One certain discipleship idea has transformed my God-moments time. I challenge you to try it, for you may never be the same again either.

First, I take a Scripture text or Bible story and read it. Then I ask myself some questions (in italics below). I journal my responses to these questions, expressing my thoughts. In so doing, God has become the passion of my heart as I continue to allow the Holy Spirit to live within me through this discipline.

Today, in my God-moments time, I read Ephesians 5:1 and then journaled.

What does this text or story say about God? ?God?s character is such that He wants us to love each other as He loves us. The description of that love?[portrays] a love offering and sacrifice which permeates the entire atmosphere.?

What does this text or story say about me? ?I am so loved and adored [through] this compassionate love from God that it is all consuming. It will transform the aroma of my life when I allow Him into my heart, soul, and mind?but it has to be my choice each day. I choose you, dearest Abba Father, to so envelop me in Your embrace and Your fragrant aroma that when I walk by, others will smell the Divine and not have a whiff of my odoriferous, sinful life.?

What does this text or story say about my walk with God? ?As I study God?s Word in a prayerful state of mind, my entire attitude and presence will permeate with His ?fragrant aroma,? not mine. I will cuddle up to God, and His aroma will be much more powerful than mine.?

If Jesus is truly Lord, then we will do what He says, no matter what. That?s what servants do. Anytime we say yes, He remains Lord. As soon as we say no, we have told the Lord that we no longer want His input on this issue, and we have taken back lordship. We are now back in charge.

Taking back lordship isn?t always about big things. Small decisions ultimately lead to bigger decisions. We must guard the avenues of our hearts and work toward saying yes, and never no, to God. Jesus said, ?One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much? (Luke 16:10).

We must learn to say yes to Jesus in the small and large things. They do not come easily. The reason they are so hard is because I like overseeing my life. I do not like submission. I am not good at letting God have total control. I have been around long enough to know that you probably do not do so well at it, either.

Surrender. It simply means we let God be in charge and be the Lord of our lives. And it is truly the hardest part of the spiritual life. It is about the changes that God wants to work in you and me.

It starts with asking a simple question each day, ?How will my life be different today because of what I read?? Addressing Bible study through this question is life-changing. It puts the whole of Scripture in my pocket, teaching me how to walk daily with Jesus. Instead of Scripture just being a bunch of random stories about people who made dumb or wise decisions, instead of being about deep theology and commentaries, instead of being about strange prophecies, it now becomes a place for me to see how and where God is leading me. Scripture begins to make sense, and shapes my life to become more like Christ?s.

The Bible is still the most-sold book in America today. The average home in America has three to five Bibles in it. Yet, nobody is reading the Bible. George Barna recently reported that 51 percent of Americans believe they live by a biblical worldview, yet only 6 percent of them actually do. If we are not reading the Bible, it cannot shape our worldview at all. I have heard it said many times, if we ate one meal a week, we would soon starve to death. Spiritually speaking, we must learn to feed ourselves and not rely upon someone else?s teachings about the Bible.

Christlikeness is the goal. I am not arguing for perfection. I am arguing for the idea that you and I get on a journey with Christ and walk with Him every day.

?Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.? Here is language that expresses His mind toward a corrupt and idolatrous people: ?How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? . . . Mine heart is turned within Me, My repentings are kindled together.? Must He give up the people for whom such a provision has been made, even His only-begotten Son, the express image of Himself? God permits His Son to be delivered up for our offenses. He Himself assumes toward the Sin Bearer the character of a judge, divesting Himself of the endearing qualities of a father.

Herein His love commends itself in the most marvelous manner to the rebellious race. What a sight for angels to behold! What a hope for man, ?that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us?! The just suffered for the unjust; He bore our sins in His own body on the tree. ?He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things???Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, pp. 245, 246.

An unnamed woman anoints Jesus? head with very expensive nard ointment. No reason is given for her actions, and she never says a word in the narrative.

The woman?s gift was extravagant, worth nearly a year?s wages for a day laborer. However, the container for the perfume was also costly, as it was made of alabaster.8 The perfume was made from nard, which came from present-day India and Nepal, therefore, making it very costly. Those at the feast find her gift a waste. They, thereby, express their valuation of Jesus, whereas the woman has expressed her valuation by her action. She broke the neck of the alabaster flask, thus committing the entire amount to her anointing of Jesus.

When someone does an amazing action like this, people who do not participate are shamed. Not uncommonly, to cover that shame, those people blame the person who gave the gift. This is exactly what happens here: shame is disguised by supposed care for the poor. But Jesus comes to the defense of the woman and notes two points: she has anointed Him for burial, and her action will be remembered forever as part of the gospel message (Mark 14:6?9). In fact, she is the only person in Mark that is said to have anointed Him for burial. The women who came on Sunday morning were too late because He had already risen.

Personally, I have found a great way to start the day with God. I read a devotional entry, the quarterly Bible lesson study, and the Bible and then pray with God about the day and prayer requests others may have. Many times, I notice that something I read applies to a situation I face later in the day. Another good way to see how God is with us is to take some quiet time away from our regular routine. This is a good ?filter? from the storms of life that helps to keep us fresh in our relationship with Jesus.

Sometimes God uses one event to encourage two people. Many years ago, my grandmother was in great tooth pain but lacked money to fix the issue. Thankfully, I was able to find a low-cost dental place near her. As we pulled up and stopped in front of the door, she told me she was anxious, and I took her hand and said, ?Then let?s have a prayer first.? Next, we walked to the counter to check in and then took our seats. Just then a golden lab dog walked around the corner over to her and set his head on her lap as she giggled. He left his head there as though he knew she was anxious and needing soothing. I felt relieved, too, that God helped ease my grandmother?s anxiety.  

Suppose you have a goldfish named Bubbles in a bowl that you are keeping on the counter, and every day you flick food into Bubbles?s bowl but do nothing else. Several weeks later you notice that Bubbles looks as though he is swimming in dirty water. You pull Bubbles out and wash him off under the faucet with a tiny brush and special fish soap. Then you put Bubbles back in the same water. Pretty soon he is going to get dirty again. Even if you gave him fresh water, pretty soon Bubbles is going to get dirty again. Yes, he has been washed by you the ?parent,? but Bubbles needs to have some sort of ?filter? that works to keep him and his bowl fresh. If we were talking about us, this means we not only get food and drink in the church potluck line but also spend quality time in Bible studies, men or women?s fellowship events, and engage in quality conversations. It also means a daily relationship with the God who wants to be with us 24-7. No one else can be with us 24-7.

God wants to be with us always, no matter where we are. He says, ?So I will be with you.? The idea of God being with us is in many verses. I?ll mention a couple. Isaiah 43:2 shares, ?When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.? And Matthew 28:20 encourages, ?And surely I am with you always, to the end of the age.?

While wondering what to do next, have you ever felt vulnerable, unprotected, or unsure that you?re making a difference? In the book of Zechariah, we see how much he worked to reassure the people. One day to encourage Zechariah, God gave him a vision of Joshua, the high priest for the remnant who had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild. In his capacity as high priest, Joshua represented the people before God. Zechariah 3:1 shares, ?Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.?

Paul states in Romans, ?As it is written: There is none righteous, no not one? (Romans 3:10, NKJV). Satan stands beside us to accuse us because he knows our sins. However, the Lord answers for us. Zechariah 3:2 shares, ?The Lord said to Satan, ?The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?? ?

I?m so thankful that the Lord comes in, rebukes Satan, and describes us as a stick snatched out of the fire.

Our work should be to embrace every opportunity to present the truth in its purity and simplicity where there is any desire or interest to hear the reasons of our faith. Those who have dwelt mostly upon the prophecies and the theoretical points of our faith should without delay become Bible students upon practical subjects. They should take a deeper draft at the fountain of divine truth. They should carefully study the life of Christ and His lessons of practical godliness, given for the benefit of all and to be the rule of right living for all who should believe on His name. They should be imbued with the spirit of their great Exemplar and have a high sense of the sacred life of a follower of Christ.?Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, pp. 213, 214.

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 2 Timothy 4:1, 2, NKJV.

WHAT USE HAVE you made of the gift of God? He has supplied you with the motive force of action, that with patience and hope and untiring vigilance you might set forth Christ and Him crucified, calling the lost to repent of their sins, sounding the note of warning that Christ is soon to come with power and great glory.

If the members of the . . . church do not arouse now and go to work in missionary fields, they will fall back into deathlike slumber. How did the Holy Spirit work upon your hearts? . . . Were you not inspired to exercise the talents God has given you, that every man and woman and youth should employ them to set forth the truth for this time, making personal efforts, going into the cities where the truth has never been proclaimed, and lifting up the standard?

Acts of generosity and benevolence were designed by God to keep the hearts of the children of men tender and sympathetic and to encourage in them an interest and affection for one another in imitation of the Master, who for our sakes became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich. The law of tithing was founded upon an enduring principle and was designed to be a blessing to man.?Reflecting Christ, p. 270.

It is the motive that gives character to our acts, stamping them with ignominy or with high moral worth. Not the great things which every eye sees and every tongue praises does God account most precious. The little duties cheerfully done, the little gifts which make no show, and which to human eyes may appear worthless, often stand highest in His sight. A heart of faith and love is dearer to God than the most costly gift. . . . It was this unselfish spirit and childlike faith that won the Saviour?s commendation.?Lift Him Up, p. 88.

After Jesus finished His arguments with the religious leaders, described in Mark 11 and 12, He sat down in the treasury area of the temple and watched people bring their offerings (Mark 12:41?44). The temple complex had thirteen chests with horn-shaped openings that received the different offerings. Exactly where these chests were located is disputed.1 Perhaps they were located in various parts of the temple complex. In any case, Mark 12:41 indicates that Jesus was sitting opposite the treasury, located in the Court of the Women, near the temple building itself.

As He watched the people putting in their offerings, he noticed that some of them deposited large sums. Soon a widow approached and threw in two lepta. The lepton, the singular of lepta, was the smallest coin in use in Palestine in Jesus? day. It took 64 lepta to equal one denarius. The denarius was the day?s wage of a day laborer, like the ones Jesus described in the parable of the vineyard (Matthew 20:1?16).

To arrive at a current value for the widow?s offering, simply divide a day?s wages by 64. It does not amount to much! Furthermore, Jesus noted that these two lepta were all the widow had and all she had to live on.

It is striking?the contrast between the rich gifts given by the many versus the very small amount given by the one widow. In today?s setting, we would not likely notice what the widow had given, but Jesus did. The truth of the matter is that we see what a person puts in the offering plate, but God sees what is left in that person?s pocket. In proportional terms, the widow gave the most because she gave everything.