Tag Archives: I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others

A Crown That Will Last Forever

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Promises - Day 324 - 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 - A Crown That Will Last Forever - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Promises – Day 324 – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 – A Crown That Will Last Forever- Growing As Disciples

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NIV)

Run

Run in such a way that you will get the prize. What does that mean to you? A great runner trains with great discipline. Their entire life is focused on their training. A great runner continually pushes themself to their limit in each workout. After their workout they make sure that they eat a healthy diet and get plenty of rest so that their body can recover and be ready for their next workout. This process repeats itself daily throughout their running career. It’s a never-ending cycle of workout, rest and recover. Day by day the great runner improves little by little until they are ready to run their race to win. They have a confidence about their ability to run well because they have paid the price by training hard. That’s right.

Are you in training? Yes, I am. You’re not training to run are you? No, I am not, at least not like a runner in a race. I do want to run well. But my race is not the physical race of running. I am not running to win a temporary prize like a trophy or an Olympic gold medal. My race is to run well for you. I am training to be all that you want me to be. I’m not primarily training my body, although my body is not exempt from training. I am primarily training my heart and mind and soul to be obedient to you. My body is a secondary part of my training so that it does not hinder my running well for you. My body must obey my heart and mind and soul. That’s right.

Are you all alone in your training? Do you have a coach to help you with your training? I am not all alone in my training. I do have a coach to help train me. I would never be able to train myself. I would be completely without hope if my training depended on myself. You are my coach. You are my trainer. Yes, I am. My main job is to submit myself to your training. How do you do that? I submit myself to your training as I meet with you every day in your word. Your word is my training manual. You guide my training by your word. You train me as you apply your word to my life. Yes, I do. I use my word to mold and shape you into the person I want you to be.

How will you know if you are running well?  There is only one way that I can run well. There is only one way to gauge if I am running well. How is that? To run well I must keep my eyes on you. I must follow you to where you lead me to do what you ask of me. I will know if I am running well if I keep my eyes on you and do what you ask of me. If I were to take my eyes off you I would certainly run off course and have no idea where you wanted to lead me or what you wanted to do through me. So, you will keep your eyes on me? Yes, I will. You will keep meeting with me day by day so that I can train you? Yes, I will. Then you will be training hard, running well, and finishing strong. That is exactly what I will do. That will be very good.

Lord, help to train hard like a great athlete. Help me to run well and in such a way as to get the prize. Help me to keep my eyes on you so I do not run aimlessly without direction. Help me to finish strong and not be disqualified for the prize. Amen

Key Question…  How are you training hard, like a great athlete, as you follow Jesus Christ?

Living It Out…  Train hard, run well, and finish strong as a follower of Jesus Christ.

Seeing It Happen…  Have faith that Jesus Christ will help you to train hard, run well, and finish strong as His follower.

Get Ready To Share…  Share with another person or your small group how you are training hard and running well as a follower of Jesus Christ.

Prayer To Bless Others…  May you train hard, run well, and finish strong as a follower of Jesus Christ.

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

Promises – Day 324 – 1 Corinthians 9-24-27 – A Crown That Will Last Forever – 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

Strict Training

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Promises - Day 22 - 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 - Strict Training - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Promises – Day 22 – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 – Strict Training – Growing As Disciples

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.  No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NIV)

Run Well 

I certainly want to be able to do that. You certainly want to be able to do what? I want to be able to run well. I don’t want anything to hinder me from running well. I don’t want to allow anything to knock me off course.  I want to be able to complete the course you have set before me. I want to end well and finish strong the race you have given me to run. It sounds like you have thought quite a bit about running well. Yes, running well is not a new subject to me. I have thought about running well most of my life. That’s good.

What must you do if you want to run well? What must you do if you want to stay on course and finish the race, I have given you to run? I must enter into strict training if I want to run well and finish the race you have set before me. I must also eliminate and avoid any obstacles, hindrances or barriers that will prevent me from running well and finishing strong. What will go into your strict training? You tell me, you are the coach. Good answer. I will allow you to teach and train me. I will go wherever you guide me. I will do whatever you ask of me. So, you will need to listen attentively to me? Yes, that’s right. How will you come to listen to me? I will listen to you in prayer. I will listen to you in your word. I will listen to you in worship. Do each one of these sound like an element of your training? Yes, they all do without a doubt. Can you think of any more ways you will listen to me? Can you think of any more elements of your training? I will listen to you in service. What do you mean by that? I will serve you whenever, wherever and however you ask me. I will use all the gifts and talents and abilities you have given me to serve you. Serving you and others will definitely be part of my training. Yes, it will. How else will you listen to me? Can you think of one more element of your training? I will listen to you in fellowship. Say more about that. I will meet with you, together with other believers, as we come together to worship you. You made me to live in relationship with you and your body of believers. Yes, that’s right. I will receive a great deal of training as I live in fellowship with you and others. Yes, you will.  As you meet with me in prayer, my word, prayer, worship, service and fellowship you will be trained and prepared to run well and finish the course I have set before you. Focus your heart and mind and life on me and you will be able to avoid any obstacles, hindrances or barriers that would prevent you from running well and finishing strong. That I will do. That will be very good. Thank you, Lord. 

Lord, I want to run well as your follower. I don’t anything to hinder me on the course you have set before me. I will eliminate anything hindering me from running well. I will avoid anything that might knock me off course. I will enter into strict training with you. Amen

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

Promises – Day 22 – 1 Corinthians 9-24-27 – Strict Training – 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