How’s Your Spiritual Appetite?

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES The Keys to a Blessed Life

How’s Your Spiritual Appetite? By Rick Warren — Oct 26, 2015 “You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment.” (1 Peter 2:2 NLT, second edition) Are you hungry for God? It is possible to maintain a spiritual hunger for God for the rest of your life. Here are five ways to keep a spiritual appetite. Remind yourself how much God loves you. The more you understand how much God loves you, the more you’re going to love him. The Bible says in Ephesians 3:18-19, “May you have the power to understand … how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (NLT, second edition). Stop filling up on junk food. You are a spiritual being with a God-shaped hole in your heart that only God can fill. When you try to fill it with salary, status, success, passion, possessions, power, prestige, or anything other than God, it’s not going to be fulfilling. Proverbs 15:14 says,“A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash.” Make knowing God your number one goal. Happiness is a byproduct of knowing God. Jesus says in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well” (NCV). Get into God’s Word every day. The Bible is food for your soul. Eating a meal once a week won’t keep you healthy. In the same way, you need to feed on God’s Word every day. “You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment” (1 Peter 2:2 NLT, second edition). Appetite is influenced by association. If you hang out with people who only care about politics, that’s all you’re going to care about. If you hang out with people who only care about sports, that’s what you’re going to care about. Join a small group for support, because whatever you talk about when you’re with others is what you’re going to be hungry for. Proverbs 2:20 says, “Join the company of good men and women, and stay on the paths of the righteous” (MSG/NLT, second edition).     PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over What does it mean to be hungry for God? How can you remind yourself throughout the day of God’s love? What are the things that you talk about most with your friends? With your spouse? How is your conversation feeding your spiritual appetite? Today’s Scripture “I am the vine, you are the branches. The one who abides in me while I abide in him produces much fruit...” (John 15:5, ISV) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS Abide in Him Did you know that God wants you to live in Him? He wants to be your source of life. He wants you to abide in Him and rely on Him for everything. He wants to be your source for strength, provision, hope and joy. Like the air you breathe, He wants you to rely on Him for your very existence. Abiding in God begins by communing with Him and meditating on His Word all day long. When you abide in Him, you talk to Him before you go to sleep at night. You think about Him when you first wake up. You dwell on His promises all throughout the day and continually fellowship with Him in prayer. You make Him your number one priority and stay connected with other believers at church. Notice what this verse says will happen when you abide in Him—you will produce much fruit! When you are connected to God, everything you set your hand to will be fruitful and blessed. Just like a branch thrives when it is connected to the vine, you will thrive and be prosperous when you are abide in Him! A Prayer for Today “Father, today I choose to abide in You. Like the air I breathe, I know I am totally dependent on You. Thank You for Your promise of blessing on me and help me to always be a blessing to others in Jesus’ name. Amen.”