(Growing Your Faith as You sit at the Feet of the Savior)
by
Wayne Cordeiro
Chapter 1
Sail with Noah
Trek with Moses
Tutored by Solomon
Instructed by Jeremiah
Encouraged by Jesus
Listen when the Holy Spirit Speaks
Roots:
- fragile delicate root systems allow what looked like a strong person (like a tree) to fall exposing the weaknesses and erosion of the root system that led to the physical, emotional, or moral collapse.
-strength of our root system is being willing to place a sacred enclosure about the roots of our soul. Jesus weaves a story in Luke 10:38-42 of the importance of protecting life’s root systems. Martha was distracted by the business of life, but Mary had chosen to cultivate her root system= our relationship with Jesus. That relationship can’t be pulled up by the roots as our strength relies on our connection to Jesus. He is in this lifetime into eternity.
Tested Roots:
Elijah-depressed and despondent
Joseph-left in prison forgotten for two years
Jeremiah-wept until he could weep no more being ridiculed and ostracized
David-hunted by the most powerful king
Watch over our heart:
“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and the life to come.”
-Solomon in his wisdom wrote “watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23).
-build a sacred enclosure so when the headwaters of life hit your inner spring is nourished to propel you through the storms of life
-protect and cultivate your spiritual root system
***develop a daily self-feeding program from the Bible so daily you seek to be mentored by God’s Holy Spirit.
Chapter 2
We are self-destructive
God encourages us
His words correct us
The heart of the Bible is meant to be absorbed into the pores of our soul
-His grace is sufficient to give us a measure of faith to finish the race
-Keep our hearts teachable and compliant with His heart
-Wisdom prevents us from being hardhearted, but instead keeps us humble, malleable, correctable, changeable, and transformable
-Seek to increasingly reflect His image
Choices:
-Wise mentors teach us to avoid painful consequences
-Consequences can leave us breathless
-Truth: Consequences is by far the tougher teacher as it comes with a cost (most like not good ones)
-You can gain pearls of wisdom from personal experiences as those mentors we find in the Bible
-Don’t be afraid to have faith in Jesus as our final authority
-Don't inflict your pain and suffering on others so you don’t interrupt their faith
-It is never too late to open your Bible and explore the lives of those who can be your mentor
“Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I obey Your word. You are good and what you do is good, teach me Your decrees” (Psalm 119: 67-68).
Schooled by Wisdom:
-Consequences have a back-end price
-Consequences demands that you make the mistake first and then you learn the lesson
-Wisdom has a front-end price
-Wisdom teaches you the lesson before you make the mistake
-Wisdom requires discipline, obedience, consistency, and time
“The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty” (Proverbs 27: 12).
**a wise person sees consequences ahead of time and makes a change before he runs into the wall. A foolish person just runs into it.
Biblical vs. Street Wisdom
-street wisdom is earthly, natural, and demonic
-street wisdom leads to taking the same road that destroyed our ancestors (family curse)
Ex. street wisdom feeds jealousy and selfish ambition
-street wisdom gets you nowhere in the long run and only leads to oceans of regret
-Biblical wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, and bears good fruits
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).
Two Pains: Discipline and Regret
-Regret brings great sorrow and may take a lifetime to make-up
-Regret is the I could have, should have, would have
-Forgiveness of self and from others is much more difficult in the throws of regret
-Our mentor, the Apostle Paul disciplined a group of immature Chrisians that caused real emotional pain, but they used his words to strengthen their walk as Christians
-Wisdom of the Bible take discipline to extract
-Seeking wisdom is not always convenient or comfortable
-New wisdom may not yield results immediately so it takes patience
**The pain of discipleship costs far less than the pain of regret
“Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies.
I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.
I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.
I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word” (Psalm 119: 98-101).
Purpose: Life and Legacy
“ The men and women the Lord highlights in His book continue to bear divine testimony all through the ages” (Cordeiro, 37).
-This is what I did wrong
-This is where I made a false turn
-This is where I did better
-This is where I pleased the loving heart of my Almighty Father
**The lives in the Bible provide counsel for my path. Take those life-giving insights and secure them in your heart!
“The men and women of God’s Word have left you with a legacy of life skills; this legacy is yours for the taking” (Cordeiro, 37).
-insights of God’s eternal Word
Chapter 3
You can’t blame others for your lack of growth
Learn-Take Responsibility for your own spiritual health
Today, spiritual deception is rampant
-What depth of influence will we have on future generations?
-No one but you can sit before the Lord to hear His instructions for you!
-Knowledge is never an end in itself, but must be converted into wisdom to become useful and beneficial to us.
-Truth needs a guide=the Holy Spirit=spirit of truth
-Angels assigned to be ministering spirits
-People in the Bible are assigned to mentor you and me
Living Wisely:
-Godly mentors teach us how to live wisely
-Biblical lives are featured as mentors who, by example reveal their own foolishness or even evil living
-Teaching us how not to live
-Warning to not make the same destructive choices
-Provide illustrations that speak to us from the downside of poor decisions
-We learn from the good and bad
-The Bible is raw, unedited accounts of men and women behaving both wisely and foolishly
Ex. Solomon wrote Proverbs 24:30-34
“I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;
thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—
and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.”
In Pursuit:
-People around you are going to influence your life
-Influences can be good or bad for you
-Physical death didn’t terminate their influence
-Given eternal assignments to tutor future generations of His children
-We are discipled through their scars
“He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Proverbs 13:20).
Chapter 4
Keep your Wisdom Fresh
Let God’s Word bear fruit in our life
Sit still and listen to what He really wants to say to you
God’s word enable you to recognize His voice
God is smarter than we are
We don’t know what God knows
-Unrushed time with God refreshes my core
-Even Solomon in all his wisdom his life ended up a colossal failure-He forgot where his wisdom came from
-The man (Solomon) who defined wisdom became a fool
-Solomon planted the seeds for a disastrous civil war the led to the downfall of his entire people
“ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10)
“The fear of the Lord adds length of life, but the years of the wicked are cut short” (Proverbs 10:27).
**What happens when someone forgets or rejects the beginning of wisdom? They are no longer teachable.
The Word keeps you Prepared:
-Holy Spirit’s assignment is to bring you the wisdom and the grace necessary to succeed
-Wisdom= deposits into archives of my heart bearing fruit at exactly the right time
-When you’re in the race, where do you get the strength to run?
-Deliberate training of our minds is much like the training of an athlete
-Meditate on the Book of Law day and night so it will not depart from your mouth
-Fruitful life is what you do with God’s words
***God says you need to put His Word into your heart, meditate on it, and then do what it says by tapping into the power of the Holy Spirit
-Jesus spoke that he is the true vine so to abide in him and he in you as your branches cannot bear fruit unless attached to the vine
-Jesus spoke of us abiding in Him and His words would remain in us
-The Father will then flow through your life
-Our desires become that of the Father
-Our hearts become like the heart of the Father
-People will see the Father through the work you do
***The devil knows that if he can keep you from the Word, you’ll simply dry up
***The devil never attacks your fruitfulness; instead he attacks your relationship with the Lord by trying to keep you away from the Word
***If the devil can deep you away from the Word, he steals the Father’s main tool for fruitfulness in our life
-We need to recognize and distinguish counterfeit voices and the actual voice of the Lord
-Become intimately aware of God’s genuine character
-Remember that Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light
-False Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive as many as possible
-We need to learn how to properly identify God’s voice
-His Word becomes part of us so that His wisdom lingers in our lives daily
-Recognize what is right and what is wrong
-Recognize what is wise and what is foolish
God will:
-I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go
-I will counsel you and watch over you
Chapter 5
Mary & Martha
Martha-the details oriented worrier
Mary-in the moment in Jesus presence
Bible is our self-correcting mechanism; it is our spiritual GPS
Time with the Master:
-advice for when the headwaters of life hit
-Jesus words is the source of every Christian’s: it fuels, ignites, guides, sustains, and empowers absolutely everything
-quiet, reverent, unhurried moments with the Master refreshes the soul
“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life” (John 6:63).
Playbook= confidence and skill + daily practice
-the solution to any problem is to put into practice God’s word
-to achieve success, to be productive, to feel satisfied and fulfilled is to put into practice God’s playbook daily
-imbalanced = motive skewed
-neglect = hungry soul, spiritual weakness, famished heart, and desperate decisions
No Immunity from Pain
-mentors of the Bible will not exonerate you from the pains of life
-there are necessary hurts that soften the heart
-soften hearts are compassionate and full of humility
-sitting at Jesus’ feet won’t eliminate suffering, but it can prevent you from unnecessary suffering
Daily Devotions
-Jesus is our example as he often withdrew to lonely places and prayer
-Jesus example is that we need to take time for devotions so it becomes a habit
-Jesus was consistent-everyone knew it-that is what made him trustworthy
-Remove the surrounding distractions
-we need alone time with Him in solitude to really hear His heart
Ex. Our mentor Enoch-commended as one who pleased God
-God wants an intimate relationship with each one of us
***Look forward the quiet times you walk and talk with God daily
One Offensive Weapon: Ephesians 6 describes our spiritual amor
-helmet of salvation
-breastplate of righteousness
-belt of truth
-shield of faith
-shoes that are the preparation(readiness) of the gospel of peace
***Notice 5 pieces of the armor are for defensive purposes (protection)
-The sword of the Spirit (word of God)
***Only offensive weapon
-To be effective you have to know God’s word and learn how to use it effectively
“for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips” (Proverbs 22: 18).
-use the sword of the Spirit to renew your mind
-the Word of God is designed to help you do
Know Your Weapon
-the Bible calls itself your sword
-if you are going into battle, you’d better know your weapon
-you need to know your Bible and how to navigate through it
-the Bible is your weapon so know how to use it
-knowing about your weapon is no comparison to knowing how to use it
***What you have hidden in your heart will be the litmus test
-archive the Word of God into your heart
-securing His words in its inner chambers
-stored on the memory card of you heart
-Spirit of God promises to bring truth back to your remembrance
Ex. Jesus was ready when the devil came to tempt him
-He went on the offensive “It is written….” scriptures forced Satan to flee
***sword of the Spirit is your only offensive weapon in the midst of a spiritual conflict
-victory is yours in the strength and confidence of God’s holy word
Note: the Bible is not a safe book, so it challenges me, provokes me, and changes me
-the Bible is not safe…it is eternal
-the Bible is not a passing thought...it is God’s final decision
-the Bible is not a story…it is my story…it is your story
“I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7: 35).
Chapter 6
Eternal Direction and Indispensable Wisdom
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21).
Students of Life: attend the University of the Holy Spirit
-Bible is the predominant way God speaks to us
-primary channel of divine communication
-Bible is the only book in the universe God has inspired
***Inspire literally means “to breathe into”
-God’s word is the doorway into His heart
-connects us to those He’s appointed to us
Daily tools:
-Bible
**the Holy Spirit breathes life into it, into your soul, into every fabric of who you are, change you in My image
-Pen
**underline passages when they speak to your spirit-give the words your attention
-Journal
**imprints scripture into my soul
**write down God’s thoughts and how you intend to apply what God is saying to me today
**honor the Holy Spirit and the mentors He’s chosen when we take notes on what He says through them
**God’s voice is in His Word so write it down what we hear HIm saying to us
**wisdom starts to pour into our hearts, layer by layer
-Bible-Reading Plan
**gives you a clear path to follow
**apps can track your daily progress
**feed yourself spiritually daily
-Daily Planner
**how to balance time to fit in your devotion time
**put aside distractions
**your heart will be better for it
**your mind will be better for it
“Riches beyond our imagination. No one could ever over-calculate the treasure of God’s daily counsel spoken through the likes of Luke, Joshua, and Samson
Chapter 7
Build a humble heart
Your life journal is your spiritual resource that build roots into your soul
Keep your heart in prime condition by interacting with the Spirit of God
Reading Plan (SOAP)
S-Scripture
-God will always bring a particular text that speaks to your heart
-daily discipline of devotions that is unshakable
Ex. Jeremiah “But as for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd after you.” (spoke to me as need to follow Jesus and not the worldview being pushed today)
O-Observation
-disengage your brain listen for His voice
-the Spirit highlights that one single thought, so observe the the verse carefully
-write down the scripture and your observations into your journal
-take note of the setting, situation, what’s happening, who’s affected, what’s taking place as this will increase your comprehension and develop your observation skills
A-Application
-3rd step: observe, write it down, and then put it into practice
-How will you be different today as a result of what you’ve just read?
Ex. Have you ever pondered the amazing irony of the Pharisees’ relationship with Jesus?
Ex. The Pharisees had extensive knowledge of intimate familiarity with the details of God’s word–But missed the whole point
**Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up
-application is what seals God’s Word to our hearts
-move from what we know into how we live out God’s Word
-knowledge is not a guarantee of growth
-learn to be consistent
P-Prayer
-be thankful you are for the the power of His Word
-your life journal is like a book
-you have a treasured record of HIs wisdom that is personalized directly to your heart
-helps you to give God your best
***When God plants a seed into fertile soil of an obedient heart, it will certainly grow into something fruitful
Chapter 8
Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry.”
Manna for you soul:
-Jesus’ words feed hungry hearts
-Bread of life answers the questions of our soul and satisfies the emptiness of our heard
-nothing worse than a stale Christian
Ex. story of the wandering in the wilderness where God provided fresh manna every morning. (miracle is it contained all the vitamins and nutrients the people needed and if fell from God’s hands in heaven to people on earth)
-the manna could not be tucked away, so it would rot-God wanted people to be thankful each morning. God’s grace in the early morning bread
-daily bread satisfies the soul
-submitting ourselves every day to the Holy Spirit
-Holy Spirit is our Divine Mentor who teaches, guides, and corrects us
-we contend with our warped and sinful nature that is with us throughout our lifetime journey
-enter the Bible daily and journal the instructions and advice offered us
-gain the wisdom to make a course correction
-meet with your divine mentors on a daily basis
Entering the Bible
-reading is superficial that tell you about history and render fact
-entering the Bible will be like shadowing Christ
-enter to hear Him speak, hear His wisdom, build your confidence by Him
-hear God’s word and his heart so your faith will grow
“So then, faith comes to us by hearing the Good News. And the Good News comes by someone preaching it” (Romans 10:17).
-build your faith as you hear about God and HIs Heart
-wisdom is built layer by layer
-wisdom is like a muscle-needs to be exercised daily
-practice what you preach-don’t just have information on the Bible so information is not enough
**Just in your head: information
**Just in your heart: inspiration
**When it bleeds out of you: incarnation (makes you authentic)
-Bible is guardrails in your character
-autopilot temptation will be a snare: depression, anger, pain, etc
-God’s word keeps you from regret
Divine Mentor Examples:
-Joseph had to flee Potiphar's wife. He knew lust’s pull
-Abigail had to deal with David’s anger as well as her own frustration. She dealt wisely; her example will guard you from costly mistakes
-Elijah’s depression found him alone in desperation. Jeremiah knew about it too; they’ll both take the time to teach you
-Peter left his calling to go back to fishing. He knew about the feeling of giving up. He has so much to share
Land of plenty or Land of famine:
-famine is in the church today
-famine is losing the bread of life
-grow us to be pillars and supports of the truth that will be required in these last days
-character to the young leaders called to take us into the future
-wait every day by heaven’s door-eat fresh bread
Chapter 9
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord
Let go of an offense in order to take hold of the miraculous
-today: image is often valued more than reality, reputation more than character, and perception more than actuality
-healthy families and fruitful churches, require credibility and veracity
-God’s presence to be in attendance, it has to be genuine all the way to the core
-authentic and genuine= is a valuable treasured
-spend consistent time in the Word
-Divine Mentors will reveal themselves so you engage the core of your being
Fruit of Daily Devotions:
-daily exposure to the Lord’s heart and ways begins a transformation process
-the process of authenticity
-it begins deep in our hearts
-He tutors us
-He renews our souls with the trickle charge
-learn with intention
-God gives us choice to come to him
“You will look for Me and find Me, when you look for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).
“Be quiet and know that I am God. I will be honored among the nations. I will be honored on earth” (Psalm 46:10).
Creative Affinity:
-means you become increasingly more like that which you love the most. You take on the characteristics of whom or what you cherish most deeply
-What is my passion?
-my identity in Christ transforms my life
-truth sets you free
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
Jesus example:
-Obedient to his mission=redemption of the world
-Isaiah these words foreshadows Messiah’s character
“He will not be disheartened or crushed until He has established justice in the earth” (John 42:4).
Love God’s Word:
-God’s word develops with consistent exposure
-His word contains a proven chemistry that ignites the causal heart and deepens our yearning for His next instructions
“As the deer desires rivers of water, so my soul desires You, O God. My soul is thirsty for God, for the living God. When will I come and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember, and I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with many people and lead them to the house of God, with the voice of thankful joy, among the many happy people” (Psalm 42: 1-4).
-growth takes place gradually
Transformation/Living with Integrity
-God’s spirit pierces deeply
-nothing is hidden from you
-God examines what drives our desires
-God thoroughly inspects my intentions
-God’s word is living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword
-His sword is able to divide between the soul and spirit, discerning my thoughts and my intentions
-integrity is recognizable to God
-be faithful to let God’s word scrub out hearts
-He provides us with divine protection
-truth= there will be times in our lives where sin is in motion and the consequences are in process
-God intercepts, arresting the course of sin, reversing sin
Do: Speak Lord your servant is listening
Chapter 11
Bible is not like any other book
Revival=epicenter among common people who were ignited by the Word of God
Return to our roots and reclaim our inheritance
The Bible
1-Only book God ever promised to inspire as it is His own Word
2-The Bible is the only book where all the divine mentors are are present
3-God promises specifically to bless the readers of the Bible
4-The Bible is the only book that will live forever
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8)
-Old Testament predicted many future events
-Bible’s spokesmen and spokeswomen have the kind of heart to deliver His words to a world caught in the darkness between heaven and earth
-God’s word is power and truth
-no weapon but the sword of the Spirit delivers the might to tear down spiritual fortresses and conquer enemy sanctions
“It is true, we live in a body of flesh. But we do not fight like people of the world. We do not use those things to fight with that the world uses. We use the things God gives to fight with and they have power. Those things God gives to fight with destroy the strong-places of the devil. We break down every thought and proud thing that puts itself up against the wisdom of God. We take hold of every thought and make it obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10: 3-5).
One Person, One Light
-the Lord’s words start to define you as His disciple
-hurting people need someone-one person-who will speak for God
-the lost are looking for just one light that would lead them home
-be an ambassador for Christ
Chapter 12
University of the Holy Spirit
-divine mentors have been handpicked and ordained by God to befriend you
-their curriculum is a process of lifelong learning, coaching, and on-the-job training
-graduation is when we walk through heaven’s gates
-obedience will not remove obstacles, but help you navigate through them
-obedience compels us to live by trust
-obedience is recognizable
“You do read the Holy Writings. You think you have a life that lasts forever just because you read them. They do tell of Me” (John 5:39).
****”Sitting at the Lord’s feet and listening to His Word, repeatedly running what you’ve heard through your mind, eventually His thoughts become your thoughts and His ways become your ways. And then you will start to put on what the Bible calls ‘The mind of Christ’.”
Prayer:
-the Holy Spirit indwells in each believer
-divine mentors apply the lessons of scripture to our hearts
-the process that changes our hearts as we sit with the Master
-highest form of prayer is not you talking to God, but it’s Him talking to you
-when you heart is open before Him, you are susceptible even to His whispers-God doesn’t need to shout
Final Word: The Presence of God
-you can see the hand of God in our divine mentors’ lives
Ex. Joseph in the pit, David conquers a giant, Ezra skilled scribe in law of Moses set before a king,
-Jesus calls His Spirit the Helper
-Helper is defined as “the one called alongside to help”
-Spirit of God is our guide, assigned to us as Helper, and divine mentors tutor us into our inheritance
-the Spirit is introduced in the Bible’s very first book
-goal of our lives is to stay near the Guide