Monthly Archives: February 2021

Bless – Blessing

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Rhythms - Genesis 12:1-3 - Bless - Blessing - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Rhythms – Genesis 12:1-3 – Bless – Blessing – Growing As Disciples

The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:1-3 (NIV) 

Bless You

My hand is on you. I am blessing your life. I will open doors of opportunity for you to go and do new and different things for me. Just as I have blessed your life so also I will use your life to bless the lives of others. That sounds very interesting and exciting. I can hardly wait. What are the details? Where do you want to send me? How do you want to use me? How will you prepare me to do all that you will ask of me? Those are all good questions. I will give you all you need to know when you need to know it. There will be no road map? I will not receive a detailed step-by-step plan in advance? Have I ever given you a detailed step-by-step plan in the past? No, you have not. Well, don’t expect one in the future either. All you will need to do is to follow me to where I lead you to do all that I ask of you. That’s all I’ll get? Isn’t following my leading enough for you? Yes, following your leading is enough for me. As you follow my leading and listen for my instructions I will show you my will and help you to walk in my ways. I will use you according to my purposes and plans. You can be sure and certain of that. I will follow you. I will listen to all that you have to say to me. That’s good.

Why do you think I have blessed your life? I’m not sure what you mean. Have I blessed you so that you alone can benefit? Are you meant to be the sole beneficiary of my blessing? No, I doubt that. I know that it is your joy to bless my life. Why is that? You enjoy blessing my life because I am your child. You love me. Yes, I do love you. You are my child. It does bring me great joy to bless your life. I think it gives you even greater joy to see me share your blessings with others. You want to use me as your blessing to others in this world. Yes, I do. You got that right. Knowing this, what question might you ask me? I will ask you how you want me to share your blessings with others. That’s right. You will open up doors of opportunity for me to share your blessings with others. Yes, I will. I will be looking. I will be waiting. I will be ready for you to use me. That will be every good.

Lord, I have not always recognized a door of opportunity you have opened before me. I have had questions and wanted more details. A detailed road map would have been nice. Forgive me. You have blessed my life and called me to be a blessing. I will go now. Amen 

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

Rhythms – Genesis 12-1-3 – Bless – Blessing – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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

Put Off – Put On

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Rhythms - Ephesians 4:20-24 - Put Off - Put On - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Rhythms – Ephesians 4:20-24 – Put Off – Put On – Growing As Disciples

You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:20-24 (NIV)

Made New

Would you like to be made new? Do you want to put on the new life that I have given you to live? Yes, of course I want to be made new. I certainly do want to put on the new life that you have given me to live. How do you think I will make you new? How do you think I will make you able to live the life that I have given you to live? I know that I will play a role in you making me new. I am certain I will have a part in putting on the new life you have given me to live. How so?

If I want to be made new and put on the new life I have in you then I will need to leave my old life behind. That’s what I thought I did when I came to know you. I turned away from my old life of sin. I asked for your forgiveness of all my sin and cleansing of all my unrighteousness. You became my Savior and Lord. Yes, I did. But, there was a problem wasn’t there? Yes, there was. I didn’t make a clean break with my old life of sin. At times I wanted a completely new life in you. At other times I was drawn back into the sinful patterns, practices and values of my old life. It was like I was trying to live in two different worlds at the same time. That will never work. No, it won’t.

Why do you think you were having such a hard time putting off your old life? I was trying to put off my old life by my own efforts. I would try harder and fail. I would try harder and harder and fail even more. I was very discouraged and defeated. That isn’t your story now, is it? No, it isn’t. What happened to you? You rescued me from all my trying and all my failing. Yes, I did. How did I do that? You showed me that you have a tool that will help me to put off my old life and put on the new life you have given me to live. What tool is that and how does it work? Your tool is your word. Your word is the tool that is changing my heart and transforming my mind.  Without your word working in me I would have never been able to put off my old life and put on the new life that you have given me to live. But, your word has been changing my heart. Your word has been transforming my mind. Yes, it is. Now, I’m not interested in my old life. Now all I want to do is put on the new life that you have given me to live. You have changed my desires. You changed my life. You are making me new every day as I meet with you in your word. Yes, I am.

Lord, I have put off my old life. I have left behind all its patterns, practices, and values. I am all yours. You are my Savior and Lord. I will follow you. Renew my mind. Change all my thoughts, words, and deeds. Help me to put on the new life that I have in you. Amen

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

Rhythms – Ephesians 4-20-24 – Put Off – Put On – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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

But If You Say So

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - If - Luke 5:5 - But If You Say So - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – If – Luke 5:5 – But If You Say So – Growing As Disciples

“Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” Luke 5:5 (NLT)

Because

Will you do what I ask of you? Does what I ask of you always need to make sense to you? Do you need to understand fully what I am asking of you in order for you to obey me? Will you go and do what I ask of you even when it does not seem to make sense to you at the time? Will you obey me simply because I asked you to do something for me? This is an interesting group of questions for me to consider. My quick answer is that I will obey you simply because you have asked me to do something for you. Who am I that I would think that I would need to fully understand everything before I would obey you? I am not all wise. I know in part. You know in full. I see in part. You see in full. You see the future. I can only see the past. What has your past experience with me shown you? You are likely to ask me to do things for you that I don’t fully understand. As a matter of fact, it is very unlikely that I will ever fully understand all that you ask me to do for you. Only by looking in the past have I been more fully able to understand some of what you have asked of me. What has happened to you when you have obeyed me even when you have not fully understood what I have asked of you? I have passed your test. You have helped me to obey you. Your blessing has come into my life. You have allowed me to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. You have grown my faith in you. You have filled me with joy in my knowing that I have done what you have asked of me. This is all true.

When have you been tempted to not obey me? What must you be on guard against? I have been tempted to not obey you when I have been tired and worn out. In those moments I have sometimes wrongly thought that you couldn’t be asking me to do something else for you. But, I am learning that you will give me the strength to do whatever you ask of me. Yes, I will. What else? There have been times when I have set myself up as an expert. I have thought that I didn’t need any advice, suggestions and direction from anyone. At these times I have wrongly thought that you couldn’t be asking me to do something for you because it did not line up with my own understanding, expertise and experience. But, I am learning that you know far better than I what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, and why it needs to be done. So, I am learning to say yes to you simply because you have asked me to do something for you. That is very good.

Lord, I know I have mistakenly set myself up as an expert that didn’t need to receive advice or direction. Forgive me. That’s over. Now, I will go and do all you ask of me. I don’t need to understand everything. All I need to know is that you have asked me. Amen

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

If – Luke 5-5 – But If You Say So – 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

Refreshes Others

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Wisdom - Proverbs 11-25 - Refreshes Others - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Wisdom – Proverbs 11-25 – Refreshes Others – Growing As Disciples

A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25 (NIV)

Give Away

I have richly blessed your life. I have given you many good gifts. Why do you think I have richly blessed your life? What do you think I would like to do with what I have given to you? I know for sure that you want me to be like you. Yes, I do. What am I like? You are a giver of good gifts. You are the one that has richly blessed my life. Yes, I am. You want me to also be a giver of good gifts. You want me to richly bless the lives of others. Yes, I do.

Do you have any fear in giving away what I have given to you? Do you think if you give away what I have given to you that you might be left with nothing? I might have had that thought at one time or another. It’s a foolish and selfish thought. It would be a terrible mistake for me to horde for myself what you have given to me. Why is that? I have learned that when I give to others I receive much more in return. You will never leave me with nothing. You never leave me empty and depleted. As I have refreshed the lives of others you have always refreshed my life. As I have given to others you have always given more to me. Yes, I have.

I know that giving to others is your call on my life. Yes, it is. Being richly blessed by you is like a test question. You are asking me if I will answer your call by generously giving away what you have given to me. Yes, I am. I will answer your call. I want to be like you. I would be willing to give away what you have given to me even if I was left empty and depleted in your service. Why is that? Knowing that I have gone and done your will is enough for me. Knowing that I am doing what you ask of me fills me up and refreshes my life. Giving generously to others is refreshing in itself because I know that in doing so I am doing what you have done. As I give to others I know that I am becoming more like you. I am loving like you loved. I am giving like you gave. I am doing your will and walking in your ways. Yes, you are. As I give to others I know that you are working in and through my life. Yes, I am. As I give to others I know that I am bearing fruit for your kingdom and bringing glory to your name. There is nothing better than that. There is nothing more than that. I want my life to be fully used by you. So, I will love like you loved and give like you gave. That will be very good.

Lord, you have blessed my life and given me many gifts. I will not horde for myself what you have given to me. Help me to generously use what I have been given to serve others. I know you will give me more of what I generously give away in service to others. Amen

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

Wisdom – Proverbs 11-25 – Refreshes Others – 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