Hunger for God: Selfless King Jesus

Luke 4 & Luke 19

Pastor Steve Poole

1. Fasting prepares us to resist temptation.

• James 4:7

• God > me

• “Here we see the most significant difference between Jesus and Adam: Jesus believed God. Let me say it again. It is not simply that Jesus believed in God, but he believed God.” ~ R. C. Sproul

2. Fasting increases our hunger for God.

3. Fasting prepares us to live out God’s purpose for our lives. (Romans 12:1)

NEXT STEPS

1. Believe in King Jesus for salvation.

2. Fast this week and ask God to increase your hunger for His will.

3. Reflect on these journal questions: How am I living out my purpose, calling and identity in Christ? What does it look like to offer myself as a living sacrifice? (Romans 12:1)

JOURNAL - How am I living out my purpose, calling and identity in Christ? What does it look like to offer myself as a living sacrifice?

MEDITATE -“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” ~Ephesians 2:4-10

PRAY - Father, help us to hunger more for you. Let your will become our will. Give us the strength to walk by the Spirit and do the good works you prepared for us to do.

Hunger For God: Fasting and Obedience

Pastor Kent Landhuis

THEME - Obedience is more important than fasting.

TEXT - Isaiah 58

LENTEN INVITATION: Focus less on lesser things to focus more on greater things.

1. When blocked, be frustrated.

· Isaiah 55:1-2

· Isaiah 58:1-7

2. When blocked, remove the blockage.

· Zechariah 7:5

· 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

3. When blocked, obey.

· 1 Samuel 15:13-22

· 1 John 4:19-21

· James 1:8-11

NEXT STEPS

1. Skip a meal (or meals).

2. Give the money you saved by not eating to the food pantry.

3. Journal about your experience. Use this prompt: What is my usual response/behavior when I am frustrated?

JOURNAL

What is my usual response/behavior when I am frustrated?

MEDITATE

“If you don't feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great.” - John Piper, A Hunger for God.

“Fasting might be the best way for many of us to seal the moment; fasting for a day might be what we most need to change our own pathetic passivity in the face of famine.” - Scot McKnight, Fasting.

“God is not merely concerned with what we do but why we do it. A right act may be robbed of all its value in the sight of God if it is done with a wrong motive.” - Arthur Wallis, God’s Chosen Fast.

PRAY - Ask God to reshape your heart so that you desire the same things God desires.

Hunger For God: Discernment

Pastor Kent Landhuis

THEME - Fasting removes noise and clutter so that we can discern God’s will.

TEXT - Acts 13:1-3

LENTEN INVITATION - Focus less on lesser things to focus more on greater things.

1. Noise is a problem.

• Philippians 4:6-8

• Psalm 10:1-4

• John 10:1-5

2. Fasting is a solution. (Acts 13:1-3)

• Fasting clears noise.

• Fasting opens ears.

• Fasting softens hearts.

NEXT STEPS

1. Skip a meal (or meals). Typical fast days are Wednesdays and Fridays as a way to identify with the suffering of Jesus who was betrayed on Wednesday, crucified on Friday.

2. In the time you’d normally grocery shop, cook, eat, or clean up--pray. Let your desire for food point you to Jesus.

3. Drink tons of water to stay hydrated. If you normally drink coffee, you may want to still have coffee to avoid a caffeine headache, but just have it black.

4 The more time given to prayer and reflection, the better. Make it your goal to slow down the day you fast. Be still and listen.

5. Journal about your experience. Use these prompts: What desires control me? What clutters my soul?

Hunger for God: Fasting & Power

Pastor Steve Poole

1. Power comes from Jesus.

Mark 9:19

2. Power comes by faith.

Mark 9:23

3. Power comes through prayer and fasting.

Ezra 8:21-23

Esther 4:16

“Whenever men are to pray to God concerning any great matter, it would be expedient to appoint fasting along with prayer.” John Calvin

NEXT STEPS

1. Come to Jesus and believe in Him.

2. Fast and pray this week.

3. Journal and reflect on the following questions:

• What passion is God stirring in your heart as you fast this week?

• Why haven’t I seen God’s power do ________?

JOURNAL

1. What passion is God stirring in your heart as you fast this week?

2. Why haven’t I seen God’s power do ________?

MEDITATE

“... fasting synchronizes the longings of the body with the longings of the soul. It uses hunger in the body, to amplify hunger for God in the soul. …it will intensify your prayers like nothing else can.” (D. Bryan Rhodes Grace Presbyterian Church - Alexandria, LA)

“Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’” ~ Mark 9:24

PRAY

Father, I believe. Help me with my unbelief! Help me to hunger more for you and your will to be done. We trust “the hand of our God is for good on all who seek him…”

Hunger For God: Surrender

Pastor Kent Landhuis

THEME - The spiritual practice of fasting helps us offer our whole selves to God in surrender.

TEXT - Jonah 3:1-10

Lenten Fasting: Focus less on lesser things to focus more on greater things.

1. Whole body surrender requires humility.

• Romans 12:1-2

• Isaiah 55:8-9

2. Whole body surrender recognizes our creature status.

• Psalm 100

• Psalm 139:23-24

3. Whole body surrender invites repentance.

• Jonah 3:1-10

• Joel 2:12-13

NEXT STEPS

1. Journal: Personalize Romans 12:1 - What does it mean to offer my body as a living sacrifice?

2. Fast: Skip a meal or two this week.

3. Learn more: Read Fasting by Scot McKnight or Hunger for God by John Piper.

JOURNAL PROMPTS:

1. What does it mean to offer my body as a living sacrifice?

2. Skip a meal or fast for a day and then journal about the experience. What happened? How did you feel?

VERSES FOR MEDITATION - Romans 12:1-2, Isaiah 55:8-9, Psalm 100, Joel 2:12-13

PRAY - Ask God to reveal to you the importance of “whole body” worship and surrender.

Hunger for God: Fasting

Pastor Kent Landhuis

THEME - Fasting deepens our hunger for God.

TEXT - Matthew 6:16-18

LENT - Focus less on lesser things to focus more on greater things.

1. When you fast, focus less on food, more on craving.

• Less: Physical hunger. (Matthew 6:16)

• More: Hunger for God. (Matthew 4:4)

2. When you fast focus less on results, more on moments.

• Less: “If you fast, then you will receive.” (Matthew 6:17-18)

• More: “When this happens, God’s people fast.” (David, Esther, Nehemiah, etc.)

3. When you fast, focus less on self, more on God.

• Less: Legalism (Luke 7:20-23)

• More: Delight. (Psalm 63:1-5)

NEXT STEPS

1. Journal: How do I react to the invitation to fast?

2. Fast: Skip a meal this week.

3. Learn more: Read Fasting by Scot McKnight or Hunger for God by John Piper.

JOURNAL PROMPTS

1. How do I react to the invitation to fast?

2. Skip a meal and then journal. What happened? (If I did not skip a meal, journal about why I did not.)

VERSES FOR MEDITATION - Matthew 6:16-18; Luke 7:20-23; Psalm 63:1-5

PRAY - Confess your cravings and surrender them to God.

Celebrate Sabbath: The Power of Stopping

Exodus 20:8-11

Pastor Steve Poole

1. Stop doing.

Stopping is a physical act of obedience to God.

Matthew 6:27

Isaiah 26:3 (Shalom, Shalom!)

2. Stop worrying.

Worry is the opposite of God.

We are addicted to doing.

3. Stopping trains us to trust God.

Exodus 16

Psalm 3:1-2, 5

NEXT STEPS

1. Put your faith and trust in Jesus

2. Practice sabbath, stopping this week and ask God to help you with your worry

3. Make sabbath a habit.

a. Reflecting on what you are trusting

b. Share a story about how stopping helped you trust God more.

4. Walk beside someone and teach them the power of sabbath.