Jesus as “the Word” (Logos), God's reason for everything

I enjoyed this presentation of John 1:1 by Timothy Keller, here's the big idea:

The title “the Word” comes from the Gospel of John. John uses the Greek term Logos to explain who Jesus is and why He matters. In the ancient world, logos referred to reason, order, and purpose. John applies that idea directly to Christ.

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1. The Word is eternal and is God

John begins with a clear claim about Jesus’ identity:

• “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)

• “Through him all things were made.” (John 1:3)

This establishes that Jesus is not created. He is eternal and fully divine.

• “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17)

• “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever.” (Hebrews 1:8)

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2. The Word became a person

• “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)

The Logos is not abstract. God’s reason and purpose entered history in the person of Jesus Christ.

• “Being in very nature God… he made himself nothing… being made in human likeness.” (Philippians 2:6–7)

• “He appeared in the flesh.” (1 Timothy 3:16)

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3. The Word reveals God fully

• “No one has ever seen God; the only Son… has made him known.” (John 1:18)

• “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)

Jesus is the visible expression of the invisible God.

• “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” (Hebrews 1:3)

• “The image of the invisible God.” (Colossians 1:15)

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4. The Word is the source of life and light

• “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” (John 1:4)

He is not only Creator, but Sustainer and giver of true life.

• “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25)

• “In him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

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5. The Word defines the purpose of human life

• “He came to that which was his own.” (John 1:11)

• “For through him and for him all things were created.” (Colossians 1:16)

Human beings were made through Him and for Him.

• “From him and through him and to him are all things.” (Romans 11:36)

• “Whether you eat or drink… do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Alignment with Christ is alignment with purpose.

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6. The right response is relationship, not just understanding

• “To all who received him… he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

• “You shall love the Lord your God…” (Matthew 22:37)

The Greeks pursued meaning through reasoning. John reveals that ultimate meaning is found in knowing a Person.

• “This is eternal life: that they know you… and Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3)

• “Abide in me, and I in you.” (John 15:4)

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Bottom line

Jesus is called “the Word” because He is:

• God’s eternal reason and creative power

• God revealed in human form

• The source and goal of all life

He is not an idea to analyze, but a Person to know, trust, and love. Here's the full sermon: Advent: The Word – Timothy Keller [Sermon]

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Created to Worship and Flourish The Doctrine of Humanity—Creation and Purpose

They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage....the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law...(good news) This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength! Nehemiah 8:8-10

I remember when I was in-between first and second grade a guest preacher help me understand the human condition, why Jesus died and how that impacted my life now. He helped my young mind realize that God created humanity in His image for eternal fellowship with Him. In BSF's Exile and Return study we see Israel's story illustrates the broader human condition: 

• flourishing comes through wholehearted pursuit of God
• suffering follows rebellion and unrepentance. 

This pattern is not merely national history but the universal human story. Humanity was created for fellowship with God, fell through sin, and is restored only through Jesus Christ. Israel's story in Nehemiah 8 mirrors every believer's story: true flourishing depends on putting God first, hearing and obeying His Word, and living as His image-bearers in the world. The wisest and most satisfying pursuit of any life is to know God, walk with Him, and bear His witness until He calls us home.

God desires for all people to worship Him and bear His witness to the world. Witnessing is the passive act of seeing or experiencing an event, while bearing witness is the active, conscious commitment to holding, validating, and sharing that experience to uphold truth, often bearing the emotional weight of it. Witnessing is simply being there, whereas bearing witness is acknowledging and testifying to the significance of what occurred.

• When I do not believe in God’s purpose for humanity, I live for myself and my desires and miss out on God’s design for my life. Forever unsatisfied, I remain unredeemed and never experience true human flourishing. 
• When I believe in God’s purpose for me, I live with profound joy. Through faith in Jesus Christ, I enjoy His presence and experience His power to persevere through any situation in this fallen world, knowing I bear witness to Him and will spend eternity in His presence.

Redeemed Believer Bears Witness to God’s Kingdom

• Identity — You represent the King, 2 Corinthians 5:20; 1 Peter 2:9
• Visibility — Light is seen, not forced, Matthew 5:14–16
• Intentionality — Walk the works prepared for you, Ephesians 2:10; Acts 1:8
• Totality — All of life is worship, Colossians 3:17; Romans 12:1
• Credibility — The Word sustains the witness, 2 Timothy 3:16–17; Nehemiah 8:1–12

Restored fellowship is not private. Every believer serves as an ambassador, reflecting God's love, goodness, and sovereignty to a watching world. Every ordinary act becomes an act of worship. Ephesians 2:10 says God prepared good works in advance for you to walk in. What do you believe those works are for this season of your life? Are you walking in them, or have you been drifting past them? Men often measure purpose by achievement and productivity. How does Ephesians 2:10 reframe what it means to have a meaningful, purposeful day?

1. Humanity Is Created in God's Image for Fellowship with Him

Every person bears the imago Dei, designed not for mere survival but for eternal relationship with their Creator. An innate awareness of eternity and transcendent purpose is woven into human nature itself.

• Genesis 1:26-27 — humanity made in God's image and likeness
• Genesis 2:7 — God breathed life into humanity, making us uniquely personal
• Acts 17:24-28 — God made every nation so that people would seek and find Him
• 1 Corinthians 1:9 — God is faithful; He called us into fellowship with His Son
• Ecclesiastes 3:11 — God has set eternity in the human heart
• Romans 2:14-15 — the moral law written on every conscience reflects divine design
• Psalm 139:13-16 — God intimately formed each person with intentionality and purpose
• Isaiah 43:7 — God created His people for His glory

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2. Sin Shattered That Fellowship

The Fall introduced humanity's deepest tragedy. Apart from God, life collapses into self-centeredness. The ruling question becomes "What's in it for me?" rather than "What glorifies God?"

• Genesis 3:6-8 — Adam and Eve's rebellion broke fellowship with God
• Romans 3:23 — all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
• Romans 5:12 — sin and death entered the world through one man and spread to all
• Isaiah 59:2 — sin separates humanity from God
• Ephesians 2:1-3 — apart from God, humanity follows the flesh and the ruler of this age
• Jeremiah 17:9 — the human heart is deceitful and desperately sick above all things

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3. Only God Satisfies the Deepest Human Yearning

No achievement, relationship, pleasure, or possession can fill the void that only God occupies. The restless heart Augustine described finds rest only in God.

• Psalm 73:25-26 — whom have I in heaven but You? Earth has nothing I desire besides You
• Psalm 42:1-2 — the soul thirsts for God as a deer pants for water
• Psalm 16:11 — in God's presence is fullness of joy; at His right hand are pleasures forever
• John 4:13-14 — Jesus offers living water so that the soul will never thirst again
• Augustine, Confessions I.1 — "Our heart is restless until it rests in You"
• Matthew 5:6 — those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied

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4. Christ Alone Restores Fellowship and Purpose

Redemption is not self-improvement. It is God's initiative through Christ, promised throughout the Old Testament and fulfilled in the incarnation, atonement, and resurrection.

• John 1:14 — the Word became flesh and dwelt among us
• Romans 5:1-2 — justified by faith, we have peace with God and access to grace
• 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 — God reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation
• Colossians 1:19-22 — through Christ, God reconciled all things, making peace through the blood of His cross
• 1 John 1:1-7 — fellowship with the Father and Son is restored and walked out in the light
• Hebrews 10:19-22 — we draw near to God with full assurance through the blood of Christ
• Titus 3:4-7 — God saved us not by our works but by His mercy, grace, and the Spirit

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5. Believers Are Equipped to Flourish — Even Through Suffering

Flourishing is not the absence of hardship but the presence of God in the midst of it. Spiritual thriving is rooted in purpose, not circumstances.

• Psalm 1:1-3 — the person who delights in God's Word is like a tree planted by streams of water
• Psalm 92:12-14 — the righteous flourish and continue to bear fruit even in old age
• Proverbs 11:28 — those who trust in riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like green leaves
• John 15:4-5 — apart from Christ we can do nothing; abiding in Him produces abundant fruit
• 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 — God's power is made perfect in weakness; His grace is sufficient
• Philippians 3:7-11 — Paul counted all things loss to know Christ and the power of His resurrection
• Philippians 4:11-13 — contentment is learned; the believer can do all things through Christ who strengthens
• 1 Peter 3:14 — even suffering for righteousness is a blessed condition
• Romans 5:3-5 — suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope that does not put us to shame
• James 1:2-4 — trials produce steadfastness and mature, complete faith

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6. The Redeemed Believer Bears Witness to God's Kingdom

Restored fellowship is not private. Every believer serves as an ambassador, reflecting God's love, goodness, and sovereignty to a watching world. Every ordinary act becomes an act of worship.

• Matthew 5:14-16 — you are the light of the world; let your light shine before others
• 2 Corinthians 5:20 — we are ambassadors for Christ; God makes His appeal through us
• Colossians 3:17 — whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus
• 1 Peter 2:9 — a chosen people, a royal priesthood, called to declare the praises of God
• Romans 12:1 — present your bodies as a living sacrifice; this is your spiritual worship
• Ephesians 2:10 — we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works He prepared in advance
• Acts 1:8 — you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Application Questions for Men

The Redeemed Believer Bears Witness to God's Kingdom

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Identity: Who You Are as an Ambassador

2 Corinthians 5:20 / 1 Peter 2:9

1. When you hear the word "ambassador," what comes to mind? How does it change your sense of daily responsibility to know that God has appointed you to that role, not a government or organization?
2. Peter calls believers "a royal priesthood." Most men don't think of themselves in priestly terms. What would it look like, practically, to carry that identity into your workplace, your home, or your neighborhood this week?
3. Where in your life do you most naturally think of yourself as a follower of Christ? Where do you most easily forget it? What accounts for the difference?

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Visibility: Letting Your Light Shine

Matthew 5:14-16

4. Jesus says you are the light of the world, not that you should try to become it. You already are. What are the most common ways men hide that light, whether through silence, blending in, or compartmentalizing faith from the rest of life?
5. Think about the men in your "Jerusalem," your closest circle at home, at work, or in your neighborhood. Who among them is watching your life more closely than you realize? How does that awareness change how you carry yourself?
6. A city on a hill is visible without effort. It doesn't have to announce itself. What does it mean for your witness to be more about consistent character than occasional spiritual conversations?

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Intentionality: Living on Purpose

Ephesians 2:10 / Acts 1:8

7. Ephesians 2:10 says God prepared good works in advance for you to walk in. What do you believe those works are for this season of your life? Are you walking in them, or have you been drifting past them?
8. Acts 1:8 moves outward from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. Who is in your Jerusalem right now, the person or people closest to you, who most needs to see Christ in you? What is one concrete step you can take toward them this week?
9. Men often measure purpose by achievement and productivity. How does Ephesians 2:10 reframe what it means to have a meaningful, purposeful day?

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Totality: All of Life as Worship

Colossians 3:17 / Romans 12:1

10. Colossians 3:17 says "whatever you do, in word or deed." That covers a meeting, a commute, a difficult conversation with your teenager, a moment of frustration in traffic. What is the hardest area of your daily life to bring under the lordship of Christ?
11. Romans 12:1 calls presenting your body a "living sacrifice." Unlike a dead sacrifice, a living one can climb off the altar. Where are you most tempted to take yourself back from God and live on your own terms?
12. What would change in your Monday through Friday if you genuinely treated every task, conversation, and decision as an act of worship rather than as ordinary life?

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Credibility: The Word Behind the Witness

2 Timothy 3:16-17 / Nehemiah 8:1-12

13. The lie says the Bible is irrelevant to educated, modern men. Have you ever believed a version of that lie, treating Scripture as something for Sunday rather than something to live by? Where did that belief come from, and how have you pushed back against it?
14. Nehemiah 8 shows the people weeping and then rejoicing when they heard God's Word read aloud. When did you last have a moment like that, where Scripture genuinely moved you or changed the way you thought or acted? What produced that moment?
15. A man's witness is only as strong as the Word behind it. How consistently are you taking in Scripture, not just reading it occasionally, but meditating on it, discussing it, and letting it reshape how you see the world?
16. If the men in your life evaluated your relationship with the Bible based on your conversations, your decisions, and your daily habits, what conclusion would they reasonably reach?

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Challenge Question for Group Closing

Think of one man in your life who does not yet know Christ. He is watching you, even if you don't know it. Based on what he has seen in you over the last 30 days, what impression of God do you think he has formed? What needs to change for that impression to become a more accurate reflection of who God actually is?

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Biblical Prayer Warriors and Results

A newly wed friend told me he was reading Love and Respect, we were talking about obedience from love received from Jesus Christ. The premise of Love and Respect is that women need to be loved, men need to be respected. He linked this idea to how the Bible describes the Church as the Bride of Christ, a metaphor for Christ's intimate, sacrificial love for His people, highlighted in Ephesians 5:25-32, where Christ's devotion mirrors a husband's love, culminating in the final union at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb described in Revelation 19:7-9, with 2 Corinthians 11:2 also referencing this spiritual betrothal and Revelation 21:2 describing the New Jerusalem as a bride ready for her husband. 

To obey Christ is to respect him, to pray according to his will for his glory. When we intercede we should also learn to listen for his response. Consider the following examples of what this looks like:

OLD TESTAMENT

Abraham: Interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah, bargaining with God from 50 righteous down to 10 (Genesis 18:23-33)

Moses: Spoke with God "face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" (Exodus 33:11); interceded for Israel after golden calf, offering his own life (Exodus 32:11-14, 31-32); prayed for Miriam's healing (Numbers 12:13); stood in the gap repeatedly (Deuteronomy 9:18-20, 25-29)

Aaron: Stood between the living and dead with incense to stop plague (Numbers 16:46-48)

Hannah: Prayed with such intensity Eli thought she was drunk; made vow and kept it (1 Samuel 1:10-18, 27-28); prayer of praise (1 Samuel 2:1-10)

Samuel: "Far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you" (1 Samuel 12:23); interceded for Israel constantly (1 Samuel 7:5-9; 8:6)

David: Rose at midnight to give thanks (Psalm 119:62); prayed morning, noon, and evening (Psalm 55:17); authored most Psalms—prayer life documented in detail; prayer of repentance (Psalm 51); prayers for deliverance (Psalms 3, 5, 7, 17, 22, 31, etc.)

Solomon: Dedication prayer for temple lasting hours (1 Kings 8:22-53); asked for wisdom rather than riches (1 Kings 3:5-14)

Elijah: Called down fire from heaven (1 Kings 18:36-38); prayed for three-and-a-half-year drought, then for rain (James 5:17-18; 1 Kings 17:1; 18:41-45); raised widow's son through prayer (1 Kings 17:20-22)

Elisha: Raised Shunammite's son (2 Kings 4:32-35); prayed for servant's eyes to be opened to see angelic army (2 Kings 6:17); prayed for Arameans to be struck with blindness (2 Kings 6:18)

Jehoshaphat: Prayed before battle, admitted total dependence: "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you" (2 Chronicles 20:6-12)

Hezekiah: Spread Sennacherib's threatening letter before the Lord (2 Kings 19:14-19); prayed when facing death, received 15 more years (2 Kings 20:1-6)

Isaiah: Responded "Here I am! Send me" after vision (Isaiah 6:8); interceded for Hezekiah (2 Kings 19:1-7)

Jeremiah: Known as the weeping prophet; prayers of lament and intercession throughout his book (Jeremiah 10:23-24; 12:1-4; 14:7-9, 19-22; 15:15-18; 20:7-18); God told him to stop interceding for the people (Jeremiah 7:16; 11:14; 14:11)

Ezekiel: Called to stand in the gap (Ezekiel 22:30); prayer posture during visions (Ezekiel 11:13)

Daniel: Prayed three times daily with windows open toward Jerusalem (Daniel 6:10); fasted and prayed 21 days for understanding (Daniel 10:2-3, 12-14); confession and intercession for Israel (Daniel 9:3-19); prayers triggered angelic warfare (Daniel 10:12-13)

Nehemiah: Four months of fasting and prayer before approaching king (Nehemiah 1:4-11); instant prayer while conversing with Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 2:4); prayed while working on wall (Nehemiah 4:4-5, 9; 5:19; 6:9, 14; 13:14, 22, 29, 31)

Ezra: Fasted and prayed for safe journey, refusing military escort to demonstrate faith (Ezra 8:21-23); prayer of confession over intermarriage (Ezra 9:5-15)

Job: Interceded for his children regularly with burnt offerings (Job 1:5); maintained integrity through suffering; prayed for friends who wronged him, and God restored him (Job 42:8-10)

Jonah: Prayed from fish's belly (Jonah 2:1-9); prayer of complaint about God's mercy (Jonah 4:2-3)

Habakkuk: Prayer of complaint: "How long, O Lord?" (Habakkuk 1:2-4); prayer of faith and worship despite circumstances (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Jabez: Prayed for blessing and enlarged territory; God granted his request (1 Chronicles 4:10)

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NEW TESTAMENT

Jesus: Withdrew often to pray (Luke 5:16); prayed all night before choosing disciples (Luke 6:12); prayed early morning in solitary places (Mark 1:35); prayed before miracles (John 11:41-42); taught disciples to pray (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4); high priestly prayer (John 17); Gethsemane agony (Matthew 26:36-44; Luke 22:41-44); prayed for Peter's faith (Luke 22:32); prayed for His executioners (Luke 23:34); currently intercedes for believers (Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34)

Anna: Prophetess who "did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day" (Luke 2:36-37)

Zechariah: Praying in temple when angel announced John's birth (Luke 1:8-13)

The Disciples: Asked Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1); prayed for replacement for Judas (Acts 1:24-25)

Peter: Vision at Joppa while praying (Acts 10:9-16); raised Tabitha through prayer (Acts 9:40); delivered from prison while church prayed (Acts 12:5-11); prayed before healing lame man (Acts 3:1-8)

John: Prayed on Patmos, received Revelation (Revelation 1:9-11); prayers of the saints like incense (Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4)

Paul: Prayed constantly for churches (Romans 1:9; Ephesians 1:16; Philippians 1:4; Colossians 1:3, 9; 1 Thessalonians 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:3); prayed three times for thorn removal (2 Corinthians 12:8); prayed and sang in prison (Acts 16:25); asked for prayer support (Romans 15:30; Ephesians 6:19; Colossians 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:25); prayers throughout epistles show his intercession pattern

Epaphras: "Always struggling on your behalf in his prayers" for maturity and assurance (Colossians 4:12-13); Paul's fellow prisoner (Philemon 1:23)

Cornelius: "Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God" (Acts 10:4, 31)

Stephen: Prayed while being stoned: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" and "Lord, do not hold this sin against them" (Acts 7:59-60)

The Early Church: "Devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42); prayed for boldness after persecution (Acts 4:23-31); prayed before choosing deacons (Acts 6:6); prayed for Samaritan believers to receive Holy Spirit (Acts 8:15); prayed earnestly for Peter in prison (Acts 12:5, 12); prayed and fasted before sending out missionaries (Acts 13:3); prayed and fasted when appointing elders (Acts 14:23)

Ananias: Prayed when instructed to visit Saul (Acts 9:10-17)

Paul and Silas: Prayed and sang hymns at midnight in Philippian jail; earthquake followed (Acts 16:25-26)

Elders of Ephesus: Knelt and prayed with Paul at his departure (Acts 20:36)

James (the Just): Known for prayer; knees reportedly like camels from constant kneeling (early church tradition); wrote about prayer's power (James 5:13-18)

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PRAYERS OF DESPERATION/URGENCY

The Tax Collector: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"—went home justified (Luke 18:13-14)

The Thief on the Cross: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom"—immediate salvation (Luke 23:42-43)

Blind Bartimaeus: Cried out persistently despite crowds telling him to be quiet (Mark 10:46-52)

The Canaanite/Syrophoenician Woman: Persistent faith despite initial refusal; wrestled with Jesus until He granted her request (Matthew 15:22-28; Mark 7:25-30)

Peter Sinking: "Lord, save me!" (Matthew 14:30)

The Disciples in the Storm: "Save us, Lord; we are perishing!" (Matthew 8:25)

Ten Lepers: "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" (Luke 17:13)

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INTERCESSORY PRAYER SPECIALISTS

Abraham: Bargained for Sodom (Genesis 18:23-33)

Moses: Repeatedly stood in gap for Israel (Exodus 32:11-14, 31-32; Numbers 14:13-19; Deuteronomy 9:18-20, 25-29)

Samuel: Refused to stop praying for Israel (1 Samuel 12:23; 7:5-9)

Job: Prayed for friends who wronged him (Job 42:8-10)

Epaphras: Wrestling prayers for three churches (Colossians 4:12-13)

Paul: Constant intercession for all churches (all epistles)

Jesus: Ultimate Intercessor—current ministry (Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34)

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CORPORATE/COLLECTIVE PRAYER

Israelites at Red Sea: Cried out to the Lord (Exodus 14:10)

Assembly at Mizpah: Fasted and prayed for deliverance (1 Samuel 7:5-9)

Jehoshaphat's Army: Entire nation gathered to seek the Lord (2 Chronicles 20:3-13)

Jerusalem Church: Prayed earnestly for Peter (Acts 12:5, 12)

Antioch Church: Prayed and fasted before sending missionaries (Acts 13:2-3)

Believers After Persecution: Lifted voices together in prayer (Acts 4:24-31)

120 in Upper Room: Continued in prayer before Pentecost (Acts 1:14)

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Peace, serenity is the good soil where wisdom can grow

 Daniel 4:27, “‘King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.’

• He like many of don't listen and experience Terror the absence of God's grace in our lives
• LORD says... "I have removed my protection and peace from them. I have taken away my unfailing love and my mercy." Jer 16:5

I've been seeing the importance of personal holiness. To have integrity with the Lord. Yesterday at SALT and Light Today we read Matthew 5:3-11 after I searched Be Holy and purchased Top 7 classics on Holiness. Verse 8 jumped at me, "God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God."

• you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses (Acts 1:8)

Purity Described: "Now may the God of peace— who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood— may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him.    All glory to him forever and ever! Amen." - Heb 13:20-21

God grant me the serenity (Peace), to accept the things I can't change (your will, your way, your people), the courage (power) to change the things I can (witness your work in me) - and the wisdom to know the difference.

• When we take God's word (seed) in our heart it produces everything when it grows up, but it only grows up in good soil. I need to pay attention, how I listen. I need to ask God for wisdom and cultivate the Spirit's work in my heart, like the wise virgins. 
• Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. Rev 22:14

Step 6 (Repent): So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. - 2 Timothy 2:22 (ESV)

Step 7 (Follow): But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. - Galatians 5:22-25 (ESV)

Enjoying Bill Johnson teaching

Reasons Why You Might Struggle to Hear God’s Voice

How a Lack of Wisdom Will Hold You Hostage

He Enables What He Commands

When we trust God with our whole lives, he gives us heavenly peace no matter what our circumstance.

"Peace from God our Father...let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts...to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace... And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Rom 1:7, Col 3:15,Rom 8:6, Phil 4:7"

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Regeneration Recovery, 12 steps with Biblical References

Enjoying regeneration recovery looking forward to getting this started at Portland house this January.

Step 1 (Admit): For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. - Romans 7:18 (ESV)

Step 2 (Believe): Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is

renewed like the eagle’s. - Psalm 103:2-5 (ESV)

Step 3 (Trust): But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved - Ephesians 2:4-5 (ESV)

Step 4 (Inventory): Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. - Psalm 51:6 (ESV)

Step 5 (Confess): But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:7-9 (ESV)

Step 6 (Repent): So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. - 2 Timothy 2:22 (ESV)

Step 7 (Follow): But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. - Galatians 5:22-25 (ESV)

Step 8 (Forgive): Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children. - Ephesians 4:32-5:1 (ESV)

Step 9 (Amends): Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. - Romans 12:17-18 (ESV)

Step 10 (Continue): Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! - Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV)

Step 11 (Intimacy): And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ

whom you have sent. - John 17:3 (ESV)

Step 12 (Regenerate): Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.  - 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 (ESV)

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The mind trained by Faith, the ascended life (James 3:13-18)

Listening to The Mind Trained by Faith - Bill Johnson

The mind is worth renewing (Romans 12:1-3), the un-renewed mind is hostile toward God (Romans 8:7). Your mind is independent, your free will/choice is protected so that God can illustrate bringing heaven to earth (Matthew 6:10). To hear what the Father is saying, do what you see him doing, as Jesus did (John 3:11-13; 5:19; 8:18, 26-29) and said we will do (John 14:12-14). The yielded imagination, becomes the sanctified imagination. A sanctified imagination is positioned for visions and dreams (Joel 2:28), postured to hear from God (Psalms 27:8). The renewed mind is the target of the Lord, every day of our lives (Romans 12-15). We can see clearly, God before us like a pillar of fire (God precedes all who follow his way). Faith comes from the heart (Romans 10:10), not the mind. But the renewed mind creates a context for faith, like the banks of a river create a context for the river flowing (Proverbs 21:1). The centurion understood the ways of God and Jesus called it faith (Matthew 8:5-13). Faith will demonstrate itself in kingdom understanding. Faith comes from surrender not striving. Faith is the product of yielding to the Spirit of God, the Word of God and the experiences he lead us into, to think and see differently. Be faith we understand (Heb 11:3). 

• The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind [of/set to/governed by] the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:6-8
• In view of God's mercy, give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
• Jesus was radiant when he was transfigured before them (Matthew 17:2, Mark 9:2–3, Luke 9:28–36), his clothes like lightening. 
• ...Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.

Enemies of the renewed mind, disengage us from God, disguised as virtuous ideas but they don't result in peace and righteousness. 

James 3:13-18 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic (bait of Satan is offense). For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness

Jesus’s heavenly authority: John 3:11-13; 5:19; 8:18, 26-29

• Jesus came from heaven, tells us, he sees what the Father is doing, "Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.", Jesus is one witness, his Father who sent him is the other. 
• So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I am he. I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me. And the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.”

Joel 2:28 fulfilled 

• Luke 1:67 Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
• John 7:39 He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
• Acts 2:17 In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
• Hebrews 1:1 On many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets.
• Numbers 11:17  And I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put that Spirit on them. They will help you bear the burden of the people, so that you do not have to bear it by yourself.

Jesus transfigured with Moses, Elijah witnessed by Peter, James and John (Matthew 17:2, Mark 9:2–3, Luke 9:28–36)

The renewed mind is brilliant, seeing God and able to prove the will of God: Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. We prove the will of God, heaven on earth. We see God's purposes, the greater reality (eternal), and impact the temporal (here and now). 

Illustration, a painting is found and it's signed "Van Gogh" - so you take it an expert to see if it's really from him, he's studied the life of artist, subject mater, style, brush strokes, medium/oils, colors, every bit of his personality in his painting. Carbon test on the canvas, after weeks - it's determined this is an authentic Van Gogh. A piece of art that may have been worth 100 dollars in now worth 100 million. The point is after thorough examination, it's proved (Romans 12:1-3 "Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.").  

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How to get rid of the last 3% of sin in your heart (2 Kings 10:31)

But Jehu did not obey the Law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit. (2 Kings 10:31)

2 Kings 10, tells how Jehu did away with every idol and evil thing burning it and killing every trace except the one thing of perceived value. 

• Excuses inside (flesh): "I was born this way", "I can't forgive myself", "I can't stop"
• Excuses outside (world): "everyone is like this", "You don't know what they did", "go with the flow"
• lies from the devil: "did God really say" (Gen 3)

Truth about us: our heart is deceitful and deception is from the devil

• The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9
• For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Mark 7:21–23
• ....(devil) He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).

How can anyone turn from sin?

• All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Matthew 5:37
• Abide faithfully in prayer with Jesus, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.', Ask, seek, knock (Matthew 6:13, Matthew 7:7-12), I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one. (John 17:15). In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Eph 6:16, John 15-16)
• Abide in fellowship with other believers,  But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one (2 Thes 3:3). Remember Corinthians, Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians are writing to believers/churches - not just names of Bible books.  

Barrier against temptation - God's divine nature within (James 1:18; John 3:6; 1 Peter 1:23)

GOD is our natural environment

Diagnostics of a depraved psychology and consequences (Romans 1:18-32)

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Planned for God's pleasure (Day 8)

Everything was Created by God for his pleasure (Genesis 1:1-3:1, Revelation 4:11)
God takes pleasure in his people (Psalm 149:4)

We can't make God love us more, but we can bring him pleasure with our lives
 - Grace is God’s empowerment to live beyond normal
 - Through us this extraordinary plan of God is being made known Eph 3:9-10 - MSG
 - Empowering is the act of giving someone the authority or power to do something
 - Holiness is freeing; evidence is a joy and peace at heart (Isaiah 35:8-10)

Anything you do that brings pleasure to God is an act of worship

• What common task could I start doing as if I were doing it directly for Jesus? 
• How will I add extraordinary grace to common tasks? 
• Where can I serve in order to have eyes that see, ears that hear and a heart that understands? (See how God provides and makes beauty in nature and the kingdom (Luke 12:22-34))

Revelation 5:9
And they sang a new song: "Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

Revelation 5:12
In a loud voice they said: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!"

Ephesians 6:19
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, divine utterance may be given me, so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel,

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Seeing life from God's view (Day 5,6,7)

When asked how you picture life, what image comes to mind? That image is your life metaphor. It's the view of life that you hold, consciously or unconsciously, in your mind. It's your description of how life works and what you expect from it. People often express their life metaphors through clothes, jewelry, cars, hairstyles, bumper stickers, and even tattoos.
 - Unspoken life metaphors influence your life more than you realize. It determines your expectations, your values, your relationships, your goals, your priorities. Examples;

• Metaphor: "Life's a party", you'll value having fun
• "Life's a race", you'll be in a hurry
• "Life's a marathon", you'll value endurance
• "Life's a battle", you'll value winning

What's your view of life? Bible has three metaphors

• Life is a test of character, values faith, obedience, love, integrity, loyalty. Character is both developed and revealed by tests. The more God gives, the more responsible he expects you to be. (Luke 16:10)
•  Life is a trust. Everything comes from God (Romans 11:36, Proverbs 16:4). Living for God's glory is the greatest achievement we can accomplish with our lives. This is seen, heard and understood in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:13, 1 John 3:14, 2 Cor 3:18, Phil 1:11, John 15:8, 1 Peter 4:10-11)
• Life is a tempory assignment (Psalm 39:4, 119:19). Your identity is in eternity, and your homeland is heaven. Citizen of heaven, ambassador in a foreign land (2 Cor 5:20).

http://purposedriven.com/day7/

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Made to Last Forever, think more about eternity (Day 4)

God has... planted eternity in the human heart. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
 - we are made in God's image, though we die (Genesis 1-3)

If you do the will of God, you will live forever (1 John 2:17)

Earthly body as a tent, heavenly body as a house

Life on earth has many choice, eternity offers only two: heaven or hell
 - Relationship with God on earth determines relationship with him in eternity
 - C.S. Lewis said there are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done' and those to whom God says, 'All right then, have it our way.'
 - Tragically, many people will have to endure eternity without God because they chose to live without him here on earth.

This life is preparation for the next (Restorative Justice, change is future oriented)
  - Relationships in heaven and earth (living with God, loving-kindness to others)
 - A higher view of God and an eternal mindset
 - Praying for my friends who have struggled and fallen away because of offense

Nine months in your mother's womb was not an end in itself but a preparation for life
 - this world is not our home, we look forward to our everlasting home in heaven 9

Stop doing: "Chuck-it list", 12 things to stop doing before I die
Start doing: participate in changing my mind

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What drives my life, Faith-Hope-Love (Day3)

Living on purpose is the path to peace. Isaiah 26:3

Everyone's life is driven by something.
 - To drive is to guide, control, direct.
 - People are driven by problems, pressures or deadlines. A painful memory, haunting fear or unconscious belief. Circumstances, values, and emotions can drive our lives.

• Guilt can make us restless wonders on earth like Cain (Gen 4:12), but what a relief for those whose guilt is forgiven (Psalm 32:1)
• Resentment and anger hurts us more than the other person, the Bible says "to worry yourself to death with resentment would be a foolish, senseless thing to do" (Job 5:2 TEV)
• Fear can be a result of traumatic experience, unrealistic expectations, growing up in a high-control home or genetic predisposition. It is a self-imposed prison keeping us what God intended. The Bible says, "well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life - fear of death, fear of judgment - is one not yet fully formed in love." (1 John 4:18 MSG)
• Materialism, the desire for more to be happy, important, secure. Self-worth and net worth are not the same. Nothing matters more than knowing God's purposes for your life, and nothing can compensate for not knowing them.
• Approval, the expectation of parents, spouses, or children or friends or teachers control us. Peer pressure, following the crowd, being control by the opinion of others. Jesus said, "no one can serve two masters." (Matt 6:24 NLT)

Sadness, regret, feeling purposelessness. Great men of the Bible have felt this: Isaiah 49:4; Job 7:6,16

Yet God has a plan for our lives; Jeremiah 29:11; Eph 3:20;
Focus life on what God wants for us: Proverbs 13:7; Isaiah 26:3; Eph 5:17; Phil 3:13; Romans 14:10,12

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life: John 14:4
Thoughts:
This question reminds me of a dream I have that happens when big life change is happening.
"A lifetime of preparation for an eternity of service" (Ministry makes a difference ONLY when people follow Jesus Christ)

Two questions God will ask everyone:
1. What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ?
2. What did you do with what I gave you?

Prayers emphasizing God over trials leads to salvation, hope, faith and joyful love.

What would my family and friends say is the driving force of my life? What do I want it be?
 - Christian, husband, church-goer
 - Love God, love others

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Not an accident, created by God who is love (Day2)

Thus says the Lord who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you Isaiah 44:2 NASB

You who have been carried by Me from your birth

And have been carried [in My arms] from the womb,

Even to your old age I am He,

And even to your advanced old age I will carry you!

I have made you, and I will carry you;

Be assured I will carry you and I will save you. Isaiah 46:3-4 AMP

He created me and will carry out his purposes for me (Psalm 138:8)
He knows me completely, inside and out (Psalm 139:15) 

Every day has a perfect plan for his purpose (Psalm 139:16)
God knew when and where I would live for his purpose (Acts 17:26)

Many children are unplanned by their parents but not unplanned by God

Before God created the earth, he had us in mind. Ephesians 1:4
God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most important of all the things he made. James 1:18

We can see that God formed the earth to be inhabited. Isaiah 45:18
God is love. 1 John 4:8

The truth that God created all we see and gave it to us in love and wants to love us, is a truth we can build our life on.

Questions to consider:
I know that God uniquely created me. What areas of my personality, background, and physical appearance am I struggling to accept?
 - Habits are hard to change, yet God knows me and loves me
 - I can receive new mercies each morning as I pray to God and cast my cares upon him
 - God sees me as his beautiful son and he's proud of me
 - He wants the best for me and is willing to show me

http://purposedriven.com/day2/

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It all starts with God , it's not about me (Day 1)

(In Jesus we see) God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible...everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him... (Jesus) holds it all together. Col 1:15-18 MSG

Points:
1) Focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life's purpose. The Bible says self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way to find yourself (Romans 12:1-2)
 - Become what God created you to be, ask God to reveal this to you (rather than speculate as brilliant philosophers have done in the past)

It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. Eph 1:11 MSG
1) Discovering purpose comes through a relationship wth Jesus Christ
2) God thought about me before I thought about him, I choose many significant things but I don't get to choose my purpose
3) Purpose fits into a larger cosmic purpose that God has designed for eternity

Question: In spite of all the advertising around me, how can I remind myself that life is really about living for God, not myself?
 - Interesting point of view living For God, rather than With God (Five postures ministers take in relating to God (under, over, from, for, with)
http://purposedriven.com/day1/

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