Intentional Time with God

THE REAL ISSUE

Many believers feel stuck or inconsistent in their walk with God
The problem is not always the heart

• Often, the problem is the system

You don’t lack love for God — you lack rhythms that carry you to Him.
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CORE TRUTH

Spiritual growth is intentional, not accidental
God designed us to grow through rhythms and rituals
Rituals are not the goal — relationship is the goal

• Rhythms are the pathway to relationship

If you want to arrive somewhere, you need more than desire — you need a way to get there.

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FAITH BEGINS WITH THE WORD

Romans 10:17
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”Faith is formed by exposure to Scripture
Distance from the Word leads to spiritual drift

• God’s Word doesn’t just inform us — it forms us

Hebrews 4:12

• The Word is living, active, and discerning
• It exposes what’s beneath the surface

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “HEAR”? (THE SHEMA)

Deuteronomy 6:4–5 — “Hear, O Israel…”
• “Hear” (Shema) means:
Listen
Receive
Respond
Obey
Biblical hearing is never complete until it leads to obedience.

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GOD’S DESIGN FOR GROWTH — TPPP

Every healthy relationship needs four things:
TIME

• What isn’t scheduled doesn’t get sustained
• Jesus made time with the Father — even when busy or in crisis

PLACE
Place trains expectation

• God doesn’t need a place — we do

PLAN

• Vague intentions don’t build strong relationships
• We need a simple, repeatable plan

PEOPLE
Growth breaks down in isolation
Scripture constantly says “one another”

• We grow better together

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THE PLAN — SOAP

SOAP is a simple rhythm for engaging God’s Word:

• S — Scripture: Read slowly
• O — Observation: What stands out?
• A — Application: What is God asking me to do?
• P — Prayer: Respond honestly to God

SOAP doesn’t just rinse information — it removes residue.

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JESUS’ WARNING & PROMISE

Matthew 7:24–27
Both builders hear

• Only one obeys
• Storms come to both
• The foundation makes the difference

Storms don’t reveal your faith — they reveal your foundation.

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FINAL REMINDER

• It’s not always a heart problem
• It’s often a system problem
• God grows us through:
Time
Place
Plan (SOAP)
People
Faithful presence over time always produces transformation.

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NEXT STEPS (VERY PRACTICAL)

This week:
1. Choose a Time to meet with God
2. Choose a Place where you won’t be rushed
3. Get a Bible
A paper Bible (underline it, mark it up, write in it), or
A Bible app (a great place to start)
4. Use SOAP as your plan
5. Don’t do this alone Talk about what God is teaching you
6. Need help?
Visit our website
Go to Next Steps
We’ll walk with you step by step
No guilt.
No pressure.
Just simple rhythms that lead to real relationship.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (GROUPS / FAMILIES)

Which part of TPPP do you struggle with most — Time, Place, Plan, or People?
How has your relationship with Scripture been lately?
What stood out to you about the biblical meaning of “hearing” (Shema)?
Why do you think isolation makes spiritual growth harder?

1. What is one small rhythm you could start this week?
2. Who could you invite into your spiritual growth journey?

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Cornerstone Church — Helping people grow through intentional rhythms that lead to real relationship with God.