Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Learning the practice of solitude



What does our lives look like when they have intentional solitude? 

First off, how many of you have ever taken intentional time in quiet to be with the Lord? If you have never done this you might want to start small. Think of five minutes or ten minutes at first. You can increase to thirty minutes or sixty minutes as you progress. 

Some of you have been practicing solitude for a while now and you might be ready for a silent retreat at a monastery in the near future. The reality is that you will need to schedule time to make this happen, it won’t happen on accident. 

Let me just briefly remind us that this is not a modern self-help remedy that we’re talking about here. We’re talking about solitude as a spiritual practice of being with the Lord. For the introverts in the room this might be a welcomed practice. For the extroverts this might feel like solitary confinement. Remember during the pandemic when people said to start checking on your extroverted friends because they aren’t doing well? Well, this might be more difficult for some people than for others, that doesn’t mean any of us are exempt. 

So you’ve schedule time in your week to sit in solitude with the Lord. You have your journal in front of you and you’re ready to hear from the Lord. I want to give you three ways to go in your time of solitude. The first way is to practice listening to God. This comes from 1 Samuel 3:10. The Lord was talking with Samuel but he didn’t know how to hear God’s voice. His mentor told him to say this line. So you can schedule your time and place with the Lord and just sit and listen to God. You’re not coming to God to pray for your spouse, kids, parents, or next career move. You’re coming to God to primarily hear His voice. 

The next way you can sit with God in solitude is to practice silence. This idea comes from Psalm 46:10. The Psalmist teaches us to simply be still before the Lord. In this practice you are being still before The Lord. You are allowing the Lord to examine your heart. This might be one of the most difficult verses in the Bible to practice in solitude. We are great at going all different directions. So you are sitting with the Lord and you’re going to be tempted to start thinking about other things. You’re going to have to keep a tight reign on your thoughts. This is why we have a journal in front of us. We can write those distractions down to take care of them later. We can write down anything God speaks to us in this time. There is such a value of having this time. 

Listen to what A.W. Tozer said: “The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God and the Church is famishing for want of His presence.”

The last idea I want to share with you to practice during this time is asking the Lord to search your heart. If you turn to Psalm 139:23-24 for this time it will help guide you. What I want you to notice is that Scripture is the guide in every step of our time with the Lord. This might look like confession of sin. I like to use this time as deep down confession. Let me share what I mean. Sometimes we can confess our sin in the two minutes that we have with the Lord but we don’t ask God to search our heart and deeply confess sin. In this time you ask God to reveal the dark side of your soul and confess your sin all the way down. You are setting aside this time to confess its the right direction. 

Another thing that you can do in this time is sit with your journal and write down what God speaks to you. You might confess your sin or God might reveal somethings to you about your walk with the Lord that He wants to bring to light. When I’ve sat in this time I have brought my journal with me. It’s similar to when Moses sat with the Lord. We allow the Lord to speak to us about who we really are. 

For some of us, this just seems too hard. This seems like too much to add to your plate. You might be thinking that you don’t even want to do it. Solitude can feel boring. It can feel like a waste of time. The truth is that we love to have our schedules filled. We love to be busy. We love to look important and this doesn’t make us feel important. This feels like stopping instead of taking the hill. Can I encourage to find a special place to be with the Lord to practice listening, practice siren, and ask the Lord to search your heart? 

Sunday, June 26, 2022

Exodus 2 | Small Group Questions



About twelve years ago is when I first remember hearing the term: Spiritual Formation. It was a class I took during my masters work with Tozer Seminary. For ten-weeks this summer Coastline will be looking at Spiritual Formations in a sermon series titled: Formed. We live in a culture that longs for immediate change but being formed spiritually takes time. Spiritual formation takes years, even decades, to become the person God is calling you to be.  For this series I will write some of the small group questions that go along with each sermon. It seemed like a waste to leave them in a file on my computer and not share them with everyone.

Small Group Questions | Formed in Solitude | Exodus 2

The story of Moses is fairly familiar in the Christian church. We know about his childhood, him sending forty years in the desert, and then leading the Nation of Israel to the edge of the Promised Land. Sometimes we miss his preparation process. Moses was born to a Hebrew family in Egypt. During the time period that Moses was born it was dangerous for a Hebrew family to have children. There was a law in Egypt that all baby boys were to be put to death at birth. Moses survived and was destined to be a leader. He was raised in the palace in Egypt and groomed his entire life for leadership. Study these questions and look at how solitude shaped Moses’ life. 

1) We live in a time where we are bombarded with content. There are billions of hours of YouTube consumed on a regular basis. You could watch Netflix for years. What is your biggest barrier to getting solitude with the Lord? 

2) Read Exodus 2:11-15. Moses had a lot to sort through in his life. He was a murdered who was chased out of Egypt by his stepfather. How do you think Moses began to process his childhood in solitude? What do you think he learned about himself? 

3) Something change in Moses during that 300 mile walk from Egypt to Midian (read Exodus 2:15-17). Moses still had a strong sense of justice but learned to control his actions. How has sitting still before the Lord helped shaped you? (See Psalm 46:10). 

4) When Moses arrived in Midian it was clear that he was unclear about his identity (read Exodus 2:18-25). But something changed in him as he sat with the Lord, gave up his dreams, and got involved in community. Share about a time in your life when you sat with the Lord and it shaped you. 

5) The Bible is full of people who have been shaped by times of solitude with the Lord (read 1 Kings 19:1-9, Psalm 118:6,  and Matthew 4:1-11). Looking at Moses, Elijah, and Jesus what are some similarities that you see in their time of solitude? 

6) Neal defined solitude as intentional time in quiet to be with the Lord. He invited us to read 1 Samuel 3:10, Psalm 46:10, and Psalm 139:23-24. When you look at these verses what one are you going to bring with you in your next time of solitude? 

7) To make solitude a spiritual disciple it will require planning ahead. Solitude won’t happen on accident. Solitude can feel boring and we need to be prepared for that. Do you have any desire to be in solitude with the Lord? Why or why not?

Close your time in prayer.

Thursday, June 23, 2022

Ephesians 4 | Small Group Questions




About twelve years ago is when I first remember hearing the term: Spiritual Formation. It was a class I took during my masters work with Tozer Seminary. For ten-weeks this summer Coastline will be looking at Spiritual Formations in a sermon series titled: Formed. We live in a culture that longs for immediate change but being formed spiritually takes time. Spiritual formation takes years, even decades, to become the person God is calling you to be.  For this series I will write some of the small group questions that go along with each sermon. It seemed like a waste to leave them in a file on my computer and not share them with everyone.

Small Group Questions | Be Made New | Ephesians 4

For the ten-weeks of summer we’re going to talk about Spiritual Formation. There are a variety of words used to describe our process of spiritual growth. We are all being formed into something. We are all pointing our lives in a direction, we need to slow down and think of what that direction might be. In Ephesians 4 Paul teaches the early church about leaving their life of sin to be formed in Christ. Paul painted this church about five years prior and knows they are not continuing in their formation. He doesn’t use the word Sanctification but teaches about the process of how sinful humans are made holy for God. Think about how God is shaping your life this summer. 

1) On stage there were a variety of items from a stroller to a motorcycle. Pastor Neal taught us about the physical maturity of a human and then about the spiritual growth on a person. Where are you in the Spiritual Growth process? 

2) Read Ephesians 4:17-19. Paul reminds the early church that they have walked away from growing spiritually. Read Colossians 2:6-7, John 15:1-8, and Romans 12:1-2. What happens when we stay connected to Jesus and keep growing spiritually? 

3) Looking at the same passages, talk about what happens when we choose to slowly drift away from the Lord? Read Genesis 4:7, Psalm 51:5, Mark 2:5, & 1 Corinthians 5:17-21. How does sin hurt our relationship with Jesus? 

4) Paul teaches us about what he taught the local church (read Ephesians 4:20-21). When you think about the truth of Jesus Christ, what verses come to mind? What is the true message of Jesus that we need to share (see John 8:32)? 

5) Read Ephesians 4:22-24. Paul lays out the three stages of our spiritual life. First, we trust Jesus. Then our life is transformed. Finally we live out that hope in Jesus as our lives continue to be transformed. Share where you’re currently growing. 

6) Read Ephesians 4:25-32. Paul teaches the early church about how to leave their life of sin. He even goes the extra mile in teaching them to not only get a job but to be generous with others. Looking at this list of sins and struggles, what sin are you struggling with most in life right now? 

7) When we think about spiritual growth we have to make sure we’re not simply working on behavior modification. Talk with your group about how you make sure that you are partnering with the Holy Spirit in this work and not only yourself. 

Close your time in prayer.



Monday, June 20, 2022

Genesis 50 | Small Group Questions




The story of Joseph is a favorite among children’s tales. It’s a story of family dysfunction that leads to slavery. The pain of loneliness and abandonment that ultimate lead to Jospeh saving Israel. So often we don’t sit in the pain that Joseph experienced. We don’t think about what went through Joseph’s mind in the bottom of the pit. We forget that Joseph never went to his senior prom. We miss that he lost a vital relationship with his mother. For this series I volunteered to write the small group questions that go along with each sermon. It seemed like a waste to leave them in a file on my computer and not share them with everyone.

Small Group Questions | Shaped by life | Genesis 50

For the last eight weeks we’ve studied the life of Joseph. We have seen a variety of scenes for the young man. We met him in Genesis 37 living in his father’s home. In Genesis 39 he was living in the home of Potiphar. Next Jospeh was in a jail cell. The last part of his life was spent in Egypt living in a home as the second in command of the entire Nation. As we look to the final chapters of Genesis we see the famine is over and Jospeh remains in a position of power. His father Jacob passes away and Jospeh follows his request to be buried in the tomb of his father. After Jacob is non Jospeh’s brothers fear the worst and plead with their brother for their lives. 

1) The subtitle of our Jospeh series was: When life doesn’t go your way. All of us have experienced life not going our way. It could be a job loss, a flat tire, failing a test, or the loss of a loved one. When has life not gone your way? 

2) Read Genesis 50:1, 10, 17. Jospeh could be the poster child for life not going his way. But in all his pain, abandonment, and harassment he kept a compassionate heart. What does Jospeh teach us about remaining tender for the Lord? 

3) Read Genesis 50:4-14. Jospeh and his brothers fulfill the dying wishes of their father. A great of people join them. Talk about what kind of influence Jospeh must have had on Egypt for that many people to join him in burying his father. 

4) Joseph’s brothers had a tough time forgiving themselves for what they did to Jospeh (read Genesis 50:15-21). They are keenly aware of their past sin but struggling finding forgiveness. Do you have a past sin that continues to haunt you? 

5) Jospeh teaches us about living a life that is filled with grace upon grace. For some reason we can struggle with accepting the grace of God in our lives. Read these passages (Ephesians 2:8-10, Romans 3:23, Romans 5:8, & 2 Timothy 1:9) and discuss what it looks like to live a life filled with the grace of God.  

6) Read Genesis 50:22-26. Joseph passes away but speaks about the coming Exodus of Israel from Egypt (see Hebrews 11:22). Jospeh’s life teaches us that When life doesn’t go your way, God is still at work. How have you seen this truth in your life? 

7) Neal summed up Jospeh’s life as being in relationship with God. He also shared four ways we relate to God: Magic Theory, Causal Theory, Willpower Theory, or Relationship Theory. What way do you most related to God and why? 

Close your time in prayer.



Sunday, June 12, 2022

Living a life of integrity





This week I read a story about a successful executive who was making his way to the top of his field. A competing company reached out to him and promised him the moon. They interviewed him, wined and dined him, and at the end of the night offered him and unbelievable salary. That evening, when he arrived at his hotel room, he found a woman waiting for him in his room. She had been hired and provided by his prospective employes. He sent her away, packed his bags, left the hotel, and caught the last flight home that night. The very next day he emailed the company and said: “Forget it. If that’s the way you do business you don’t want me.” That is how integrity is lived out in our world. Max DePree, an outstanding Christian business man maintains this: “Integrity in all things precedes all else. The open demonstration of integrity is essential.” 

Are you ever tempted to cheat on a test in school? I cheated on tests in school. Are you ever tempted to lie to a police officer about how fast you were really driving? I have lied to police officers before. Are you ever temped to cheat on your taxes? Are you ever tempted to say that your kid is just one year younger to get into Disneyland for a little less money? Are you tempted to lie to look better? Are you tempted to fudge the numbers so things look better than they really are? We’ve all been in situations where we get to see how much our integrity is worth. Integrity keeps us honest. Integrity keeps our personal life in order.

If you are not living a life of integrity right now, look the Scripture to teach you how to do that. Instead of me telling you what to do, do a word search in your Bible about serving others. Start to read Scripture with a fresh set of eyes that are looking to grow in this area. Here is a very practical idea. Before you read your Bible, ask the Lord to teach you how to live a life of integrity from what you read. If you’re going to do this, I need you to know that living a life of integrity is tough. Integrity keeps your eyes on your paper during the test. Integrity makes you submit only true figures on your expense account. Integrity keeps your personal life pure and straight regardless of the benefits that might come your way for compromising in life. This is not an easy decision in life. This is a high calling in life. Living with integrity takes courage in life.

Wednesday, June 08, 2022

Genesis 47 | Small Group Questions






The story of Joseph is a favorite among children’s tales. It’s a story of family dysfunction that leads to slavery. The pain of loneliness and abandonment that ultimate lead to Jospeh saving Israel. So often we don’t sit in the pain that Joseph experienced. We don’t think about what went through Joseph’s mind in the bottom of the pit. We forget that Joseph never went to his senior prom. We miss that he lost a vital relationship with his mother. For this series I volunteered to write the small group questions that go along with each sermon. It seemed like a waste to leave them in a file on my computer and not share them with everyone.

Small Group Questions | A Man of Integrity | Genesis 47

Genesis 47 starts out with the joy of a family reunion and quickly turns to the pain of a famine. The Egyptian people approach Joseph on separate occasions to stay alive. Jospeh models a life of character and integrity in the midst of a painful situation. What stands out in this passage is how the people of Egypt offer themselves to servitude to Pharaoh. Jospeh is not an active schemer in the plan but plays more of a passive role in their desires. Through all the pain we see God provide for Egypt through Joseph. Joseph comes up with a creative plan to keep the people alive and helps them to spread out into new land! 

1) Neal shared a story about how God provided for him to go to college through his local high school. Think about a time in your life when God provided for you through a way that you never expected to see Him provide. 

2) Read Genesis 47:13-17. We read that the Egyptians brought what they had to Joseph in exchange for food to stay alive. Think about the free gift of salvation (Ephesians 2:8-10). What surprises you most about the free gift of salvation? 

3) The people came to Joseph with empty hands and he treated them with respect. He didn’t disrespect them or treat them poorly. Read Psalms 25:21, Proverbs 11:3, and Titus 2:7-8. What makes living a life of integrity so tough? 

4) Read Genesis 47:18-19. Pharaoh is an archetype of sin. Sin is anything that is contrary to God’s word or plan. Read James 5:16. What is a sin that you are struggling with that is hurting your relationship with God and others? 

5) Joseph comes up with a creative plan that will satisfy the people and please Pharaoh (read Genesis 47:20-26). What are some creative ways that you can come up with, that are theological sound, to help people? 

6) The Scripture is clear that we are not to oppress the poor. Read Proverbs 14:31, 28:3, and Zechariah 7:10. How do you view people who are poor? What might God be inviting you to do to help the poor in your city, county, or state? 

7) Jacob has his eyes set on not being buried in Egypt. He knows that Egypt is not his final resting place (read Genesis 47:27-31). For Christians, earth is not our final resting place but we get consumed with our lives on earth. What one thing do you want to change to help you keep more focused on heaven in your daily life? 

Close your time in prayer.