Growing in your Relationship with God

 Growing In Your Relationship With God 

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Like any relationship you need to work on it and foster it.  Your relationship with God is no different.  The following are several components that Scripture teaches are key to growing in your relationship with Him:

Regularly Connect with God
  1. God's Word (The Bible)
    1. Read it Daily
      1. If you don't already have a copy of the Bible, take a free copy from Parkview on Sunday, buy one, use one free online, get the free YouBible App for your Smartphone, etc.
        1. This app also has various Bible reading plans.
      2. If you are new to the Bible, I would encourage you to begin by reading the Book of John.  It is a great place to start, filled with good lessons for the beginning of your journey.
      3. Depending on your personality, either read larger sections or smaller sections.  The key is to read it and ask God what He is saying to you.
      4. The following free document might also be helpful in getting the most our of your regular time with God: Meaningful Time With God by Rick Warren.
      5. Another great tool is "Our Daily Bread."  We have copies of the book at the church or you can use it free online.  This includes a scripture to read as well as short reflection on that Scripture.
    2. Meditate on it
      1. This may seem overwhelming but it isn't.  It simply means to not just reading for the sake of reading but also reflecting on what God is saying to you and, most importantly, to apply it and do it in your life.
      2. In fact, if you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate - you are already trained, you just need to place your focus on what the Bible says (truth) rather than on the thing you are anxious about.
    3. Memorize It
      1. The Bible says to hide God's Word in our heart (Psalm 119:11).
      2. Memorization is a key way to learn how to change the negative thoughts you have and thus how you act.
      3. Here are some key verses to get you started
        1. John 3:16
        2. Philippians 4:8-9
        3. Philippians 4:13
        4. Galatians 5:22-23
        5. John 14:6
        6. Hebrews 11:6
        7. 1 John 1:9
    4. Actively Learn about it
      1. If you are a child, attend KidVenture.
      2. If you are a teen, attend Fusion.
      3. If you are an adult, attend Life Long Learning.
      4. Join a Bible Study or Small Group.
      5. Come regularly on Sundays.
      6. Read Books - Our Library is a great resource.
      7. The key is to actively be learning and taking personal responsibility for your Spritual growth.
  2. Prayer (Talking to God)
    1. Lord's Prayer - When Jesus was asked how to pray, this was His reply:
      1. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.  Amen.
    2. ACTS - Another good tool is the use of the acronym ACTS
      1. Adoration - begin by praising and adorring God for who He is.
      2. Confess - Confess your sin (your wrongs) and ask for God's forgiveness and then thank Him for the forgiveness he gives (1 John 1:9)
      3. Thanksgiving - Spend time thanking God and counting your blessings.
      4. Supplication (Asking God for things) - Spend time asking God and telling him your needs.  Be specific and personal - God deeply cares for you and your specific need.
    3. Remember, you can talk to God as a friend.  God cares, will listen and you don't have to pray out-loud.  There is no special place you have to be or special words you have to pray.
  3. Spiritual Disciplines
    1. How they work: Spiritual Disciplines are, "when practiced faithfully and regularly, a habit or regular pattern in your life that repeatedly brings you back to God and opens you up to what God is saying to you."  Spiritual Disciplines are not about God's attention but about getting yours!
    2. What they are: The following are examples of Spiritual Disciples:
      1. Silence
      2. Giving
      3. Fasting
      4. Study
      5. Resting
    3. More Information:  If you would like more information on Spiritual Disciples, we would draw your attention to the following two books (both available in the Church Library):
      1. Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster 
      2. The Life You've Always Wanted by John Ortberg

Regularly Connect With Others
Biblically, we are called to not give up meeting with one another and to meet together in order to spur one another on towards love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24-25). This is called Christian community and is a key component to your growth and development.  There are a couple of ways we help facilitate this for people at Parkview, but these are not comprehensive.  You can experience this however it works for you, but you NEED to be (as Scripture teaches) in a relationship with others that is God focused, allows effective accountability, allows someone to pray for you regularly, allows others to authentically know you and for you to know them, etc.

At Parkview, we help facilitate this, for adults, through two specific ministries:
  1. One-on-One Mentorship - This is a specific and focused relationship that works through material on a one-on-one basis.  If you would like more information on this, please contact Florence.
  2. Small Groups - These are groups of 8-16 people that meet to study and apply God's Word together.

Regularly Share and Serve (Telling and Helping Others)
  1. Share (Telling Others)
    1. As part of your growth and development God calls us to tell others about what He is doing in our lives and about who He is.  There is nothing complicated about this, it is simply living your faith openly and authentically with the world around you.  Scripture says that Jesus is the light and as followers of Him, we bring that light wherever we go.  Jesus once asked the poignant question: Why would we hide the light under a basket when instead we could share the light with our dark world (Matthew 5:14-16).  That is all sharing means... telling others about God's love for them and about what God has done in your life!
  2. Serve (Helping Others)
    1. Another part of your growth is to help and serve others; to be involved in our church, community and world.  Part of how we grow is by serving others and in doing so, we learn more about ourselves, others and, most importantly, we learn about God.  I would challenge you to take a look at the "Get Involved" link on the website to see ways you can get involved in what God in doing in our church, in our community and in our world.