His Determined Purpose Was to Know Him

In one paragraph

On Palm Sunday 2017, Pastor Ray was away and a guest speaker shared a message about what it means to genuinely know God, not just know about Him. Drawing on Philippians 3:10, where Paul says his determined purpose is to know Christ more deeply and intimately, the speaker made the case that relationship with God is the thing that matters most. The speaker opened by asking the congregation a few...

Read together

1. Philippians 3:10 Paul's determined purpose to know Christ more deeply and intimately
2. Song of Solomon 4:9 one glance from the beloved ravishes the heart, used to illustrate God waiting for our attention
3. Matthew 6:5-13 Jesus teaching on prayer, including the Lord's Prayer as a model broken down verse by verse
4. Psalm 119:160 the sum of God's word is truth, used to encourage reading scripture as a foundation for hearing God
5. John 17:3 eternal life is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent, quoted at the close

Talk about it

1. Paul called knowing Christ his 'determined purpose' and counted everything else loss compared to it. How would you describe your own sense of purpose when it comes to knowing God?
2. The sermon used the image of a dog training its gaze on its owner, waiting for direction, and connected it to Song of Solomon 4:9, where God is moved by even one glance from us. What does it look like practically for you to turn your attention toward God in the middle of an ordinary day?
3. The Lord's Prayer was broken into four movements: praise, seeking God's kingdom, petitioning for needs, and asking forgiveness. Which of those four tends to get the most time in your own prayer life, and which gets the least?
4. The sermon made the point that we spend time in God's Word so we have a foundation for recognizing His voice, the way you recognize a close friend's voice on the phone without them having to introduce themselves. Has there been a time when knowing scripture helped you discern whether something you were sensing was actually from God?
5. The sermon described friendship with other believers as a place where eternal things happen, even in a brief conversation, and where iron sharpens iron even when there is a rub. Who in your life plays that role for you, and how intentional are you about protecting that relationship?