11-12-25 Sermon: The Pre-Designed Plan of God and Spiritual Walking

Sermon Outline: The Pre-Designed Plan of God and Spiritual Walking (Part 2)

I. Introduction and Opening Prayer

Administrative Note:

The target for starting YouTube Live in the big room is the first Wednesday in January.

The speaker's son, James, is working with John John to get the technical aspects up and running.

The delay is to ensure things are done in a proper, solid way, without rushing.

Preparation for Bible Study: The Filling of the Spirit

A moment of silent prayer is taken to ensure the filling of the Spirit.

1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, He, God, is faithful and just to forgive us for our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Definition: "Confess" means to name or to cite.

This cleansing covers sins we may not even be aware of.

Application: It's a good idea to put aside cares and anxieties before studying God's Word.

Scripture Reference: "Cast your cares upon the Lord because He cares for you."

Opening Prayer:

Thanksgiving for the day, the time to study, God's faithfulness, provision, mercy, grace, and His Word.

Thanksgiving for the pre-designed plan God has for each believer, both present and future listeners.

Petition for the Holy Spirit to open hearts to hear the truth and execute the plan.

Prayer for the speaker to have strength, power, and authority to speak God's Word, and the grace that the Word teaches.

II. Review of "Spiritual Walking"

Topic Introduction:

Continuing the study on the "Pre-designed Plan of God and Spiritual Walking."

The goal is to finish the "Spiritual Walking" section next week and then begin the main study on the "Pre-designed Plan of God," which will extend into January.

Definition of Spiritual Walking:

Spiritual walking is the specific procedure and policy for the church-age believer to execute the pre-designed plan of God.

It is the methodology of the Christian life.

Executing the plan requires spiritual energy.

The Precedence for Spiritual Walking:

1 John 2:6: "The one who says that he remains in him ought himself also to walk just as he walked."

The precedence for our walk is the Lord Jesus Christ in His humanity, not Old Testament saints (though we learn doctrine from them).

The same power available to Christ in His humanity is available to us as church-age believers.

The Power for Spiritual Walking:

The power comes from the utilization of the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit.

Many believers struggle by trying to overcome the flesh directly.

Key Principle: The key to overcoming the flesh is not to fight it, but to walk by means of the Spirit.

Victory over the desires of the flesh is the guaranteed result of being filled with the Spirit and walking in His power.

The Purpose of Spiritual Walking:

To glorify God during the church age.

To live in a manner worthy of our high calling and election.

This leads to entering the kingdom and glory with fantastic blessings.

Practical Application and Mindset:

Foundation: It all begins with a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Upon salvation, you are entered into God's pre-designed plan.

Faith Acceptance: The speaker accepts by faith that:

1. God has a plan for his life.

2. God ordained good works for him to perform in eternity past.

3. God has tremendous blessings in time and rewards in eternity held in "escrow" for him.

Logical Conclusion: If God has a plan and blessings, He wants us to know the plan and receive the blessings.

Illustration: If the speaker told the congregation he had a million dollars for each of them, their next question would be, "How do I get it?"

The Power System: The system for executing the plan is:

1. The filling of the Spirit.

2. The perception, metabolization, and application of Bible doctrine.

The Two Systems: You are either operating in God's power system (the pre-designed plan) or you are defaulting to the cosmic system (the devil's plan). There is no middle ground.

Personal Mental Process:

The speaker constantly re-explains doctrine to himself, internalizing concepts until they become wisdom.

This doesn't mean constantly quoting memorized verses, but understanding the core principles.

He reflects on the character and nature of God (truth, veracity, omnipotence) in relation to the plan.

Conclusion: God is not going to trick him. If he gets deceived, it's because he has veered off the plan.

Staying on Course:

Keep short accounts with God (confess sin).

Ensure the filling of the Spirit for the maximum amount of time.

Consistently take in and apply doctrine.

If these things are done, God will progressively reveal His plan.

Answering the Question: "How do I know God's plan for my life?"

It's impossible for one person to know the specific details of God's plan for another.

However, there is a general plan for everyone: "to grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Practical Advice:

1. Relax. God is not a lottery ticket or a genie in a lamp.

2. Start with what you know to do. Don't get overwhelmed trying to figure out future steps.

3. Continue doing the known steps, and things will begin to open up.

Personal Testimony: The speaker attributes everything that has happened in the past year and a half of his walk to God's power, achieved simply by being filled with the Spirit and consistently taking in doctrine.

The Role of a Pastor-Teacher: It is important to have a pastor-teacher, as God has ordained them. This should be combined with personal study, devotionals, and reading the Word.

The Relation of Walking to the Faith-Rest Drill:

2 Corinthians 5:7: "For we walk by faith, not by sight."

The pre-designed plan is executed by faith.

Definition of Faith: A non-meritorious system of perception where the object of faith gets the credit, not the person exercising faith.

For the believer, Bible doctrine is the object of our faith.

We do not walk by the natural realm ("sight") or human understanding.

The Relation of Walking to Executing God's Plan:

Ephesians 2:10: "For we are his workmanship..."

Analogy to Salvation: Just as God is not willing that any should perish but not all get saved, God has a plan for every believer, but not every believer will execute it.

Doctrinal Point: God's foreknowledge and predestination do not negate human volition. You have your own choice.

Refutation of False Doctrine: The sermon will later address the false belief (hyper-Calvinism) that one has no choice over their state (e.g., alcoholism) because God made them that way.

Summary of "Walking" Concepts (Review):

The concept of walking is in the pre-designed plan of God.

The precedence is the Lord Jesus Christ.

The power is God the Holy Spirit.

The purpose is to glorify God.

The fulfillment is fellowship with God and other believers.

The challenge is to live a newness of life.

The relation to faith is walking by faith, not sight.

III. New Material: The Prerequisite for a Worthy Walk (Colossians 1:9-10)

Introduction to Colossians 1:9-10:

The speaker uses this passage as a model for how he prays for others.

Illustration: The speaker's daily prayer list for about 15 people originated from David sending him prayers for his daughter. It grew naturally, starting with immediate family and expanding. He includes church leadership (Samantha and Pastor John). The process unfolds naturally as God works.

He believes one of the most powerful ways to pray for someone is for them to have the strength to know and execute God's plan for their life.

Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:9-10

Verse 9: "For this reason we also, since the day we heard about it, have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,"

Verse 10: "So that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God."

Analysis of Colossians 1:9 - The Prerequisite

"Filled with the knowledge"

Greek Word Study: The word for "knowledge" here is epignosis , not gnosis .

Gnosis is academic knowledge.

Epignosis is metabolized doctrine, which becomes wisdom.

The Holy Spirit performs the work of metabolizing doctrine when we mix the Word with faith.

Condition for Epignosis: To be filled with epignosis, one must first be "in the light" (in fellowship with God).

This is why we confess sin (1 John 1:9) to ensure the filling of the Spirit.

You must be filled with the Spirit to be taught by the Spirit.

Doctrinal Point: "The natural man cannot understand the things of God, they are foolishness to him."

Analysis of Colossians 1:9 - The Result

"In all spiritual wisdom and understanding"

After taking in metabolized doctrine ( epignosis ), the believer gains wisdom and understanding that operate in the spiritual realm.

Connecting Doctrine to Discovering God's Plan:

Question: How will we know the pre-designed plan for our lives?

Answer: God will reveal it to you through the process of internalizing, metabolizing, and applying doctrine.

It is not about whether the doctrine seems to apply to your life right now; it's about consistently taking it in.

Trust God the Holy Spirit, who is omnipotent and knows what He is doing.

Principle: God wants you to know His plan and will not trick you.

The Importance of God's Procedure:

Anything done in the spiritual realm must be done in the right way. "A right thing has to always be done in the right way."

God has a process and a way of doing things.

Analogy to Salvation: There is a specific procedure for salvation: "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." It is not by works, baptism, raising a hand, or walking an aisle.

When you followed God's procedure for salvation, you made an adjustment to the justice of God.

Attribution (R.B. Thieme Jr.): When you align with God's justice, you are lined up with the "encapsulated grace pipeline," and God can bless you.

Application: This principle applies to the entire spiritual life. You don't need to know all the details of what God wants you to do.

Mistaken Approach: People wrongly hustle around trying to figure out what they should be doing (witnessing, serving, ushering, teaching Sunday school). This is the wrong focus.

IV. Pursuing God’s Plan, Not Personal Ambition

Personal Testimony on Ministry:

The feeling of "missing out" can be from the flesh or a foothold for the devil.

Personal belief: God will one day call me back to pastor a church.

Crucial point: I am not pursuing this. I am pursuing God and His plan as He reveals it.

If a door for pastoring opens, it will be God's doing, not my own effort.

Illustration: The prison ministry door is currently closed by God. I will not try to pry it open. When God closes a door, I accept it, knowing He doesn't want to trick me.

The primary responsibility is to seek Him.

Scripture Reference: "Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 6:33)

V. The Purpose and Result of Bible Doctrine

The Goal of Doctrine: To gain spiritual wisdom and understanding.

The Execution: To "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord."

The Separation Point: This is the difference between a mature believer and an immature, legalistic believer.

A believer cannot walk worthily without first metabolizing doctrine and being motivated by spiritual wisdom.

Illustration: New believers in some churches are immediately pushed into frantic activity ("hustling around"). This is wrong.

The first step is to take in the Word of God.

The Principle of Divine Production:

Anything done for God must be done His way, with metabolized doctrine.

Everything else is done in the flesh and is worthless ("wood, hay, and straw").

Only actions done under the filling of the Spirit with the application of Bible doctrine count with God.

This is analogous to salvation: it's all of God, or it's not.

God is not impressed by our works for Him.

Warning: A Christian can spend their whole life "hustling" in the good part of their sin nature, only to find at the Bema Seat that it was all worthless and burned up.

Man's morality, religious activity, or overt displays of human love are not substitutes for a life empowered by metabolized doctrine.

To walk worthily requires God's omnipotence, which is only available through spiritual wisdom and understanding.

VI. The Result of a Worthy Walk

Result: "To please him in all aspects, bearing fruit in every good work."

This does not imply sinless perfection.

It implies a consistent pattern of dealing with sin and continuing in the wisdom of God.

How to Deal with Sin:

Name it and cite it (confess it).

Pick up the pieces and move on.

Do not feel guilty or sad. These emotions can take you out of God's plan.

Problem: Believers can become "overly sin conscious," thinking, "I blew it. I failed. God can't use me."

Solution: When you fail, God has provided a way back into fellowship. We all have a sin nature and will fail.

The process: Name it, confess it to God, and you are back in fellowship.

You must believe this, even if you don't feel like you're back in fellowship.

Illustration: Some sins we commit we don't feel bad about; others we legitimately feel bad for. How you feel is inconsequential.

Feelings do not restore fellowship; trusting God's Word does.

Scripture Reference: "He is faithful and just to forgive us for our sins" (1 John 1:9) because Christ already paid the penalty.

Spiritual Momentum:

The end of the passage mentions "increasing in the knowledge of God."

This is spiritual momentum. Starting this process builds momentum in your life.

The spiritual life is a process of constant growth; you never arrive at a place where you have enough doctrine.

This reality confirms the need for a prepared pastor-teacher.

To think we can succeed without this provision is to disobey the divine establishment.

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 4:11-12

"And he gave some apostles... some of his prophets... we don't need an evangelist... so that would mean pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the building of the body of Christ."

Apostles and prophets are no longer active today.

VII. The Mandate to Walk: Reaching Spiritual Maturity

Scripture Reference: 1 Thessalonians 4:1

"Finally then, brothers and sisters, we request and urge you in the Lord Jesus that as you received instruction from us as to how you ought to walk and please God, just as you actually do walk, that you excel even more."

Paraphrase and Explanation:

"Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus Christ, as you have received instruction from us how you ought to walk and please God, just as you actually are walking so that you may advance still more or excel even more."

The instruction from your pastor-teacher on how to walk is the very means by which you advance toward spiritual maturity.

This is not based on self-study or personal arrogance.

VIII. Two Categories of Spiritual Walking: Divine Power vs. Human Energy

A. Positive Walking (Advancement):

This is the utilization of divine power as you advance in the Christian life.

To be a winner, you must reside, function, and maintain momentum inside the pre-designed plan of God (PDPG).

"Walking" is consistent and steady.

It is NOT skipping along, inconsistent attendance, inconsistent intake of the Word, or running and burning out with human energy.

B. Negative Walking (Retrogression/Reversionism):

This is the utilization of human energy related to the old sin nature.

This results in retrogression and apostasy.

To retreat and be a loser is to use human energy, which leads to frustration and entrapment in Satan's cosmic system.

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 2:10

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, so that we would walk in them."

When you walk with divine power in God's plan, you produce agathos.

Greek Word Study: agathos - "good of intrinsic value achievement." This is not just any works, but valuable works, not worthless ones.

The Inescapable Principle of Motion:

No believer ever stands still. You are either advancing or retreating.

You are either walking in the PDPG or in Satan's cosmic system.

The Principle of Soul Respiration:

The real you, your soul, is always breathing.

You are either breathing in God's plan or Satan's system.

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 4:23 - "And that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds."

Greek Word Study: pneuma (spirit) - can mean breath, wind, or spirit.

All scripture is "God-breathed."

Your soul is always taking in information. This is why it's crucial to guard what you see and hear and to consistently take in Bible doctrine.

IX. Greek Word Study: Five Words for "Walk"

A. Word #1: Peripateo (περιπατέω)

Definition: To walk, to walk around. It denotes a continuous action, a lifestyle, or a consistent pattern of behavior.

Scripture References:

Romans 6:4: "...so we too may walk ( peripateo ) in newness of life."

Galatians 5:16: "But I say, walk (peripateo) by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh."

Ephesians 5:2: "And walk (peripateo) in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave himself for us..." (This verse also contains the doctrine of propitiation).

1 Corinthians 3:3 (Carnal Sense): "...are you not fleshly? And are you not walking (peripateo) like ordinary people?"

Philippians 3:18: "For many walk (peripateo), of whom I often told you... that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ."

Ephesians 2:2: "In which you previously walked (peripateo) according to the course of this world..."

Colossians 3:5-7: "...and in them you also once walked (peripateo) when you were living in them." (Equates living with walking).

Summary Point: This word establishes that you are always moving, either forward in God's plan or in the cosmic system.

B. Word #2: Stoicheo (στοιχέω)

Importance of Original Languages:

Different Bible versions may translate these words differently. The NASB is good, but may translate stoicheo as "follow" instead of "walk."

Paul uses two different Greek words for "walk" within nine verses in Galatians 5.

We must go back to the original language because the Holy Spirit chose each word for a specific meaning.

The goal is not to have a seminary Greek class, but to understand the precise meaning intended.

Definition: To march in step, to march in rank, to walk in agreement with something, to function in the system, to follow a leader from the ranks. It is a military term. It means to function and advance within a specific, ordered system.

Scripture References:

Galatians 5:25: "If we live by the Spirit, let's follow ( stoicheo ) the Spirit as well." (NASB uses "follow").

This is just nine verses after Galatians 5:16, which used peripateo . Paul is making a specific point with a different word.

1 John 2:6: "The one who says that he remains in him ought himself also to walk (stoicheo) just as he walked." (To march in step, follow a system/leader).

X. The Doctrine of Accuracy: Walking by the Rule

Stoicheo requires two things: precision and accuracy.

To glorify God, one must be precise and accurate in the application of His pre-designed plan.

Sloppiness is a direct insult against the character of God.

True praise is the result of doctrinal apprehension, not emotional expression.

Scripture Reference: Psalm 119:1-4

v. 1: "Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord."

v. 2: "Blessed are those who comply with his testimonies and seek him with all their heart."

v. 3: "They also do no injustice; they walk in his ways."

v. 4: "You have ordained your precepts that we are to keep them diligently."

Doctrinal Points from Psalm 119:

Blessed is the life that walks in divine doctrine.

"Blameless" refers to possessing divine integrity, not sinlessness.

The word for "heart" emphasizes the intellectual and cognitive nature of seeking God's truth.

"They also do no injustice": This phrase does not mean believers are sinless, but rather that they are not living under the operational control of the cosmic system.

"His ways": Refers to His doctrines.

Core Principle: There is a direct correlation between learning Bible doctrine and offering genuine praise to God.

XI. The Principle of the Accurate Walk: Stoicheo

Definition of Stoicheo: To walk by the Spirit is to walk in precision and agreement with God the Holy Spirit.

It involves functioning within God's system.

It involves following the leadership of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Result of the Accurate Walk:

Growth in grace and knowledge.

Culminates in spiritual leadership.

Bringing Glory to God: Glory is brought to God by honoring His systems and proving love for Him through doctrinal accuracy.

Analogy : An employee honors an authority by following precise directions, not doing it their own way. God is the ultimate authority, and we honor Him by doing it His way.

Word Study: Stoicheo

It is a military term.

Meaning:

To march in rank.

To keep in step.

To walk in agreement with.

To function within the system.

To follow a leader from the ranks.

It denotes precision and order.

XII. The Pattern of Salvation: Accuracy in Belief

Scripture Reference: Romans 4:12

Quote : "...but also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham..."

Greek Word Study: The word for "follow" is stoicheo.

Doctrinal Point: Salvation requires marching in the same precise steps as Abraham.

Abraham's Faith:

Scripture Reference : Genesis 15:6

Quote: "Then he believed in the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness."

Doctrinal Point: This is the one unchanging way of salvation.

Greek Word Study: The word for "believe" is pisteuo.

The Inaccuracy of Common Salvation Phrases:

"Asking Jesus into your heart" is not found in the Bible and is a doctrine of inaccuracy.

This is an issue of accuracy, not semantics.

Sincerity vs. Accuracy:

It is not about sincerity. If sincerity were the standard, the prayers of a Catholic to Mary, a Buddhist, or a Muslim would be equally valid.

The phrase "God knows your heart" is true, but salvation is about accuracy, not sincerity. God has prescribed a specific way.

Accuracy in Prayer:

The biblical standard is to pray to the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and in the name of the Son.

Praying directly to Jesus or the Holy Spirit is not the model taught in the Word of God.

Dismissing this as "semantics" is incorrect. If accuracy doesn't matter, then any form of prayer to any object would be valid.

Illustration: Praying to a Pellegrino water bottle.

The 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous teaches belief in a "higher power," regardless of what it is. This is illogical because if the higher power isn't real, it has no power.

If one sincerely prays to a water bottle, the true God of the universe will not answer just because of the person's sincerity. That is not how the spiritual life works.

The spiritual life requires accuracy and precision.

XIII. The Path to Knowing God's Plan

Problem: People cannot figure out God's plan for their life because they are bound up with not doing things the way God has ordained.

Solution: Start by doing the things you already know to do.

Don't worry about future decisions like marriage, career, or college.

People get stuck on these big questions and miss the clear, daily instructions God has already provided.

Scripture Reference: Galatians 6:16

Quote : "In all of those who follow this rule, peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God."

XIV. The Standard of the Christian Walk: A Study in Philippians 3

Scripture Reference: Philippians 3:16

Quote : "However, let's keep living by the same standard to which we have attained."

To understand this verse, we must examine the preceding context.

Context: Philippians 3:7-8

Quote : "But whatever things were gained to me, These things I have counted as loss because of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be lost in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ, Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as mere rubbish so that I may gain Christ."

Doctrinal Point: Paul counted all his human achievements as loss for the sake of Christ.

Greek Word Study: The word Paul uses for "count" implies an evaluation made by an expert. As an expert, Paul evaluated all his accomplishments and deemed them rubbish.

Context: Philippians 3:9

Quote : "And may be found in him not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law... But that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith."

Doctrinal Point: The believer's righteousness is not self-righteousness from the law but comes from God based on faith in Christ.

Application: It is vital to know who you are in Christ before facing trials ("giants").

Illustration: The 10 spies in the Old Testament gave a bad report because they compared themselves to the giants. Caleb and Joshua saw the problem from the perspective of God's power, knowing God would fight for them.

Context: Philippians 3:10-11

Quote : "...that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain to the resurrection of the dead."

Context: Philippians 3:12-14

Quote : "Not that I have already grasped it all, or have already become perfect, but I press on, if I may also take hold of that which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus, brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet, but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Doctrinal Point: Paul is talking about spiritual maturity, which is a process.

Upcoming Study: The stages of spiritual adulthood will be covered in the future (Spiritual Self-Esteem, Spiritual Autonomy, Spiritual Maturity).

Process of Maturity: Involves pressing on, moving forward, and forgetting what lies behind.

Motivation: The prize of the upward call.

Context: Philippians 3:15

Quote : "Therefore, all who are mature, let's have this attitude. And if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that to you as well."

Doctrinal Point: Mature believers should have a forward-pressing, Christ-focused attitude. The Holy Spirit is the agent of correction for wrong attitudes.

XV. Returning to Philippians 3:16: The Meaning of Stoicheo

Scripture Reference: Philippians 3:16

Quote : "However, let's keep living by the same standard to which we have attained."

Greek Word Study: The word for "living" is stoicheo.

Interpretation:

Let us keep marching in step, marching in rank.

Let us keep walking in agreement, functioning in the system.

Let us keep following the leader.

"The same standard": Refers to the body of doctrine we have learned, which produces the mental attitude described by Paul (counting all things as loss to win Christ).

Paul's Forward-Thinking Attitude:

He counted all accomplishments as rubbish to win Christ.

He was focused on the goal and the prize, acknowledging he had not yet arrived.

Principle: This life is a constant forward movement; we never arrive.

Application: Like Paul, we must do this "one thing": forget what is behind and press on.

Connection to a Previous Sermon on Vision:

Vision is your future; it's what is in front of you.

A person with no vision has no future.

A person with no future will always revert to the past.

When you lose the forward-moving vision in God's plan, you will inevitably revert to the past.

Key Takeaway: We are never standing still; we are always either moving forward or moving backward.

XVI. Conclusion and Closing Remarks

Next Week's Topic: The third Greek word for "walk," poreuomai.

Upcoming Sermon (Sunday): The upcoming Sunday message will be very powerful and align with the current doctrinal study. It is a personal and emotional topic, reflecting the last year and a half of the pastor's own life.

The Importance of the Current Study: These technical studies on "walk" are foundational for the upcoming series on the pre-designed plan of God.

God's Leading: The pastor has many prepared studies (e.g., 12 on "personal sense of destiny") but feels God is specifically leading him in this current direction for a reason.

Personal Application for the Pastor: The pastor is not teaching from an "ivory tower" but is living this out daily, just like the congregation.

Congregational Interaction:

A member likens the need for precision to Noah building the ark. One mistake would have caused it to fail. The Tabernacle also required perfect precision. One missing brick can compromise the whole structure.

Pastor's Response: This is correct. Many in Christianity try to do things "their own way." If your way doesn't align with Scripture, you are wasting your time.

The Pursuit of God's Plan:

The pastor is so consumed with pursuing God's plan for his own life that he doesn't have time to worry about others. Everyone is on their own journey.

Exhortation: Be consumed with your own path. The pastor is obsessed with it every waking second.

It's a "walk," not a "run." God will lead.

Core Belief: God wants you to know His plan for your life and wants to give you the spiritual blessings He has prepared. There is a way to get them.

The Role of Testing:

The process will entail continuing to do what you know to do, even when it seems like nothing is happening.

Pressures and tests ("momentum tests") will come.

These tests are designed to get you where God wants you to go.

God tests you: "Here is a situation. Will you handle it with the doctrine resident in your soul?" If yes, you pass the test.

Congregational Comment: Routine prepares you for what's not routine. Discipline is key.

Study Tools Mentioned:

The pastor's main study source is Pastor Bob (likely Robert McLaughlin).

Logos Bible App:

Used by Dallas Theological Seminary students (where R.B. Thieme Jr. attended).

The pastor has a purchased library of ~800 books.

Allows for word studies, passage studies, and access to commentaries.

Classic Greek Scholars: Joseph Thayer and A.T. Robertson are mentioned as reliable sources for Greek studies.

XVII. Study Tools and Methodology

A. The Value of Modern Technology in Bible Study

The speaker expresses gratitude for technology like Logos Bible Software, which makes study much easier and more efficient.

Previously, studying required multiple physical Bibles and commentaries to compare versions and research passages.

Now, with a click, multiple resources are available, saving significant time.

This efficiency is a provision from God, allowing the speaker to maintain a demanding study and teaching schedule.

The process is much quicker, especially for studying the original Greek and Hebrew.

B. Recommendation of Logos Bible Software

The speaker recommends the Logos Bible app for everyone, not just pastors.

Users can build a digital library by purchasing books through the platform.

The speaker pays a subscription of approximately $20 a month.

This subscription provides access to around 26-30 different Bible versions.

It allows for quick switching between versions (e.g., King James to New Living Translation) without needing physical books.

C. Sermon Preparation Process and Acknowledgment of Sources

The speaker often records sermons by Pastor Bob (Robert McLaughlin) on subjects he intends to teach.

This recording serves as an initial outline.

He then uses Logos to study the passages, look up Greek/Hebrew terms, and consult commentaries.

He affirms that Pastor Bob's teaching is consistently accurate ("right on the money") and often more in-depth than the available commentary materials.

This depth was also characteristic of Pastor R.B. Thieme Jr.

He notes that some of the material can be very deep, sometimes even "above my head," but acknowledges this is how one grows spiritually.

XVIII. Closing Prayer

A. Thanksgiving and Petition for Application

The speaker begins by thanking God for the day and the opportunity to study His Word.

He prays that the congregation will take the principles learned about "walking" and apply them to their lives.

He asks for the Holy Spirit's help in this application.

B. Petition for Guidance and Strength

He prays for each person present, asking God to guide and lead them in the specific plan He has for their lives.

He asks for strength for each individual.

C. Petition for Protection from Distractions

He prays that God would "come against" any obstacles and distractions that could divert them from God's pre-designed plan for their lives.

D. Benediction

He asks for God's presence with them as they depart.

Closes the prayer in Jesus' name. Amen.