God's Loving Sacrifice Podcast
Hello, Do you ever feel defeated as a Christian in the confusing times we are living in today? I know I do. This is were God’s Loving Sacrifice Podcast comes in. We do bible studies to help you strengthen your walk with the Lord in today’s crazy world. We also encourage you to share the gospel and the love of Christ with this world in need.
God's Loving Sacrifice Podcast
Strengthening Relationship With Christ / S3E20
What happens when trials transform into triumphs through faith? Discover the path to a strengthened relationship with Christ as we explore the profound power of prayer, trust, and scripture in overcoming life’s challenges. This episode promises insights into finding peace and understanding by resting in God's presence, with guidance from scriptures like Philippians 4:6-7 and Proverbs 3:5-6. We also uncover the simplicity of following Jesus, illustrated in Matthew 11:28-30, and how trials can nurture patience and completeness, supported by Romans 8:28 and James 1:2-4. Plus, the significance of worship and community is highlighted, showing how they nurture our spiritual lives and deepen our faith.
As we journey further, we reflect on the eternal promises of faith that guide us through turbulent times. By setting our minds on heavenly things, as Colossians 3:2 suggests, we find peace amid chaos and fulfillment in dedicating our lives to God. We'll delve into Revelations 21:4, offering a vision of a future without pain, sorrow, or death, reinforcing why prioritizing God and strengthening our faith is crucial. This episode invites you to embrace hope in Christ and the powerful impact of community in fostering spiritual growth and resilience.
My website is https://www.godslovingsacrifice.com
Hello, first thing I want to do is to thank Ziegler Services for sponsoring this podcast for the month of January. They offer snow removal, which I'm sure we all hope we don't need again this winter. But they offer snow removal, landscaping, lawn care, tree service, fencing, firewood and other home maintenance services to Indianapolis and the surrounding areas. Wood and other home maintenance services to Indianapolis and the surrounding areas. Contact them at Ziegler Services. That's Z-E-I-G-L-E-R-S-E-R-V-I-C-E-S at gmailcom. Thank you, ziegler Services. Today I want to talk about strengthening our relationship with Christ. Sometimes we struggle with this and not sure where to look and not sure how to do it, so I wanted to give us some steps to go through and some scriptures to use. My podcast does have a transcript and if you would like to print this out so you could keep it with you, the scriptures and things will be in there, but then it'll have my talking in it On my website. I may add this out there. If I do, I'll put a note on my Facebook page and tell you about it.
Speaker 1:But first we need to seek God and that's one way to build your relationship through Him. But how do we seek God? We need to seek Him through prayer and trust. Philippians 4, 6-7 says Be anxious for nothing, but in everything. By prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus and minds through Christ Jesus. Proverbs 3, 5-6 says Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge Him and he shall direct thy paths. So we have to trust in Him and we have to pray. Prayer is pretty easy. Sometimes trust is a little harder. But when we quit listening to ourselves and start trusting Him with our hearts and acknowledging Him, then we'll be going in the right paths.
Speaker 1:The second way that we can build our relationship with God is to find strength in His Word. Psalms 119.105 says your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. And that's what his word is. It's our light. It's our light to light up our path to walk with Jesus. 2 Timothy 3, 16-17 says All scripture is given by inspiration of God and it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. His word is what we need to find our way.
Speaker 1:I love learning new scriptures. You'd think after all these years I've heard so many. But sometimes I hear scriptures and it's like a light goes off and it's like I can't believe. I never quite understood that before, not the way I do now, and that's the I can't believe. I never quite understood that before, not the way I do now, and that's the way it is. We have to be in God's Word all of the time.
Speaker 1:One of the big things about building our relationship with God is resting. You know, if you're building a house, you're going to have to rest, but when you're building a relationship, you have to rest in God's presence. Matthew 11, 28-30 says Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. I absolutely love that scripture.
Speaker 1:We try to make being a Christian sometimes so difficult, but it's not. It's not difficult. His yoke is easy, his burden is light. What does he tell us to do? Follow him. Follow him. That's what we do. Isaiah 41.10 says fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Speaker 1:You know, I heard somebody talking about the poem Footprints and how they really like the poem and it talks about how the person looks down and only sees one set of footprints and that's when God was carrying him. But they said, when they think of that, they think of following Jesus, of that, they think of following Jesus. You only see one set of footprints, because you have accepted Jesus, you've reconciled yourself with Jesus and you're walking in his footsteps. So there would only be one set of footsteps and when we rest in His presence and let Him hold us, we're going to be walking in His footsteps.
Speaker 1:Another thing that we need to do to build our relationship is have hope in Christ. Romans 8.28 says and we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. James 1.2-4 says my brethren, count it all, joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work that ye may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing, I love this song. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness, and that's true. That's where our hope is built in Christ.
Speaker 1:One of the things that is very important is to strengthen your faith. And how do we strengthen our faith? Well, one way is through worship, and I never feel closer to God than when I'm worshiping Him. Just thinking about worshiping Him gives me cold chills. I love that. Lost in the worship, lost in the presence of the Holy Spirit, lost in Jesus' arms, knowing that God loves me.
Speaker 1:Hebrews 10, 24 through 25 says and let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching. We need to have fellowship with other Christians. We need to worship with other Christians. Psalms 34, 1-3 says I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord. The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together, worshiping and fellowshipping. Doing that at the same time sure does strengthen your faith, and if you want to strengthen your walk with God, then that's one of the things you have to do. And finally, you need to stay focused on His promises, his eternal promises.
Speaker 1:All of these passages that we've talked about is a very good starting point for prayer reflection to deepen your walk with Christ. But focusing on His promises is so, so important. Colossians 3.2 says Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. You know, right now things are crazy. So many changes are happening. Right now. Some people are happy, some people are not happy. It just, of course, you can't please everybody, but God does.
Speaker 1:When you give your life to God, he does please us. And I want to leave you with Revelations 21.4, because this is the eternal promise that he gives us. This is the reason we strengthen our walk with Him. This is the reason why we worship and fellowship together. This is the reason that we persevere with our hope in Christ and that we rest in His presence and we find strength in his words and we seek God through prayer and through trust. And it all comes to Revelations 21.4, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no pain for the former things have passed away, and that is such a wonderful promise. Strengthen your walk with God, get in the Word, worship with others. Make God your number one priority in your life. You already know you're His number one priority.
