1. A Biblical Vision of God: to spread a passion for the supremacy God we must have a biblical vision of his glory:
- Do you understand what it means to say that God is “God-centered,” that he is radically committed to his own glory? (1 Chron. 16:29; Ps. 8, 72:19, 79:9, 96:8, 106:47, 115:1; Is. 24:15, 42:8, 43:6-7, 48:11, 59:19; Jer. 33:9; John 15:7-8, Eph. 1:6, 12, 14; Rev. 4:18)
- Do you understand that God has created you to live for his glory? (Is. 43:6-7; Mark 12:28-34; 1 Cor. 10:31; 2 Cor. 3:18; Phil. 2:9-11; 2 Pet. 3:18)
- Have you consciously thought of God as being the main reason for what you were doing at some particular time this week?
- In what ways have you consciously recognized God’s glory in something you experienced this past week? What aspects of God’s glory or excellencies did you see?
2. Holiness: to spread a passion for the supremacy of God we must understand and pursue holiness, for “without it no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14):
- Do you understand that genuine followers of Christ are holy because God has made them holy, that is, he has set them apart for himself? (Eph. 1:3-4, 5:27; Col. 1:21-23, 3:12-13; 2 Tim. 1:8-9; Tit. 3:4-5; 1 Pet. 2:9)
- Do you understand the aims and rewards of holiness? (Mat. 5:8; Heb. 12:10, 14; 1 John 3:1-3)
- The Bible instructs us to passionately pursue holiness—how are you doing with this? (Rom. 12:1; 2 Cor. 7:1; Eph. 4:20-24; 1 Pet. 1:15-16; 2 Pet. 3:11-13; Jude 1:20-21)
- Are you facing any significant struggles or temptations in your life right now, e.g., unbelief, bitterness, resentment, lust, pride, jealousy, covetousness, racism, and the like?
3. The Word of God: to spread a passion for the supremacy of God we must know and treasure all of the inerrant Word of God:
- Do you believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and inerrant in the original manuscripts? Can you explain what this means and argue for it from Scripture? (Ps. 19:7-11, 119; Rom. 15:4; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 4:11-13; 2 Pet. 1:21)
- Do you see the Word of God as precious and delightful and necessary for daily life? (Psalm 1:1-6; 119:9, 11, 16, 28, 97, 113, 160, 162, 163, 172, 138:2, 139:17)
- What are your habits of reading, studying, memorizing, meditating on, teaching, and obeying the Bible? How consistent are you with this?
- Is there a specific verse or passage that has influenced the way you thought about or acted in a situation lately?
4. Prayer: to spread a passion for the supremacy of God we must be utterly dependent on the vine of Christ, and such dependence is expressed mainly by the Word of God and prayer:
- Do you understand the importance of prayer and the crucial role it plays in the lives of believers? (Mat. 6:5-18; Luke 18:1-8; John 15:7-8; Col. 4:2; Phil. 4:4-7; 1 Thes. 5:16-18)
- Have you read any books lately in which prayer was a prominent subject or played a prominent role?
- What role does prayer play in your life? What are your daily habits of prayer?
- Do you have one or more prayer partners with whom you share requests and pray on a regular basis? (Jam. 5:16)
5. Worship: to spread a passion for the supremacy of God we must be a people who prize and praise God with our manner of life and with our lips:
- Do you understand that worship is about the totality of life and not just singing songs in church, that it’s about praising God with your manner of life as well as with your lips? (Ps. 15:1-5, 29:2, 66:4, 72:11, 86:9, 96:9, 101:1-8)
- Do you understand that God’s vision for worship has both private and corporate elements? What are your habits of worship in both of these spheres?
- Knowing that Christ is your righteousness before God the Father, and that you will never be perfectly obedient, do you see the importance of growing in obedience each day? How are you doing with this? (Rom. 15:18-19; Phil. 2:12-13; 1 Pet. 1:1-2, 1:22)
- Knowing that expressions of love naturally flow from the heart of one who loves, do you regularly praise the Lord in both private and public? Does your heart often overflow with praise to God?
6. Faith: to spread a passion for the supremacy of God we must fear nothing but God, and walk only by faith in the Son of God:
- Do you understand that faith is trust in the faithfulness of God and belief in his words, will, and ways? (Ps. 20:7, 40:3, 52:8, 56:4, 62:8; Mat. 6:30; Eph. 2:8-10; Rev. 14:12)
- Do you understand that Christ is the author and perfecter of your faith, and that the only way to be a Christian is to live by faith in the Son of God? (Acts 6:7, 14:21-22, 26:16-18; Rom. 1:17, 5:1-2; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 3:8-9; 1 Tim. 1:3-4; Heb. 12:2)
- What regular habits do you have that both feed and strengthen your faith?
- In what specific ways are you now trusting God for life and hope and help?
7. Koinonia: to spread a passion for the supremacy of God we must receive from and contribute to his Body, the church:
- Do you understand that to be in Christ is to be the church, and that to be united with Christ is to be united with his church? (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 1:2, 12:4-31; Eph. 5:21-33; 1 John 1:7)
- Do you understand that God has gifted you in particular ways to play particular roles in his church for the good of his people and the glory of his name? Do you have some idea of how God has gifted you and how he might want to use you in the church? If not, will you seek God about this? If so, are you walking in obedience to his desires?
- Are you actively pursuing deeper relationships with others in the church and practicing the “one anothers” of the New Testament? (John 13:34-35, 15:12; Rom. 12:10, 16, 15:7; 2 Cor. 13:11; Gal. 5:13; Eph. 4:1-2, 32; Col. 3:9-10, 12-17; 1 Thes. 4:18, 5:11; Heb. 3:13, 10:25; Jam. 4:11, 5:9, 16; 1 Pet. 1:22-25, 4:8-11, 5:5; 1 John 3:23, 4:7, 11-12)
- What sacrifices of time, talent, or treasure might the Lord be leading you to make in order to participate more intentionally in the body of Christ?
8. The Lost and the Least: to spread a passion for the supremacy of God we must share in God’s passion for the lost and the “least of these”:
- Have you ever reflected deeply on what motivates God to seek and save the lost? Have you ever prayed and asked the Lord to help you see what he sees and feel what he feels when he sees the lost? (Luke 5:27-32, 15:1-32, 19:1-10; Eph. 2:1-10; Phil. 2:5-11)
- Are you well equipped to share Christ with non-believers? Are you now sharing Christ with anyone? Are you now praying for anyone to be saved?
- Have you ever reflected deeply on what motivates God to command his people to care for the “least of these”? Have you ever prayed and asked God to share his heart with you for them? (Ex. 22:21, 23:9; Lev. 19:10, 23:22; Deut. 10:18-19; Mat. 25:31-46; Luke 14:1-24; Jam. 1:27)
- Are you well equipped to care for the least of these in your neighborhood, city, and world? Are you now caring for or praying for anyone in need?
|
