Tag Archives: God’s Word

Parable Of The Sower

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Discipleship - Matthew 13:18-23 - Parable Of The Sower - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Discipleship – Matthew 13:18-23 – Parable Of The Sower – Growing As Disciples

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:18-23 (NIV)

Good Soil

Do you want your heart and mind and life to be like good soil in which my word can be planted, take root, grow and bear an abundance of fruit? That’s quite a question. Why do you say that? I’m sure that the entire course of my life will be guided by how I answer that question. This is not one of those questions that can be answered by words alone. Whatever words I give as my answer had better be backed with action. What do you mean by that? If I say that I want my heart and mind and life to be like good soil in which your word can be planted, take root, grow and bear an abundance of fruit, then surely, I must make a commitment to meet with you in your word. Is this what you are saying to me? Is this what you want? Yes, I want to give that answer and back it up with a commitment to meet with you every day in your word. That’s good.

Why do you think making a commitment to meet daily with me in my word is so important? My heart and mind and life do not start out as soft, rich, fertile back dirt. Just the opposite is true. I need you to soften my hard heart. I need you to transform my worldly mind. I need to you to guide the course of my life. Without your word working in me every day, my life will never bear an abundance of fruit for your kingdom. Apart from you I can do nothing that will last. The work of my life will be in vain. Beyond that, there are so many pitfalls in life. Without meeting with you daily in your word my life could easily be carried away by the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth. Day by day my heart and mind and life are being bombarded by the thoughts and opinions and values of this world. I don’t want to conform to this world. I want to be transformed by your word. I need your word working in my life every day. If I don’t meet with you daily in your word, I don’t think your word will ever take deep root in me. That would be such a travesty. That would be such a loss. No, the opportunity to meet with you daily in your word is not an obligation. The opportunity to meet with you daily in your word is a great gift. I want to sit at your feet. I want to hear everything you want to say to me. Do your work in me. Make my life like soft, rich, fertile black dirt in which your word can be planted, take root, grow and bear an abundance of fruit. That is the desire of my heart. That is very good. 

Lord, make my heart like good soil that is ready to receive your word. Help me to not allow anything to hinder your word from taking root and growing in me. Help me to hear, understand and put your word into practice. Use your word to bear fruit in my life. Amen

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

Discipleship – Matthew 13-18-23 – Parable Of The Sower – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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

Be Strong And Courageous

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Discipleship Study - Character - Joshua 1:8-9 - Be Strong And Courageous- Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Study – Character – Joshua 1:8-9 – Be Strong And Courageous- Growing As Disciples

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:8-9 (NIV)  

My Promises

How will you be encouraged? How will you be strengthened? What will make you courageous? How will you be careful to go and do everything I ask of you? What will help you to be prosperous and successful? What will you hold on to through all the ups and downs and twists and turns of life? I know what I will not hold on to. What’s that? I will not hold on to my gifts and talents and abilities. I will not hold on to my education and training. I will not hold on to my money and material possessions. I will not hold on to my strength and health. I will not hold on to my past accomplishments. Not one of these things will sustain me through all the twists and turns and ups and downs of life. That’s true.

You know quite clearly what you will not hold on to when you go through trials in life. Yes, I do. That’s good. Do you know what you will hold on to when you face all the storms of life? Yes, I do. I will hold on to you. I will hold on to your promises. I will hold on to your word. How will you do that? I will hide your word in my heart. I will store your word in my mind. I will meditate on your word day and night. I will allow your word to guide my life. Your word will train me. Your word will instruct me. Yes, it will. Your word will teach me what I need to know. What do you need to know? I need to know that you will be with me. You will help me. You will lift me up and encourage me. You will strengthen me. You will make me courageous. You will help me to be prosperous and successful. You will make me able to go and do your will. Yes, I will. That’s not all. What else? Your word will help me to do what I need to do.  What do you need to do? I need to trust you. I need to rely on you. I need to put your word into practice. I need go and do whatever you ask of me. Yes, you do. That is what I will do. I will rely on you. I will hold on to your promises. That will be very good. 

Lord, I will meditate on your word day and night. Your word will be in my heart, on my mind and lived out in my life. I will think, speak and act on your word. Help me to be careful, strong and courageous. Be with me wherever I go and in whatever I do for you. Amen

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

Character – Joshua 1-8-9 – Be Strong And Courageous – 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

Looks Intently

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Blessing - James 1:22-25 - Looks Intently - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Blessing – James 1:22-25 – Looks Intently – Growing As Disciples

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it–he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25 (NIV)

Into Practice

What do you think will happen to you if you continue to look intently into my word? That is a very good question. I know that if I continue to look intently into your word I will be changed by it. How so? Your word will change my heart. Your word will transform my mind. Your word will guide my life. You will use your word to mold and shape my life. You will use your word to make me into the person that you have called me to be. That’s right. So, it is not a waste of time of your time to continue to look intently into my word. There is nothing that I consider to be of higher value than to meet with you in your word. That’s an interesting way that you said that. You are not merely studying my word? No, certainly not. You are meeting with me in my word. Yes, that’s right. You are meditating on my word. You are praying my word. You are letting my word dwell in you richly. Yes, I am.

You know that my Holy Spirit will take my word and apply it right to your life, right now. Yes, that’s exactly what I am counting on. I know that your word is like a sword in the Holy Spirit’s hand. He will use your word to fight in me, with me, and for me. What do you mean by that? Well, putting your word into practice will set me free. The world and all its principles, values and practices will lose their grip on me as I take hold of your word. Your word will strengthen me and make me able to stand against temptation. Just as your word fought for you against the devil and all his evil so also will it fight for me. Yes, it will. 

How has my word blessed your life? Your word has changed my thoughts, words, and deeds. Your word has changed the desires of my heart and the goals of my life. Your word has given me hope and meaning and purpose in life. How so? Now, I want to live my life fully for you. Now, I want to go and do what is pleasing to you. Now, I want to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. Now, I am looking forward to a future and far better day when I will come to live forever in heaven with you. In the meantime, I will continue to put your word into practice with all the strength that you will give to me. That is very good.

Lord, I have no desire to merely listen to your word. Every day I will look intently into your word. Show me what you want me to see and know. Help me go and do all that you are teaching me. Set me free and bless my life by your word as I put it into practice. Amen

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

Blessing – James 1-22-25 – Into Practice – 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