Series: What Does God Want?
Sermon: Passionately Pursue God
"But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." -- Matthew 6:33
Jesus' command was crystal clear: a disciple's primary responsibility is to seek God and to make that pursuit his/her number one priority. As you think about your life and your relationship with God, are you personally pursuing Him? Which word better describes your present pursuit -- passionate or passive?
"Your greatest danger is allowing the urgent things to crowd out the important." -- Charles Hummel, Tyranny of the Urgent
Life is full of all kinds of worries and demands that easily distract us from prioritizing our pursuit of God. Is there anything that's keeping you from seeking after Him on a more consistent basis?
"The key to concentration is elimination." -- Howard Hendricks
What might you need to eliminate to help you better concentrate on your daily pursuit of God?
Application: "Spiritual transformation is not a matter of trying harder, but of training wisely (1 Tim 4:7). It can't be orchestrated or controlled, but neither is it a random venture. We need some kind of support or structure -- we need sails to help us catch the winds of the Spirit. We need a plan for transformation." -- John Ortberg, The Life You've Always Wanted
The 7 for 30 Plan
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step. The 7 for 30 plan is designed to motivate you to train wisely for the purpose of transformation... to cultivate a discipline that will become a delight in your life. Here's how you can begin structuring a personal time of worship each day...
1/2 minute in prayer to prepare your heart
4 minutes to read the Bible to hear from God
2 1/2 minutes to talk to God using ACTS
A: Adoration -- tell God you love Him
C: Confess your sins
T: Thank Him for your blessings... your family, work, church, even hardships
S: Supplication -- ask for others' needs, then ask for your own
As you practice your pursuit, always keep in mind the goal is not to become devoted to a habit but to become devoted to your Savior... not simply to pursue God for your own benefit, but to pursue God for the sake of others.
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