Monthly Archives: February 2020

Working For The Lord

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Heart - Colossians 3:23-24 - Working For The Lord - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Heart – Colossians 3:23-24 – Working For The Lord – Growing As Disciples

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV) 

Wholeheartedly 

I know the difference. You know the difference between what? I know the difference between doing my work with wholehearted and halfhearted effort. Good for you. Let me tell you a secret. Do you want to know who else knows the difference between your wholehearted and halfhearted effort even better than you do? Yes, I do. Who? Everyone else. Can you explain that to me? Yes, I can. Let me ask you a question. Go ahead, you have my full attention. Have you ever noticed someone going about their work with less than their full and best effort? I notice that all the time. It is easy to spot. Yes, it is. It is also easy to spot when you give less than your full effort. You can’t disguise work that is less than your best effort. I have never made the connection between what I can observe about others work and what others are able to observe about my own work. This is something for you to think about more deeply. Yes, it is.

What happens when you give your full and wholehearted effort to your work? I feel gratified in knowing that I have given and done my best. I feel satisfied in knowing that I have gone and done what you have asked of me. I feel peaceful in knowing that I have accomplished the work you have given me to do. Wait a minute? What work have I given to you? Well, all the work I have been given in this life comes from you. It may look like and be true that my work is serving others. But in reality, in all the work I do in this life I am really serving you. That’s true. So, when you give your very best and wholehearted effort in your work you are serving me as a bold witness in the world. How so? Your work stands out. Your work is a cut above. Your work is done fully and completely. Your work is done with excellence. Others can see your work and will know how and why you give yourself so wholeheartedly. They will? Yes, they will.

Then I will give myself wholeheartedly to my work because I want to be a bold and bright witness for you in the world. I want others to know that you are making me able to do my work. I want others to see that you are working in and through my life. You are making me able to accomplish your purposes and fulfill your plans.  Yes, I am. I will do all my work in this life as if I am directly serving you. Why is that? Because, I am. That’s true, you are. 

Lord, there have been many times I have gone through the motions and half-heartedly done my work. Help me to be a bold witness for you in this world by my wholeheartedly doing all the work I have been given. I know it is you who I am really serving in this life. Amen

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

Heart – Colossians 3-23-24 – Working For The Lord – 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

Continue To Love One Another

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Let Us - 1 John 4-7-8 - Continue To Love One Another - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Let Us – 1 John 4-7-8 – Continue To Love One Another – Growing As Disciples

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:7-8 (NLT)

Make Me Able

Only you can make me able to love like you love. I can’t give like you gave. I can’t love like you love. My love always falls short. You are absolutely right when you say that you can’t give like I gave or love like I love. There is however a very important question that I want to ask you. What’s that? Do you want to give like I gave? Do you want to love others with my love? Do you want my love to flow in and through you? In every way I want to know you and your love. In every way I want your love to flow in and through my life. I want to be like a vessel that is overflowing with your love. I want your love to spill out of me so that others will want to come to you to know your love.

Do you know what it will cost you to give like I gave and love like I love? I know that the kind of love that we are talking about is not just a feeling. Giving like you gave and loving like you love requires a choice and demands taking action. What is that choice and what is that action? I must choose to be a vessel in which your love can flow in and though. I must choose to allow you to use me. I must say yes to you. I must rely on you to make me able to love others. Yes, you must rely on me to use you to love others. Then I must be willing to go where you guide me to do what you ask of me. That’s right.

This is all pretty clear isn’t it? Yes, it is very clear. You have more to say, don’t you? It’s very clear and also very scary. Why do you say that? I have no idea where you will lead me. I have no idea what you will ask of me. I wonder if I will be willing. I wonder if I will be able to love like you love. I don’t want to fail. I don’t want to say no. I don’t want to disappoint you. I want to be used by you however, whenever and wherever you call me. But, you have already said that you will rely on me. Yes, I will rely on you. Do you believe that I can make you able to give like I gave and love like I love? Yes Lord, I believe in you. Then you have nothing to worry about. Rely on me. Yes Lord, I will rely on you.

Lord, loving others has not been my strong suit. My ability to love others falls short. Only you can make me able to love others with your love. Only you can make me able to love difficult and seemingly unlovable people. Let your love flow in and through me. Amen

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

Let Us – 1 John 4-7-8 – Continue To Love One Another – 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

His Trust

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Blessing - Psalm 40:4 - His Trust - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Blessing – Psalm 40:4 – His Trust – Growing As Disciples

Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Psalm 40:4 (NIV)

Trust In Me

Are you placing all your trust in me? I don’t know. How can I possibly know the answer to that question? Are you thinking that you can’t possibly know the answer to that question? Yes, that is exactly what I am thinking. Then you have the wrong thought in you. There is a way you can know if you are or are not placing all your trust in me. How so? Let me ask you a few questions. You have my full attention. That’s good. Here goes. I’m ready. Are you worried? Are you full of stress? Are you paralyzed by indecision? Are you filled with doubt and fear? Do you lack confidence to make decisions and move forward? Are you timid or are you bold? I see where this is headed. You are a quick study. Not really. Yes, I know.  If I am worried and filled with stress, I am not placing all my trust in you. The same could be said about indecision, doubt and fear. If I can’t make a decision and move forward it is almost a certainty that I am placing my trust in myself. You want me to trust you so that I can boldly serve you. That’s right. I want you to place all your trust in me. That’s what I want. That will be very good.

I have not finished helping you to know if you are placing all your trust in me. There is more? Yes, there is much more. Do you have many more questions for me? Yes, I have more questions for you. Are you praying to me? Are you asking for my help? Are you turning your worry and stress and anxiety into prayers to me? Are you turning your doubts and fears and timidity over to me? All these are just symptoms of the problem. What is the problem? You are not placing all your trust in me. Placing all your trust in me will require you to pray to me. So, there are really negative and positive signs to indicate if I am really placing all my trust in you, is that right? Yes, that is right.  Now, you’ve got it. 

Will you come to me in prayer? Will you turn your life over to me? Will rely on me for all that you need? Yes Lord, I will pray. I will turn my life over to you. I will rely on you for all that I need. Then you will be placing all your trust in me.

Lord, I have made the mistake of trusting in my own strength, abilities and resources as I have gone through trials in life. I have also trusted in others. Those have been foolish choices that have failed miserably. Forgive me. I will now place my full trust in you. Amen

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

Blessing – Psalm 40-4 – His Trust – 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