Tag Archives: devotional

Ears To Hear

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - If - Mark 4:21-25 - Ears To Hear - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – If – Mark 4:21-25 – Ears To Hear – Growing As Disciples

He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you–and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” Mark 4:21-25 (NIV)

Hearing

Do you have ears that are hearing? Don’t be quick to answer that question. I know that you have ears. I also know that your ears are in working order. The question is, “ Are you really hearing all that I want you to hear?” I would guess that I am not hearing all you want to say to me. I am pretty sure that I am not hearing and receiving and learning all you want to teach me. That is a very good guess. Why do you think that is true? There are plenty of times that I have heard what you wanted me to hear and then a short time later I have forgotten what you said to me. Did my words really go in one of your ears and out the other? Yes, they did.  Those words did not stay in you long enough to change your heart or transform your mind. No, they did not. Did you really learn anything from me then? No, I did not. That’s not good. That’s not what you and I both want is it? No, it isn’t, I want your words to change my heart and transform my mind.

What is the source of the problem? Why are my words sometime going in one of your ears and out the other? Do you think I know the answer to that question? I know that you know the answer to that question. I think that I am failing to carefully consider your words. What does that mean to you? I’m not meditating on your word. I’m not letting your word sink deeply into my heart and mind. I not taking enough time or making a full enough effort to grab hold of your word. Maybe, it’s the other way around. Maybe, I’m not taking enough time or making a full enough effort to let your word grab ahold of me. I’m racing right by your word. I’m lightly considering it. What would help you to more full consider my word? I think two things would help me to more fully consider your word. Tell me your thoughts. I need to carefully consider how to put your word into practice. That would help me to better hear all that you are saying to me. Yes, it would. What else? I also need to consider how I can share with others all that you have been teaching me from your word. You don’t want me to hide or keep quiet about what you have been teaching me. No, I do not. I can shine brightly like a light in the world as I share your word with others. Yes, you can. Putting your word into practice and sharing it with others will make me able to carefully consider your word. Yes, it will.

Lord, I will take time and make a full effort to carefully consider all that you want to say to me from your word. I will be a light in the world and richly and boldly share with others all I have heard and received and learned from you. Amen

Key Question… How are you taking time and making an effort to carefully consider what you hear in God’s word?

Living It Out… Share with others what you have heard, received and learned from the Lord as you have carefully considered His word.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that you will receive from the Lord as you take time and make an effort to carefully consider His word.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you are taking time to carefully consider God’s word.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you take time and make an effort to carefully consider all that the Lord wants to teach you from His word.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional study guide click here:

If – Mark 4-21-25 – Ears To Hear – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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

Fight The Good Fight

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Faith - 1 Timothy 6:11-12 - Fight The Good Fight - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Faith – 1 Timothy 6:11-12 – Fight The Good Fight – Growing As Disciples

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:11-12 (NIV)  

Your Pursuit 

What is the course of your life? Where are you headed? What are you doing? What is important to you? At the end of your life what will have mattered most to you? What are you pursuing with all your heart and mind and soul and strength? What is worth all your energy? What has captured your full attention? What is worth the full investment of your life? What has your focus? What fills you with passion? What motivates and excites you as you start each one of your days? Those are all very good questions. Those questions are worthy of my deep reflection. Those questions deserve a full and complete answer from me. If I were to lightly consider those questions I would be making a tragic mistake. These questions cannot be left unanswered. Why must these questions be answered?  I don’t want to live a life that is off course. I want to know where I am headed. I want to know where I should be going and what I should be doing. I don’t want my life to wander from one meaningless thing after another. I don’t want to reach the end of my life only to find out that I have invested my entire life in what did not count for much. I don’t want to waste my life. I want my life to be well spent. I want my life to be filled with purpose. I want my life to have had an impact. I want to live a life filled with passion that can only come with knowing that I am going and doing what is good and true and right. 

How will you know what is good and right and true? How will you know where to go and what to do with your life? You are good and right and true. You will lead me through life. I will follow you. You will show me where you want me to go and what you want me to do. You will help me to know and do your will. I will be filled with passion because I will know that I am fulfilling your purposes and accomplishing your plans. When I look back over my life, you will be there with me. You will help me to see what we have done together. I will see that your hand has been on me. I will know that you have made me able to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. My life will have been well spent because I will have pursued you and the life you called me to live. That’s good and right and true.

Lord, I will flee worldliness and pursue godliness as I take a hold of the eternal life I have in you. Help me to live out my calling to fight the good fight of faith, as I love, follow, and serve you. Use me as your witness in the world. Amen

Key Question… What must you flee from if you want to begin to fight the good fight of faith?

Living It Out… Take a firm hold of your eternal life as you fight the good fight of faith to which you were called.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will help you to fight the good fight of faith as you take hold of your eternal life in Him.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how the Lord has helped you to fight the good fight of faith.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you fight the good fight of faith and live the life you have been called to live.

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

Faith – 1 Timothy 6-11-12 – Fight The Good Fight – 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

Clothe Yourself

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Character - Romans 13:14 - Clothe Yourself - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Character – Romans 13:14 – Clothe Yourself – Growing As Disciples

Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Romans 13:14 (NIV)

Like You

Do you want to become like me? Yes, in every way I want to become like you.  Do you want to think my thoughts? Do you want to speak my words? Do you want to do my deeds? Do you want to live the life that I have called you to live? Yes, I want to live the life that you have called me to live. Is this a passionate long held desire of your heart or is it simply what you think you should say to me. I am sure that you know the answer to this question, even before you ask it of me. Yes, I do. It is a long-held desire of my heart to live the life that you have called me to live. I want to think your thoughts, speak your words and do your deeds. I have no hesitation and no second thoughts. I am not simply telling you what I think you want to hear from me. Yes, I know that you want to live the life that I have called you to live. Isn’t it good to say again and again that you want to love, follow and serve me with all your heart and mind and soul and strength? Yes, it is good to remind myself about the goal and purpose and mission of my life. Which is? It is the goal and purpose and mission of my life to know you and do your will. Why do you want to know me and do my will? I love you. My love for you motivates the desire of my heart. My love for you spurs me on to want to think your thoughts, speak your words and do your deeds. Yes, it does.

You want to become like me. What will you do because you want to become like me? I will clothe myself with your example. I will think what you thought. I speak what you spoke. I will do what you did. What did I do? You relied on your Heavenly Father to guide and direct your life. You spent time with Him in prayer. You listened to all that He had to say to you. In every way, you lived in an intimate relationship with your Heavenly Father. You relied on your Heavenly Father for all that needed.  You went where He sent you. You did what He asked of you. Yes, I did. His thoughts were your thoughts. His words were your words. His deeds were your deeds. You are right, you will live the life that I have called you to live if you clothe yourself with me by thinking what I thought, speaking what I spoke and doing what I did. Is this what you will do? Yes Lord, it is what I will do as I love, follow and serve you. That will be very good.

Lord, I know I have very limited time to live my life for you on this earth. I want to understand the time and make the best use of my life for your kingdom and glory. I will clothe myself with you so I can think your thoughts, speak your words and do your will. Amen

Key Question… How are you allowing your mind to feed on God’s word so you can clothe yourself with Christ?

Living It Out… Clothe yourself with Jesus Christ so you will be thinking His thoughts, speaking His words and doing His will.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that as you clothe yourself with Jesus Christ you will not be thinking about gratifying sinful desires.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how the Lord has helped you to fight the good fight of faith.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you clothe yourself with Jesus Christ so you can think His thoughts, speak His words, and do His deeds.

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

Character – Romans 13-14 – Clothe Yourself – 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

If We Confess Our Sins

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Identity - 1 John 1:8-10 - If We Confess Our Sins - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Identity – 1 John 1:8-10 – If We Confess Our Sins – Growing As Disciples

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. 1 John 1:8-10 (NIV) 

Confession

Are you a sinner? Have you sinned against me in your thoughts, words and deeds? Have you done what you should not have done? Have you left undone what you should have done? Have you missed the mark? Have you fallen short? Have you done what is not pleasing in my sight? You know the answers to all your questions. I know the answers to all your questions. You will get no disagreement from me. I have sinned against you in my thoughts and words and deeds. I have done what I should not have done. I have left undone what I should have done. I have missed the mark. I have fallen short. I have done what is not pleasing in your sight. I admit my sin. I am confessing my sin. I am turning away from sin. I am asking for your forgiveness and cleansing. I know that you can and will forgive me of all my sin and cleanse me of all my unrighteousness. I have no doubt about that. That’s right. You are forgiven of all your sin. You are cleansed of all your unrighteousness.

But, you have done even more than forgive me of all my sin and cleanse me of all my unrighteousness. You have broken the power of sin over my life. You have made me dead to sin and alive to you. You have set me free to live a completely new life with and for you. I now want to know and do your will. I now want to think your thoughts, speak your words and do your deeds. It is now my desire to do what is pleasing in your sight.  You have shown me your kindness, mercy and love. You have allowed me to taste your goodness. Your love has drawn me into your presence. I now hunger and thirst for you. I now want to live the life that you have called me to live. I want to follow you to wherever you lead me. I want to do whatever you ask of me. I now love you with all my heart and mind and soul and strength. It is my joy to walk with you. It is my pleasure to serve you. You are my Lord. You are my Savior. You are my God and King. Yes, I am. I am all yours. Yes, you are. For that I am so very thankful. That is very good.

Lord, I am a sinner. I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed. I have done what I should not have done and left undone what I should have done. I admit all my sins to you. Thank you for forgiving my sins and cleansing me of my unrighteousness. Amen

Key Question… When have you foolishly attempted to hide and cover up your own sinfulness?

Living It Out… Make it your regular practice to be specific in admitting and confessing your sins to the Lord.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that Jesus Christ will forgive your sins and cleanse you of all your unrighteousness.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you regularly and specifically confess your sins to the Lord.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you confess your sins to the Lord so you can receive His forgiveness.

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

Identity – 1 John 1-8-10 – If We Confess Our Sins – 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

Glad

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Be - Matthew 5:11-12 - Glad - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Be – Matthew 5:11-12 – Glad – Growing As Disciples

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12 (NIV)

Persecution

Don’t be surprised. The world hated me. The world will hate you. The world insulted me. The world will insult you. The world persecuted me. The world will persecute you. The world spoke every evil against me. The world will speak every evil against you. You are in good company with me. You are in good company with my followers that have gone before you. You have been given the privilege to believe in me. You have also been given the privilege to suffer for me. Everyone who desires to live a Godly life will be persecuted. I’m telling you this now so that you will not fall away from me. You will not become discouraged. You will not give up. You will not quit. You will be encouraged. You will be strengthened. You will be lifted-up. You will keep on loving, following and serving me. You will shine brightly for me as a witness in the world. Yes, I will, with all your help. 

What will you do? How will you respond when times of hate, insult and persecution come against you? I will remember your words of warning to me. I will remember the kind of life you lived. I will keep my heart and mind and life focused on you. You will be my strength. You will be my encouragement. You will be my support. I will live like you lived. I will do what you did. What did I do? How did I live? You kept on loving others even when they hated, insulted and persecuted you. You did not harbor hate. You did not seek revenge. You did not pay back evil with evil. You kept on doing your Father’s will. You drew near to your Father as He drew near to you. He sustained you. He helped you. You relied on Him. That is what I will do. I will draw near to you as you draw near to me. I know that you will bring me through every difficulty in life. You will be with me to help me. I will rely on you completely Yes, I will be with you to help you. Yes, I will bring you through every difficulty in life. Yes, you can and will rely on me every step of your way through life. You will be my witness. Your life will bear fruit for my kingdom and bring glory to my name.

Lord, I know I am in good company with you and your followers when I am insulted, persecuted and falsely spoken of, because of my faith in you. I will be glad because I know that a great reward awaits me in heaven. Help me now to be your witness in the world. Amen

Key Question… Why is it important to not retaliate against mistreatment if you want to be a witness for Christ?

Living It Out…Remain joyful while being mistreated for your faith because you know that a great reward awaits you in heaven.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that you can be glad while being mistreated because you know a great reward is waiting for you in heaven.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you are remaining joyful while being mistreated for your faith.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you rejoice and glad when you are being mistreated as a follower of Jesus Christ.

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

Be – Matthew 5-11-12 – Glad – 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

Revealed It To Us

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Discipleship Study - Wisdom - 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 - Revealed It To Us- Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Study – Wisdom – 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 – Revealed It To Us- Growing As Disciples

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”– but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 (NIV)

Walk In Wisdom

Do you want to know me? Do you want to know my will and walk in my ways? Do want to live and walk in my wisdom? Do you want to receive my wisdom and live out all that I have prepared for you? Yes, I want to know you. I love you with all my heart and mind and soul and strength. I want nothing more than to know your will and walk in your ways. In every way, I want to live and walk in your wisdom. I want to receive your wisdom and live out all that you have prepared for me. I don’t want to miss out on anything that you have planned and prepared for me.

How can I know your will? How can I receive your wisdom? How can I walk in your ways? Those are good questions. It is very good that you are passionately asking me these questions. Why is that? You must want to know my will. You must want to receive my wisdom. You must want to walk in my ways. Your questions are filled with passionate desire. You are passionately asking me these questions because you love me with all your heart and mind and soul and strength. You are filled with desire to know and do my will. You are fully devoted to loving, following and serving me. You are seeking me with all your heart. You are giving yourself fully to me. You are holding nothing back. You are keeping nothing in reserve. You are pouring yourself out in service to me. That is very good.

You will not be denied. Your request has been heard and will be answered. I will help you to know and respond to my wisdom. My wisdom will guide you. My wisdom will guard you. My wisdom will lead you to where I want you to go. My wisdom will make you able to do what I ask you to do. You will fulfill my purposes and accomplishes my plans. My wisdom will make you able to will live and walk in all the good things I have prepared for you. You will not miss out. You will not fall short. You will have no regrets as you continue to follow and serve me. That will be great. That will be fantastic. That will be beyond what I could have ever hoped for or even imagined. Yes, it will.

Lord, I love you with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. I want to know and understand and respond to all your wisdom. Show me what I could not begin to know or understand about your wisdom. Help me to live and walk in what you have prepared for me. Amen

Key Question… How does the wisdom from God differ from the wisdom that comes from the world?

Living It Out… Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to know and respond to wisdom from God.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Holy Spirit will reveal to you what you could not know or understand about God’s wisdom.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how the Holy Spirit has revealed God’s wisdom to you.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you rely on the Holy Spirit to show you what you could not know or understand.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship study guide click here:

Wisdom – 1 Corinthians 2-6-10 – Revealed It To Us – 4 Page Discipleship Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship 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

A Mocker

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Character - Proverbs 15:12 - A Mocker - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Character – Proverbs 15:12 – A Mocker – Growing As Disciples

A mocker resents correction; he will not consult the wise. Proverbs 15:12 (NIV) 

Receptive

How receptive are you to receiving my correction? That sounds like an easy question to answer. Really? You might want to think a little more deeply, if you think that this is an easy question for you to answer. Why is that? Would you like me to ask you some related questions? I’m not sure, but go ahead, I’m listening. That’s good. How much of a risk would it be for some to give you some strong words of correction? Before you answer let me also ask you how often has someone taken the risk to offer you some strong words of correction. To your second question, I would say that it has been seldom, if ever, that someone has given me some strong words of correction. Why is that? Is it because you have never needed any strong words of correction? I doubt that. I’m sure that there have been many times that I could have used some strong words of correction in my life. That’s true. How do you think you might react if someone were to give you some strong words of correction? I might react negatively. I might become defensive. I might even become combative. Are you sure? No, I am not sure. Why is that? Recently, I have found myself inviting others to give me words of correction if they felt that I needed them. That’s good. You will never receive needful and helpful words of correction if you give off signals that you would react negatively and probably wouldn’t receive them anyway. Be unwilling to receive correction and wisdom is a very foolish and dangerous position to be in.  It is a very wise person that gives permission to others to give them words of correction whenever they need them. So, keep on asking others to speak words of wisdom and correction into your life. Yes Lord, I will.

How will you receive correction and wisdom from me? It is the desire of my heart to know and do your will. I want to do what is pleasing in your sight. So, I will listen attentively to all that you want to say to me. I will ask for your wisdom. I will hear your instructions and follow your direction. I will welcome your correction in my life. I will allow you to mold and shape me into the person you want me to become. I will follow you to wherever you lead me. I will do whatever you ask of me. I will allow you to change my heart, transform my mind and guide my life as I follow you. That will be very good. 

Lord, I will not be stubborn and proud. I will allow myself to receive correction. I will listen to whatever you say to me. I need wisdom from you. I need wisdom from those you place in my life. I will change my thoughts, words and deeds as you give me wisdom. Amen

Key Question… How much of a risk is it for others to speak words of correction and wisdom into your life?

Living It Out… Be ready and willing to receive correction and wisdom from the Lord.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will give you correction and wisdom as you follow Him.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group you are receiving correction and wisdom from the Lord.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you willing receive correction and wisdom from the Lord.

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

Character – Proverbs 15-12 – A Mocker – 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

Building Others Up

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Discipleship - Ephesians 4:29 - Building Others Up - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Discipleship – Ephesians 4:29 – Building Others Up – Growing As Disciples

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

Your Words

Your words have power. The words that come out of your mouth can tear others down or build them up. Your words can be a tool that will be used either for good or for evil. You can speak valuable life-giving words or you can speak deathly words that cause discouragement, defeat and even death. Those are very strong words. Yes, I want you to carefully consider every word that you allow to come out of your mouth. Have you ever deeply regretted words that have come out of your mouth? Yes, I have deeply regretted words that have come out of my mouth. Why is that? As you have said, words have power. Once words are spoken they cannot be taken back. Words cannot be unheard. I can recall very negative life-taking words that were spoken to me long ago. It’s hard to forget negative, life-taking and hurtful words. Yes, it is. You remember many other words that have been spoken to you. Yes, I do. Tell me about some living-giving words that you have heard. I have heard marvelous, life-giving words that encouraged me and spurred me on to bigger and better and greater things. I can recall people who believed in me when I did not believe in myself. Those people spoke hope and healing and possibilities into my life that I would have never considered on my own. Do you think they spoke solely out of their own thoughts? I’m not sure what you are asking me. Did their life-giving words originate out of their own hearts and minds? You are asking me where their life-giving words came from? Yes, I am. I haven’t thought about that before now. Think about it now. You were behind their life-giving words. You gave them thoughts to think. You gave them words to speak. You used the words of their mouths to speak life-giving words into in my life. Yes, I did. 

Do you want me to use your words to encourage others and spur them on to bigger and better and greater things? Do you want to be able to speak life-giving words that will encourage and lift others up? Yes, I do. What must I do to be able to speak life-giving encouraging words into the lives of other people? You must do two things. You must listen carefully to the people in your life. You must really hear what others are saying to you. Hear their needs through the words they are speaking. Become a student of the people in your life. Know them. Know their needs. Will you do that? Yes, I will. What else must I do? You must listen to me. Don’t think that you know what to say. Ask me to give you life-giving words you can to speak into the lives of others. Will you also do that? Yes Lord, I will.

Lord, I have not been gifted at using my words to encourage and build others up. That is probably a dramatic understatement. Forgive me. Help me to listen carefully to others so I will know how to encourage and build them up in their faith. Speak through me. Amen

Key Question… How has the Lord been teaching you how to encourage and build others up with your words?

Living It Out… Use the words that come out of your mouth to build others up according to their needs.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will use your words to build others up according to their needs.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how the Lord is using your words to build others up.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you use your words to build others up according to their needs.

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

Discipleship – Ephesians 4-29 – Building Others Up – 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

A New Creation

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Therefore - 2 Corinthians 5:17 - A New Creation - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Therefore – 2 Corinthians 5:17 – A New Creation – Growing As Disciples

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

Old And New

What is old? What has passed away? What is dead and gone from your life since you started following me? Sin’s power over my life is dead and gone. I am not living under sin’s power. Sin does not dominate and control the course of my life. I am no longer interested in living a self-centered and self-indulgent life. I don’t live to please myself. I am no longer engaged in a constant pursuit of my own comfort and pleasure. I am not the center of my own universe. I don’t think that I know it all or that I am always right. I am no longer allowing myself to be conformed to the patterns and practices and values of the world. I don’t live according to my own mission, vision and goals. Why is this? What has happened to you? I turned my life over to you. I became your follower. My old life is gone. My old sinful life is now dead and buried. When you died, my old life died with you. When you rose from the dead, I rose to a new life in you. Yes, you did.

You are now a new creation in me. How have you been made new? How have I changed you since you started following me? You have changed my heart. It is now my desire to love you with all my heart and mind and soul and strength. It is my joy and delight to follow and serve you. I want what you want. I want my mission, vision and goals in life to come from you. I want to know you. I want to do your will. In every way I want to do what pleases you. I want you to use me for your kingdom. I want to bring glory to your name. I can see that. What else? You have transformed my mind. You have given me new thoughts to think. You are helping me to think your thoughts. You are helping me to know and do your will.  Yes, I have changed your heart and transformed your mind. Am I finished with you? Do you perfectly know and do my will? Do you perfectly desire to do what pleases me? You made me a new creation on the first day that I started following you. That does not mean that I am now a finished product. I am far from perfect. You are working in me. You are changing me day by day as I follow you. You are making me new every day in you. Your work in me will not stop until the day I come to meet you face to face. Yes, that’s right. I welcome you to keep on molding and shaping my life according to your purposes and plans. Yes, I will. You can be sure of that.

Lord, thank you for giving me a completely new life to live. You are changing my heart. You are transforming my mind. You are giving me new thoughts to think, words to speak, and deeds to do. You have made the old pass away and the new come into my life. Amen

Key Question… What old thoughts, words and deeds have passed away since you started following Jesus Christ?

Living It Out… Allow the Lord to continue to make your life completely new everyday as you love, follow and serve Him.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that Jesus Christ has given you a completely new life to live as you love, follow and serve Him.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how Jesus Christ is continuing to make your life new as you follow Him.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you live out the new life that you have in Jesus Christ.

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

Therefore – 2 Corinthians 5-17 – A New Creation – 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

To Give Than To Receive

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Blessing - Acts 20:35 - To Give Than To Receive - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Blessing – Acts 20:35 – To Give Than To Receive – Growing As Disciples

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'” Acts 20:35 (NIV)

Giving

I have richly blessed your life. I have given you an abundance of good gifts. Yes, you have richly blessed my life by giving me an abundance of good gifts. There is not one good thing I have received that ultimately has not come from your hand. I don’t know how I can ever say thank you enough for all that you have given to me. I am grateful and thankful beyond measure. I hope that my life will continually express gratefulness and thankfulness every day as I live my life with and for you. That will be very good.

I want to bless your life in a very different way. How so? Your life has already been blessed by all that I have given to you. That’s true. I know that you want to become like me. That’s right. You have seen that I am a giver of good gifts. You know that it is my joy and pleasure to give good gifts to you. I now want you to bless your life by you giving to others. You have experienced much joy in receiving all that I have given to you. Yes, I have. Would it surprise you to hear me say that it is much better to give than to receive? That is hard to believe. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not doubting your word. No, I know that you are not doubting my word. You are wondering how much fuller could your joy be by giving than receiving. Yes, that’s it exactly.

Test the truth of what I am saying. There is nothing that I have given to you that you can’t share with others in one way or another. You can share your gifts, talents and abilities. You can share your resources and possessions. You can share your family and friends. You can share your experience and knowledge. You can share the teaching and training you have received. You will be blessed in far greater measure by what you give than by what you have received. There is something vitally important that I also want you to know and remember. What is that? The blessings that you will receive by giving to others will not just be in this life. As you give and share with others you will be blessed in this life and in the life to come. Giving and sharing all that you are and all that you have will be storing up treasure in heaven with me. Will you give like I give? Will you share with others all that I have given to you? Yes Lord, I will. That will be very good.

Lord, you have richly blessed my life. You have given me an abundance of good gifts. I will not tight fistedly hold on to what you have given to me. Help me to experience the much greater blessing of giving and sharing others all that you have richly given to me. Amen

Key Question… How has your life been blessed as you have shared with others what the Lord has given to you?

Living It Out… Allow your life to be blessed by sharing with others what the Lord has given to you.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that you will find great blessing in sharing with others what the Lord has given to you.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you have been blessed by sharing what the Lord has given you,

Prayer To Bless Others… May your life be blessed as you give to others.

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

Blessing – Acts 20-35 – To Give Than To Receive – 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