Moments Together for Growing Closer to God , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - Dennis Rainey

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51 pages

English

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Extrait

Description

This book is one in a set of small gift hardcover books in the Moments Together series that present thirty days of devotionals for married couples to read together. The focus of these selections is on a couple's walk with the Lord, both as individuals and as a couple. Consistently coming together to read a devotional and pray together will help couples to measure the daily decisions they make against the teachings of Scripture and will encourage them to let the Holy Spirit lead them into God's purposes for their lives.

Sujets

Philosophie et théologie

Informations

Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	15 septembre 2003
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781441266798
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0259€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

© 2003 Dennis and Barbara Rainey
Published by Bethany House Publishers 11400 Hampshire Avenue South Bloomington, Minnesota 55438 www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan. www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Bethany House Publishers edition published 2014
ISBN 978-1-4412-6679-8
Previously published by Regal Books
Ebook edition originally created 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible , © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Other version used is: NIV —Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Days 3, 19, 24, 25 and 27 reprinted by permission of Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, TN, from the book Staying Close , copyright date 1989, by Dennis Rainey. All rights reserved. Day 14 reprinted by permission of Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, TN, from the book The New Building Your Mate’s Self-Esteem , copyright date 1995, by Dennis and Barbara Rainey. All rights reserved.
The publisher regrets the omission of credits and requests documentation for future printings.
Contents
I NTRODUCTION
DAY 1 A MAZING
DAY 2 W ITH O PEN A RMS
DAY 3 T O M IRROR G OD’S I MAGE
DAY 4 G OD’S “B OX T OP ” FOR THE F AMILY
DAY 5 N O F AULT , N O R ESPONSIBILITY
DAY 6 P RAYING WITH B ARBARA
DAY 7 W HEN L ITTLE E QUALS M UCH
DAY 8 W HAT’S G ROWING IN Y OUR G ARDEN ?
DAY 9 W HAT’S G ROWING IN Y OUR G ARDEN ?
DAY 10 C ATCHING A G LIMPSE
DAY 11 A D AY OF R EST
DAY 12 D EFENSES A GAINST THE L ION
DAY 13 A IRBRUSH C HRISTIANS
DAY 14 F RIENDSHIPS WITH O THER W OMEN
DAY 15 S PIRITUAL L ANDMARKS
DAY 16 E NTERING THE A TTIC
DAY 17 E NTERING THE A TTIC
DAY 18 W EAK E NOUGH FOR G RACE
DAY 19 I S T HERE A M INISTER IN THE H OUSE ?
DAY 20 T HE G REATEST P OWER
DAY 21 B IG L ITTLE W ORDS
DAY 22 T HE F ORGOTTEN C OMMANDMENT
DAY 23 P RIMING THE P OSITIVE P UMP
DAY 24 K EEPING Y OUR F OCUS C LEAR
DAY 25 A C ONFRONTATION R EWARDED
DAY 26 F AILURE AND F ORGIVENESS
DAY 27 L EAVE I T TO H EAVEN
DAY 28 S ATAN’S S CHEMES
DAY 29 F AMOUS L AST W ORDS
DAY 30 T HE F INAL W ORDS OF O BADIAH H OLMES
I NTRODUCTION

Did you know that marriage is a spiritual relationship between you, your spouse and God? The Lord God is the Creator of marriage, and He makes it possible to build the type of relationship He and you desire. The closer you grow to God, the closer you will grow toward each other.
From the beginning of our marriage, we have resolved to build our lives and our family upon God’s Word and upon daily prayer together. In Matthew 7, Jesus says that those who act upon His words “may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock” (vv. 24-25). But those who hear God’s words and do not act upon them are like those who build their home on sand. “The rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall” (v. 27).
God is the head of our home, and the truth of God’s Word is our home’s foundation. We have found that as we make God and His Word our focus, we are able to withstand all of the trials and tribulations of life.
This devotional, Moments Together for Growing Closer to God , is designed to help you build your home upon the same foundation. The good news of the Bible is that the almighty God, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, actually makes it possible for us to enjoy friendship with Him. By studying His Word and praying together as a family for a few minutes each day, you can connect with God and with each other.
Each of the 30 devotionals will give you practical and biblical advice for allowing God to work in your lives as a couple and as a family. The following are some of the topics we cover:

• How praying together as a couple can transform your marriage
• Remembering your family’s spiritual landmarks
• Confronting the attic of your past
• Taking advantage of your children’s teachable moments
• The forgotten commandment
• Praying for your children
• Famous last words
A friendly word of warning: This is not your normal devotional! It will take you into the nitty-gritty of family relationships. It includes some strong challenges for improving your relationship with God and with each other; therefore, it probably will be one of the most valuable experiences you could have together!
Commit to spending 10 to 15 minutes each day working through these devotionals. Over the next month you will sense that the foundation of your home is getting stronger and stronger.
Dennis and Barbara Rainey
Moments Together for GROWING CLOSER TO GOD
DAY 1
A MAZING
And they were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes .
MARK 1:22
Have you seen Jesus? I mean really seen Him? Not some kind of 900-foot-tall object but, rather, the Jesus Christ who lives in the Bible?
When I read through the book of Mark, I see a Christ who is amazing. And He obviously struck others the same when He lived on Earth.
For one thing, His teachings were amazing. The people were shaken to their core by the authority Christ had when He taught.
Second, He performed miracles that were amazing. He healed the blind, the sick, the lepers. Mark 4:35-41 gives us another little outline of a story, a brief glimpse of a miracle that Jesus performed. This is no mystical myth. This was a real event that occurred. This passage describes Jesus with His disciples and how He rebuked the wind of a storm.
On a windy day you or I could go outside and say “Hold it” to the wind. But it would just keep blowing. A wall could be built, but that really would not stop it. The wind would flow right over it. Yet Jesus turned an angry sea into a calm surface by speaking, causing the wind to stop.
Christ healed the sick, fed the 5,000 and not only walked on water but also made it possible for Peter to do the same. I sometimes wonder what it was like to be Peter as he stepped out of that boat. He had his eyes on Christ; he stepped out of the boat, and the water was solid. Then he saw the wind and began to sink.
In sermons, I’ve heard Peter criticized for seeing the wind and sinking—for his doubt and unbelief. But he still stepped out—he had the faith to get out of the boat onto the water! And he’s the only person in history to walk on water, other than Jesus.
What’s my point? Have you ever been amazed by His teachings? Have you ever really stepped out and taken Him at His word?

Discuss : How has God’s teaching made a difference in your life?

Pray : Pray that you will see Christ as the amazing God on a daily basis.
DAY 2
W ITH O PEN A RMS
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Thy presence. … Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation .
PSALM 51:10-12
The devil is called “the father of lies” (John 8:44)—for good reason. He will try to lead you to believe anything that will keep you from turning to God.
One of his greatest lies, I believe, is that God will reject us when we confess our sins to Him and seek to repent. Somehow we start thinking that our sins are too terrible for Him to forgive.
The truth, of course, is that God loves a contrite heart, welcomes the repentant sinner back and restores “the joy of Thy salvation.” I once received a letter that underscores the power of God’s forgiveness:

My wife and I have been married for six years, and together for eight.