Today we want to focus on growing in prayer. We define this characteristic with these statements:

• Our prayer life is constantly growing in richness.
• Our prayer life is in proper alignment with the emphases and priorities of the Lord’s Prayer.
• We are spending sufficient time in prayer, solitude and in listening to God speak through his Word.
• We are able to pray with contentment and peace that God’s will would be done in our lives.
• We are growing more and more in gratitude.

Wednesday is a day of worship, a day where we give praise to our God for his amazing love and grace.

My prayer goal for this week is ________________________________________.
Our goal for last week was ____________________________________________.


Let’s pray:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us, not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Read the following passage from Psalm 103
Praise the LORD, my soul;all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, my soul,and forget not all his benefits—
      who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
      who redeems your life from the pitand crowns you with love and compassion,
      who satisfies your desires with good thingsso that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,his deeds to the people of Israel:
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
      as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
      for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field;
      the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
      and his righteousness with their children’s children—
      with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
The LORD has established his throne in heaven,and his kingdom rules over all.
Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding,who obey his word.
Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.
Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, my soul.

Reading to Worship
Today, we want to focus on prayer as a form of worship. This prayer from the Psalms speaks powerfully to the nature of our God.

The normal response to encountering God is worship. When that doesn’t happen, our first question must be to ask why. Why isn’t our heart moved when we hear his voice in his Word? Do a heart-check to see if there is anything blocking your way to worship as you read this passage.

Using some words and thoughts from our passage, answer one of the following questions as we prepare our hearts and minds to worship (please make these statements as personal to you as possible).

• What strikes you as you read this passage?
• What do we learn about God from this passage?
• What is the relationship of praise to discipleship and spiritual formation?
• The Psalmist urges us not to forget God’s benefits. What has God done for you?
• What spiritual priorities are evident in this prayer?
• What does prayer do for God? What does it do for us?
• If praise is so important, why don’t we invest in it more?
• How could this passage lead you to worship?

Question:
What do we need to do to grow in our ability to praise?

Thoughts to Ponder
"Our prayer must not be self-centered. It must arise not only because we feel our own need as a burden we must lay upon God, but also because we are so bound up in love for our fellow men that we feel their need as acutely as our own. To make intercession for men is the most powerful and practical way in which we can express our love for them."  (John Calvin)

“Time spent alone with God is not wasted. It changes us; it changes our surroundings; and every Christian who would live the life that counts, and who would have power for service must take time to pray.”  (M.E. Andross)

"Prayer is weakness leaning on omnipotence."  (W. S. Bowd)

The One Thing
Today, we want to develop a pattern of daily prayer. Praying the Lord’s Prayer daily (or two or three times) is a great habit to have. Praying the Jesus Prayer (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner) throughout the day is a good way to keep centered on Christ. Prayer walks and prayer lists are both helpful. Our desire is to give you numerous tools so that you can find the one or two that works best for you. But today, we want to encourage you to pray the Psalms. Reread Psalm 103 and choose one verse that you want to pray throughout the day. For instance, you may choose verse 8 (The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love) or verse 12 (as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us) or verse 17 (But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him). Try to pray around this verse five or six times during the day so that it resounds in your soul. You don’t have to pray long; short sentence prayers are best here. The key is to pray when the Spirit moves you and to pray when you need to be reminded that God is present. Today, pray the Psalms and find God’s peace and will as you do.

Closing Prayer
Abba Father, pour out your love upon us so that we may love you and love our neighbor as ourselves. Our hearts are also small. Enlarge them with your glory so they are fit for you. Open our eyes to your love so that we will always walk in your ways. Fill us with your Spirit that we may be your people. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Today our focus is growing in being relevant and engaging our culture. Here is how we describe this virtue:

• We have attempted to engage our culture skillfully at some point.
• We are having more spiritual conversations that are winsome, gentle, gracious and engaging with people who are lost.
• Unchurched people see us as loving people; and they speak highly of our character, integrity and compassionate lifestyle.
• We are growing in our awareness of the needs of others (both here and around the world) and how we can make a difference in their lives.
• We feel we are removing (and not creating) barriers to faith in the lives of people so that the only barrier left is the clear offense of the cross.

Tuesday is a day of reading for prayer, a day where we take God’s Words to us and pray them back to God and allow his thoughts, priorities and values to shape our prayers.

My prayer goal for this week is ________________________________________.
Our goal for last week was ___________________________________________.


Let’s pray:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us, not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.


Read the following passage from 1 Corinthians 2:1-10
     And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
     We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”-- he things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.


Pray Around The Text. . . .
Today, we want to pray that we would engage our culture with wisdom, grace, courage and skill. We want to be warm and winsome while we communicate God’s truth lovingly.

As you read this passage, you may find yourself at odds with some of what the text is saying or with what it is calling you to do. Be honest with your struggles before God and wrestle with them in prayer.

Today, you may take a few moments to pray around, through, and with our text, allowing the text to shape, mold and structure your requests as we have in the past. Allow the Spirit to guide your thoughts as you grapple with the implications of this passage on your life.


To Consider As We Pray
“Evangelism is not a professional job for a few trained men, but is instead the unrelenting responsibility of every person who belongs to the company of Jesus.”  (Elton Trueblood)

“How shall I feel at the judgment, if multitudes of missed opportunities pass before me in full review, and all my excuses prove to be disguises of my cowardice and pride.”  (Dr. W. E. Sangster)

"Evangelism is the bridge we build between our love for God and our love for other people.”  (George Barna)


One Thing to Do Today
What does it mean to engage our culture by being relevant and winsome, informed and interesting? Our God is a missionary God, and he calls us to go into his world with his message in a way that moves people to think about the claims of Christ. Of course, the Holy Spirit does the real work, but God calls us to speak powerfully into the lives of the people he puts in our path. Our strategy is not to retreat and play it safe, but to pray and engage.

One way we engage our culture is through the removal of spiritual barriers, and one way we do that is by having a compassionate lifestyle. Open your eyes and hearts to others today and make a difference in your world. Serve those in need and demonstrate the love of Christ wherever you go.


Closing Prayer:
Abba Father, pour out your love upon us so that we may love you and love our neighbors as ourselves. Our hearts are also small. Enlarge them with your glory so they are fit for you. Open our eyes to your love so that we will always walk in your ways. Fill us with your Spirit that we may be your people. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Today, we want to focus on growing in authenticity. Here is how we describe this virtue:

• We are more transparent and honest to the people around us.
• We have fewer secrets and struggles in our lives, things about which no one knows.
• We have someone who knows us well and helps us stay accountable and challenges us to grow.
• We know that we struggle to live up to our beliefs, but we feel like we are less hypocritical, less self-deceived and more authentic.
• We are actually dealing with the heart issues behind our sin rather than just managing it or by exhibiting good behavior.

Monday is a day of reading for repentance, a day where we confess our sins and receive God’s grace, pardon and mercy in abundance.

My prayer goal for this week is __________________________________________.
Last week, my prayer goal was __________________________________________.


Let’s pray:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us, not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.


Read the following passage from James 1:19-27
     My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
     Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
     Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.


Pray Psalm 139:23-24 as you reflect upon this passage.

Lead us. . . .
(Review if helpful) Reading for repentance involves the following eight steps (Surprise!).

• See yourself in the Text (which words jump off the page and confront you in this passage?).
• Uncover your idols (In what false hopes are trusting? What things do you believe you need to have to be happy in life? Where do you feel justified in your actions? What empowers your sin?).
• Reverse direction (What would it mean to turn away from your sin and pursue God?).
• Pray and ask, “What would growth look like?”
• Receive God’s grace and pardon.
• Inhale God’s beauty, goodness and love.
• Savor God’s mercy
• and Endeavor to live in newness of life (Live your repentance out loud).

Today, we want to move through this passage by seeing ourselves in the text.

In your opinion, are Christ-followers more angry or less angry than people who do not know Christ? Why? Are you an angry person?

James says we should not merely listen to the word and so deceive ourselves. How do we deceive ourselves spiritually?

James encourages us to do more than listen to the word. What does that mean? How do we do that?

In calling us to be obedient, James urges us to follow the “perfect law that gives freedom.” Why does he describe God’s moral law that way?

James says: “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves.” What does James mean here? What is the relationship between hypocrisy and the way we talk?

How do you feel about James’ definition of true religion? Would you have defined it this way? What does this definition say to you?

What does this passage say to you? Where do you need to repent?


Prayer of Repentance:
Seeing our sin in this text is not too difficult. We all listen better to the word than we do living it out. We all harbor secret sins or deceive ourselves about the seriousness of the sins we run to day in and day out. We even deny that obedience gives freedom. And we don’t want to believe that true faith means giving ourselves away sacrificially to those who are suffering. These are the sins rooted deep in our souls. Reread this passage and let the Spirit lead you into repentance.


Receiving God’s Grace and Pardon (from Acts 13:38-39)
     Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.


Thoughts to Ponder
"The Pharisees are not all dead yet, and are not all Jews."  (John McClintock)

"The Pharisees minded what God spoke, but not what He intended. . . . They were busy in the outward work of the hand, but incurious of the affections and choice of the heart. So God was served in the letter, but they did not much inquire into His purpose; and therefore they were curious to wash their hands, but cared not to purify their hearts."  (Jeremy Taylor)

"A bad man is worse when he pretends to be a saint."  (Francis Bacon)


What One Thing Can You Do Today?
James talks about taming the tongue so that our words are aligned with our commitment to Christ. Today, we want to set a guard over our tongue so that we glorify God with our words. There are two aspects of this. First, we want to go a whole day without saying anything negative to or about anyone. That means not being critical and not being judgmental. Second, we want to go the whole day without saying anything that is dishonest. Be honest. Be forthright. Be open and be transparent. Honor God with your words.

We also ought to take notice that true religion is looking after orphans and widows and keeping ourselves from being polluted by the world (its values, perspectives, goals, and ethics). Today, open your heart to giving to those in need so that your testimony of being in Christ is clearly matched by all of your actions.


Closing Prayer:
Abba Father, pour out your love upon us so that we may love you and love our neighbor as ourselves. Our hearts are also small. Enlarge them with your glory so they are fit for you. Open our eyes to your love so that we will always walk in your ways. Fill us with your Spirit that we may be your people. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Saturday is a day where we focus on trusting God as we walk more and more in grace.

My prayer goal for this week is _________________________________________.
My prayer goal last week was __________________________________________.


Let’s pray:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us, not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Read the following passage from 1 Timothy 6:11-19
     But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
     Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Learning to Trust God: A Week in Review
For the last week we have been reviewing the first six of our core spiritual values. The statements below define these values in a visible, tangible, and measurable way. Read each statement and mark it true or false compared to where you were before we started this series.

DRIVEN BY GRACE

• I am more deeply aware of my sin and my need for repentance, as well as God’s work of grace in my life, enabling me to receive the Gospel.
• I am more and more motivated by grace as opposed to being driven by guilt, obligation and/or duty.
• My love for and worship of God has increased.
• I am being more gracious, patient and kind to the people with whom I interact.
• I have a growing assurance that God is really my loving heavenly father that delights in me as I delight in him.

LOVING RELATIONSHIPS

• I feel more connected to the River’s Edge family.
• I am demonstrating love for others in tangible ways, even for those outside my inner circle.
• I am growing more and more loving, gracious and compassionate.
• I have forgiven those who have wronged me and have rectified situations where I have wronged others.
• My significant relationships are growing and thriving.

LOST PEOPLE

• I am involved in praying for the lost in a regular, specific and significant way.
• I am involved significantly in reaching out to the lost, directly and indirectly.
• I am building relationships with people who are lost, especially the people who are already in my sphere of influence.
• I am involved in ministries of mercy, compassion and justice.
• My personality, behavior, lifestyle and words create a hunger for Christ in the people around me.

GROW IN FAITH

• I feel I have grown spiritually (increasing in faith, hope and love).
• I am spending adequate time in prayer, Bible study and the spiritual disciplines and am putting into practice the things that I am learning.
• There is more evidence of the inward fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) in my life.
• I have a better grasp of biblical truth and theology.
• I am involved in a(n) RLT small group and find that it is spurring me on to love and good deeds.  If not, is this something you might consider for 2011?

TRANSFORMING THE HEART

• I am pursuing the kingdom values of the Beatitudes.
• I am growing more and more devoted to Christ.
• I am seeking first the kingdom of God in all the major areas of my life.
• I am, by God’s grace, growing in humility and servanthood.
• I am trusting more and more in Christ rather than in my own resources, strength and abilities.
• I am more willing to take up my cross, deny myself, and follow Christ.
• I am less negative, divisive, demanding and selfish.
• The lure of a works-righteousness and the pull of performance have less of an influence on me so that I am not so caught up in trying to earn God’s love or maintaining a proper image or in needing the approval of others. The attraction of self-righteousness is dying.
• I am able to hold on to earthly things (even things I love) more loosely while clinging to God’s sure promises more whole-heartedly.

GIVE YOURSELF AWAY

• I am giving freely of my time, talent and treasure to advance the kingdom of God.
• I am involved in a significant ministry that I am passionate about.
• I am much more in tune with God’s call and my giftedness.
• I am producing spiritual fruit (glorifying God through our good works).
• I am learning to live in a daily conscious partnership with God.

If you were to choose just one of these headings to make it your strong focus in the up-coming weeks, which would you choose? Why?

Where do you see the most growth? Where do you see the least?

Where have you seen God at work in your life in this series to produce his character in you?

The Joy of Being a Child of God

We’ve talked a lot about "doing" in these eleven weeks, but we must never forget that “doing” never replaces “being.” There is nothing we can do that would make God love us any more than he already does and there is nothing we could do that would make him love us any less. God delights in us because we are his children, and he wants to give us these gifts because they are all characteristics of his son. Never forget: it is not “doing” that matters; it is “being” in Christ Jesus. If you are truly are resting in being a child of God, the “doing” will take care of itself.

A Thought to Ponder  
     "I was just a child," related a retired Baptist preacher, "when one spring day my father called me to go with him to old man Russell's blacksmith shop. He had left a rake and a hoe to be repaired; and they were ready, fixed like new. Father handed over a silver dollar for repairing them, but Mr. Russell refused to take it.
     "No," he said, "there's no charge for that little job." But father insisted.
     "And if I live a thousand years," said the preacher, "I'll never forget that great blacksmith's reply."
     "Sid," he said to my father, "Can't you let a man do somethin' just to stretch his soul?"

One Thing
Today, give yourself away to someone in need. It can be a small act of kindness or it can be quite sacrificial. Pray that God would give you the opportunity truly to stretch your soul and then look for ways you can serve others through the giving of your time, talent or treasure.

Although this is the end of the week, we still have three more topics to review so we will continue this series for the next three days.

Closing Prayer
Abba Father, pour out your love upon us so that we may love you and love our neighbor as ourselves. Our hearts are also small. Enlarge them with your glory so they are fit for you. Open our eyes to your love so that we will always walk in your ways. Fill us with your Spirit that we may be your people. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.