Welcome to Delight in Grace. The Teaching Ministry of Rich Powell. pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. Deuteronomy 6 holds one of the most well known commands in the Bible. You shall love the LORD your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.
It calls us to keep His words on our hearts. These commands are far more than a simple duty. To love our God fully is to be connected to the one we were made for. our very source of life and purpose. Without him We're nothing.
God knows that without him mankind cannot flourish. And with him We find our soul's deepest need. And highest good. This is part four of a message titled, You Shall Love the Lord Your God. It was first preached on May 19, 2024.
What does it mean to fear him? Let me give you this definition: to fear God is this: it's to be captivated. by his perfections. and my accountability to him. Captivated by his perfect holiness, captivated by his perfect love.
captivated by his perfect goodness. captivated by his perfect justice. captivated by his perfect grace. And mercy. To be captivated by his perfections and my accountability to him.
In other words, practically speaking, what does it look like to fear God? For me, for Rich Powell, to fear God today, tomorrow, the rest of the week, it means this: I live for the audience of one. One. I fear him. And when you fear God, there's little else you fear.
It's true. I live for the opinion of one. And he says, why? Why should we do that? For our good always.
Those four words, for our good always, say that with me. For our good always. God is for us. His precepts. and loving boundaries are for our good.
Do we know that? Do we understand that? And why are they for our good? Why does he desire our good? For one reason alone, because He is good.
Do you know the goodness of God? Do your children know the goodness of God? Are they learning to appreciate the goodness of God? And we in the New Testament, we have so much more revelation now than they did back at this time because they were still looking ahead to the cross. And where are we?
We're looking back at it. There is never a question about God's love for you. for us and his goodness toward us. That is firmly established. Let's not forget God and let's not test him.
But let's be very intense. Yeah. Let's be very intentional. About loving him. And letting his word shape and fashion.
our affections And our attitudes. I want you, I'm asking you to make this assessment this morning. What are you doing, and what can you do as a family? Whether you are a family of one or two or five. are one of those crazy people that has six kids.
I can say that 'cause we have six kids. Just in case some of you visitors thought I was being rude. What do we do to be intentional? about loving God. intentionally remembering him being devoted to him and letting his word shape and fashion our affections and our attitudes.
I want us to pray about that now. And I've asked two people to come this morning to word our prayer for us. Carly's going to come, and then Daryl's going to come. And then I will pray afterwards. But I'm asking you, pray along with us, that this will be.
This will characterize us as the people of God, that we love God, we are wholly devoted to Him in all that we do. Let's pray together. Precious Father in heaven. May your name be kept holy amongst us. and our church family.
And our homes. And the choices we make each day, each moment, about what we allow in front of our eyes. But we allow to fill our ears. And thereby, what goes into our hearts and minds. For you've told us that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
Out of the abundance of our hearts, Lord, we live our lives. We build our homes. Other may our homes be places where the devil is not welcome. Where he could not Find a place to be comfortable. Father, may we make our homes and our families.
places where we feast on the bread of life every day. Throughout the day. Lord, let your word be in front of our eyes. And in our minds and in our hearts.
So much that we don't sin against you, that we. That we we don't even desire to put anything else there. May our homes be filled with your glory. with the songs of the Lord, with the word of God. Father, we live our lives before your eyes.
You know each thought and intention of our hearts. Help us, guide us. Parent us, your children. And help us to walk each moment in step with the Spirit with which we've been sealed until the day of redemption. Help us to love you, to choose each moment to live in a way that brings you glory.
Draw us ever closer to your heart. as our hearts are so prone to wander. Let us not lose our wonder of you in the mundane moments of our days. Let our love for you define us. As we walk alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ, help us to spur each other on to love and good works.
As we parent our children, Help us to remember that you are parenting us. As we talk with others, help our speech to be full of your goodness and your grace. We love you, Father. Help us to love you more. Father, there is.
Nothing. Like knowing you. You have designed us. To love you. And to live for you.
Bother it is good. that we give thanks to you. That we Sing praises to your name. That we honor you, Lord. You are great.
Scripture tells us also that Your greatness is unsearchable. Lord, help us to live. As we are designed. to live for you. That might be demonstrated in everything that we do.
Lord, I pray for my neighbors. around me. that they will see Christ. in me, that they will see Christ in us. Lord, we pray for our children.
That We instill in them A desire to know you more, to love you more. Or that may that be just the common thing amongst us. Lord, we praise you. Because there is, again, no one like you. Father Use us.
Use us in our workplaces. In our neighborhoods and in our homes. Lord, to shine your light. Again, we thank you, Lord, for who you are, what you've done. What you're gonna do.
And we give you the praise and the glory for it in Jesus' name. Could you stand with me, please? Uh Father, we acknowledge you this morning once again as Because you are our Creator, our Redeemer, our Sustainer. our reconciler Our righteousness Father, you are the very point to our existence. And so, Lord, I ask, first of all, that you would rescue us.
Rescue us from distractions. that would take us away from you. And do that, Father, by captivating our hearts with your love and your goodness, your beauty, and your majesty. Father, I ask that you would rescue us. from distortions.
distortions of you, distortions of reality. That would lead us away from thinking that you are good, that you are trustworthy, that you care, that you keep your promises. That you are small. But you are weak. That you are less than good.
Father, please rescue us from these. May we know you. according to the way that you have made yourself known. Through the record of history, through the person of your Son, the Lord Jesus, through the presence of your Holy Spirit. Through the power of your word, Father.
Shape and fashion us in our hearts. our affections and our attitudes, Father. May their shape be that of yours. Father, hear us this morning as we. Close Singing a song to you.
Let's sing, I love you, Lord, together. I love Love you, Lord, and I live. Lift my voice. Two, one. Persian Thank you.
You oh my soul. Mm-hmm. Real joyous. Take joy, my king. Yeah.
Yeah. May it be a screen.
So We need her one day. You've been listening to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. To hear this message and others, check out www.delightandgrace.com. To discover how to live by grace, tune in with us on weekdays at 10 a.m.
