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_outlineGod is a sheltering being. He provides shelter. But even more than this - He IS shelter. In fact, He is building the ultimate shelter family through the work of His Son. Jesus is the connector to our Creator.
God wants to mentor us. We know this because He mentored Jesus. The Son’s best friend while He was on the earth was His Dad. He learned from Him. He was dedicated to His will. He gave up all things God and all things human for His friendship with His Father.
You can find Mentored by God under books in the Fourthstream navbar. It investigates the ins and outs of how Jesus connected with His Dad, giving us a template for our own connection.
Here are few things to help connect us with the Father of all living things
√ Sort through your own personal daddy issues and cut them off from projecting onto the heavenly Father.
√ Jesus Name is key to communicating with the Father. When you come to your Father acknowledge the authority of His dear Son Who covers our sin and offers access to God’s throne.
√ Activate the honor of your heart alongside the respect you hold for your Creator and the opportunity to live pleasing to Him.
Humility is the key to His Kingdom:
“Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, but humility goes before honor.” – Proverbs 18:12
√ Embrace your Father’s voice above all others. When God’s Word is known and revered, it is a powerful connector and helps us discern His voice among all of the voices we hear each day from within and without. The Holy Spirit is God's voice to the world and to us. How can we hear such a transcendent voice?
“Therefore the LORD God of Israel declares, ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever’; but now the LORD declares, ‘Far be it from Me — for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed.” – 1 Samuel 2:30
This is pretty cool:
“Then David the king went in and sat before the LORD, and he said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?” – 2 Samuel 7:18
Sometimes we feel God does not hear us. This is simply not true. All things brought in the Name of Jesus will come before our Creator. In fact, “the pure (humble) in heart will see God!”
Talking to Him with you,
Dave and Burnadette
Related Links:
Mentored by God Book and posts
Miracle Prayers