Tag Archives: he said to them

What You Hear

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Becoming Like Christ - Day 183 - Mark 4:21-25 - What You Hear - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 183 – Mark 4:21-25 – What You 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)

Pay Attention

Are you paying attention? Am I paying attention to what? Are you paying attention to me? Are you listening to my voice? Can you hear my gentle whisper? Are you quieting yourself before me? Are you withdrawing from the noise and busyness of the world so that you will be able to hear from me? Those are very good questions. How can I answer them? It is the desire of my heart to listen to your voice. I want to be able to hear your gentle whispers. I want nothing more than to hear from you. Sometimes, maybe more often than not, I think that I am hard of hearing. I am quite sure that I have not heard what you have wanted to say to me. That’s not good. No, it is not.

What would you like to do differently? What kind of effort are you willing to make so that you will be able to hear from me? I will establish a regular time and place to meet with you. I will withdraw from the noise and busyness of the world. I will quiet myself before you. I will meet with you in your word. I will meet with you in prayer. I will meet with you in worship. I will draw near to you. I know that you will draw near to me. I will submit my heart and mind and life to you. I will ask you to guard and guide my thoughts. I will ask you to show me what I do not know. I will allow you to speak into my life. That will be very good.

Is there anything else you would like to do differently? Yes, without a doubt. What’s that? I have been uncritically allowing my ears to hear what is neither healthy nor helpful to me. I have allowed my heart and mind and life to become polluted by the thoughts and opinions and values of the world. That is not good. No, it is not. So, I will ask you to help me to place a guard over my ears to protect me from what I should not allow into my heart and mind and life. That will be very good.

What will you do when you have heard from me? First of all, I will assume that you are not simply conveying information to me. That may be possible. But it is much more likely that you are wanting me to take some course of action. So, I will take action. I will put into practice whatever you have shown me. I will not sit around. I will go and do what you ask me. That will be very good. Speak to me Lord, I am listening. Yes, I will, you can count it. Thank you, Lord. 

Lord, I will pay careful attention to what you say to me. I welcome you to speak into my life. Guard and guide my life by your words. Mold and shape my life by your words. Make me fruitful for you by your words. I will put into practice whatever I hear from you. Amen

Key Question… How are you distancing yourself from what is not healthy or helpful for you to hear?

Living It Out… Pay careful attention to what you hear from the Lord so you will be able to put it into practice.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will help you to pay attention and put into practice what you hear from Him.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you are putting into practice what you are hearing from the Lord.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you pay attention to what you hear from the Lord.

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

Day 183 – Becoming Like Christ – Mark 4-21-25 – What You Hear – 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 Anyone Wants To Be First

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - If - Mark 9:33-37 - If Anyone Wants To Be First- Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – If – Mark 9:33-37 – If Anyone Wants To Be First- Growing As Disciples

They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”  Mark 9:33-37 (NIV)

Servant Of All 

Do you want me to do great things in and through your life? I’m glad that you did ask me if I wanted to be great. Why is that? The desire to be great seems so prideful, selfish and sinful. Say more. I don’t want greatness for myself to be a driver in my life. In answer to your question, I do want you to do great things in and through my life. I don’t want to be a failure that’s for sure. I don’t care if I ever receive recognition from others for what I have done. It won’t bother me one bit if my efforts go unnoticed. I doubt that. Let me clarify. I do want you to notice my efforts. Why is that? I want to do what pleases you. I want my life to be well used for your kingdom. I do want to bring glory to your name. I do want you to be noticed. I want others to be drawn to you through the work that you have given me to do for you. So you are right. I don’t want my efforts to go unnoticed. I won’t mind if I go unnoticed. I can believe that. We both know why that is true. Yes, we do. Tell me what you know. Whatever I do for you, no matter how small, will be noticed by you. Yes, that is right. That is why I will never need to give receiving credit, for something I have done, a second of thought. That is also right. 

So, what attitude will carry through life as you follow me? I will be your servant. You will be my role model. I want to become like you. I want to give like you gave. I want to serve like you served. I want to live like you lived. I will go out of my way to serve others. I will look out for the interests of others. I will think about what others need. I will have a willing heart and open hand to meet the needs of those around me. I will allow you to use me however you desire. That will be very good.

Lord, I do want you to do great things in and through my life. Not for my own praise, honor and glory. I want to be used by you. Help me to use all you have given me to serve others. I want to become, a servant of all, for you. Amen

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

If – Mark 9-33-37 – If Anyone Wants To Be First – 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 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.

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

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