Tuesday, September 29, 2009

upcoming sat seminar topics

1. Godly Career & God’s Calling
a. Why should I study? What’s the point of studying?
b. Does God really want me to spend so much time and money on study?
c. How do I balance work and study?
d. How do I study?
e. What study and career should I pursue? Does it matter?
f. How does my secular study coincide with God’s calling on my life? Is it supposed to?

2. Godly Stewardship of Time & Money
a. What is stewardship?
b. How does God expect me to spend my time & money?
c.What am I expected to do in times of great time and money shortage? Is it really all about faith?
d. How do I discipline myself to make most of my time & money?
e. How do I prioritize the use of my time & money?
f. Is it wrong to have my own time & money to spend? Why do I feel guilty when I do? Am I supposed to feel guilty?

3. Godly Relationships
a. Godly Dating & Marriage
i. How do I choose the one right for me? How do I discern if he/she is a true believer? What are the guidelines to determine if he/she is “the one”?
ii. Is it wrong to date? Is it wrong to “try out” different “prospects”?
iii. What’s going “too far”?
iv. What is a godly courtship?
v. How do I know I am ready for a relationship?
vi. How do I prepare to be a godly spouse?
vii.How do I reconcile my past failures in relationships? How does it impact my future relationships?
viii. How do I remain pure in an impure world?

b. Godly Son & Daughter
i. How do I live as a Christian and a son or a daughter to “difficult” parents?
ii. How do I obey my parents when it collides with God’s commands?
iii. When can I claim independence and move out?

c. Godly Friendship
i. Is it possible for a girl and a guy to be good friends without being mixed up in a more intimate relationship?
ii. What is God’s view of a godly friendship?
iii. How do I make godly friends?

d. Godly Fellowship
i. What is expected of me in this EM?
ii. How do I become part of this Ministry in a way God desires?
iii. What does a godly fellowship look like?
iv. How do I speak the truth in love to my brothers and sisters in Christ?

The seminars will begin this Saturday (10/3, 10 a.m.) and will run for a few weeks.
Please post any additional questions on comments.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Review of Sat Seminars

Here's a review of what we learned on Sat Seminars from 7/18 to 9/19 on "Out of the Shallows, Into the Deep" - a series of studies based on Chip Ingram's Holy Ambition.

We began with understanding and assessing your "Spiritual GPS" - to "locate" where you are spiritually.

Based upon 2 Chr 16:9a" For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him," we looked into the life & ministry of Nehemiah to find principles behind how to develop a Holy Ambition, to live a life that counts toward eternity.

1. A Dislocated Heart
Holy Ambition begins with a Dislocated Heart. God never does something great through us, until He does something significant in us.

2. A Broken Spirit.
A Broken Spirit begins with a High View of God. A Dislocated Heart is overwhelmed by a problem or a need. A Broken Spirit is overwhelmed by God.
What comes to our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us... The most portentous fact about anyone is not what he is doing at a given time, what he may say or do, but what in his deep heart conceives God to be. - A.W. Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy
A Broken Spirit leads to an Accurate View of ourselves, which leads to Renewed Commitment.

3. A Radical Faith.
Faith is not an emotional response. Faith it simply believing what God said and acting on the basis of what He said, because of His character and because He gave you a specific promise. The key to having great faith is having a big God; if you have a big God, life's obstacles look small. Radical Faith is choosing to step out to fulfill God's clearly-defined Will at possible great personal risk and sacrifice. Radical Faith is not a faith you just have; it's a faith you practice.

4. A Strategic Plan.
A Strategic Plan begins with a Vision: a God-given burden to see what a person, a place, or a situation could become if the grace of God and the power of God were unleashed on them. A vision is a picture of the preferred future, and is birthed in Silence, Secrecy and Solitude.

5. A Personal Commitment.
A Commitment is a pledge or a promise. It is dedication to a stated course of action, relationship, project, or cost, and is sustained by Mutual Accountability.
A Personal Commitment is made and maintained by:
- Principle of Cooperation:
We will never get beyond how we're getting along.
- Principle of Coordination:
The combined effort of the Group is far greater than the Sum of its parts.
- Principle of Motivation:
The value of the project to the worker will determine the value of the worker to the project.

6. A Courageous Soul.
It is a noble act to step out and long to accomplish a great work for God. It is a foolish attitude to think that just because you do, things are going to be smooth, great, and wonderful in your life.
Four Causes of Discouragement:
- Loss of Strength
- Loss of Vision
- Loss of Confidence
- Loss of Security
Wrong and Worst response to Discouragements: Distractions.
Four Key Ways to Overcome Discouragement:
- Be Proactive: watch out for "Gray Zones"
- Remember the Lord: remember the faithfulness of God
- Fight, fight, fight!: difficulties reveal the depth of our faith
- Never fight alone