What We Do To The Relationship Of The Church Essay Example

" Hanna, Izard, Mischief If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. " ME, WE: Here is my struggle: Why does it sometimes seem so hard to connect with God?

If we are trying to connect, and his dream is to connect with us, why sometimes is it just so hard?

-l remember Pewter's church I didn't understand

- I know at some point they had to connect with God, but man they lost me!

-There were other times though when I did see Jesus but it Just didn't seem to last. Story of being scared in bed.

-Other times where something has happened and I have really connected with God, and everything changed but then Just slowly but surely it Just seemed like the world Egan to creep in, and sometimes I wouldn't even know what was going on, Just that something wasn't right.

Story of being in DC. You know the truth is that Jesus describes these exact situations to us in a parable: Matthew 13:1-8, 18-23 1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to

sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and he birds came and ate it up.

 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop-?a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 18 "Listen then to what the parable of the shower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and matches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with Joy But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a endured, sixty or thirty times what was sown. You see all of these people had God's word sown into their life, but only one saw a harvest or fruit in their life - why, because of the condition of

their heart! You: So how do I prepare my heart so that I can worship, so that I can receive the word?

Become like the merchant who spent his life looking for a certain pearl! A. Matthew 13:45-46 45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.

When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. Commit to search for Him!

There is nothing more important or more significant than a right relationship with Jesus. We talk all of the time about what we want our lives to be, and it is all meaningless compared to Him!

 Create consistent opportunities to touch God.

Luke 5:16 Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray!  It takes a moment with God when it all becomes real! The stories are not things you hear, but they become things that are about you! Jacob when he wrestled with the angel. Peter when he recognized the Christ. Me when I met Jesus.

Constantly put things in place to remind you of who God is. Find things that we can do to constantly remind us - to re-engage our heart and our mind to re-recognize who God is all over again? I. Create personal moments - Make a pile of rocks where you crossed the Jordan so you will retell the story! I'. My ax head. My message in a bottle we: Why should we do this - Why should we go through this trouble? Because once you see Him, nothing else matters! He is God He is love He is peace He is hope He is Justice He alone is

God AMP - poem Guys if we can Just see God for who He really is, everything in our lives would change.

Worship team ready to come!