Deeper Discipleship Camp Session 1“How to have a quiet time”

Video Clip: Bill Hybels - “Coffee With God” http://youtu.be/-xU9GR4H0WQ

Finding Your Space:

Where is your chair?Your “Quiet Time” is about building intimacy in your relationship with God.

1. Find a quiet space where you can be alone with God without distractions.– Set it up so it’s ready (note pad, bible, pens, highlighter, hot drink)

Does anyone have a “Chair” or other space that they use regularly to meet with God?My Chair recently has had to be a little bit more mobile than Bill Hybels.- Couch in the morning, Kayak on the Dam, Whilst Walking

2. Prepare your calendar. Set aside 15 minutes to half an hour as your quiet time, every day. Guard it jealously! This is your time with God. He is the most important thing in your life, so everything else can make time for Him (not the other way around).

3. Ask God to keep you focused, ask him to teach you and grow you through his word.

Then DIG IN!

I have been using YouVersion plans – mixing it up a lot (something themed, something from the Psalms or Proverbs, something from the OT, something from the NT)The other thing I’ve been working on doing better is being more strategic about my prayer life. – Prayer Wall/Book

Reading the Bible effectively is all about asking the right questions, meditating on the truths and applying them to our situation appropriately.

Reading the Word: Jeremiah 29:11

(Read 29:11 in the context of chapter 25 and the rest of 29)

What can we learn about God?What can we thank God for?How do the truths of these passages apply to our lives today?Does what we’ve learned from Jeremiah teach us about how to live?Does what we’ve learned from Jeremiah encourage us to pray in a certain way?

The Empty Chair

A man's daughter asked the local pastor to come and pray with her father.  When the pastor arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows.  An empty chair sat beside his bed. The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit.    "I guess you were expecting me," he said.    "No, who are you?" said the father.     The pastor told him his name and then remarked, "I saw the empty chair; I figured you knew I was coming."   "Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man. "Would you mind closing the door?"     Puzzled, the pastor shut the door. "I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man.  "But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head." "I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until one day about four years ago my best friend said to me, 'Johnny, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest."    "Sit down in a chair, place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, "I'll be with you always." Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now."     "So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day.  I'm careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm."    The pastor was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, and returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the pastor that her dad had died that afternoon."Did he die in peace?" he asked.     "Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. "But there was something strange about his death.  Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?" The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, "I wish we could all go like that."

GOING DEEPERReading the Word:

Reading the Bible effectively is all about ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS…

1. Exegesis – Finding Out the Original Meaning “What did the author actually say?” Historical Context:

o “How was the time, culture, geography, history, and political state relevant to the authors setting?”

Literary Context: o “What does the verse mean when I read it not just by itself, but along with all the other

verses around it?

2. Hermeneutics – How is the original meaning (principles) relevant today? “How does it affect me?”

IMPORTANT… The MEANING of the passage will never change from the ORIGINAL meaning… “A text cannot mean what it never meant before…”

What did the author say/mean?How is the meaning/principle relevant to me today?

Example:

1 Corinthians 11:1-16

1 And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.2 I am so glad that you always keep me in your thoughts, and that you are following the teachings I passed on to you. 3 But there is one thing I want you to know: The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 A man dishonors his head if he covers his head while praying or prophesying. 5 But a woman dishonors her head if she prays or prophesies without a covering on her head, for this is the same as shaving her head. 6 Yes, if she refuses to wear a head covering, she should cut off all her hair! But since it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut or her head shaved, she should wear a covering.7 A man should not wear anything on his head when worshiping, for man is made in God’s image and reflects God’s glory. And woman reflects man’s glory. 8 For the first man didn’t come from woman, but the first woman came from man. 9 And man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man. 10 For this reason, and because the angels are watching, a woman should wear a covering on her head to show she is under authority.11 But among the Lord’s people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women. 12 For although the first woman came from man, every other man was born from a woman, and everything comes from God.13 Judge for yourselves. Is it right for a woman to pray to God in public without covering her head? 14 Isn’t it obvious that it’s disgraceful for a man to have long hair? 15 And isn’t long hair a woman’s pride and joy? For it has been given to her as a covering. 16 But if anyone wants to argue about this, I simply say that we have no other custom than this, and neither do God’s other churches.

Now if you read this through quickly at first you come away with a few things:1. Man aren’t allowed to have long hair2. Women have to cover their heads when praying in public3. Somehow men are more better than woman

So lets ask the bible what it’s talking about using our Exegesis and Hermeneutics:

What is the Author actually saying:

Historical Context – “How was the time, culture, geography, history, or political state relevant to the authors setting?”

- Jewish Culture mixed with Greek/Roman Culture Head covering was accepted by Jews(like wedding rings

today), but not so much by Greeks. Men were the head, protector, decision maker of the family

he was also totally responsible if something went wrong. Women used their hair in a sexual manner. Often women

who were prostitutes and adulterers would fling their hair around… saying “come and get me boys, I’m easy!”

Literary Context – “What does the verse mean when I read it along with all the other verses around it?”

- What is the previous chapter talking all about? (Chapter 10:31)

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. 33 I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.”

Paul is talking about not offending one another when they are together, but doing everything for the glory of God. Ch. 11:17-34 is also talking about loving one another and not being selfish when they meet together, for the glory of God.

Ch. 12 is then talking about Spiritual Gifts and how they are designed to be used when they meet together to build one another up, for the glory of God.

So lets work out what this passage is talking about. The Principles behind the passage.

1. It discusses the different roles of men and women. Not the equality (all are equal in God’s love), but both genders are given different roles.

2. It explains that men need to stand up and be men, the leaders of the household, not hide behind the women.

3. It also explains that women need to be respectful of the men in her life (her father or her husband). And show that respect. (In their culture… that meant the head covering).

4. So that in public when they meet together God can be glorified. Not the women’s nice hair cut.

Hermoneutics -

So now we know what Paul meant….How do these principles now apply to us in our modern day context?

1. Men and woman are equal. But we have different roles. What are they?2. Men need to stand up and be leaders of the household. Not hide behind women. How do we do

that?3. Women need to be respectful of the men in their lives (fathers or husbands). How do we do that?4. In public we need to have peace together and glorify God, not ourselves… How do we do that?

Talking with God:

Once you have finished reading the Bible. Meditate on what it said and how its truth applies to your life. Pray about your circumstances, have a conversation with God.

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How to have a “Quiet time”

That God would continue to teach us and encourage us in the rest of the camp study sessions.

That we will all grow deeper in our relationship with God during our quiet times.

That God would help us in this area.

That we would be able to commit to spending time with God everyday.

That we would all find a good “Chair” at camp and also when we go home.

Pray together:

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5. What is ‘meditating’ on the scripture? And how can we do that during our quiet time?

4. How do you go with reading your bible? What makes it harder? How could you read the bible more effectively?

3. How can you make sure you always have a ‘quiet time’?

2. What are some important things to consider when choosing your ‘chair spot’?

1. Where is your chair?

Session 1

But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

- Psalm 1:2-3