PROJECT!!!!

It's Wednesday! Midweek! How are you doing? Some people have asked me about "Friday the 13th" and if it will bring them "bad luck". I don't believe in the superstition, but if you do, fear not because the Bible says in Psalm 1:1-3 that we are blessed if we live our lives in Christ and we should fear nothing for we will be taken care of by God! Amen :)

Now, I'm looking forward to this Sabbath for a few reasons!

1. We'll all be meeting up!
2. We'll be worshiping God together!
3. We're going to learn more about him and grow closer to him as we experience him together.

In the meantime, this is something I want you all to do! (yes, I have to do this as well). Follow these instructions VERY CAREFULLY! You may come up with something very different from another, but that is the whole point!

1. Get a piece of paper that you like. The paper should be at least 1/2 of an A4 sized paper. Plain/Design/Anything - as long as you can truly say that you like it.
2. Cut out pictures from magazines/print from computer that remind you about God
3. Stick those pictures to that piece of paper!
4. Write your name at the back of the paper!

Please bring this to AskGod this Sabbath so that you can participate and not be left out :)

Lotsa love!
Pastor Nat

Week Two, Day Four

God's Word

The LORD said to Moses, "I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, 'At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.'"

Exodus 16:11-12 (for the whole story, read all of Exodus 16)

I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen.

Isaiah 43:20

If we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.

2 Timothy 2:13

Live It

Draw a picture of God. Go ahead. Get a piece of paper and a pencil and draw what God looks like.

Stumped? Yeah. I tried it, and I'm stumped too.

God can seem so impossible to understand. Sometimes He can feel so remote and removed. And, no matter how much we try to understand what He's like, we're still left without much explanation.

What's worse is that God's ways are tough to understand too. We know He loves us, but we don't always feel loved. We know He protects us, but we don't always see His angels. We know He provides for us, but we don't always see Him leaving food or money at our bedroom doors.

The Israelites faced this kind of uncertainty as they wandered the desert just after leaving Egypt. Remember the story? They'd spent over four hundred years trapped in Egypt and were looking for way out. So when Moses showed up to lead them, they had to be relieved. As they followed him out of Egypt and into the desert, many of them probably thought that Moses had a plan or that God would provide a huge meal for them every day.

But that wasn't what happened. And after a few days in the desert, the Israelites began to complain and argue against God. They were hungry. They felt lost. They were confused. All of that made them distrust Moses and feel that God forgotten them. If they had been able to draw a picture of God, it probably would have been one that represented God as a deranged leader who led His people into the desert just to watch them starve to death.

But when God began providing manna to eat, the Israelites changed their minds. With their bellies full of God's provision, their focus on God became clearer. They started to trust more.

Ever felt lost? Ever felt abandoned in the desert by God?

The Israelites did. So what was the result?

Well, for starters, they felt abandoned and lost. But when God provided for them in the middle of nowhere, their fear turned to trust. And feeling lost changed to feeling hope and security. They still doubted God at times, but they had the manna to remind them that he would provide.

What about us?

God provides. Even when we feel lost, abandoned, and forgotten. When we can't draw a picture of Him, He's got us in His sights. When we can't imagine where He is, He's right next to us, protecting and providing in ways we could never imagine.

______________________

Questions

AskYou Week 2, Day Four.

Week Two, Day Three

God's Word

In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

Matthew 18:14

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them.

Mark 10:13-16

Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered His brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous.

1 John 3:1-2

Live It

Okay. Think back for a minute. Waaaayyy back to when you were four. What did you do with your parents that was really fun? Run through the sprinklers? Catch bugs? Play with the neighbor kids?

My six-year-old daughter, Jessica, likes to tell stories, but she's convinced that whatever she says is true. If the girl walked up to you and said, "Did you know that there are pink bears walking on our roof?" she'd be totally convinced that there were actually bears on the roof.

The other day when I got home from work, my creative-thinking, highly imaginative daughter did the weirdest thing. When I walked through the door, my wife said, "Honey, Jessica went to the store to buy pizza and ice cream for dinner." Knowing my daughter, I came back with, "Yeah, cool, She went by herself, huh? Do you think she'll be home soon?" (Okay, I hope you realize that I didn't actually think she went to the store. But when you're a dad, you've got to play along with your kids.)

I spent a few minutes "looking around for her" as I put my book bag away and got myself a soda. I did my best to make it look like I was really looking for her. I talked about how much I wanted pizza and how I couldn't wait for her to get home because I was sooooo hungry.

Jessica does this once in a while, and I never really know where she's hiding. But I do know that when I get close to where she's hiding, I'm going to get it. I'll get a pillow in the face, or I'll get jumped on and attacked. Something will happen. That's the cool part about this game. I know she hasn't really gone to the store, but I don't know what she plans on doing to me when I actually find her.

So I looked and looked. Actually it didn't take too long, because when you're a kid, you can't wait to surprise your daddy. It was all Jessica could do to hold back. Pretty soon I heard her giggling. Then she started laughing out loud. I finally found her hiding behind the couch. She crawled out and leaped onto me, and we both collapsed onto the floor and laughed. When I asked her how the store was, she laughed louder and tried to force-feed me imaginary pizza.

I bet that to God it sometimes looks like we're trying to avoid him. And I bet He looks for us like a parent looking for a child in hiding. When we pray, we're like a child who's leaping out of hiding and landing on God's lap. We see Him. We're amazed. We're glad. Our entire body reacts at the thought of being in the presence of the Creator of the universe. We imagine that we're leaping on His lap. We see ourselves kidding with Him. I think God likes that.

God is waiting for us to leap out of our hiding places, wrap our arms around Him, and hang on with everything we've got. Whatever keeps you from reaching out and hanging onto God is silly and meaningless. God is "walking around your house" and can't wait for you to leap out and get His attention.

______________________

Questions

AskYou Week 2, Day Two.

Week Two, Day Two

God's Word

"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me. But you ask, 'How do we rob You?' In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse-the whole nation of you-because you are robbing Me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."

Malachi 3:8-10

You sent me aid again and again when I was in need. . . . And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:16, 19

But just as you excel in everything-in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us-see that you also excel in this grace of giving. . . . For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

2 Corinthians 8:7, 9

Live It

Imagine this: You've just won a million dollars. What will you do with it? Take a minute to think up a short list of things you'd do with the cash.

Did you consider giving some to your church? How much would you give? A hundred grand? A couple hundred?

Take a look at your church's budget sometime. Look at all the things your money is contributing to. The ministries, mission opportunities and church activities are all important to God because they help His people in many ways. Does your church financially support a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter? Your money helps with that. Does it provide help for people who have fallen on hard times and can't pay their bills? Your money helps with that. Does your church plan outreach activities so members of the congregation can invite their non-Christian friends to church? Your money helps with that.

Giving our money is what you might call a "spiritual discipline." It's a way for us to honor God and give Him back some of what we have because we recognize all the good He has done for us. It's also an act of trust, showing Him that you trust Him to keep providing for you. Giving is actually part of the process of getting to know God better. The more cash we surrender, the more we understand the sacrifice that God gave for us.

Okay, so you're not into giving away your cash. It's not something you feel ready to do.

Fine. But think about this.

What if you gave two dollars each Sabbath during worship? In one year, you'd have given over $100 to your church. Believe it or not, for some church budgets an extra hundred bucks is a lot of money. Now let's say you made a pact with three of your closest friends to each give just two dollars each Sabbath. At the end of the year, $400. See how it multiplies?

Don't you think your church could use an extra $400 each year?

Look, you can make an impact. The more you get to know God, the more you realize that giving is an act of knowing Him. His Love reached out to us and saved us. Our loving response to Him is to give something back to Him so our cash can make a difference in the lives of others.

Pull out your wallet. Unzip your purse. God wants to do a huge work with your measly two bucks. But He needs you to give it.

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Questions

AskYou Week 2, Day Two.

Week Two, Day One

God's Word

Now may the Lord's strength be displayed, just as you have declared: "The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."

Numbers 14:17-18

He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man, that He should change His mind.

1 Samuel 15:29

You are gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.

Jonah 4:2

Live It

Mystery.

Can you define that word? Sure. A mystery is something we can't explain. A mystery is something that's difficult to figure out.

Is God a mystery? Is He unexplainable? Sometimes. Can He be hard for us to figure out? Yeah, sometimes He's hard to figure out and understand. Describing God is nearly impossible.

Sometimes we think that God is so indescribable and so distant that we just give up. Since He's so mysterious, we don't try to know more about Him or follow Him.

However, God is knowable. He is describable. Although His ways sometimes seem weird, His purpose never is. Although He may seem very distant from the world, the truth is that He's always with us. Always.

Do you know all about God? Do you know His personality? Do you know how He rejoices? Do you know what breaks His heart?

Write down three things about God that are a mystery to you. These could be things about Him that you don't understand or things about God's nature that you have questions about.

1. _____________________
2. _____________________
3. _____________________

Take time to uncover new things about God this week. Do you know all the parts of His personality? Is He still partly a mystery to you? This week is a great time to start getting to know God a little bit better. The truth is that He'll always be somewhat mysterious to us-and that's a good thing! But don't allow God's mysteriousness to let you cop out of getting to know Him better.

______________________

Questions

AskYou Week 2, Day One.

Week One, Day Seven

God's Word

I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand-I who set heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, "You are my people."

Isaiah 51:16

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.

1 John 3:1

Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Jude 21

Live it

God's love is difficult to define. If we've experienced God's love, we know what it's like. But trying to describe it to someone can feel impossible. What kind of words would you use? Tingly? Comforted? Clean? Unconditional? Words don't describe God's love. But here's something that might help.

God get a blanket, a piece of paper, and a pencil. Sit wherever you want, and then wrap yourself in a blanket. With your body completely covered by the blanket, write down a few words that describe what it feels like to be covered.

What words did you use? Warm? Comforted? Sleepy?

Okay, so you think I'm totally weird now, right? You're probably thinking, How stupid could this be? What does being covered in a blanket have to do with God's love?

Think about it. No earthly word comes close to describing God's love. So what can you use to remind yourself of the awesomeness of God's love? What can you do to try to understand a little of what God's love is like?

The blanket. It covers you. It warms you when you're cold. When you were a kid you used it to make your own private fort-a safe place. Blankets are not only cool to play with, they're our own personal reminders of what God's love is like.

Blankets are also share-able. Give someone a blanket and you can not only give them warmth but also take the opportunity to share God's love with them. You can just give them a blanket, or you can give them a blanket and say, "You know, this silly thing reminds me of what God's love is like. Whenever I need a reminder of what God's love is like, I wrap myself in this and I'm instantly reminded of how much God loves me."

So the next time you wrap yourself in a blanket, remember how good it feels to be loved. And when you give someone else a blanket, give them your understanding of God's love, too.

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Questions

AskYou Day 7 Week 1.

Week One, Day Six

God's Words

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear . . . . But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:25, 33-34

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide puses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 12:32-34

I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord.

Psalm 77:1-2

Live It

"William is such an impressive guy," his mom said. "He never seems to study, and he still gets really great grades. I keep telling him he needs to study, but he just doesn't and he still gets high scores." Whenever she had the chance, William's mom bragged on her son. He was smart, and he usually didn't have to study that much.

William was proud of his grades. But the truth is that while he didn't have to study that much, he still worried about his scores.

Lately he's been laying awake at night, bitting his nails, and waiting for the inevitable showdown. He's been getting lower than usual scores in Physics. He's actually been studying hard, but he just can't get it. The teacher told him last week that he'll be looking at a "C" on his report card. William begged and told the teacher that he'd be willing to do more work, but the teacher wouldn't budge.

William's mom asks him regularly how school is going and how he thinks he'll do this semester. William responds with his usual "I'm nailing all my classes." But this semester, it's a different story.

Why is William losing sleep? Why is he biting his nails? He's not worried about his GPA as much as he is about his mom's reaction. He knows how disappointed she'll be. And since William's grades seem to be the only thing that impresses her about William, he's worried that his mom won't be proud of him when she learns about his average physics grade.

He knows he has all kinds of options. He could just tell his mom his grades-that might work since she doesn't always ask to see his report card. He could try to change the grade on his report card. He could be honest with his mom and explain to her that he just doesn't understand physics.

But William is considering a different option. He can't stand the embarrassment of getting a "C," and he couldn't live with himself knowing that he let his mom down. The pain would be too much. William thinks killing himself would be better than living with a "C" and facing his mom. After all, when you're dead, people don't care about your grades.

_____________________________________

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Questions for you to think ---> AskYou Day Six, Week One.

Week One, Day Five

God's Word

Therefore Let everyone who is Godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach Him.

Psalm 32:6

The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases Him . . . . The LORD is far from the wicked but He hears the prayer of the righteous.

Proverbs 15:8, 29

We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.

John 9:31

Live It

I didn't grow up with grandparents. Even though I had them, they lived over a thousand mile away, and we almost never saw them. So when I got married, I adopted my wife's grandparents. They're awesome people. Her grandfather was a pastor his whole adult life. He "retired" from the ministry in the 1970s but he's still going strong. He preaches for pastors when they go on vacation, and he preaches at a church in Florida when he's there in the winter. The guy's almost ninety, and he never stops.

But the best thing about Grandpa Jones isn't his experience as a pastor. It's his spirituality. He's Got to be the most spiritual guy I've ever met. His prayers are the best.

Ever read a lot of the King James Bible? It's got a lot of "Thees" and "Thous" in it. Every passage seems like a page taken directly out of medieval times. When I read from the King James Version of the Bible, I feel like I'm actually reading an ancient document. The Bible feels more holy to me when it's read in the King James Version. It feels more special.

Well, Grandpa Jones prays in the King James Version. He doesn't read out of the Bible when he prays, and he doesn't have a list of prayers that he reads in old language. He actually prays in his own words like the King James Bible is written. So when he prays for food before a meal, he usually prays in a lofty-sounding tone, as if he were talking to royalty: "Our gracious and loving heavenly Father, we thank Thee for Thy loving kindness in providing for us this bounty from which we are about to receive. Thine is the goodness which keepeth us fed. O God, we thank Thee for Thy provision for us today. Bless us as we partake from Thy Goodness. For Christ's sake we pray. Amen."

Grandpa doesn't just pray for meals in a weird but cool way. He prays consistently. I know that for two very specific reasons. First, every time we see him he mentions that he's praying for us-and it's usually about stuff we haven't told him about. That means he's been in touch with the family to ask how he can pray for us. Second, the family has many old stories about how Grandpa Jones prays all the time. Family members will tell you that they have often walked by his study and seen him kneeling at his office chair praying for someone.

It's not the words he uses that sets this man's prayer life apart from others'. It's his consistent prayer life that makes him our example. Look, use whatever words you want. Pray like your pastor, or pray like your little sister if you want. I'm not sure it matters much to God how we pray. The thing that matters is that we do pray. Good relationships are built on good conversation. Our relationship with God can't be effectively built unless we are constantly and consistently talking to Him and listening when He's talking.

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Questions for you to think ---> AskYou Day Five, Week One.

Week One, Day Four

God's Word

The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Psalm 118:6

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 14:27

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Phillipians 4:6-7

Live It

Have you ever felt out of place? I don't mean like it's laundry day at home so you're forced to wear old, out-of-style clothes and your friends tease you about it. I mean really out of place, in a situation where you don't fit at all and you're so out of place that your life could be threatened.

For a very short time I lived in the Bronx, New York, while helping the Salvation Army with their Christmas fund-raising efforts in the area. My job was to stand by a red kettle outside stores, ring a bell, and thank people for giving to the Salvation Army. It was an awesome job. My friends and I worked twelve-hour days and spent our nights hanging out in New York City. The only problem was that we really stuck out. We were people from a Kentucky seminary in inner-city New York. It was obvious we didn't belong.

The Bronx isn't the safest place in the world to live. At night we would hear gunshots or people outside yelling. When we did go out at night, we had to be escorted by guys that lived in the area. This wasn't just a long distance from my comfortable home, it was a different culture. Now, if you're reading this and you live in the Bronx, please don't be upset. "Out of place" wasn't the way I wanted to be described. It was actually the way others (like our bodyguards who lived in the area) described us. I was a small, quiet, unintimidating kinda guy living a tough world. I was out of place.

One night we'd spent a long day ringing bells, and we were all tired. One of the guys who would often escort us around the city ran into the house and called for us to come outside. Knowing that the streets weren't always safe, we first asked him why he wanted us outside. He told us: Down the street a huge crowd had gathered at the base of a large apartment project. A guy had been standing at the top of the building, yelling and threatening to jump. The police had tried to talk him down from the building, but he wouldn't give in. Eventually, the guy jumped. Our escort wanted us to come down and see the commotion and the body. We didn't go.

Living there scared me.

When you're scared, your body can go on autopilot. Fear can be an awesome motivator, but it can also keep you from accomplishing things. But if you're going to walk this earth and live God loudly, you've got to stare fear in the face. How do you do that?

Knowing God is the best way to face fear. The more we know about Him and His love for us, the more secure we feel. The more secure we feel, the less effect fear has on us.

Maybe God has called you to go somewhere where you'll be out of place, and you're scared. What do you need to do? You gotta go. Maybe God has called you to say something to someone you know who doesn't know God. What should you do? You gotta talk to them.

Fear keeps you from accomplishing what God has called you to do. Do you really want to let fear rule you stronger than God?

_____________________________________

They are questions for you to think about.

Open this, go to the discussion boards and open AskYou Day 4, Week 1.

Week One, Day Three

God's Word

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Romans 5:1-2

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

1 John 4:16

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

1 John 3:1

Live It

These days you're told in loads of ways that you are something. For example, your friends might tell you that you're stupid, or they might say that you're a great friend, or whatever. People fill you with a bunch of "you are's." These are statements of how they feel about you. They say them and then somehow, after you hear them a lot, you adopt them into your psyche. Their "you are's" become your "I am's." If you have cool friends and their words are positive, then your perception of yourself is good. But if they're mean or negative, then your self-perception can become negative.

Take a minute to try something. Take your pen and a piece of paper and write down all the things that you think about yourself. I'll start you off.

I am unique.

I am talented.

I am ______________

I am ______________

I am ______________

I am ______________

I am ______________

I am ______________

Now why would I have you do that? Why is it important to write down what we think about ourselves? Isn't that kind of New-Agey and self-helpy?

Nope. Here's why. God has a lot to say about you in His Word. He has a lot to say about how much He loves you, why He loves you, what your abilities are, and loads of other stuff. Don't believe me? Here's some of what God's Word says that he thinks about you:

You are forgiven (1 John 1:8-9).

You are filled with God's good things (Psalm 65:4)

You are God's friend (Colossians 1:21-22)

You are loved (John 3:16; 1 John 4:16)

You belong in God's house (Psalm 27:4)

See? If your world is packed with negative messages that tell you you're worthless or insignificant, or if you feel unloved and invisible-God has a different opinion! God's feelings about you are entirely different. You are His valuable creation. He gives you good things. He's crazy about you. He longs for your attention and wants to spend time with you because He loves you.

Here's the great news: God's love for you doesn't end and doesn't change. The list of how God feels about you doesn't change either. He believes in you. He loves you. Knowing how He feels about you can help you live boldly in the face of people that try to fill you with negative messages. His firm belief in you can be your fuel to live more loudly for Him.

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They are questions for you to think about.

Open this, go to the discussion boards and open AskYou Day 2, Week 1.

Week One, Day Two

God's Word

The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their sufferings. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey-the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. " Exodus 3:7-8

The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19:11-12

As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased." Matthew 3:16-17

Live it

If someone came up to you and asked you to describe God's voice, what would you say? We all have our own idea of what God sounds like. Who does God sound like to you?

Your parents: For some of us, God's voice has a very parental tone. When you hear God talking to you, it sounds like your dad or maybe your mom. He has their tone of voice, or maybe he uses the same kind of language

Your pastor: God might have a more soft, comforting kind of tone. Maybe he has this real holy tone in his voice, and it sounds like he wears a suit and smells like mothballs.

Your grandfather: God might sound like an old man, gently reminding you to obey your parents or trying to give you a huge wet kiss with his false teeth out of his mouth.

Your favorite teacher: God might sound like a teacher, pushing you to nail a 4.0 GPA, do your best on an exam, and keep up with you school activities.

Are those the best example of God's voice? Nah. The Bible offers up a lot of passages that give us a better idea of how He speaks. The Bible doesn't exactly say what God's voice sounds like, but as you read some passages, you can almost hear it. Think about these examples and you'll see what I mean.

In Exodus 3:1-10, God calls to Moses. Read that passage and you can almost hear a pleading tone in God's voice. His children are trapped in Egypt, and he's desperate to get them out. God is asking Moses, but there's also an urgent, commanding kind of tone.

Matthew 3:13-17 describes Jesus' baptism. Before He begins His ministry, Jesus has to be baptized by John the Baptist. God shows up and makes a short speech. Again, the Bible doesn't tell us the tone, but if you read the passage, you can almost hear the fatherly tone in God's voice. He's proud. He's excited.

Who cares? What's the big deal about how God's voice sounds?

Have you ever heard God's voice? Do you know what his voice sounds like? He speaks to you, you know. Maybe not in the voice you expect, but He does speak to you.

Today, take time to listen to God. Find a quiet place where you'll be able to pay attention, and then sit quietly. When God speaks to you, write down what you think He's saying-whether it's a thought that comes into you head or something you pick up from reading His Word. Then hang what He's said to you every day. Even though God speaks with different voices, when He speaks, He speaks for a reason. And when He speaks, we gotta listen.

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They are questions for you to think about.

Open this, go to the discussion boards and open AskYou Day 2, Week 1.

Week One, Day One

God's Word

Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you, ' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites : I AM has sent me to you. '"God also said to Moses, " Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers-The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob-has sent me to you. ' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation. "Exodus 3:13-15

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, " who is, and who was, ans who is to come, the Almighty." . . . When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead . The he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. " Revelation 1:8, 17-18

Live it

He's called a lot of things in Scripture. The biblical writers, who were both inspired and intimidated by God's presence, were given words like Yahweh (I AM), Elohim (God), and Adonai (Lord) to explain His existence and character.

Who is God? What is he like? What influence does He have in the lives of His creation?

Take your pen and a piece of paper. Write how God has influenced your life. Think of three different moments or events you know God was present in.

God is present.

He is present in your life. He is present in your future. He is not silent, and He is not absent. Could God be concerned with things other than you? Could He be concerned about the rotation of the earth and the direction of the wind? Maybe, but I don't think He is. God is concerned about you. He doesn't just love you with an arm's-length-distance kind of love. God is interested in you.

This week, it's about you and God. He's interested in you- are you interested in Him? How well do you know Him? What kind of influence do you allow Him to have in your life? Does He figure into your daily decisions? Do you live for Him? With everything you have?

Set aside this week to renew your relationship with God. Take time to read through this section, but also spend time just talking to God. Ask Him to reveal to you the things He wants you to give to Him. Ask Him to help you give your entire self to Him.

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