Monthly Archives: May 2021

Do Not Merely Listen To The Word

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Rhythms - James 1:22-25 - Do Not Merely Listen To The Word - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Rhythms – James 1:22-25 – Do Not Merely Listen To The Word – Growing As Disciples

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it–he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25 (NIV)

Do What It Says

How goofy would that be, to glance into a mirror and forget what I look like? I will say this; I have made the mistake of taking too quick of a glance into a mirror and failed to notice what I looked like. I failed to see what the mirror wanted to show me. I didn’t have to make that mistake too many times before I learned to take a good and long intent look at myself in the mirror. What about my word, are you taking a good and long intent look at my word or are you making the same kind of quick glance mistakes? That’s a good question. The only consequence of quickly glancing at yourself in the mirror may only be embarrassment. What do you suppose might be the consequences of only taking a quick glance at my word? If I only take quick glances at your word, it will never sink into my heart and mind and life. My heart will not be changed by your word. My mind will not be transformed by your word. I may half hear your word, but, never put it into practice. That’s right. 

Do you want to hear my word? Do you want to put my word into practice? Do you want your heart to be changed by my word? Do you want your mind to be transformed by my word? I want your word to flourish and grow in my life. I want your word to work in me, through me and for me. I want your word to change my heart, transform my mind and guide my life. There is not one sentence from your word that I don’t want to hear and put into practice. I want to know and do your word. So, what will you do? I will look intently into your word. I will make hearing and doing your word the rhythm of my life. A day will not go by that I will not meet with you in your word. I will continually ask you to help me to put your word into practice in my life. That will be very good. Your life will be blessed as you hear and do my word.

Lord, I will not be a hearer only of your word. I will listen carefully to your word so that I can also put it into practice. I will make hearing and doing your word the daily rhythm of my life. Help me to remember your word. Bless my life as I hear and do your word.  Amen

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

Rhythms – James 1-22-25 – Do Not Merely Listen To The Word- 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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

Held Up His Hands

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Miracles - Exodus 17-11-12 - Held Up His Hands - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Miracles – Exodus 17-11-12 – Held Up His Hands – Growing As Disciples

As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up–one on one side, one on the other–so that his hands remained steady till sunset. Exodus 17:11-12 (NIV)

Keep On Praying 

Victory does not depend on you. There are battles that you will never win with your own efforts. You will not defeat every enemy in life by yourself, no matter how much you wish that you could. Why is that? Did you make me weak on purpose? No, I did not make you weak on purpose. That’s really the wrong question and the wrong way to look at things. What is the right way to look at things? Do you wish that you were self-sufficient and had no need of help from me? No, I don’t want that at all. If you never really needed me for anything would you ever call on me for help? No, I’m sure that I wouldn’t. Why do you say that? Well, from my past experience I know that when things are going perfectly I have a tendency to not call on you very much. Very much? Ok, at all.

So, is it a great gift to have everything that you need and want or is it a gift to have great needs that cause you to cry out to me for help? Now, I see why you said that I was looking at things incorrectly. What has great need caused you to do? Great need has caused me to cry out to you in prayer. When you have been in great need did you pray just once or did you keep on praying? I kept on praying until my need was met, the battle won or the problem was solved. Yes, you did.

When you have cried out to me in prayer what has happened to our relationship? Our relationship has grown and deepened as I have prayed and trusted you through the needs, problems and battles in my life. Yes, it has. If you could choose between a problem free life or a deeper relationship with me what would you choose? I would choose a deeper relationship with you. Yes you would. Do you really need a bunch of problems to grow in your relationship with me? No, I don’t. Problems still get my attention and cause me to cry out to you but they are not the reason I keep coming to you.

Why do you keep coming to me? I come to you because you love me and I love you. Yes, I do. I am your child. Yes, you are. There is no place that I would rather be than in your presence meeting with you in prayer. So, I will keep on praying. Yes, you will.

Lord, thank you that you have given me the desire to come to meet with you in prayer. Thank you that I can cry out to you for help. You meet my needs, solve my problems and give me victory as I rely on you instead of on myself. Amen

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

Miracles – Exodus 17-11-12 – Held Up His Hands – 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

Like Treasure Hidden In A Field

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Like Treasure Hidden In A Field - Matthew 13:44-46 - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Like Treasure Hidden In A Field – Matthew 13:44-46 – Growing As Disciples

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. Matthew 13:44-46 (NIV)

 Who’s Treasure?

What do you value? What would you be willing to devote your life to? Would any observer be able to answer that question for you based on what they have seen from your life? Those questions increased in difficulty as you asked them. Why do you say that?  In theory it would be easy to say that I value you. You are what I prize above anything else. I would like to think that I am fully devoted to you. I believe that you are like a treasure hidden in a field or a precious pearl that I have sold all to buy. Am I really sold out to you? Is my life fully at your disposal? Am I willing to go and do whatever you ask me to do regardless of the cost? I’ve already said I’m all yours. Those are good questions for me to think about. Yes, they are. Let me ask you one more question. Go ahead, my head is already overwhelmed as I consider these thoughts. One more is not going to harm me. No, it won’t, especially if I ask it of you. Alright then, fire away.

Why do you want to be sold out and fully devoted to me? Don’t answer that yet, I want to help you to think about this. Great, I need all the help I can get. Yes, you do. Do you think that the man who bought the field did so out of a sense of obligation? Was he driven to sell everything because he felt guilty and knew that he should? How about the jeweler, did he feel it was a huge sacrifice on his part to sell everything to buy the finest most valuable pearl he had ever seen? No, in both cases they joyfully sold everything because they knew that they had found the treasure they had always been looking for and one day hoped to find. Do you think that they were mildly happy then? No, they would have been ecstatically happy and hardly able to contain themselves. Yes, that’s true.

How about me? What have you discovered about me? Am I the treasure that you have always been looking for and hoped that you would one day find? Yes, Lord you are. It is my joy to know, love, follow and serve you. It is my desire to live with and for you. I want to follow and obey you not out of a sense of obligation but because I love you. To know that you love me, what a treasure that is. To taste your kindness, goodness, mercy, forgiveness and love is beyond compare. To realize that you came into this world to save me is way beyond wonderful. You were completely sold out to rescue me from a life without God. You paid the ultimate price for me. Was I your treasure? Yes, you were. Well, you are my treasure and it is with great joy that I am fully devoted to loving, following and serving you!

Lord Jesus, you are my treasure and pearl of great price. It is with great joy that I give my life to loving, following and serving you. Thank you for being sold out for me. You paid the price so I could have a new life of following you. Amen

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

Parables – Matthew 13-44-46- Like Treasure Hidden In A Field – 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

Your Body Is A Temple Of The Holy Spirit

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Identity - Your Body Is A Temple Of The Holy Spirit - 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Identity – Your Body Is A Temple Of The Holy Spirit – 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 – Growing As Disciples

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20

Run Well

How valuable do you think that you are to me? What price do you think I would be willing to pay for you? Let’s say that your life was gripped in the clutches of evil and completely entwined in sin. What do you think that I would be willing to do to set you free?

I know the answer because you have already done it. You’ve already paid the price. You were willing to come to earth to die in my place as payment for my sin. Your death has set me free and broken the power of sin over my life. I am no longer in its grip and entwined in its bondage.

You missed one of my questions. Which one? The first one. How valuable are you to me? What does my sacrifice say about your value? It says that I am priceless to you. There was no amount of worldly currency that could have bought my freedom. So, you paid for me personally with your own life.

That’s right. That’s exactly what I did for you. I want to ask you again. Why did I die for you? You died to set me free from sin. What did I want from you, once you were free from your sin? You wanted a relationship with me. What do you think that I expect your attitude toward sin to be? You want me to flee from it. Why is that? You don’t want me to be held in its grip or be entangled by it again. Very good. Lets talk about that.

I want you to think about the start of a race. The runners are in the starting blocks. “Ready” and “set” have been announced. The starter’s finger is beginning to pull the trigger. You are the runner in lane three. What are you about to do? I’m about to burst out of the starting blocks with every ounce of energy and speed that I have. The starter’s gun has gone off and you’re running. What are you thinking about? Where are your eyes looking? What has your attention? I’m thinking about running well. My eyes are on the finish line. My attention is entirely on finishing the race.

I want you to flee sin with the same determination of a runner leaving the starting blocks. The race is your life. You will run well as you keep your eyes on me. Don’t let anything from the world crowd into your life to distract you. Your coach in your race through life is the Holy Spirit living inside of you. Listen to him. He will guide every one of your steps. The finish line is heaven. I’m waiting to greet you there. But now, we are cheering for you. Run well, my child. Run well.

Lord, thank you for setting me free. Help me to run away from sexual immorality and sins of every kind. Holy Spirit, I want to honor God with my body. Show me how  sin is attempting to enslave me again so I can sprint away from it.  Amen

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

Identity – 1 Corinthians 6-18-20 – Your Body Is A Temple Of The Holy 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

Take The Lowest Place

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Take The Lowest Place- Luke 14:7-14 - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Take The Lowest Place- Luke 14:7-14 – Growing As Disciples

But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:10-11 (NIV)

You Go First

This is probably not your favorite verse, is it? No, not really. Why is that? The topic hits pretty close to home. What do you mean by that? I know that I battle pride. Yes, you do. It’s good that you understand that this verse is not really about where you sit at a table. Yes, I know that choosing where to sit is just one indication of the condition of my heart. What are others? I was afraid you might ask that. Actually, I was certain that you were going to ask that. It’s a question that makes you a little uncomfortable, doesn’t it? Yes, it does. Why do you think that is? It’s hard to honestly take a look at my pride. What’s hard about it? I know it’s there within me, just lurking below the surface. It’s pretty disgusting. I’d rather not have it. I’d rather it go away. Do you think that it will go away if you deny that it exists? No, I’m sure that it won’t. Do you think that your pride can be dealt with if we talk about it together? Yes, I suppose that it can. Let’s do that then. Alright, I’m game.

How does pride show itself in your life? I can think of a bunch of ways. Let’s hear a few. Frequently, I have to be right. I must win the argument. I like to debate. So, in a debate or argument, I gather all the arguments I have so that I can win. How do you feel at the end of the debate when you’ve won? It feels very unsatisfying to win debates or arguments. Most often I regret having the debate or argument at all. I know that it is possible to win the argument or debate and loose relationally at the same time. Why is that? Debate losers think debate winners are jerks and a lot of the time they are. Right. You don’t want that. No, I don’t. How else has pride been showing itself in your life? I talk too much. I need to make my opinion known. I frequently interrupt others. I listen very poorly and I certainly don’t pick up on the feelings of others very well. I hate to say this, but I like to be the center of attention. Yes, I’ve noticed that. Is there one more way that pride has been showing itself in your life? Yes, I don’t want or need help. I’m self-sufficient. Do you really believe that? No, not at all. I just live and act as if I don’t need help. Do you think that asking for help shows some kind of weakness? I’m not even sure why I don’t ask for help. I know that I am weak. I know that I need help. Right now for example, I need all your help to set aside my pride to live the life of humility you desire for me. So, you’re confessing sin and asking for my help? Yes, I am. That’s very good. How about starting with what this parable suggests? What’s that? Let others always go first in all things. That includes far more than choosing a seat at the table. I want you to regularly ask me a question. What’s that? Ask me how you can serve others and let them go first. When should I ask that? When do you think? I think I should ask you that question all the time. Why is that? Because, I really do need your help all the time. Yes, you do. So, I’m asking for it. That’s very good.

Lord, thank you that you love, accept and recognize me. Help me to know in my heart that I am special to you. Help me to express your love and acceptance to others, as I humble myself, so they can be recognized and honored as being special to you as well. Amen

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

Parable – Luke 14-7-11 – Take The Lowest Place – 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