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John Barnett

Pastor John Barnett

 

Word-Filled Resources from the Ministry of John Barnett

 

 

 

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John's newest book,
David's Spiritual Secret , is now
available online. This
book traces David as a
young man and how
he resisted peer
pressures
to sin;
David as a young
married man with job
stress
, and the
struggles of job loss;
David in his career
and making godly
choices
, then his
midlife crisis and sins
with Bathsheba; and
finally how David
shows us the way to
live well to the
end for God
. 
 


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Staying Focused on God

in a World of Distractions

(Titus 2:7)


Grace-prompted Young Men (and all the rest of us) who Focus on God will choose to: Start Godly Habits.

 

Romans 13:14 "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill."

 

Why not decide to cultivate some godly habits?

 

If you are distracted from God by websites, TV shows, magazines, games, music, videos, and so on, that are less than Christlike, destroy them.

 

If there are avenues that defile and deaden your reverence for God, such as cable TV/HBO and ungodly internet access, get rid of them.

 

Do whatever it takes to starve the evil desires of your flesh, and those of your family. Put on Christ by starving your flesh!

 

How do we start? Here are 5 small choices you could make that can completely change the focus of your life away from the distractions of the world and onto the God who waits for your attention each day.

 

Each of these little choices starves the old habits and lusts we have built up, and allow us to start strengthening the new us we have in Christ. Grab a pen and jot one or more of these down, and prayerfully decide you will begin some of these godly new habits:

 

  1. Make a choice to: Read God's Word before email or any online activities each morning. That choice reflects Christ's Words in Matthew 6:33 "Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God".
  2. Make a plan for : Creating an intentional place of solitude, so that you can not only read God's Word, but also avoid any distractions until you can prayerfully apply the lesson you found: into your own life. That is the MOST VITAL part of each day's devotional time. Jesus called this in Matthew 4:4 "living by every word of God".
  3. Decide you will start a new habit to: Pray in the car or meditate on a verse instead of listening to the radio or music for 15 minutes a day. This can transform our car time into an altar of sacrifice to God. Many of us are all alone in the car except that someone else is there, often sitting right next to us in the front seat. God is waiting for us to talk to Him, invite Him into our day and just acknowledge that He tags around with us everywhere we go.
  4. Take the huge step of fasting from the ultimate distraction of Media: Skip a day of reading online news, the newspaper or favorite magazines as a fast to prove you are not controlled by anything; and instead memorize one verse to meditate upon that feeds your soul.
  5. Finally, ask the Lord if He is able to give you enough of His grace for you to: Have a no-television/video/gaming week or month and see if you can study through an entire book of the Bible or read a great Christian classic.

 

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Yours Because His,
John Barnett, Pastor and the entire DTBM Staff

� 2009 Discover The Book Ministries | A Nonprofit 501C3 Bible Teaching Ministry

To purchase your copy of  "Grace - Energized Men"  please click here.
   
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