Bible Study Notes 7/11/2023

Word Alive! © 2023 Spring/Summer Series Dare To Dream And Grow Your Faith! Concord Baptist Church of Boston in Milton Conley Hughes, Jr., Senior Pastor Tuesday, 11 July 2023 Lesson 3, Part 1

Rick Warren, Created To Dream, © 2023

Quiet Time: Rick Warren, “Dream,” 39-54

Discernment To Act – The right decisions come neither automatically nor instantly. When we respond in a rash manner to an opportunity or desire; more often than not, we’ve made a premature decision. The Scripture is filled with admonitions, urging us to seek the wisdom of God, before we pursue a given endeavor. Equally concerning, is when we hesitate to ask God for wisdom in making choices. Often, this may happen out of fear of being chastised or rejected by God. If our perception of God, is One who only responds to our desires with harshness, we have failed to understand His nature as a compassionate God. The Apostle James urged Christians in the early first century, to “ask” God for wisdom. God would give wisdom, without insulting or causing harm to the person’s spirit (Read, James 1:5-8, NLT). It is necessary for us to have wisdom in knowing what is God’s purpose for us at a given season. This wisdom God gives us, will then help us to have discernment about how and when to act on the dreams or purposes to which God is calling us. One New Testament Greek word for discernment, means “to cut through.” This suggests, arriving at a true understanding of one’s task, action, or desire.

The text in James warns against “divided loyalty” in our thinking and actions. Tt is the wisdom from God, that gives us the ability to better understand God’s purpose for us; and helps us understand when and how to act on what we are settled on, in our hearts that God wants us to do. In his helpful book, Created To Dream, Pastor Rick Warren says: “Before you do anything else, ask for God’s perspective…If it’s God’s dream for you, it only make sense to ask him how to accomplish it.” The Apostle Paul learned he had to forget, or lay aside, some things from his past, before he could go further in the direction to which God had called him. (Read, Philippians 3:13-14, NLT). We are called to do the same. Jesus made this clear, when others approached Him about enlisting as a disciple. Many of the excuses people made for not following Jesus immediately, were insincere. Jesus warned that to follow Him it is necessary to look forward, and not backwards, (Read, Luke 9:61-62, NLT). Often a person’s level of comfort is with that part of their past, which held most of their attention. Because there are many seasons in life, we cannot be at the same place; nor should we remain at the same level of thinking, for all time. We must be willing to move in a direction God to which God is calling us in the immediate. Unlike some of the other prospective disciples, Andrew, Peter and the others “left the nets immediately” and followed Jesus. God’s wisdom is essential! (Read, Proverbs 28:26, NLT).

KEY IDEA

What We Believe!

“We need God’s wisdom before when we can act.”

1. “Our decisions are settled through wisdom!

KEY VERSES

James 1:5-8, NLT

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask Him be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world and they are unstable in everything they do.”

Philippians 3:13-14, NLT

“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, calling us.”

Luke 9:61-62, NLT

“Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family. But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Proverbs 28:26, NLT

“Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe.”