Forming the Foundations (Week 2)

Preacher: Stephen Scott

Worship:
We encourage you to meditate on the lyrics of The Lord will Provide by Passion Music. When we seek first His Kingdom and its treasures, our Lord will provide everything that we need.

Check-in:
Pastor Stephen had a challenging message for us as we focus on the basics to create our firm foundation in Christ. What part of the sermon stood out most to you?

Synopsis of message:
Pastor Stephen shared from the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42) how God wants a deep and personal growing relationship with each one of us above all other things. Before we can go out and change the world, we must love God first. (Matthew 22:37-38). Forming the foundations of our discipleship requires us to continually shift our lives, hearts and priorities towards the Kingdom. Because our devotional/quiet times carry spiritual weight, we will encounter barriers from time to time (Ephesians 6:12).

Pastor Stephen highlighted three reasons why we sometimes struggle with our devotional/quiet times.

1. There will always be distractions. We must choose where we will place our attention.
2. We may encounter deceit. The way we view God will determine how we approach Him. Align your view of God and your view of yourself with God’s word.
3. We may experience seasons of spiritual dryness. Keep pushing through your seasons of dryness.

Pastor Stephen shared practical principles that we can apply as we build the foundation of our discipleship. We form solid foundations through hearing and doing God’s Word (Matthew 7:24).

1. Select a specific time that you will spend with God each day and commit to it.
2. Set up a specific place where you will spend time with God. Find a place that is peaceful, inviting and that has meaning to you. Leave your Bible and anything else that you need to do your devotions in that place. Eliminate any distractions.
3. Commit to a specific plan to engage with God through His word. There are three crucial elements to include in our daily devotions:
   • Engage God through His word. Make notes or keep a journal. As you read God’s word, ask yourself two questions:
     • What is the scripture saying about God? (Is there anything you can notice about His character/nature?); and
     • What is God saying to you through the scripture?
   • Engage God through prayer. See prayer as a conversation. Take time to also pause and listen during your prayer time. Write down any prompts God places on your heart. For every request, also thank God for what He has already done (Philippians 4:6). If you do not know what to pray for, pray back scripture to God. The Pray First app may be a useful tool.
   • Engage God through worship. Focus on the goodness and greatness of God.

Discussion Questions:

1. In the sermon, Pastor Stephen identifies how the enemy uses 3 ways to unsettle and upset our time with God: distraction, deceit and dryness. Can you think of a time when one of these was used to throw you off track?
2. As mentioned earlier, Pastor Stephen left us with us 3 tips to assist us as we establish our quiet times with the Lord:
   a. Set a place
   b. Set a time
   c. Commit to a specific plan.
   Which of these needs your focus moving forward? Or what do you feel encouraged to add to your quiet time?
3. As mentioned in the sermon and the synopsis, when we engage with the Word, we are encouraged to look at what the scripture is saying about God and what is God saying to you through the scripture.
   
   Can you recall a time when the Word of God was right on point; a clear message from God through his word? What was your response to God as a result?

Check-out:
We were left with a seven-day accountability challenge, so consider who you would choose to be accountable to as you begin a new, dynamic habit of building into your quiet time.

Additional Resources:

• Seek First (YouVersion)
• Praise & Worship Playlist (YouTube)
• Pray First App