Monthly Archives: January 2020

Takes Refuge In Him

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Blessing - Psalm 34:8 - Take Refuge In Him - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Blessing – Psalm 34:8 – Take Refuge In Him – Growing As Disciples

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.      Psalm 34:8 (NIV)

Taste And See

I’m not on a diet. I don’t want just a little sample. I don’t want a very small taste. I want to hunger for you. I want to thirst for you. I want to feast on your goodness. I want to drink fully of the life you are calling me to live with you. I want to be well feed and satisfied, but always hungry for more of you. I want to see all of your kindness, goodness, mercy and love. I want to know you. I want to love you. I want to follow you. I want to serve you. I want to take complete refuge in you. I want to draw near to you. I want to live in your presence. I will bow myself down before you. I will quiet myself at your feet. I will listen to every word you have to say to me. Let me hear your voice. Speak to me, I am listening. Revive me. Refresh me. Restore Me, Renew me. Do your work in me. Mold and shape me. Make and mold me. You are the potter. I am the clay. Without you, I am nothing. With you, I will have all that I have ever needed or wanted. Let me say this clearly, without any hesitation, I am yours. I am here and I am listening. Use me for your purposes. Help me to accomplish you plans. Let me be your instrument. Show me where you want me to go. Give me what you want me to do.

What if I don’t have anywhere for you to go? What if I have nothing for you to do? What will you do if I simply want you to sit here and taste and see my kindness, mercy and love? What will you do if I want you to be right here, right now to take refuge in me? Will you rush off? Will you make up your own mission? Will you give yourself your own task? Will you make yourself busy? Have you not been busy enough? Have you not done enough? Would it be too much to ask you to come and sit with me? Would it be too difficult for you to come and learn from me? Do you really want to taste and see my kindness, mercy and love? Yes Lord, that is the desire of my heart and mind and life. I could ask for nothing more. I could want nothing with stronger desire. Come to me. You will taste and see my goodness, as you take refuge in me. Yes Lord, I will. That will be very good.

Lord, thank you for drawing me close to you in prayer and worship so I could taste and see your goodness. You have delivered and rescued me from out of fearful troubles.  You have blessed my life as I have taken refuge in you. Amen

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

Blessing – Psalm 34-8 – Takes Refuge In Him – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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

Clothed With Power

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Holy Spirit - Luke 24:45-49 - Clothed With Power - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Holy Spirit – Luke 24:45-49 – Clothed With Power – Growing As Disciples

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:45-49 (NIV)

Stay

That is a very hard word for me to put into practice. What word is that? Stay. I have a very difficult time staying in one place. I want to be on the go. I want to be on the move. I don’t like sitting around doing nothing. Is that what you think it means to stay? If I tell you to stay, do you think that is the same as me telling you to do nothing? That’s a good question, that I haven’t considered. I have only thought of staying as doing nothing and being a waste of time. That’s not correct thinking on your part. I need to hear more.

Let’s talk about what is a waste of time. I’m listening. That’s good. Have you ever wasted your time and effort by doing something that I didn’t ask you to do? Yes, many times. Have you ever wasted time and effort by trying to do something under your own power, without my help? Yes, many times. Have you ever wasted your time and effort by running ahead of me and trying to do something before you were ready? Yes, many times. Have you ever wasted your time and effort by not carefully following my instructions? Yes, many times. Might you have greatly benefited by staying with me, in my presence before making all these mistakes? Yes, I’m sure that is true. That’s good.

So, tell me how you will wisely use the time, when I tell you to stay in one place. I will stay and wait for your guidance. I will stay and wait for your power. I will stay and wait for you to prepare me. I will stay and wait for your instructions. Does waiting in any one of these ways seem like a waste of time to you? No, not at all. Do you believe that you really need to stay in one place until you have received these things from me? Yes, I do. Without your help I can do nothing. Without your power, my efforts will be fruitless. I desperately want and need your help. I will come to fully rely on you. I will place all my faith in you. That is very good. I will use you to be my witness in the world. You will bear fruit for my kingdom and bring glory to my name.

Holy Spirit, it has been difficult for me to wait. Often, I have run ahead of you and tried to do your work under my own power. What a fruitless mistake. I’m here now. I’m waiting. Fill me. Clothe me. Empower me to do your work and be your witness in the world. Amen

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

Holy Spirit – Luke 24 -45-49 – Clothed With Power – 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

Deceptive Philosophy

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – The Mind - Colossians 2:8 - Deceptive Philosophy - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – The Mind – Colossians 2:8 – Deceptive Philosophy – Growing As Disciples

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8 (NIV) 

Hear Me

How will I ever be able to make sure that I am not taken captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy that is based on human tradition that comes from the world’s principles? That is a very good question. On your own, with your own strength you will easily fall prey to hollow and deceptive philosophies. Without my help, you will come to adopt traditions and principles from the world. Without my teaching and training, you won’t even be able to realize that your life is in danger of being conformed to all the patterns, practices and values that are of the world. On your own, you will think that you are wise, while you live out a foolish life. I don’t want that. I don’t want that for you either.

What must I do if I want my life to be built on your principles? That is another very good question. You must let me teach you. You must let me train you. You must let me guide you. How will I do that? You will listen attentively to my word. You will meet me with me in my word daily. Daily, Your life is being bombarded with worldly thoughts and opinions and values. You must let me speak into your life. My word is stronger than the words that you will hear from the world. But, in order to hear my word, you must set a part a time and a place to meet with me in my word. You will need to quiet yourself before me. You will need to consider carefully all that I will say to you. As you hear my word you will know the truth. The truth of my word will set you free. I will use my word to change your heart. I will use my word to transform your mind. You will begin to think my thoughts. You will begin to walk in my ways. You will be able to know and do my will. My word will make you able to recognize what is false. You will know what principles, values and practices are from the world. You will reject what is false and hold on to what is true. I am the way, the truth and the life. You will hold on to me. I will lead you through life. Hear me, follow me, and obey me. Yes Lord, I will hear and follow and obey you. I will hold on to you and your word. That will be very good.

Lord, help me to be on guard so that my mind is not taken captive by any of the deceptive and hollow philosophies of this world. Help me to evaluate and weigh every thought by your word so that I will be able to live in your truth. Amen

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

The Mind – Colossians 2-8 – Deceptive Philosophy – 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

Taught By The Spirit

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – The Holy Spirit - 1 Corinthians 2:13-16 - Taught By The Spirit - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – The Holy Spirit – 1 Corinthians 2:13-16 – Taught By The Spirit – Growing As Disciples

This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:13-16 (NIV)

What Is True?

How will you know what is true? How will you know what is wise? How will you be able to distinguish the difference between worldly wisdom and spiritual truth? I won’t be distinguishing the difference between worldly wisdom and spiritual truth. Why is that? Worldly wisdom is what comes naturally to me. I live in this world. If I rely on myself and on my human understanding I will no doubt think and speak and act on human wisdom understanding and worldly wisdom. That’s true.

Is there something that you want from me? I want your wisdom. I want wisdom that only comes to me from your Holy Spirit. Is that what you are asking of me? Yes, it is. This is my desire. This is my prayer. I no longer want to think or speak or act according to human understanding and worldly wisdom. I am sure that a life that is lived based on human understanding and worldly wisdom will amount to nothing of lasting eternal value. I don’t want to waste my life. I want to accomplish your purposes and fulfill your plans. I want to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. That is very good.

There are somethings that I have had enough of for a lifetime. What’s that? I have had enough of my feeble efforts. I have had enough of my insignificant accomplishments. I have had enough of my powerless efforts. I have had enough of working incredibly hard but accomplishing very little. No longer will I operate under my own power. No longer will I be guided by my own worldly wisdom. I have had enough, I will go no further without your help. I will take on no task unless you are giving me the power to accomplish it. Let me be clear, I find no fault in you. The fault has been in me. I have not asked for your help. I have not relied on your wisdom. I have not followed your instruction. There will be no more of that. That’s very good.

So, Holy Spirit I am asking for your help. Show me where you want me to go. Give me what you want me to do. Give me your wisdom and power and strength to do whatever I am being asked to do for you. I will wait and watch. Come now and fill me. Come now and empower me. Use me how you will. I will rely on you. That will be very good. I will give you all you need to do all that I am asking of you as you rely on me. That is what I will do.

Holy Spirit, I have heard, followed and acted on words of human wisdom. I have thought incorrectly, spoken too quickly and acted unwisely based on human wisdom. I want none of that. Teach me to hear, speak and act on your spiritual wisdom. I’m listening. Amen

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

Holy Spirit – 1 Corinthians 2-13-16 – Taught By The Spirit – 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