Tag Archives: as some are in the habit of doing

Let Us Draw Near

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The Sacramental Life - Day 330 - Hebrews 10:19-25 - Let Us Draw Neat To God - Growing As Disciples

The Sacramental Life – Day 330 – Hebrews 10:19-25 – Let Us Draw Neat To God – Growing As Disciples

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,  by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,  and since we have a great priest over the house of God,  let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:19-25 (NIV)

Draw Near

There is nothing I would rather do than draw near to you. There is no place I would rather be than in your presence. In your presence, there is hope and joy and peace. In your presence, there is rest and renewal and restoration. In your presence, there is power and strength. In your presence, there is a place of refuge from every storm. In your presence, there is instruction and guidance and direction. In your presence, there is health and healing and wholeness. I need to draw near to you. I want to draw near to you. I have needs that can only be met by you, as I live in an intimate relationship with you. Is that what you will do? Will you draw near to me? Will you live in an intimate relationship with me? Yes, I will. That is very good.         

You have more to say on this subject. You have more to ask of me? Yes, I have more to say and more to ask. I wonder why drawing near to you doesn’t come easier. I know how much I want to draw near to you. I know how much I will benefit as I draw near to you. Why am I so distracted? Why is drawing near to you so difficult? Why does drawing near to you require such effort and discipline on my part? Why must I schedule a time and place to meet with you? Why will I not draw near to you if I don’t make doing so the priority of my life? How could I let trivial things of much less value crowd you out of my life? Why am I so allured by the demands of this life? Why don’t I automatically choose what is far better and more important? Why am I so strongly tempted to focus on earthly and temporal things over heavenly and eternal things? Do you want an answer? Do you need an answer? I know that I live in a sin broken world. I know that this world is always attempting to mold me into its pattern. I know that I need to be careful and focus my attention so that I am not allured and distracted by the things of this life. I will focus my attention on you. I will draw near to you. I will live in an intimate relationship with you. I know that doing so will require my very best effort and my full commitment. Drawing near to you is now and will forever be the priority of my life. That is very good. You will never regret making this choice. Yes, I know. Thank you, Heavenly Father for allowing me to draw near to you and live in an intimate relationship with you. 

Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son into the world to pay for my sins. I have been forgiven and cleansed. The way to you has been opened. I am acceptable in your sight. I can draw near to you. Help me to live in and intimate relationship with you. Amen

Key Question…  How are you taking daily advantage of your new privilege and opportunity to draw near to God?

Living It Out…  Daily draw near to God so you will be able to live in an intimate relationship with Him.

Seeing It Happen…  Have faith that you have been given the privilege and opportunity to draw near to God.

Get Ready To Share…  Share with another person or your small group how you are daily drawing near to God.

Prayer To Bless Others…  May you draw near to God and live in an intimate relationship with Him.

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

The Sacramental Life – Day 330 – Hebrews 10-19-25 – Let Us Draw Near – 4 Paged Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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

Spur One Another On

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Promises - Day 95 - Hebrews 10:24-25 - Spur One Another On - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Promises – Day 95 – Hebrews 10:24-25 – Spur One Another On – Growing As Disciples

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  Hebrews 10:24-25(NIV)

Gather Together

Do you want to grow strong in your faith? Do you want to be able to live the life I have called you to live? Do you want to shine brightly as a witness in the world for me? Do you want to be able to resist temptation? Do you want to be able to stand against evil? Do you want to accomplish my purposes and fulfill my plans? Do you want to go where I am leading you? Do you want to be able to do what I am asking of you? Do you want to be able to bear fruit for my kingdom? Do you want to bring glory to my name? You have asked me many questions for all of which, I have the same answer. What is your answer? Yes, I want all these things. That is a very good answer.

If you want all that I want for you then you will do one thing without fail. What is that? You will make it your regular and consistent pattern to gather together with fellow believers, in my body, the church. You will allow yourself to become deeply rooted in my body, the church. You will find a place where you can love and serve others in my body. You are very emphatic on this point. Yes, I am. I am glad you noticed. It would be nearly impossible to not hear what you are clearly asking of me. I am glad that your ears are open to hear me.

Why am I so emphatic about you regularly and consistently gathering together with others in my body? I am not sure how to answer your question. Tell me what your experience has been. I can tell you that I was not made to live alone. I can tell you that I was not made to live a solitary life, all by myself. That’s true. What would happen to you if you tried to live your life of faith all alone, by yourself? I would be easy prey for the devil. I would be leaving myself wide open to spiritual attack. I would not be able to resist temptation or stand against evil. That’s true. What else? I would certainly wander off course. I would drift away from you. There is no doubt about that. What else? I would not be spurred on and encouraged by fellow believers. I would not find my place to minister in your body. I would not be used to spur on and encourage fellow believes in their faith. So, gathering together in my body is not only for your benefit? No, it is also a place for me to love and care for others. It is a place for me to use all the gifts you have given to me. It is a place for me to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. Yes, it is. Will you keep on gathering together in my body, the church? Yes Lord, I will. That will be very good. 

Lord, I will make it my regular and consistent pattern to gather together with others in your body, the church. I will both give and receive encouragement to love others and do many good deeds. I will spur others on in their faith as I am also spurred on in my faith. Amen

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

Promises – Day 95 – Hebrews 10-24-25 – Spur One Another On – 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

Not Give Up Meeting Together

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Let Us - Hebrews 10:25 - Not Give Up Meeting Together - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Let Us – Hebrews 10:25 – Not Give Up Meeting Together – Growing As Disciples

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)

Meeting Together

You’ve heard and made a lot of excuses for not gathering together with other believers to meet with me in worship. Yes, I have heard and made most all of them. I doubt that. You would be surprised at how many you haven’t used. But, let me hear some of your reasons now. What are some good and acceptable reasons for you to skip out on gathering to meet with me in worship? I didn’t say that I had any good and acceptable reasons for not gathering together to meet with you in worship. No, you didn’t say that. I just said that I had made plenty of excuses and had reasons for not gathering together with other believers to meet with you in worship. I think you’re stalling. Are your reasons kind of weak and embarrassing? Yes, they are both weak and embarrassing. I think it will help you to hear them said out loud. So, go ahead and give me your reasons. I will apologize and ask for your forgiveness in advance. You are forgiven. I’m not trying to shame you. I want you to hear what you have told yourself about not meeting with me. I’m listening. Here goes. I have said that I was too busy. So, what has been more important and valuable than meeting with me? There is nothing more important than meeting with you. I also have said that I was too tired. Why were you too tired? I stayed out too late the night before. How do you feel about those choices now? I think I have made some bad choices and poor uses of my time based on misplaced priorities. If I make attending worship celebrations my priority I will prepare myself by going to bed earlier the night before. That sounds like a good plan. It will do me no good to come to worship exhausted. No, It will not. Oh, I have said that I needed “me” time. What’s that? I’m not sure. I heard someone else say it and it sounded good to me. What happened when you devoted yourself to your “me” time? Not, much. I would have been better off by receiving the encouragement I do when I gather with others to worship you. Yes, that’s true. Go on. I have said that I can worship you anywhere all by myself. I have thought that I really don’t need to gather with others to worship you. It’s very hard to receive encouragement from others when you are all alone, isn’t it? Yes, it is. I have really reached by saying that traveling conditions weren’t safe. On those days you probably stayed home all day then, didn’t you? No, I ventured out shortly after the worship celebrations were over. Was the weather a lot better then? No, it wasn’t. Then that was an exceptionally weak reason for not attending the worship celebration, wasn’t it? Yes, it was. 

I’m sure that you can go on and on with reasons why you haven’t attended worship celebrations. Yes, I can. But, I have heard enough. I have some statements that I want you to respond to. I’m listening. You know that I love you. Yes, I do. You know that I created and designed you. Yes, I do. You believe that what I say is true and right. Yes, I do. If my word conflicts with your behavior what will you do? I will change my behavior. Why is that? I believe that you know what is best for me. Yes, I do. You know that I want to encourage your faith as you draw near to me. Yes, I do. You know that I want you to encourage others when you gather together in worship with them. Yes, I do. What does my word say about you gathering together with others to worship me? Your word says that I should not skip out on worship celebrations. Your word says that I can give receive and give encouragement, as I gather with other believers to worship you. Yes, it does. Will you make it your unwavering commitment to gather with other believers to worship me? Yes Lord, I will.

Lord, thank you that you have placed me in a body of believers where I can receive and give encouragement. I am making it my advance decision to be unwavering and consistent in my worship attendance. Draw near to me as I draw near to you in worship. Amen

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

Let Us – Hebrews 10-25 – Not Give Up Meeting Together – 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