How to Practice the Presence of God

Life Group Announcements:

1. Continue to pray for Pastor Joe Houser as he takes extended time off to focus on his health, family, and relationship with God.
2. Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) Fall Festival: Free community event on PLNU campus, October 20^th. Our church will have a booth and will need volunteers between 10 AM-2:30 PM. Husbands: Consider dropping your wives off at the Women’s Tea event and then take the kids to the PLNU Fall Festival to burn energy!
3. On October 20^th, from 12-2 PM, Valerie, Laura, and Lu will be hosting a women’s fellowship event called, Women’s Tea. Sign up at the church Café starting September 23^rd and the cost is $3.00. No child care provided and only children that do not crawl are allowed.
4. Volunteer appreciation dinner: 6-10 PM. Adults only! Childcare will be at OB1 Church from 5:30-10 PM.

Life Group Questions:

Speaker: Pastor Julian Malotti
Sermon Series: Joy!
Title: How to Practice the Presence of God

1. We read in Philippians 3:1 that joy is ultimately found in the Lord, not a positive or desired outcome within a circumstance. It’s so often easy to be distracted by spiritual “squirrels” and lose focus of that truth.
   
   What would you say are some spiritual “squirrels” (or distractions) that so often compete for the joy found in God? If you feel comfortable, give some personal examples or maybe a testimony of a time that you were distracted but then corrected your focus back on God.
2. Pastor Julian reminded us that we are always in the presence of God 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We don’t just meet God for one hour in a building on Sunday. However, there are many ways to “practice” the presence of God, which is simply reminding yourself that He’s always around.
   
   What are some ways that you practice the presence of God? Any recommendations?
3. Read the four ways we can practice the presence of God and discuss what these look like in your lives. Have you done these before? Is it effective? Do you know any more ways to practice His presence?
   
   – Redeeming the commute (trading road rage for prayer, trading our frustrated thoughts about traffic for an audio bible story or a sermon)
   – Talking with God all day (not just before a meal, bed, or at church)
   – Thanking God more for what we have (less focus on what we don’t have)
   – Drawing near to Him as He draws near to us (actively pursuing Him)
4. We looked at the difference between condemnation (Satan’s way of bringing guilt/shame to bring us down) and conviction (God’s Holy Spirit correcting us back on the right road to lift us up).
   
   Do you often confuse the two? What are some common ways that Satan (or even others or ourselves) can make us confuse the two words? What is the spiritual danger in confusing the two words?
5. We read that the Word of God (His truth) is a two-edged sword that pierces everything and shows true motives. It is also living and active (power of transformation). It is a weapon against Satan and a protector of our souls (See Hebrews 5:12).
   
   What ways does the Word of God fight off Satan and his demons? In what ways does it protect us?
   
   Bible Verses Read Sunday: 

• Philippians 3:1
• Philippians 3:12-14
• Psalm 16:11
• Hebrews 5:12