Monthly Archives: October 2017

Of One Mind

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Be - 1 Peter 3:8 - Of One Mind - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Be – 1 Peter 3:8 – Of One Mind – Growing As Disciples

Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 1 Peter 3:8 (NLT)

Humble Attitude

You don’t know it all. You don’t have it all. You are not independent. You are not self-sufficient. Life does not revolve around you. You are not to be self-centered. You are certainly not to be self-indulgent. You will do well to think about others. You will do well if you live your life with a humble attitude. I am calling to live your life with and for others. Be on guard about thinking too much about yourself. You will know that you are in treacherous territory when you are continually thinking all about your wants and needs and desires.

What is safe territory? How will I know if my thoughts are lining up with your thoughts? I already mentioned that I want you to live your life with a humble attitude. I heard that. How will living with a humble attitude play out in your life? I will listen more and talk less. I will meet with you in your word. I will allow your word to change my heart. I will allow your word to transform my mind. I will allow your word to guide my life. I will listen attentively to everything you want to say to me. I will also carefully consider whatever my brothers and sisters in the faith are saying to me. I know that you have placed in a body of believers so that I can both encourage others and be encouraged by them. I will seek counsel from my fellow brothers and sisters. I will listen to their advice. I will follow their directions. I will not be argumentative. I will seek to be in unity of thought with all your followers. I will seek to be a peacemaker so I can live in your peace. Even if I do disagree, I will not be disagreeable. I will be approachable. I will be open and tenderhearted. I will make time to listen to others. I will be sympathetic to others when they are going through difficulties in life. I will encourage others. I will pray for others. I will help carry the burdens that are too heavy for others to carry. I look to the interests of others above my own. Above all else, I will love others just like you loved me. I will give like you gave. I will serve like you served. I will go and do whatever you ask of me. I will be at your service every day of my life as I follow and serve you. That will be very good.

Lord, I have been proud. I have been argumentative. I have been self-centered. Forgive me. Help me to live a humble, tender hearted life in unity of thought and peaceful harmony with fellow believers. Help me to be kind, compassionate and loving toward others. Amen

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

Be – 1 Peter 3-8 – Of One Mind – 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

For Those Who Persecute You

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide- Prayer - Matthew 5:43-44 - For Those Who Persecute You - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Prayer – Matthew 5:43-44 – For Those Who Persecute You – Growing As Disciples

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Matthew 5:43-44 (NIV)

Enemies

If you had asked me, I would have said that I did not have any enemies. It certainly is my goal to not have any enemies. I don’t want to regard anyone as my enemy. I don’t want to harbor anything against anyone. I want to love everyone. I want to serve everyone. I want to pray for everyone. Those are all good desires. Do you know that I also had all those desires in my heart? I am certain of that it was your desire to love, serve and pray for all your enemies. That’s right. But, what makes you so certain that I wanted to love, serve and pray for all my enemies? Beyond, what you have said in your word? Yes, beyond what you can read in my word. The desires of my heart come from you. It is only because I have drawn near to you and as I am coming to know you, that these thoughts have become the desires of my heart. Prior to coming to know you, I was certain that I had enemies. Prior to coming to know you, I wanted to get revenge against every one of my enemies. I hated my enemies. I wanted to pay each one of them back with the same evil that they committed against me. You can be sure, that in those days, I kept a close score and a precise recall of everyone who had harmed and hurt me. That’s not good. I know.

I did have enemies, you know that? Yes, I know that you had many enemies. At times, it must have seemed like the whole world was against you. Yes, it did. Why do you think I had enemies? You were in this world. You were not of this world. You lived a righteous life in an evil world. Evil hates good. Darkness hates light. Lies hate the truth. The world is everything you were not. The world rejected you, your words and your deeds. Yes, it did. As you become more and more like me, do not be surprised when the world hates and rejects you. Don’t wonder how or why you could possibly have any enemies. I won’t. 

What will you do when you recognize that you do have enemies? I will do what you did. What did I do? You loved your enemies. You went out of your way to serve your enemies. You prayed for your enemies. You laid down your life for your enemies. You made it so your enemies could one day come to you, to be your friends and followers. Yes, I did. I was once one of your enemies. Yes, you were. You loved and prayed for me, so I could come to you. Yes, I did. I will love and pray for my enemies, so that they can also, one day, come to you. That will be very good.

Lord, I didn’t think I had any enemies. Now, I know that I have enemies. Help me to know how to love my enemies. Show me how I can pray for my enemies. Help me to be your witness in the world. Help me turn my enemies into your and my close friends. Amen

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

Prayer – Matthew 5-43-44 – For Those Who Persecute You – 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