
Now, of course, you realize
when someone's not interested.
00:22:49.13\00:22:51.83
The indicators
of disinterest is,
00:22:51.87\00:22:53.94
they're not making eye
contact, not responsive,
00:22:53.97\00:22:57.37
you can see the body language
00:22:57.41\00:22:59.17
and they're always
changing the subject.
00:22:59.21\00:23:02.48
But what we
want to say is, Lord,
00:23:02.51\00:23:04.68
help me to recognize conviction
when I see it in other person,
00:23:04.71\00:23:08.85
because that is the time to
ask them to make a decision.
00:23:08.88\00:23:13.56
And if they're struggling
00:23:13.59\00:23:14.92
ask them what
their obstacles are
00:23:14.96\00:23:17.63
and help them to overcome.
00:23:17.66\00:23:19.59
But once you
see that conviction,
00:23:19.63\00:23:21.80
really start praying for them
00:23:21.83\00:23:23.77
and invite them
to make a decision.
00:23:23.80\00:23:28.24
Well, friends, my
prayer is that all of you,
00:23:28.27\00:23:31.27
all of us will be able
to find that one person
00:23:31.31\00:23:34.54
that we can start
having a Bible study with.
00:23:34.58\00:23:37.65
And that you will see
them make a decision for Jesus
00:23:37.68\00:23:40.62
and be in the Kingdom of Heaven.
00:23:40.65\00:23:43.18
I want to encourage you
right now to be thinking,
00:23:43.22\00:23:45.95
who is that one person
whom God has laid on your heart
00:23:45.99\00:23:49.99
in this
session, in this seminar?
00:23:50.03\00:23:52.23
Who is the one person
00:23:52.26\00:23:54.20
that you want to step
out in faith and ask them,
00:23:54.23\00:23:57.07
if they would be interested
00:23:57.10\00:23:58.60
in having a
Bible study with you?
00:23:58.63\00:24:02.64
Let's pray together.
00:24:02.67\00:24:05.01
Heavenly Father,
00:24:05.04\00:24:06.91
thank You for giving us
principles such as these.
00:24:06.94\00:24:11.11
But, Lord, we want to go
beyond just words on the screen.
00:24:11.15\00:24:14.92
And we're asking You, Lord,
00:24:14.95\00:24:16.28
to give us a
love for human souls.
00:24:16.32\00:24:19.82
We ask You, Lord,
00:24:19.85\00:24:21.19
to lay upon our hearts and minds
00:24:21.22\00:24:23.69
the name of one person at work,
00:24:23.73\00:24:27.73
or in the
neighborhood, or wherever
00:24:27.76\00:24:30.37
that You want us
to have a study with.
00:24:30.40\00:24:33.94
Place their names in
our hearts and our minds
00:24:33.97\00:24:36.64
and open the door, Lord,
00:24:36.67\00:24:38.27
that we can
share Jesus with them.
00:24:38.31\00:24:40.24
Bless everyone
who's attended or listened
00:24:40.28\00:24:42.78
to this session today,
00:24:42.81\00:24:44.18
we ask in Jesus' name, amen.
00:24:44.21\00:24:48.35
Welcome back to session five
of Living an Evangelistic Life.
00:24:52.99\00:24:57.29
In this session,
00:24:57.33\00:24:58.66
we're gonna talk about
00:24:58.69\00:25:00.03
how to have a
daily devotional life?
00:25:00.06\00:25:02.80
But first, let's have a
word of prayer together.
00:25:02.83\00:25:06.74
Heavenly Father,
00:25:06.77\00:25:08.10
Lord, we realized
00:25:08.14\00:25:09.47
that one of the
most important things
00:25:09.50\00:25:10.84
in our spiritual life
is to spend time with You.
00:25:10.87\00:25:14.48
But, Lord, for many
of us life is so hectic
00:25:14.51\00:25:17.31
that it's so hard to do this
00:25:17.35\00:25:19.38
and so we ask just now
00:25:19.41\00:25:20.78
as we just go
over some principles
00:25:20.82\00:25:22.38
in our life,
00:25:22.42\00:25:23.75
we ask that You
would create in our heart
00:25:23.79\00:25:25.52
a desire to spend time with You,
00:25:25.55\00:25:28.69
we pray in Jesus' name, amen.
00:25:28.72\00:25:32.69
You may be wondering,
00:25:32.73\00:25:34.06
why are we talking about
00:25:34.10\00:25:35.43
how to have a
daily devotional life,
00:25:35.46\00:25:38.00
and a seminar that
is about witnessing
00:25:38.03\00:25:40.94
and living an evangelistic life?
00:25:40.97\00:25:43.41
And one of the reasons is,
00:25:43.44\00:25:44.84
having a daily devotional life
00:25:44.87\00:25:46.78
is key to being a
witness for Jesus,
00:25:46.81\00:25:49.94
because in reality
how can we share Jesus
00:25:49.98\00:25:52.55
with other people
00:25:52.58\00:25:53.92
if we aren't spending
time with Him ourselves.
00:25:53.95\00:25:57.49
How can we share
00:25:57.52\00:25:58.85
some of the
beautiful truths of Scripture
00:25:58.89\00:26:00.99
if we are not studying
00:26:01.02\00:26:02.36
the Word of God
on a daily basis?
00:26:02.39\00:26:05.29
And in reality,
00:26:05.33\00:26:06.66
unless we are
connected with Jesus
00:26:06.70\00:26:08.73
in a very intimate way,
00:26:08.76\00:26:10.80
we will miss all
the opportunities
00:26:10.83\00:26:13.47
that He seeks to bring our way
00:26:13.50\00:26:15.54
when it comes to
witnessing to others
00:26:15.57\00:26:17.84
and planting seeds of
the gospel in their heart.
00:26:17.87\00:26:21.61
Now the truth is,
00:26:21.64\00:26:23.01
having a daily
devotional life is something
00:26:23.04\00:26:25.68
that almost all
of us struggle with
00:26:25.71\00:26:28.05
at some point in our life.
00:26:28.08\00:26:30.65
In fact,
00:26:30.69\00:26:32.02
I remember
reading about a survey
00:26:32.05\00:26:33.59
that was taken among pastors,
00:26:33.62\00:26:35.96
I think it was in the
northwest a number of years ago.
00:26:35.99\00:26:39.29
And this survey
asked pastors to list
00:26:39.33\00:26:42.76
some of their
top five difficulties
00:26:42.80\00:26:45.90
in life and ministry.
00:26:45.93\00:26:48.17
And in almost every single
case spending time with Jesus
00:26:48.20\00:26:54.81
was in the top five list
for just about every pastor.
00:26:54.84\00:26:59.41
Now that may surprise
you, because you may think,
00:26:59.45\00:27:01.48
"Well, all they do
is get ready for sermons
00:27:01.52\00:27:04.12
and do Bible studies et cetera.
00:27:04.15\00:27:06.05
How can they struggle
with spending time with Jesus?"
00:27:06.09\00:27:09.49
But you see,
preparing a Bible study
00:27:09.52\00:27:11.29
for someone else
00:27:11.33\00:27:12.79
or preparing a
sermon for a church,
00:27:12.83\00:27:15.20
that is not the same thing
00:27:15.23\00:27:16.87
as spending time
with Jesus personally,
00:27:16.90\00:27:20.04
so that he can speak to you.
00:27:20.07\00:27:22.30
So really when it
comes to this subject,
00:27:22.34\00:27:24.94
pastors and church members
are in the very same boat.
00:27:24.97\00:27:29.18
We all struggle
with it together.
00:27:29.21\00:27:31.38
So I am not up here,
00:27:31.41\00:27:33.62
talking about this
00:27:33.65\00:27:34.98
as someone who is perfect
or who has mastered this.
00:27:35.02\00:27:38.05
This is at times
a struggle for me,
00:27:38.09\00:27:40.66
just like it is for you.
00:27:40.69\00:27:43.26
So here's what we want to
do in this particular session.
00:27:43.29\00:27:46.93
We're not gonna
spend a lot of time
00:27:46.96\00:27:49.20
talking about why
we should spend time
00:27:49.23\00:27:51.73
with Jesus.
00:27:51.77\00:27:53.10
Because we already
know that we should.
00:27:53.13\00:27:55.14
There are many books written
00:27:55.17\00:27:56.57
about the importance of
the daily devotional life.
00:27:56.60\00:27:59.24
Now we'll spend a
few minutes on it,
00:27:59.27\00:28:01.44
but the majority of this session
00:28:01.48\00:28:03.65
we're gonna talk
about practical steps
00:28:03.68\00:28:06.31
we can take
00:28:06.35\00:28:07.68
to have a very meaningful
and effective devotional life.
00:28:07.72\00:28:11.89
So let's start by
building the foundation.
00:28:11.92\00:28:14.99
First of all, let's
look at the words of Jesus
00:28:15.02\00:28:17.36
in Matthew 26.
00:28:17.39\00:28:19.79
Notice what He
said to the disciples
00:28:19.83\00:28:21.80
in the Garden of Gethsemane.
00:28:21.83\00:28:24.47
The Bible says,
00:28:24.50\00:28:26.50
"Then He came to the
disciples and He found them"
00:28:26.53\00:28:29.70
doing what?
00:28:29.74\00:28:31.11
They're sleeping.
00:28:31.14\00:28:32.47
"And he said to Peter, 'What!
00:28:32.51\00:28:35.14
Could you not
watch with Me one hour?
00:28:35.18\00:28:38.15
Watch and pray, lest
you enter into temptation.
00:28:38.18\00:28:42.92
For the spirit
indeed is willing,
00:28:42.95\00:28:45.39
but the flesh is weak."
00:28:45.42\00:28:48.22
See, there in the
Garden of Gethsemane,
00:28:48.26\00:28:51.03
Jesus recognized
what was about to happen.
00:28:51.06\00:28:54.56
He knew that very
soon, He would be arrested,
00:28:54.60\00:28:57.50
that He would be put on trial,
00:28:57.53\00:28:58.90
that He would be
led to the cross,
00:28:58.93\00:29:00.70
He knew that His disciples
were not prepared for this.
00:29:00.74\00:29:03.61
And He told them,
00:29:03.64\00:29:04.97
they needed to
watch and to pray.
00:29:05.01\00:29:07.68
Our spirit may be willing,
00:29:07.71\00:29:09.84
but the human
nature is very weak.
00:29:09.88\00:29:12.51
They needed the strength
00:29:12.55\00:29:14.32
of being
connected with the Father.
00:29:14.35\00:29:17.62
And in the same way
when you think about it,
00:29:17.65\00:29:20.02
Jesus, who was perfect
00:29:20.06\00:29:22.42
and sinless when
He walked this earth.
00:29:22.46\00:29:24.99
The Bible still says,
00:29:25.03\00:29:26.43
that He would get
up early in the morning
00:29:26.46\00:29:28.30
and go to a private place
00:29:28.33\00:29:30.00
and spend time with the Father.
00:29:30.03\00:29:32.20
So even Jesus Christ Himself,
00:29:32.23\00:29:35.17
if He needed a
daily devotional life,
00:29:35.20\00:29:38.04
how much more do you
00:29:38.07\00:29:39.51
and I living in
this sinful world
00:29:39.54\00:29:42.68
that throws so many
difficulties our way?
00:29:42.71\00:29:47.25
Back about a hundred years ago,
00:29:47.28\00:29:49.28
Ellen White made this statement
00:29:49.32\00:29:50.89
in the book Education, page 126.
00:29:50.92\00:29:54.39
She said,
00:29:54.42\00:29:56.06
"The creative energy
00:29:56.09\00:29:57.69
that called the
worlds into existence
00:29:57.73\00:30:00.96
is in the Word of God.
00:30:01.00\00:30:03.03
The Word imparts
power, it begets life...
00:30:03.06\00:30:07.14
And it brings with it
the life of the Infinite One.
00:30:07.17\00:30:10.81
It transforms the nature
00:30:10.84\00:30:13.14
and recreates the
soul in the image of God."
00:30:13.17\00:30:17.25
Now notice, it says,
00:30:17.28\00:30:19.71
that the same energy
that created the world
00:30:19.75\00:30:22.68
is found in the scriptures.
00:30:22.72\00:30:25.12
Now I want you
to think about this.
00:30:25.15\00:30:27.46
The Bible tells us
00:30:27.49\00:30:28.82
that when God created
the heavens and the earth,
00:30:28.86\00:30:31.13
He spoke them into existence.
00:30:31.16\00:30:33.70
I mean, God
spoke and it was done,
00:30:33.73\00:30:37.00
things were
created out of nothing.
00:30:37.03\00:30:39.70
Now would you agree
00:30:39.73\00:30:41.07
to be able to speak
things into existence,
00:30:41.10\00:30:43.84
that is a lot of
power, is it not?
00:30:43.87\00:30:47.31
Well, she says,
00:30:47.34\00:30:48.68
"That's the same power
00:30:48.71\00:30:50.68
that is found in
the Word of God."
00:30:50.71\00:30:53.21
And so, when I
spend time with Jesus
00:30:53.25\00:30:55.98
in my daily devotional life,
00:30:56.02\00:30:58.09
that same kind of power
is available to change me,
00:30:58.12\00:31:03.09
to renew my mind and
to transform my heart.
00:31:03.12\00:31:06.56
In fact, she says,
00:31:06.59\00:31:08.00
"It creates in
us the image of God
00:31:08.03\00:31:11.67
and really the
character of Jesus."
00:31:11.70\00:31:14.34
See, being change
doesn't come by saying,
00:31:14.37\00:31:16.87
"I'm gonna try real hard."
00:31:16.91\00:31:18.81
Being changed
and converted comes
00:31:18.84\00:31:21.44
by spending time with
Jesus every single day.
00:31:21.48\00:31:26.15
We need that power in our life.
00:31:26.18\00:31:29.22
And lastly,
00:31:29.25\00:31:30.59
this last quote
that builds a foundation
00:31:30.62\00:31:33.39
is something that
was written in 1898.
00:31:33.42\00:31:36.69
Manuscript 139 says this,
00:31:36.73\00:31:41.13
"A revival in Bible study
is needed throughout the world.
00:31:41.16\00:31:45.50
Attention is to be called,
not to the assertions of men,
00:31:45.53\00:31:49.07
but to the Word of God.
00:31:49.10\00:31:50.94
And as this is done, a
mighty work will be wrought.
00:31:50.97\00:31:55.18
When God declared that His Word
00:31:55.21\00:31:57.45
should not return unto Him void,
00:31:57.48\00:31:59.88
He meant all that He said."
00:31:59.91\00:32:03.08
Now a hundred years ago,
she said that we need revival.
00:32:03.12\00:32:06.52
Over a hundred years ago.
00:32:06.55\00:32:08.36
How much more would that be true
00:32:08.39\00:32:10.26
in the 21st century?
00:32:10.29\00:32:12.23
I mean, and then she
basically paraphrases
00:32:12.26\00:32:14.66
or quotes a Bible
verse where she writes,
00:32:14.70\00:32:18.07
that when we spend
time in the Word of God
00:32:18.10\00:32:20.24
it never comes back to us void,
00:32:20.27\00:32:22.87
it will do the work in our
life that it is designed to do.
00:32:22.90\00:32:28.34
Now with that foundation built,
00:32:28.38\00:32:30.95
before we go through
some practical steps,
00:32:30.98\00:32:33.52
I'm gonna invite you to break up
00:32:33.55\00:32:35.42
into your small
groups for just a minute
00:32:35.45\00:32:37.85
and I want you
to talk about this.
00:32:37.89\00:32:40.59
What are some of the obstacles
that you think people face
00:32:40.62\00:32:44.53
when it comes to having
a daily devotional life?
00:32:44.56\00:32:47.53
Just share some things
00:32:47.56\00:32:48.90
that you've
faced in your own life
00:32:48.93\00:32:50.80
and things that
others have faced.
00:32:50.83\00:32:52.53
What are some of the
things that prevent us
00:32:52.57\00:32:54.87
from having a consistent
daily devotional life?
00:32:54.90\00:32:58.17
I want you to take
about two or three minutes
00:32:58.21\00:32:59.87
to talk about
that in your groups.
00:32:59.91\00:33:03.58
So what are some of the things
00:33:03.61\00:33:04.95
that you talked
about in your group?
00:33:04.98\00:33:07.32
Probably you talked about
00:33:07.35\00:33:08.88
we have a hectic
schedule and time.
00:33:08.92\00:33:11.69
You probably mentioned,
00:33:11.72\00:33:13.05
maybe you work overtime at work
00:33:13.09\00:33:15.19
or maybe it's hard to
find that quiet time at home.
00:33:15.22\00:33:18.53
I mean there is a hundred things
00:33:18.56\00:33:20.70
that seem to be in our path
00:33:20.73\00:33:22.70
from having that
daily devotional life.
00:33:22.73\00:33:25.43
So what we need to do now,
00:33:25.47\00:33:27.44
I want to share with
you six simple steps,
00:33:27.47\00:33:30.94
practical suggestions
00:33:30.97\00:33:32.94
on how we can
develop a meaningful
00:33:32.97\00:33:35.44
and a consistent
daily devotional life.
00:33:35.48\00:33:38.41
And understand when
I share these things,
00:33:38.45\00:33:40.68
I am not suggesting
this is the best way
00:33:40.72\00:33:43.35
or that's the only way to do it.
00:33:43.39\00:33:45.55
I'm just gonna give
you six simple steps
00:33:45.59\00:33:48.39
and you can change it around
in a way that works for you.
00:33:48.42\00:33:52.29
I just like to give
people a structure to work with
00:33:52.33\00:33:55.26
and understand.
00:33:55.30\00:33:56.70
I'm not just talking to you,
00:33:56.73\00:33:58.43
but I'm talking
to myself as well.
00:33:58.47\00:34:01.24
So let's start with
the most basic step,
00:34:01.27\00:34:04.11
step number one.
00:34:04.14\00:34:05.87
We have to begin
00:34:05.91\00:34:07.31
by choosing the
best time of the day
00:34:07.34\00:34:10.28
and stick with it.
00:34:10.31\00:34:12.05
It's probably not
gonna work for you
00:34:12.08\00:34:14.32
to get up in
the morning and say,
00:34:14.35\00:34:15.88
"You know what,
00:34:15.92\00:34:17.25
when my day slows
down and I'll have time,
00:34:17.29\00:34:20.02
then I'll have my
daily devotional life."
00:34:20.06\00:34:22.39
Because if
you've ever tried that
00:34:22.42\00:34:24.36
and I have, it
does not work very well.
00:34:24.39\00:34:27.76
Because once you
get moving in the heat
00:34:27.80\00:34:30.23
and busyness of the
day, it rarely slows down.
00:34:30.27\00:34:34.14
And then you get
to the end of the day
00:34:34.17\00:34:35.67
nighttime has come
00:34:35.70\00:34:37.11
and you haven't
spent any time with Jesus.
00:34:37.14\00:34:40.21
You actually have
to schedule this time.
00:34:40.24\00:34:43.78
You have to decide it's gonna be
00:34:43.81\00:34:45.38
at such-and-such
a time every day,
00:34:45.41\00:34:47.78
that's gonna be
my time with Jesus,
00:34:47.82\00:34:49.65
I'm not gonna let
anything else interfere with it.
00:34:49.68\00:34:52.45
I mean, put it in your
schedule or your date book.
00:34:52.49\00:34:56.06
But you have to
choose when that will be.
00:34:56.09\00:34:58.76
Now you have a few choices
00:34:58.79\00:35:00.43
depending on
what your schedule is
00:35:00.46\00:35:02.66
or what your life is like.
00:35:02.70\00:35:04.73
Now some people
love to do the morning,
00:35:04.77\00:35:07.30
because there's a
verse in the Bible
00:35:07.34\00:35:09.10
that talks about
spending time with God
00:35:09.14\00:35:11.41
and seeking His face
early in the morning.
00:35:11.44\00:35:14.38
But it doesn't mean
that we have to do it
00:35:14.41\00:35:16.81
in the early morning hours.
00:35:16.85\00:35:18.18
Now we don't want to
start our day without God.
00:35:18.21\00:35:21.18
But some people
prefer the morning
00:35:21.22\00:35:23.55
because they can get
up before everybody else
00:35:23.59\00:35:27.46
and the house is quiet
00:35:27.49\00:35:29.39
and they can have their
special time with Jesus.
00:35:29.42\00:35:33.66
Now other people may
prefer the afternoon.
00:35:33.70\00:35:36.97
For example if
maybe you're a housewife
00:35:37.00\00:35:39.27
and the morning
times are pretty busy,
00:35:39.30\00:35:41.14
you know, you got to
get the husband off to work
00:35:41.17\00:35:43.94
and the kids off to school,
00:35:43.97\00:35:46.04
but the afternoon is
when things may slow down.
00:35:46.07\00:35:49.11
Everybody's gone,
the house is quieter,
00:35:49.14\00:35:52.65
that may be your
special time with Jesus.
00:35:52.68\00:35:57.02
And then there are others
that may prefer the evening.
00:35:57.05\00:35:59.69
You know, maybe
they're night owls,
00:35:59.72\00:36:01.42
they're not morning people.
00:36:01.46\00:36:03.06
And so after
everyone else has gone to bed
00:36:03.09\00:36:05.76
and you're
thinking about the day
00:36:05.79\00:36:08.16
that might be
the best time for you
00:36:08.20\00:36:10.53
to have your
daily devotional life.
00:36:10.57\00:36:13.20
The point is,
you need to choose.
00:36:13.23\00:36:15.80
Now right now,
00:36:15.84\00:36:17.31
I am experimenting with doing it
00:36:17.34\00:36:19.87
in the morning, in mid-morning.
00:36:19.91\00:36:22.28
Now there are some
obstacles with that,
00:36:22.31\00:36:23.75
so I may have to
end up changing it.
00:36:23.78\00:36:25.95
What I do is I like to
go and workout at the gym
00:36:25.98\00:36:29.15
before I have my
daily devotional time.
00:36:29.18\00:36:32.05
And the reason for that is,
00:36:32.09\00:36:33.42
if I do it right at
the minute I get up,
00:36:33.46\00:36:36.19
I find it a little
harder to concentrate,
00:36:36.22\00:36:38.43
because I'm still, you know,
feeling a little bit groggy
00:36:38.46\00:36:40.73
and still waking up.
00:36:40.76\00:36:42.30
Maybe you've experienced that.
00:36:42.33\00:36:44.17
So I wait till
after I've worked out
00:36:44.20\00:36:46.43
when I'm fresh
and alive afterwards,
00:36:46.47\00:36:48.67
because I feel much
better after exercise,
00:36:48.70\00:36:51.27
then I can really
focus on God's Word.
00:36:51.31\00:36:54.44
Now at some point
00:36:54.48\00:36:55.81
that may not work for me anymore
00:36:55.84\00:36:57.18
and I might have to change it,
00:36:57.21\00:36:59.31
but you need to
start by choosing.
00:36:59.35\00:37:01.52
Is it gonna be from 6:00 to 7:00
00:37:01.55\00:37:03.69
in the morning
your time with Jesus?
00:37:03.72\00:37:06.05
Is it gonna be 9:00 to 10:00?
00:37:06.09\00:37:08.26
Or is it gonna be
10:00 to 11:00 at night?
00:37:08.29\00:37:11.49
Whatever it is,
00:37:11.53\00:37:12.99
make sure you
choose that block of time
00:37:13.03\00:37:15.86
and then you stick with it.
00:37:15.90\00:37:17.93
Nothing else
should interfere with it
00:37:17.97\00:37:20.30
except for an emergency.
00:37:20.34\00:37:22.87
And that will always be
your time with the Savior
00:37:22.90\00:37:27.11
to have your devotional life.
00:37:27.14\00:37:29.01
So you've got to
start with making a decision
00:37:29.04\00:37:31.91
and choosing the time of the day
00:37:31.95\00:37:34.18
that you want to use.
00:37:34.22\00:37:36.55
But then come step number 2.
00:37:36.58\00:37:39.49
Try to give yourself
00:37:39.52\00:37:41.02
at least 30 minutes
of uninterrupted time.
00:37:41.06\00:37:45.96
Now my wife hesitates for me
00:37:45.99\00:37:47.80
to actually put
a number up there
00:37:47.83\00:37:50.37
and there is a reason why.
00:37:50.40\00:37:52.40
Because sometimes
people will look at that number
00:37:52.43\00:37:54.70
and they'll think that number
is the standard 30 minutes.
00:37:54.74\00:37:58.01
You know, and they'll sit down
00:37:58.04\00:37:59.37
and have their
daily devotional live,
00:37:59.41\00:38:00.94
you know, put a clock
right in front of them
00:38:00.98\00:38:03.11
and they'll be
reading God's Word and praying
00:38:03.14\00:38:05.35
then they'll look
back up at the clock,
00:38:05.38\00:38:07.02
"Oh, it's only been ten minutes,
00:38:07.05\00:38:09.35
this is taking so long."
00:38:09.38\00:38:11.49
And we get legalistic about it.
00:38:11.52\00:38:14.22
Or someone might be having
a wonderful time with Jesus
00:38:14.26\00:38:17.96
in prayer and just reading
beautiful things from His Word
00:38:17.99\00:38:22.00
and all of a sudden,
boom, the alarm rings,
00:38:22.03\00:38:24.67
"Oh, my 30 minutes is up,
great I'm done for the day."
00:38:24.70\00:38:28.00
When really they
could go even farther.
00:38:28.04\00:38:32.11
See, we don't want to
treat the daily devotional life
00:38:32.14\00:38:35.58
as though it's some kind of work
00:38:35.61\00:38:38.51
where we're earning God's grace.
00:38:38.55\00:38:40.78
Like our good deed for the day.
00:38:40.82\00:38:43.28
Just like the Israelites
00:38:43.32\00:38:44.65
who performed
all those sacrifices
00:38:44.69\00:38:47.16
just because
they felt they had to,
00:38:47.19\00:38:50.06
but never letting
it change their heart
00:38:50.09\00:38:52.16
or really
realizing what it meant.
00:38:52.19\00:38:55.16
We don't want our
daily devotional life
00:38:55.20\00:38:57.57
to just simply be a habit
that we mindlessly go through
00:38:57.60\00:39:02.34
without letting
it touch our hearts.
00:39:02.37\00:39:04.74
The reason I put
30 minutes up there
00:39:04.77\00:39:08.11
is we want to make sure
00:39:08.14\00:39:09.48
it's a
significant amount of time,
00:39:09.51\00:39:11.78
where we're
unhurried and not interrupted.
00:39:11.81\00:39:15.95
See, a true
daily devotional life
00:39:15.98\00:39:18.59
is not just
reading one Bible verse,
00:39:18.62\00:39:21.32
while our hand
is on the doorknob
00:39:21.36\00:39:23.22
ready to go out the door.
00:39:23.26\00:39:25.03
That's not really
gonna connect us with Jesus
00:39:25.06\00:39:27.56
in an intimate way.
00:39:27.60\00:39:29.50
There may be times
when that's necessary,
00:39:29.53\00:39:32.63
but we need significant time,
00:39:32.67\00:39:35.20
try to set aside
at least 30 minutes.
00:39:35.24\00:39:38.41
Now for you,
00:39:38.44\00:39:39.77
if you've never had a
devotional life before,
00:39:39.81\00:39:41.84
you might start with 15
00:39:41.88\00:39:43.88
and then just
progress from there.
00:39:43.91\00:39:46.11
The point is, set it aside,
00:39:46.15\00:39:48.75
don't let
anything interrupt you.
00:39:48.78\00:39:52.69
But now let's go
to step number three.
00:39:52.72\00:39:55.72
Here is where we need
to choose the structure
00:39:55.76\00:39:58.13
that we're gonna follow.
00:39:58.16\00:39:59.53
And depend on your personality,
00:39:59.56\00:40:01.83
you might choose
different types of structures.
00:40:01.86\00:40:05.30
For example,
00:40:05.33\00:40:06.67
one person which
is what I like to do
00:40:06.70\00:40:09.10
might choose to simply
take a book of the Bible
00:40:09.14\00:40:12.21
and read one or
two chapters a day
00:40:12.24\00:40:14.81
and look for the
lessons that are in it.
00:40:14.84\00:40:17.28
Now if you choose
to do it that way,
00:40:17.31\00:40:19.88
nothing says you
have to start with Genesis
00:40:19.91\00:40:22.28
and go in order.
00:40:22.32\00:40:23.65
You know, now if you're
a real type A personality,
00:40:23.69\00:40:26.89
then you might want to do that.
00:40:26.92\00:40:29.26
But you can start anywhere,
00:40:29.29\00:40:31.53
if you feel like
you want to study
00:40:31.56\00:40:33.13
about the Holy
Spirit in the early church,
00:40:33.16\00:40:35.96
start with the Book of Acts.
00:40:36.00\00:40:37.97
If you feel like you want to see
00:40:38.00\00:40:39.70
how to be a leader
and how God led Israel,
00:40:39.73\00:40:42.74
start with 1 Kings.
00:40:42.77\00:40:45.17
Or if you feel the need
to just focus on the life
00:40:45.21\00:40:48.14
and the teachings of Jesus,
00:40:48.18\00:40:50.01
you can start with
Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.
00:40:50.05\00:40:53.45
The point is
choose a book of the Bible
00:40:53.48\00:40:55.85
that is of interest to you
00:40:55.88\00:40:57.52
and relevant for
your life right now.
00:40:57.55\00:40:59.82
And then read a
couple chapters a day,
00:40:59.85\00:41:02.42
look for the
lessons that are in it.
00:41:02.46\00:41:04.96
Now I'm gonna talk
more about how to do that
00:41:04.99\00:41:07.86
in a few seconds.
00:41:07.90\00:41:09.70
But another type of personality
00:41:09.73\00:41:11.90
you may want
something more structured.
00:41:11.93\00:41:15.07
And you may say,
"Well, Pastor Dave,
00:41:15.10\00:41:16.87
I would rather
have a study guide,
00:41:16.91\00:41:18.91
you know, that has
question and answer format.
00:41:18.94\00:41:21.64
You know, it asks a question,
00:41:21.68\00:41:23.31
then you look up the Bible verse
00:41:23.35\00:41:24.75
and write down the answer.
00:41:24.78\00:41:26.65
You know, kind of set up like
00:41:26.68\00:41:28.02
some of the
Sabbath school lessons."
00:41:28.05\00:41:29.92
You may go to the
Christian bookstore
00:41:29.95\00:41:32.35
or maybe the
Adventist book center
00:41:32.39\00:41:34.92
and you might find a study guide
00:41:34.96\00:41:36.52
on any number of topics.
00:41:36.56\00:41:38.46
It could be
something about the Holy Spirit
00:41:38.49\00:41:41.23
or the fruit of the Spirit.
00:41:41.26\00:41:43.20
Maybe the kings of Israel,
00:41:43.23\00:41:45.70
maybe different
women in the Bible,
00:41:45.73\00:41:48.30
whatever your interest may be,
00:41:48.34\00:41:50.47
and you can use the study guide
00:41:50.51\00:41:52.77
and start going through that
00:41:52.81\00:41:54.64
as your daily devotional life.
00:41:54.68\00:41:57.05
Neither one is right nor wrong,
00:41:57.08\00:41:59.35
it just depends
how you're being led
00:41:59.38\00:42:01.42
and maybe a little bit
00:42:01.45\00:42:02.78
on what your
personality is like.
00:42:02.82\00:42:05.45
Now for me,
00:42:05.49\00:42:06.82
I like to just take a
book of the Bible and read it,
00:42:06.86\00:42:08.96
that's what I've been doing.
00:42:08.99\00:42:10.89
Now I'm trying
something different right now,
00:42:10.93\00:42:13.09
I'm actually going
through a series of lessons
00:42:13.13\00:42:15.20
called Fast Discipleship,
00:42:15.23\00:42:17.70
which is really a
discipleship course.
00:42:17.73\00:42:19.93
And I'm using that for
my daily devotional life
00:42:19.97\00:42:22.57
right now.
00:42:22.60\00:42:23.94
But normally I like to
take one passage in the Bible
00:42:23.97\00:42:27.11
and focus on it.
00:42:27.14\00:42:29.24
If you prefer to
use study guides,
00:42:29.28\00:42:32.25
here are some possible ideas
that you see in the screen.
00:42:32.28\00:42:35.92
There are some lessons
called Lifting up Jesus.
00:42:35.95\00:42:39.19
And they go through
00:42:39.22\00:42:40.56
the major
teachings of the Bible.
00:42:40.59\00:42:42.32
The first 10 lessons
00:42:42.36\00:42:43.83
are all about having a
born-again relationship
00:42:43.86\00:42:46.09
with Jesus.
00:42:46.13\00:42:47.46
And then after that, it goes
00:42:47.50\00:42:49.23
into the doctrinal
lessons of Scripture.
00:42:49.26\00:42:51.97
You can buy that at any
ABC or you can go online
00:42:52.00\00:42:55.60
and you can print them for free.
00:42:55.64\00:42:57.34
You go to liftingupjesus.net.
00:42:57.37\00:43:00.48
You can also use the
Search for Certainty lessons
00:43:00.51\00:43:03.28
from It Is Written.
00:43:03.31\00:43:05.28
There are the
Sabbath School lessons
00:43:05.31\00:43:06.82
that some people use
00:43:06.85\00:43:08.38
as part of their
daily devotional life.
00:43:08.42\00:43:12.15
So whichever way you
choose to go, choose.
00:43:12.19\00:43:16.29
But then go to step number four.
00:43:16.32\00:43:18.93
Step number four now,
00:43:18.96\00:43:20.70
if you have
chosen to take a passage
00:43:20.73\00:43:22.83
of the Bible and read it,
00:43:22.86\00:43:24.67
here's something to consider.
00:43:24.70\00:43:26.97
When you read that passage,
00:43:27.00\00:43:29.17
it's not about
how fast you can go
00:43:29.20\00:43:32.41
or how quickly you can read it.
00:43:32.44\00:43:34.58
When it comes to
the devotional life,
00:43:34.61\00:43:36.85
speed reading is not necessary.
00:43:36.88\00:43:40.02
You may have
done that in college,
00:43:40.05\00:43:41.48
when you had 500 pages to read.
00:43:41.52\00:43:44.05
But you don't want to do that
00:43:44.09\00:43:45.42
when you're
spending time with Jesus.
00:43:45.45\00:43:47.46
Because when you read too fast,
00:43:47.49\00:43:49.89
all you're getting
is things on the surface
00:43:49.92\00:43:52.46
and we miss so
many important lessons
00:43:52.49\00:43:55.43
in between the lines.
00:43:55.46\00:43:58.03
While you're
reading the passage,
00:43:58.07\00:43:59.93
think about the
lessons that are in it.
00:43:59.97\00:44:02.74
Use your
imagination in a godly way.
00:44:02.77\00:44:05.77
Put yourself
00:44:05.81\00:44:07.14
in the shoes of the
characters of those stories
00:44:07.18\00:44:09.98
and try to
imagine what it is like.
00:44:10.01\00:44:13.15
I mean when you do
that, it will come alive.
00:44:13.18\00:44:16.52
I mean, if you're reading
about Daniel in the lions' den,
00:44:16.55\00:44:20.16
try to imagine
what is Daniel thinking?
00:44:20.19\00:44:23.63
What's going on in his heart?
00:44:23.66\00:44:26.16
What if I was Daniel,
00:44:26.19\00:44:27.86
what would be
going on in my mind?
00:44:27.90\00:44:30.53
Would I be doubting God?
00:44:30.57\00:44:32.43
Would I be wondering
00:44:32.47\00:44:33.80
if His presence
is still with me?
00:44:33.84\00:44:35.17
Would I think
that this is the end?
00:44:35.20\00:44:37.51
All those Bible stories
00:44:37.54\00:44:39.67
we can put
ourselves in its place.
00:44:39.71\00:44:43.65
In fact, I want to show you
00:44:43.68\00:44:45.01
what I think is probably
the most important slide
00:44:45.05\00:44:47.18
in this session.
00:44:47.22\00:44:49.32
These are four questions
00:44:49.35\00:44:51.09
that you can
stop and meditate on.
00:44:51.12\00:44:53.99
Questions you can ask yourself
in your daily devotional life
00:44:54.02\00:44:57.86
while you're reading through,
00:44:57.89\00:44:59.56
whatever
passage you might be in.
00:44:59.59\00:45:01.46
That these are questions
00:45:01.50\00:45:02.96
you are probably gonna
want to write down and use.
00:45:03.00\00:45:06.53
The first question,
00:45:06.57\00:45:08.44
ask yourself
00:45:08.47\00:45:09.87
what are the spiritual
lessons in this passage?
00:45:09.90\00:45:14.14
What lessons is
God seeking to teach?
00:45:14.18\00:45:18.58
You may even want
to write them down.
00:45:18.61\00:45:20.78
Well, just memorize
facts, and figures, and details.
00:45:20.82\00:45:24.15
What are the
practical personal lessons
00:45:24.19\00:45:28.09
that is in that
story or that passage?
00:45:28.12\00:45:31.39
You will also
want to ask yourself,
00:45:31.43\00:45:34.60
what is God trying
to say to me personally?
00:45:34.63\00:45:39.10
Now the key word
there is personally.
00:45:39.13\00:45:42.77
You're not concerned
00:45:42.80\00:45:44.14
what is God saying to
my husband or my wife,
00:45:44.17\00:45:47.11
what's God saying to
my brother, my sister,
00:45:47.14\00:45:49.71
my mom or my dad or my children?
00:45:49.74\00:45:52.21
What do I wish they would know?
00:45:52.25\00:45:55.12
Your daily devotional life
00:45:55.15\00:45:57.15
is about what
God is saying to you.
00:45:57.19\00:46:00.89
What God wants
to do in your life.
00:46:00.92\00:46:03.73
You let God deal
with other people,
00:46:03.76\00:46:06.06
your spouse or whomever,
00:46:06.09\00:46:07.60
let God deal with them in
their own devotional life.
00:46:07.63\00:46:10.67
This is about
what God wants to do
00:46:10.70\00:46:13.03
in your life.
00:46:13.07\00:46:15.40
The next
question you could ask is
00:46:15.44\00:46:18.31
what needs to change in my life.
00:46:18.34\00:46:21.04
Is there anything
00:46:21.08\00:46:22.41
that is revealed in this passage
00:46:22.44\00:46:25.18
that shows something
that needs to change in me?
00:46:25.21\00:46:29.78
I mean, you could take
time thinking about that one.
00:46:29.82\00:46:33.12
And then you may
also want to ask,
00:46:33.15\00:46:35.12
what principle is in here
00:46:35.16\00:46:37.09
that I need to
understand in a better way?
00:46:37.13\00:46:40.03
If you ask
yourselves those questions
00:46:40.06\00:46:42.50
and meditate on them,
00:46:42.53\00:46:44.37
20 or 30 minutes will go
by before you even know it.
00:46:44.40\00:46:48.27
Because those
questions make it personal,
00:46:48.30\00:46:50.91
they make it relational
and they make it meaningful.
00:46:50.94\00:46:55.11
It's what helps us
to actually meditate
00:46:55.14\00:46:57.81
on God's Word.
00:46:57.85\00:47:00.05
Then come step number five.
00:47:00.08\00:47:03.15
This is where we then can pray
00:47:03.18\00:47:05.35
and talk to God
about the passage.
00:47:05.39\00:47:07.62
Even while we're
reading the passage,
00:47:07.66\00:47:10.16
we can talk to God
about it in prayer.
00:47:10.19\00:47:12.99
You may even want to pray
through those four questions.
00:47:13.03\00:47:16.90
Meditate on them in
prayer and listen and be quiet,
00:47:16.93\00:47:21.04
listen for God's answers to you.
00:47:21.07\00:47:23.97
See, part of prayer,
00:47:24.01\00:47:25.34
prayer is not
just talking to God.
00:47:25.37\00:47:28.24
Prayer is also
listening to Him as well.
00:47:28.28\00:47:31.45
That's a discipline
some of us need to learn
00:47:31.48\00:47:33.82
even myself,
00:47:33.85\00:47:35.18
you know, I'm an
evangelist so I'm a talker.
00:47:35.22\00:47:38.05
But I need to learn to
listen to what God says as well.
00:47:38.09\00:47:42.52
This is where I
can share my praises
00:47:42.56\00:47:44.39
and requests with Him.
00:47:44.43\00:47:46.19
You know, don't just
share what you want, I mean,
00:47:46.23\00:47:48.16
God wants us to give
His, Him His supplications.
00:47:48.20\00:47:51.83
But this is where
we can also praise Him
00:47:51.87\00:47:53.57
for good things that
are happening in our life.
00:47:53.60\00:47:56.37
Tell Him about our day,
00:47:56.40\00:47:58.57
even the things that we
think are insignificant.
00:47:58.61\00:48:01.48
Just like a child
tells their parents
00:48:01.51\00:48:03.65
all about their day,
00:48:03.68\00:48:05.31
we can do the same with God.
00:48:05.35\00:48:07.72
I mean, if Ellen White
says that talking to God
00:48:07.75\00:48:10.75
or prayer is like
opening our heart to God
00:48:10.79\00:48:13.56
as we would to a friend.
00:48:13.59\00:48:16.02
Then prayer should be
sharing things with Him,
00:48:16.06\00:48:19.23
because God is our friend.
00:48:19.26\00:48:22.13
Even the details that we
think He doesn't care about,
00:48:22.16\00:48:25.57
because really He does.
00:48:25.60\00:48:27.94
And then
lastly, step number six.
00:48:27.97\00:48:31.07
You might use a
spiritual journal
00:48:31.11\00:48:33.01
to record your thoughts.
00:48:33.04\00:48:35.18
As you're reading
through your passage
00:48:35.21\00:48:37.11
or your study guide,
00:48:37.15\00:48:39.11
if you will write down
00:48:39.15\00:48:40.48
the things God
brings to your minds.
00:48:40.52\00:48:43.32
It will make it planted
in your heart even more.
00:48:43.35\00:48:45.95
You might even take
those four personal questions
00:48:45.99\00:48:48.76
and write down the answers
that God brings to your mind.
00:48:48.79\00:48:52.66
Now this is a
little harder for me,
00:48:52.69\00:48:54.23
because this takes discipline
00:48:54.26\00:48:56.16
and for me I would
much rather speak something
00:48:56.20\00:48:59.23
and take the time to write,
00:48:59.27\00:49:00.64
because I think much faster
than I can write things down.
00:49:00.67\00:49:04.44
But the times
00:49:04.47\00:49:05.81
that I forced myself to do this,
00:49:05.84\00:49:08.24
it's been very meaningful.
00:49:08.28\00:49:09.94
Because when you write it,
00:49:09.98\00:49:11.81
it forces you to
process it more in your mind
00:49:11.85\00:49:15.72
and it becomes very real.
00:49:15.75\00:49:18.75
So if you can
discipline yourself
00:49:18.79\00:49:20.39
to have a spiritual journal,
00:49:20.42\00:49:22.26
you can even look back
00:49:22.29\00:49:23.63
and see what God has taught you
00:49:23.66\00:49:25.79
and how He has led you
00:49:25.83\00:49:27.80
over the past few weeks
or months or even years.
00:49:27.83\00:49:33.27
So those are the six steps.
00:49:33.30\00:49:35.30
If you will take those six steps
00:49:35.34\00:49:37.87
and use them in a
way that works for you,
00:49:37.91\00:49:40.74
God will help you to develop
00:49:40.78\00:49:42.31
a meaningful and
effective daily devotional life.
00:49:42.34\00:49:47.88
But there's something else
00:49:47.92\00:49:49.25
I want to talk
about in this session.
00:49:49.28\00:49:52.32
You can expect the
devil to fight you on this.
00:49:52.35\00:49:56.73
Having a daily
devotional life is not easy.
00:49:56.76\00:50:00.16
In fact, it's probably
one of the hardest things
00:50:00.20\00:50:02.23
you will do in
your Christian life.
00:50:02.26\00:50:04.83
See, the devil
doesn't care if you say,
00:50:04.87\00:50:06.97
well, I'm gonna
try hard to be good,
00:50:07.00\00:50:09.80
I'm gonna pull up my bootstraps
00:50:09.84\00:50:11.84
and I'm gonna overcome
sin and use my willpower.
00:50:11.87\00:50:16.08
That doesn't
bother the devil at all.
00:50:16.11\00:50:18.21
He just laughs when we say that.
00:50:18.25\00:50:20.48
Because he knows eventually,
00:50:20.52\00:50:22.05
human nature is gonna take over
00:50:22.08\00:50:23.99
and we're gonna
fall flat on our face.
00:50:24.02\00:50:26.59
Now if we have strong willpower,
00:50:26.62\00:50:28.69
we might do good
for a little while,
00:50:28.72\00:50:31.29
but eventually we're gonna fail.
00:50:31.33\00:50:34.20
Because the Bible
has already told us,
00:50:34.23\00:50:36.60
who can bring a clean
thing out of the unclean heart?
00:50:36.63\00:50:40.40
Can the leopard
change his spots?
00:50:40.44\00:50:43.57
And the answer is no.
00:50:43.61\00:50:46.37
In fact, really,
00:50:46.41\00:50:47.74
the Bible never tells
us to try hard to be good.
00:50:47.78\00:50:51.31
What the Bible tells us
00:50:51.35\00:50:53.05
is to put forth the
effort to spend time with Jesus.
00:50:53.08\00:50:56.38
We resist the devil
00:50:56.42\00:50:58.15
and overcome
sin by spending time
00:50:58.19\00:51:01.56
in the presence of Christ
00:51:01.59\00:51:03.53
through the
daily devotional life.
00:51:03.56\00:51:06.33
Satan knows,
00:51:06.36\00:51:07.70
that's the key
to being born again.
00:51:07.73\00:51:11.03
And so you can expect
00:51:11.07\00:51:12.47
this devil will bring
all sorts of obstacles.
00:51:12.50\00:51:14.60
I mean,
00:51:14.64\00:51:15.97
your company is gonna
want you to work overtime,
00:51:16.00\00:51:18.17
the kids will start bugging you,
00:51:18.21\00:51:20.11
you'll have more
homework from school,
00:51:20.14\00:51:22.54
the car will break down,
00:51:22.58\00:51:23.91
refrigerator
will go in the blink,
00:51:23.95\00:51:25.41
I mean, the phone
will ring more often.
00:51:25.45\00:51:28.28
And I probably
shouldn't say this,
00:51:28.32\00:51:30.39
but sometimes the devil
might even use the church
00:51:30.42\00:51:33.56
to keep you from having
a daily devotional life.
00:51:33.59\00:51:35.76
Now I say that tongue-in-cheek,
00:51:35.79\00:51:38.03
but you know when it comes
to nominating committee time
00:51:38.06\00:51:40.43
and we take 8 or
10 different offices
00:51:40.46\00:51:42.76
and we become
so busy in ministry
00:51:42.80\00:51:45.73
that we don't
spend time with Jesus.
00:51:45.77\00:51:48.74
That's exactly
what the devil wants.
00:51:48.77\00:51:52.44
This is where the effort
comes in the Christian life.
00:51:52.47\00:51:56.04
I make the effort not
in trying hard to be good,
00:51:56.08\00:52:01.25
but I put forth my efforts
00:52:01.28\00:52:03.05
to spend time
with Jesus every day.
00:52:03.08\00:52:06.62
That devotional life
00:52:06.65\00:52:08.52
is what gives the Holy
Spirit access to my heart.
00:52:08.56\00:52:12.79
That's what causes me
through time to be converted
00:52:12.83\00:52:16.56
and to be born again.
00:52:16.60\00:52:19.60
Let me illustrate it this way.
00:52:19.63\00:52:21.84
I want you to pretend
that I have a hose up here,
00:52:21.87\00:52:24.77
you know, a hose
that water comes out of.
00:52:24.81\00:52:26.91
And it's a nice looking hose,
00:52:26.94\00:52:28.48
I probably should
have brought one up here.
00:52:28.51\00:52:30.71
Now, let's suppose
that I'm trying to get water
00:52:30.75\00:52:33.45
to come out of this hose.
00:52:33.48\00:52:35.52
And so I decide, you know what,
00:52:35.55\00:52:37.22
no water's coming out of here,
00:52:37.25\00:52:38.82
I'm gonna paint it a new color.
00:52:38.85\00:52:40.72
So I go to
Walmart, buy a can of paint
00:52:40.76\00:52:43.02
and I go through
the all the effort
00:52:43.06\00:52:44.56
of painting the
hose a different color.
00:52:44.59\00:52:47.20
Is that gonna make
water come out of this hose?
00:52:47.23\00:52:49.90
No.
00:52:49.93\00:52:51.27
But maybe I decide,
well, it needs a new nozzle,
00:52:51.30\00:52:54.44
a brand spanking new nozzle.
00:52:54.47\00:52:56.64
So I go out to Lowe's
and I get a fancy one.
00:52:56.67\00:52:59.41
And so I put forth the
effort to take off the old one
00:52:59.44\00:53:02.08
and put on the new one.
00:53:02.11\00:53:03.88
Is that gonna make
water come out of that hose?
00:53:03.91\00:53:06.55
Nope.
00:53:06.58\00:53:07.92
I can put all the
effort I want into it.
00:53:07.95\00:53:10.89
The only thing
that's gonna make water
00:53:10.92\00:53:13.15
come out of that
hose is if I do what?
00:53:13.19\00:53:16.32
I have to connect it to
the faucet or the spigot.
00:53:16.36\00:53:19.73
I've got to connect it
to the source of power,
00:53:19.76\00:53:22.43
so when I put my effort
00:53:22.46\00:53:25.20
into connecting it
to the source of power,
00:53:25.23\00:53:28.47
water comes out of
the hose naturally.
00:53:28.50\00:53:33.14
When I direct my efforts
into spending time with Jesus,
00:53:33.17\00:53:38.71
then the power
of the Holy Spirit
00:53:38.75\00:53:40.42
flows into my life naturally
00:53:40.45\00:53:43.25
and the changes
00:53:43.28\00:53:44.62
that I could
never make by myself,
00:53:44.65\00:53:47.42
the spirit begins to
make over a period of time.
00:53:47.46\00:53:52.03
That's what it
means to be converted
00:53:52.06\00:53:54.53
and to be born again.
00:53:54.56\00:53:56.10
It happens by
spending time with Jesus.
00:53:56.13\00:54:00.57
Not by just sitting in a pew,
00:54:00.60\00:54:03.07
but by spending
personal time with Jesus.
00:54:03.10\00:54:06.57
Lastly, I don't want to
skip this important topic.
00:54:06.61\00:54:10.58
What about family worship?
00:54:10.61\00:54:13.78
What about the importance
of families coming together
00:54:13.82\00:54:16.55
for a short time
of worship each day?
00:54:16.58\00:54:19.72
Let me show you
something that Ellen White wrote
00:54:19.75\00:54:21.62
on this subject a
hundred and some years ago.
00:54:21.66\00:54:24.93
She said,
00:54:24.96\00:54:26.70
"A reformation in
this respect is needed,
00:54:26.73\00:54:30.03
a reformation which
shall be deep and broad.
00:54:30.07\00:54:33.44
In too many
households prayer is neglected.
00:54:33.47\00:54:36.94
Parents feel they have no time
00:54:36.97\00:54:38.87
for morning and evening worship.
00:54:38.91\00:54:41.24
They have no
time to offer prayer
00:54:41.28\00:54:43.51
for divine help and guidance
00:54:43.55\00:54:45.78
and for the
abiding presence of Jesus
00:54:45.81\00:54:48.78
in the household."
00:54:48.82\00:54:50.39
See, she encourages us,
00:54:50.42\00:54:52.35
we should never be too busy
00:54:52.39\00:54:54.79
to bring our family together
00:54:54.82\00:54:56.39
even for a short
prayer and worship.
00:54:56.42\00:55:00.53
Yet that is a neglected art
in the Christian world today
00:55:00.56\00:55:06.10
even of all
different denominations.
00:55:06.13\00:55:09.57
In fact, she wrote in
the Ministry of Healing,
00:55:09.60\00:55:11.77
"Fathers and mothers,
however pressing your business,
00:55:11.81\00:55:15.51
do not fail to
gather your family
00:55:15.54\00:55:18.15
around God's altar."
00:55:18.18\00:55:20.68
See, sometimes
we're tempted to think,
00:55:20.72\00:55:22.75
well, the Christian
school will do this part for me.
00:55:22.78\00:55:26.05
And the church and the pastor
will do this for my family.
00:55:26.09\00:55:29.99
But, folks,
that's not how it works,
00:55:30.03\00:55:32.19
the school and even
the church cannot do for me
00:55:32.23\00:55:36.46
what I'm not doing
for my own family at home.
00:55:36.50\00:55:40.37
The school and the
church is meant to supplement
00:55:40.40\00:55:43.81
the teaching that
ought to be going home,
00:55:43.84\00:55:46.57
going on in the home circle.
00:55:46.61\00:55:49.94
See, if the only
souls I win are my family,
00:55:49.98\00:55:53.05
then my life has
not been in vain.
00:55:53.08\00:55:55.58
And that doesn't mean
God wants us to ignore
00:55:55.62\00:55:57.65
the other people in our life,
00:55:57.69\00:55:59.79
but our first
responsibility is our family.
00:55:59.82\00:56:03.32
And we are encouraged
to bring them together
00:56:03.36\00:56:06.29
for family
worship every single day.
00:56:06.33\00:56:09.66
And she writes
in Child Guidance,
00:56:09.70\00:56:11.87
"That time of worship
00:56:11.90\00:56:13.80
should be
intensely interesting."
00:56:13.84\00:56:17.97
So your family
worship might look like this.
00:56:18.01\00:56:20.54
Now, it will be different
00:56:20.58\00:56:22.04
depending on the
makeup of your family.
00:56:22.08\00:56:24.61
If you have young kids,
00:56:24.65\00:56:26.01
your family worship
is not gonna be long.
00:56:26.05\00:56:28.48
I have a 10 and a 7-year-old,
00:56:28.52\00:56:30.65
so our family worship's
00:56:30.69\00:56:32.65
about 10-15
minutes long, that's it.
00:56:32.69\00:56:35.32
You just try to go 45
minutes with a 7-year-old,
00:56:35.36\00:56:38.53
it's not going to work.
00:56:38.56\00:56:40.53
Now if you have teenagers
00:56:40.56\00:56:42.40
or maybe you don't
have children at all,
00:56:42.43\00:56:44.63
then you might come
together to simply do
00:56:44.67\00:56:46.87
a couples devotional together.
00:56:46.90\00:56:49.27
But if you have children,
00:56:49.30\00:56:51.04
you might simply
read a short Bible passage
00:56:51.07\00:56:54.11
or a Bible story
00:56:54.14\00:56:55.84
from a
children's Bible story book.
00:56:55.88\00:56:58.31
You read it,
00:56:58.35\00:56:59.81
briefly talk about the
lessons that are in it,
00:56:59.85\00:57:02.75
each person may share
something about their day
00:57:02.78\00:57:05.45
and then you pray together.
00:57:05.49\00:57:08.22
It can be as
simple as 10 minutes
00:57:08.26\00:57:10.73
and it plants the
seed of the gospels,
00:57:10.76\00:57:13.33
the seeds of Jesus in
the hearts of our children.
00:57:13.36\00:57:17.70
Now sometimes
this is a struggle.
00:57:17.73\00:57:20.04
When I travel
00:57:20.07\00:57:21.40
or when our
schedules get all mixed up,
00:57:21.44\00:57:24.14
sometimes we miss our
time of family worship,
00:57:24.17\00:57:27.51
but God wants us to
try to keep it consistent.
00:57:27.54\00:57:30.78
Right now what we're
doing is, we come together,
00:57:30.81\00:57:33.25
we sing one psalm
00:57:33.28\00:57:35.05
and each person
gives a prayer request
00:57:35.08\00:57:37.65
that they want to
pray about for the week
00:57:37.69\00:57:39.45
and each of us
takes a turn praying
00:57:39.49\00:57:41.82
and then the kids go to bed.
00:57:41.86\00:57:43.79
Simple short family
worship, 10 to 15 minutes.
00:57:43.83\00:57:48.53
It will do a world of
good for our families.
00:57:48.56\00:57:52.20
And like God said,
00:57:52.23\00:57:53.60
His word never
comes back to us void.
00:57:53.64\00:57:58.07
So let's make
the commitment today,
00:57:58.11\00:58:00.48
that if we're gonna
live an evangelistic life,
00:58:00.51\00:58:03.21
let's be sure that it starts
first of all with our families
00:58:03.24\00:58:06.15
and with ourselves,
00:58:06.18\00:58:07.55
that we have a
daily devotional life
00:58:07.58\00:58:10.15
and we have a
short family worship
00:58:10.19\00:58:11.75
with our families
every morning or evening
00:58:11.79\00:58:15.02
whichever you may choose.
00:58:15.06\00:58:17.03
And when that happens,
00:58:17.06\00:58:18.63
God will do a
marvelous work in our lives.
00:58:18.66\00:58:23.63