31 Jul My Dwelling Place (Pastor Paul Hohman)

Dwelling Place God Overview

In this powerful sermon, Pastor Paul Hohman explores the critical relationship between spiritual habits and our dwelling place in God. Drawing from personal experiences and biblical wisdom, he emphasizes that just as we must discipline our physical bodies through proper nutrition and exercise, we must equally discipline our spiritual lives through daily Bible reading, prayer, and abiding in Christ. Pastor Hohman addresses the age-old question of why bad things happen to good people, explaining that we live in a fallen world where the enemy seeks to steal, kill, and destroy, but Christ came to give us abundant life. The central message revolves around establishing our secret place with God – a dwelling place where we find strength, comfort, and divine provision. Through consistent spiritual habits and intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father, believers can move from merely surviving life to thriving in God’s purpose. The sermon challenges listeners to build godly habits that will sustain them through life’s trials and position them to be effective witnesses who can answer when others question God’s goodness and sovereignty.

Dwelling Place God Outline

• 0:00 – Introduction: The Foundation of Habits: Pastor Hohman introduces the importance of habits and how they shape our lives from childhood.
• 5:30 – My Dwelling Place – The Essential Habit: Establishing our secret place and abiding relationship with Christ as the foundation of all other habits.
• 12:45 – Why Bad Things Happen – A Biblical Response: Addressing difficult questions about suffering through scripture and understanding our fallen world.
• 18:20 – Spiritual Warfare Reality: Understanding the reality of Satan, demons, and spiritual opposition in our world.
• 24:10 – Physical vs Spiritual Discipline: Drawing parallels between caring for our physical bodies and nurturing our spiritual lives.
• 31:00 – Daily Spiritual Disciplines: The necessity of consistent Bible reading, prayer, and spiritual exercise for spiritual health.
• 38:15 – From Surviving to Thriving: Moving beyond just making it through life to experiencing God’s abundant purpose and power.

Scripture References

John 16:33, John 10:10, 1 Timothy 4:8, Proverbs 22:6

Key Takeaways

• Just as physical discipline requires consistent habits for health, spiritual growth demands daily disciplines like Bible reading and prayer.
• Bad things happen because we live in a fallen world where Satan seeks to steal, kill, and destroy, not because God wills evil upon us.
• Our dwelling place in Christ must be established first before any other good habits can be spiritually effective and lasting.
• God wants us to thrive in life, not merely survive, and He has assigned greatness to every believer’s life from the foundation of creation.
• When we know God intimately, we can provide biblical answers to those who question His goodness during difficult times.
• Spiritual laziness leads to questioning God’s presence, but consistent spiritual discipline keeps us energetic and expectant of His works.
• Godliness is profitable for all things in this life and the next, making spiritual habits more valuable than physical exercise alone.

Dwelling Place God Notes

Pastor Paul Hohman delivers a compelling message about the transformative power of spiritual habits and establishing our dwelling place in God. He begins by reflecting on how habits shape us from childhood, sharing personal examples of both good and bad habits that required discipline to overcome. This sets the foundation for his central thesis: while we can develop many beneficial habits, there is one essential habit without which all others lack spiritual power – abiding in Christ as our dwelling place.The pastor addresses a profound question posed by a friend about why bad things happen to good people, specifically referencing a tragic accident involving a child. Using John 16:33 and John 10:10, he explains that we live in a fallen world where tribulation is inevitable, but Christ has overcome the world and came to give abundant life. This isn’t God’s will, but rather the result of Satan’s rebellion and the spiritual warfare occurring around us. Pastor Hohman emphasizes the reality of spiritual forces, stating that belief in God necessitates acknowledgment of demonic opposition.Drawing a powerful parallel between physical and spiritual health, he illustrates how neglecting our physical bodies leads to sickness, obesity, and weakness. Similarly, spiritual neglect results in spiritual laziness, lack of energy, and questioning God’s presence. The pastor shares his personal discipline of daily Bible reading and multiple prayer times, emphasizing that these aren’t burdensome religious activities but necessary spiritual exercises that position us for God’s miraculous intervention in our lives.The transformation from surviving to thriving becomes a central theme as Pastor Hohman challenges believers to move beyond merely making it through each day to embracing the greatness God has assigned to their lives from creation’s foundation. He emphasizes that when we establish consistent spiritual habits and dwell intimately with our Heavenly Father, we position ourselves to be effective witnesses who can provide biblical answers when others question God’s goodness. This requires discipline and intentionality, but the rewards extend far beyond our earthly existence, as referenced in 1 Timothy 4:8, where godliness profits all things in this life and the next.

Frequently Asked Questions