The Path - To the Life You've Always Wanted - The Path, Part 2

One of the great truths about being made in the image of God is this, we been given the freedom to make choices and every single choice leads us down. The question is are you on the right road and if not how you get there. Stay with us.

That's will talk about today. Thanks for joining us for this edition of living only a with a Bible teacher for this international discipleship start helping you ever wondered what a real life Christian looks like ship sketches out a profile of a mature follower of Christ Jesus, Jeff emphasizes that it's not about trying harder only way true life change happens is through the grace and mercy of God before we learn more about what that looks like if you happen to miss a portion of this program you can catch up anytime the chip remapped with that said, here's chip to pick up where he left off last time. His message after the life you've always wanted something acquired about three practices to become like Jesus are some things we have to do the partnership, Scripture says, work out your salvation with fear and trembling wife or God has worked in us, so there's a part where you know it's like God provides the oxygen but he doesn't suck in the air into my lungs.

That's my responsibility and we talked about this. We talked about. It's about life. It's not about religion in her little acronym is bio you will never mature or stay on the path unless coming before God daily reading his word, hearing his voice talking to him and then moving through your day with that truth seeking to apply and be aware of it and coming before God like a real priority for weekends to together matter but 40 years ago, the average committed Christian went to church about 3.5 weeks out of the month but actually thought it was really important. Relatives came in town that said you want to go with this when their kids run the traveling team that setting.

This is really important one gets left to go to Saturday night at today, the average committed Christian goes to church 1.6 times a month so it's interesting for someone like me. What I know is about 40% or 45% in here this week in a different group leader next week. Can you imagine showing up for work like 1/3 of the time you know you might miss something might come to get out of the flow now again we've all had those experiences of legalism and if you warning church. God doesn't love you. You're a bad person. We don't have any of that.

There's times we all missed in their times were actually you know I'm a pastor there's been times or honey in a something I'm not preaching this weekend.

We need to have a church service. You and me in a couple of our kids. I need to get away for a couple hours, you need to do what's going to minister to you but I got I got news. The great majority is there has to be a commitment on Monday morning. I have a commitment. You know I can be at work have a commitment to my kids have a commitment to my wife, and then as I read God's word. I have to do life in community. The world is not can be transformed because of buildings or programs or humanitarian aid is wonderful is all that is.

Jesus said the way that they will know that he is true is by how much we love one another.

You can't love other people sitting in a room, hearing some guy talk singing a few songs and going about your business. You cannot love people. You do not know and are you ready you can't be loved unless you know and yes you busy their demands but that you party your path is. Ask yourself what do you have time for what changes should you make. I remember I started reading the Bible. It was just it seemed like just the incremental little change to change the whole course of my life I was in an office and talk to a young gal whose a start come to our church recently and she said you know I work out every morning and she's really in all that she does always listen to music and I started listening to podcasts to ago she goes. I'm experiencing this peak, I mean much to do change I don't get it. She doesn't know that she's renewing your mind, what changes you need to make in terms of coming before God doing life in community and then being on mission it's it's it's a whole mindset where you wake up and whether you're married or whether you're single or there's a roommate where your loan. I get in my car I go to work but my mindset is I'm a servant.

I mean, I'm a servant to the God just cut me off and in part of me wants to provide a gesture to tell them how upset I am. But CM a follower of Jesus, servant to bring life and forgiveness. And it's a mindset and I don't have the power to do that.

But when I get on mission and see that amazing things can happen and it's a journey as you turn the page. I want to give you a picture to remember and a profile to pursue a picture to remember in a profile to pursue this is just the overview. Here's what I want you to get the process of spiritual growth and maturity is the same for everyone. It's grace in relationship with God. As I come before him.

It's grace and his power as I do life in community and it's his grace as I discover my gifts and choose to be a servant, even when I don't feel like that process is the same now but journey of how it looks is different for every person so another words when not when I first became a Christian and this was so not all new to me. I would pray for like three minutes. It was like meant I cannot think of anything else. I think I prayed for everything and everything in the whole world.

I mean if I was like 15 whole minutes okay I read little bit. I don't understand a lot of it. And okay, but I'm to do something when respondent prayed and what I do now you know 35 years later just just because of my appetite less than an hour. Feels like she just learned. Sorry, we will check in little bit later and if not more holding a little baby when a little baby. How much food you will baby, she give the triathlete to what I want you to see is you ready for this. Look at that picture.

The picture is you and me. The path is the same love God, love people, the methodology, the practices are before God in community on mission and the goal is that I become like Jesus but would you write right below that I am ridiculously in charge of my life. I am ridiculously in charge of my life.

That's the path you see it. I don't know what you need if you need to read the Bible. If you need a reading plan. If you need to study it.

If you need to go to seminary. If you need to get a daily walk. I know we have all kind of things everywhere to help you but what's your plan is saying is you are in charge of your spiritual growth and development.

You'll be as holy you be as righteous you'll be as loving as you want to be, according to Jesus, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness so what's your plan. If you want the life that you currently have with the level of joy is the level of frustration. The level of problems than just don't change anything because what you're reading who you hang out with when you get up when you go to bed.

What you do with free time.

How much time on the Internet. How much time on Facebook who your closest friends are is producing the life that you're getting every single day if you like doing it. I hope God likes and by the way, it's there's a destination it's leaving you somewhere it's all on things. Here's the thing we get thinking, but I'm to have this big miraculous lightbulbs epiphany.

Most major changes of how everything changes. It's an incremental you know what this is where I'm at. But this is where I need to be law. I was praying this morning because sometimes I say this stuff and you think you are lovable about what tips are easy for you.

This is a truth card. I have two or three relationships that I keep living the way I'm living now I will be very sad in about 10 or 15 or 20 years, whenever I die I got a great relationship with all my documents. I'm currently emotionally connected to all 11 grandkids and went through a process of evaluating my whole life and coming up with some new goals and any asked me will how you want to be remembered by Teresa and by your kids. I remember getting to the point, but my grown kids, all of them are 30s early 40s. They all have three kids, 12 there in the pinnacle of the demands on their life and they got three kids community got the got everything that you have school and sports and blah blah blah blah and down deep inside of me, share this with them.

I've kind of felt like.

Could you guys give all data little more time could we be little bit better connected, and as I went through all this, I realize it's here we go on vacation and I Texas one and I call this one. Never forget remember sitting in the room with my wife as I was evaluating and it was like I think my kids would say my dad walk with God might have really love me. My dad set a great example. My dad stayed in touch. I don't think they'll say I miss my dad. Their lives are so busy it's not like we have a lunch, you know, at least once a month my kids to say I miss those Friday lunches. I miss when my dad would drive over the hill we would just hang out.

I miss the time with my dad see that briefcase stayed so full, but I'm connected. But if I keep living the way I've been living my kids are not going to miss me now that I have some impact around the world and so here's what I want to ask you what's what's what's something that you think I don't want that to happen. So I wrote down the truth card part of the reason that I have an overscheduled life because I don't believe that people love me for me.

I tend to believe they love me for my productivity. That's from the enemy through my wife told it wasn't true.

My friends told it was and so I wrote this on a card, I'm I can read this every day. People love me and are for me and want me to live a life of joy and rhythm and rest and fruitfulness in all areas of my life so I don't down deep on a belief that I don't want to ever do video because I'm afraid you guys will think I'm arrogant. I don't care Mike my last one was.

I don't need to prove my worth through hard worker, extraordinary productivity, I'm accepted and loved and greatly value just for who I am. My Marine dad my workaholic past.

I have lies that are still haunting me today and so I decided to identify the lies right down the truth and I'm changing what I'm doing on my path.

What do you need to do to identify the lies and write down the truth, and makes an incremental that one of my big things as I'm scheduling a lunch with all my adult kids once a month. Is that like there's a whole world changed.

I got three out of four so far and you know what and I didn't have an agenda and it didn't have mild guilt like oh gosh when doing Shimano. It was awesome and then many of you have heard so much about Romans 12 if you been around for seven or eight years is like unit Ingram has one chapter in the Bible tell he really knows actually may be true but but but what Romans 12 is as if you can't measure something if you don't know where you're at, you drift. Here's the thing, what incremental decision when you look at that little stick figure loving God, loving others in community on mission before God. What do you need to do if you're ridiculously responsible for your own life. Imagine our church if you will. We have a very strategic clear intentional plan, but since your journey is different.

Maybe people and Christians for 25 years have a different need than those with 25 days sourcing you know what we think the weekend services will help everyone grow as a disciple and then we have a number of classes that you know different times. Some of you don't need to be in class right now and your thinking class and small group. I can't do both. Don't but if if you need some work in your marriage go to marriage class of one your teens are struggling go to that class.

If you need some thought, look at and pray through. For others it's not only to class.

I need to be in a small group while I'm in a small group at this at me holding people tell many to be in the smaller groups and meet one-on-one.

What do you need that's not my job to tell you the spirit of God.

If you're a follower. He lives inside of you. If you would say Lord I'm going I'm going to gather with your people on the weekend and are you ready here's the here's the question what do I need to get in this season of my life in order to become more like Jesus. But that's only half because there's a whole another side. What do I need to give. What do I need to give in order to become like Jesus coming for over half the people in America and our church is no exception. Half of you don't get anything anytime don't give any money don't do anything your your consumer and we love you I'm that's that's how I started on but I remember it was a big step of faith to give five dollars a week to a couple in Japan and that started a journey where my heart changed. Some of you been in small groups forever know what you need to be in a small group need to lead one for some of you, you know, it's a class or some of you need to launch a group where you work. Some of you have visions and dreams and hard, and someday someone you know you launch it started. Pray about it but what you need to do is ask God what do I need to get this cacique at the end of the day is working to do this with you to start these groups trying to teach through Philippians working to see that circumstances can have a stranglehold and we could be different. Got to work, but listening to that will not change.

Let me give you the five aspects of the room is 12 Christian number one, it means your surrender to God and that's the channel through which his blessing flows if you never at a point in time, not just said but said I'm all in, and offered your body is a living sacrifice. It's a scary proposition, but I've never seen Christian's life change more than when they do that, the second as being separate from the world values will be conformed to this world be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

For some of you if you changed what you allowed in your mind and you begin to get into God's word and community how you think and be like that young gal she's expecting peace and purpose in the third is to have us over self-assessment and following these these never change. Don't think too highly of yourself but think with sober judgment.

I have another card that says chip you have limits just like everyone else and I wrote down a lot so embarrassing this year but I lied. I was just as wrong with God.

Here's a lie. Belief chip. Other people need rest and renewal in time to be refreshed, but you are a high energy high-capacity person who can amaze people with your productivity. It's a lie from the pit of hell. I cheated for all these years. I had great time with God great time with my family, but you in my little warped mind if I modify for 30 half the days gone. I mean I I am one intentional, focused, crazy man, and so were some of you in different ways.

And yes, I've channeled an awful lot of that for kingdom ventures, but to lie down deep in my heart is that that makes me an okay person and instead of the heavenly father going.

Once you have some fun once you put your feet up.

Once you get what I've given you an awesome life you got great kids went to last time you just really were trying to accomplish something and enjoyed them and friends can view what serving in love. You never grow until you care about others be devoted to one another brother devotion means you serve started you need to know about your Bible and assure help out of the parking help of the kids last week. It was kind interesting. We had those cards out who would like to serve. Would you just let us know what you'd like we get thousands of people.

We had 163 cards forgive me this is just the income I did the percentages of what hundred and 63 cards would be out of like 5 to 6000 people of God there on the path someone else will do it, someone else will love. I don't have time to cut if they just knew when they give their life away. That's when the experience you this isn't about recruiting or what you do this, we have these needs that this is about life. Finally, supernaturally responding to evil with good. And that is forgiving those people to deeply hurt you and working through the process of saying unlocking to be an angry person on Facebook and attack other people I'm gonna be an agent of light and love in the midst of a very difficult time this country and around the world. What path are you on what path do you need to get on and just you and God make a decision take some baby step toward what you've heard. Don't try and do it all.

No one's down on you.

This is the love of God, saying, come to me come to me all of you that are burdened stressed out your brass life given rest.

The right's application for this message to the life you've always wanted.

Do you ever wonder if you're living up to your list potential is there a sense, you're missing out on something better through this short series provides a clearer picture of the life God has for you and how you can get it today if you'd like to get this message for yourself or pass it on to a friend you can do both view of a chip and remap or download the free MP3 LivingontheEdge.org for complete information on the path to the life you've always wanted. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org app listeners top special offers chipper a lot of believers over a period of time knew of the Christian life starts to feel like, well, a big long to do list like I'm supposed to pray supposed to read my Bible and becomes a grinder there's no joy. Could you give us some some help in terms of how we make our relationship with the Lord fresh and alive. The way we'd like it to be the way God wants it to be David's true of all of us. I mean, it's about relationship.

It's about connection. It's about the spirit of God. Taking the word of God and hearing his voice and growing and having a sense of his presence and very vivid prayers and sorta walking with God. Day-to-day and what I realizes a lot of Christians don't know how that works. Or they need kind of a jumpstart to that were doing something brand-new.

It's called daily discipleship would chip in its own true spirituality, it's me meeting with you, the listener one on one. We walked through the text together. I give you a small little outline and I ask you to do 10 minutes and for 17 days.

We walked day by day together and discover how to study the Bible how to hear God's voice developing the habit where day in and day out, you begin to make this a part of your life.

People have asked me for years. Were you mentor me when you disciple me daily discipleship. True spirituality is just that Dave could you tell them how they can get connected with this be glad to chip over so excited to share with you this new daily discipleship with chip true spirituality based in Romans chapter 12 our heart behind this video series is to really help you dive into God's word and discover how to more intentionally live out your faith for 17 days you and Schiphol walk-through were true spirituality looks like and how you can put these truths into practice. If you're looking for the next step along your faith journey.

Let me encourage you to be a part of daily discipleship with chip true spirituality.

You can sign up for the study right now. When you do will send you our friend Lance Witt's devotional based on Romans 12: leave ordinary behind at no cost.

Sign up now.

Will this offer lasts by going to LivingontheEdge.org or by calling AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003 or go to LivingontheEdge.org app listeners just up discipleship as we close today's program I walk through the profile of the disciple pretty quickly so I want you to lean back and rather than trying take it all in. Just ask yourself what specific step might God have you take to stay on the path is it to be surrendered to him. It isn't to realize that you're not all. And until that happens, you're not can experience his power second may be, is it being separate from the world's values. Is there an issue I habit and addiction a relationship you just know it's wrong and you need to turn from it. Get some help and say I can't live that way. Is it a sober self-assessment is it you know I need to discover my spiritual gift I need to I need to be involved with other people and be used by God. Or maybe it's it's serving in love make maybe you find yourself just so busy that you kind of a lone ranger Christian, then you're not doing life in community and you're not being loved by people and you're not really loving people in a way that brings joy to your heart and life to them or finally maybe maybe you're stuck. Maybe you've been hurt or wounded betrayed maybe someone's done something terrible against you in and instead of supernaturally responding with good toward that evil if you're honest, you realize you're here resentful you're bitter and you need to forgive that person. I don't try and take all that in what one thing would God have you do to respond and say Lord I surrender and then take the stepper Lord I'm to break off that relationship and take the stepper Lord I'm gonna forgive my ex and take that step and see if God doesn't allow you to begin to experience the joy of being on the path that's in Encouraging Word ship clinics in case you missed some of the points chip just reviewed their pulled straight from his message notes is a tool available for every program.

So let me encourage you to get this resource before you listen to us again. Chip's notes include his outline all of the Scripture references and lots of feelings to help you remember what you're learning. They really help you get the most out of every program, chips, message notes are quick download@livingontheedge.org the broadcasts. Tab app listeners just Fill in notes will until next time. This is the same. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge