The Disciplines of a Disciple: Filling Our Mind With God’s Word

Today's episode of a new beginning is brought to you by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. Learn more@harness.org and while you're there, browse our library of free e-books designed to help you grow in your faith is failure to live in the home of the Bible you give them your heart and mind on a daily basis home. Your feelings virtually was also studying the Bible. Pastor Greg Moore showed God's word all the resources we need spiritual success were God, we want to fill our lives with. It's a good idea. Your body is getting what it needs to thrive is provided some spiritual one in his word is mortified as her spiritual spiritual sustenance today on a new beginning. Pastor Greg Laurie points out regular diet of God's word is just what Christian disciples need if you're not a regular dose of daily email sign-up with harvest. Let's grab our Bibles to Gossage's today John chapter 8 the gospel of John chapter 8 and also Psalm 19 Psalm 19. The title of my messages. The disciplines of a disciple. Let's talk now about the things that a disciple does to stay strong spiritually. A disciple will carefully read and study and live according to God's disciple will carefully read, study and live according to God's word.

What is that based on Jesus said in John 831.

He said these things to those who believe in him. If you continue in my word, you are my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free Melissa.

He says if you continue in my word, then are you my disciples, that may just study it limiting to memorize and ultimately a means it affects your thinking and ultimately your living in everything that you do. I love how someone describes that man that walks with them and it says his delight is in the word of God and it does see meditate day and night, stored, meditate means to ponder actually in the root and means to chew chew your food to think it over gently. Sometimes we we read the Bible with no comprehension.

We see it as a religious duty.

We do mechanically every three chapters read three chapters. What were they about.

I have no idea what I read three chapters, and I can prove job, but if it doesn't affect your life if you don't even understand what you read, you'd be better off reading three versus my brother you read one chapter of the Bible.

Slowly, carefully, with contemplation asking the Lord out applies to your life, then returned chapters so you are bragging right I need to understand that this is the very word of God, and I agree that that way. I am now reading the words of God. I am reading the autobiography of God and I believe that this book will speak to me. I love what Martin Luther said is paraphrase. He says the Bible is alive it is.

Hands it takes hold of me and SP. It chases after me.

It's alive and it's powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword so that we must approach it like that and I find that when I come to church if I bring a notebook and take notes. It really helps me because I forget things very quickly and that's what we put notes on the screen. We put points on the screen.

We put Scripture references on the screen to help you for further Bible study lesson we need to listen carefully because access or failure in the Christian life is dependent on how much of the Bible you get into your heart and mind on a daily basis and obedient, you are to it want you to think about the success or failure in the Christian life is dependent on how much of the Bible you get into your heart and mind on a daily basis and how obedient you are to it. I've never met a Christian who is failing spiritually, who was also studying the Bible diligently.

It usually when there's a neglect in this area Billy Sunday became one of the great evangelist of his generation. He was before Billy Graham and someone once said to him as a young man, William, if you do these three things no one will ever write the word backslider after your name is said spend 15 minutes a day talking to God in prayer. Spend 15 minutes a day letting God talk to you through the Bible and then spend 15 minutes a day talking to someone else about Jesus. If you do these things you'll never be called a backslider that that's pretty good information. Don't you think so we need to approach the word this way because you see the Bible doesn't just contain truth. The Bible is true. It is the yardstick by which we measure all other so-called truth.

And if you're a hungry person spiritually you're a healthy person spiritually healthy people are hungry people.

That's I know I'm in good health does right now I'm hungry but I'm always hungry I'm not hungry. 20 minutes after I eat hungry shortly after that and so that's a good sign if you hunger for more of the word of God, you know, when we do our crusades by speaking a lot of churches I've spoken in churches all around the world could I ever tell you stories crazy things that happen in church services, but I've spoken every kind of congregation large and small, spoken at Calvary Chapel's and Southern Baptist churches and Assemblies of God churches in Anglican churches and you name it I probably spoken there and I can take the spiritual temperature of a congregation and under five minutes. I get a very real sense of where the rat in their relationship with the Bible, starting with having them bring their Bible to church. How many of you brought your Bible to church today. We see your Bible. This holder… Looks good to me. I see some of your holding up phones and tablets.

Somebody give you credit for that because I know the Bible is in it, but having said that, I think it's really great to carry an actual Bible as well and mark up your Bible so I like the fact that the Bible has symbolic power known.

I'm talking about, but sometimes I'll be flying in Utah get seated next to someone were chatting away and having a friendly conversation and you know may come out that I'm a Christian. Somehow I try to make it come out somewhere and then before long, I may reach into my briefcase and pull out a Bible that I have seen people visibly recoiled from my Bible like people of this like you pulled a rattlesnake out of a bag.

Their freight is going to like attack them or something. Why don't she, God, sorry it's a living Bible. He gets very excited. You know it, keep it in a box with little air holes punched in.

So the thing is is there. This is power in the word of God and we want to fill our lives with it and there other things that can sort of pollute our minds so we missed with the word of God says. Someone once came up to a great Bible teacher and said Sir I would give the world to know the Bible is you do and the teacher looked at him and said, and that's exactly what it will cost you give the world you give up the world. Romans 12 says don't be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you might know what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. How is my mind to be transformative going to happen. Through study of the word of God. I love the fact that the next 17 talks about the believers in Berea and they listen very carefully when the apostles showed up. We read there. The people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica. They listen eagerly to Paul's message. They search the Scriptures day after day they check up on Paul and Silas to see if there really teaching the truth. I love that they listen eagerly and also that they check up on them team checking out the apostle Paul, the apostle Paul who wrote a good part of the New Testament outward checking you out buddy will see if what you say lines of the Scripture, that is the right way to listen in a moment. Pastor Greg has some words about the precious God's word to disciples.

Be sure to stay tuned know sometimes we can always make sure here's the good news church is coming to you is coming due on your TV screen or on your tablet or your computer or even your phone. We do it every weekend and it's called Harvest at Home. We worship we have a message of the word of God. If you want to find out more, just go to harvest.org enjoy this this weekend for harvestable. Pastor Greg has been bringing his insights on the disciplines of a disciple including immersing ourselves regularly in the truth of God's word and you can get an instant replay of today study by going to harvest.org right with all of this in mind, let's go to our second passage will conclude with this Psalm 19 Psalm 19 will read just a few verses about the work will read the phrase the law of the Lord, but I could just as easily be the word of the Lord of the word of God.

You can even put the words. The Bible and it would still mean the same thing. Psalm 19 verse seven the law of the Lord is perfect or the word of God is perfect. The Bible is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure and enlightening the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether more to be desired are they then called yes and much fine gold, and sweeter also than the honey and the honeycomb.

Moreover by them as your servant warned any keeping of them there is great reward. Did you notice the cadence of those words that almost sounds like a song, doesn't it. Like the lyrics of a song that's because the songs were originally songs so you are reading song lyrics in a way inspired by God. So what we learn about the word of God. Number one the word of God is perfect in direct contrast to the flawed, imperfect reasoning of humanity today. Things are always changing. Things are always shifting culture changes, fashion changes, technology changes, you got the latest greatest whatever phone and then a new one comes in quickly replaces it moment hairstyles change to, you know, we all look back in our high school yearbook photo was shot right we always think what was I thinking was home all it really a good idea. I did get even further. I was bald and I had a mullet. That's like the worst thing imaginable, but actually rock that look for a short time. You don't want to do that ever but not even the newspaper is dated now because you know we have access to all this news that we can get at the drop of a hat, but God's word. In contrast, is always fresh. It's always new. It's as fresh as the morning dew. The Scripture says of God's mercies are new every morning, number two, the word of God is a treasure.

The word of God is a treasure. Look at verse 10 more to be desired are they then called yes and much fine gold, and there is great reward for those who obey them. That's my goal. There's a passage in Proverbs 2. Speaking of searching Scripture as mining for gold from a modern translation and it says if you make inside your priority and won't take no for an answer. Searching for a like a prospector panning for gold like an adventure on a treasure hunt. I love that translation. You know the Bible you think that I like Indiana Jones on Dora the Explorer here if you can't write. I want to see what's in the word of God for me today how God can speak to me from Scripture. That's the way to approach it. You know what, I lost my iPhone the other day and that's kind of a big deal when you lose your phone is in it so I use the feature, find my phone and you basically send out a signal, and I've often thought my phone with me like him word find my phone and it's like why is that my house and then I get the little chime.

You make the sounds I can find you and it's like in my pocket or its it's in the cushion of the chair that I'm sitting in because I'm too lazy to go looking for. By the way also use this feature find my phone to find my wife. They should just call that an out find my wife because my wife her phone is always on mute because she said I had a turndown for church and so I can find her. She won't answer her phone so I hit the find my phone feature that allowed chime goes out and then keep hitting it.

Yet even getting it but lots just want to know where you were.

How are you by my wife, a feature know how you feel when you leave your housekeeper got your phone you have way to work phone no. I forgot my phone. I must go back and get my phone. What if you felt that way about your Bible. Oh no I forgot my Bible. I need to go get it. You know in our film, Steve McQueen, American icon would tell the story of his conversion. Steve came to Christ when he was at the peak of his career as a number one movie star in the world but six months later after been growing in his faith in and going to church every week and studying the Bible with the sponsor for an hour each week. Steve found out he had cancer and it was in the advanced stages and he was told by his doctors just get your affairs in order. You're going to die only of months will Steve really wanted to live and now we have some to really live for. He wanted to tell others about what Christ did done for him and he heard about you know doctors down to Mexico with all of these treatments that they could cure cancer and in desperation he started getting those treatments and he found a surgeon who would remove the cancerous tumors that at that point had filled his entire body, so he chartered a plane to fly down there and get the surgery done, but he says pastor Leonard to wit if he could somehow meet Billy Graham. Stephen seen Billy on television and Billy was at the peak of his ministry at this point and Billy came to visit.

Steve and I know because I shared the story earlier and I found out that the one of the pilots of the plaintiff went to our church's name is Mike and he came up and said, Greg. I was one of the pilots on the plane. I'll tell you exactly what happened and so he said were out of the runway. We did know we are picking up Steve McQueen.

We just had another name. He was flying under and suddenly there's a knock at the door the fuselage and we open it in their stanza four is Billy Graham and he said I'm here to see Steve McQueen and then Steve pulled up shortly afterwards and there in the plane and Billy's speech was Steve and their prayer together and then Steve realizes he's lost his Bible and he's sort of panicked about it and Billy says it's okay Steve here take mine and he gives to Steve his personal Bible. I've held this Bible in my hand. It's it has the name Billy Graham embossed on the cover to very well-worn Bible. Lotta notes in it from Billy's messages and Billy inscribe it to my friend Steve McQueen. May God bless and keep you always in the road in the passage from Philippians he was begun a good work and you will keep you on the day of Jesus Christ. So Steve hold onto that Bible Billy Graham gave him and he went down to war as Mexico and checked into a little clinic and this surgeon performed the surgery that lasted for our works there huge tumors were removed effective surgeon collapsed in exhaustion from the surgery and Steve survived the surgery and he was wheeled into a recovery room and sadly a short time later, Steve entered eternity after dying of a heart attack. They want into the room and they pulled the sheet back of Steve's bed and he was holding on to the Bible a Billy Graham.

This book is so precious because when you get to the last day of your life. You're not in a care about a cool car you're looking to care about how much money is in the bank you really care about what house you live, then you're not going to care about your next vacation or the new iPhone or the new android phone to the new anything but I'll tell you what you really care about you going to care about what the Bible says consists of the book that tells you how to get to heaven.

This is the book that prepares you to know God the Word of God. This is how he speaks to us one last point, no close keeping the word of God makes you happy. Keeping the word of God makes you happy.

Verse eight of Psalm 19. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.

Listen if you want peace, joy, meaning and happiness that comes through knowing God's word.

Luke 1128 says happy are those that hear the word of God and keep it.

You can have a happy life without sin all you hear to don't know. You need to get drunk and partied it up fun or you need to do drugs or you need to have illicit sex or you need to do this or do that. That's all alive. You need a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and you'll find the happiness you wanted in life.

In a relationship with him and I want to close this message by saying do you have this relationship with God.

See, it's the Bible that tells me God loves me how what I know. Otherwise it's a Bible that tells me, God love me so much he sent his son Jesus to die on the cross of my place.

It's a Bible that tells me Christ rose from the dead three days after they crucified up.

It's a Bible that tells me Christ can come and take residence on my heart. It's a Bible that tells me I can be forgiven of all of my sin up I will believe in him again. This is the autobiography of God.

So have you as Christ to forgive you of your sin.

Do you know with certainty that you will go to heaven when you die, if not I would want to close the service without giving you an opportunity to believe. If you would like him to come in your life if you would like to find this happiness. The Bible promises. If you would like to know you'll go to heaven when you die and have the confidence like Steve McQueen had it can happen for you right now because Jesus says I stand at the door and I knock it if you hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in let's all bow our heads from word of prayer.

Please everybody, praying with me.

Heavenly father I pray now for everybody here. Everybody listening wherever they are. I pray that your Holy Spirit will convict and convince them of their need for you and I pray they will come to you, and believe now Jesus name I pray that Greg Laurie important word of prayer. And if you like to make that kind of change today in your relationship with the Lord pastor Greg like to help you with that. He'll do so before today's addition of a new beginning. Concludes stay with us. Now you may want to hear today study again or let a friend or loved one. Listen along just go to harvest.org and stream the message called the disciplines of a disciple and a pastor Greg's wife Kathy is with us in studio today she's joined by author and news anchor Shannon bream. Maybe you seen Shannon on Fox News at night on the Fox News Channel. She's written a new book called the women of the Bible speak.

The subtitle is the wisdom of 16 women and their lessons for today here's Kathy. I love the idea. Whenever I'm studying characters from the Bible that I want to glean from and learn friend and be brave like and step out and do the things they did. Sometimes I find myself a little intimidated by them because I think I'm not brave like Deborah. I'm not bolts like PIL and others. I want to know the source at their strength, the source that their bravery and to me when I find myself looking at the piercing and thinking that all those attributes and characteristics are ones that they came up with on their own that they were born and they were gifted, etc. you know, and that discourages me but when I think wait a second piece, when and where ordinary women. They were wives they were mothers. They lived in difficult times that I believe that the secret to their strength had to be something deeper than their own personalities and their own intelligence. It had to be something more would you speak to batwing when you think about these women in Scripture is that yes we are inspired by them. But we have to be more than inspired by then.

We need something to change right exactly women are also different in the book.

We do have people like Deborah who was courageous and immediately when I told her to go. She went women who were hesitant or downing, and very few men were often experience that I think about Sarah when she was told that Abraham would be to father and she would be the mother of many nations and older and older that she got. She took matters into her own hands trying to sell them pharmacy and she arrived when she was told that she would have a child in dying and confronted her and about laughing.

She said no and I wasn't laughing or doing all the time. He knew that Sarah laughed when he made that promise. So I think it's good to recognize to him that there were women along the way to really dig down and who were hesitant.

Like I say, McQueen asked her she didn't immediately charging to King Xerxes and say I have a demand to make to save my people any she was fearful about going and she asked for the protection coverage of fasting before she went.

So I think it's good to recognize that we all can be hesitant or fearful in our lives but stepping out in faith and trust in God. What he's promised that's what he's told us or calling upon that strength through fasting and prayer. Those are all tools at our disposal.

So no matter what were born with gifts we do or don't have.

I think we can grow and we can certainly develop a closer relationship and walk with God and through that gain strength to move forward. We can become better equipped and putting on the full armor and so I think there are so many ways for us to grow in our Christian life so that we can step up and the courage doesn't have to be our only have a source of strength that's far beyond our own which is understanding how we can call on me and rely on now and now it will be there you find that kind of inside and more in Shannon bream's new book called the women of the Bible speak.

The subtitle is the wisdom of 16 women and their lessons for today.

Think of how this insight might encourage someone you know, sister, wife, mother, grandmother will be glad to send you this new book to thank you for your investment.

Your donation that helps keep pastor Greg studies coming your way. Each day right is today at a new beginning.

Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime. Again, dial 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org pastor Greg you spoke today about having a relationship with the Lord.

Someone can enter into that kind of relationship with God right now. Yeah they really can. That's the amazing thing. I think people are surprised that it doesn't take years to become a Christian. It doesn't take months. It doesn't take weeks. It doesn't take days, it doesn't even take ours you can believe on the spot and I would like to lead you in a prayer where you can ask for his forgiveness.

A prayer where you can receive Jesus Christ into your life as your Savior and Lord. So if you want Christ to come in your life if you want him to forgive you of your sin if you want a second chance in life.

If you want to go to heaven when you die, stop what you're doing and pray after me these words Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I'm sorry for my sin and I turn from it now and I choose to follow you from this moment forward as Savior and Lord is God in friend thank you for loving me and calling me ever giving me in Jesus name I pray, amen and amen and listen. If you have just prayed those words with pastor Greg.

The Lord is hurt you and forgiven you of your sin. The Bible assures us Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and would like to send you some materials to help you begin to live this new life we call it our new believers growth packet just ask for and will send it to you free of charge if you prayed for the first time today with pastor Greg to write a set a new beginning.

Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call us anytime 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go to harvest.org and click on know God will pastor Greg brings us some of the most practical insight yet from a series discipleship the road less taken final message of the series next time you beginning to a new beginning.

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