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Focused on His Presence
Our first ministry is to God. As we behold Him, we are moved to worship with joyous passion.
Psalm 27:4; Luke 10:39–42; James 4:8; Psalm 1:1–3; Psalm 23:6; Psalm 26:8; John 4:23; Psalm 22:3.
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God delights in us and has always desired to be with us. We focus on His presence because we have discovered that He is focused on us.
Ephesians 1:4–5; Zephaniah 3:17; Jeremiah 31:3; Psalm 65:4; 1 John 3:1; Revelation 3:20; 1 John 4:19.
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Purposefully cultivating a hunger for God’s manifest presence and an openness to experiencing the Holy Spirit deepens our friendship with God and our awareness that we carry His presence for the sake of the world
Psalm 73:28; Psalm 107:9; John 1:16; Matthew 5:6; Isaiah 55:1–2; 1 Corinthians 3:16.
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As a lifestyle, we practice recognizing God’s presence while we minister to others, attempting to say what He is saying and do what He is doing
John 5:19–20; John 5:30, John 12:49–50; John 14:10; 1 John 4:16–17.
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What Does This Mean?
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We worship and have fellowship with God throughout the day in all aspects of life, such as prayer, the Word, creativity, music, nature, family, work and friendships.
1 John 1:3; Matthew 6:6–15; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18; Colossians 3:17.
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God has made us a dwelling place for His Spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:19–20; 2 Timothy 1:14; Colossians 2:9–10.
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As we draw near to God, He draws near to us.
James 4:8; Matthew 5:6; Matthew 6:33.
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The Holy Spirit’s presence motivates us toward love and toward changing the world.
Matthew 28:18–20; Joel 2:28; Acts 1:8.
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We are called to behold God face to face, allowing nothing to come between Him and us. As we do this, we are transformed into the image of Christ
Exodus 20:3; 2 Corinthians 3:16–18; 2 Corinthians 5:18–20; Matthew 22:37.
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Connected to God, we are filled with joy and peace and are empowered to take risks to extend the Kingdom.
Psalm 13:5; Hebrews 1:9; John 15; Acts 1:8.
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Every part of a Christian’s life is sacred and meant to be holy. We do not live with the false mindset that life is divided into the “sacred” or the “secular.” Rather, God values and is involved in every area of our lives. The Holy Spirit lives in us, so everything we do and everywhere we go is sacred.
Colossians 1:16–20; Colossians 3:23; 1 Timothy 4:3–5; Revelation 11:15; 1 Corinthians 10:31.
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Don’t Misunderstand…
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Being focused on His presence doesn’t mean Christians should spend all their time in private worship, disconnected from the rest of life.
Hebrews 10:25; 1 Corinthians 4:12; Galatians 6:10; Matthew 18:20; John 17: 18.
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Not everything supernatural is from God; we must use our discernment.
1 John 4:1; Acts 13:6–12; Acts 16:16–18; Philippians 1:9–10; Hebrews 5:14.
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Physical manifestations of the Holy Spirit are not an indicator of our spiritual maturity.
1 Corinthians 13:1–3; 1 Corinthians 13:13; Matthew 7:21–23.
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God’s presence is just as much at work in the secular world as it is inside the church.
Psalm 139:7–12; Matthew 5:44–45; Habakkuk 2:14; Numbers 14:21; Romans 5:20.
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The Holy Spirit leads us into a Presence-focused lifestyle, not a self-focused lifestyle.
Matthew 16:24–25; Luke 14:27; 1 Peter 2:21.