Psalms of Discipleship. Principle #19 (Worship). May 25, 2013

Hello my dear friends! Every now and then we may face challenging circumstances that seek to overwhelm us, even to the point of giving up. Or even worse, convincing ourselves that our problems are far greater than God's ability to fix them. We may never "believe" this but many of us practice what we really believe.

Today's Psalms of Discipleship is a wonderful reminder of how great God really is . . . to me . . . and to you!

Overwhelmed by His great love,

Denny

Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #19

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

Key Scripture: 5 The heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones. 6 For who in the skies is comparable to the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty is like the LORD, 7 A God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, And awesome above all those who are around Him? 8 O LORD God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. 9 You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them. Psalm 89:5-9

Core Value: Worship

It is pretty safe to say that if our problems begin to look bigger than our God we are well on the way to spiritual defeat. We never intend to worship our problems, do we? Or do we? In the rawest of terms, false worship occurs when someone or something becomes greater than one’s focus upon God. One of the best ways to keep our problems and faith challenges in the right perspective is to set our eyes on the One who is great and greatly to be praised.

This Gospel chorus sums it up very well:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

Principle #19 & Personal Application: Quality disciples have a high respect for a great and awesome God.

• A heart of worship will experience a God who is greater than anyone’s problems

• A heart of worship will experience a God who is greater than His creation

• A heart of worship will experience a God who is greater than anyone

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

What steps do I need to take that will enhance my worship of the Lord?

The Lord is a high and mighty Savior who is awesome, great, and faithful. What have I experienced in the past few weeks that has drawn my heart closer to Him?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, the heavens do declare Your glory and praise. You are a faithful God who is always faithful to me. May I always remember to keep my heart turned towards You and worship You as a great and mighty Lord.

The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…

Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism

Dr. Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2013 All rights reserved.

You can learn how to live as a Quality Disciple and a DiscipleMaker4Jesus by visiting my website at www.dennybates.com and my teaching blog at http://www.dennybates.com/#!blog/c1a4e

Psalms of Discipleship. Principle #18 (Evangelism). May 18, 2013

Hello dear friends! Today's Psalms of Discipleship is a reminder of the power behind your personal story. Jesus has touched your life in a profound way. Are you telling somebody about it?

Redeemed, and I love to proclaim it,

Denny

Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #18

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

Key Scripture: I will sing of the lovingkindness of the LORD forever; To all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth. Psalm 89:1

Core Value: Evangelism

The best stories are the stories that we have experienced. Everyone can recite the words to their favorite poem or memorized prose, and even be expressive with deep feeling. But there is a far greater power when we tell our stories to others. As disciples of Jesus, we tell the story of our great redemption. We tell the story of how Jesus changed our life. We share with others of His great love for us.

This lyric from this classic hymn describes the power behind a personal story.

I love to tell the story of unseen things above, of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story, because I know 'tis true; it satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.

Refrain: I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory, to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.

You’ve got a story to tell. Are you telling it?

Principle #18 & Personal Application: Quality disciples love to share their testimony with anyone who will listen.

• The disciple of Jesus has a song that rings true: the Lord is merciful.

• The disciple of Jesus desires to reach as many people as possible with the Gospel.

• The disciple of Jesus makes it a life priority to share of the Lord’s faithfulness with others.

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

What has Jesus done in my life that I need to share with the lost?

Who needs to hear my testimony this week?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, by faith, I will sing of Your lovingkindness forever. May I be able to testify to as many people as possible of your great faithfulness.

The Essential Core Values Of The Quality Disciple Are…

Grace—Worship—Bible Study—Prayer—Community—Service—Evangelism

Dr. Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2013 All rights reserved.

You can learn how to live as a Quality Disciple and a DiscipleMaker4Jesus by visiting my website at www.dennybates.com and my teaching blog at http://www.dennybates.com/#!blog/c1a4e

Psalms of Discipleship. Principle #17 (Prayer) May 13, 2013

Hello dear friends! Today's Psalms of Discipleship is a fresh and timely reminder of how practical prayer really is for those of us who are tied up in knots.

Learning with you,

Denny

Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #17

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

Key Scripture: 1 O LORD, the God of my salvation, I have cried out by day and in the night before You. 2 Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry! Psalm 88:1-2

Core Value: Prayer

Knots. Everyone has had them, one time or another. Knots in a drop cord; knots in a shoestring, and sometimes, even knots in a stomach. It’s the knots in the stomach that really get our attention when life becomes much with us. Worry hovers over us. Anxiety seeks to plant its toxic tentacles into our mind. And the knots come, often in bunches. What is a believer to do? When the knots come, we can go to the One who loosens our knots. The procedure is called prayer. The recipient of our prayers is Jesus.

Principle #17 & Personal Application: Quality disciples make prayer the first resort when facing life’s challenges.

• When we pray, we pray to the Lord, the God of our salvation

• When we pray, we pray both day and night

• When we pray, we pray with the expectation that He will hear us and respond

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

When I pray, am I usually more concerned about what I need or am I more focused upon Who I need it from?

When is the last time I really connected with the Lord in prayer? What was the experience like?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I thank You that You are the God of my salvation. By faith, I will cry out to You both day and night. May my prayer come before You. May You turn Your ear to me and hear my cry.

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

Dr. Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2013 All rights reserved.

You can learn how to live as a Quality Disciple and a DiscipleMaker4Jesus by visiting my website at www.dennybates.com and my teaching blog at http://www.dennybates.com/#!blog/c1a4e