Caffeine Free Discipleship

Thanks for a great, Starbuck's and Red Bull - free class. A guy from work, who ran the lake with us a couple of weeks back thought I'd be interested in switching to this new, Fruit of the Spirit flavored energy drink. Good stuff.

Throw A Lasso Over Your Wandering Mind

we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
II Corinthians 10:5

During your own time with the Lord, as you read your Bible, does your mind tend to wander?

Do you have a hard time concentrating on what God might be wanting to tell you through his Word?

If so, throw a lasso over your thoughts by maintaining a journal.

Over the past several years, I've developed this habit and believe me, it wasn't easy at first because as we all know, good habits are hard to start and easy to quit and bad habits are easy to start and hard to quit. For me, the key is to keep it simple.

After reading a passage or a few chapters ....

- I choose a verse and write it down in my notebook.

- I then write down how the verse impressed me.

- Finally, I create a title that captures the gist of what I wrote down.

Here's an example of one of my journal entries from a few years ago (in my notebook I don't write the italic parts I show here):

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Date: June 21, 2000

Title: My Hand Steadied by God's Hand

Best thing I marked today (reference): Genesis 49:24

Passage: "But his [Joseph] bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob..."

How it impressed me: If I want my aim in life to be steady, I need to ask to Lord to place his hand on my hand.

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As you can see, I kept it real simple and that is how I usually do it. Other times, I write much more down (as the Spirit moves me).

When I read the Bible with the intention of finding something to write down, I ALWAYS find something that God wants to highlight for me and sometimes I don't discover what that is until I actually begin the process of writing. A friend once described it this way: "Our thoughts untangle themselves as they flow over the lips and through the fingertips."

Searching a passage to find an impression for my journal helps me to throw a lasso over my wandering mind and corral it into focus. What a simple, tremendous tool. Ron Klug, in an article entitled, "How To Keep A Spiritual Journal," said: "A journal is an aid to concentration, a mirror for the soul, a place to generate and capture ideas, a safety valve for the emotions, and a powerful tool for spiritual growth."

Lastly, as our course book Growing Strong in God's Family points out, this discipline .....

- gives you one thought to reflect on each day, rather than a vague assortment of ideas.
- may help you see trends in God's dealing with you over a period of days or weeks.
gives you something specific to pray for yourself and/or share with others.
- helps to sharpen and organize your mind as you sift through your reading in search for something standing out in high relief above the rest.

Press on and keep fightin' the Good Fight.

- Bill

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" -- Psalm 42:1,2

Walkalongsideof God

"Fear is looking at God through circumstances. Faith is looking at circumstances through God."
-- a sentence sermon from the white pages of Bill Roberson's Bible

On Tuesday night we talked about spiritual autism, a disorder which plagues some of us all the time and the rest of us from time to time. A symptom of autism is to focus on objects rather than human faces. Objects of our focus might be a busy calendar or a problem of some sort. God loves each of us as sons and daughters and He wants to have a healthy and intimate relationship with His children.

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” -- Psalm 105:4

One of the top ways to seek the face of the Lord and grow in intimacy with Him is through a daily Quiet Time where He is able to communicate with you through His Spirit and the Word and you are able to respond back to Him with prayer. To this end,

Click the link to see"Seven Minutes with God" which lays out a simple and effective plan for meeting with God.

People say "God bless you," but it really isn't so random. God will bless you when you seek Him.

"One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple." -- Psalm 27:4

Welcome

Hi folks --

My name is James Stewart and I will be leading the Watermark equipping class entitled The Equipped Disciple I - Growing Strong.

This is going to be a great class and I am glad you are planning to join us. Whether you are a new believer wanting to learn the basics of victorious Christian living or you are out to sharpen your daily walk with the Lord, this class offers just what you are looking for. I'm glad you signed up.

We'll get started tomorrow, Thursday, May 17 at 6:30 a.m.. We will meet in the Watermark Tower in Room 211. I'll make some coffee and this week, I'll bring something to gnosh. Watermark Tower is located on the south side of LBJ Freeway at Park Central Drive. http://www.watermark.org/services/buildingmap.asp

The Blue Parking area is the preferred lot. However, if you need to park in Yellow, we will be diligent about getting out by 8:00 a.m. to mitigate parking challenges. Consider parking a few rows away so arriving staffers will be able to keep their cars protected through the long, hot summer days.

The cost of the materials for the class is $12. If you plan to write a check, please make it payable to Chase Couriers.

Shoot me an e-mail to confirm you're on board.

See you soon.

In His grace,

James Stewart

jamesjodi@gmail.com

Phil. 3:14

ED.am

What are your plans for staying strong in the Word and growing closer to the Lord this summer?

Maybe you're familiar with the Tuesday Evening, Equipped Disciple classes that have been running at Watermark over the past four years. This class has been very popular, but for some folks, evenings are a tough time to meet.

If that is true for you or someone you know, I want you to know we are offering limited spots in a MORNING EDITION of Equipped Disciple.

Shortly after the Summit breaks for summer, we plan to begin -- Thursday, May 17 through July 19 from 6:30 - 8 a.m. on the 2nd floor of Watermark Tower.

I'll be co-leading the class with Isaac Martinez. I completed the three-part Equipped Disciple series in 2004 and have been co-leading ever since. Isaac completed the first two class levels and is currently enrolled in ED-III. He brings a refreshing perspective I'm sure you'll enjoy.

If you're interested in joining us, please visit https://www.sporg.com/servlet/IndRegister?sporgEventID=EF381109CF&viewType=1