10:30 on Tuesdays
January 4, 2023
A Spiritual Inventory – Week 2
January 19, 2023
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. —Psalm 139:23-24
I contemplate this passage often, and often think to myself, “What kind of idiot would proactively ask God to conduct such a search within him or herself?” I might ask God to search someone else I am sure needs it. But not me. I’m not eager to invite such an inspection.
But I have learned that this inspection will assist me in my introspection. Something I need, often. Do you?
We put together a Spiritual Inventory for the men to review at the beginning of the year. The full inventory is below, should you be brave enough to take it. Or perhaps I should say, “If you are serious about going deeper into the Kingdom.”
For today I will highlight just a few.
The “A+ Life to the Full” is through Jesus, yes, but plus many other things.
Surrender & Dying to Self is the key to the A+ Life to the Full.
The A+ Life to the Full is what Jesus said he came to give us. (See John 10:10) This Life to the Full is the most satisfying, the most rewarding, the most joy-full and peace-full life imaginable. Actually, we cannot even begin to imagine what it is like in all its fullness. But we can begin to experience it here, now.
This is what Dallas Willard meant when he said, “If you want to go to Heaven, go now.”
Even though most of us would give the church answer and say, “Yes, Jesus is the only way to this Life to the Full,” we think – we know? – that there are many other things that we need to truly have a full life. More money, more success, i.e., more of whatever we think we must have to be happy.
I like all these things, and I enjoy having more of them. But I have found, through losing them, that Jesus, alone, is all I need. He is all you need, too. Today, my life is full – overflowing with spiritual, as well as material fullness. But I know that if it all went away, I could bounce back to Jesus’ Full Life, if and when I let Jesus refill me to the full.
And the way to this Full Life is through “Surrender and dying to Self.” Self is my #1 enemy, and yours, too. My life would be close to perfect if not for my Self. My marriage would be close to perfect if not for my Self. My wife really only has my Self about which to complain. (But that is a lot!)
We have a saying at 721: “Trouble becomes conflict when I make it about me.” Sure, there is plenty of trouble out there. There are plenty of troublesome people making trouble. But it only penetrates my life when I make it about me … about Self.
Surrender Self, die to Self, and open the door to the Full Life.
Jesus has become my best friend & I talk with him often
To me Jesus is: quiet/serious/meek – Or: To me Jesus is: personable/funny/dynamic
Jesus is indeed personable, funny and dynamic. If you know him you will know this. But how many people out there think of him only as quiet, serious and meek? If this is you, you are missing all the fun of following Jesus. Of course pursuing Jesus and his Kingdom is a serious matter. And yes, of course, Jesus can be quiet, serious and meek. But he is so much more.
As Jesus became my best friend, his Life to the Full filled me, and oh, what a relief that was. All those empty spaces I had been trying to fill on my own, finally full! And then, as I brought him into the details of my life – which is what having a best friend is all about, isn’t it? – he filled me to overflowing.
You can have this, too.
The rest of the Inventory is below, and I strongly encourage you to watch this week’s video on the entire Inventory.
See our Vimeo channel at 721ministries.org
or our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJj3hsuJyYVMsmvRdfG6sIg
Spiritual Inventory
“Is where you are going where you want to be when you get there?” Andy Stanley
“If you want things to be different, you have to do things differently.”
On a scale of 1 – 10 with 10 = “I fully agree”
The A+ Life to the full is through Jesus, yes, but plus many other things: 1 ————————————-10
Surrender & “Dying to Self” is the key to the A+ Life to the full: 1——————————–10
I am living with the power of the Holy Spirit: 1 ————————————- 10 Not sure what it means
I often sense the Holy Spirit nudging me and speaking into me: 1———————————-10
I love to give money generously: 1———————————–10
My Schedule/busyness rules me: 1————————————10 My life is in balance
Joy (Joy: A pervasive sense of well-being) in my life: 1————————–10
Anxiety/worry is an issue for me: 1 ———————- 10 Peace/contentment rule my life
God is “God” to me: 1————————————-10 God is “my loving, dear Father” to me
Jesus has become my best friend & I talk with him often : 1——————————–10
To me Jesus is: quiet/serious/meek: 1———————10 To me Jesus is: personable/funny/dynamic
I prefer my will, my way: 1 ————I accept God’s will ————–10 I want God’s will no matter what
Being a Christian is hard/a burden : 1——————–10 Being a Christian empowering/enriching/fun
Prayer: Some/mostly distracted/only in trouble: 1———————-10 Enriching/Throughout day
I know & see God is involved in all the details of my life: 1——————————10
I can say with confidence, “Thank you now, Father, before I see the outcome”: 1———————10
My Spiritual* experience at my church is: Fulfilling/Alive/Kingdom Deepening 1 ————————-10
*(Not social experience)
I say I want to go deeper, but I am not digging nor surrendering: 1 ———————– 10
Reading the Bible is: Positive/Enriching: 1 —————————————– 10
Quiet Time daily: At least 1/2 hour: 1 ———————————-10
The Sabbath is like any other day except we go to church: 1——————————–10
I am 100% sure I am saved and going to Heaven: 1—————————–10
