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Day One: What is a
Passionate Follower of Jesus?-Jesus has invited us to follow him. What
does it mean to passionately follow Jesus? Once you have said yes and
taken that first step, what's next? Read Luke 17:5-10. The first lesson
Jesus has for us is to be humble and trust in him. Read 1 Peter 5:6-7.
If we are to be a student, a disciple, a learner, we need to rid
ourselves of our own pride, preconceived ideas, and previous learnings,
and be open to letting Christ fill us again. A passionate follower of
Jesus is someone longing to learn from Jesus and is willing to humbly
walk on his journey. Have you taken that first step and said yes to
following Jesus? Increase your faith by casting all your anxieties on
God and letting God care for you in your prayer time.
Day Two: Why Be a Passionate
Follower of Jesus?-It is hard to believe that by becoming a follower, we
actually become a leader who can change the world. Luke 17:6 reminds us
that even the faith of a mustard seed can move a mulberry tree. Read
Matthew 13:31-32 and 17:20-21. The mustard seed was the smallest seed
known to the people of Jesus' time, yet, it could grow to become a huge
tree. Imagine moving a mountain-left to human abilities, it would be
impossible. Anything is possible when it is left to God. What are the
mountains in your life right now? Faith in God can move them. What areas
do you need to grow in? Faith in God can take the smallest bit of hope
and grow it into something transformational! Pray for the mountain you
need moved or the seed you need grown.
Day Three: How Can I Become
a Passionate Follower of Jesus? Prepare Your Heart-Becoming a passionate
follower of Jesus is not a one-time event, but a process that takes
years. There are steps we can take to keep us focused on our journey. If
we are to become a passionate follower of Jesus, we need to examine our
heart and prepare it for service. Read Psalm 51:10-13 and 19:14. These
two Psalms are prayers for purity and faithful service. Reread Psalm
51:10-13 and look for the action words and the ultimate goal the writer
hopes for. Our hearts are to be pure so we might help others turn away
from their sin and return to God. Luke 12:34 reminds us that "where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Where are your
treasures? What is your heart focused on? Pray for a renewed heart.
Day Four: Study the
Guide-Another part of walking daily with Jesus is being in God's word.
God is revealed to us through the scripture! 2 Timothy is a letter
written by Paul to encourage Timothy. Paul stresses the importance of
relying on scripture and of living a life of discipline. Read 2 Timothy
3:14-17. (Paul had experienced many hardships in his life, but God's
Word carried him through.) God's word can do the same for you. It has
been given to us to inspire and equip us for service. Are you spending
time being inspired and equipped for your daily life? Have you emptied
yourself of earthly learnings and filled yourself with God's teachings?
Read Psalm 1:1-3 and imagine your life focused on God's word in your
prayers today.
Day Five: Be in
Relationship-Being a passionate follower of Jesus means being in
relationship with him, being in relationship with others who also follow
him, and initiating relationships with others who need to hear about
Jesus. Prayer and scripture reading with other followers will only
strengthen those individual relationships. Read Matthew 18:20 and Acts
2:42-47. When we gather with other believers, we are changed. Our
behaviors are challenged, the needs of the community become known, and
God's love is shown in tangible ways. Take a look at your relationships.
Is Christ at the center? Commit to talking with another person about
your faith. Pray that God might open his/her heart and give you the
words to say.
Day Six: Putting Your Faith
into Action-If our faith is going to move mountains, it needs to be put
into action. Early in his ministry, Jesus told the people what his life
was to be about. Read Luke 4:16-21. Jesus' ministry included praying
with others and teaching them about God's kingdom, but Jesus' ministry
also included healing the blind and freeing the oppressed. As passionate
followers of Jesus, we have been given gifts and talents to use for
God's purposes. There are many needs in our world, but there are so many
people with so many gifts. If we could connect those two, the world
would be transformed. Read Matthew 5:14-16 and pray that God might give
you opportunities to let your light shine!
Day Seven: Giving of Your
Resources-In addition to gifts and talents, God has given each of us
resources to share. Passionate followers of Jesus know the resources
they have first came from God and are gifts to be multipled! Read 2
Corinthians 9:11-15. In giving, we once again return to where we
started-keeping our heart focused on God. When we remember all we have
is God's, we remember God is the creator of the universe and calls us to
passionately follow Jesus. In giving, we are blessed to experience a
taste of what it is for God to share these gifts with us in the first
place. How is your giving life? How is God calling you to share your
resources? Make a list of all the blessings God has given you and pray
for ways to share those resources!
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Day One: Real World
Disciples Don't Take God for Granted-Living in the real world where
faith and life intersect is filled with joys and challenges. This life
is also filled with the presence of a faithful Lord. Read Psalm 46:1-3.
It might be easy to take this faithfulness for granted or to see God's
presence as something that we have earned or somehow deserve. Read Luke
17:11-19. With whom do you relate? How do you think the ten lepers felt
after they encountered Jesus? Why did only one return? Do you suppose
that the other nine actually were doing what Jesus commanded them to do?
Did they take God's goodness for granted? Spend some time praying for an
open and grateful spirit.
Day Two: Lord Have
Mercy-The ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19 were people in need. Cut off from
family and community, they found their misery was doubled in the
presence of one another. Have you ever felt cut-off and lonely because
of an illness? It is in these times of loneliness that we can turn to
our God and cry out Lord, have mercy! Read Psalm 123:3-4. Have you ever
felt like praying these words? Have you ever felt you've needed some
reassurance concerning God's love and mercy for you? Read 1 Peter 2:9-10
and commit these words to memory today. When you sense a need for God
mercy in your life, remind yourself that you are God's treasure.
Day Three: No Where to Go
Except Jesus-Imagine being alone, no people, no phones, no magazines or
newspapers, no internet. Alone. Is that a frightening thought for you?
Are you uncomfortable being alone? When you are alone, do you ever think
of praying? EVen in the moments that we feel most alone, the Lord is
with us. That is the promise of scripture, that God is always with us.
The lepers had no one to turn to except Jesus. If you had no one but
Jesus, what would you say to him today? Read Psalm 69:16-18. Make this
your prayer as you focus on Jesus for the day ahead.
Day Four: Mercy
Revealed-God moves in mysterious ways. Sometimes God uses strange events
and people in order to show us mercy. Think of some of your closest
encounters with friends and family in the last days. Was God in those
interactions? As you think back, are you able to see God's fingerprint
in the events and people around you? Read Psalm 111. Which verses stand
out for you? Where do you sense God speaking to you? In your prayers,
ask God to use you to touch someone you know. Ask God to use you in a
significant way to bring mercy to someone in your life who is in need.
Day Five: Turning to
Jesus-Turning and returning: Important words in the vocabulary of the
Christian disciple. Turning our hearts toward Christ can be a daily
event. It is in the returning each day we discover the heart of an
amazing God who returns to us over and over again. What does it mean to
you to turn to Jesus today? How are you impacted when you discover that
God has turned himself toward you in Jesus? Read Ecclesiastes 7:23-25.
How does the wisdom of Christ help you to understand your turning toward
God and God's turning toward you?Take some time in your prayers to be
silent in the presence of God and see what God might be saying to you.
Day Six: Re-turning to
Jesus-Are you a thankful person? Do you remember to thank those who
serve you in some way? Read the passage from Luke 17:11-19 and pay close
attention to verse 15. Our first response is usually to comment about
this one man's superior act of gratitude-after all, ten were healed and
only one returned to say thanks. Could it be, as we pondered in the
first of this weeks' devotions, that the other nine really just were
doing what Jesus had commanded? What are you thankful for? Make this
your prayer as you spend some time in the quiet of God's Spirit.
Day Seven: Get Up and Go On
Your Way-What is God's purpose and plan for you today? We must be a
people of prayer in order to know what God has for us. In your daily
prayer time, who talks more, you or God? In the story of the healing of
the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19, we discover at the end, the one person
who did return to say thank you to Jesus was told to get up and go on
his way. What did he do? Where did he go? To whom did he tell of the
great miracle? Where and to whom is God sending you today? What is your
mission? Spend some time in your prayers simply listening. Read through
the scripture passage onceor twice and see what message God is giving
you. When you are finished, get up and go on your way.
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Day One: Real World
Disciples...Don't Ever Give Up-One of the most compelling
characteristics of faithful Christians is a tenacious spirit. It is the
sense that Jesus shared with his followers in Luke 18 when he encouraged
them to "pray always and not lose heart." Read Luke 18:1-8.
What relationship do you see between prayer and hope? How would you
characterize your faith life; hopeful, steadfast, shaky? Why do you
think Jesus told the disciples this parable? Think about where you need
to be steadfast in your faith life and pray for the strength to remain
hopeful.
Day Two: The Heart as a
Place of Hope and Decision-What influences the decisions you make from
day to day, your head or your heart? It has been said when Christ moves
into our lives it is like having heart surgery. It seems that the heart
is the place where the Holy Spirit creates hope so decisions can be
made. Read Psalm 20:1-5. How do these words connect with you? Take some
time and think about the decisions you have made in recent days. How has
the Holy Spirit been involved in those decision-making processes? Pray
about any upcoming decisions and ask God to give you wisdom and
guidance.
Day Three: Opportunity in
Oppression-We all experience disappointment and there comes a point when
those disappointments can pile up and overwhelm us. Disciples who never
give up understand that opportunity can come, even out of oppression.
Read Romans 5:1-5. How do the words in verses 3-5 strike you today? Pray
about the issues that weigh you down. In your prayers, ask God to give
you endurance, character and hope.
Day Four: The Temptation of
Self-Pity-Self-pity can be a dangerous behavior. A little might even
feel good for a while, but too much of it can turn against us. In the
story from Luke 18, the widow refused to succumb to self-pity and found
a way to meet her needs. Read the story again from verses 1-8. When are
you most prone to self-pity? How do you handle the temptation to let it
over-take you? Pray for your closest friends who may be struggling with
the urge to give in to self-pity. Ask God to strengthen your spirit.
Day Five: The Danger of
Stopping too Soon-The widow in the passage from Luke 18 kept returning
to the judge in order to have her case heard. He finally relented. In a
way, it was as if the widow was praying. She was faithful and tenacious
to do so. What would have happened if she had given up? She might not
have reached the outcome she desired. Do you give up too soon? Do you
ever wish you had hung in there just a little longer? In our prayer
lives, we're called to pray constantly. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 and
pray for spiritual strength to wait on God's timing in your life.
Day Six: Challenges and
Endurance-What makes a Christian strong? How does one grow in faith
enough to trust God in all things? In the midst of living out our
Christian callings each day we live between challenge and endurance. The
world will always serve up challenge.The Holy Spirit is the one who
supplies endurance. Read Luke 8:4-15. How does the parable of the sower
and the explanation assist your calling to endure for the sake of
Christ? How will you sink your seeds more deeply in the soil of the
gospel this week? Spend some time in quiet prayer and ask God to give
you endurance.
Day Seven: Challenges and
Prayer-Prayer continues to be at the heart and soul of the growing
disciple. How do you understand prayer? Are you able to be quiet and
listen for God? Do you wonder where your thoughts and phrases go when
you do pray? When you feel challenged in your life, are you more apt to
pray to God or deal with the issues yourself? Read Philippians 4:4-9 and
as you read, pray through the words and ask God to equip you to be a
person of prayer in the midst of challenge.
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Day One: Building Your
Dream Home from the Ground Up-One doesn't have to go far in order to see
building projects in various stages of completion. A bare lot here, a
foundation there, walls and roofs taking shape all around us. All of
this building represents someone's dream, someone's plan for the future.
In Matthew 7, Jesus has some words for those who would build their
spiritual houses. Read verses 24-26 and ask yourself what kind of
spiritual home you are building. Why did Jesus say that those who hear
as well as act on his words will be wise? Consider today giving the
building plans for God's work in you back to God. Pray for the ability
to let God be the master architect in your life.
Day Two: Stewards of the
Big Dream-A steward is a person who has responsibility over something or
someone. A steward is a care-giver, a helper, a manager. God has made us
stewards, or those responsible for what God wants to do in and through
us. In fact, God has set us in charge of the "Big Dream" or
caring for the unfolding kingdom of God. Are you equipped and up to the
challenge? God will do that work in you. Read 1 Peter 5:1-4. Who is in
your care right now? In what ways has God called you to be a steward?
Pray for the wisdom and insight to give the care that God has called you
to give.
Day Three: How Big Are Your
Dreams-What is God's purpose your life? If that question is too big,
then how about God's purpose for you today? When we think about what God
wants to do in and through us, we tend to think smaller rather than
bigger. God wants to do great things in our lives today. Are you ready
for that? Consider this: What would God want to do in you today that was
so big and so critical that only God could make it happen? Would you be
willing to pray for that? Read Joel 2:28-29 and expect God to bring to
fruition the dreams the Holy Spirit has placed within you.
Day Four: Is Bigger
Better?-Our culture seems committed to an understanding that more is
better, that bigger is even better. Jesus, on the other hand, seemed to
convey to his followers that less is more, that bigger just might be
confusing. Read Matthew 6:19-21. What treasures of yours strengthen your
spiritual life? What might be in the way of a deeper relationship with
God . Pray for a renewed vision about how you build your spiritual dream
home.
Day Five: Firm
Foundations-The man who built his home on the sand watched it all wash
away with the first storm that came along. We all tend to do that from
time to time. Think about on which you are building your spiritual
house. How can prayer, worship, reading scripture, serving others, and
building spiritual relationships firm up your foundation? Read Matthew
7:24-26 and pray for your co-workers, friends, and family members who
desire stronger foundations in Jesus Christ.
Day Six: True and False
Assumptions-In the building of our spiritual dream home, it might be
easy to assume that what we build and how we build it is up to us. I'll
build it myself, it's mine, I'll do it my way are all attitudes that
could wind up compromising the integrity of our spiritual structure.
Read Psalm 127:1 and commit this verse to memory. In your prayer time,
ask God to specifically root out the false assumptions you might have
about who is really guiding your life. This may involve a time of
confession. Know that God is faithful and just and will forgive us when
we bring our shortcomings to God.
Day Seven: There is No Rock
Like Our God-The old hymn, Rock of Ages, reminds us that in Jesus Christ
there is a place of refuge and hiding for us. In the new worship song,
Rock of Ages, we are reminded that God is the rock of salvation that
cannot be moved; that God has proven to be faithful and true. Whether an
old hymn or a new praise song, the message is the same. When the storms
blow against us and we are threatened , God is our help in times of
trouble. Read Psalm 46:1-7. Bring your Bible with you, and whenever you
sense a need to be lifted up, read or pray the words.
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Day One: A Solid
Framework-As we focus on building our faith lives from the ground up, we
move from last week's focus, our relationship with God, to our
relationship with others. Read Matthew 22:34-40. The second command is
that we love our neighbors as ourselves. To love others is an active
love that gets something done. We must move beyond the notion of simply
claiming Jesus Christ as our Lord and look at the ways that our Lordship
to Christ changes our relationships with those around us. How has your
Lordship to Christ changed the way that you love those around you? Is
your love of others simply a feeling or do your actions portray love?
Day Two: The Best Materials-
Read Isaiah 58:6-8. A lot of research goes into beginning a project. In
building a home you must start with location, move onto a floor plan,
choices must be made about room sizes, wood types, and color schemes. In
our homes, we want to find and use the best materials possible. In
building a framework of love, we must see that the Bible calls us to
make love an action. What action words do you find in the Isaiah text?
How can you take the best materials in this text and put them into
practice? What benefits are promised to you as a result of your
obedience to this set of verses?
Day Three: Choose Your
Outlook- Read Matthew 5:43-47. When you are legitimately wronged, how do
you respond? The first reaction most of us take is to protect ourselves
and become defensive. When we are hurt, we want to make sure that we
somehow gain the upper hand by being right or choosing sides. To build a
new kind of framework that is based on love, our philosophy needs to
change. Jesus asks us to love the unlovable. We are called to love
beyond the point of comfort. Do you love those who are difficult to
love? Do you pray for your enemies? We will not feel like responding to
love in this way-we must choose our outlook. What choice do you need to
make today?
Day Four: Choose Your
Position- Read Matthew 25:31-46. Have these verses ever come to life for
you? Last summer, my husband and I were having dinner out on our deck.
We noticed a woman moving through our neighborhood knocking on doors. I
wanted to finish dinner and get inside before she saw us enjoying our
meal together. She approached us before we finished, and to my
amazement, I heard my husband's voice inviting her into our house for
the last of our grilled chicken. I had to choose my position-would I
follow my husband's lead and love this woman or turn my heart away from
her? The verses for today ran through my mind and I chose to love this
woman as if she were Christ. She stayed in our home for an hour, and
while my husband went outside to pray, I had to privilege of sharing
Christ's love with her. What a joy! Choose the position to love a
stranger.
Day Five: Caring versus
Competing- Read Matthew 23:1-8. Can you identify with the Pharisees in
this passage? Competition is part of our nature and it doesn't disappear
in the realm of the religious. We often get caught up in making sure
that we look good even at the expense of others. What would it look like
to love those around us rather than compete for position? What kind of
position do you have at work, in your family, at church? Are you
competing with those around you? Do you use competition as an excuse to
keep yourself from the vulnerability of caring for the people in your
midst? Ask God to reveal any areas of unhealthy competition in your life
and to replace those areas with love and care.
Day Six: Let Love Keep
Score- Read Matthew 18:21-22. As we strive to build a healthy structure
in our relationships, it is tempting to keep score as to how well it is
that we are doing. When we keep track of the offenses of others, we are
not choosing the best materials on which to build. Jesus' words are
clear: we must offer forgiveness to an extent that we cannot even keep
track. We must let love keep score-not our self-righteousness. Are you
withholding love or forgiveness toward someone because you feel they do
not deserve it? Go back to Jesus' words in Matthew 18 and ask God to
show what it means for your life, to let love keep score.
Day Seven: Our Relational
World- Our giving response in our relationships constructs a solid
framework for the "house" of this life. God has called us to
be relational people. We have opportunities to live out that calling in
our families, communities, and the world. Read Matthew 22:34-40. As
Christians, we are called to love others in a unique way: as ourselves.
Think about the radical kind of impact a love characterized by the Bible
would have on your life and on the world. Spend time praying that God
would build a solid framework of love in your life that would make an
impact on our world.
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Day One: Building From the
Ground Up: A Sheltering Roof-It cannot be overstated that the foundation
of a home is the most important element. If the foundation is not true,
the rest of the house will reflect that. In the same way, a sound roof
is essential for protecting all that is contained underneath. In our
spiritual lives, the foundation is Jesus Christ. The roof, one might
say, is the Holy Spirit: the one who covers and protects us. Read Psalm
68:4-6 and Psalm 140:6-8. Pay attention to the themes of covering and
protecting. Are you at a place in your life where you can trust God to
cover you with protection? Are you building a faith life from the ground
up? Pray for an open mind and heart to receive what God has for you this
week.
Day Two: Remembering A
Faithful God-Take a minute and think about those people who have been
most faithful to you. What characteristics of those people do you
treasure the most? Have you ever had a friend who simply overwhelmed you
with generosity and faithfulness? These people give us a glimpse into
the heart of God. God is faithful. Faithfulness is God's character. Read
Psalm 46:1-3. These words were written by someone who knew firsthand of
God's faithfulness. Read also Deuteronomy 8:14-18. This reminds us of
our generous God. Read Luke 12:22-31 to discover a God who continually
provided . Choose to show faithfulness to those around you. Pray for a
faithful heart in all of your relationships.
Day Three: All That We Have
Is Thine Alone-The words to the old hymn go like this: "We give
Thee but Thine own, Whate'er the gift may be. All that we have is Thine
alone, a trust, O Lord, from Thee." Think about what you've eaten
today, the clothing you've put on, the vehicle you've driven, the breath
you've breathed. Where do these things come from-ultimately? All of
these things are from the Lord. Absolutely everything we have is given
to us from a God who loves to provide. Read Deuteronomy 8:17-18. Commit
these words to memory and remind yourself that what you have is really
"on loan" from God. Make a quick list of everything you can
think of that God has given you today and pray a prayer of thanks for
your many blessings.
Day Four: Don't
Worry.Consider the Lilies, Luke 12:22-31-Are you a worrier? One could
argue that there is a great deal to worry about in our world today:
safety, terrorism, financial security, etc. Sometimes worries can
represent legitimate concerns. At other times worries can undo us. God
invites us to consider another mindset. Read Luke 12:22-31. These verses
invite us to consider God's extravagant love and care. Are you not of
more worth than the ravens, the lilies, the grain in the field? Spend
some time in prayer giving your worries and concerns to God. Trust the
Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Day Five: Needs Versus
Wants-Human history is a chronicle of need and accomplishment. The need
to communicate created language. The need to learn created writing and
paper and computers. The need for adventure led to discovery. The need
for security led to ethnic and national identity. The need for health
led to medical discoveries. The need for meaning in life led to
spiritual growth. Think about your needs and wants. What is the
difference between those two things for you? Read Genesis 22:13-14. Be
aware of all of the ways that God provides for you. Pray about your
needs. Ask God to teach you about your wants and the difference between
wants and needs.
Day Six: Out-giving God is
Impossible-Here's a challenge: Read Malachi 3:10 as if the Lord was
saying these words to you specifically. What do these words means to
you? What's the encouragement? God is inviting us to put God to the
test. God says "Trust me!" Trust me by giving me a tenth of
what you have, and see if I won't open the flood gates of blessing to
you. How do you give to God? Do you see what you have as yours alone, or
do you see God caring for you as you give back to God? Read 2
Corinthians 9:6-15. These verses encourage Christians to engage God in a
mission of giving. Pray for a giving heart. Ask God to give you a sense
of mission for giving today.
Day Seven: Under the Strong
Roof of God's Abundance-What is the hardest part of trusting God in your
life? It is often easier to talk about trusting God than to do it. Read
Psalm 37:3-4. What is God's invitation to you? How do these verses find
root in you right now? Since God is inviting you to "sow
bountifully," how do you interpret that? Are you willing to follow
the Lord who wants to cover you with blessing? In your prayers today,
offer thanks for the things you have. Ask God to show you how to live in
trust under the roof of God's abundance. |
