Do you have one God and You Hows

Do you have one? God and You How’s your relationship with God?

“Personal Relationship” with God • We must be “with” Christ, Matt. 12: 30; 11: 28 -30 • Often self-defined, not God-defined • Concept usually accompanies emotionbased experiences, not Bible-based conversions 2

www. thebranch. org Welcome to The Branch! Our mission is quite simple - to help people live in an intimate relationship with God. The Branch is made up of people from different religious, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds, but all claim common ground in their conviction that life to its fullest is experienced through an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. 3

John 14: 7 -11 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him. ” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us. ” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. “…and yet you have not known me…” believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. 4

CHRISTIAN Relationship with God thru Christ Jno. 14: 6; Rom. 6: 3 -5; Gal. 3: 26 -27 (4: 8 -9) • It is personal, because it is your salvation • You know God when you believe and are saved by the gospel, 1 Cor. 1: 21 (1 Jno. 1: 1 -4) • Christ died for you and saves you when 5

CONTACT You must have contact with God in your life, John 14: 7 -9 • The Lord knows you, cf. John 1: 47 -48 – The question is, do you know God? – Initial contact at conversion; has it continued? • David knew God was with him, Psalm 23: 4 6

TIME TOGETHER You must spend time with God • In communication, Numbers 12: 7 – From God: HIS WORD, John 14: 10; Hebrews 1: 1 -2; Psalm 1: 2; 119: 14 -16 – With God: PRAYER (1 Ths. 5: 17); Mark 1: 35; Phil. 4: 6 -7 7

TIME TOGETHER You must spend time with God • Spend time worshiping God, Psalm 122: 1 (Phil. 4: 4; Heb. 13: 15) – Will not know God if you do not truly worship Him • Spend time serving others, Matthew 25: 40 8 – Learning to be like Christ – to know Him in

TRUST You must trust God, Jno. 14: 11 • Have complete faith in Him, James 2: 21 -23 – Abraham was the friend of God – Do you trust what God commands you? – Do you trust what God promises you? 9

TRUST You must trust God • Obey Him, 1 John 2: 3 -5; John 14: 20 -23 – Allow the Lord (His revealed will) to rule over every part of your life 10

TRUST You must trust God • Cast all your cares upon Him, 1 Peter 5: 5 -7 – Humility to trust God’s power (5: 6) – Completely open your heart to God (5: 7) 11

NURTURE You must take care of your relationship with God • Is God “far” from you or “near” by? Rev. 3: 20 – God is as close or as far as you decide to have Him! • God is close to you when you choose to… 12

THE RESULT You will become more and more like Jesus, Eph. 4: 20 -24; Phil. 3: 7 -11 • In your love for God & others (Matt. 22: 37 -39) • In your trust and reliance upon God (Matt. 6: 33) • In your obedience to God in all things 13

THE GOSPEL Gospel call is to know God and to be known by God, Gal. 4: 8 -9, 7 • Those who know Christ and are know by Him “do the will of the Father” (Matt. 7: 21 -23) • Do not turn back to the bondage of sinful error and worldliness 14