Psalms of Discipleship. Principle #40 (Prayer) June 20, 2014

Hello my dear friends! Have you ever "forgotten" that we serve a supernatural God who answers our prayers in a supernatural way. This psalm is a good reminder of how God works in and through us.

Learning with you,

Denny



Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #40

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

Key Scripture:
6 Moses and Aaron were among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called on His name; They called upon the LORD, and He answered them. 7 He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; They kept His testimonies, And the statute that He gave them. 8 O LORD our God, Thou didst answer them; Thou wast a forgiving God to them, And yet an avenger of their evil deeds   Psalm 99:6-8

Core Value: Prayer

“It’s impossible!” is what many of us feel when our circumstances skew our perspective of how big God really is in our lives. Many kinds of fears cause us to back up from crossing the finish line of victory. Fears like . . .

•    I’m not good enough

•    I’m never going to reach my dreams

•    I’m always being overlooked and no one will give me a chance

When we believe that our prayers are directed towards a supernatural God who responds in supernatural ways we will never be the same again. Impossibilities are simply God’s platform to show off His glory. May He show off His glory in and through each one of us.

1 O LORD, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me.
2 Many are saying of my soul, "There is no deliverance for him in God." Selah.
3 But Thou, O LORD, art a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.
4 I was crying to the LORD with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah. Psalm 3:1-4 (NASB77)

Principle #40 & Personal Application: Quality disciples call upon a supernatural God who responds in supernatural ways.

•    We call upon a God who is The Lord of our lives

•    We call upon a God who answers us in supernatural ways

•    We call upon a God who offers us supernatural forgiveness instead of his awful wrath

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

When I pray to God how keenly aware am I of His desire to listen to my requests?

When is the last time I experienced a supernatural response to my prayers?

Prayer:
    Lord Jesus, when I call upon Your Name may my heart be aware of Your great power and love for me. Help me have great faith to believe You for supernatural responses to my prayers. May Your mercy and forgiveness flood my heart when my sin besets me.

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://thequalitydisciple.blogspot.com

Dr. Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2014 All rights reserved.

Psalms of Discipleship. Principle #37 (Evangelism) March 31, 2014

Hello my dear friends! After a lengthy break of writing Psalms of Discipleship, I'm back :)

Today's Psalms of Discipleship gives us a peek into the heart of the Psalmist as he celebrates the Greatness of His Awesome God. The best kind of evangelism is when we are living like God is Great in our lives.

Learning to live in His Greatness,

Denny


Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #37

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

Key Scripture: 7 Let the sea roar and all it contains, The world and those who dwell in it. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the mountains sing together for joy 9 Before the LORD; for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with equity. Psalm 98:7-9

Core Value: Evangelism

Awesome. Glorious. Wonderful. Mighty. Amazing. Magnificent. These are the kinds of words the disciple of Jesus uses when seeking to describe the kind of God he or she follows. When our life is filled with challenges that often suspend disbelief, we need to have a relationship with our Great God who is Awesome, Glorious, Wonderful, Mighty, Amazing, and Magnificent.

What is it that will attract the person without Christ to fall in love with and follow Him? Surely not in us proclaiming a god who is less than awesome, inglorious, not wonderful at all, weak instead of mighty, un-amazing, and who falls way short of being magnificent.

The role of the follow of Jesus is very clear: we need to tell the world who God says He is and what He is like. We need to proclaim the awesome power and great love of God to those who have yet to surrender their hearts to Him.

Principle #37 & Personal Application: Quality disciples enthusiastically proclaim the awesome power and great love of God.

• Our great God is praised by the roaring sea

• Our great God is praised by the mighty rivers and the majestic mountains

• Our great God is praised by you and by me

• Our great God is coming back again for you and for me

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

In what way does creation remind me of God’s greatness?

How does my focus upon God’s power help me share His love with the lost?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, may the sea and rivers and mountains never out-praise me in my worship of You. May I live my life in a way where those without a relationship with You will come to know of Your great love for them.


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://thequalitydisciple.blogspot.com
 
Dr. Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2014 All rights reserved.

Psalms of Discipleship. Principle #31 (Worship). August 25, 2012

Hello my dear friends! Back to you again after spending last weekend in West Palm Beach, Florida with the John Maxwell Team. I learned a lot and experienced a lot along with 500 other friends from around the world. My experience reminded me again of how wide and broad is the family of God. Many stories to share with you one day of some of the great truths I learned.

Today's Psalms of Discipleship is a great reminder of how awesome our Lord really is. The challenge for us is quite simple: do we live like He is awesome and do others around us know how we feel about our great God?

Amazed by His awesome strength, majesty, and power.

Denny Bates

Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #31

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

Key Scripture: 34 Ascribe strength to God; His majesty is over Israel And His strength is in the skies. 35 O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary. The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God! Psalm 68:34-35

Core Value: Worship

When was the last time you bragged on God? I mean, when have you told someone who God is and how much He has done for you? Lets frame the question with even more precision: how large is your view of God? Is He greater than your circumstances? Is He bigger than your wildest dreams? Is He God in your box or is He majestic and awesome and doing great things in your life?

Want to have a greater view of a great God? Worship Him greatly by focusing upon His character and power.

Principle #31 & Personal Application: Quality disciples focus their worship upon the majestic character of God.

• We worship God by ascribing (to give) strength to Him. [The NLT reads, “tell everyone about God’s power.”]: Ascribe strength to God; His majesty is over Israel And His strength is in the skies.

• We worship God by declaring His awesomeness: O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary.

• We worship God by thanking Him for the strength and power He gives to His people: The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God!

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

Do I tell others about God’s strength or power? How would my Christian walk be impacted if I made it a habit to live in God’s power and not in mine?

When am I most likely to be reminded of God’s awesomeness?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, by faith I ascribe, I give strength to you, I desire to tell everyone about Your power. I declare how awesome You are from Your sanctuary. I worship You and thank You for granting me Your strength and power as I live my life for You and for Your glory.

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

Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2012 All rights reserved.

http://www.johncmaxwellgroup.com/dennybates
http://thequalitydisciple.blogspot.com/

Psalms of Discipleship (Worship) Principle #25, July 7, 2012

Hello my dear friends! If you are like me, the days of summer tend to wear me down if I spend too much time outside in this record heat. Many of us today are facing heated days that are way beyond our comfort zone. The more uncomfortable we become, the less focused we become. Life is like that for the disciple of Jesus, isn't it? It does not take much for us to lose our focus when our circumstances change. Some of us take our eyes off of Jesus and onto ourselves and our circumstances. And in effect, we misplace our worship of Him.

Today's Psalms of Discipleship is a wonderful admonition to set our hearts on our great Savior and worship Him!

Learning with you,

Denny


Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #25

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

Key Scripture: 1 Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; 2 Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious. 3 Say to God, "How awesome are Your works! Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You. 4 "All the earth will worship You, And will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to Your name." Selah. Psalm 66:1-4

Core Value: Worship

It has been said that a rut is a grave with both ends kicked out. For some disciples of Jesus, our worship has become a rut. Our memories of what was once a dynamic love relationship with Jesus has slipped away into a lukewarm existence. Yes, we love Him, but the feelings have long gone away.

What has happened? Perhaps we have lost our “first love” and have replaced it with a religious “duty” where we only go through the motions. What is the answer to returning to a worship of God that has deep meaning? We must fix our eyes upon Jesus. And when we do, we will leave behind the rut of ho-hum and take a step of faith towards a passionate, joyous relationship with Him.

I am reminded of this great gospel song that perfectly describes the process:

[If you] Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in His wonderful face.
And [then] the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Principle #25 & Personal Application: Quality disciples have a heart full of joyous praise and worship for an awesome and glorious God.

• Our worship is to be exuberant: “Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious” (vs. 1-2)

• Our worship is to be focused upon God’s awesome works and great power: “Say to God, "How awesome are Your works! Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will give feigned obedience to You.” (vs. 3)

• Our worship is to be joined in chorus with the whole world: “All the earth will worship You, And will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to Your name” (vs. 4)

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

How does the command “shout joyfully to God” impact the way I worship the Lord? What does it mean to make His praise glorious?

As I reflect upon this passage of Scripture, what kinds of things come to my mind when I consider His awesome works in my life?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, by faith fill my heart with worship for You. I shout joyfully to You. I sing the glory of Your name. By grace, I make Your praise glorious. In thanksgiving, I focus my heart upon Your awesome works and great power. In obedience, I join my voice with every other believer on the earth and sing praises to Your name.

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

Denny Bates & Something New Christian Publishers © 2012 All rights reserved.

www.dennybates.com
http://thequalitydisciple.blogspot.com/

Postscript:

I am genuinely excited for the opportunity of doing things that I have only dreamed about previously. By God’s grace I hope to build a leadership coaching and speaking business and impact the market place for Jesus. My business is a RELATIONSHIP business, so as you pray for me ask the Lord for KEY contacts that will lead me to KEY people in KEY organizations. In your own circle of influence, do you know anyone who desires to grow in leadership? I’d love to meet them.

In order to gain a better understanding of what I am offering, you can check out my website at

http://www.johncmaxwellgroup.com/dennybates

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
http://thequalitydisciple.blogspot.com/