Monthly Archives: November 2017

Greater Love

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Love - John 15:12-14 - Greater Love - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Love – John 15:12-14 – Greater Love – Growing As Disciples

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. John 15:12-14 (ESV) 

Loved You 

How have I loved you? What have I been willing to do for you? How have I demonstrated my love to you in all my thoughts, words and deeds? You laid down your life for me. You poured yourself out for me. You humbled yourself and came into this world for me. You gave up all your rights and privileges for me. You gave the ultimate sacrifice of your life, for me, by dying for my sins. You made it so I could be forgiven of my sins. You made it so I could be cleansed of all my unrighteousness. You broke the power of sin over my life. You rescued me from darkness. You pulled my life up from out of the muck and mire. You set me on a firm foundation. You adopted me into your family. You made me to be your child. You filled me with your Holy Spirit. You gave me your word. You are now using your word to change my heart, transform my mind and guide my life. You are now leading me through life. You have given my life hope and meaning and purpose. You are allowing me to accomplish your purposes. You are making me able to fulfill your plans. You made it so I could love you with all my heart and mind and soul. You are helping me to think your thoughts, speak your words and do your deeds. Now, there is no place I would not go for you. Now there is nothing I would not do for you. That is very good.

What do you think I want you to do for me? There are a lot of possible answers to your question. I’m looking for a broad, more general answer to my question. I get it. You want me to lay down my life for others just like you laid down your life for me. You want me to love others just like you loved me. You want me to serve others just like you served me. You want me to be willing to do anything and go anywhere as an act of love for others. You want me to pour myself out in loving service to others. Am I right? Have I answered your question correctly? Yes, you have answered my question correctly. Go now and love others with all that is within you. Love others with all your thoughts, words and deeds. Yes Lord, I will. That will be very good.

Lord, thank you for loving me and laying your life down for me. Help me to love others with your love so I will also lay down my life in service to others. Let your love flow through me so that I will be a witness for you in the world. Amen

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

Love – John 15-12-14 – Greater Love – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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

Confess Your Sins

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Therefore - James 5:16 - Confess Your Sins - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Therefore – James 5:16 – Confess Your Sins – Growing As Disciples

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16 (NIV)

Powerful Prayers

Are you willing to admit your faults? What do you do when you know that have done something wrong? Do you try to hide what you have done? Do you live in denial that you have a fault that you must admit? Do you ignore me when I am prompting you to confess your sin to someone else? I have had a hard time admitting my faults. I have pretended that I haven’t done anything wrong. I have ignored your prompting to confess my sin to another person. Do you know why this is not good? I can think of a few reasons why it is mistake to fail to admit my faults and confess my sins. I’m listening.

You want me to live in close relationships with others. Yes, I do. As I live in close relationships with others I will have an opportunity to minister to them. Yes, you will. If I sin against someone and don’t admit my faults and confess my sins I will lose any opportunity I might have had to minister to others. That’s right. As I live in close relationships with others we will be able to keep each other accountable and spur each other on as we confess and admit our faults and sins to each other. Yes, that’s also true. Hiding my faults and failing to confess my sins will hinder my ability to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. Yes, it will.

What else? You expect me to admit my faults and confess my sins. Yes, I do. It is your command. Yes, it is. You paid for my sins on the cross. You made it possible so I could be forgiven of my sin and cleansed of all my unrighteousness. Yes, I did. Failing to admit my faults and confess my sins seems like a rejection of all that you have done for me. You are not pleased when I hide my faults and fail to confess my sins. That’s right. I will have very little desire to draw near to you in prayer when I am living with unconfessed sin. You want me to draw near to you to admit my faults and confess my sin as part of my prayers to you. Yes, I do. Living forgiven of my sin and cleansed of all my unrighteousness is the ground on which powerful prayers can be prayed and heard and answered. Yes, It is.  

What else? You want me to receive all that you have for me. You want me to receive your healing. Yes, I do. Your healing will come into my life as I admit my faults and confess my sin to you and others. Yes, it will. Will you make admitting your faults and confessing your sin a regular everyday practice in your life? Yes Lord, I will.

Lord, I am a sinner. I have sinned. I will sin. I will make it my common everyday practice to admit my faults and confess my sins both to you and to others. Forgive me. Cleanse me. Heal me. Make me able to pray powerful prayers that you will hear and answer. Amen

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

Therefore – James 5-16 – Confess Your Sins – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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

Meditates Day And Night

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Life- Psalm 1:1-3 - Meditates Day And Night - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Life- Psalm 1:1-3 – Meditates Day And Night – Growing As Disciples

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV)

Instead

Do you want to live a blessed and happy life? Yes, of course, who wouldn’t want that kind of life? There really isn’t some big hidden secret about how you can have a blessed and happy life. I would like to know more. How can I live a blessed and happy life? What does my word tell you? I think your word really says don’t do one thing but do something else instead. What’s that? Your word basically says don’t hang out with evil. Don’t walk with evil. Don’t stand with evil. Don’t take a seat with evil. Yes it says all of that. What does not walking, standing or sitting with evil mean to you? I need to be on guard against evil. I can’t allow myself to become comfortable around evil. I must separate myself from evil. How will you do that? I know evil situations, circumstances and influences when I see them. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what doesn’t please you and isn’t helpful to me. I need to remove me from everything that might try to steal, kill and destroy the life you have given me to live. Life stealers can be situations, circumstance and influences from ungodly and wicked people that will try to lead me on a path away from you. I need to run away from all of these. Why is that? Evil can be very tempting and alluring. It’s better to quickly run away than to hang around and succumb to evil. Yes it is.

A happy and blessed life doesn’t just include running away from evil. No, it does not. That’s why I said you want me to run from evil and then do something else instead. Tell me about what I want you to do instead. You want me to meditate on your word day and night. Yes, I do. What will happen to you as you meditate on my word day and night? Meditating on your word day and night will change my heart and transform my mind. Yes, it will. Your word will help me to think your thoughts and do your will. Your word will strengthen me against evil and it’s temptations. Yes, it will. Your word will help me to run from evil even more quickly. Why is that? Your word will help me to more clearly recognize evil in all its many forms. Your word will increase my desire to live my life for you. Yes, it will. In desiring to live my life for you I will not hang around evil to let it entice me. No, you will not.

A happy and blessed life doesn’t just include running from evil and meditating on my word. No, it does not. Your word feeds and sustains me. Your word refreshes my life and makes me alive in you. Your word helps me to bear fruit for your kingdom and glory. Yes, it does. Al three of these; running from evil, meditating on your word, and bearing fruit for your kingdom and your glory are what constitute a happy and blessed life. I can think of no greater joy than being changed and transformed by your word and bearing fruit for your kingdom and your glory. That exactly what I want. That is my prayer to you. This is the desire of my heart.  This is what I will give to you.

Lord, I will not walk in the counsel of the wicked. I will not stand around with sinners. I will not sit down with mockers. I will meditate on your word day and night. Feed, sustain and refresh my life by your word so that I can bear and abundance of fruit for you. Amen

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

Life – Psalm 1-1-3 – Meditates Day And Night – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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

Teach Others

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Discipleship - 2 Timothy 2:1-2 - Teach Others - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Discipleship – 2 Timothy 2:1-2 – Teach Others – Growing As Disciples

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. 2 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV)

Heard

What have you heard from me? How have I spoken into your life? How have you been able to hear all that I have wanted to teach you? Who have I used to speak into your life? What have you done with all that I have taught you? That’s a lot of questions. Yes, it is. I would like to hear your answers. I have heard about the new life I now have in you. You helped me to turn away from my old life of sin so that I could live a completely new life in you. As I walk with you in this new life it seems like you never stop speaking to me. For that I am very thankful. That’s good. You speak to me through your word. I have set apart a daily time to meet with you in your word, so I can hear from you. You speak to me by your Holy Spirit. Your Holy Spirit applies your word to my life as I take one step after another with you. You speak to me through the body of Christ. As I gather together with fellow believers, I hear things that you want me to hear. Many times, you have spoken into my life by the words of one of your followers. That’s right. You speak to me through the circumstances of life. As I pray to you, in all my circumstances, you hear and answer my prayers. You guide and direct my life. You are always with me. You will never leave me. You always have something to say to me. Yes, I do. I always need to be prepared to hear from you. Yes, you do.

What have you done with my teaching? That’s a good question. I have taken your teaching into my heart and mind. I have allowed your teaching to guide my life. I have put your teaching into practice. Am I doing all these things perfectly? Certainly not. What has helped you to put my teaching into practice? It has always helped me to teach others what you have been teaching me. As I teach others, what you have taught me, your word becomes more firmly established in my heart and mind and life. That’s right. As I teach others ,what you have taught me, I am filled with joy because your word has borne fruit in and through my life. I have been able to bear fruit for your Kingdom and bring glory to your name. That’s true, What else? As I teach others what you have taught me, others will do likewise. They will teach others what I have taught them. Your word will go forth and a multitude will come to know and love and follow and serve you. Yes, they will. That’s what I want. That’s what I want to be part of. That is very good.

Lord, help me to grow strong in your grace. Help me to hear all that you want to teach me. Help me to be faithful to pass on to others all that I have heard and received from you. Use my life to bear abundant fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. Amen

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

Discipleship – 2 Timothy 2-1-2 – Teach Others – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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

Not Be Carried Away

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - So That - 2 Peter 3:17-18 - Not Be Carried Away - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – So That – 2 Peter 3:17-18 – Not Be Carried Away – Growing As Disciples

Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 2 Peter 3:17-18 (NIV)

On Guard

How will you remain on guard ago against false teaching? How will you be able to stand against evil that is in the world? Where will all your strength and stability come from? How will you bring glory to my name? Those are all very good questions. To stand guard against false teaching I must first know the truth. Where will you find the truth? The truth is in your word. You will show me the truth when I meet with you in your word. You are the way, the truth and the life. Yes, I am. You will guide me into all the truth. You will guard me by the truth. You will keep me in the truth. Yes, I will.

Knowing the truth will never be enough. I must choose to remain in the truth. I must keep on coming to you. You will help me to know the truth and put it into practice. Yes, I will. As I grow in knowing you and keep on putting the truth into practice I will be strengthened to stand against evil in the world. As I draw near to you, you will draw near to me. You will make me able to resist the devil and all his evil. He will flee from me. Yes, he will. You will guard and keep me in the secure position that I have in you. Yes, I will.

Knowing you and living in the truth will cause me to bring glory to your name. I will live the life that you have given me to live. I will do what you ask of me. I will fulfill the plans that you have had for my life. I will do the good works that you have prepared for me to do for you. You will use me as your instrument. I will be a tool in your hands. I will shine brightly for you in the world. Yes, you will.

As best I can tell, being on guard against false teaching and evil will require four things. What’s that? First, being on guard will require that I know the truth that is found in you. Second, being on guard will require that I live in a close and intimate relationship with you. Third, being on guard will require that I resist evil with all the strength that you will give to me. Finally, as I allow you to use me for your kingdom and glory, I will be strengthened even more to live my life for you. Yes, you will.

 Lord, I want to know you. I want to love you. I want to follow you. Help me to grow in knowing, loving and following you. Keep me on guard against false teachers. Help me to stand against evil in the world. May my life glorify you in all that I think, say and do. Amen

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

So That – 2 Peter 3-17-18 – Not Be Carried Away – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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

Hold On To My Teaching

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Discipleship - John 8:31-32 - Hold On To My Teaching - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Discipleship – John 8:31-32 – Hold On To My Teaching – Growing As Disciples

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (NIV) 

Know The Truth

What is the truth? How will you know what is true and what is false? How will you evaluate what you hear? Are you the final arbitrator of what is true and what is false? Do you know that your heart and mind and life are under constant bombardment, of what is false, from the world? Will you adopt what the world wants to teach you? Will you accept all the thoughts and values and principles of the world? You have asked me a lot of questions. I’m not sure where to begin. Do you expect that I will answer every one of your questions? No, but I do want you to think deeply about every question that I have asked you. That, I will do.

I know that you are the truth. Everything you teach me is true. Your word is truth. I know that the world stands in direct opposition to your truth. I will not accept the thoughts and values and principles of the world as my own. If the world is applauding my thinking, then I will know that something has gone terribly wrong with my thoughts. How will you come to know the truth? Every day, I will come to meet with you in your word. Your word will be by defense against the constant bombardment of my heart and mind and life from the world. I will listen very carefully to everything you teach me. I will hold on tightly to your word. What will happen when there is conflict between your commonly held thoughts and values and opinions and my word? What will you do when you think one thing and my word says another? I will know that I have gotten off track with my thinking. I will know that I have veered away from the truth of your word. I will change my thinking. I will continually allow your word to speak into my life. That will be very good.

What has my word done for you as you have held on to it? Your word has broken the power of the world and all its evil over my life. Your word has set me free. Your word has changed my heart, transformed my mind and guided my life. Your word has made me able to think your thoughts and walk in your ways. Your word has helped me to do what is pleasing in your sight. Your word has helped me to live my life with and for you. That is very good.

Lord, I will meet with you daily in your word. I want to know everything you want to teach me. I will listen carefully to your teaching. I will hold on to and put into practice whatever you teach me. Use your word to set me free, so I can live my life with and for you. Amen

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

Discipleship – John 8-31-32 – Hold On To My Teaching – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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

Love Only Those Who Love You

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - If - Luke 6:32-34 - Love Only Those Who Love You - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – If – Luke 6:32-34 – Love Only Those Who Love You – Growing As Disciples

“If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. Luke 6:32-34 (NLT)

Pay Back

I loved you knowing that you did not love me. I gave myself for you knowing that you could never ever pay me back. Yes, you demonstrated your love for me by dying on the cross as payment for my sins. You gave yourself so that I could be forgiven of all my unrighteousness. You went far out of your way and gave all that you had so that I could live in a new relationship with you. Your love for me drew me to you. You loved me first before I ever loved you. Yes, I did. 

Your love is changing me. How so? You are changing my heart and transforming my mind. At one time, I only loved those who loved me. I would only give to those who would be able to pay me back. My love and my giving were nothing like your love and your giving. You have become my role model. I want to become like you in every way. I want to think like you think. I want to feel what you feel. I want to give like you gave. I want to do what you have done. I want to do what pleases you. I want to do all that you ask of me. I want you to love like I loved. I want you to give like I gave. I am asking you to love others who may never love you. I am asking you to give to others without the hope or expectation that you will ever be paid back. Will you love like I loved? Will you give like I gave? Yes Lord, I will.

What will happen to you when you love and give like I loved and gave? I’m not sure. Take a guess. I know that I will stand out. I will seem odd to others, in a good way. Why is that? Your kind of love and giving is uncommon in the world. Yes, it is. Do you know that I want you to stand out? I want you to be noticed. I want your life to shine brightly like a star in the universe. You will shine brightly for me when you do what I ask of you. Do you want to shine brightly for me? Yes Lord, more than anything else, I want to be a bright and shining witness for you. Then you will love like I loved. Then you will give like I gave. Yes, I will. 

Lets talk about pay back. Was there no pay back for loving the way that I loved? Was there no pay back for giving the way that I gave? You were paid back in joy knowing that you did your Father’s will. You were paid back in joy knowing that you accomplished all that your Father asked you to do for Him. You were paid back in joy knowing that your life bore an abundance of fruit in restoring a multitude to a new relationship with your Father in Heaven. Yes, I was. Do you believe that you will one day be paid back in similar ways as you love and give like I loved and gave? Yes, I know that you will one day pay me back for the good I have done for you in this life. Yes, I will.

Lord, thank you for going far out of your way to demonstrate your love for me even when I was not loving you back. You gave your life for me knowing that I could never possibly pay you back. Help me to love others just like you loved and gave yourself to me. Amen

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

If – Luke 6-32-34 – Love Only Those Who Love You – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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

Send Out Laborers

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Discipleship Devotional Study - Discipleship - Luke 10:2 - Send Out Laborers - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study – Discipleship – Luke 10:2 – Send Out Laborers – Growing As Disciples

And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Luke 10:2 (ESV)

My Harvest Field

Someone prayed for me, I’m sure of that. What do you mean by saying that? Can you explain yourself? That’s it. There is no good explanation for me to be here working in your harvest field. I didn’t wander out into this harvest field all by myself. I didn’t choose myself to be a worker in your harvest field. If I were to dream up my own harvest field, it wouldn’t be this one. I wouldn’t have chosen to be here doing this work. Don’t take what I am saying wrong. There is no chance of that. I don’t resent being called and sent out to work in this field. I am thankful for any and every opportunity to serve you. It is my joy to be a laborer in your harvest field. I want to go wherever you send me. I want to do whatever you ask of me. I am trying to say that I could not have dreamed this up, serving you in this harvest field. There is another thing. What’s that? Longevity and sticking to something are not my long suits. You could have fooled me. Really? Not, really. But, you have worked in this harvest field for many years. Yes, I have and that is surprising to me. I should not be surprised. Why is that? You have made me able to work in this harvest field over these many years. You have sustained me. You have strengthened me. You have given me joy as I have gone and done your will. Yes, I have. What else? You have made me able to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. Yes, I have. I am very thankful to you about that. That’s good.

What else have you noticed about working in my harvest field? I have noticed that there are not enough workers in your harvest field. There is a lot of work to be done in your harvest field. More workers are needed in your harvest field. Your harvest field is a lonely place sometimes. It shouldn’t be. Yes, I know. What will you do about there not being enough workers in my harvest field? I will pray for more workers to be sent out into your harvest field. What else? I will ask others to join me in the work in your harvest field. Who will you ask? That’s a good question. As I am praying for more workers to go out into your harvest field, I will be counting on you to lead me to them. Will you show me who you want to join me in the work in your harvest field? Yes, I will. Then I will ask them to join me in the work in your harvest field. That will be very good.

Lord, your harvest field is plentiful. Thank you for calling me to go out and work in your harvest field. I have noticed an absence of workers. There is much work to be done. There are not enough laborers in your harvest. Send an abundance of more workers. Amen

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

Discipleship – Luke 10-2 – Send Out Laborers – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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