Monthly Archives: March 2023

Hearer Of The Word

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - 365 Days Of Guidance - Day 41 - James 1:22-25 - Hearer Of The Word - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – 365 Days Of Guidance – Day 41 – James 1:22-25 – Hearer Of The Word – Growing As Disciples

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1:22-25 (ESV)

Hearing And Doing

Do you want my blessing to be on your life? Do you want to live in the freedom that I have secured for you? Yes, of course I want your blessing to be on my life. Yes, I want to live in the freedom that you have secured for me. If you want to receive my blessing and live in my freedom there are two things that you must do without fail. What are they? What does my word tell you? You want me to hear your word. You want me to listen attentively to all that you have to say to me. You don’t want half-hearted listening or quick glances into your word on my part. No, I do not. You want me to look intently into your word. You want your word to be in my heart and on my mind continually. You want me to focus all my attention on your word. Yes, I do. Why do you think I want you to give attention to my word? Your word is how you will speak to me. Your word is the foundation of our relationship. The only way that I will come to know you is by listening to your word. That’s right.

If you want to receive my blessing and live in the freedom that I have secured for you what else must you do? I must put your word into practice. How will you begin to put my word into practice? I will start putting your word into practice by listening attentively to your word. As I listen to your word, you will change my heart and transform my mind. Yes, I will. Listening to your word will change the thoughts of my mind, and the desires of my heart. That’s true. As I continue to listen attentively to your word it will become my joy and desire to know your will and walk in your ways. It will be no burden for me to follow and obey you. It will be no heavy task to put your word into practice. It will be the desire of my heart to live my live fully and completely for you. How do you know this to be true? It is now my desire to do whatever pleases you. I love you with all my heart and mind and soul and strength. I am receiving your blessings and living in your freedom. Yes, you are. Thank you, Lord.

 Lord, I will not allow myself to be fooled. I will both hear and do your word. I will listen attentively to all that you have to say to me. I will remember to put into practice all that you have to teach me. I will live in all the freedom that your word will give to me. Amen

Key Question…  When have you recently put something into practice that you heard from God’s word?

Living It Out…  Listen attentively to God’s word so you will be able put it into practice as you follow Him.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that God will bless your life as you listen to and put His word into practice.

Get Ready To Share…  Share with another person or your small group how God has blessed your life as you have heard and done His word.

Prayer To Bless Others…  May you be both a hearer and doer of God’s word.

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

365 Days Of Guidance – Day 41 – James 1-22-25 – Hearer Of The Word – 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

I Am The Bread Of Life

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Becoming Like Christ - Day 98 - John 6:35 - I Am The Bread Of Life - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 98 – John 6:35 – I Am The Bread Of Life – Growing As Disciples

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35 (NIV)

Satisfied

I had this hunger and thirst within me. I wanted and needed more. More of what, I was not sure. All I knew is that I felt empty inside. There was this void within me, of that I was sure.  I wanted to know that my life had purpose and meaning and direction. I wanted to receive hope and comfort and encouragement as I lived my life. That was just the beginning of the list of my desires that I could identify. There were many more, without a doubt. I had no idea how all these desires could be satisfied. I tried to ignore and hope that these desires would go away. They did not. Instead, they grew in intensity.  So, I felt lost. So, I set out on a journey to look for something else or more in life. I did not know what that was. I did not know where I would find it. I sometimes told myself that I was on a journey to find myself. What that meant, I did not know. I was not alone in my search. No, you were not. As I was searching for that something else or something more, you were pursuing me. Yes, I was.

One day, when I was at my lowest point and in my greatest need, I cried out to you. I asked you to show yourself to me if you were real. Actually, my cry was more like a scream. Yes, it was. Did I hear your cry? Did I answer your prayer? You accepted my scream as a prayer? Yes, I did. That was one intense prayer, wasn’t it? Yes, it was. Yes, you heard and answered my prayer. I did not realize it at the time, but now I know that my desire or hunger or thirst was for you. The emptiness I felt was an absence of any relationship with you. You changed all that. How so? You drew me to yourself. One day, I confessed all my sin to you. I told you that I wanted to follow you. You forgave my sin, cleansed my unrighteousness, and filled me with your Holy Spirit. You adopted me into your family. You accepted me as your child. You made me your own. You are now leading and guiding me through life. Yes, I am. I have never felt empty inside since. That is very good.

You still do hunger and thirst? Yes, I do. Every day I hunger and thirst to live in an even more intimate relationship with you. Each day, I want to go deeper with you. Each day, I hunger and thirst for more of you. There is no place I would rather be than in your presence. There is nothing I would rather do than live the life that you are calling me to live. Each day, my hunger and thirst are satisfied as I live in an intimate relationship with you. That is very good.

Lord, I have hungered and thirsted for you. I have wanted what you have desired to give me. You have caused me to come to you and made it so I can live in an intimate relationship with you. Thank you for giving me all that I need as I love, follow and serve you. Amen

Key Question… How has your hunger and thirst for the Lord drawn you into a daily ongoing relationship with Him?

Living It Out… Come to the Lord and allow Him to satisfy all your hunger and thirsts in life.

Seeing It Happen…Have faith that the Lord will satisfy your hunger and thirst for Him.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how the Lord has satisfied your hunger and thirst in life.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you come to the Lord so He can satisfy your hunger and thirst for Him.

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

Becoming Like Christ – Day 98 – John 6-35 – I Am The Bread Of Life – 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