Comments on: Made…to Love God http://rickgrover.wordpress.com/2009/01/08/madeto-love-god/ personal reflections on our journey at owensboro Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:53:50 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: C http://rickgrover.wordpress.com/2009/01/08/madeto-love-god/#comment-136 C Sat, 31 Jan 2009 20:58:09 +0000 http://rickgrover.wordpress.com/?p=190#comment-136 Rick, Your doing an awesome job as Sr. pastor at OCC. You can see the holy spirit dripping from you everyday. Thank You for coming to Owensboro - God is using you to change lives. Rick,

Your doing an awesome job as Sr. pastor at OCC. You can see the holy spirit dripping from you everyday.

Thank You for coming to Owensboro – God is using you to change lives.

]]> By: Rev. Kasey Burt http://rickgrover.wordpress.com/2009/01/08/madeto-love-god/#comment-135 Rev. Kasey Burt Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:49:59 +0000 http://rickgrover.wordpress.com/?p=190#comment-135 Rick: I like what you have to say here. It really isn't about being popular, having the best stuff or even looking really buff. All of that can really be summed up as the distractions of the world. Things that get our focus off God, off His Kingdom. When I start thinking about why am "I" here, why was I made; quickly the gears are shifted off me and back onto Him. HE is why I am here, to love and fellowship and help lead others to Him. Rev. Kasey Rick:
I like what you have to say here. It really isn’t about being popular, having the best stuff or even looking really buff. All of that can really be summed up as the distractions of the world. Things that get our focus off God, off His Kingdom.

When I start thinking about why am “I” here, why was I made; quickly the gears are shifted off me and back onto Him. HE is why I am here, to love and fellowship and help lead others to Him.

Rev. Kasey

]]> By: rickgrover http://rickgrover.wordpress.com/2009/01/08/madeto-love-god/#comment-134 rickgrover Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:23:55 +0000 http://rickgrover.wordpress.com/?p=190#comment-134 Great discussion! May we all come to know God in a personal way where we glorify Him in all we do, and may we love Him through His Son, Jesus, with every fiber of our being! Great discussion! May we all come to know God in a personal way where we glorify Him in all we do, and may we love Him through His Son, Jesus, with every fiber of our being!

]]> By: Marla http://rickgrover.wordpress.com/2009/01/08/madeto-love-god/#comment-133 Marla Mon, 12 Jan 2009 02:29:50 +0000 http://rickgrover.wordpress.com/?p=190#comment-133 Found one more scripture I just couldn't resist sharing: Isaiah 43:6-7 "Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth--everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." Found one more scripture I just couldn’t resist sharing:
Isaiah 43:6-7 “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth–everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

]]> By: Marla http://rickgrover.wordpress.com/2009/01/08/madeto-love-god/#comment-132 Marla Mon, 12 Jan 2009 01:45:02 +0000 http://rickgrover.wordpress.com/?p=190#comment-132 I have been wrestling with this question of why we were made all afternoon. I've basically been a Christian my entire life, so I thought I had the answer to this one years ago. However, when you posed this question of why we were made in the sermon today, my long-time answer was not the same as yours. Therefore, I have spent most of the day looking at what God has to say about this in the Bible. Since blogs are all about airing one's personal beliefs, opinions, and ideas, and since I think this is a great forum for further discussion of ideas presented in the pulpit, I'd like to throw out this idea. I am afraid that when we say that God made us to love Him and to love others, we are putting way too much emphasis on what WE DO, and not on what God has already done. We are giving ourselves far too much credit. There is nothing in me that would choose to love Him. I love Him because He has enabled me to love Him, because He first loved me. (1 John 4:19) Rather, God made me to GLORIFY Him. Out of all He created, mankind is His greatest achievement. Just as the heavens and the earth point to our marvelous Creator, so do we. God commands my love, but He does not need it. Romans 11:36 says, "For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever!" All things, including mankind, were made to glorify God. We exist because He wills it. Revelation 4:11 says, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." Both of these passages juxtapose God's creation with God's glory. Does glorifying God involving loving God? Absolutely! They're intricately related. How do I bring glory to God? We read about it today. John 15:8 tells us that when we bear much fruit, we glorify our Father. The sermon today told us to remain in Him. It did not tell us HOW to remain in Him. We read verse 10, but did not examine it. When we OBEY God's commands, we remain in His love. (And how do I know God's commands? I study His Word.) So here's how it works: God loved me. Because He first loved me, I am able to love Him in response. Then I obey His commands and bear much fruit. My life thus looks different from the rest of the world and my life points to my Creator. I bring GLORY to God! Now, one might argue that these two positions are the same thing and it's really just a matter of semantics. The semantics, however, are VERY important in this case. The difference is the focus. Saying I was made to love God puts the focus on me. Saying I was made to glorify God puts the focus where it belongs, on our God and Creator. I have been wrestling with this question of why we were made all afternoon. I’ve basically been a Christian my entire life, so I thought I had the answer to this one years ago. However, when you posed this question of why we were made in the sermon today, my long-time answer was not the same as yours. Therefore, I have spent most of the day looking at what God has to say about this in the Bible. Since blogs are all about airing one’s personal beliefs, opinions, and ideas, and since I think this is a great forum for further discussion of ideas presented in the pulpit, I’d like to throw out this idea.

I am afraid that when we say that God made us to love Him and to love others, we are putting way too much emphasis on what WE DO, and not on what God has already done. We are giving ourselves far too much credit. There is nothing in me that would choose to love Him. I love Him because He has enabled me to love Him, because He first loved me. (1 John 4:19)

Rather, God made me to GLORIFY Him. Out of all He created, mankind is His greatest achievement. Just as the heavens and the earth point to our marvelous Creator, so do we. God commands my love, but He does not need it. Romans 11:36 says, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever!” All things, including mankind, were made to glorify God. We exist because He wills it. Revelation 4:11 says, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Both of these passages juxtapose God’s creation with God’s glory.

Does glorifying God involving loving God? Absolutely! They’re intricately related. How do I bring glory to God? We read about it today. John 15:8 tells us that when we bear much fruit, we glorify our Father. The sermon today told us to remain in Him. It did not tell us HOW to remain in Him. We read verse 10, but did not examine it. When we OBEY God’s commands, we remain in His love. (And how do I know God’s commands? I study His Word.) So here’s how it works: God loved me. Because He first loved me, I am able to love Him in response. Then I obey His commands and bear much fruit. My life thus looks different from the rest of the world and my life points to my Creator. I bring GLORY to God!

Now, one might argue that these two positions are the same thing and it’s really just a matter of semantics. The semantics, however, are VERY important in this case. The difference is the focus. Saying I was made to love God puts the focus on me. Saying I was made to glorify God puts the focus where it belongs, on our God and Creator.

]]> By: Bo Barron, CCIM http://rickgrover.wordpress.com/2009/01/08/madeto-love-god/#comment-131 Bo Barron, CCIM Fri, 09 Jan 2009 06:22:05 +0000 http://rickgrover.wordpress.com/?p=190#comment-131 Why are we made? What is our purpose? Great questions - THE questions, really. If you look at John 17:3 "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" and then take a look at Matt 28 and the Great Commission, I would re-phrase and say our purpose is to know God and make him known (I stole this slogan from a college ministry). Our small group has just talking about history early this week. Specifically, about how our present is defined by the events of the past. We process current information by running it through the grid of our past experiences and what we know to be true and real - our paradigms. Telling a lie, for instance, can not be done without rewriting history or what has happened in the past. So it occured to me that the Lord has laid out a role to play in history - His Story. My life is not about me. It is about living my life in God's will - or playing my role. This gets back to your premise of the MTV show. Those who live their lives solely for their own purposes - for their own glory - are ever frustrated, empty, unfulfilled. But for those that have found their purpose in knowing God and playing their role in His will and design experience peace, fulfillment, GRACE.... Why are we made? What is our purpose? Great questions – THE questions, really. If you look at John 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” and then take a look at Matt 28 and the Great Commission, I would re-phrase and say our purpose is to know God and make him known (I stole this slogan from a college ministry).

Our small group has just talking about history early this week. Specifically, about how our present is defined by the events of the past. We process current information by running it through the grid of our past experiences and what we know to be true and real – our paradigms. Telling a lie, for instance, can not be done without rewriting history or what has happened in the past. So it occured to me that the Lord has laid out a role to play in history – His Story. My life is not about me. It is about living my life in God’s will – or playing my role.

This gets back to your premise of the MTV show. Those who live their lives solely for their own purposes – for their own glory – are ever frustrated, empty, unfulfilled. But for those that have found their purpose in knowing God and playing their role in His will and design experience peace, fulfillment, GRACE….

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