Tag Archives: and the truth will set you free.”

The Truth Will Set You Free

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The Virtuous Life - Day 197 - John 8:31-32 - The Truth Will Set You Free - Growing As Disciples

The Virtuous Life – Day 197 – John 8:31-32 – The Truth Will Set You Free – Growing As Disciples

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (NIV)

Hold To My Teaching

How will you do that? How will I do what? How will you hold to my teaching? Wait, before answering. I would like to ask you a few more questions. Go ahead, I’m listening. Why do you want to hold to my teaching? Why do you believe in me? Are you really one of my disciples? Now, you may start answering my questions. I do want to hold to your teaching. I want to hear and know and follow and obey your word. I want to put your word into practice. Why, you may ask. I might. I want to hold to your teaching because I love you with all my heart and mind and soul and strength. It is no burden for me to follow and obey your word. Loving you means that I want to live a life that is pleasing to you. I want to be and am fully devoted to you. Without hesitation, without reservation, I want to give all that I am and hope to be to you. That is very good. I can take no credit for coming to believe in you. I can take no credit for coming to know you. I can take no credit for the love I have in my heart for you. It is you who first loved me. It was you who drew me to yourself. It is you who saved me. You helped me to come to receive you as my Savior and Lord. You have forgiven me of my sins. You have cleansed me of my unrighteousness. You are now using your word to guard and guide the course of my life. Yes, I am. You have also made me to be one of your disciples. That is true.

Let’s get a little more specific about how you will hold on to my teaching. How will you take my word into your heart and mind and life? How will you allow my word to change your heart, transform your mind, and guide your life? How will you allow my word to mold and shape you? How will you allow me to use my word to set you free? I will meet with you in your word. I will listen attentively to you. I will make meeting with you in your word a daily priority in my life. I will meditate on and memorize your word. I will study your word. I will pray your word. I will sing your word. I will teach and proclaim your word. In every way possible I will take a firm hold of your word so that your word will take a firm hold of me. That will be very good. In doing so, you will be my disciple. In doing so, you will surely be set free. Thank you, Lord.

Lord, I believe in you with all my heart. As your disciple, I will hold to your teaching. I will take your word deep into my heart and mind and life. Help me to know the truth of your word. Cause me to be set free by your word as I love and follow and serve you. Amen

Key Question…  How have you been set free by God’s word as you have heard it and put it into your daily practice?

Living It Out…  Make it the priority of your life to hear and put God’s word into practice, so by it, you can be set free.

Seeing It Happen…  Have faith that you will be set free by the power of God’s word as you hear it and put it into your daily practice.

Get Ready To Share…  Share with another person or your small group how God uses His word to change your heart and transform your mind.

Prayer To Bless Others…  May you hear and know and follow and obey God’s word so you can be set free by it.

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

The Virtuous Life – Day 197 – John 8-31-32 – The Truth Will Set You Free – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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

Know Truth – Set Free

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Rhythms - John 8:31-32 - Know Truth - Set Free - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Rhythms – John 8:31-32 – Know Truth – Set Free – Growing As Disciples

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (NIV)

Hold On

What is truth? Where does truth come from? Does truth come from all that you hear in the world? Does truth come from your deeply held thoughts and beliefs that you have acquired and held for a very long time? Are you the final arbitrator of what is true and what is false? Are you wise enough to recognize all that is true and all that is false?

You have asked a lot of questions of me. Truth definitely does not come from the world. My heart and mind are under constant attack from all the falsehood that is in the world. The thoughts and values and opinions of the world stand in direct opposition to your truth. Following the “so called truth” that is in the world will enslave me. Hearing and believing and holding on to your truth will set me free. My long acquired and deeply held beliefs may or may not be the truth. Each one of my thoughts needs to be taken captive and examined by the truth that is in your word. I am certainly not the final arbitrator of what is true and what is false. I definitely do not have the wisdom that I need to correctly discern what is true and what is false. I know that you are true. Your word is true. I know that you will show and teach me what is true. Yes, I will help you to know what is true. You can rely on me. I will speak the truth into your life.

Do you want to be set free? Yes, of course I want to be set free. What must I do if I want to be set free? You must come to know the truth. I am the truth. My word is the truth. You must come to know me. You must hold on to my teachings. You must listen and put into practice all that I show and teach you. Will you come to me? Will you listen to me? Will you hold on to my teachings? Yes, I will come to you. I will listen to every word that you have to say to me. I will put into practice all that you have to show and teach me. Then you will be set free. Then you will have new thoughts to think. Then you will have a new life to live. I will give you a new heart, a new mind and a new life as you hold on to me and my teachings.

Lord, my life is under constant bombardment from all the falsehood that is in the world. I want to come to know and hold on to your truth. Help me to hear, know, and put all your teachings into practice. Set me free as I come to know and hold on to your truth. Amen

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

Rhythms – John 8-31-32 – Know Truth – Set Free – 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

The Truth Will Set You Free

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - The Mind - John 8:31-32 - The Truth Will Set You Free - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – The Mind – John 8:31-32 – The Truth Will Set You Free – Growing As Disciples

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (NIV)

Hold On 

Do you want to be my disciple? Will you hold on to my teaching? Will you make my word the priority of your life? Would you like to know the truth? Will you allow the truth of my word to set you free? You have asked me a lot of questions. I will start by saying that I want to be your disciple. I want to be one of your followers. I know that as your disciple and follower I must hold on to your teachings. I’m sure that, “by holding” to your teaching you are not referring to a light grasp. I will hold on to your word for dear life. Your word is and will be the priority of my life. I will meditate on your word day and night. I will let your word dwell in me richly. I will seek your word more than silver or gold. I will let your word guard and guide my life. That will be very good.

Let’s talk about how my word will set you free. I’d like that. My word has the power to change your heart. My word has the power to transform your mind. Would you like a new heart? Would you like a new mind? Yes, I would like a new heart and a new mind. You are right about the importance of the firmness of your grip in taking hold of my word. Occasional hearing of my word will not change your heart or transform your mind. You must feast on my word. You must take my word into your heart and mind. The world and all that is in it is working full time to conform your heart and mind according to its patterns, practices and values. You must allow my word to remain in you continually. You must hunger and thirst for my word. You must allow my word to have a far greater influence over your life than anything else that is in the world. Will you meet with me in my word? Yes, It will be my delight to meet with you in your word. How often will you meet with me in my word? There is not a day that will go by that I do not need to hear from you. There is not a day that will go by that I will not be excited to hear all that you have to say to me. I will meet with you in your word every day. I will take hold of your word every day. I will let your word take hold of me every day. Then you will know the truth. Then you will be set free by my word as you come to know me and hold on to my teachings.

Lord, it was you who drew me to yourself. You rescued me from the dark and dreary life I was living. You made it possible for me to follow you as my Savior and Lord. You have helped me to hold on to your teachings. You set me free to follow and serve you. Amen

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

The Mind – John 8-31-32 – The Truth Will Set You Free – 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

Abide In My Word

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Freedom - John 8:31-32 - Abide In My Word - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Freedom – John 8:31-32 – Abide In My Word – Growing As Disciples

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (ESV)

Set Free

What does it mean to let your word abide in me? What do you think it means? I will tell you what I’m sure that it does not mean. What’s that? Occasionally hearing your word, in small doses, once a week does not constitute abiding in your word. No, it does not. If I want to abide in your word I am sure that abiding in your word will also require more of me than merely listening to what others are saying about your word. Yes, it will.

Why do you want to abide in my word? What do you hope my word will do for you? I want your word to change my heart, transform my mind and guide my life. I want your word to help me to know and do your will. I want your word to set me free so I can live my life fully and passionately for you. I want your word to help me to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. I want your word to make me able to endure trials and stand against temptation. I want your word to be like a sword in the Holy Spirit’s hand so that He can fight in me, with me and for me. I want your word to set me on fire to love, follow and serve you. I want your word to help me to know you intimately. Do you believe that my word will accomplish all these things in and through you as you let it abide in you? Yes Lord, I believe that your word can accomplish these things and even more than I could think to ask for or even imagine. That’s right. 

How will you let my word abide in you? I will set aside a daily time to meet with you in your word. I will listen attentively to everything you have to say to me.  I will read your word. I will study your word. I will meditate on your word. I will memorize your word. I will pray your word. I will speak your word. I will hold on to your word. I will let your word mold and shape my life. I will let your word change my heart, transform my mind and guide my life. Most importantly, I will put your word into practice as I love, follow and serve you. That will be very good. You will be set free as you abide in my word. I will use my word to accomplish all my purposes and plans in and through your life.

Lord, I will abide in your word. I will let your word dwell in me. I will meditate on your word. I will hide your word in my heart. I will put your word into practice. Use your word to change my heart and transform my mind. Guide and set me free by your word. Amen

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

Freedom – John 8-31-32 – Abide In My Word – 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