Monthly Archives: December 2020

Consider Carefully What You Hear

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - The Mind - Mark 4:24-25 - Consider Carefully What You Hear - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – The Mind – Mark 4:24-25 – Consider Carefully What You Hear – Growing As Disciples

“Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you–and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” Mark 4:24-25 (NIV) 

Hearing

What do you hear? That sounds like an unusual question to me. I will rephrase my question. What are you allowing yourself to hear? That doesn’t help me much. Do you think I have control of what my ears hear? That’s exactly my point. You do have control over what you allow your ears to hear. I want you to carefully consider what you allow your ears to hear. I want you to monitor everything that comes into your heart and mind through your ears. I want you to place a guard over your ears. Why is that important? That’s a very good question that I will let you answer.

What I hear will either help or hinder me. The words that come into my mind will either build me up or tear me down. The words that I listen to will either strengthen or weaken me. The words that I consider will either increase my faith or cause me to doubt. I am facing a battle over my heart and mind. That battle over my heart and mind will be won or lost based on the words that I allow myself to think. I can listen to all that the world wants to say to me. I can live my life according to the principles, patterns and practices of the world or I can live my life according to your will and your ways. If it is my hope and desire to live my life according to your will and ways, then I must carefully consider your word. That’s right. Only as I carefully consider your word will I grow in the understanding that you want to give to me. That is also right.

How will you place a guard over your mind? I will closely monitor all that I am allowing my ears to hear. I will withdraw my heart and mind from all that the world wants to say to me. I will not accept the principles, patterns and practices the world has to offer to me. Will that be enough to protect your heart and mind? No, I must also to meet with you in your word. I must listen carefully to all that you have to say to me. Then I will grow in understanding. Then I will come to know you. Then I will be able to know your will and walk in your ways. Yes, you will.

Lord, for too long I have allowed junk filled words to come into my heart and mind. Help me to guard what I hear. Instead, I will listen attentively to your word so you can change my heart and transform my mind as you give me understanding. Amen

Key Question…  How are you making yourself available to hear what will help you in your walk with the Lord?

Living It Out…  Listen attentively to God’s word so you will be able to hear and apply what He is saying to you.

Seeing It Happen…  Have faith that you will be given more understanding as you hear and apply God’s word to your life?

Get Ready To Share…  Share with another person or your small group how God has given you understanding as you have listened to Him.

Prayer To Bless Others…  May you listen carefully to the Lord so you can understand all that He is saying to you.

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

The Mind – Mark 4-24-25 – Consider Carefully What You Hear – 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

Whose Confidence Is In Him

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Trust - Jeremiah 17:7-8 - Whose Confidence Is In Him- Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Trust – Jeremiah 17:7-8 – Whose Confidence Is In Him- Growing As Disciples

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NIV)                                                                         

No Worries

You have a choice to make. What are my options? You can choose to rely on yourself. You can struggle and strive to solve all your troubles. You can attempt to work through every detail of all your difficulties. You can consider every possibility in each of your problems. You can try to tough it out, on your own, in every one of your trials and tribulations. You can live a life filled full with worry and anxiety over real and imagined troubles, difficulties, and problems. How is all this sounding to you so far? Not good. I have gone this route. I have walked this path. I have relied on myself. I have worried about every conceivable real and imaginary problem. I have experienced stress. I have lived with worry. I am tired. I am worn out. I am ready to give up. I want none of this kind of life, not now, not anymore.

Then you are ready for your second option. What’s that? You can choose to rely on me. You can ask for my help. You can trust that I will hear your prayers. You can believe that I will meet your needs. You can turn every one of your worries into a prayer to me. Imagine that. If you turned every one of your worries into a prayer to me, you would become quite a prayer. We would have an ongoing never-ending prayer filled conversation with each other. I would like to become quite a prayer. I would like to live my life in a constant dialogue of prayer with you. Then we both want the same thing.

How will you know if you are relying on yourself or trusting me? If I am living a life filled with worry, I will know that I am trusting in myself. If I am living a life filled with prayer, I will know that I am trusting in you. If I am praying instead of worrying, I will do what you and I both want. That’s right. Will you turn every one of your worries into a prayer to me? Yes, Lord, I will. Then you will have nothing to worry about because you will be trusting in me. 

Lord, you are worthy of all my confidence and trust. In the heat of difficulty, I will rely completely on you. You have always been with me. There is nothing that you have not brought me through. So, I will not fear as I hold on to you through the difficulties of life. Amen

Key Question…  How are you placing your trust and confidence in the Lord rather than relying on yourself?

Living It Out…  Place your confidence and trust in the Lord so that you can rely on Him in and through the difficulties of life.

Seeing It Happen…  Have faith that the Lord is worthy of all your confidence and trust as you go through difficulties in life.

Get Ready To Share…  Share with another person or your small group how you have trusted the Lord in the difficulties of life.

Prayer To Bless Others…  May you trust in the Lord and not worry as you go through difficulties in life.

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

Trust – Jeremiah 17-7-8 – Whose Confidence Is In Him – 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

Cherished Sin

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - If - Psalm 66:16-20 - Cherished Sin - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – If – Psalm 66:16-20 – Cherished Sin – Growing As Disciples

Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! Psalm 66:16-20 (NIV)

Confession

Here I am Lord. I have come to meet with you in prayer. There is something that I have not talked to you about much. What’s that? I haven’t talked to you about my sin. I know that I am a sinner. Even now as your follower I know that I have sinned against you in my thoughts, words and deeds. My sins are not in the distant past. I wasn’t once a sinner. I still am a sinner. I know that you have forgiven and paid for my sins on the cross. I know that you have cleansed me of all my unrighteousness. I know that my old life of sin is gone and that I am living a new life of righteousness in you. That’s right. Nevertheless, I still do sin.  I am not perfect. I have thought, and said and done what was not pleasing to you. I sinned in what I have done and in what I have left undone. I am here to confess all my sins to you. That is very good. 

I don’t want anything to come between us. I don’t want anything to hinder my prayers to you. For that reason I will not hang on to anything that is not pleasing to you. I will not let sin captivate me. I will not let sin allure and entice me. I will not let sin catch me in its trap. I will take the way you have provided for me so that I will not fall into temptation. Sometimes, I will make missteps. I will go and do what I shouldn’t have done. I will think thoughts that are not pleasing to you. I will speak words that are not acceptable to you. I will turn away from sinful thoughts, words, and deeds. I will turn to you to live the life that you have given me to live. It will be my regular practice to come to confess all my sins to you. I will continue to live in your forgiveness and cleansing. That will be very good.

You do completely forgive me. You do fully cleanse me. You show me your love and kindness. Yes, I do. You have lavished me with your love. You have done great things for me. It will be my joy, with a heart full of thanksgiving to give thanks and praise and glory to you. I will tell others all that you have done for me. You have heard and answered my prayers. Yes, I have.

Lord, there is no doubt about it. I am a sinner. There is no hiding that fact from you. You and I know it is true. I’m here to confess all my sins to you. I have sinned against you in thought, word and deed. Forgive and cleanse me of all my unrighteousness. Amen

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

If – Psalm 66-16-20 – Cherished Sin – 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

Run With Perseverance

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Character - Hebrews 12:1-3 - Run With Perseverance - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Character – Hebrews 12:1-3 – Run With Perseverance – Growing As Disciples

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)

Perseverance

You know quite a bit about running. You know a lot about perseverance. Yes, I know a lot about running with perseverance. Tell me what you know. To run with perseverance, motivation is needed at the very start. With rock solid motivation, training can begin. One cannot run well, with perseverance without daily training. Perseverance is built little by little, day by day through consistent and ongoing training. Each day of training builds upon the prior day of training. Running well, with perseverance begins with one step followed by thousands upon thousands of subsequent steps. Will you allow me to train you as you run on the course that I have laid out for you? Yes Lord, I will. That is very good. 

Let me ask you a question about what you have said so far. Go right ahead. What is your motivation to run well in your life of faith with me? You showed me your love. You saved me. You forgave all my sins. You cleansed me of all my unrighteousness. You rescued me from a life without you. You adopted me into your family. You are my Father. I am your child. I now love you because you first loved me. You gave yourself to me. So, I now want to give myself to you. I love you with all my heart and mind and soul and strength. There is no place I wouldn’t go or nothing I wouldn’t do for you. I want to live my life fully with and for you. I want to live a life that is pleasing in your sight. So, as you can see, I am highly motivated to run well in my life of faith with you. I can see that quite clearly.

I have another question about motivation. What’s that? What else motivates you to run well in your life of faith with me? Many of your followers that have gone before me have run well in their race of faith with you. Many of your followers who now surround me are running well in their race of faith with you. I am encouraged by their example. They have thrown off everything that might have hindered them from running well. They have run or are now running with perseverance the course that you have laid out for them. They have not grown weary. They have not lost heart. I want to run with that same perseverance so I can be an example for others to follow. That is very good.

One more question. I’m listening. What will help you to run strong and finish well? To run strong and finish well, I will need to keep my eyes fixed on you. A good runner does not look side to side or to the rear. They keep their eyes looking forward. That is what I will do. I will keep my eyes fixed on you as I run the race of faith you have laid out before me. You will keep me running. You will help me to run well and finish strong. Yes, I will. You can be sure of that.

Lord, I will throw off everything that hinders, entangles, and slows me down in the life of faith you have given me to live with and for you. With a joyful heart, I will keep my eyes fixed on you as I run with perseverance. Help me to run well and finish strong. Amen

Key Question…  How will fixing your eyes on Jesus Christ enable you to run with persevere and finish strong?

Living It Out…  Throw off anything from your life that hinders, entangles, or slows you down from running well and finishing strong.

Seeing It Happen…  Have faith that Jesus Christ will help you to run with perseverance as your keep your eyes on Him.

Get Ready To Share…  Share with another person or your small group the joy that you have in running the race Christ has set before you.

Prayer To Bless Others…  May you keep your eyes on the Lord as you run with perseverance the race He has set before you.

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

Character – Hebrews 12-1-3 – Run With Perseverance – 4 Page Discipleship 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

Humble Yourselves

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Character - 1 Peter 1:5-6 - Humble Yourselves - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Character – 1 Peter 1:5-6 – Humble Yourselves – Growing As Disciples

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:6 (NIV)

 Due Time

I have lived a backwards life. What do you mean by that? I have thought that life should revolve around me. I have thought that I should be the center of everyone’s attention. I have tried to earn the notice, respect and admiration of those around me. I have chased after honors. I have sought after awards. My pride has led me to seek the esteem and the applause of the crowd. That sounds like an exhausting life to live. Have you ever received enough recognition? Have you ever been able to satisfy your pride filled empty life? No, I have worn myself trying to prove to myself and to others that I was somebody special.

Now, I want to live a completely different kind of life. What kind of life do you want to live? I want to live a life that revolves around you. I want you to be the center of my life. I want my heart and mind and life to be focused on you. I want to know your will and walk in your ways. I want to love you with all my heart and mind and soul and strength. I want to know you intimately. I want to hear your voice. I want to receive your guidance. I want to follow your direction. I want to go where you guide me. I want to do all that you ask of me. I will humbly follow you. I want to accomplish your purposes and fulfill your plans. I want to do what is pleasing in your sight. That’s quite different from your old life. Yes, it is.

What has brought you to this point? Your old life was filled with pride. Your new life is filled with humility. Your old life was spent serving yourself. Your new life is being spent serving others. I discovered the poverty of my old life. I have discovered the riches of the new life you have given to me. In my old life, I could accomplish nothing of real and eternal value. In my new life, you are making me able to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. In my old life, I proudly tried to elevate myself before others. In my new life, you are helping me to humble myself before you. In my old life, I was worn out, discouraged and empty. In my new life, I am energized, excited and full. You have brought me to this place. You have given me this new life to live. Yes, I have and in due time you will be lifted up as you continue to humbly serve me. 

Lord, I have been filled with pride. I have thought I was a big deal and quite special. I have thought a lot of myself and very little of others. Forgive me. I will humble myself before you. I will rely on you for all I need. I will allow me to use me to serve others. Amen

Key Question…  May you walk humbly with God so that He can exalt you in due time.

Living It Out…  Live a life of humility so that the Lord can exalt you in due time.

Seeing It Happen…  Have faith that the Lord will you exalt you in due time as you live your life humbly before Him.

Get Ready To Share…  Share with another person or your small group how you are humbly following and serving the Lord.

Prayer To Bless Others…  May you live a godly life filled with prayers that the Lord will hear and answer.

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

Character – 1 Peter 5-6 – Humble Yourselves – 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

Seek Peace

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Character- 1 Peter 3:10-12 - Seek Peace - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Character- 1 Peter 3:10-12 – Seek Peace – Growing As Disciples

For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:10-12 (NIV)

Peacemaker

Do you want to live the life that I have called you to live? Yes, of course I want to live the life that you have called me to live. Do you want to enjoy life and see many good days? Yes, who would not want that? Do you want me to hear and answer your prayers? Most of all I want you to hear and answer my prayers. Why is that? I want to know you. I want to love you with all my heart and mind and soul and strength. I want to live in a close and intimate relationship with you. I want to hear your voice. I want to know and do your will. In every way I want to do what pleases you. When you asked, “Do you want me to hear and answer you prayers?” I was not thinking that you asked, “Do you want me to give you everything you ask for?” What were you thinking? I was thinking of living in a back and forth conversation with you. My prayers are a conversation with you. I want to draw near to you. I want you to draw near to me. I want to talk to you. I want you to talk to me. That is very good. Isn’t that a desire that you have put into my heart? Yes, it is.

There are some things that you must do with your life if you want to live in a close and intimate relationship with me. You have my full attention. Oh no, you have my full attention. You tell me what you must do. I thought you might say that. I must turn away from evil and do good. How will that be demonstrated? I will keep a very close guard over the words of my mouth. I will keep my lips from speaking evil. I will use the words of my mouth for doing good. How will that be demonstrated? The words of my mouth will be an expression of seeking and pursuing peace. I will not allow my words to fan flames of conflict. My words will lead to peace. You will use my words to bring about peace. Yes, I will. What else? I’m not sure what else there is to say. I know that turning away from evil and pursuing peace will allow me to love life, see many good days and live the life that you have called me to live. Yes, it will. There is more. You will hear my prayers. Yes, I will. Many of our conversations will be about you using me as a peacemaker in the world. You want me to be a peacemaker. Yes, I do. That is how I will use your life. That is how you will learn to love life and see many good days. You will be a peacemaker for me.

Lord, I will turn away from evil and do good. I will seek peace and pursue it. I will keep a close guard over the words that come out of my mouth. I want to love the life you have given me to live with and for you. Hear and answer my prayers as I follow you. Amen

Key Question…  How are you turning from evil, doing good, and seeking and pursing peace in all your relationships?

Living It Out… Turn from evil and do good as you seek and pursue peace in all your relationships.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will give you good days as you turn from evil, do good, and seek peace and pursue.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you are seeking and pursuing peace in all your relationships.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you turn from evil and do good as you seek and pursue peace.

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

Character – 1 Peter 3-10-12 – Seek Peace – 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