Category Archives: Identity

You Are The Branches

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Identity - John 15:5-8 - You Are The Branches - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Identity – John 15:5-8 – You Are The Branches – Growing As Disciples

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 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 15:5-8 (NIV)

Connected

Apart from me you can do nothing. That seems hard to believe, doesn’t it? You would think that you would be able to accomplish something all on your own. Think about one of your greatest accomplishments that you accomplished with your own efforts. Do you have something in mind? Yes, I do. How highly will your accomplishment be regarded in 50 years? Will it be remembered? Will it amount to something of great value? Will it have stood the test of time? Before, you answer that last question let’s evaluate your accomplishment a million years from now? Now, you can answer my questions. In a million years from now, or in the light of all eternity, my own accomplishments will amount to nothing. They will have been forgotten. They will have turned to dust. They will not have lasted. They will not be remembered. My own accomplishments will not even be a very small foot note in history. That’s true. Now, do you believe me when I say, “apart from me you can do nothing”? Yes, I do. You are saying that I can do nothing on my own that will bear fruit for all eternity. That’s right.

I would like to bear fruit that will last for all eternity. I would like you to use my life in ways that will bear fruit for your kingdom and glory. I would like to live my life so that I remain vitally connected to you. I want what you want. How will you remain vitally connected to me? How will you allow me to use your life to bear fruit for all eternity? I will live in an intimate relationship with you. I will draw near to you. I will come into your presence. I will listen to everything you want to say to me. I will submit myself to you. I will receive your guidance. I will follow your directions. I will go where you guide me. I will do what you ask of me. I will allow you to use my life as a tool in your hands. Then you will bear fruit for my kingdom and glory.

Lord, you are the vine and I am a branch. Help me to remain vitally connected to you. Feed, nourish and sustain my life. Help me to receive all I will need from you so I will be able to bear an abundance of fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. Amen

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

Identity – John 15-5-8 – You Are The Branches – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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

Pleasing In Your Sight

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Identity - Psalm 19:14 - Pleasing In Your Sight - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Identity – Psalm 19:14 – Pleasing In Your Sight – Growing As Disciples

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 (NIV)

Thoughts And Words

You want both my thoughts and words to be pleasing to you? That seems like a very difficult task. If you only wanted my words to be pleasing to you, then I might have had a fighting chance. You think you can control the words of your mouth? You think you might be able to never say a word that doesn’t please me? Well, no, I guess I don’t. That’s honest. That’s true. I’m not sure that I could go an entire day without saying something that is displeasing to you. If I never said a word then I wouldn’t say anything that displeases you. Would you never saying anything be pleasing to me? Do you think that I will never call you to speak what you have in your heart and on your mind? I think you want me to speak freely with you. You want me to tell you what is on my heart and in my mind. That’s right. Your talking with me will be pleasing to me. I’d like to talk to you. Then we both want the same thing. 

Then, I’ll start talking. Go right ahead, I’m listening. Only you can make me able to think thoughts and speak words that are pleasing to you. That’s true. Without your help, I will never have a mind and a mouth that consistently thinks and speaks thoughts and words that are pleasing to you. That is also true. That is a very important realization on your part. How so? It is important for you to come to rely on me. It is vitally important that you know that you need my help with even something so basic as your thoughts and words. I know that I need your help, that is for sure. I have no doubt about that. That is very good.

How do you think I will make you able to think thoughts and speak words that are pleasing to me? I think you will need to change my heart and transform my mind for that to be possible. Nothing less radical will work, even a little bit. That’s true. What will I use to change your heart and transform your mind? You will use your word to change my heart and transform my mind. How so? As I meet with you in your word you will cleanse and heal and change and transform my heart and mind. Your word will give me your thoughts to think. Your word will give me your words to speak. Your word will give me your deeds to do. You will guard and guide my life with your word. You will strengthen me by your word. Your word will make me able to resist evil and stand against temptation. As your word dwells in me richly I will begin to think your thoughts, speak your words and do your deeds. That’s right. Will you meet with me in my word? Will you allow my words to dwell in you richly? Yes, I will. That will be very good. That will be pleasing to me.

Lord, I want all my thoughts and words to be pleasing to you. Use your word to change my heart and transform my mind. Make me able to think and speak in ways that please and honor and glorify you. I trust you fully because you are my rock and redeemer. Amen

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

Identity – Psalm 19-14 – Pleasing In Your Sight – 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

Love One Another

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Identity - 1 John 4:7-12 - Love One Another - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Identity – 1 John 4:7-12 – Love One Another – Growing As Disciples

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:7-12 (NIV)

Loved You

How have I loved you? You have loved me without hesitation. You have loved me without limit. You have loved me completely. You have loved me without conditions. How so? Well, you came into this world for me. You emptied yourself of all your rights and power and authority. You humbled yourself and took on the form of a servant. You lived in this world for me. You died on the cross for me. You made it so I could be forgiven of all my sins. You cleansed me of all my unrighteousness. You made it so I could live and walk in an intimate relationship with you. You did all of these things not because of me. I had no merit. I was living and walking as your enemy. I was living my life apart from you. I was living as if you did not exist. I thought that I would never want or need in anyone or anything from you. But, you would not let me go. No, I would not. You pursued me. You watched out for me. You came to me when I cried out to you. Yes, I did. You did not greet me with blame and shame. You did not condemn me. You welcomed me with your arms open wide. You celebrated my coming to you. You allowed me to taste of your kindness and mercy. You revived and refreshed and restored my soul. You lavishly poured your love over me. I now love you because you first loved me. That’s right, yes, you do.

What kind of example have I set before you? You have shown me how to love. You have made me able to love. You are now asking me to love others just as you have loved me. What would that mean? You want me to love others with your love. You want your love to flow in and through me. You want others to be drawn to you through your love flowing through me. You want me to be a vessel in which your love can be poured out. You want me to love even those who seem to be unlovable. Yes, I do. Will you allow my love to flow through your life? Yes, I will. That will be very good.

Father, I was an unlovable person, living my own way and doing my own thing. I was on my own path walking away from you. Yet, your love sought me out and drew me back to you. Help me to love others just as you loved me. Amen

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

Identity – 1 John 4-7-12 – Love One Another – 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 Still

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Identity - Psalm 46:10 - Be Still - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Identity – Psalm 46:10 – Be Still – Growing As Disciples

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

Know Me

Do you want to know me? Do you want to know my will? Do you want to walk in my ways? Do you want to live a life that is pleasing to me? Yes Lord, I want to know you. Knowing you is the desire of my heart. Knowing you is the passion and pursuit of my life. There is no place I would rather be than in your presence. There is nothing I would rather do than your will. In every way and on every day, I want to live a life that is pleasing to you. So, yes, I want to walk in your ways. That is very good.

What must I do if I want to know you? That is a very good question with a very simple answer that I will not answer for you. Why is that? You already know the answer to your question. So, let me hear your answer. I must seek you with all my heart and mind and soul and strength. When I earnestly seek you, I will surely find you. When I draw near to you, you will most certainly draw near to me. That’s right. How do you know that? This is a promise from your word. Yes, it is. I can hold on to this promise, knowing with certainty that it will come to pass when I earnestly seek you. That’s true.

What will earnestly seeking me look like? How will you go about seeking me with all your heart and mind and soul and strength? How and when and where will you draw near to me? It is very important for me to answer these questions with specific details. Yes, it is. I must not pass by these questions without answering them. That’s right. Why is that? If I don’t set a specific time and place to meet with you it will never happen. If I don’t make meeting with you an absolute priority it will never happen. That’s true, why is that? Life gets busy. Life is noisy. The hustle and bustle of one day will become a week. A week will become a month. A month will become a year. Finally, years will become a life. I don’t want my whole life to race by without making it my pattern and practice and priority to meet with you every day. No, you don’t. 

What do you want? I want to draw near to you. I want to rest in your presence. I want to hear everything you have to say to me. I want to be taught and trained by you. I want to be guarded and guided by you. I want to know your will and walk in your ways. I want to know you intimately. I want you to know me intimately. I want to live my life with and for you. That is my prayer. That is the desire of my heart. Do you believe that I will hear and answer this prayer and desire of your heart? Yes, I do. That is very good. Yes, I will. 

Father, thank you for bringing me into this place of quietness and rest before with you. I know that it is here that I will begin to know and exalt you in my life. I will keep coming. Fan the flame of desire in my heart to know you.  Amen

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

Identity – Psalm 46-10 – Be Still – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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