The learning-to-thrive Podcast

Contact David For Comments Or Questions!

davidhiggtx@gmail.com

David & Tom take a few minutes to wrap up the first season of the podcast and preview some things that are coming up in season 2.

 

Feel free to reach out to David at davidhiggtx@gmail.com

Email David at davidhiggtx@gmail.com

 

Encouraging Others-

Learning to Mentor/Support Others in Their Journey with Jesus-

• The things we’ve covered in the previous Bonus Episodes have been intended to help us develop a THRIVING Journey with Jesus: Living Loved, Loving Others, Abide Daily, Spirit Walk, and Soul Care.
• As we learn to share with others this Journey we’re making with Jesus, and learn to include them in that journey, we are learning to sow encouragement into their lives through our words and our interaction with them.
• Put another way…when we are maturing as “learners (disciples) of Jesus” (Mat 11:29) the overflow of the Life of Jesus in us will touch the lives of those around us. This can/will help them be drawn into or grow in their journey with Jesus too.
• Organic/Relational Discipleship is about sharing the dynamic life of Christ first, and information 2nd.
• Look for the opportunity to develop a Band of Brothers or Sisters who are learning to share life together, not just attend meetings together. (Mixed for a group or 1-on-1. Men with men women with women)
• Life in Christ is intended to be lived within the context of Community with others who are living Life in Christ too.
• I define Community as a group of individuals who are purposefully connected to support and encourage one another in life.

Contact David at davidhiggtx@gmail.com

Soul Care- Learning to nurture and care for my Heart & Soul

(The Spiritual/Emotional part of your life)

• Take care of your heart, for out of it flows the issues of life. (Prov 4:23)
• Caring for your soul begins with a growing intimacy with Father (Mk 1:35)
• Regular, Focused, meaningful engagement with the source of your life!
• All who are thirsty…Come to me and drink… (Jn 7:37-39)
• Out of your innermost being will flow rivers of Living Water...[this is the design of God for our inner being.] (Rivers of LW speaks of the Holy Spirit)
• Soul Care is NOT about enhancing your status/position before God or getting His attention!
• It’s NOT about improving your knowledge of Scripture or Theology…
• It’s not Bible Study, although it might involve the Bible…
• It’s about learning to drink from His well. (Metaphor)
• It’s about connecting with your Father and allowing that connection to nurture and refresh your Heart & Soul. It was Jesus’ habit to do this regularly.
• It’s about learning to Rest in Him. Finding your life in Him
• It’s about finding my Joy in His Presence (Ps  16:11)
• You are doing this for the sake of your life, not for ministry to others. This is not about equipping…it’s about our life!

If you have any questions or comments you can reach David at davidhiggtx@gmail.com

 

This is the final episode where we discuss our thinking on learning to keep in step with the Holy Spirit and what that journey has looks like for us. 

If you have any questions or comments you can reach David at davidhiggtx@gmail.com

 

In this Bonus Episode, David & Tom share some personal experiences about their journeys of learning to keep in step with the Holy Spirit and how that journey continues today for both of them.

 

Spirit Walk- Learning to keep in step with the Holy Spirit-

• The tragic dichotomy of the Spirit and Truth camps- Yet Jesus referred to Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth. Worship Him in Spirit & Truth!
• If you believe you can have the Spirit without Truth, you misunderstand the nature of God and both Spirit and Truth.
• We must grow to the place where we learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. We must learn to embrace mystery because Holy Spirit is mysterious. The “Godhead” is mysterious!
• Everything God does in the world today is by the Holy Spirit, so if you want to be involved in what God is doing you will be involved with Holy Spirit
• Jesus grew up learning to walk in wisdom by the Holy Spirit in His life. (Lk 2:52)
• It’s important that I go away so that the Spirit of Truth can come. He told his disciples that they would know Him because He had been with them (in Jesus) but He will be in you. (Jn 14:16-17)
• Every Believer has received the earnest deposit of His Spirit who resides within us! God is within us! NOW THERE’S A MYSTERY FOR YOU!
• My Sheep hear my voice...How? (Jn 10:27)
• How do we hear His voice? By the Spirit who resides within us speaking to us. (Jn 16)
• Learning to hear His (Jesus’) voice means quieting your heart & mind and being open to hearing Him…through the Holy Spirit.
• It means learning to discern what is His voice from other voices.
• The Spirit kept Paul and his team from going several places and then Paul had a dream of a man asking for his help in a completely different place than they were thinking.
• Maturing means (among other things) learning to enjoy Him (Holy Spirit) as my constant companion…because that is who He is!
• Emmanuel: God is with us, always by the presence of His Holy Spirit.

Finding my identity and security in Christ is essential to Thriving in life! 

 

Abide Daily- Learning to find my Life's, Identity & Security in Christ

• Abiding daily means living “in Him” every moment of every day. THIS IS THE REALITY OF          OUR LIVES, EVEN IF WE ARE NOT AWARE OF IT. 
• In Him we live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17 Paul at Mars Hill)
• Recognizing & receiving Him as your life (Col 3:4)
• Recognizing and receiving Him as the source of your Identity (The phrase “in Christ”                  describes who we are all the time, even when we are not aware of it or don’t feel like it is          true.)
• Recognizing & receiving Him as your Security (Ephesians 1)
• Your relationship w/God is not based on your performance, but on His. (Gal 3 Starting by the     Spirit will you now be completed by the flesh?)
• Living with w/an open heart toward God means embracing a conscious awareness of our           need for Him at all times and embracing Him as our source. 
• Accepting that we are completely accepted in Him = Resting in Him.

Dixie and Andy Gazak were busy raising their family and involved in music ministry, but things were not healthy beneath the surface. Eventually, those issues grew to the point that the marriage ended. Hear the story of how God got Dixie's attention and began to turn things around.

Loving others is often a challenging venture, especially when we think they are not very loveable. However, God calls us to love others, in the same way, He loves us. How can we do that? That is the point of the conversation in this Bonus Episode. The solution is simple, but not easy.