{"id":304662,"date":"2017-08-31T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-08-31T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/principles-to-live-by\/"},"modified":"2017-08-31T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-08-31T15:00:00","slug":"principles-to-live-by","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/principles-to-live-by\/","title":{"rendered":"Principles to Live By"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>guest: Dennis Rainey | Series: Choosing a Life That Matters | Every day we make decisions that impact our lives. What kind of decision are you making today? For years Dennis Rainey has been sharing seven principles to live life by. Find out why seeking God is the beginning of it all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What kind of decision are you making today? For years Dennis Rainey has been sharing seven principles to live life by. Find out why seeking God is the beginning of it all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2017-08-31.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:27:56","filesize":"25.57M","filesize_raw":"26810799","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2856,2822,2814],"tags":[6301,6299,4777,6300,6298],"podcast_series":[8231],"cwp_profile":[3048],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-304662","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adult-children","category-growing-in-your-faith","category-releasing-your-child","tag-7-decisions","tag-7-principles","tag-life","tag-seven-decisions","tag-seven-principles","podcast_series-choosing-a-life-that-matters","cwp_profile-dennis-rainey","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/304662\/principles-to-live-by","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/304662\/principles-to-live-by","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"jaf8CCaOzw\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/principles-to-live-by\/\">Principles to Live By<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/principles-to-live-by\/embed\/#?secret=jaf8CCaOzw\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Principles to Live By&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"jaf8CCaOzw\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"What kind of decision are you making today? For years Dennis Rainey has been sharing seven principles to live life by. Find out why seeking God is the beginning of it all.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2017-08-31.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: How often is the Bible opened in your home? How often is it talked about? Dennis Rainey says, \u201cIt ought to be a priority.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis<\/strong>: As a husband, you need to be guiding your wife into this\u2014yes\u2014salting her down with truth. As a wife, you need to be reminding your husband of the truth. And as parents, this is what your kids\u2019 souls are all about. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Thursday, August 31<sup>st<\/sup>. Our host is the President of <em>FamilyLife<\/em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, Dennis Rainey, and I\u2019m Bob Lepine. There are a lot of things that ought to be realigned in our homes; and at the center, ought to be God\u2019s Word. We\u2019ll talk more about that today. Stay with us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thanks for joining us. We finally get to let our listeners know about the power of lamination. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>1:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: This is a broadcast that is going to pay for its weight in gold\u2014ladies and gentlemen\u2014when you find out about the power of lamination that was passed on to me by Dr. Bill Bright. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So you want to explain the power of lamination? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Dr. Bright was the Founder and President of, what was then, Campus Crusade for Christ<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>\u2014it\u2019s now Cru<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>\u2014of which this ministry is a part. Bill passed out a list that he made\u2014now, I don\u2019t even remember what the list was all about, Bob\u2014but he laminated it. I think he kind of smirked as he did. He said, \u201cBecause I laminated it, you\u2019re not going to throw this away.\u201d He\u2019s right\u2014I\u2019ve got it somewhere. The power of lamination\u2014if you\u2019ve got something you want to pass on generationally\u2014put it on a card stock and then laminate it on both sides. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: It\u2019s about the size of a credit card, and you laminate it. You hand it to folks, and it\u2019s tough for people to throw things away that are laminated. So\u2014this list that you laminated\u2014what was the occasion? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>2:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: Well, the first time I gave this message was\u2014I was asked to speak at commencement by the President of Trinity International University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: Fine institutions. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: Both excellent. They conferred on me an honorary doctorate which was truly an honor, and I surprised Barbara. She didn\u2019t know that I was getting an honorary doctorate. So, she was out in the audience waiting for me to speak when they asked me to come up on stage; and I asked her to join me, and they hooded me. It was pretty cool. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: Did she call you, \u201cDr. Rainey,\u201d the rest of the day? [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: No. No, she has never referred to me\u2014and I don\u2019t think you have either\u2014but I think it\u2019s time. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: Once or twice I\u2019ve done it. [Laughter]\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: No doubt about it. But here\u2019s what happened, Bob. I was asked almost a year in advance to speak at both graduations. I thought, \u201cWhat do you say to three or four hundred graduating seniors from a university and then what about another\u201d\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>3:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014\u201ctwo or three hundred who are graduating from a divinity school? Some getting PhD\u2019s, MDiv\u2019s\u2014all kinds of studies that have taken them three years\u2014four years\u2014or longer to study\u2014about God and their relationship with Him?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI thought, \u201cWhat do you say in a 30 minute message that can add any value to their lives?\u201d I\u2019m sure a lot of them are wondering, \u201cYou missed it, buddy.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: But you do want to say something that is impactful\u2014something that is memorable, something that\u2014I mean this is a big moment. You want to commemorate it with some words of wisdom. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: I did. I thought, \u201cYou know if I\u2019m going to go there to speak, I want to give them my best shot.\u201d So I began to pray. As I prayed about it, I thought, \u201cThe only reason I\u2019m there is because of what God has done in my soul.\u201d I thought, \u201cSo, what do I have to say to them about His work in my soul?\u201d I thought, \u201cRather than getting down in the weeds on something, what if I could kind of hit the high points as I look back over my life of what really comprised the major commands of the Bible?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>4:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s not all of the commands, but I came up with seven that I think these are worthy of challenging them with. As I prayed it through Bob, each of the commands had a warning with it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe first principle of the message I gave was: \u201cSeek God, not sin.\u201d The second one was: \u201cFear God, not men.\u201d The third was: \u201cLove God, not the world\u201d\u2014that\u2019s a really important warning. Fourth has been a part of my spiritual DNA all the way back to college, and it is this\u2014\u201cBelieve God, not the deceiver.\u201d There is an enemy who wants to lie to you\u2014but God wants you to believe Him. Fifth\u2014\u201cObey God, not your appetites.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>5:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSixth\u2014\u201cWorship God, not comfort.\u201d Last is focused outwardly\u2014\u201cServe God, not self.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI had these reduced to an almost\u2014it\u2019s like a business card.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: Like a credit card. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: I had these on here, and I passed them out to all the graduating seniors or the PhD\u2019s and gave them a little graduation gift. I\u2019ve, since, given that message at Dallas Theological Seminary to a graduating class there in Dallas, Texas\u2014and then, also, at National Religious Broadcasters, where I was asked to speak to about four or five hundred Christian leaders. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI thought, \u201cYou know this was a good message to give to those graduating seniors\u2014I think it\u2019s a good message to remind Christians leaders because we sometimes, can forget the basics.\u201d So, I started thinking, \u201cNow, who is this for?\u201d Well, it\u2019s not just for graduating seniors from college or seminary, those in full-time Christian work or just Christian leaders.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>6:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think it\u2019s written to anyone who needs a spiritual wheel alignment. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think there\u2019s not a lot in our lives that pull us back to the big picture that remind us of our spiritual DNA and what God expects of us. There\u2019s another audience too, Bob\u2014I think people who are facing an important fork in the road\u2014it may be a mid-life crisis\u2014 or maybe questioning your cause or your purpose or why you do what you do. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI ran into someone here at the office the day before yesterday\u2014was working for a major company here in North America and had just gotten laid off. He said, \u201cYou know, my wife and I thought, \u2018We\u2019re just going to make a journey around the country. We\u2019ve got some severance pay. We\u2019re just going to go around the country and look and see what\u2019s out there.\u2019 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>7:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBecause we\u2019ve been involved with the <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em><em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/em> marriage getaway and <em>I Still Do<\/em><sup>\u2122<\/sup>\u2014and we\u2019ve been on three of the <em>Love Like You Mean It<\/em><em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup><\/em> marriage cruises with <em>FamilyLife<\/em>, we thought, \u2018We\u2019re just going to stop in at <em>FamilyLife<\/em>.\u2019\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWell, they did more than just stop in here. They got cornered and corralled and said, \u201cCome on. Let\u2019s go! Let\u2019s get with it!\u201d The wife said, \u201cYou know you don\u2019t have to convince me\u2014I\u2019m all in.\u201d Then, we looked at him\u2014and he began to do a little bit of a crawfish\u2014because he wasn\u2019t there yet. That\u2019s okay\u2014it was good.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> A couple of other audiences I think this is written to\u2014if a person is a crisis of faith\u2014and it may be adversity\u2014it may be a test\u2014it may be a health issue, place of work issue, with a child, with an extended family member\u2014you\u2019re just in a real crisis of faith. It\u2019s a great time to develop the faith muscle. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe last group is a graduating senior from a seminary\u2014from a college, but also\u2014listen to me\u2014from high school. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>8:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI don\u2019t think we are challenging our high school graduates with a high enough standard.\u00a0 I think we need to challenge their socks off to think about who they are going to live for\u2014and how they\u2019re going to live\u2014as they go to college, Bob. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: A book like this\u2014you can put this in a graduating senior from high school\u2014in his or her hands just pray, \u201cGod, would you meet with them and give them a cause\u2014give them a purpose\u2014help them to be a part of your agenda as they go away to work, to service, to college\u2014whatever it is they are going to be about?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: If you think about young men or women headed off to the college campus today, these are the kinds of principles that they need to have in mind\u2014have imprinted on their hearts\u2014before they hit the kinds of issues they are going to face on a college campus. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: If they\u2019ve not settled the issue\u2014like this one here that we\u2019re going to talk about in a minute\u2014who they are going to seek, what they\u2019re going to seek\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: \u2014well, I can tell you the warning on this is true. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>9:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSeek God, not sin. Why? Because sin is out to get you, and it crouches on the doorstep. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tGo all the way back to Cain and Abel in Genesis, Chapter 4, and that\u2019s what a lot of graduating seniors going into college\u2014going into the service\u2014into the workplace\u2014are experiencing. They\u2019re not ready for the spiritual battle that will occur over their soul\u2014and something like this can help them think squarely about what they\u2019re headed off into and how they\u2019re going to handle it when they face it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: It seems like sin spends a lot more money on advertising than God does. [Laughter] You know what I\u2019m saying? It just seems like the enticements for sin are all over the place! Of course, we\u2019re bent in that direction\u2014we are predisposed. Maybe, it\u2019s that we are paying more attention to those advertisements than we are to what God is calling us to. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis<\/strong>: Well, I think you are hitting something really important here, Bob. You\u2019ll hear me talk about it as we go through all seven of these in the coming weeks and months ahead\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>10:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014but our hearts were made to love God, worship God, seek God. When we\u2019re not seeking God and we\u2019re not filling our hearts with Him, our hearts don\u2019t go on to do nothing, to worship nothing, to seek nothing\u2014our hearts are susceptible to being sought after and singled out and seduced. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think it\u2019s why\u2014when I taught my sixth grade Sunday school class\u2014it\u2019s why I told them\u2014I said, \u201cThere is only one of two ways you\u2019re going to in to adolescence and junior high and high school. You\u2019re either going to be a missionary. In other words, you\u2019re going to be on a mission\u2014God\u2019s mission\u2014for your life and for other people\u2019s lives\u2014or you\u2019re going to be a mission field. Why? Because sin will be after you and will be deceiving you as you go through adolescence.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>11:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI don\u2019t know how many of those sixth graders heard me. I don\u2019t know how many of the graduating seniors at Trinity heard me\u2014but the point is I think Scripture really does challenge us to go back to the basics. In fact, it says this 50 times in Scripture, Bob\u2014\u201cSeek God.\u201d 50 times! Now, why is that? Because our heart was made to seek God and to find God. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: We\u2019re not dealing with this issue in a vacuum because there is someone who is actively working to try to draw our attention away from God\u2014and in the process, is lying to us about the benefits of abandoning God and following him. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: If you\u2019re seeking God\u2014really going after Him wholeheartedly\u2014and by the way, there is a ton of Scriptures that command us to seek God. I\u2019ll not give you all 50, but let me just give you some high points. 1 Chronicles 28:9\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>12:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014\u201cAnd you Solomon, my son, know the God of your father and serve Him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, this command\u2014how was this passed on to Solomon? By daddy\u2014a daddy to his son\u2014\u201cSon, listen up. Seek God with your whole heart.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIsaiah 55:6\u2014\u201cSeek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.\u201d Jeremiah 29:13\u2014\u201cYou will seek Me and find Me, <em>when<\/em> you seek Me with all your heart.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>13:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob, I was with a group of business guys who are all Christ followers and I just put this question to them\u2014I said, \u201cTell me how you seek God\u201d\u2014[Silence]\u2014and that\u2019s the sound that occurred. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: Got quiet. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: It got really quiet. I said, \u201cWhat have you learned in your lifetime about seeking God?\u201d Well, it was still quiet. So, I started thinking about it as I wrote this\u2014and I\u2019ve got a number of ways that you can seek God as you move through your lifetime that He\u2019s taught me. I asked the audience the question right now, \u201cWhat have you learned about seeking God in your lifetime that you could pass on to someone else?\u201d Don\u2019t get hyper-religious on us here\u2014just put it real plainly. How do you seek God? What have you learned about seeking God wholeheartedly? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: You posted that question on Facebook, and folks are starting to respond already to ways that they have learned to seek God. Listeners can go to the <em>FamilyLife<\/em> Facebook page and add their thoughts there. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis<\/strong>: Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>14:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe know that Jesus, also, commanded us to seek Him. He said, \u201cFollow Me, and I\u2019ll make you fishers of men.\u201d James, Chapter 4, verse 8 and 10\u2014it says, \u201cDraw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Humble yourself before the Lord, and He will exalt you.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: So, it\u2019s clear in Scripture that we\u2019re directed to seek God\u2014and there are some practical reasons why that makes sense; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: There are. There are going to be dark days. There are going to be days you go through in life where if you haven\u2019t found God\u2014if you don\u2019t know Him and know Him enough to trust Him with your circumstances\u2014you could be vulnerable. You know what I have found in my lifetime, Bob, is it takes a crisis\u2014it takes a disruption, it takes a big time interruption sometimes\u2014to get our attention. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: Get your attention? Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe year we started <em>FamilyLife<\/em>, 1976, Barbara and I had moved for the sixth time in five years.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>15:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe moved here to Little Rock. Not long after we moved here, my mom and dad came down. We had a great time together. A month later, I get a phone call, \u201cDad\u2019s dead\u201d\u2014died of a massive heart attack. \u201cWell, he was just here!\u00a0 He was just 66 years old.\u201d That really kicked off a year of a number of different crises. Our son Benjamin had major surgery. Barbara almost died with a rapid heart rate of 300 beats a minute. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn the midst of those times, what or who do you seek in the midst of adversity? The answer is\u2014God said, \u201cSeek Me that you may live.\u201d That\u2019s Amos, Chapter 5, verse 6. Then, there is one last reason I think, Bob\u2014this kind of gets at the nub of all of it\u2014if you seek God, it\u2019s not going to give pride a chance to rule in your life. If you\u2019re seeking God, that means you\u2019ve said, \u201cI am not God. He is.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>16:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u201cI will seek the One who is God.\u201d I think all of life is a battle over\u2014who do we think God is? Are we\u2014do we know best\u2014or does He? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: How has seeking God been a part of the rhythm of your life? If you were in that room with that group of businessmen and somebody said, \u201cHow do you seek God?\u201d would you have had ready answers? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: I don\u2019t know if I would have if I hadn\u2019t thought it through a little bit\u2014but here\u2019s where I begin. Instead of just reading the Bible, I would get <em>into<\/em> the Bible. Think about the Bible, ponder the Bible\u2014and then perhaps pray a prayer as you read the Bible and as you ponder it\u2014\u201cGod, would you show me\u2014as I read the truth about You\u2014to show me how I can find You?\u201d You\u2019ve got to start with the written word of God because that is specific revelation about who God is. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>17:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, I\u2019ve found God, for instance, in creation. I wish all of our listeners could come and stand on my back deck. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: And watch the sun set? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: Oh my goodness!\u00a0 Now, God had this place picked out for us back in 1983 where we could raise six kids and do it kind of in the wilderness. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: Out in the woods. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: It is in the woods, but it\u2019s on a ridge. We\u2019ve got one of the most spectacular views in all of Arkansas. I\u2019ve got to tell you, it\u2019s right up there with some Colorado spots as well because it\u2019s really, really green. But when is the last time you went outside and allowed the grandeur of God to speak to you? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnother place I\u2019ve found God is in His people. If I read Genesis, Chapter 1, correctly, it says He made them male and female to be image-bearers\u2014to reflect who He is. That means that even in our imperfections and our brokenness, we declare who God is in mysterious ways.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>18:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhen is the last time you just looked at a person and just said, \u201cThat person is an image-bearer. They may get under my skin sometimes, but you know what? They are an image-bearer?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThen, you can seek God in solitude\u2014in prayer\u2014and just pause and be quiet with nothing playing\u2014nobody chattering. Find a quiet spot and just allow Him to speak. You\u2019ve always got to evaluate what He says against the Scripture\u2014but listen for the voice of God. Barbara wrote a little piece about this earlier this year\u2014she just talked about how it appears as though God\u2019s preferred method to speak to people is whispering. He doesn\u2019t yell at people. God whispers. When is the last time you heard the God of the universe whisper something to you? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>19:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSomething that He had as an assignment for you to do? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob<\/strong>: You can\u2019t hear a whisper unless you get quiet; can you? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: That\u2019s right. Then, one last way is something I don\u2019t think we know a whole lot about today; but it\u2019s talked about in the Book of Ecclesiastes. It\u2019s the word ponder. Ponder is an active, intentional\u2014chewing on the truth about God\u2014taking maybe, an adversity to God, asking Him for\u2014\u201cHow do You want to handle this?\u201d \u201cHow do You want me to behave?\u201d \u201cHow do You want me to respond?\u201d \u201cWhat\u2019s the lesson for this in my life?\u201d Then\u2014again, back to what you said, Bob\u2014be quiet. Listen. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf you haven\u2019t read Ecclesiastes recently, just read through it and notice how many times in the book where the preacher who wrote Ecclesiastes said, \u201cThus, I pondered.\u201d Before he pondered, it was vanity. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>20:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt was vanity of vanity\u2014all of life is vanity\u2014it\u2019s meaningless\u2014but he stopped and pondered what God was up to. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHere is the thing. As a husband, you need to be guiding your wife into this\u2014yes\u2014salting her down with truth. As a wife, you need to be reminding your husband of the truth. And as parents, this is what your kids\u2019 souls are all about\u2014teaching them to seek God\u2014and to find God\u2014and to know where to go to find Him. Do they know where to go to find God if they really wanted to seek God with all their hearts? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: How did you and Barbara help your kids know how to seek God as you were raising them? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis<\/strong>: Well, you ought to talk to them to really get the straight scoop, Bob. I wouldn\u2019t give us a real high grade. We really did try to point them in that direction to seek God\u2014but the thought of training our children to seek God that\u2019s really a new thought. Think about it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>21:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf God commanded us to seek Him, shouldn\u2019t we be training our kids to do that? And\u2014by the way, grandkids\u2014oh yes, there are some great was to do that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHere are some quick ways I\u2019d recommend. Number one, model it. First of all, model it. Let them catch you on your knees reading the Bible. Secondly, introduce God to them. Create a salt block at your dinner table. Make them thirsty to know more about God. Give them great books that they should read\u2014biographies of men and women who sought God and who found Him. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThen, two more\u2014number four, create a Sabbath. Just create a day of rest when the activity slows down, and we have a chance to truly allow God to find you and you to turn around and seek Him. Then, finally, the last one is\u2014just like David did to Solomon\u2014a passage I read earlier\u2014direct them. David commanded Solomon, \u201cSeek God so that you can live.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>22:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tLet them know this is one of the non-negotiables because if you don\u2019t seek God, sin is certainly trying seek you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob<\/strong>: You refer to this as a non-negotiable. In fact, that\u2019s how you\u2019ve subtitled these points in your book, <em>Choosing a Life That Matters: 7 Decisions You\u2019ll Never Regret<\/em>. Each of those is what you call a non-negotiable. I have to say, I think what you\u2019ve written here is really\u2014it\u2019s foundational. It\u2019s core truth about how we are to live in all aspects of life\u2014in our marriage, in our family\u2014but in <em>everything<\/em> we do. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe think this is so foundational that we want to make this book available to anybody who\u2019d like a copy for a donation of any amount. You can go online at FamilyLifeToday.com. There is information about Dennis\u2019s new book, <em>Choosing a Life That Matters<\/em>. Just let us know you\u2019d like a copy and make whatever donation you are able to make, and we\u2019ll be happy to send a copy to you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>23:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAgain, our website is FamilyLifeToday.com. If you\u2019d like to request the book by phone, the number is 1-800-358-6329. That\u2019s 1-800- \u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY\u201d. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBy the way, today would be a great day for you to request a copy of the book because today is the last day for the matching gift opportunity that we\u2019ve had presented to us this month\u2014the last day for the donation you make to be matched dollar for dollar up until we reach our goal of $800,000. We\u2019re hoping to hear from listeners today to help put us over the top on that matching gift goal. Of course, when you make a donation, you can know that your donation is being doubled as a result of the matching gift opportunity. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, you can get a copy of Dennis\u2019s book, and you can get your donation matched today. Go to FamilyLifeToday.com and click the link for Dennis\u2019s book; or just click where it says, \u201cDONATE,\u201d and the information about how to get a copy of the book is available there.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>24:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThanks in advance for donating. Again, if you\u2019d like to make your donation by phone, call 1-800-358-6329. That\u2019s 1-800- \u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY\u201d. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, tomorrow, we want to talk about how important it is to have a healthy understanding of what it means to fear God. In fact, that\u2019s the second decision that, Dennis, you talk about in your book. We\u2019ll talk more about it tomorrow. Hope our listeners can join us for that. <br>\u00a0\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I\u2019m Bob Lepine. See you back tomorrow for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of <em>FamilyLife<\/em> of Little Rock, Arkansas. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHelp for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2017 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/\">www.FamilyLife.com<\/a>\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/304662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=304662"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=304662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=304662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=304662"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=304662"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=304662"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=304662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}