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Cell Notes on Intimacy
Word
Read: John 2:12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.
Genesis 6 It says Noah walked with God.
Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you
Luke 5:16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Think of 2-3 people you love spending time with.
Why do you love spending time with them?
How do you think God feels when we don’t spend time with him?
What would help you to spend more time with God?
Get into groups and pray for each other...
_____________________________________________________________________________________ Cecilia’s preaching notes:
INTIMACY from a dictionary - a close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship with another person or group. - It indicates detailed knowledge of a thing or person - It’s a process that enables people to confidently disclose previously hidden thoughts and feelings. - Intimate conversations become the basis for 'secret knowledge' that bind people together. - Developing an intimate relationship typically takes a considerable amount of time (months and years, rather than days or weeks) - The level of intimacy varies from relationship to relationship.
The bible speaks of close relationships: 1. With people 2. With God
1. With people: John 2:12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.
We all need friends, we all need people to turn to and where we can be there for them. Intimate friendships are the ones that take months and years to build up.
2. With God Genesis 6 It says Noah walked with God. Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you Luke 5:16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Jesus spent time with his Father - who he knew very well. How much then do we need to spend time with him to get to know him. Prayer Bible reading Worship We do need to spend more time with God, for us to recognize his voice and his presence, if we been away from him. Ways of doing it - Set aside a time each day - Play worship music in the background when you are doing other things - Use different ways i.e. bible reading plans - Ask others what has been helpful for them - Experiment, so it does’t get boring
Quotes: We are at this moment as close to God as we really choose to be. True, there are times when we would like to know a deeper intimacy, but when it comes to the point, we are not prepared to pay the price involved. J. Oswald Saunders Those who know God the best are the richest and most powerful in prayer. Little acquaintance with God, and strangeness and coldness to Him, make prayer a rare and feeble thing. Edward McKendree |
Cecilia Plummer, 03/02/2009 |
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