Questions God Asks

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Questions God Asks
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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?
. . .When Jesus turned and saw them following, he
said to them, "What are you looking for?" They
said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means
Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to
them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he
was staying, and they remained with him that day,
for it was about four o'clock in the afternoon.
One of the two who heard John speak and followed
him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first
found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have
found the Messiah" (which is translated
Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked
at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You
are to be called Cephas" (which is translated
Peter).
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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?
. . .When Jesus turned and saw them following, he
said to them, "What are you looking for?" They
said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means
Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to
them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he
was staying, and they remained with him that day,
for it was about four o'clock in the afternoon.
One of the two who heard John speak and followed
him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first
found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have
found the Messiah" (which is translated Christ).
He brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him
and said, "You are Simon son of John you shall
be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).
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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?

• WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

• WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
• Did you know there are 2 powerful opposite
  forces looking for YOU?
• They both shine a light on a real or perceived
  gap in your life
• One is FOR you, one AGAINST you
• They battle for your heart, mind, soul strength
• As you understand HOW they are at work and HOW to
  respond, you WILL find what youre looking for

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?

• UNDERSTANDING ACCUSATION
• Examples?
• How could you let that happen AGAIN?
• You didnt know that ALREADY?
• You want them to see you doing THAT?
• Arent you just a 1st class IDIOT?
• What if they knew who you REALLY are?
• HA! You think you have what it TAKES?
• HA! Who would ever fight for YOU?
• HA! See what GOD just did to you?

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?
UNDERSTANDING ACCUSATION

• Where does it come from?
• Anyone with influence authority in work life
  -- including your closest family friends
• Circumstances past/present/future
• The negative little voices in your subconscious
  your explanatory style
• Satan (Accuser, Adversary, Liar, Tempter,
  Slanderer, Destroyer, etc.)
• . . .Anywhere except God

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?
UNDERSTANDING ACCUSATION

• It drives a TOXIC WEDGE between you, God, your
  true self, relationships
• It freezes you into SELF-FOCUS under a spotlight
  of JUDGMENT under law
• It uses FEAR/PRIDE propaganda
• To SKEW your view of self, God others
• To get you VASCILLATING between self-deprecation
  self-righteousness
• To get YOU accusing GOD/others JOB 40

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?
UNDERSTANDING ACCUSATION

• It ATTACKS your core identity gifting
• It strikes strategically when youre weak, or on
  the eve of spiritual impact, or right after to
  neutralize discourage you
• It gets you to conform man-please -- sucking
  your energy your dignity
• It drives you like a mule, sterilizing your
  passion for life impact on others
• RESULT? Bondage, anxiety, burnout, cynicism,
  despair. . .deep loneliness

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?

• UNDERSTANDING ACCUSATION
• The Impostor- 08/14/2009 - (Wild at Heart, 1078)
  
• From the place of our woundedness we construct a
  false self. We find a few gifts that work for us,
  and we try to live off them. Stuart found he was
  good at math and science. He shut down his heart
  and spent all his energies perfecting his Spock
  persona. There, in the academy, he was safe he
  was also recognized and rewarded. When I was
  eight, confesses Brennan Manning, the impostor,
  or false self, was born as a defense against
  pain. The impostor within whispered, Brennan,
  dont ever be your real self anymore...

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?

• UNDERSTANDING ACCUSATION
• ...because nobody likes you as you are. Invent a
  new self that everybody will admire and nobody
  will know. Notice the key phrase as a defense
  against pain, as a way of saving himself. The
  impostor is our plan for salvation. So God must
  take it all away. He thwarts our plan for
  salvation he shatters the false self. Our plan
  for redemption is hard to let go of it clings to
  our hearts like an octopus. Why would God do
  something so terrible as to wound us in the place
  of our deepest wound?

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?

• UNDERSTANDING ACCUSATION
• ...Jesus says that the things we do to save our
  psyche, our self, those plans to save and protect
  our inner lifethose are the things that will
  actually destroy us. There is a way that seems
  right to a man but in the end it leads to death,
  says Proverbs 1625. The false self, our plan for
  redemption, seems so right to us. It shields us
  from pain and secures us a little love and
  admiration. But the false self is a lie the
  whole plan is built on pretense. Its a deadly
  trap. God loves us too much to leave us there. So
  he thwarts us, in many, many different ways.

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?

• UNDERSTANDING CONVICTION
• THIS is the way of God YHWH
• PROVERBS 2326 Give me your heart, my son, And
  let your eyes delight in my ways.
• ISAIAH 558-9 For My thoughts are not your
  thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, declares
  the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the
  earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and
  My thoughts than your thoughts.

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?

• UNDERSTANDING CONVICTION
• THIS is the way of God YHWH

• Its GODS LOVING DISCIPLINE
• He asks a question that pricks our conscience
• He frustrates our attempts to find fulfillment
  apart from serving him
• He calls us back to our part in building his
  house
• Its the HWY to what were looking for

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?
UNDERSTANDING CONVICTION

• Examples?
• Where ARE you?. . .Who TOLD you that you were
  naked? - GENESIS 3
• Do you wish to be WELL? - JOHN 5
• WHOM shall I send, and who will GO for us? -
  ISAIAH 6
• Are YOU able to drink the cup that I drink? -
  MARK 10
• Why do you live in paneled-houses while MY house
  lies in ruin? - HAGGAI 1
• What are you LOOKING for? JOHN 1

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?
UNDERSTANDING CONVICTION

• It draws you FORWARD TOWARD God, your true
  self, relationships
• It shines a light under grace to EXPOSE a path in
  fog PSALM 119, HEBREWS 11
• It uses the language of TRUTH LOVE
• To CORRECT your view of self/God/others
• To give you COURAGE over fear and HUMILITY over
  arrogant pride
• To show the world God is God JOHN 16

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?
UNDERSTANDING CONVICTION

• Today it comes through Gods Spirit
• Through His Word, and teachings like this
• Through anyone with influence authority in work
  life -- your closest family friends --
  ESPECIALLY those who are a Face of Grace
  EPHESIANS 6
• In prayer and as nudges in times of QUIET
  ROMANS 826
• In the midst of circumstances, guiding you to how
  to respond

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?
UNDERSTANDING CONVICTION

• It AFFIRMS your CORE identity gifting
• It comes strategically when youre weak, or on
  the eve of spiritual impact, or right after to
  affirm God is WITH you
• It transforms your thinking and how to use your
  gifts to SERVE others -- giving you energy true
  self-worth
• It inspires you to run like a mustang, with a
  passion for life thats contagious
• RESULT? Freedom, peace, endurance, hope, rest,
  joy friends who know you

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?
SO LOOK FOR THE FACE OF GRACE

• Its why Jesus came, and it doesnt matter how
  lost youve been
• For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what
  was lost. - LUKE 15, 1910
• Hes invited you to COME SEE
• Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
  and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you
  and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in
  heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
  - MATTHEW 1128-29

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?
SO LOOK FOR THE FACE OF GRACE

• BUILD your CORE understanding of
• Who GOD is ROMANS 831-32
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  What then shall we say to
  these things? If God is for us, who is against
  us? He who did not spare His own Son, but
  delivered Him over for us all, how will He not
  also with Him freely give us all things?

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?

• SO LOOK FOR THE FACE OF GRACE
• BUILD your CORE understanding of
• Who GOD is ROMANS 831-32

• Who YOU are EPHESIANS 210
• 
  For we are His MASTERPIECE,
  created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
  prepared beforehand that we would walk in them.

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Questions God AsksHaggai 1

• THE PRIVILEGE OF BUILDING GODS HOUSE

4 As you come to him, the living Stonerejected
by men but chosen by God and precious to him 5
you also, like living stones, are being built
into a spiritual house . . . 9 You are a . . .
people belonging to God, that you may declare the
excellencies of him who called you out of
darkness into his wonderful light. -1 PETER
24-9
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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?

• SO LOOK FOR THE FACE OF GRACE
• BUILD your CORE understanding of
• Who GOD is ROMANS 831-32
• Who YOU are EPHESIANS 210
• WHY you live work 1 PETER 24-9

• ALIGN your heart/mind/soul/strength on Christs
  foundation -MATTHEW 724
• Seek FIRST his kingdom, and youll find the
  others things added in -LUKE 1231

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?
SO LOOK FOR THE FACE OF GRACE

• - Learn the pattern that ACCUSATION is sure to
  follow on CONVICTIONs heels
• Win the battle vs. ACCUSATION in your thought
  life through Gods Spirit
• 
  We are destroying speculations
  and every lofty thing raised up against the
  knowledge of God taking every thought captive
  to the obedience of Christ -2CORINTHIANS
  105

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?
SO LOOK FOR THE FACE OF GRACE

• And REMEMBER its a process. . Simon was sifted
  like wheat, and didnt transform into Peter all
  at once
• Depart from me, Lord LUKE 5
• God forbid it Lord! This shall never happen to
  You. -MATTHEW 16
• Never shall you wash my feet! JOHN 13
• Even if I have to die with YOU, I will not deny
  you! MATTHEW 26

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?

• SO LOOK FOR THE FACE OF GRACE
• And REMEMBER its a process. . Simon was sifted
  like wheat, and didnt transform into Peter all
  at once!

• But when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to
  his face, because he stood condemned, for prior
  to the coming of certain men from James, he used
  to eat with the Gentiles, but when they came he
  began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing
  what theyd think - GALATIANS 2

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?

• SO LOOK FOR THE FACE OF GRACE
• And REMEMBER its a process. . Simon was sifted
  like wheat, and didnt transform into Peter all
  at once!

• Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty
  hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper
  time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He
  cares for you. . .be on the alert, your
  adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring
  lion, seeking someone to devour But resist him,
  firm in your faith. . . - 1PETER 56-9

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?

• SO LOOK FOR THE FACE OF GRACE
• And REMEMBER its a process. . Simon was sifted
  like wheat, and didnt transform into Peter all
  at once!

• Regard the patience of our Lord as salvation
  just as also our beloved brother Paul, according
  to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in
  all his letters, speaking in them of these
  things, in which are some things hard to
  understand, which the untaught and unstable
  distort, as they do also the rest of the
  Scriptures, to their own destruction. -
  2PETER 315

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?
SO LOOK FOR THE FACE OF GRACE

• ..AND BUILD TOGETHER
• As ALL-ONE not A-LONE
• SEEK truth-tellers and Faces of Grace
• TALK about ACCUSATIONS on your radar
• TALK about CONVICTIONS youre sensing
• Become a Face of Grace
• Is this what you see in the mirror?
• Are you willing to be Haggai for others?
• Are you LOOKING FOR the Simons in life?

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Questions God AsksJohn 135-42 What are you
looking for?

• What ACCUSATIONS have you been giving into or
  tempted to say yes to?
• What CONVICTIONS have you been saying no to?
• While you have a moment of clarity, what
  PRODUCTIVE ACTIONS would help you take steps
  toward what youre looking for? Who is your face
  of grace?