1. Essentials of the New Life Work on Your Relationship

2. “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. “For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.” --Matthew 11:28-30

3. “[Jesus] saw the soul’s desperate need in those who struggled with the overwhelming tasks of their life. Such weariness and endless labor was, to him, a sure sign of a soul not properly rooted in God—a soul, in effect, on its own. He saw the multitudes around him, and it tore his heart, for they were “distressed and downcast” like “sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). And he invited such people to come and become his students (“learn of me”) by yoking themselves to him—that is, letting him show them how he would pull their load. He is not “above” this, as earthly “great ones” are, for he is meek and lowly of heart (Matthew 11:28-30).” Dallas Willard

4. His own greatness of soul made meekness and lowliness the natural way for him to be (Philippians 2:3-11). Being in his yoke is not a matter of taking on additional labor to crush us all the more, but a matter of learning how to use his strength and ours together to bear our load and his. We will find his yoke an easy one and his burden a light one because , in learning from him, we have found rest to our soul. —Dallas Willard

5. C. S. Lewis said, ‘‘God designed the human machine to run on Himself
C. S. Lewis said, ‘‘God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on....God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.’’

6. For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “In repentance and rest you shall be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.” --Isaiah 30:15

7. Many Christians are anxious and troubled
Many Christians are anxious and troubled. Although they are experiencing the "rest" of salvation that accompanies the forgiveness of sins and are looking forward to the eternal "rest" of heaven, their souls are still in turmoil. Fearful and doubting, they seem to be continually burdened by life's problems. A closer look at their anxiety can reveal the reason for their distress. Having never learned to rest in the Lord, they fail to experience the "quietness and confidence" (Isaiah 30:15) that comes to those who daily fellowship with Him through Bible study and prayer. --Henry G. Bosch

8. Don't let yourself become a victim of fruitless fretting
Don't let yourself become a victim of fruitless fretting. If you do, you'll lose the peace and joy that is your rightful heritage. Instead, set aside part of each day to talk with God, thanking Him for who He is and what He has done for you. Then, by reading His word and believing His comforting promises, your faith will grow stronger and a supernatural peace will flood your soul. Jesus said, "Come to Me,...and I will give you rest" (Mt. 11:28). Have you learned to rest in Him? --Henry G. Bosch

9. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. --Galatians 5:22, 23

10. “Traditionally, these nine character qualities have been divided into three triads. First, there are three qualities that join us to God: love, joy and peace. Love speaks of a kind affection that reaches out to another person without regard to anything that might be received in return. Joy is godly optimism even in trying circumstances. Peace is godly contentment in spite of our circumstances. In the deepest sense, these graces come from God and lead us back to him. “The second triad of qualities reaches out to those around us: patience, kindness and goodness. Patience might be better translated by the traditional phrase “longsuffering.” It speaks of courageous endurance over time in difficult circumstances. Kindness refers to a gracious disposition toward others. Goodness is love in action.” --Ray Pritchard

11. “The third triad includes three qualities that describe our inner character: faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Faithfulness means something like “dependability.” The person with this quality keeps his word, his promises, and his vows. Gentleness is often translated “meekness,” which doesn't mean “weakness” but rather “my power under God's control.” It's the ability to respond with kindness under provocation when you are sorely tempted to blow your top. Self-control is “my desires under God's control.” It especially speaks to those moments of temptation when we want to go somewhere or do something or try something or look at something that we know would not be good for us.” --Ray Pritchard

12. “Fruit comes from life and life comes from the Holy Spirit
“Fruit comes from life and life comes from the Holy Spirit. The “fruit” of the Spirit is only possible as we cooperate with the Holy Spirit who lives in us. To say it another way, we produce the “works of the flesh,” but the “fruit of the Spirit” is produced in us by the Holy Spirit as we cooperate day by day with him. As we consider these two ways of life, it helps to remember that flesh produces only sin; it cannot manufacture a changed life. If we want the “fruit of the Spirit,” we can have it, but we must apply to God for it. That is, we must seek it, ask for it, and yield ourselves to God that we might have it. Left to ourselves, we will produce the “works of the flesh.” Only when God enters our lives will we discover the “fruit of the Spirit.” --Ray Pritchard

13. How to Set Goals
1. Pray for wisdom and plan your goals--James 1:5,
Is. 32:7,8, Prov. 21:5
2. Get counsel--Prov. 20:18, 24:6
3. Plan achievable steps--Deut. 7:22, Jer. 31:21
4. Set a deadline--Neh. 2:6
5. Discipline yourself to achieve your
goals--1 Cor. 9:25, 1 Tim. 2:4, 4:7
6. Be accountable to someone--Luke 9:10
7. Rely on God's promises to accomplish your
goals--Phil. 4:13, 2 Pet. 1:4

14. A friend loves at all times --Proverbs 17:17

16. Walk But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. --Galatians 5:16 for we walk by faith, not by sight --2 Corinthians 5:7

18. Graham summed up Trotman's life this way: "Dawson loved the Word of God. I think more than anybody else he taught me to love it. He always carried his Bible around and always had it marked. The Word of God was sweetness to him." 

20. Christ the Center 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.”

21. Obedience to Christ Romans 12:1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. John 14:21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him.”

22. The Word 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; Joshua 1:8 “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”

24. Prayer John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. Philippians 4:6, 7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

27. Fellowship Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst.” Hebrews 10:24, 25 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.

28. Witnessing Matthew 4:19 And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.