Choose Today, Saturday, January 1, 2011

Reading: Joshua 24:15, 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

Happy New Year! Men, this is the day! New Year’s resolutions or not… you have the opportunity to choose to serve the Lord today.

Unless your heart is far from the Lord, all of us would jump up and say that we would choose to serve the Lord. Let me ask you a series of questions, though, before you offer your final answer.

What attribute about serving the Lord is desirable to you?


How often are you seeking the Lord for areas in which He wants you to serve or are they areas in which you want to serve Him?


If the area of service is not going to get noticed at all, does it seem just as desirable to you... no comment, no compliment, no recognition, not even a glance?


In what areas of serving the Lord are desirable to you? (be specific about what you are wanting to be involved in for His service)



Challenge: Men, let’s choose today to serve the Lord, not choose to do God a favor and help Him out where we want to help Him, but, truly serve Him. The areas that God is leading you to serve Him, begin that process.

REVIEW

What areas of service did God lay on your heart today to serve Him?


What would be the next step to pursuing these areas of service?

Say What You Mean, Friday, December 31, 2010

Reading: Matthew 5:33-37, 33"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Many people look at Jesus and use His enduring, compassionate love to water down the “Thou Shalt” mentality of following the rules. Yet, Jesus definitely did not waste any time upsetting the apple cart. In fact, in His first major sermon, on the mount, He took the “law” that Israel was following and took it point by point a step further. In this part of His sermon, Jesus reminds them that they are not to break an oath to the Lord but, then, draws the implications in even tighter by declaring that, your word should be your bond.

I’m reminded of the movie “Liar, Liar” in which, even in this secular movie, the dad of a young boy is portrayed as a liar because he can’t keep his word. After breaking his word many times, he found himself having to say, “No, really… I promise” or “I swear… really… I’m really going to do it this time.”

Jesus said, “let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes” and your ‘No’, ‘No’”. Another words, if you say you’re going to do something or you say something is true, it had better be so. He even went to the extent of saying, “anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” Pretty strong words! You should not have to say things like, “Honest, I swear!”, “I promise on a stack of Bibles”, “No… I really mean it this time”. When you say something, there should be truth and action behind it. One of the most consistent “Christian” failures in this area is, “Oh, I’ll be praying for you”, and we don’t. Others are, “I’ll call you”, “I’ll be here”. Our word, especially as men, needs to mean something.

What are some areas that you find yourself saying things and not keeping your word?

How can you make that right today and take the first steps of breaking a potential habit?

REVIEW

How were you able to value your word today and “let your word be your bond”?

How did this impact your view of what you say?


Remember, if you don’t value your word, don’t expect others to.

Personal Bible Study, Thursday, December 30, 2010

Reading:Hebrews 12:1-3, 1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Illustration (how can you practically apply this Scripture to yourself?):

Questions for applying this principle to your life:

Answers for applying this principle to your life:

REVIEW

How did you do in applying God’s Word today?

Make the Most of It! Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Reading:Ephesians 5:15-8, 15Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,”

I remember getting the call from our senior pastor to come meet him in his office. As a senior in high school with my parents gone to take my sister back to college, my mind began to race as to what it could possibly be. When he sat me down in his office, he told me that my grandpa had passed away, the same night that my parents happened to spend the night. As soon as the words tumbled out of his mouth, it felt like someone punched me in the stomach. It couldn’t be my grandpa that passed away… he was still pretty young for a grandpa. I thought I’d have him around for a lot longer to talk to and spend time with. I never really focused on that. I was always too busy playing in their woods or watching TV to actually sit down and listen to the “grown-ups” talk. They were always talking about people I didn’t know or memories I really wasn’t a part of. It was the first time, though, that the essence of time and its fleeting nature really struck me. The next thing I know, my parents became grandparents and friends around me started becoming gray. The time that I once wished away is the same time that I wish I could throw into slow motion or pause for a little while to be able to enjoy the time that I have. Since that isn’t possible, all we can do is “make the most of our time”. What is the wise way to walk through your day today? I see so many families rushing to this sporting event, to this recital, to this fundraiser… are you making the most of your time as a spirit filled, righteous man of valor walking through life wisely with eternity in mind?

If you lived every moment, today, by making the most of it with eternity in mind, what would that look like? (whatever that is, do that today)

REVIEW

How were you able to make the most of your time today?

How did that impact your day and your perception of your time?

Weed Killer, Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Reading:Proverbs 24:30-32, “I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:”

Weeds are simply amazing or, more appropriately termed, irritating. They grow almost anywhere at an alarming rate. Take dandelions for instance. When you are attempting to keep a nice, green, healthy lawn, dandelions seem to be inevitable. One thing that I have found, it is imperative to kill the dandelions before it matures, or you are simply spreading the seeds for the weed to multiply. No matter how much you spray weed killer on them, it will continue to multiply if you wait until its matured. Sin is the exact same way. We must kill it in our lives when it’s small, before it has a chance to mature and spread it’s seeds. If not, it will spread and multiply and it will be much more difficult to get rid of. Another key matter in dealing with weeds, you MUST get the roots pulled out. It may be easy to pull the plant off for appearances but, unless you pull the roots with it, it is still there and WILL come back. Although we may not be “sluggards” in our physical life and work, we can tend to become lazy in our spiritual life in maintaining our “property”.

What weeds of sin are starting to grow in your life?

What weeds of sin may have matured and are endangering you of spreading more seeds of sin?

What are the roots to these weeds in your life?

How do you intend to kill those weeds today and pull them out by there roots?

REVIEW

Did you kill the weeds of sin in your life today by the root?

How did you do that and what impact did it make?

I Will Answer, Monday, December 27, 2010

Reading:Jeremiah 33:3, Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and mighty things that you do not know.

We have come a long ways in communication. To think that just over one hundred years ago, we were delivering messages via horseback, which could take weeks deliver. Then telegraphs came. Not too far behind that, telephones but, not everyone had one and you would have to go through a switch board to call someone. Then we fast forward to the present, where you can contact someone through “regular” mail, email, cell phone, text message or home phone. Take your pick. The strangest thing about that is, sometimes you get a hold of someone or get a response within about the same time as the old horseback days. You send an email and leave a voicemail and don’t get a response. You call a company and have to wait 45 minutes to actually get a response to your questions or concerns. Even with all the technological improvements, you may call, but actually getting an answer is not guaranteed any time soon, if ever. On the other hand, God guarantees an answer. The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Almighty God guarantees that if you call Him, He will answer you. But, God in all His glory doesn’t merely answer you. He promises to show you great and mighty things that you could never even dream of.

How often do you call to God in a day?

Be honest, are there times that you do not call out to Him, because you’re afraid of the answer that He may give you?

What are some areas or specific things that you will be calling to God about today?

Challenge:Call out to God today. Be looking for God’s answer and be conscious of the potential of God showing you great and mighty things. But, His answer and great and mighty things are the way that He knows is best. Be watching for His answer, not your answer.

REVIEW

What did you call out to God about today?

Were you able to see God’s hand in demonstrating great and mighty things today, if so, what were they?

CELEBRATION! Sunday, December 26, 2010

Reading:Psalm 115:15-18, 15 May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. 16 The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to man. 17 It is not the dead who praise the LORD, those who go down to silence; 18 it is we who extol the LORD, both now and forevermore. Praise the LORD.

Review the questions and answers from this past week.

What key victories did you experience this past week in your 7 battles?

How can you celebrate and rejoice in the victories of this week which would give glory to God?

He Left It All! Saturday, December 25, 2010

Reading:Isaiah 9:6-7, 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

We often times do not talk about what led up to this day with Jesus, and for good reason, because the Bible does not touch on the matter. But, can you imagine right before Jesus left Heaven to come to earth, what that scene would have looked like? To actually leave heaven in all of its splendor to, not just become a man, but to become a baby. I can imagine the streets of gold lined with angels with heads hung low as Jesus uttered words of encouragement as He walked by them on His way to the gate. Just as Jesus reached the gate and put His hand up to pull it open, He hears His name called and He turns around to see His Father. I can imagine them embracing and God whispering, “Son, I’m awfully proud of You. Now, go save the human race.” Then He came…

Today, we commemorate the day that Jesus left everything for you.

We get so caught up in the buying and gifts of today as well as celebrations and traditions that we often do not look beyond those things. What are you doing today to make the lives of others better?

Think outside the “gift box” today. We commemorate Jesus leaving all of Heaven’s splendor for you. What can you do today to celebrate that and leave your comfort zone to give to someone else?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

REVIEW

Were you able to give to someone today, outside of your comfort zone?

How did this impact your Christmas day compared to others?

Joseph, Friday, December 24, 2010

Reading:Matthew 1:18-25, 18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." 22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us." 24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Today, consider this man, Joseph, whom God chose to be the earthly father to Jesus. Not much is said about Joseph as far as his astounding faith, or a “man after God’s own heart”; yet, he was entrusted with the greatest gift that ever graced this earth. Consider the dignity of finding out that this woman who he was about to marry is now pregnant yet he was trying to do the right thing. Imagine the questions in your mind of what life was going to be like having the Son of God in your home. Imagine the humility of knowing that this baby is not a son that you will have any authority over but that the little finger of this baby spun the world into existence.

What is God impressing upon you concerning Joseph and what you would struggle with?

How can you use this today as you prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus?

REVIEW

What attributes of Joseph encouraged you today?

How did this impact your day?

Message for the End, Thursday, December 23, 2010

Reading:I Peter 4:7-8, 7 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”

There is a plethora of movies that deal with the end of all time; “Armageddon”, “End of Days”, “the Day After Tomorrow”, “Terminator 3” and “Knowing”, just to name a few. The words that are said about what to do about the end of time becomes the all encompassing thrust of the movie. In this passage, Peter states, “the end of all thins is at hand; therefore…”, all of a sudden the cameras zoom in and the whole entire focus is on his lips as he utters the words that follow, which offer the key to survival in the end times… “serious and watchful in your prayers, and above all things…” Wait, the most important thing! Peter pauses… the camera spans the faces of those in ear shot, as their faces show the rising anticipation, of what he will utter next. “Have fervent love for one another”. Taking prayer seriously and loving one another… are the key elements to remember in end times. With such a huge importance placed on these two elements and attributes, what priority have you placed on them?

How much time in your typical day do you spend being serious and watchful in your prayers?

Does this match the high priority that Peter placed on these attributes?

What can you do today to place as high a priority on being serious and watchful in your prayers, as Peter placed on it?

Do you love your brothers in Christ fervently?

How will you show that fervent love today?

REVIEW

Were you able to practice praying in a serious and watchful manner?

How did you demonstrate your fervent love for your brothers in Christ today?

Do You Know Him?, Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Reading: Philippians 3:4-8, ⁴If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. ⁷But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”

Paul in his letter to the Philippians confessed all of the “good” things that he had done but stated that he counted it all loss and considered it a heap of manure compared to the “surpassing greatness of knowing Christ”. Interestingly, the part of “knowing” Christ is very difficult to determine in someone else. I can take a guess at how well you know Christ by your actions but I don’t truly KNOW. I’ve seen many people who appear to know Christ very well but are involved in despicable sin indicating that they do NOT know Him well. It is very internal with external consequences. How well do YOU know Jesus?

Imagine us all being back in middle school. I see a girl that I like and I walk up to you and ask you to give her a note, which is folded into a cool little shape. Inside this note, the girl reads, “Do you like me? □ Yes □ No”. Imagine she checks “yes” and a few years pass and we’re in high school. Again, I walk up to you and say that I like this same girl. I hand you a note and ask you to give it to her. Inside the note, the girl reads, “I like you A LOT. Do you like me A LOT? □ Yes □ No”. A few years pass and we are now in college. I come up to you again and ask you to deliver a note to this same girl. When she gets the note, she reads, “I love you! Do you love me? □ Yes □ No”. Next comes my intent to marry this same girl, so, what do I do? Yes, I write a note to give to you to deliver. Although we may think this whole scenario is absurd. We all too often treat our relationship with our Savior the same way. Any knowledge we have of Him is through someone else. We have not truly pursued the “surpassing greatness of knowing Christ”.

What will you do today to know Christ more, to truly know Him?

REVIEW

What were you able to do today to know Jesus more?

How did this impact your walk with Him today?

Make It Right, Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Reading: Matthew 5:23-24 - ²³"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

It is truly remarkable what an incredible Eternal Father we have. Does God need anything from us? God owns it all. Everything you see, even if it has a “name brand” stamped on it, belongs to and was created by God. Therefore, when we come to God with our gifts, offerings and sacrifices, He doesn’t need it. It’s already His. The experience of giving to Him is for our relationship with Him, more so, for us.

It reminds me of a father who’s kids are at odds with one another but are planning on coming home for Christmas and are collecting money to buy the gift of a lifetime for their dad. After finding out what the kids are planning, the dad calls all of the kids, thanks them for the gesture and the gift idea, but that he would much rather have his kids get along and get things right between each other. Let’s face it… our Christian siblings can sometimes be a pain. I know I can be. But, no matter how hard we try, we cannot separate our relationship with God with our relationship with our Christian brothers and sisters. It is an impossibility. How you treat, respond, forgive and love your Christian family has a direct impact on your relationship with our Father. Even to the extent, if you notice in the verse, that it isn’t even you that has the problem with someone; rather, if someone has a problem with you. I know that may seem ridiculous because you are the nicest guy and wouldn’t have anyone that has a good reason to have a problem with you. So, we excuse going to them because they don’t have a good reason for having “something against you”.

Search your heart. Who do you know has something against you and what is the problem (be as specific as possible)?

Challenge: Go to that brother and be reconciled to him today. Don’t wait!

REVIEW

How were you able to be reconciled today?

How did that affect your day and your relationship with God as well as your brother?

He’s Everything Monday, December 20, 2010

Reading: Psalm 23

“The Lord is my Shepherd… = That’s Relationship

“I shall not want… = That’s Supply

“He makes me to lie down in green pastures… = That’s Rest

“He leads me beside still waters… = That’s Refreshment

“He restores my soul… = That’s Healing

“He leads me in the paths of righteousness… = That’s Guidance

“For His name’s sake… = That’s Purpose

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the

shadow of death... = That’s Testing

“I will fear no evil… = That’s Protection

“For You are with me… = That’s Faithfulness

“Your rod and staff they comfort me… = That’s Discipline

“You prepare a table before me in the presence

of my enemies… = That’s Hope

“You anoint my head with oil… = That’s Consecration

“My cup runs over… = That’s Abundance

“Surely goodness and mercy will follow me

all the days of my life… = That’s Blessing

“And I will dwell in the house of the Lord… = That’s Security

“Forever!!!” = That’s Eternity

God has you today! All of the attributes that God supplies, He is prepared to supply to you today. Go to Him! He is your fulfillment for today. He can complete you today. Thank Him today for all of these amazing things that He offers you. In turn, live in these many blessings today.

Be prepared at the end of the day to write down a way that God fulfilled each of these attributes in and through you today.

REVIEW

Jot a note associated with each attribute listed above to indicate how God fulfilled these things in and through you today.

CELEBRATION! Sunday, December 19, 2010

Reading: Psalm 117:1-2, ¹ Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. ² For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD.

Review the questions and answers from this past week.

What key victories did you experience this past week in your 7 battles?

How can you celebrate and rejoice in the victories of this week which would give glory to God?

Build It Strong, Saturday, December 18, 2010

Reading: Luke 6:47-49, ⁴⁷I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. ⁴⁸He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. ⁴⁹But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

We bought our kids some large building blocks and, periodically, I’ll sit down with them to build our massive structure. You know… one of the Seven Wonders of the World, for the local mouse family. It never fails, just the time that we are just about completed and are starting to be proud of our work, our two year old comes along. Did I mention… 2 year old. Yeah! The poor mice have nowhere to live now. Utter destruction! Even though the construction really doesn’t matter too much, it has still periodically produced a stream of tears from our seven year old. I’m sure we have all felt the frustration of putting time, effort and sweat into something just to have it wrecked. It is a very disheartening feeling and frustrating thinking about the time wasted. Now imagine the structure of your life is being built and all it takes is a storm to destroy it all. The thing is the destruction doesn’t come from doing something awful. It is simply hearing God’s Words but not actually putting the into practice. The unfortunately thing is, we have churches FILLED with people just like that. We act as though showing up and hearing the “blue prints” is good enough but we don’t have to REALLY follow them in construction. Or, we can leave some of the instructions out. Men, we need to storm proof our “house”.

What can you do today, to not simply “hear God’s Words” but to actually put them into practice?

What do you need to do to “[dig] down deep” to lay your foundation on the “Rock”?

REVIEW

What did you do today to dig down deep to lay your foundation on the “Rock”?

What did you do today to put God’s Word into practice?

Train To Be Godly, Friday, December 17, 2010

Reading: I Timothy 4:6-8, ⁶If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. ⁷Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. ⁸For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

I’m sure you have heard at some point in your life, “Practice makes perfect”. But, I have also heard an appropriate amendment to the frequently used encouragement by adding, “Perfect practice makes perfect”. Another words, not just practicing but practicing the right way is what will cause you to improve your performance. Every day, you are either practicing sin or practicing righteousness. That’s why it is so significant that Paul told Timothy to “train yourself to be godly”. For many of us, including myself, we don’t really like training, especially the older we get, we just want to play in the game. We don’t want to have to run drills, work hard and sweat in our pursuit of godliness. Often we think godly men, simply became godly, or are that way because of their background or degree. For all of us, though, it takes training.

The drills/tests are thrown at us every single day of our lives by the world and by the devil. The question is, by your actions, what are you practicing? How are you training? When you fall to the temptation, you are practicing sin. When you say, NO, to the sin, you have trained well in godliness as a result of that drill/test.

Review where you’re at today. What have you been practicing? Have you been training to be godly or practicing bad habits?

If you need to, ask God to forgive you for practicing sin. Then, leave it with God. It is the past. Now, what can you do today to train yourself to be godly?

REVIEW

How were you able to train yourself to be godly today?

Did you practice any bad habits as well and, if so, what did you do about it?

Lost 1st Love, Thursday, December 16, 2010

Reading: Revelation 2:2-4, ²I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. ³You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. ⁴Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. ⁵Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

At first read, these people look like they have it all together and are doing everything that they should be. But, that is the key to the message that God is telling this church. To shorten this passage, “I know your deeds… [but] you have forsaken your first love.” Even as God told them to “do the things you did at first”, do you recall the first time you became a Christian? Do you remember the freshness and the new relationship feeling... the raw excitement with the unexplainable difference in your heart and life that only He could do?

Many couples start off their dating relationship with the guy pursuing her. Trying to catch her eye. Doing random, special things for her. Then, marriage comes. The years begin to pass and the “random”, “special” things become fleeting memories. The pursuit is over. The pursuit and attention is deferred to sports, work and entertainment. That is exactly what God is attempting to communicate to this church. “You have forsaken your first love.” Me! You are not pursuing me. You are not seeking my advice or looking to me in the same way when our relationship first started. You are doing good deeds but, good deeds are not your number one priority. God simply wants a relationship with you, first and foremost. He will produce the good deeds in you, instead of the deeds becoming just some good things that you do.

Challenge: Today, just as God said to the church of Ephesus, repent and do the things that you did at first in your relationship with Christ. Fall in love with your relationship with God today, whatever that takes. Get back to pursuing Him, instead of pursuing the “churchy” things to do.

REVIEW

What did it take for you to get back to your “first love” and pursue Christ?

How did this impact your day today?

Grace to Say “No” Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Reading: Titus 2:11-14, ¹¹For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. ¹²It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Why would Paul say in this passage that “grace… teaches us to say ‘No’”? How would “grace” teach that within us? Grace is defined as unmerited divine favor or receiving a benefit that is not deserved. In explaining his point, Paul restates the immense grace that we have been given, “[He] gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify…” Yet, again, how does this teach us to say, “No”?

Right out the sin(s) with which you continue to struggle in the following space:

Now, review the list that you have written out. Every time that you are either tempted or actually fall to this sin today, imagine hearing the steal head of a hammer slamming down on a spike. As your eyes search your surroundings, let your eyes come to rest on Jesus, with His body torn and bleeding, lying on his back on the cross, with a Roman soldier holding a hammer in his hands while looking straight at you, as if He was getting his cue from you to slam the hammer down again. When you truly understand that it is that sin that put Jesus on the cross, it teaches us to say, “No” to that ungodliness and worldly passions.

What can you do today to say, “NO” to ungodliness and worldly passion?

REVIEW

Review your list written above, were you able to say, “No” to your areas of temptation today?

How did maintaining this focus impact your ability to say, “No”?

Roles, Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Reading: Titus 2:2, 6, ²Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. ⁶Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled

I Timothy 5:1-2, ¹Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, ²older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

These verses make me want to break out into the old Gaither song, “I’m so glad, I’m a part of the family of God.” It’s wonderful how Paul instructs to treat each other like a member of the family. In so doing, Paul signifies roles, responsibilities and/or attributes of the “family members”. Paul does not offer age ranges for “older men” and “young men”. Most of us, in other contexts, want to be considered a young man for as long as we possibly can. Notice, the weight of instruction and responsibility are on the older men. Which, since no one has yet found the fountain of youth, we will all be there at some point; therefore, it would be good to have as a goal a benchmark. Let’s break it down into parts.

Temperate— “marked by moderation” (Webster’s); the moderation indicates nothing extravagant and moderation in eating and drinking.

Worthy of respect— Notice it does not say, “Demands respect”. Very often as men we think that we have the right and ability to “demand” respect; which, yes, goes does give direction to children and wives to respond you. But, your part in that is to act “worthy” of respect.

Self-controlled— In any and all actions. Do you have the ability to control yourself; in your words, your temper, your vices, your entertainment, and other actions?

Sound in faith— Is there anything at all that could shake your faith? What might that be?

What are your key weaknesses in these specific areas? (write them down and write how you can and will work on them today)

REVIEW

How were you able to work on these key areas of weakness today?

How did this impact your day?

Pray for One Another, Monday, December 13, 2010

Reading: Colossians 1:9, 12, 9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

Challenge: Today, Pray for each other, either those who are in your group and/or the brothers in Christ that God brings to mind. Ask God “to fill [them] with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Also, be sure to thank God for them.

So many times we are thankful for people because of what they do for us. Think through, individually, those men in your group or those that God has laid on your heart. Today, learn to be thankful for them, not for what they do for you but for the value that God has placed on them, that He sacrificed everything to “qualify [them] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.”

Write the names of the men on the lines provided and then write how the Lord is leading you to pray for them. Continue to pray for them throughout the day.

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REVIEW

Were you able to continuously pray for these men throughout the day?

Did God give you clear direction how to pray for them?

Were you able to make contact with those men to see how you can pray for them?

What did this produce in your day?

CELEBRATION! Sunday December12, 2010

Reading: Psalm 119:12-16, 12 Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. 13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. 14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. 15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. 16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

Review the questions and answers from this past week.


What key victories did you experience this past week in your 7 battles?



How can you celebrate and rejoice in the victories of this week which would give glory to God?

Receive Him Saturday, December 11, 2010

Reading: Matthew 10:40-42, 40"He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. 42And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."

What would you do if Jesus were in town? Would you want to invite Him over? How would you treat Him?

Take some time right now and write out what you would do today if Jesus were in town. What would you want to do for Him? How would you treat Him?




Jesus said, “He who receives you [followers of Christ] receives me.” Think about that for a minute. If you receive, take care of, or spend time refreshing (“gives a cup of cold water to”), you are doing those things to Jesus himself.

Challenge: Everything that you listed that you would do for Jesus and how you would treat Him if He were in town, do that for at least one brother in Christ today.

REVIEW

Were you able to “receive” a brother in Christ today? And, what was a result?

How did this impact your day, your relationship with this brother, your relationship with God

Pray for Each Other, Friday December 10, 2010

Reading: Mark 3:24-25, 24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

An activity that has been around for a very long time that is still very entertaining to see and participate in is the three legged race. If you have ever participated in it, you know how difficult it is. It’s amazing that something that looks so easy and entertaining to the laughing observer, can actually take so much work. Most people before they start the race, 1) talk about a strategy, 2) they practice working together, and 3) they keep communicating together the entire race. It’s amazing how something so trivial and meaningless, except for some good laughs, can be such a tool of rebuke for us as Christian brothers. So often we are quick to be divided and just like the three legged race, you cannot stand. The greatest difference is, when you are divided during a three legged race, it is entertaining; but, when you are divided during our Christian race, it is far from entertaining, rather it bring shame to the name of Christ. Jesus himself said, “that house cannot stand”.

What division are you a part of amongst your brothers?


Imagine one of your legs spiritually, philosophically or physically tied to another brother in Christ’s leg; how does that look? Now, again, what division do you see may be a hindrance in you striving together? (list several brothers)




What can you do to heal this division and unify together in Christ’s brotherly love?

REVIEW

How did you identify points of division and how were you able to become unified today?


How did this impact your relationship with your brother in Christ?

Seek Him, Thursday, December 9, 2010

Reading: Psalm 34:4-6, 10, 4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. 6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. 10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Just take a minute and think through your morning routine. What do you normally seek out? Morning coffee? Breakfast? The newspaper? The news? In the evenings and weekends, what do you seek out? Sports games? Computer games? Spending time with friends? Your favorite TV shows?

What do you seek out?


Think through your typical day or week. What could you not do without (certain foods/snacks, certain activity, certain TV show, etc.)?


How often do you seek Christ through the day?

I wonder if you would miss time spent with God or be as disappointed as you would the TV show or sports game that you did not DVR or forgot to watch. Reread the verses above; notice, we tend to focus and desire the benefits listed, deliver us from all our fears, never be ashamed, saved from all our troubles and don’t lack anything. But, the question is, how passionately do you seek Him? How passionately do you desire to spend time with Him? How much do you miss Him when you have not taken the opportunity to spend time with Him? The way we should be treating our day is as a child in Disneyland with people all around and the sense of urgency when they are not able to see their parents visibly coupled with the nervousness of being “lost” without their parents. That should be our constant walk with God today.

Challenge: Seek God today, all day long. Long to hear from Him.

REVIEW

How did you seek God today?


Were you able to maintain seeking Him all day long and how did it impact your day?

Die Today, Wednesday December 8, 2010

Reading: I Corinthians 15:31-32, 31I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."

When Paul states “I die every day”, what does that mean? A dead man, doesn’t worry about his hair and how it looks today. A dead man, doesn’t expect people to do anything for him. A dead man, does not pursue things that satisfy the flesh because the flesh is not alive and, therefore, does not have any needs to fulfill. I am reminded of the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean” when Captain Barbossa tells Elizabeth Swann about the curse that they are under. He said there is no food to fill the appetite, no drink that can quench the thirst, no desire that can be fulfilled because we are just dead men walking about. Men, today, let’s die to the fleshly desires and the needs and wants of the flesh. Today, in regards to our fleshly desires, let’s be dead men walking about. The only way that we can truly be alive in Christ is to be dead to yourself.

If you were to be dead to yourself today, truly dead, what would that look like?



If the only part of you that were alive today is Christ, how will you live your day differently than you normally would?



Challenge: First, pray and offer God all of your fleshly desires today, every last one of them. Acknowledge before Him that you are setting those things aside today and living as a dead man to those things. Secondly, all throughout the day, consciously remind yourself that you are dead today and the only part of you that is alive is Christ and his wants and desires for you today.


REVIEW

Were you truly able to die to yourself today? If so, what did that look like?


How did dying to yourself and living in Christ make an impact in your day?

Serve One Another, Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Reading: Galatians 5:13-15 - 13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Imagine being locked away in an old medieval prison. You look around and see countless men locked up in the same room. You hear cannons and gunfire outside. All of a sudden a man appears at the door of the cell. He pulls out a key and unlocks the door. He looks straight at you as he walks into the cell and right over to you and unlocks your hands from the chains. A big explosion rocks the cell, and you see the prison is on fire; but you also see that the explosion blew a whole in the wall outside the cell which revealed a huge room where the captures had been storing their treasures. The man who unlocked your shackles handed you the key to unlock the rest of the prisoners. You are torn. The prison is burning. You only have a short period of time. You could spend the time getting enough treasure to last you a lifetime or you could spend it freeing other prisoners to save their lives. What would you do? Really! What would you do? That is exactly what these verses are saying. Jesus has broken into the prison and has cut your bonds of sin. Now that you’re free, you could be spending your efforts in freeing and serving others or indulging yourself in selfish ambitions and sinful nature. I wonder how many enticements that we would have from the TV, the internet, magazines, etc. if we simply busied ourselves in serving each other, instead of letting our freedom and comfort give us the “rights” to sit in front of distractions.

Challenge #1: Today, serve at least one of your brothers in Christ. Ask God to direct you who you should serve today.

Challenge #2: Instead of “biting and devouring each other”, go out of your way to encourage as many brothers as you can.


REVIEW

Were you able to serve a brother today? What did you do and how did it go?


How did the service and encouragement of other brothers affect your day?

Listen! Monday, December 6, 2010

Reading: James 1:22-25, 22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But 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.

Many times when it comes to this passage we talk about doing something because the passage implies that you are listening. But, listening is the foundation for turning around and doing something. You may have heard from a parent, a spouse or a friend as they declared, “You’re listening but you are NOT hearing me”. I received quite a bit of grief from my English Literature professor in college because I would all too often fall asleep in her class. I usually worked security until 2 a.m. and then had class at 7:20 a.m. But, can you imagine if I showed up to class every day, slid my books under my desk and put my head down to go to sleep? Or, every single class, I didn’t pay attention by daydreaming, talking to my neighbor or drawing pictures. When test time would inevitably come, I would most likely panic and talk to the teacher to get the notes or information that would be on the test. I’m sure the teacher would look at me and say, “I gave you all the materials you would need for the test previously. Were you paying attention?” Although you may think that would be very bold and ridiculous to even consider, when time wasn’t taken to listen, take notes and pay attention, we often do the same thing with God. He gives us the tools that we need. He gives us the notes. He speaks to us constantly. But, we don’t pay attention during the message in church, when God is trying to give you the information. We don’t open His Word where He keeps His notes for the test. Yet, when the “test” comes, we run up to Him and demand the notes and the information. Why do we always expect God to give us the answers to the test, on the test day; and, not have to pay attention before hand when He is trying to prepare us for the test?

Challenge: Today, listen! Really listen to God and what He is saying to you and trying to teach you. Keep notes! When the test comes, you can be ready

REVIEW

Were you listening to God today? What was He trying to teach you today?


How did this impact your day?

CELEBRATION! Sunday December 5, 2010

Reading: Psalm 134:1-3, 1 Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD. 2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD. 3 May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.

Review the questions and answers from this past week.

What key victories did you experience this past week in your 7 battles?


How can you celebrate and rejoice in the victories of this week which would give glory to God?



How did this impact you today?

Bank Account? Saturday December 4, 2010

Reading: Matthew 6:19-21, 19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

In a time when millions of people are jobless, millions of homes are in foreclosure and the economy continues to teeter, everyone seems to be concerned about their finances and their bank account. Anyone vested in the stock market are constantly checking to see whether their investments are stabilizing or plummeting again. Retirees are wondering how they’re going to make it financially with their pension funds depleted. The “moth and rust” that’s destroying our “treasures” are financial institutions, the economy and poor economic and ethical choices by others. I wonder, though, as I see deep concern on many faces and hear the disappointed tones, how many of us feel this same fear, concern and despair about our heavenly bank account? Yes, it is true… nothing can touch that account, so we need not worry about it’s depletion or elimination; but, how concerned are you about the status of that account? Can you imagine, getting an account statement in a golden envelope that comes at the same time your other account statements arrive? You quickly open your bank account and your investment account statements to see if you lost any money or if you still have funds. You are relieved to see that you are still doing okay. The Heaven Account Statement in the golden envelop gets tossed on the table when you walk in the house. Finally, you get around to opening it to find it’s in the single digits, yet, this particular account is for all eternity. Why do we often spend more time considering and preparing for the brief window of time in our lives called “retirement” but do so little to consider and prepare for an account that will last for eternity?

Challenge: Today, build into your eternal account.
What can you do today to add to your eternal account and store up your treasures in heaven?


REVIEW

What were you able to do today to store up your treasures and add to your heavenly account?


What impact did that have on you and others today?

Stand Fast! Friday, December 3, 2010

Reading: II Thessalonians 2:15-17, 15So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 16May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

As if from a scene from a movie, imagine all of us gathered together on a hillside, swords drawn in one hand and shield in the other. We see the enemy on the horizon approaching. The numbers seem overwhelming on the side of the enemy as they continue to march toward us. Then, the first wave of soldiers on the front lines of the enemy begin to run at us. Jesus is on His horse and is out in front of us with His massive sword drawn. Adrenaline is at its highest and your muscles tighten out of anticipation of the clash that is just seconds away. It is then that Paul, a Captain, shouts to us, “stand firm, men, and hold fast!!!!” You feel the confidence rise in your heart and soul and you feel your strength surge as you look up and see Jesus as His horse rears back and He thrusts His sword forward to fight and attack.
This should be our vision today. Men, no matter what happens in your day. Every single day is a battle. Every single day has attacks. We should be watching for the enemy. We should be preparing our self to stand firm and hold fast to the Word of God. One of the enemies of standing fast is the element of surprise, not anticipating the attack.

What are some things that may keep you from standing firm and holding fast to the Word of God today?


Challenge: 1) Identify potential struggles to standing firm. 2) Stand firm and hold fast to the Word of God and what you know to be true and right. 3) Be encouraged by seeing Jesus, who has already won the battle, riding on His horse with Sword drawn prepared to fight alongside you today.


REVIEW

Were you able to anticipate areas that you may struggle standing firm today?

What were those areas and were you able to stand firm and hold fast to what you know to be true and right?



How did this impact you today?

Sow & Reap, Thursday, December 2, 2010

Reading: Galatians 6:7-8, 7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

After planning out the garden that I intended to plant in our yard, I was thrilled when the plants started to grow. I remember seeing the two plants of cantaloupe growing, excited to have our own homegrown. After a while, two little cantaloupes appeared on the one plant; but, after looking more closely at the second plant, it had some little acorn squash on the vine. Up until that point, the leaves and vine looked the same and it wasn’t what was intended to grow there. Often, we think we can do the same with the choices that we make in life. We choose to not be holy. We choose to not remain pure in our thoughts, conversation and actions. We choose to allow our selfishness and/or our pride drive our decisions. And, yet, when we reap the consequences of those choices, we are surprised. It is at this point that God says, “[He] cannot be mocked.” We may be fooling those around us. Others may see the leaves and vines of our outward actions and think that we are a certain way, but we cannot fool God. God knows exactly what seeds we are planting in our lives. To stop this, we must pull up, by the roots, the plants of sin that we have sown. And turn your focus and attention on watering and fertilizing the seeds of God’s Word and His Spirit in your life that have been sown. If not, don’t be surprised at the time of reaping the consequences. God will not be mocked.

What seeds of sin and/or the flesh have you planted that need to be uprooted?



How can you uproot those plants from the seeds of sin that have been sown?




Challenge: Focus today on removing the seeds of sin and coming up with ways to focus on the good seeds that can or have been planted in your life.

REVIEW

What seeds of sin were you able to uproot today?


What good seeds were you able to water and fertilize today?


How did this impact you today?