See Distractions For What They Are; Keep Your Eyes on God

Hosea 7:13,14; Psalm 51:10-12

Is anything or anyone distracting you from your relationship with God?

Soul Food

“Woe to them, because they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, because they have rebelled against me! I long to redeem them but they speak about me falsely. They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail on their beds. They slash themselves, appealing to their gods for grain and new wine, but they turn away from me.”

- Hosea 7:13,14 (NIV)

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

- Psalm 51:10-12 (NIV)

Soul Search

• Have you ever given your heart – your life – to God by receiving His Son, Jesus Christ, into your life and proclaiming Jesus to be your Savior and Lord? 
  If you have done that, how are you doing in your relationship with Him? 
  If you haven’t done that, please see Soul Moves below*

• We all have our own priorities in life.
  What are your priorities?
  Do they include your relationship with God?
  Can you say that God and your relationship with Jesus is your top priority? 
  Why or why not?

• What distractions are there in your life that tend to take your focus off God?
  Can you list them?
  How can you deal with those distractions so that they don’t take priority over your relationship with God?

Soul Moves

* If you have not invited God to be part of your life through receiving the Spirit of Jesus Christ into your heart and soul, you can do that by praying the following prayer and by believing Him to answer this prayer:

"Lord Jesus, I need you. I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. I ask forgiveness for my sins and receive you as my Savior and Lord. I believe that God raised you from the dead and for that reason I can thank you for giving me the gift of eternal life. I want to turn and live a new life with you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Jesus. Amen."

• Look closely at your list of priorities.
  Your priorities are clearly seen in how you spend your thought time and activity time.
  God understands the world that we live in and the pressures that come with it. 
  What are the ways that you can adjust your time and energy so that God takes a higher place on your priority list?

• The Bible says in I Corinthians 15:33 that, “bad company corrupts good character.” 
  Do you have any unhealthy relationships that need to be re-prioritized?
  Can you list some ways that you might be able to do that?