New Attitude
3 Ways to Respond to God’s Word
In the first session of New Attitude, Josh Harris spoke about the ways three different people responded to God’s Word (listen here). These are some of my notes and thoughts. I hope they make sense; they might seem a little disconnected. The images he gave are very powerful. And I didn’t even remember the story of Jehoiakim, so it was great to hear it afresh.
1. Ripping: Josiah (2 Kings 22)
- He turned to the Lord with all his heart by responding to, loving and obeying His Word.
- My heart is revealed in the way I respond to God’s Word.
- An entire generation had forgotten the Word and had no anchor.
- When the documents were found, Josiah tore his robes. This was an expression of despair, anguish, and humility.
- He took it seriously. He knew that God really meant it, and that it was speaking to him.
- The important question is not, “God, do you hear me?” but, “Do I hear God?”
- What moves, owns, and preoccupies me?
- Josiah allowed the Word to reform and reshape him. Returning to the Word = reformation. I need to change.
2. Burning: Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 36)
- Fearing God means not treating Him and His Word flippantly or lightly.
- Jehoiakim had a cold heart. He destroyed the Word and got it out of the way.
- He had no fear of God; he felt safe because he was surrounded by others who agreed with him.
- How do we burn God’s Word? By ignoring it, approaching it with a pick-and-choose mentality, or acting like a connossieur of preaching instead of humbling ourselves and listening.
3. Eating: Jeremiah (Jeremiah 15)
- You eat something you trust - something that’s good, healthy, and nourishing. It becomes a part of you.
- Jeremiah approached the Word with anticipation, joy, and excitement, even though…
- …his experience was rejection and loneliness; “I have missed out on all the joys of this life.”
- He had to fight for delight in the midst of discouragement.
- God’s Word meets us right where we are.
- His Word speaks perfectly when I am not doing perfectly, and is powerful when I am weak.
- We don’t love God’s Word to establish our standing, but because He established it for us.
- “If you utter what is precious and not what is worthless” - lay aside the accusations and believe. He is good!
- The Bible becomes a delight when we realize its central truth - it is not about everything we are supposed to be doing for God; instead, it is about everything He has done for us.
Can I just say…
- New Attitude is amazing. Tonight’s session in particular was a huge gift of God. I’m humbled and amazed and joyful. I’m looking forward to sharing some of my notes on here.
- Louisville is a beautiful city! Today Sarah and I drove around for awhile, and we saw some gorgeous homes and the campuses of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Presbyterian seminary (whose exact name I don’t remember). Really pretty!
- Tomorrow John Piper is preaching, and I’m really looking forward to hearing the Word from him.
I’ll be back before long! 
Busy day ahead
If you missed yesterday’s post about the horrible tragedy in Steven Curtis Chapman’s family, I encourage you to read it and most of all, to pray for the pain this family is going through.
New Attitude begins in two days, and I am really looking forward to it! My friend and former roommate Sarah came to my house tonight, and we’re driving to Kentucky on Saturday. I have wanted to attend this conference for awhile, and I never thought that I would actually be able to - and with one of my best friends to boot. I don’t know how my Internet access will be while I am there, but I will definitely try to keep you all updated.
This past week and a half since I graduated has been very restful. My summer job didn’t have any hours for me until June, so I have been unpacking and relaxing. I have gotten some things done, but there are a lot of things remaining on my to-do list, and I need to be productive tomorrow and get things done in preparation for the weekend.
With that, friends, I must bid you adieu. I hope you all have a wonderful day, and I look forward to seeing some of you at the conference this weekend!
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I'm Anna. I'm 22. I love reading and writing. I'm a recent college graduate living at home. And I hope you are blessed by what you read here.