Psalms of Discipleship. Principle #37 (Grace) October 6, 2012

Hello my dear friends! Today's Psalms of Discipleship addresses one of our greatest needs: hope. Hope is what fuels us to keep on pressing on. Hope is what gets us out of bed on a rainy Monday morning. And hope is what helps us keep the right perspective when life's circumstances are not going our way. May we learn the secret to life: to fix our hope on the Lord.

Resting in Jesus,

Denny Bates


Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #37

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

Key Scripture: 5 For You are my hope; O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth. 6 By You I have been sustained from my birth; You are He who took me from my mother's womb; My praise is continually of You. 7 I have become a marvel to many, For You are my strong refuge. Psalm 71:5-7

Core Value: Grace

Has there ever been a time in your life when you were without hope? Perhaps you were experiencing a severe famine of a depleted bank account or maybe you were in the middle of a perfect storm of crushing circumstances that left you weary and hopeless?

Here is an important life principle that disciples of Jesus must not only know about, but practice it too. We must quit hoping in others, we must quit hoping that our problems will go away. We even must quit hoping in ourselves. We must place our hope in the Lord.

Principle #37 & Personal Application: Quality disciples have a hope that is fixed upon the Lord.

When we hope in the Lord . . .

• We place our confidence in Him: “You are my confidence from my youth”

• We give our unending praise to Him: “My praise is continually of You”

• We become an encouragement to others: “I have become a marvel to many”

• We find our strong refuge in Him: “For You are my strong refuge”

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

What has been going on in my life where I have been able to place my hope in the Lord?

Can I think of a circumstance where others were encouraged by my faith in the Lord?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are my hope, O Lord, my God. You are my confidence. By Your grace You have sustained me from my birth. My praise shall be continually of You. Because of Your grace at work in my life, I have become a marvel to many as I have found safety in You, my strong refuge.

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/

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Psalms of Discipleship. Principle #36 (Prayer). September 29, 2012

Hello my dear friends! Have you ever run out of your own hope? You have hoped, and hoped, and hoped for it seems a long, long time and remain unsatisfied. What is the key? The psalmist shows us the power of hope is not in hope itself, but in Whom we place our hope.

Resting in the One who gives us hope,

Denny


Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #36

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

Key Scripture: 1 In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed. 2 In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; Incline Your ear to me and save me. 3 Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come; You have given commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress. 4 Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, Out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless man, Psalm 71:1-4

Core Value: Prayer

It is has been said that hope is not a strategy, but it is a great thing to have in hand. Sometimes we can hope for better circumstances, we can hope for “enough” faith to gain the victory, we can have hope in hope and never have enough equity built up in our hope account. So what is the answer for the disciple of Jesus? The answer is we need to have our hope fixed upon the character of the Lord. Here are a few examples of hope that is well placed:

Be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24 (HCSB)

I put my hope in You, LORD; You will answer, Lord my God. Psalm 38:15 (HCSB)

5 Why am I so depressed? Why this turmoil within me? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:5 (HCSB)

Sustain me according to Thy word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope. Psalm 119:116 (NASB77)

I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope. Psalm 130:5 (NASB77)

Principle #36 & Personal Application: Quality disciples, with great confidence in the Lord, cry out to their Deliverer for help.

• The prayer of faith is founded upon safe refuge in the Lord: “In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed.”

• The prayer of faith is founded upon the Lord’s righteousness and great salvation: “In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; Incline Your ear to me and save me.”

• The prayer of faith is founded upon the Lord’s faithfulness and trustworthiness: “Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come; You have given commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress.”

• The prayer of faith is founded upon the Lord’s ability to rescue and deliver completely: “Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, Out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless man”

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

When I am feeling overwhelmed by discouragement, fear, or doubt, how may this passage of Scripture bring comfort to me?

What steps do I need to take in order to pray more and worry less?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, may I always live like I am completely dependent upon You. In You I can find refuge and be safe. In You I focus my prayers upon the One who is righteous and true. In You I can rest upon Your faithfulness and trustworthiness. In You I trust to rescue and deliver me completely.

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/

What does a Disciple-Making Ministry look like? It looks like . . .

SOMETHING NEW

"Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past;
Behold, I will do something new . . .” Isaiah 43:18, 19a

MISSION STATEMENT

Something New exists to challenge believers in Jesus to experience a lifetime commitment to spiritual growth, and to empower disciples of Jesus Christ to multiply His life in all of the world. This remarkable journey of faith begins in our Jerusalem: in our home and in the marketplace where we work and play.

CORE VALUES

We value the Grace of God. It is free, undeserved, and deeply appreciated. Being recipients of the gift of grace, we desire to give it away to others who do not deserve it.

We value the worship of God. Worship is not only singing songs. Biblical worship includes a sacrifice, a submission of our will to His (Genesis 22).

We value the Word of God. We believe the Bible, revealed in 66 books, is God's truth. It is perfect and is meant to be read by believers on a regular basis. The goal of Bible reading, and even Bible study, is not the collection of more theological trivia. The goal is to experience the truth and then make the personal application that leads to personal transformation.

We value connecting with God through prayer. We believe that prayer is not a monologue, but a dialogue with God. We believe God has provided the way for us to make known to Him, not only our needs, but also our love and adoration of Him through prayer.

We value community with other believers through authentic relationships. We believe that no one can effectively live the victorious Christian life alone. We believe the "one anothers" of the Bible can only be practiced and lived with power and credibility in the presence of other believers. We value creating a safe place where we can be honest with ourselves, with each other and with God.

We value using our spiritual gifts by serving others. We believe that the spiritual and natural gifts we each have, are given by God and to be freely shared with those who are in need of our gifts.

We value living out our faith by sharing with others the love of Jesus. We believe that the Gospel Of Jesus Christ is not only Good News but is the greatest story ever told. We desire to share this love by whatever means we have.

We value growing disciples who are making other disciples for Jesus!

Wish to learn more about Something New? In box me on Facebook.

 

Psalms of Discipleship (Prayer) Principle #35. September 22, 2012

Hello my dear friends,

One of the great blessings of the Psalms is the transparency we observe from the psalmists who are in trouble. They are in trouble. They are real. And they pray. Good reminders for every disciple who follows Jesus.

In His grip,

Denny


Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #35

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

Key Scripture: 1 O God, hasten to deliver me; O LORD, hasten to my help! 2 Let those be ashamed and humiliated Who seek my life; Let those be turned back and dishonored Who delight in my hurt. 3 Let those be turned back because of their shame Who say, "Aha, aha!" 4 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, "Let God be magnified." 5 But I am afflicted and needy; Hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay. Psalm 70:1-5

Core Value: Prayer

Prayer offered during times of great duress is our connection between hopeless and hopeful. One of the wonderful aspects of the Bible is we are shown, time and time again, the inner thoughts of those who are facing impossible, gut-wrenching circumstances. And time and time again, the Saints of God are helped by the Hand of God in order to live out the Purpose of God.

Principle #35 & Personal Application: Quality disciples, because of grace, can turn to the Lord in times of great trials and experience His help.

• When we pray, we pray with a sense of urgency and expectation (vs. 1)

• When we pray, we pray for protection from those who wish to attack us (vs. 2-3)

• When we pray, we pray with a heart of worship and thankfulness (vs. 4)

• When we pray, we pray honestly and to the point: Lord, help me (vs. 5)

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

When I feel I am under attack, how do I usually respond: with prayer or with panic?

How can a heart of worship help me to trust in Christ more?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when I need help, help me to keep my eyes upon You. May I always look to You as my Helper and Deliverer.

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/

Psalms of Discipleship (Grace) Principles #18 & #19. May 19, 2012

Hello my dear friends! I trust that your soul is resting in the bosom of its greatest lover: the Lord Jesus. We live in a day and time where the distractions to our spiritual growth is challenged by lots of noise and chaotic circumstances. It is natural to be anxious, to be fearful, to be doubtful in the world in which we live. Because of grace, we can live a super-natural life that will free our soul from the things that seek to enslave our soul. The psalmist addresses the goal for the soul of the disciple of Jesus. May His grace grant us peace as we learn to teach our soul to "wait in silence" for God.

Learning with you,

Denny

P.S. Last week I took a week's vacation to restore my soul. For the most part, it worked. Now, back to writing. This week's Psalms of Discipleship includes TWO devotions (last week and this week). Thanks to all of you who take time to read Psalms of Discipleship and respond in faith to what the Lord impresses you to do as you follow the Shepherd of the Psalms.

Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #18

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

Key Scripture: 1 My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. 2 He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken. Psalm 62:1-2

Core Value: Grace

There comes a desperate time in the life journey of the disciple of Jesus that enough is enough. For some, it seems that the harder we work for those pockets of solitude, the harder the work becomes. For some of us, an inner chaos within the soul has become the spiritual drug of choice. If rest, a quiet silence in the soul stared us in the face, we might not know what to do with it.

This is where grace comes in. Rightly applied, grace allows us to do something we cannot do in our own strength: to wait in silence for God only. Grace allows us to trust, to wait, to be filled with hope and to be empowered by His strength.

Principle #18 & Personal Application: Quality disciples seek to rest in the finished work of Christ.

• Grace allows a weary soul to wait in silence for God only. Grace helps us take a deep breath and rest in Him. “My soul waits in silence for God only.”

• Grace allows a weary soul to experience God’s salvation. Grace points us to the source of our salvation. “From Him is my salvation.”

• Grace allows a weary soul to confess God as one’s Rock and one’s salvation. Grace fills our heart with the uplifting truth that God is our rock and our salvation. “He only is my rock and my salvation.”

• Grace allows a weary soul to find in God a stronghold, a place of security. Grace leads us to His protection. “My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.”

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

When my life becomes rushed and filled with anxiety, what kinds of promises can I glean from this Psalm?

According to this passage of Scripture, how does a proper understanding of grace help me to live my life as a quality disciple of Jesus?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I thank You that my soul can wait in silence for God and for Him alone. I thank You that You are the source of my salvation, and no other. I thank You for being my rock and my salvation. I am grateful to You that because You are my stronghold, I will not be greatly shaken.

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.

Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #19

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

Key Scripture: 5 My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Psalm 62:5-7

Core Value: Grace

Here it is again: the theme of waiting in silence for God only. Those of us who are disciples of Jesus know most of the “right” answers but may find the practical application of the truth to be a constant frustration. In this case, the right answer is to have a soul that is not a slave to chaotic circumstances. It is to have a soul that is well trained and not allow anyone or anything to dampen its focus upon God and Him alone. This sounds wonderful, but how?

Once again, grace is the key that gives our soul its proper maintenance. Grace opens up the eyes of the soul to behold the Lord’s gracious provision for us. Because of grace we see hope, we see the Rock of our salvation and our strength, we see our Stronghold who keeps us from being shaken, we see our Refuge. The better we can see through the lens of grace, the easier it becomes to have our soul wait in silence for God only.

Principle #19 & Personal Application: Quality disciples have learned the art of soul care by slowing down the hectic pace of life and finding the spiritual rhythms of life.

• Grace applied allows us to slow down the hurry of the heart and lets the soul wait in silence for God only.

• Grace applied allows us to experience hope from the Lord.

• Grace applied allows us to experience God as our rock and our salvation.

• Grace applied allows us to experience God as our stronghold, the rock of our strength, and our refuge.

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

When I feel hurried in my soul, what can I do to slow down and rest in God?

According to the Psalm, what characteristics of God can I meditate on when I feel uneasy and restless?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, by faith and by Your grace, may my soul rest in silence for You. My hope is from You. You only are my rock and my salvation. You are my stronghold and I will never be shaken. On You my salvation and my glory rest. You are the rock of my strength. My refuge is in You.

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/

Are you looking for a way to grow in your leadership skills? I'd love to have that conversation with you. For more information on how I can help you go to the next level, check out this website!

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Psalms of Discipleship--Principle #37--Prayer--September 25, 2011

Hello dear friends. I trust all of you are resting in the Lord's great love for you. This week we are going to take a look at a wonderful conversation within the soul of the Psalmist. May his words be an encouragement to any of us who are in despair.

Grace and peace,

Denny

Psalms of Discipleship—Principle #37

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

Key Scripture: Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God. Psalm 42:11

Core Value: Prayer

Soul talk is good for the soul. What is “soul talk?” It is those conversations I have in my head and heart that no one hears but me and God. It is a moment of complete frankness and transparent candor on how I feel about what is going on in my life with the only One who “gets it” and can do something about it. A healthy conversation within the soul always includes two components: the problem and the best solution to my problem. In this case, the Psalmist states the problem is one of despair, of depression. Fortunately, he had a problem that had a solution and directed it towards the One who is our glory and the One who lifts our head (Ps. 3:3).

Principle #37 & Personal Application: The quality disciple practices the kind of faith that is centered upon hope in God.

• The prayers of the quality disciple are offered in faith, even when one’s circumstances are difficult: We pray in faith even when we our soul is in despair and we are deeply disturbed.

• The prayers of the quality disciple are centered upon hope in God. Our hope is not in our “faith” nor is our hope in our ability to improve our circumstances. Our hope must be in God.

• The prayers of the quality disciple that are offered in faith impact one’s attitude. Even when we are down, the Lord will gladden our heart.

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

When I become down and discouraged, how does my hope in God’s ability to help me usually play itself out?

How focused are my prayers when hard times come my way?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when I become down and in despair and it seems that there will be no end to my discouragement, please remind me of Your promise to me: You will grace my heart with hope in You. You will grant me the faith to trust You and worship You for the times when I will praise You—during the storms and after them too. May I experience a gladdened heart (a heart that has been lifted up and refreshed) so that my life may be seen by others as another testimony of Your great faithfulness to 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.

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

Psalms of Discipleship--Principle #25--Prayer--July 2, 2011

Hello dear friends, I "Hope" you are doing well today. My hope for your well-being is not a hopeful assumption but a hope that is intimately connected with my hope... in the Lord and that He is at work in your life in a special way.

There are many believers who live the Christian life according to the way of "hope so," hoping and praying that God might (maybe, possibly, perhaps answer their prayer) instead of knowing and believing that God is at work in supernatural ways. Prayer is the portal where we are given insight where our hope is no longer based upon how we feel but upon the Lord's character and His great promises to us.

Thirteen years ago to this day, I placed my hope in the Lord. At age 41, after experiencing a heart attack, I was not given much hope to survive much less live a quality life. How did it turn out for me? I found the Lord to be full of mercy and grace, choosing to heal me. How does hope come to the disciple? Hope is not what we can conjure up with our own strength and will. Like all other good things that come from the Lord, hope is a gift He gives to those who trust in Him. What I learned years ago still remains true: For I hope in the LORD; He did (and will still) answer my prayers. He will answer yours too.

Hope you will hope in Him,

Denny

Key Scripture: For I hope in You, O LORD; You will answer, O Lord my God. Psalm 38:15

Core Value: Prayer

Hope is an important component in the life of the believer. Without hope, we sink into a hopeless depression. Without hope, life has no meaning and no future. However, hope has to be connected in the right way. To have hope in the fragile strength of mankind will prove to be disappointing, to say the least. To have hope that the ominous storms of life will avoid us and strike somewhere else instead is nothing more than the foolish act of placing all of our tokens on the poker table and taking a risky bet against the house (and we know, the house always wins). To have hope in oneself, although noble, still sets us up for an eventual failure. So, what are we to do with hope? The Psalmist helps us see this more clearly. We are to place our hope in the Lord. We are to hope in His Word (Psalm 119:81; 130:5, 7).

Principle #25 & Personal Application: The quality disciple has a confident hope in the Lord who answers prayer.

• Our hope in the Lord is personal: “For I hope.”

• Our hope in the Lord is precise: “In You, O LORD.”

• Our hope in the Lord is fully persuaded: “You will answer, O Lord my God.”

Reflect & Respond: Some Really Good Questions To Ponder…

When I pray, is my hope in “my faith” or is my hope in “my faith in the Lord?

When is the last time I can remember where God answered one of my prayers?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, may my hope in You always be personal (“For I hope”). May my hope in You always be directed to You and not to some man-made methodology of prayer (“In You, O LORD”). And may my hope be fueled with a confident hope and be fully persuaded that You will answer my prayers (“You will answer, O Lord my God”).

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.

www.dennybates.com

http://thequalitydisciple.blogspot.com/

Looking for a Bible study this summer for you and your small group? Check out this link on how you can download Psalms of Discipleship: Growing in Grace and make it available to your small group for FREE!

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