Psalms of Discipleship--Principle #47--Worship--December 3, 2011

Warm greetings to you, my dear friends! Today we are going to spend our time pondering the greatness of our God. Sometimes, a busy lifestyle can dilute our view (and even need) of God. You probably know what I mean when I say it is easy to slip into an auto-pilot mode in my relationship with the Lord. I want to enjoy His presence, but not always want to focus upon Him. The Psalmist reminds us of how awesome our God is. As we celebrate the month of Advent, today's Psalms of Discipleship is a great reminder of how great our Savior really is: He is awesome!

Our God is an awesome God!

Denny

Need some encouragement on how to set in place a heart of worship and thanksgiving this holiday season? At the end of today's devotion is a link to a resource called "Christmas Meditations of Worship: Four Weeks of Advent. A Season of Worship and Celebration."

Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #47

Life Principles For Those Who Choose To Follow Jesus And Live The Discipled Life

Key Scripture: 1 The Mighty One, God, the LORD, has spoken, And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. 2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth. 3 May our God come and not keep silence; Fire devours before Him, And it is very tempestuous around Him. Psalm 50:1-3

Core Value: Worship

How awesome is your God? Not how awesome is his God or her God nor their God, but your God? Do you only know God by His reputation in the lives of your family or peers? Has your view of God been limited to somewhat familiar Bible stories that occurred a long, long time ago? Or have you experienced the reality of His power in your life? One of life’s saddest testimonies is to live a life where one is so close to experiencing God, but remains so far away. One of the great dangers that disciples of Jesus face is to get so used to worshiping an abstract God that religious ritual replaces a vibrant relationship with the Lover of our soul, and we fail to notice the difference.

How do we keep the fire for a passionate love for God blazing? The first step is to adjust our view of God. We must see Him as a holy and majestic God! And when we do, everything we do changes: the way we understand grace, the way in which we worship, the way we crave God’s Word, the way we pray, the way we become engaged in community, the way we serve, and the way we share our faith with those who need to be introduced to Jesus.

Principle #47 & Personal Application: The quality disciple has a big view of a holy and majestic God.

• We worship a God who is the Mighty One, God, the Lord.

• We worship a God who is majestic over all the earth.

• We worship a God who is the perfect example of beauty.

• We worship a God who cuts a path of holiness, making His presence known.

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

Is my view of God one that is high and lifted up, where He has sovereign power or is He more on my level, unwilling (or unable) to handle my big problems?

Do I typically worship God for what He can do for me or do I worship God for who He is?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are the Mighty One, God, the Lord, and You have spoken. Help me to listen. You are majestic over all the earth. Your sovereignty rules over Your creation. You are perfect in beauty. There is no one like You. You are holy. You are awesome. You are good. And . . . You love me.

The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…
Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism

Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2011 All rights reserved.

"Christmas Meditations of Worship: Four Weeks of Advent. A Season of Worship and Celebration."

Sights. Smells. Sounds. Sales.

For many people, Christmas is nothing more than a materialistic exercise in futility. The hectic pace of the holiday season often depletes more than it fills, and the craziness of the season is normalized, causing many believers to settle for a “Christ-less” Christmas.

Reflection upon the first Advent is the first step towards regaining the reason believers celebrate Christmas: worship of Jesus Christ. You are invited to back away from the edge of Christmas season sanity and begin a four-week journey of reading, reflection, prayer, journaling, singing and serving that will give you the merriest Christmas of all.

Available in print ($10.00 includes shipping) and e-book ($5.00 pdf download) formats. Click this link to begin placing your order:

http://www.dennybates.com/Home/Advent.html

Also available at these fine retailers. Please give them your business!

Aroma Underground (Best coffee and ambiance in town)
Locals (Great burgers and bbq)

www.dennybates.com
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