S9E13 - Shelter Classrooms
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
Our God IS Shelter! Under Shelter courses you will find five different yet integrated paths for growing in the depth of God’s Shelter. There are videos and notes featuring the authors/teachers at . To join this community click on the join button. 1. 19 Principles: The Heart of What Jesus Taught His FollowersSome of the most central teachings of Jesus - both for personal growth and helping others. 2. God’s Man/God’s Woman: Making It CountFinding the integrated teaching of Jesus on men and women building the Kingdom of Heaven together. 3. Strong Home Legacy: Leaving Your Mark On The...
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S9E12 - The Call To Make Disciples
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
Jesus instructed His followers (disciples) to make disciples just as He did. Let’s break this down a bit. This comes from Matthew 28:16-20. #1. “But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.” It is important to note that Jesus remained on earth 40 days after His resurrection (Acts 1: 3). “To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.” 40 Days. Hundreds and even thousands of eyewitnesses...
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S9E11 - The Call to Knowing God
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
The entire Bible has been given to us so we may know God, understand a life of God- honor, and live in a manner "worthy" of the One Who created us. Six times in the letters the words "manner worthy" are used to describe the walk of a God follower. It means we honor God (As well as ourselves) by placing honorable weight upon our great God. Let's think through what Paul taught the Philippians in 3:1-21. It will help illuminate the concept of the call to knowing God. This carries on the conversation about Engage Training from the last episode. Useful to us for sure! "Finally, my brothers,...
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S9E10 - Your Strategic Plan 3 - Engage Training
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
When Jesus announced His Kingdom He began to select a group of men and women who would follow Him by pursuing the example He had shown them and the Words from His Father He had communicated. This included a number of things reflected in the amazing display of "God coming near" (Immanuel) to save humanity from futility (our lives counting for nothing) and judgment for falling short of the image we were created to honor and multiply within each of our lives. Here are some of the threads Jesus taught in the word and works of His hands: √ Integrating what they knew or did not know...
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S9E09 - Your Strategic Plan 2 - Jesus Centric
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
This diagram tracks the recurring woven threads throughout God's Word (over 62,000 connections!). As you consider your personal strategic plan for spirituality we have considered: √ King First - then Kingdom - then Church/what Jesus taught about spirituality √ Cultivating Deeper/skills for unlocking the Word Today we discuss the big picture on the Word of God, and what we like to call Jesus-Centric. What this means is that the entire Bible revolves around the person Jesus. Genesis 1-11 and the human story. Genesis 12-52 and God's choice of Abraham (Israel) to redeem the...
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S9E08 - Your Strategic Plan 1 - Cultivating Deeper
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
Finding our first King - then Kingdom - then Church balance is important for our spirituality. Obviously we have given this much thought, but you should investigate this yourself. Our purpose for pursuing this was to make sure we were prioritizing how we invested our time, our talents (gifts), and our treasures (resources). Having an effective and growing strategic plan for spiritual life it is imperative to set markers which come from the Word of God you can use as your compass throughout your journey. We've tweaked this allot through the years, but having a plan for cultivating deeper...
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S9E07 - Kingdom Coaching
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
There are many ways of being mentored in spirituality. While this may come from significant people in our lives, books we read or study, favorite music et al, I have found that the Spirit is Jesus' voice inside of me is the most substantial. He is always ready to teach me and shape me and lead me in the direction Jesus wants for me. “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will...
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S9E06 - Strategies for Weekly Kingdom Connectivity
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
It is one thing to understand the concept of First King - then Kingdom - then Church, but another to live a life directed toward connection with your King. The first thing is to decide where you stand on Jesus. A great teacher? One of many unremarkable religionists? Someone into whose hands you can place the welfare of your soul? We can talk about what Jesus taught about authentic connectivity, but only you can intentionally embrace whether or not He is who He said He is. Once you have made this determination you may then move into what it means to submit yourself to His authority,...
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S9E05 - Stories Of Shelter
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
God IS shelter. We NEED to be sheltered. We need each other to remind us of what is IMPORTANT. We are surrounded by chaos, turbulence, and are so vulnerable to the weaknesses, pitfalls, and schemes of unprincipled men and women. How do we find our way through? There appears to be a clear path! "Hear my cry, O God, and listen to my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a tower of strength against the enemy. Let me travel under Your pillars and let me take forever protection...
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S9E04 - Kingdom Structural
Fourthstream - Finding Hope
Because understanding the Kingdom is so critical to our spiritual lives, let's take some time to absorb the core message of Jesus when it comes to building in a manner that is pleasing to Him. We have already mentioned that the Kingdom is mentioned in the Gospels over 100 times and the church only twice. So the Kingdom message was clear to Jesus and to His disciples. In the book of Acts after the "church" (called out assembly) begins to emerge: "To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and...
info_outlineOften we must understand bad news in order to perceive and appreciate good news. It is the same with finding shelter. Until we are uncovered it is difficult to appreciate being covered. This is the nature of all life. Impermanence. Limited control. The necessity to learn to hope.
A good question: Who has given you shelter? A parent? A teacher? A sibling? A neighbor? What was your exposure, and how did the shelter occur? If so, what difference did such shelter give toward shaping you? If you have received shelter in your life then you know what relief can occur with these kinds of action.
How does a person find shelter?
Shelter often finds us. Perhaps through the person who has chosen to notice or decided to be aware - and act. In someone who looks my way when everyone else seems not to notice. It would be great if it was easy to surround ourselves with shelter hearts and souls, but this appears to be the exception. A shelter heart has often experienced shelter himself/herself. When we have experienced shelter it is more readily apparent to us. We may even choose friends based upon the safety we feel when we are around them.
Safety is an interesting concept. What makes us feel safe? When you feel safe what are the things which come from such a mindset? What makes us exposed? What are your fear factors that set you off? When do you feel the most peaceful - at rest - accepted?
The Living God IS Shelter. Shelter is found and embraced through revelation and usually through 1) nature (both the macro and the micro), 2) the Word (Bible), or 3) in the peace we find in being known (Jesus).
Psalm 107 tells the story of how God's people found Shelter in their troubles - just as we may experience. It is somewhat lengthy so we will excerpt some of the declarative statements:
"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Let the one who is brought back from trouble (the adversary)by the LORD say so..." (1-3)
"Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, and for His astonishing wonders to the sons of men! For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul He has filled with what is good." (8-9)
"There were those who made their home in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in misery and chains, because they had rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High. Therefore He humbled their heart with labor - they stumbled and there was none to help. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke their bands apart." (10-14)
"Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men!" (19-21)
"They reeled and staggered like a drunken man, and were at their wits’ end. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distresses. He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad because they were quiet, so He guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men!" (28-31)
But He sets the needy securely on high away from affliction, and makes his families like a flock." (41)
Now THAT is a sheltering force!
Another good reflective question: Who have you provided shelter to? In what ways has God taught you to recognize and respond to those around you who need shelter? What has providing shelter for another done to expand your own heart and soul.
To pursue shelter we must see the VALUE in it. We must identify a SOURCE of true shelter and embrace it. We then benefit from being drawn into a life of sheltering OTHERS - following the example of our Lord God - and finding lives of grateful thankfulness (did you notice the repeated thankful thread in Psalm 107?)
Pursuing shelter with you!
Dave and Burnadette