Monthly Archives: September 2022

If We Do Not Give Up

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Becoming Like Christ - Day 224- Galatians 6:7-10 - If We Do Not Give Up - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 224- Galatians 6:7-10 – If We Do Not Give Up – Growing As Disciples

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:7-10 (NIV)

Sow What?

That is a good question. What is a good question? Will I sow to the Spirit or will I sow to the sinful nature? What will nurture and feed my life? Will I live for comfort and pleasure? Will I allow myself to become immersed in the thoughts and patterns and practices of this world? Will my life be dominated by fleshly and sinful and evil desires that are commonly accepted in this world today? Will my thoughts and words and actions look, and sound be just like everyone else around me? Will I simply conform and blend into a dark and drab and evil life that is quite distant from you and your will for me? No, no, no, absolutely not! That is not the life I will live. That is not the life that I want. Nor do you want that life for me. You did not call me to come to you only to have me to think and act and live my life according to and in conformity with all the evil in the world. It is your plan that I will shine brightly for you like a star in the universe. Yes, it is. You want me to sow to the Spirit. You want my life to be filled with good deeds that will bear abundant fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. Yes, that is the life that I am calling you to live. 

How will you sow to the Spirit? How will you live a life that is filled with good deeds that I have given you to do for me? I will draw near to you. I will submit myself to you. I will resist evil of every kind. I will listen attentively to you. I will follow you to where you lead me. I will do whatever you ask of me. I will live and walk in an intimate relationship with you. I will still live in the world, but I will not be of the world. That will be very good.

What will be the outcome of your life as you continue to sow to the Spirit and do the good, I give you to do? I will reap a rich harvest for you. I will bear fruit for your kingdom. I will bring glory to your name. Yes, you will. That will be very good. Yes, it will. Thank you, Lord. 

Lord, I will not sow to the sinful nature. Instead, I will keep on sowing to the Spirit. Help me to say yes to you by doing the good you have given me to do for you. Help me to never grow weary. Help me to never give up. Help me to reap a rich harvest for you. Amen

Key Question… How has the Lord helped you to keep on sowing to the Spirit and doing what is good?

Living It Out… Keep on sowing to the Spirit and doing what is good so you will be able to reap a rich harvest for the Lord.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will help you to sow to the Spirit and keep on doing what is good.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you have reaped a harvest by continuing to do what is good.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you never grow weary of sowing to the Spirit and doing what is good.

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

Becoming Like Christ – Day 224 – Galatians 6-7-10 – If We Do Not Give Up – 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

Teach Us To Number Our Days

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Becoming Like Christ - Day 225 - Psalm 90:12 - Teach Us To Number Our Days- Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 225 – Psalm 90:12 – Teach Us To Number Our Days- Growing As Disciples

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12 (NIV)

Time

There is no doubt about it. There is no doubt about what? I have unwisely wasted my time. I have misspent many of my days. Why is that a problem? What difference does that make? Don’t you have plenty of time? No, I don’t have plenty of time. In fact, I have a very limited number of days. It is very good that you have come to this realization. What will you do now that you have come to realize the value of your time? Well, I will certainly take time to evaluate how I am using my time. Maybe though, I should not even be calling it my time. What would you like to call it? I would like to call it the time you have given me to use. Why is that? I want to make wise use of the time you have given to me. I know that you have a purpose and plan for my life. I know that you have given me assignments. I know that you have things you would like me to accomplish. How I use the time you have given to me will certainly have something to say about my ability to be able to go and do your will. Yes, it will.

So, you are going to evaluate how you use your time? Yes, I am. Even a very quick look at how I spend my time will help me to identify obvious and unfruitful time wasters. I will eliminate obvious time wasters from my life. That sounds like a good start. What next? I’m not sure. That is where you come in. How so? I need your help. I need your wisdom. The demands on my time are almost limitless. If I had a dozen lives to life, I could probably find reasonable and useful ways to spend all those hours. But you have only one life to live. That is true. So, I need your wisdom to help me to know how to live it. I want you to teach me how to number my seconds and minutes and hours and days so that I will use them most fruitfully for your kingdom and glory. I don’t want to spend my time by saying yes to something of little value when I could say yes to something of far greater value. I want you to teach me how to best use the time you have given me so I will be able to go and do your will. That is your prayer? Yes, that is my prayer. How often will you ask me this prayer? I will ask you this prayer every step of my way through life as I follow and serve you. That will be very good. You will hear me answering this prayer as you keep on following and serving me. I will give you a heart of wisdom. I will guide your steps. I will show you how to use your time. Keep on following me. Keep on relying on my help. Keeping on praying to me. Yes Lord, I will. That will be very good.  

Lord, I have wasted so much time. I have wasted time on what will be of no value. Give me a heart of wisdom. Help me to number my days. Help me to know how to make the best use of my time so I can bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. Amen

Key Question… What are ways that God has guided you to make the best use of your time?

Living It Out… Ask God to help you to know how to wisely use the time that He has given to you.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will help you to make wise use of your time.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how God has redirected how you use your time.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you allow God to teach you to number your days so you will have a heart of wisdom.

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

Becoming Like Christ – Day 225 – Psalm 90-12 – Teach Us To Number Our Days – 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

And It Will Be Given You

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Promises - John 15:7-8 - And It Will Be Given You - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Promises – John 15:7-8 – And It Will Be Given You – Growing As Disciples

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:7-8 (NIV) 

Remain In Me           

How have you been remaining in me? How have you been allowing my words to remain in you? It is my joy to remain in you. There is no place I would rather be than in your presence. There is nothing I would rather hear than your word speaking to me. Drawing near to you is not a duty for me. Meeting with you on a daily basis is not something on my to do list that I must check off before my day is over. I am like a thirsty soul crawling across a desert. You are like a desert oasis to me. You feed my hunger and satisfy my thirst. You refresh my life. You fill me up when I am empty. I never tire of meeting with you. I want to know and love you with all my heart and mind and soul. I want to live and walk in an intimate relationship with you. I want to know your thoughts. I want to do your will. I want to pray prayers that you will hear and answer. I want to bear an abundance of fruit for your kingdom and your glory. In every way I want to live and demonstrate to the world that I am your disciple. These all sound like prayers of yours, is that right? Yes, these are prayers of mine, but they do not come from me. Where do these prayers come from then? These are prayers that you have given me to pray. Yes, I have.

Let talk about these prays of yours. Say them to me again. It is my prayer that I will remain in you and your words will remain in me. It is my prayer that I will love you with all my heart and soul and mind. It is my prayer that I will know you, your will and your ways. It is my prayer that I will hear your voice as I meet with you in your word. It is my prayer that you will fill me up and refresh my life as I meet with you in your presence. It is my prayer that I will live and walk in an intimate relationship with you. It is my prayer that you will guide me to pray prayers that you will hear and answer. It is my prayer that I will bear an abundance of fruit through my life for your kingdom and your glory. It is my prayer that the fruit that you bear through my life will demonstrate to the world that I am your disciple. Do you believe that I have given you all these prayers to pray? There is no doubt in my heart and mind that you have given me these prayers to pray. Do you believe that I will hear and answer all these prayers of yours? There is no doubt in my heart and mind that you will hear and answer every one of these prayers. Why is that? The prayers that you give me to pray you will most certainly hear and answer. Yes, I will.

Lord, I will remain in you and allow your words to remain in me. Help me to pray prayers that are according to your will and can be heard and answered. It is the desire of my heart to be a disciple that bears and abundance of fruit for the glory of God. Amen

Key Question… How do you know when you are praying prayers that are according to God’s will?

Living It Out… Remain in Christ and allow His words to remain in you so your prayers will be answered as you bear fruit for God.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that your prayers will be answered and you will bear fruit for God’s glory as you remain in Christ.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how God has answered your prayers, helping you to bear fruit for Him.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you remain in Christ and His words remain in you so you can pray and bear fruit for God the Father’s glory.

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

Promises – John 15-7-8- And It Will Be Given You – 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

Be Rich Toward God

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Becoming Like Christ - Day 226 - Luke 12:15-21 - Be Rich Toward God - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 226 – Luke 12:15-21 – Be Rich Toward God – Growing As Disciples

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”‘ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:15-21 (NIV)

Treasure In Heaven 

What would it mean for you to be rich? What sort of riches would you like to be yours? What riches are worthy of your pursuit? How will you invest your life so that true riches will be yours? Those are all very good questions. These questions all need an answer. Why is that? If you leave these questions unconsidered and unanswered you will misspend your life. Those who do not think carefully about these questions and do not adequately answer them will greedily and foolishly pursue all that the world has to offer. They will live for comfort. They will pursue pleasure. They will be driven to acquire worldly wealth and material possessions. Money and material possessions will be their scorecard in a game they cannot win. Does living that kind of life seem wise to you? No, not at all. Why is that? I know that I brought nothing into this world. I know I will not be taking any money and material possessions out of this world. No worldly treasures will come with me into the next life. This world is not my true home. Earthly possessions are not mine. I am just passing through this very short life. That is all true.

I noticed you did not say that you would not be taking anything out of this life. You said that no worldly treasures will come with you into the next life. That’s true. What haven’t you said? What will you take out of this life? I will take the fruit I bear for you out of this life. As I bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name, I will be storing up treasure in heaven with you. That is why someone could be very poor in this life and very rich in the next life with you. The opposite is also true, someone could be very rich in this life and very poor in the next one. Only those who go and do your will, will be storing up treasures in heaven with you. They may be poor in this world but will be rich in heaven with you. That is what I want. That is my desire. I will go and do your will. I will live my life with and for you. Living the life you have called me to live is worthy of my best effort and all out pursuit. Yes, it is. Store up treasure in heaven with me. Yes Lord, I will. That will be very good. 

Lord, I do not want my life to be about greedily pursuing worldly possessions. I want to store up treasure in heaven rather than here on earth. Help me to bear abundant fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. Help me to know and do your will. Amen

Key Question… How are you asking God to guide the activities of your life so that you will be able to be fruitful for Him?

Living It Out…  Store up treasures in heaven by going and doing what the Lord asks of you in this life.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will help you to store up treasures in heaven by being fruitful for Him in this life.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you are storing up treasures in heaven by being fruitful for God.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you store up treasure in heaven with God by going and doing His will.

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

Becoming Like Christ – Day 226 – Luke 12-15-21 – Be Rich Toward God – 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

Yet Because Of The Man’s Boldness

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Becoming Like Christ - Day 227 - Luke 11:5-8 - Yet Because Of The Man's Boldness - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 227 – Luke 11:5-8 – Yet Because Of The Man’s Boldness – Growing As Disciples

Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’ “Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. Luke 11:5-8 (NIV)

Bold And Persistent

What kind of prayers do you think I want to hear from you? I’m not quite sure what you mean? What are you asking of me? Do you think I want to hear a lot of insignificant prayers from you? Do you think I want to hear a lot of prayers about you finding a great parking spot or the light changing to green because you are in a hurry? Do you think I want to hear prayers for you to do well on a test that you haven’t studied for? Do you think that I want to hear prayers about some brief want of yours that is here today and will certainly be gone tomorrow? Tell me how you describe these kinds of prayers? Really? Yes, really. Some I would call “one and done” prayers. Others I would call “happy meal prayers”. Why is that? Neither have my heart and mind and life invested in them. Both of them have the longevity of a happy meal toy. They are briefly in my heart and mind and life for seconds, maybe minutes. If these prayers were to be heard and answered, I might not even notice. These prayers certainly don’t capture my heart, engage my imagination or encourage my faith. That is not good. I know it is not. Now, before we go too far, I don’t want you to make a mistake. Like what? You can pray to me about anything. No prayer is too small or too large to pray. I am never bothered by any prayer you want to pray to me. I get that. I understand. That is very good.

What do you think I want to do in you? What do you think I want to do with you? What do you think I want to do through you? You want to take me higher and deeper into prayer with you. You want to give me prayers to pray that will capture my heart, engage my imagination and encourage my faith. You want to give me prayers to pray that will bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. Will these be small and insignificant prayers? Will these be “one and done” prayers? Will these prayers have the longevity of a happy meal toy? Certainly not. These will be bold prayers that you will ask me to keep on praying until I have an answer from you. Will you pray boldly and persistently the prayers I give you to pray? Yes Lord, I will. That will be very good.

Lord, I will allow you to guide me to pray bold and persistent prayers. Give me your prayers to pray. Empower my prayers. Strengthen me as I pray. I will not quit. I will not give up. I will not grow weary. I will keep on praying until I have an answer from you. Amen

Key Question… Why are one and done prayers often not the kind of prayer that the Lord is asking of you?

Living It Out… Allow the Lord to guide you in praying bold and persistent prayers to Him.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will guide you to pray bold and persistent prayers to Him.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how the Lord has led you to pray bold and persistent prayers to Him.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you pray bold and persistent prayers that the Lord will hear and answer.

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

Becoming Like Christ – Day 227 – Luke 11-5-8- Yet Because Of The Man’s Boldness – 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

Talents

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Becoming Like Christ - Day 228 - Matthew 25:14-18 - Talents- Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 228 – Matthew 25:14-18 – Talents- Growing As Disciples

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. Matthew 25:14-18 (NIV)  

Entrusted

You have richly blessed my life. I know that you have entrusted me with gifts, talents and abilities. I know that it is not your purpose or plan that I would use all that you have given me to serve myself. You did not give me these gifts, talents and abilities so that I could make myself comfortable by living in pleasure. I am sure that you want me to use what you have given me to serve you. What makes you sure of that? I know that you want me to become like you. You want me to think and speak and act like you. You want me to live like you lived. You want me to give like you gave. You want me to serve like you served. You want me to love like you loved. You want me to go and do what you did. What did I do? You took on the form of a servant. You lived to please your Heavenly Father. You did whatever your Heavenly Father asked of you. You made it your goal to accomplish your Heavenly Father’s purposes and fulfill His plans. Yes, I did. 

How will you serve me? How will you use the gifts and talents and abilities I have given to you? How will you accomplish my purposes and fulfill my plans? Those are good questions. Those are questions I would like to ask you. Those are questions that I need you to help me to answer. I can only know the answers to those questions by listening carefully to you. I can only know and do your will by following you to where you lead me to do what you ask of me. That is what I will do. I will follow and obey you.  I will rely on you to make me faithful. I will rely on you to make me fruitful. I will eagerly and joyfully and vigorously engage in the work that you set before me as I walk closely with you through life. Then one day, I know that I will be found faithful because, with your help, I will have done everything you have asked me to do for you. I will have born fruit for your kingdom and brought glory to your name. Yes, you will and that will be very good.  

Lord, I want to use all the gifts, talents and abilities you have given me to serve you. I don’t want anything to be unused. I don’t want anything to go to waste. Help me to use all you have given me to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. Amen

Key Question… How is God now calling you to use your gifts, talents and resources to serve Him?

Living It Out…  Use all your gifts, talents and resources to serve God so you can bear fruit for His kingdom.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord has given you gifts, talents and resources with which you can serve Him.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you are using your gifts, talents and resources to serve God.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you use the gifts, talents and resources you have been given to serve the Lord.

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

Becoming Like Christ – Day 228 – Matthew 25-14-18 – Talents – 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

Send Out Workers Into His Harvest Field

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Becoming Like Christ - Day 229 - Matthew 9:35-38 - Send Out Workers Into His Harvest Field- Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 229 – Matthew 9:35-38 – Send Out Workers Into His Harvest Field- Growing As Disciples

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:35-38 (NIV)

Go Out

I have heard you say that you want to be like me. I have heard you say that you want to do what I did. I have heard you say that you want to love like I loved, serve like I served and give like I gave. Have I heard you correctly? Are these your true thoughts and feelings? Yes, you have heard me correctly. Yes, these are my true thoughts and feelings. That’s good. I had no doubt that you have said these things and that you want them to be true in your life. I just wanted to remind you of them as we discuss how I loved, served and gave. Now, I have a couple questions for you. What do you notice about me? I’m not sure what you mean. Did I sit around and wait for people to come to me? Could you be a little more specific? Yes, I can be much more specific. The world is full of people who do not know me. Did I sit around and wait for them to come to know me? No, certainly not. You went through all the towns and villages. You went out searching for people who did know you. You engaged with people so that they could come to know you. How about you? Did I sit around and wait for you to come to know me? No, you did not. You sought me out. You tracked me down. You brought people into my life so that I could come to know you. You used people to help me to come to know and love and follow and serve you. Yes, I did. Have I set before you an example to follow? Have people that have helped you to come to know me set before you an example to follow? There is no doubt about that. I understand what you are saying to me. What am I saying to you? You want me to go out. You want me to help others to come to know you. You want me to engage with others with the hope and desire and plan that they will also come to know and love and follow and serve you. Yes, I do. You are hearing me loud and clear. That’s good. Yes, it is. I will do what you ask of me. I will go out to help people to come to know you. I will allow you to use me in your harvest field. There is one more thing I would like you to do for me. What’s that? Pray that an abundance of workers will join you in my harvest field so that a multitude of people will come to follow me as their Savior and Lord. That I will also do. Doing both will be very good.

Lord, I will go out to work in your harvest field. Use me to help others to come to know and love and follow and serve you. I will also pray for workers to join me in your harvest field so a multitude of people will come to follow you as their Savior and Lord. Amen

Key Question… How has the Lord led you to go out and work in His harvest field so that others can come to know Him?

Living It Out… Pray for others to join you as you go out to work in the Lord’s harvest field.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will bring an abundance of workers to join you in working in His harvest field.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how the Lord has led you to go out and work in His harvest field.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you pray for an abundance of workers to join you in the Lord’s harvest field.

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

Becoming Like Christ – Day 229 – Matthew 9-35-38 – Send Out Workers Into His Harvest Field – 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

Stored Up In His Heart

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Becoming Like Christ - Day 230 - Luke 6:43-45 - Stored Up In His Heart - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 230 – Luke 6:43-45 – Stored Up In His Heart – Growing As Disciples

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:43-45 (NIV)  

Brought Out

What will be brought out of your life? I’m not sure what you mean. What thoughts will you think? What words will you speak? What deeds will you do? I hope that I will think and speak and do what is good and right and true.  It is the desire of my heart to do what is good and right and pleasing to you. I want my life to bear good fruit for your kingdom. I want my life to bring glory to your name. I want my life to shine brightly for you as a witness in the world. I want others to be drawn to you because they see the light of your life shining in and through me. Those are all very good desires.

You have a choice to make if you want all these good desires to come true in your life. What choice must I make? You must decide what you allow your heart and mind and life to feed on. Could you be clearer? Yes, I can be clearer. You have heard it said that you must not allow yourself to be conformed to the world and that you must allow yourself to be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Yes, I have that thought fixed firmly in my heart and mind. That is very good. Then you must know that there are worldly and evil and dark and sinful thoughts that are trying to conform you into their mold. Yes, I am well aware of what you are describing. You must reject all these thoughts. You must not feed on any of these thoughts. You must remove any source of worldly and evil and dark and sinful thoughts from your heart and mind and life. That I will do. That will be very good. But that will not be enough. What more must I do? What other choice must I make? You must allow yourself to feed on my word. You must store up my word in your heart and mind and life. You must allow my word to dwell in you richly. Then you will have what you want. Then you will have what you been asking for. Then you will have the desires of your heart. Then you will live a life that is good and right and pleasing me to me. Then you will shine brightly for me as a witness in the world. Then good fruit will be brought out of your life. I will leave behind worldly and evil and dark and sinful thoughts as I allow my mind to feast on your word. I will allow your word to dwell in me richly. Daily, I will take your word deep into my heart and mind and life. That will be very good. Then your hopes and dreams and desires and prayers will be answered. Thank you, Lord.  

Lord, I will remove toxic material from my life and not allow it to be stored up in my heart. Instead, I will make it my daily practice to store up your word in my heart. Use your word to change my heart, transform my mind, and bring good things out of my life. Amen

Key Question… Why can you be certain that whatever is stored up in your heart will certainly come out of your life?

Living It Out… Make it your daily practice to store up God’s word in your heart so good things will be brought out of your life.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will bring good things out of your life as you store up His word in your heart.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you are regularly storing up God’s word in your heart.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you store God’s word in your heart so your life will bear good fruit for Him.

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

Becoming Like Christ – Day 230 – Luke 6-43-45 – Stored Up In His Heart – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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

If Anyone Gives Even A Cup Of Cold Water

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Becoming Like Christ - Day 231 - Matthew 10:42 - If Anyone Gives Even A Cup Of Cold Water - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 231 – Matthew 10:42 – If Anyone Gives Even A Cup Of Cold Water – Growing As Disciples

And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” Matthew 10:42 (NIV)

Give Generously

That is what I want to do. That is what I will do. What is it that you will do? I will give generously to others who are in need because I am one of your followers. Why now? It isn’t like I have not been giving to others. No, you have given quite generously of your time, talent and resources. What has changed in you? You are asking me that question? Yes, I am asking you that question. You have changed something in me. What do you think I have changed in you? Well, first of all, you have helped me to see the foolishness of trying to store up treasures for myself here on earth. I brought nothing into this world. I will take nothing out of this world. I really own nothing. Nothing is truly mine. I only have temporary stewardship of all that you have given to me. Secondly, you have helped me to see the brevity of life. This life is like the blink of an eye or a snap of the fingers. My life on this earth is like a mist that will soon pass away. So, my attention is more clearly focused on thinking and saying and doing what is good and right and true. I want to fully live a life that is pleasing to you. What kind of life will please me? If I live a life of following your example, I will be living a life that pleases you. You want me to follow you. You want to live like you lived. You want me to do what you did. What did I do? You love and served and gave. You didn’t give a little bit here and there. You didn’t give a little bit now and then. You gave generously and tirelessly. Yes, I did.

So, what will you do? I will ask you to open my heart and eyes and hands to those who are in need. I will no longer walk right on by those who are in need. I will no longer close my eyes to the poor and needy. I will give as you guide me. I will go and do what you ask of me. Will this be a painful and reluctant sacrifice on your part? Will this be an onerous and heavy burden for you to carry? No, not at all. I want to know and do your will. It will be my joy to go and do what you ask me. I believe that you will richly bless my life now and forever as I love and serve and give like you loved and served and gave. Yes, I will richly bless your life now and forever. Thank you, Lord. 

Lord, I know that you gave generously and tirelessly to others who were in need. I will follow your example. I will do what you did. I will give as you gave. Guide my giving. Open my heart and eyes and hands to give generously to all those who are in need. Amen

Key Question… How will you keep your heart and eyes and hands open for ways to help others who are in desperate need?

Living It Out… As a follower of Christ give generously to others who are in need.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that you will one day be rewarded, as a follower of Christ, for giving generously to others in need.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you, as a follower of Christ, are giving generously to others.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you give to others in need because you are one of Christ’s followers.

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

Becoming Like Christ – Day 231 – Matthew 10-42 – If Anyone Gives Even A Cup Of Cold Water – 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

Let Us Acknowledge The Lord

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Let Us - Hosea 6:3 - Let Us Acknowledge The Lord - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Let Us – Hosea 6:3 – Let Us Acknowledge The Lord – Growing As Disciples

Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” Hosea 6:3 (NIV) 

Press On

Do you want to know me? Yes, I want to know you. How strong is your desire to know me? My heart is filled with desire to know you. Knowing and loving you is the passion of my life. There is nothing I want more than to know and love you. That’s very good. Is there something you haven’t said that I need to know? The only way that you will really know me is if you seek me with your whole heart. A half-hearted seeking of me will get you nowhere and do nothing for you. Why is that? Are you thinking that seeking me in any measure is better than not at all? That isn’t my desire at all. I have no interest in seeking you half-heartedly. However, I was wondering about the question you just asked me. Can you tell me more? Yes, I would be happy to tell you more. Seeking me is an all or nothing endeavor. There is no such thing as partially seeking me. One person cannot walk on two paths that go in the opposite direction. Following after the ways of the world leads away from me. Living a life filled with sin and darkness has nothing to do with me. If following me were like swimming, dipping your toe in the water would not help you to learn how to swim. Following me is more like diving into the water and letting me teach you how to swim. Does that sound a little scary to you? Yes, it does. That’s the way you should feel. Following me will not be easy. You will face difficulties and challenges that will require you to rely on me. You will need to hold on to me with all your strength. As you hold on to me you can be certain of one thing. What’s that? I will be holding on to you and I will never ever let you go. 

There is another thing that you can be certain of when you seek me with all your heart. What’s that? You will find me. As you draw near to me I will draw near to you. I will come to you. Just as surely as the suns comes up in the morning or just as the rain waters the earth so I will revive, refresh and renew your life. What do you have to say to me? I know that I will never ever have any regrets in seeking you with all my heart. There is nothing that would have been a better choice or use of my time. So, I give myself to you completely without any hesitation or reservation. All I am, all I have and all I hope to be is yours. I will dive in the water and rely on you to teach me to swim. That is very good.

Lord, it is the desire of my heart to know and love you with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. It is the priority of my life to draw near to you so I can live in an intimate relationship with you. Revive, refresh and renew my life as I am in your presence. Amen

Key Question… How have you come to know the Lord through meeting with Him in His word?

Living It Out… Make it the priority of your life to know and love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will revive, refresh and renew your life as you come to know and love Him.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how the Lord has shown Himself to you as you have come to know Him.

Prayer To Bless Others… May it be the priority of your life to know and love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.

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

Let Us – Hosea 6-3 – Let Us Acknowledge The Lord – 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