Following My Example

The Virtuous Life - Day 219 - Philippians 3-17-21 - Follow My Example - Growing As Disciples

The Virtuous Life – Day 219 – Philippians 3-17-21 – Follow My Example – Growing As Disciples

Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.  For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.  Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.  But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Philippians 3:17-21 (NIV)

Examples To Follow

You have given me many examples to follow. What kind of examples have I given you to follow? You have given me many examples to follow of what it means and looks like to love and follow and serve you with all that is within me. You have allowed me to see others who have loved and followed and serve you with all their heart and mind and soul and strength. What did you observe? What did you come to understand? How did their examples show you the way? What stood out to you? I will tell you one thing. What’s that? I took lots of mental notes. That’s good, what did you note? I noted that those who lived passionately and powerfully as your followers were fully devoted to you. There were not half-hearted. They were not partially engaged. You were the full focus of their attention. They kept their heart and mind and life fixed on you. The world and all that it offers did not attract them. They were not allured by the treasures of this life. They knew that this life is temporary. They knew that this life is like a mirage. It is like a mist that will quickly fades away. It is like a snap of the fingers or a blink of an eye. They knew without a doubt that their true citizenship is in heaven with you. As they loved and followed and served you with all that was within them, they lived with the encouraging knowledge that one day you would make their lowly, and soon to be worn out bodies, to be like your glorious body. So, they lived for you. They lived to know and do your will. They lived to bear fruit for your kingdom. They lived to bring glory to your name. Is this the life you want to live? Will you follow the examples that I have set before you? This is the life I want to live. I want to live to know and do your will. My heart and mind and life will be focused on you. I will go and do whatever you ask of me. That will be very good. 

Lord, thank you for giving me many godly examples to follow. Others before me have shown me what it looks like to love, follow, and serve you with all my heart. I will follow their powerful examples. Help me to also live as a godly example for others to follow. Amen

Key Question…  How has the Lord given you examples of how to love and follow and serve Him?

Living It Out…  Follow the examples of loving, following, and serving the Lord that you have been given.

Seeing It Happen…  Have faith that the Lord will help you to follow the examples of loving, following, and serving Him you have been given.

Get Ready To Share…  Share with another person or your small group how your life is serving as a godly example that others can follow.

Prayer To Bless Others…  May you follow the example of loving, following, and serving Christ that you have been given.

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

The Virtuous Life – Day 219 – Philippians 3-17-21 – Following My Example – 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

Their God Is Their Stomach

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide- The Mind - Philippians 3:18-19 - Their God Is There Stomach - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – The Mind – Philippians 3:18-19 – Their God Is There Stomach – Growing As Disciples

For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. Philippians 3:18-19 (NIV)

Appetites

Your appetite will drive you. I’m not sure what you mean by that. If you hunger for all that the world has to offer that is what you will pursue. You will chase after money. You will be in a race to acquire things. You will live for all the comfort and pleasure that this world has to offer you. Your perspective will be colored only by what you can see in the here and now. Your mind will be set on earthly things. The world will become your idol. Your God will be your own stomach. Your end will lead to destruction. That is what I meant when I said that your appetite would drive you. I get it. You get what? I do not hunger for all that the world offers. I have no appetite for the comfort and pleasures of this world. My mind is not set on the things of this world. I’m not chasing after money. I’m not in a race to acquire things. The world is not my idol, nor is my stomach my god. I have a completely different hunger and thirst. I have a totally different perspective. I am pursuing what this world could never offer me. I want what the world could never give me. Tell me about that.

I want to know you. I hunger and thirst for you. I want to live in a close and intimate relationship with you. I want to know your will. I want to walk in your ways. I want to do what pleases you. You are the pursuit of my life. I want to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. My eyes are not on the things of this world. My eyes are on you. I will follow you to where you lead me. I will do all that you ask of me. My end will not be destruction. No, it will not. I long for the day that I will one day come to live forever in heaven with you. On that day I want to be able to hear you say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” That is why I am now living my life fully and completely with and for you. That is why the word and all that it offers does not feed my hunger or satisfy my thirst. Only you can feed my hunger and satisfy my thirst. That is why you are my pursuit. That is why I am following you. That is very good.

Lord, I no longer have an appetite for the things of the world. Thank you for giving me a hunger and thirst for you and the life you have called me to live. Thank you that it is my destiny to one day live forever in heaven with you. Amen

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

The Mind – Philippians 3-18-19 Their God Is Their Stomach – 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