Monthly Archives: July 2017

Rest – Restore

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Rhythms - Psalm 23:1-3 - Rest - Restore - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Rhythms – Psalm 23:1-3 – Rest – Restore – Growing As Disciples

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.  Psalm 23:1-3 (NIV)

Restoration

Will you come to rest in my presence? Will you set aside a time and a place to meet with me? Will you leave the noise and busyness of your life to be quiet before me? Will you feast on my word? Will you listen to all that I have to say to you? Will you let my word refresh, revive and restore your soul? Will you taste of my goodness, kindness, mercy and love? Will you drink deeply of the life that I have called you to live? Will you allow me to feed your hunger and satisfy your thirst? Yes Lord, I will come to you. Yes, I will set aside a time and a place to meet with you. Yes, I will let you refresh, revive and restore my soul. There is no place I would rather be than in your presence. There is nothing I would rather do than to listen to you. I have been running. I have been busy. I am worn out. My soul is in desperate need of restoration. Here I am right now. I’m quiet. Speak to me, Lord, I’m listening.

I did not make you to run on empty. You are not independent and self-sufficient. You cannot give to others what you do not have for yourself. You need me. I am your Good Shepherd. I have all that you need. You will not want, when you come to rely on me. Come to me, not because you should. Come to me, not because you must. Come to me, because you want and need me. Come to me, because I love you. Come to me, because you love me. Yes Lord, I love you with all my heart and mind and soul and strength. You have let me taste of your kindness, mercy and love. You have allowed me to feast on your word. You have fed my hunger and satisfied my thirst. You have met my needs. You have guided my life. You have directed my course. You are molding and shaping my life. You are changing my heart and transforming my mind. You are helping me to know your will. You are helping me to walk in your ways. You are helping me to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. I will walk with you on this path of life that you have laid out for me. That will be very good.

Lord, I have been weary. I have been worn out. I have been bruised and battered and broken. My soul is in need of restoration. Help me to come to rest in green pastures. Lead me by still waters. Restore my soul as I eat and drink of the life you have for me. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Rhythms – Psalm 23-1-3 – Rest – Restore – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional study guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Renewed

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Be - Ephesians 4:20-24 - Renewed - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Be – Ephesians 4:20-24 – Renewed – Growing As Disciples

But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:20-24 (ESV) 

Changed Heart And Renewed Mind

I have broken the power of sin and darkness over your old life. When you turned away from you sin and gave your life to me, I forgave your sin and cleansed you of all your unrighteousness. I washed you and gave you a completely new and fresh life to live in me. I set you on a firm foundation. You began, and are continuing, to love, follow and serve me. Your old life, that you once lived, is now like a set of dirty and stinky old clothes. You took them off. They have been thrown away. There is nothing that should be appealing about them. You should have no desire to put those dirty and stinky old clothes, of your old life, back on. Then I have a question. Go ahead, ask your question, I’m listening. I have a problem. What’s that? I don’t know how, I’m not sure why, but somehow and sometimes I am tempted to put back on those dirty and stinky clothes of my old life. I’ve noticed that.

It is your desire to put off your old life and put on the new life that I have called you to live. Yes, I want to completely and fully live the new life you have called me to live. You are having difficulty putting off your old life and putting on your new life in me. Yes, there has been an ongoing battle in my heart and mind over what kind of life I will live. I am glad that you have identified the battle ground. You are right to say that the battle that rages in you is in your heart and mind. You cannot change your heart. You cannot transform your mind. On your own you cannot win the battle that is raging in your heart and mind. I’m certain of that. I have already won that battle for you. You need to live and walk in the victory that I have secured for you. How will I do that? How will I change your heart and transform your mind? What tool have I made available to you, that will change your heart and transform your mind? What tool will make you able to keep putting off your old life and keep putting on your new life? You have given me your word. That’s right. Let my word dwell in you richly. Meditate on my word day and night. As my word dwells in you, the Holy Spirit will take my word and use it like a sword to fight in you, with you and for you. My word will strengthen you. My word will make you able to stand against temptation. My word will make you able to put off your old life and put on the new life I have already given you to live. Will you allow my word to change your heart and transform your mind? Yes Lord, I will let your word dwell in me richly as I meditate on it day and night. I will allow your word to change my heart and transform my mind. That will be very good. 

Lord, thank you for breaking the power that my old life had over me. Thank you for making it possible for me to live a new life in you. Use your word to renew and transform my mind as I put off my old life and put on the new life that you have given me to live. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Be – Ephesians 4-20-24 – Renewed – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Diligent

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Be - 1 Timothy 4:15-16 - Diligent - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Be – 1 Timothy 4:15-16 – Diligent – Growing As Disciples

Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4:15-16 (NIV) 

Give Yourself 

What will you give yourself to in this life? What is an acceptable use of your time? What is worthy of your whole-hearted effort? How will you use the life that you have been given? What do you hope to accomplish? What do you want to achieve?  Where are you headed? Where will you go? What will you do? You have asked me a lot of questions. Do you think that I have the answers? Can I know the future? Can I see what is around the corner? Do I know what is coming next? Do, I have a road map that lays out each step of my life. Do I know what tomorrow will bring? No, I do not. You are the one who knows the answers to your questions. Yes, I do.

I would still like to try and answer some of your questions. Go ahead, I’m listening. I will give myself to following and serving you. Living my life with and for you is an acceptable use of my time. I will immerse myself in living the life that you have given me to live. I will love and follow and serve you with all my heart and mind and soul and strength. I will give myself fully to coming to know you. I will walk with you. I will talk with you. I will listen attentively to all that you have to say to me. I will go where you guide me. I will do whatever you ask of me. I will diligently use all the gifts and talents and abilities that you have given to me. I will apply myself fully to knowing and doing your will. It is my prayer that I will accomplish your purposes and fulfilled your plans. It is my prayer that you will use me as your bright and shinning witness in the world. This is where I will go. This is what I will do. I will follow you to where ever I am headed. You know the future. You have the plan. You know my next steps. You have all the answers. My life is completely in your hands. I will trust you. I will walk with you. I will rely on you. Lead me to where you want me to go. Give me what you want me to do. I will follow you. That is very good. 

Lord, thank you for giving me gifts, talents and abilities with which I can serve you. Help me to cultivate, develop and diligently use what you have given to me. I will immerse myself in following and serving you. Help me to be a witness for you in the world. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Be – 1 Timothy 4-15-16 – Diligent – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Crown Of Life

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Life - James 1:12 - Crown Of Life - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Life – James 1:12 – Crown Of Life – Growing As Disciples

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 (NIV)

Trials And Tests

How have you been able to persevere and withstand the trials and tests of life? I’m not sure how to answer that question. Why is that? I’m not sure if I really have persevered and withstood the trials and tests of life. How can you think and say that?  Am I wrong? Yes, you are wrong. You may not have passed all the trials and tests of life in a way that most benefited you. But, you are here right now talking to me. You haven’t run away. You haven’t abandoned your faith. You have held on to me through all the trials and tests that you have faced in life. I could have held on to you a little more tightly. I could have relied on you a little more completely. Yes, that is true. 

What has happened to you as you have taken a hold of my promises? Your promises have sustained and strengthened me. Your promises have given me hope. Your promises have given me joy even in the midst of trials and tests in life. Your promises have helped me to persevere and withstand whatever trail and test that has come my way. Most of all my love for you has grown as I have relied on you and your promises. Do these words of yours sound like someone that has not been persevering and withstanding the trials and tests of life? I guess not. Guess again. No, these are the words of a person who has been sustained and strengthened by you. Yes, that’s right.

Where have I been when you have been in the midst of the trials and tests in life? You have been right there with me in the middle of my trials and tests. It has taken a long time and many trials and tests for me to realize that I have never been alone. Maybe that has been the real test. Say more about that. Maybe my trials and tests have been meant to teach me to trust you. Maybe my trails and tests have been meant for me to rely on your strength. Maybe my trials and tests have been meant to develop my relationship with you. Maybe my trials and tests have been meant to cause me to look to you and the future I will have forever in heaven with you. That’s a lot of maybe, are you really that uncertain? No, I am certain that all my trials and tests have and were meant to accomplish all these purposes.

Do you wish that you wouldn’t have had so many trials and tests in life? That’s a difficult question to answer. Why is that? I have never been a fan of trials and tests. They have been painful for me to endure. But, if I had not gone through so many trials and tests I would trust and rely on you less. If I had not gone through so many trials and tests I wouldn’t know you like I do. If I had not gone through so many trials and tests I would not have my eyes so focused on my life forever in heaven with you. Most of all, if I hadn’t gone through so many trails and tests I might not love you as much as I do. You have been with me to help me through every trail and test in life. Yes, I have been.

Lord, I love you. I know you love me. I am certain that you will help me to persevere and withstand the trials and tests of life. Sustain and strengthen me as I joyfully hold on to you and your promises through trials and tests in life. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Life – James 1-12 – Crown Of Life – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship study guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com