Devotional Life

Well every week the students in the TC have unique assignments to do and this week we had to write a less than one page paper on our devotional life. For most of you who know me, it is extremely hard for me to condense my thoughts to simply one page. But here it is:

DEVOTIONAL LIFE EXPERIENCE PAPER

Question: Describe your devotional life and how it affects your lifestyle 24/7?

1) THERE IS NO PERFECT WAY TO DO A QUIET TIME
Years of my devotional life were wasted as I was unaware of a need to commune daily with God or even how to do a devotional time with God. In fact, up to my sophomore year in high school, I didn’t even know that God called me to commune with Him daily or that I even needed to open a Bible apart from Sunday. Sure, I thought that as long as I went to church and was nice to people that I didn’t need anything else. Wow, was I wrong. However, when I finally discovered that God desires for me to offer my body as a living sacrifice of worship (Romans 12:1), to meditate day and night on His Word (Psalms 1, 119), to set my heart on things above (Colossians 3:1-3), to think and dwell upon holy things (Philippians 4:8), to pray continually (I Thessalonians 5:17), and much more, I was definitely uninformed of where to start. I wanted to have what people called “quiet times”, but I never knew how to do it the right way. I embarked on my journey by a process of trial and error to find a “perfect” method. I would try to emulate a Godly role model or pastor. I would read a book that I thought would give me the answer. However, through much inquisition and searching, I discovered that there is no right way to do a quiet time. The goal is simply to love Christ more as I passionately pursue Him daily through His Word (the revelation of God), prayer, mediation, memorization, fasting, singing, reading, journaling, or etc. This liberated my quiet times and freed me up to not worry about rigid form, but to focus on loving Christ as one who pants after God (Psalm 42:1).

2) COMMUNE WITH GOD, LOVE CHRIST, RELY ON THE SPIRIT, AND DON’T JUST TRY TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE!
One error that I continually have to confess to God is my dog gone pharisaical pursuit of knowledge and not Christ. Through my devotional times, it is so easy for me to slip back into the habit of trying to simply learn theology or gain knowledge instead of truly desiring to know Christ more, in a life changing way. It is so easy for me to simply be content with learning one knew fact about God. In fact, this is probably a weekly if not daily battle for me! In my own devotional life I have to continually remind myself that I am spending time alone with God in order to love Him more, that I might put Him first in every aspect of my life, and apply a truth from Scripture that will change the way I live my life that day. I have found that this can only be done as I rely on the Spirit daily to show me how to study, what spiritual discipline to pursue, and how I should most purposefully and passionately follow my Savior Jesus Christ.

3) I JOURNAL, READ, PRAY, MEMORIZE, MEDITATE, SING AND ETC
Just because I do not think there is one right way to have a devotional life does not mean that there aren't some wise starters. For one, I think it is necessary to daily pursue God. I usually like to have a book of the Bible to study in a systematic way. Normally, I study through a book that I need at the time. For instance, a while back I was struggling with legalism so I went through Galatians. Last month I went through a Proverb a day. This month I am going through the gospel of John. I also like to record books or chapters of the Bible to a made up song that I might memorize them in my car or at my computer. Last year I memorized I Peter with some friends, this last summer I memorized most of Psalm 119, and this next year I will be memorizing Colossians with a group of friends. Journaling is another way for me to commune with God. Sometimes, I’ll just write out prayers to God, other times I will write notes of what I’m learning in the Word and how I desire to apply them that day.

4) I LIVE LIFE AND APPLY WHAT I AM LEARNING
The biggest way my devotional life affects what I do 24/7 is simply by living in the world. I am continually bombarded with new opportunities to apply what I’m learning as I interact with non-believers in the work place, people in my family, or junior high students that I am shepherding. Truly God is faithful to me, and I am so thankful that the Spirit helps me to apply what I am learning. Yet, I know that there is much for me to grow in, and I am so grateful that God is not finished with me yet!

: )

Well, that was all I could cram into one page, but let me tell you there is a lot more! I am grateful that God has given us His written Word and that He has given us the Holy Spirit who now indwells our heart to make us more conformed to the image of Christ. God is truly awesome and to grow in Him daily is such a joy!

Training Center Year 2

Well this last Tuesday morning at 5am marked the first day of year two in the Training Center at East Valley Bible Church. Not wanting to be late to this very early morning class, I decided I would set both of my digital alarms, my phone alarm, and if that wasn’t enough, my friend Josh Kellso—who is also a year 2 student—gave me a call at 4:10 to make sure I wasn’t still dreaming of Z’s. Though normally I don’t take this many precautions to ensure my vigilance, 4 am is not usually an hour that I see. Also, I was actually really excited to start up again even at the early hour.

The Training Center is a three year program of EVBC that trains men for the work of ministry (pastors, elders, missionaries, significant laymen, etc.) I am blessed and privileged to be a part of this exceptional opportunity, and I am humbled at how God has grown my love for Him through this training. Pastor Chris Mueller is our instructor for the weekly gathering from 5-7:30, and he definitely has a heart for the Lord, a passion for training men, and I think a mission to give many hours of grueling homework. However, unlike many of the papers and assignments that I had in college, every assignment in the TC is significantly related to ministry, and is thus, extremely exciting.

Last year we went through the whole Bible learning and memorizing many themes and ministry passages of the Bible. We covered most all of the theologies, and we also spent a quarter on practical theology and how to counsel, discern, and think and respond more Biblically in all situations. Now that we have many of the basics down, this year will consist of training in order for us to learn to be better shepherds . . . this includes teaching and preaching, expositional Greek using Libronix software, the heart and life of a shepherd, and etc.

I am so excited about this year in the TC, and I can’t wait to see how God will continue to sanctify me through the process of the next two years.

The Lord is my Shepherd

John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

From the time that I was young I remember memorizing the 23rd Psalm about how the Lord is my Shepherd . . . it was actually so long ago that I memorized it, that I still remember it in the King James Version with phrases like, “he MAKETH me to lie down,” and “YEA though I walk through the valley. . .” Well what is absolutely astonishing to me is how quickly I forget what I already know! I desperately want to apply what I know about the Lord and how he is the shepherd of my life. However, it wasn’t until yesterday when I was studying in John 10 that I was reminded that the Lord truly is my shepherd.

As a young man with many hopes, dreams, and desires, I am so quick to try to be the shepherd of my own life. Last night I even used a phrase that stoops to show how far off the mark I’ve been . . . I said, “I need to let God be God.” What a STUPID phrase to say! Of course God is God! Why would I have been so proud as to think that I could run my own life and attempt to shepherd myself in the ways that I think would be best? I do not know, but what I have been reminded of is that Christ is my shepherd. Not only is he my shepherd, but he laid down his life for His sheep. He loved me so much that He would die for me. WOW!

I do not wish to forget this lesson quickly; for truly the Lord is my shepherd, and he knows exactly what I need when I need it. I desire to simply run to his fatherly arms and wrap myself up in them as he protects and guides me through my life. He knows what’s best and I am so thankful for the way He gently reminds me that he is the good Shepherd, I am his sheep. He is the great creator, I am His creation. He is the King, I am His worshipper.

“Lord, thank you for being my Shepherd and for loving me so much as to die for me. Let me trust in you to hold the heavens in place and to establish my own life for your glorious purpose. In the name of Christ, Amen.”