The Conquest

February 19 2012

2012-02-13T20:05:00.000-08:00

CELEBRATION!

Reading: Psalm 106:1-2, 1 Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD or fully declare his praise?

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?

February 18 2012

2012-02-13T20:04:00.000-08:00

Search Me!

Reading: Psalm 139:23-24, 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Okay, men, it is that time to focus on yourself, again. The devotionals are focusing on doing, performing, thinking and so on; but, today, is a fine tuned look at yourself.

Find a place in your house and let everyone in the house know that you cannot be disturbed. Find something that you can lay on the ground; a towel, a chalk drawn circle, or anything that will help you to have a visual as you focus on yourself. Don’t just let this be something you do quickly and in passing. Take some quality time and actually schedule it into your day.

While in the circle or on your towel or whatever you have chosen to use, pray what David prayed in Psalm 139, “Search me, O, God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.” Beg God to reveal your sin to you. Beg Him to help you fix everything inside that circle. Don’t let anything in your thoughts or prayers be about other people. Don’t let anyone be your excuse for your sin or anything else that God reveals to you. Focus solely on yourself and the sin, temptation, struggles and repairs that need to occur in you and you alone. Then repent to God for those sins revealed and, then, present yourself to Him.

Write down key points that God revealed to you to keep yourself aware:

REVIEW

How did God speak to you?

What did you do with the things that God revealed to you?

What did you do with those things today?

February 17 2012

2012-02-13T20:03:00.000-08:00

Humility

Reading: I Peter 5:5, Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

Humility is counter cultural. It is neither understood nor admired. Leaders usually view themselves as being there to be served. It is looked upon as degrading.

The elder President Bush praised Ronald Reagan’s humility in his eulogy at his funeral. In 1981, Reagan was recovering from a gunshot wound he received during the assassination attempt. Just days after the surgery that repaired his life threatening injuries, his aides discovered him on his hands and knees in his hospital room wiping water from the floor. Bush said of Reagan, “He worried that his nurse would get in trouble.”

That is a gracious act of humility, strength and character. How rarely we would imagine our president on his hands and knees cleaning up his own mess?

We appreciate humility in others but rarely want it for ourselves. Humility is not a result of having a poor self image. True humility comes from strength and inner security. Remember, the arrogant find themselves at odds with God, while the humble enjoy his blessings. Before ever considering to act in humility, you must first sacrifice your pride.

Men, in what areas do you struggle with humility?

How will you demonstrate humility today and sacrifice your pride?
REVIEW

How were you able to sacrifice your pride and demonstrate humility today?

How did this impact your day and how you respond in the areas in which you struggle with humility?

February 16 2012

2012-02-13T20:02:00.000-08:00

Content? Or Content?

Reading: Hebrews 13:5-6, Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you, so that we confidently say, The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.

In today's uncertain world of ever changing politics and jobs, how can we be content with our lives? We have families to care for, bills to pay, our homes are not worth what we owe on them. So what are we to do? Everywhere we turn someone is telling us how doomed we are, always the negative, always how something will never work. So where do we turn? I mean, really, just tell me what to do to fix it ant I will fix it.

Personally, I believe that we really are suffering from a lack of trust. We can't trust the politicians, we can't trust the media, we can't trust the company, we can't trust… and the list goes on. Maybe our forefathers could not trust any of these things either. I’m sure that my grandfather and great grandfather would sit around and complain about the same things we do now. "The world is moving to fast"; "the president doesn't have a clue"; "my boss is an idiot". So what did they trust in? It's ironic that the same money that we are trying to earn to feel “safe” is printed with the words "In God we trust" on it?

Maybe we have been trying to trust in the wrong things lately, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU". What guarantees have you ever received in this world that could stack up against that promise from a God who holds the entire world in His hand? Remember this is God promising this to you. It doesn’t come with a “90 day limited warranty”, it is forever.

Do you genuinely feel content with what you have?

How can you choose today to be content with what you have and place your complete trust in God?

End of the Day Review

As you look back on the day, did you feel a sense of contentment? If yes, how; if no, why not?

Did you go through your day, trusting in God that He will take care of things?

February 15 2012

2012-02-13T20:01:00.000-08:00

“The Church”

Reading: Matthew 16:17-18, 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

It’s truly amazing how the word “church” has taken on so many different meanings, perceptions and/or characteristics over the last 2,000 years since Jesus uttered the word for the very first time as He spoke to Peter in these verses. In all actuality, He didn’t really even use the word “church”. In the original Greek language, the word is “ekklesia”, “ek” meaning “out” and “kaleo” meaning to “call”. Therefore, he was referring to a group of people who were very special, who were “called out”; not the seemingly ambiguous definition that “church” has taken on today where almost any religious gathering in a building could qualify. We… are “called out”. When we are called out, though, we are separate. We are unique. We are different. We have been called out of the crowd… called out of the world. But, are we different? Are we unique? Do we look separate? This is not looking separate like a “commune” or with a special uniform. Jesus spent much of His ministry attempting to break the thought process that its about the outward man, rather, the inward man... your responses... your attitude… your character… your integrity. Are you different? Can the world and those around you see that you have been and are truly “called out”?

What are some ways that you can be different today, to be “called out”?

What one person or group of people tends to bring your flesh out the most? What can you do today to be different?

How can the world see that we have been called out, that we can be different, if we continue to response and act the same way that they do? By the way, if you wait for someone else to be the “better man”, the world does the same thing.
End of the Day Review

How were you able to act or respond differently than the world or, possibly, differently than you may normally act or respond today?

How did this impact you and how did it impact those around you?

February 13 2012

2012-02-13T19:59:00.000-08:00

Reading: Philippians 2:14-15, 14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.

I was amazed when a special speaker came to our work and gave a demonstration of encouragement versus complaining. He had one of our coworkers stand in front and hold their arms straight out at their side. He then placed his hands on top of their arms but did not push them down. He began by stating a barrage of complaints and negative comments. The more he complained the further the coworker’s arms sank. After a few minutes, he began the practice all over again but this time, was very positive and encouraging. The coworker kept their arms up the whole time, in fact, their arms had risen slightly. It was amazing to see the physical response of hearing positive comments versus negative. We do not realize the impact our complaining and negative comments make on ourselves and those around us. Don’t forget the saying, “I complained about the fact that I didn’t have any shoes, until I met a man who had no feet”.
Challenge: Go throughout the entire day without saying a single negative thing and without a single complaint.

What are some typical things that you complain about throughout a day?

How can you safeguard yourself to catch yourself?

REVIEW

How difficult was it to not complain or say something negative?

How did it influence your day?

January 29 2012

2012-01-22T19:58:00.001-08:00

CELEBRATION!

Reading: Psalm 109:30-31, 30 With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD; in the great throng I will praise him. 31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him.

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?

January 28 2012

2012-01-22T19:57:00.001-08:00

Our Weakness

Reading: I Corinthians 1:22-25, 22Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

I don’t know about you but I don’t get any real joy out of spending time talking about my weaknesses. I would rather hear about how I’m making a difference or how I look good in my caped suit as I swept down and saved the day. Hearing about my weakness, though??? Not an enjoyable thing, especially as a guy. We want to be the conqueror not the defeated… and typically, we want to do it ourselves. It is this characteristic that tends to war against the teachings of this passage. When our wife, children or friends have a question, it sure feels good to hear that you would be the one with the answer, the one that knows. Verse 25 is simply amazing, though, it’s almost like the Bible is saying, “Yeah, God’s foolishness is smarter than the smartest man in the world. God could do man’s greatest feats with His hands tied behind His back.” The thing is… as God’s child… you have access to that same wisdom and strength. The cost?... simply sacrifice your wisdom and strength, which is easy to say… not as easy to do, especially as a man. It’s easier to act, react, and function while using our own strength and thoughts based upon our own senses and perception. Will you choose to tap into God’s wisdom and strength today?

How can you set aside your own thoughts and smarts to rely on God’s thoughts today?

How can you set aside your own strength to rely on God’s strength today?

REVIEW

How were you able to set aside your own strength and thoughts to rely on God’s thoughts and strength?

How did that impact you and your day today?

January 27 2012

2012-01-22T19:56:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Brothers

Reading: Philemon 1:4-7, 4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. 6 I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. 7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

I think that sometimes we take our Christian brothers for granted. When do we remember them, when we need a hand with something? When we have received unwelcome news? How often do we remember to pray for our brother or just give thanks to God for blessing our lives with them? Surely we’re thankful for them, aren’t we? It truly is a different feeling to pray thanks for someone rather than lifting them as a request. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s important that we pray for those in need, but I also feel a joy when I pray for someone “just because.”

I can recall a day that can be described as a “case of the Mondays.” Nothing was going right. I was miserable and in a foul mood. I knew I had to pray and as I started speaking the words, I found my thoughts drifting to my best friend. I prayed that his house would finally close escrow that he would have enough time with his girlfriend and I prayed that he would serve the Lord to the best of his potential. Wouldn’t you know it…as soon as I said Amen, the phone rang. It was my friend with great news – his house had finally closed and he was taking his girlfriend out to celebrate. He closed with “Isn’t God great?” “Yes He is.” I replied. I spent the rest of the day in a great mood. I pray that the next time you’re having a “case of the Mondays” that you will be able to turn to God in prayer and change that “Monday” into a great day.

Who can you pray for today and, specifically, how will you be praying for them?

End of the Day Review

How did you lift up your brothers in prayer today?

Did you see any results? How did God reveal Himself to you through doing this?

January 26 2012

2012-01-22T19:55:00.002-08:00

Level Ground

Reading: Isaiah 26:7-9, 7 The path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth. 8 Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. 9 My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.

If you are anything like me, you may chuckle a bit at the thought of life being level and smooth. Life seems to be anything but level and smooth. But, that’s not what Isaiah is talking about. It would be comparable to climbing a mountain and coming to a point where there is a ravine for as far as you can seen from side to side. Your journey and goal is to get to the other side to continue climbing up the mountain. You start climbing down into the ravine. It’s rocky and difficult but then you look up and see a bridge that spans the ravine. The bridge doesn’t take away the rockiness or difficulty of the ravine and the area that you need to cross, it simply makes the path level and smooth, well, and a lot easier, for that matter. The problem tends to be that we want the result of a level and smooth path of life, but we don’t want to have to wait for it. Yes, I said, “Wait for it”. Notice, Isaiah said, “walking in the way of your laws, we WAIT for you”. Too many times, the waiting is too difficult so we tend to go ahead through the rocky ravine. But, what produces the ability to wait? Verses 8 and 9 give us the answers. When your focus is removed from the path and placed on “desiring”, “yearning” and “longing” for God and walking with Him. The waiting doesn’t seem nearly as difficult because you don’t want to experience the journey without Him. So, however long the wait, you just know that you don’t want to go without Him.

What rocky or difficult ravines are you traveling through right now?

Do you “yearn for [God] in the night; in the morning [your] spirit long for [Him]”? If not, how can you get to that place?

REVIEW

How was your path today?

Were you able to wait on the Lord and did you yearn for Him and long for Him? How did this impact your day?

January 25 2012

2012-01-22T19:55:00.001-08:00

Use Your Gift

Reading: I Timothy 4:12-16, 12Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. 15Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.

With young children of my own, I am constantly intrigued at Christmas and birthdays which gift they are going to really cling to and which gift they would just as soon do without. There are so many times that “you just know that they are going to love it!!!” Then they open it, and the last thing that their face communicates is absolute adoration for this gift. Even at a certain age, they would much rather play with the box that the gift came in, then to play with the gift. You begin to wonder “Then, what was the point of getting the gift?” Then, you have us, the adults. Have you ever received a gift, tucked it away, then found it a while later and completely forgot that you had it? My brother-in-law and I had about a five year string going when we would give the tie that the other one had given the previous year. I don’t think we wore the tie even one time. It just sat on the tie rack. Too many times we are the same way with our spiritual gifts from God. It may not be the most popular gift. We may experience fear in demonstrating that gift. We may not think we have time to use the gift, but, what Paul said to Timothy, to “not neglect your gift”, was a command to follow. A legitimate struggle for you could be that you don’t know what your gifts are. It’s difficult to open your gift and use it, if you don’t know what it is.

Challenge: If you don’t know what your gifts are, talk to your group and ask them to help you with developing a list of your gifts.

What are your gifts?

How can you use those gifts in your life without neglecting them?

REVIEW

What did you learn about your gifts today?

How were you able to use your gifts today?

January 24 2012

2012-01-22T19:54:00.000-08:00

Leave Responsibilities?

Reading: Matthew 19:29, And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.

“Everyone who has left house… okay, I get that… or brothers… get that… or sisters… definitely get that… or father or mother… yeah, get that… or children… WHAT? Leave children?” And add on top of that… leave fields… which at that time was the way to provide for your family? Men, this isn’t a verse that is teaching us to shirk our God given roles and responsibilities. Rather, we can tend to, very easily, hide behind our “roles and responsibilities” as an excuse to not truly follow Christ. Men, following Christ is not merely attending church. We tend to fill our days with work (the “fields”) and running our kids to one event or the other. Let’s do the math… if the average Christian home has 2 children… and if every child in that home follows Christ… we are not changing the world. We are remaining status quo. Are we ready to make a difference in the world? Really… are we?

What things are you holding on to and not forsaking to follow Christ completely?

What are some hindrances and things that make it difficult for you to let go of these things to follow Him?

How can you take steps today to let go of these things and follow Christ completely with all that you have to offer?

End of the Day Review

What steps did you take in your life today to let go of the things that have been holding you back from following Christ completely?

How can you maintain this to continue on following Him without picking those things back up?

January 23 2012

2012-01-22T19:53:00.000-08:00

For You

Reading: Hebrews 12:2-3, 2 Let 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. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Imagine you are with your band of brothers and while you’re talking with a few men, periodically, a different man comes up to you and says very excitedly, “He wants to see you.” Before you can ask, “Who”… He walks away, so you continue talking. Another comes up, “Can you believe it, He wants to see you?” “Who? Who wants to see me?”, you say, as he walks away. After a few more times, you become adamant, “Who wants to see me? And where is this person?” As soon as the words come out of your mouth, everyone in the entire place looks at you and begins to part the way. There at the end of the opening stands Jesus. He motions for you to come to Him. As you near Him, He motions for you to sit down, without saying a word. You look back at the other people who are now leaving to give the two of you some privacy. He pulls up a chair to sit down right in front of you. He sits down, looks you square in the eyes and says, “Hi,” with a gentle smile. Torn between excitement that it’s Jesus and a sickening feeling that you’re in trouble, you say “Hi” back. Then He calls you by name and says, “Do you know what I did?” Assuming He is talking about His sacrifice, you say, “Yes”. He then opens up His hands and lays them open in front of you and says, “No… do you know what I did?... Do you want to touch the scars?” You don’t really want to but you feel like you should. Then, He leans forward and looks at you until you are looking into His eyes and He gently says, “You… (he pauses and His smile grows as if He is thinking about it even more deeply) “You...,” He continues, “were worth it.” As that begins to sink in, He continues, “Every time that the whip hit my back, every time that my hand felt the vibration of the hammer hitting the nail, as I could feel the thorns digging into my skull, even the feeling of being forsaken by my Father… you were worth it… you were worth all of it.”

Men, today, let’s just fix our eyes on Him and let that sink in. You were His “joy set before Him.”
End of the Day Review

How did the realization that you were worth it to Him to make such a huge sacrifice affect your day?

How did it impact the way that you looked at Him or others today?

January 22 2012

2012-01-15T19:59:00.001-08:00

CELEBRATION!

Reading: Psalm 111:1-4, 1Praise the LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. 2 Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. 3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. 4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate.

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?

January 21 2012

2012-01-15T19:57:00.000-08:00

Bible Study #4
Book Bible Study

Book: Philippians
(try to read the entire book of Philippians in one sitting, its only around 3 pages, depending on which Bible you use)

Date of Writing: 59-60 A.D.
(Look online or another source book as to what was occurring during that time period.)

Who was the author (Philippians 1:1)?

From where was he writing (Philippians 1:13-14)?

Who were the recipients of the book?

What were some characteristics of recipients (ch 2)?

Why written?

What were the major problems identified in writing?

What solutions were given?

What was the central meaning in that day?

What is the central meaning of today?

Summarize the main theme:

What key words were used repeatedly?:

January 20 2012

2012-01-15T19:55:00.002-08:00

See the Crowd

Reading: Matthew 9:36-38, 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

As we are to be imitators of Christ, how many times do we “see the crowds”? We fly past many people, almost every day but how often do we really see them? Now, let’s remember who Jesus was as He viewed these crowds. The people that He saw and had compassion on were the same people whose sins would be nailing Him to the cross. He could have very easily thought, “I’m already doing enough for these people. I don’t need to give anything more to them or be concerned any more about them. I’m going to be crucified for them. I think that’s plenty.” No, He had compassion on them. This is the creator of the universe. This is the Son of God. This is the King of Kings.
Can you see them? Can you see them as sheep without a shepherd? Can you see their needs… their real needs?

Challenge #1: Take time today, some real time, not simply a couple minutes, to see the crowds. Go to a location, purposefully, where there will be a larger group of people, and “see” them. Ask God to open your eyes and see them as He sees them.

What can you do to be a “worker in the field” today?

Challenge #2: Take time today get away to talk to God and ask Him to send workers into His harvest field.

REVIEW

What did you see today as you viewed the world through God’s eyes?

What work were you able to do in the “field” today?

January 19 2012

2012-01-15T19:55:00.001-08:00

Iron Sharpens Iron

Reading: Proverbs 27:17, As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Have you ever gone into your shed or garage after a long winter only to find that your best shears are rusted shut? As a man what do you do? Do you go buy a new pair? No! We pull out the WD40, clean them up and take the time to sharpen them so they are almost new again.

The same goes for us spiritually. We really can’t afford to place our walk with the Lord on the shelf and have no concern as to how it will play out. Our brothers in Christ are like the WD40 and the church is like our sharpening block. How many church services or Bible studies can you skip before you begin to become dull and Christ’s light in you begins to fade? Personally, I have found that before I skip a weekend I make sure that I’m confident that it will not matter. I convince myself that I will not be missing anything and just being gone one weekend won’t make that much of a difference. Unfortunately once I do (even though I’m sure I had a good excuse) my focus just isn’t quite right the rest of the week. It isn’t until the next weekend when I’m able to sit in that familiar seat at church surrounded by those that share the same love for God, that I feel “right” again. We need each other and the fellowship of other Christians to combat the world and its devices. United we stand, divided we fall and falling should never be a deliberate choice.

How can you give yourself opportunities to be sharpened by the Word of God and your Brothers in Christ today?

How will you act as the WD40 to other brothers today?

End of the Day Review

Were you able to be sharpened by the Word of God and your Brothers in Christ today, if so, how did that happen?

How were you able to act as the WD40 to your brothers in Christ today?

January 18 2012

2012-01-15T19:54:00.000-08:00

Good or Godly?

Reading: I Timothy 4:7b-8, “Train yourself to be godly. 8 For 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.” [NIV]

I use to be one of those people who always had a smile on my face. In fact, I would have people ask me if there was ever a time that I wasn’t smiling. Smiles and laughter are infectious. I loved and still love to make people smile. It is an amazing feeling to see someone who appears to be having a bad day and being able to walk away having seen a smile overtake their face. But, I reached a point when God began to convict me. Smiling isn’t bad and making people smile, of course, is not bad. But, the overwhelming message that God would not let me shake from my thoughts was… how long does a smile last? Everyone thinks you’re nice and a good person when you’re happy and cheer other’s up. Not everyone enjoys someone who talks about God. All of a sudden the smile that you wanted to put on someone’s face becomes and awkward glance and an overwhelming feeling of discomfort. Yet, God knew in His loving way of convicting me… if I were to be and act godly, He can create a joy in the other person that could last a lifetime, whereas the smile that I would try to share, may only last a moment.

We have all known individuals who are not Christians, yet they appear to be a really good person. What makes us different? Unfortunately, it appears, not much is different. Demonstrating godliness can simply be being good and including God. For example, making someone smile but, further, talking to them about the joy that the Lord has given you. Buying someone a coffee but, further, letting them know that God laid it on your heart to do. Ask them how their day is going but, further, asking how you can be praying for them. To be godly… you must include God. Let’s not strive to be good today… let’s strive to be godly, because, as Paul said, you have to train yourself to be godly.

How do you feel God is leading you to be godly today and how can you include Him in everything today?

End of the Day Review

Did you strive to be godly today, to include God? If so, how did you do that?

How did this change the normal routine of your day and the way that you went about things?

January 17 2012

2012-01-15T19:53:00.000-08:00

Vapor

Reading: James 4:13-15, 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

Okay, men, is it just me or did something magical happen when we hit 30 years old to cause the hour glass of time to go from a little trickle to an all out gush. When you’re a kid, time cannot move fast enough and now that I have kids, I’m constantly looking for the “pause” button. How did this happen? But, our lives are truly like a vapor. It is a blink and it’s gone. If you won a prize and the prize was the ability to fill a shopping cart at your favorite store (yes, you can use Cabella’s for the illustration) with as much as you can get within a 15 minutes period, what would you do? Would you treat this particular trip to the store like you might when you go with your wife to one of her favorite stores, shuffling your feet, rolling your eyes, creeping around the store at a snail’s pace wondering when the pain will end? I highly doubt it. I am sure that we would get as much value as we possibly could in the short time that we had. Men, this life is no different. The shopping spree prize would be pointless if you couldn’t take any of the things with you outside of the store. We have a brief time on this earth, why do we spend so much time on things that just plainly do not have value and we will not be able to take with us anyways?

How can you focus on things that have eternal value and spend your time doing those today? What are some of those things?

The challenge today is… it’s only today… but, keep track of everything that you spend time doing today; write down what you did as you are doing it and how much time you spent.

End of the Day Review

After reviewing the list of things that you spent time doing and how much time you spend doing them, how much time was spent of things that have eternal value?

How much time was spent on things that do not have eternal value?

What was the difference and what are your thoughts?

January 16 2012

2012-01-15T19:52:00.000-08:00

He Notices

Reading: Matthew 10:29-31, 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

What do you spend time noticing throughout the day, the sport’s section of the paper, the internet, the stock market, emails you received, the list of things you have to get done, your family? What turns your head and makes you take note? Most of us take great care and notice in our hair and the way that we look. Let’s face it, some of us are pretty vein in our appearance. But, even the most vein amongst us, I am sure, have never taken the time to count every single hair on your head. I may take that back considering some of our less densely populated heads of hair; but, imagine how tedious and seemingly pointless it would be. But, that is the exact point that is stressed by Jesus in these three verses. God cares about you, even with the tedious and seemingly pointless. How many of you have seen a penny on the ground in the past year? How valuable was that to you? Were you quick to scoop it up and tuck it away, excited about the financial turning point that this penny would make in your life? But, a bird that is worth less than a penny is valuable to the One who owns more wealth than the entire world could provide. He notices you and He’s noticing you today?

What tedious and seemingly pointless things are you going through today?

Challenge #1: Every menial task that you are doing today, live in the remembrance that God notices and cares.

Challenge #2: If God cares that much about the small things about you, he also does about others, take time to care about the menial things in those around you. If God, who oversees the entire universe, cares about those things, so can you today.

REVIEW

How did living in the remembrance that God is noticing you and the little things in your day affect your day?

How were you able to take time to care about the small things in other people’s day?

January 15 2012

2012-01-08T20:43:00.001-08:00

CELEBRATION!

Reading: Psalm 112:1-3, 1Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands. 2 His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.

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?

January 14 2012

2012-01-08T20:42:00.002-08:00

January 13 2012

2012-01-08T20:42:00.001-08:00

A Good Name

Reading: Proverbs 22:1, A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.

What do you think of when I say the names… Clint Eastwood… OJ Simpson… Abraham Lincoln… Lee Harvey Oswald… Billy Graham… Bill Gates. It’s amazing the power of a name. The principle in this verse is becoming more and more estranged from where the world is continuing to head. People don’t care what you think of them as long as they are able to get their riches. Today, it doesn’t seem to matter how you get your riches, just as long as you get them. But, just remember, in the context of this verse, that you bear the name of Jesus Christ. It is not simply your name with which you are constantly developing a reputation.

As we reviewed the list of well known people and had thoughts and impressions of those individuals, what would people think of the name, Jesus Christ, if it were based on your reputation?

Write out a list of things that you would like people to think of when they think of your name:

Challenge: Value wearing the name of Jesus today and the impression you are leaving with others, in your demonstration of His name in your life.
Challenge: Review the list that you wrote above with the mindset of what you can do to demonstrate these attributes today to everyone, not just the people whom you care what they think, even those you may never see again.

REVIEW

How were you able to demonstrate wearing the name of Jesus today?

How did you live out the attributes that you would like people to think of when they think of your name?

January 12 2012

2012-01-08T20:41:00.000-08:00

Enough is Enough

Reading: 1Peter 4:3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.

At what point in our lives do we say “wow…what was I thinking”? Is it looking at our hair and clothes in old high school photos? Is it watching the video online of the thing you did in college? What things have made you think “what was I thinking”?

Of all the truly embarrassing moments in our lives, in how many of them are we ashamed to call ourselves Christian?

It’s time to be honest. If you were on a game show and hooked to a lie detector where would you place God amongst things such as possessions, drinking with friends, flirting with the opposite sex, money and other “joys” of this world? Would you deny any knowledge of God if someone offered you a million dollars to do so? I would hope your answer is no. We are Christians. Not elite in the way that we consider ourselves better than anyone else, but elite in the fact that we have the knowledge and ability to spread the Word of God. It’s never really easy being a Christian, but I don’t think it’s necessarily supposed to be. I am a Christian man and I will fight for my God. I will fight for my brothers. I will wield the double edge sword known as the Word of God. I have spent enough time living the life of a pagan. Now I will live the life God intended for me.

How can you separate yourself from the things of this world today?

How can you take a hold of your sword, the Word of God, today and use it?

End of the Day Review

How were you able to separate yourself from the things of this world today?

How were you able to take a hold of the Word of God and use it in your life today?

January 11 2012

2012-01-08T20:40:00.000-08:00

Why Fear Failure

Reading: Romans 8:14-15, 14For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

Why do we fear failure? When was the last time you saw a young boy jumping out of a tree house afraid of failing, heck no he knows he can do it. Don't misunderstand me I'm not counseling fool hearty acts. I'm just pointing out that worrying is a learned response. In today's world we learn early on that failing is a bad thing. From Kindergarten on we either pass or "fail", we get an 'A' or an 'F'. Even as adults we get an annual evaluation, someone else's judgment of how you are doing in your job. But is this the way God intended it to be? Teddy Roosevelt was quoted as saying "the only man that does not make a mistake is the man that does nothing". Thomas Edison when ask stated "I have not failed, I have just found 10,000 ways that it did not work". In Jesus' day how did they learn then? Well they didn't go to school, at least not as we do today. There was no social guidelines on what someone needed to learn to be a success. Jesus worked under his father in a sort of apprenticeship program. I'm sure that as he grew up he had many mistakes, but they were not looked at as failures. I can see it now the first time the young Son of Mary made his first wooden chair, maybe a little wobbly because one of the legs was a little short. Did his father tell him; "what a failure he was", "that he was never going to amount to anything if he keeps turning out work like that"? No I'm sure he just patiently showed him how to shorten the other three legs. In the bible we see that all of the greats, Moses, David, and Peter all failed at one time in their life. Did their heavenly Father brand them a complete failure no He patiently showed them how to succeed in his way. Maybe we should not be so worried about making the grade or being the big success at work. But instead look at our failures as ways God may be teaching us how He wants us to succeed, not how the world wants us.  What "failures" have you had in your life that may have just been mistakes that under God's apprenticeship program are ways He may be using to showing you His ways?  If you fail at one thing does it really mean you are a "total failure"?
End of the Day Review

How did you choose to do what is right today, no matter what?

What were the struggles with accomplishing this and how did this alter your day?

January 10 2012

2012-01-08T20:39:00.000-08:00

You Can Still Win

Reading: Proverbs 24:16, “16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.”

The competitors were getting ready to start the 600 meter dash at the 2008 Big 10 Track Championship. They took their marks, the gun fired and they were off and running. It would be 3 times around the 200 meter track. The first two laps yielded obvious first and second place runners in a dead heat. As they were coming up on their final lap, the favored runner was just starting to take the lead… but… suddenly, the crowd let out a gasp as the leader tripped on the shoe of the second place runner and tumbled to the ground. All 3 of the other runners jump clear from falling without missing a stride. In an instant, the runner jumped up and started running again. It would be a near impossibility, to start running from falling down with only 200 meters left to go in a race that has already been at a sprinter’s pace. The announcers begin discussing the new leaders of the race… and, midsentence makes a surprising discovery that the runner that had fallen was moving up closer and closer to the 3rd place runner… then, the crowd began to get louder and louder as they realize that it may be possible to catch the first two runners. The announcers become more and more animated as the runner who fell is now nearing the front of the pack… the entire place erupts in cheers as the runner crosses the line first. What an amazing come back!

The amazing thing about that runner is… they did not stop for one second to think about whether to get up… or whether to continue the race… and, men, the beauty of running our race with Christ… even when we fall, we can still win… not just finish… but WIN! Praise the Lord!!!

Men, what has tripped you up? What has caused you to fall?

Are you ready to jump back up and get into the race?

How can you do that today or make sure that, if you do fall today, to jump back up and keep running the race for Christ?

End of the Day Review

Were you able to get back up and get back in the race today?

How were you able to accomplish that and keep running?

Did you feel like you won today?

January 9 2012

2012-01-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

The Cookie Jar

Reading: Colossians 4:6, 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
John 13:35 – “35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Men, I have a confession, I use to sneak a lot of cookies after coming home from school when I was a kid. I know and understand now why mother’s wisely put cookies in a glass cookie jar… because it is very difficult to get a cookie without someone knowing about it. Over time, though, I mastered the art of opening our glass cookie jar. I would have to, first, gently wrap my fingers around the glass knob on top of the lid… and without moving it at all side to side… quickly lift the lid straight up as fast as I could. Aaaaahhhh… no sound… now, nothing is in my way of the fresh homemade chocolate chip cookies. Then, the task of putting the lid back down on the glass jar. I would put my fingers on either side, between the jar and the lid, and slowly let the skin of my fingers slide out while holding the side of the jar to deaden the sound. Once again, a cookie nab without getting caught. Now, I went through all of that not to teach you how to steal cookies. Rather, how much of all that effort do you think that I would go through if there weren’t chocolate chips in those cookies or, if I got into the jar and realized that my mom had put carrots or broccoli in it? Yeah… I would not be telling you of my mastery of breaking into the jar. Men, if there is no sweetness in our churches, if there’s no sweetness coming from our mouths as Christians, how do we expect the world to want to come to church or want what we have? What Paul and Jesus are saying in these passages is… we should actually be mostly chocolate chips with a splash of cookie. Let’s practice today being FULL of grace with some salt seasoning. By the way, the salt of the truth is essential. It’s the perfect blend of cookie and chocolate.

How can you prepare yourself to be full of grace today? (if you wait until a situation, it is too difficult to be ready to give grace, prepare ahead of time)

Love is infectious, how can you demonstrate love to one of your brothers today?

End of the Day Review

Were you able to be full of grace today, with some salt seasoning, if so, how were you able to demonstrate that?

What results were you able to see, if not in others, possibly in yourself?

December 25 2011 Marry Christmas

2011-12-17T22:15:00.001-08:00

CELEBRATION!

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?

December 24 2011

2011-12-17T22:14:00.002-08:00

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?

December 23 2011

2011-12-17T22:14:00.001-08:00

Tested and True

Reading: I Peter 1:6-7, 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Can you imagine walking into the hospital where you are scheduled for open heart surgery? They prep you, wheel you on the bed down to the room where the surgery will take place and then the surgeon comes in the room. “Good morning. I’m Dr. Morris. I will be performing your surgery this morning. Before we go any further, did the nurses come in and have you sign the waiver forms?” “Waiver forms?” you ask. “Oh, well, yes… you see… I have never performed open heart surgery. Actually, I haven’t performed any surgery.” Talk about needing a new heart after that announcement. After you catch your breath, you barely get the words out of your mouth, almost choking, “NEVER? But, you obviously had to have done some surgery during your schooling… right?” To which he responds, “Well, actually, no… but you have nothing to worry about… I graduated with a 4.0 gpa and tested the highest in my class.” How would you respond? How would you feel about this guy performing surgery on you, let alone, open heart surgery? This passage says that our faith is even more important than that! You having to “suffer grief in all kinds of trials” is to serve the purpose of strengthening your faith so that you can perform open heart surgery on the souls of men. The more your faith is tested, the stronger you will become in your faith and the more the world around you will begin to trust that your faith is true and genuine.

What grief and trials are you going through right now?

How can you use those trials today to strengthen your faith rather than get discouraged that you are experiencing them?
End of the Day Review

How were you able to handle your grief and trials today?

What impact did your perception of your struggles and trials have on your faith and what God is trying to do?

December 22 2011

2011-12-17T22:13:00.000-08:00

In the Way?

Reading: James 4:4b,6-8a, “do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” 7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

Have you ever had those days when it just seems like everyone is in your way? You may be driving and in a hurry and someone pulls out in front you. Now you’re boxed in going 10 miles an hour under the speed limit, then you have to stop by the store briefly. You turn to go down the aisle and even though you could normally fit a Mac truck down the aisle, there just happens to be people who apparently decided to send out invitations to everyone that they know to meet them right there in that spot in the store and there will be no way to get through in the near future and they really don’t seem to interested in stopping their conversation to let you through. You finally get your things… and go up to the front to check out and it sure seems as if they made a special announcement over the store PA that you could win a million dollars if you check out right now and get in line in front of THAT guy. Sometimes it just seems like everyone is in the way of trying to accomplish what you want to accomplish… whether it’s a project at work, or buying a house, or even serving the Lord. In this passage, though, it says, “draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” There is no one in your way of getting closer to God… no one. No one can get in your way to Him, if they do, it is only because you chose to put them there. Being “a friend of the world” is a choice to put them in your way of your relationship with Him.

What have you perceived as being in the way of you drawing closer to God?

What can you do to adjust or even remove those things today and focus on your relationship with God?

End of the Day Review

Were you able to adjust or remove those things in your life that has been hindering your relationship with God… if so, how did you accomplish that?

How did those adjustments impact your relationship with God today?

December 21 2011

2011-12-17T22:12:00.000-08:00

Sow & Reap

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?

December 20 2011

2011-12-17T22:11:00.000-08:00

Title Not Necessary

Reading: Amos 1:1, The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa—what he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.

You may be thinking, “Uh, okay… is this verse a mistake? Did you really mean to use this verse for a devotional?” Well, in fact, yes. It’s not an exciting verse, necessarily, but imagine this with me.

You are not a pastor. You are not a teacher. You are not an evangelist, or missionary, or prophet. Yet, you are approached by Billy Graham and he tells you that he would like for you to write a book that will be placed in a compilation of books for all churches all over the world to use as a guideline and recommended reading. I don’t know about you but, after I regained consciousness and stood back up, I would be asking, “Why me? I’m just a regular guy. I have a regular job and a regular life. Are you sure you have the right guy?” Here in this verse we have Amos, a writer of one of the 66 books of God’s Word. GOD’S WORD! God was the One that approached him to write the book, not Billy Graham. Amos was simply “one of the shepherds”. We so often get it in our heads that God uses kings, prophets, priests, pastors, etc. We get so stuck on titles but God doesn’t see a title, He sees the heart of willingness.

Men, God wants to use you in incredible ways, even if you are just “one of the tree trimmers” or “one of the office staff”. God wants to use YOU! Simply, let Him.

Take some time and ask God what He has for you to do and how He wants to use you. (remember… it’s not a matter of “selling yourself short”… this is God we’re talking about… no limitations)

What do you believe God is leading you to do with His power, today?

REVIEW

Did you do what God was leading you to do with His power?

How did this happen and how did God use you?

December 19 2011

2011-12-17T22:10:00.000-08:00

Reversal

Reading: Psalm 73:2-6; 9-14, 2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. 3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. 5 They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. 6 Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. 9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. 10 Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. 11 They say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?” 12 This is what the wicked are like— always carefree, they increase in wealth. 13 Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. 14 All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning. [NIV]
Have you ever felt this way, where the world seems to have it easier? Often we think, “I’m a Christian… I love the Lord… therefore, I should be blessed and the world should be cursed.” Why does it seem like the ones that cheat, steal, manipulate the system, etc. seem to prosper and we have to work so hard to get anywhere or just to keep our head above the water? Why does it seem like they have it easier? Sometimes it just seems like everything is reversed. I love how the author of Psalm 73, Asaph, comes back around as he states, “16 When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me 17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. 18 Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.” “23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.” It is truly amazing what simply coming into His presence will do for our perspective… offering clarity to see the value in the eternal rather than the temporary.
Challenge: Take some time today to enter into His presence, preferably to start your day with the proper perspective. Spend some quality time, literally basking in His presence, thinking and meditating on Him. Ask Him to reveal the value of the eternal today rather than dwelling on the temporary successes of others.

End of the Day Review

How did you spend time entering into His presence?

How did that impact your day and your perspective on the eternal rather than temporary values?

December 18 2011

2011-12-14T19:12:00.001-08:00

CELEBRATION!

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?

December 17 2011

2011-12-14T19:11:00.002-08:00

December 16 2011

2011-12-14T19:11:00.001-08:00

Praise & Adoration

Reading: I Chronicles 29:10-13, 10 David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. 11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. 12 Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. 13 Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

It seems like this is one area in which we don’t feel comfortable and/or we don’t know how to praise and adore God. There we don’t do it. I struggled for years with this, thinking that praising God was simply saying, “Thank you”. But, it is so much more than that. True praise and adoration is exactly what David does in this passage. If you look at what he says to God in verse 11, don’t you think God already knows these things about Himself? So, why would praise and adoration be important then? Jesus himself, in teaching us to pray, started off with praise and adoration, “Hallowed be Your name... your kingdom come…. your will be done.” When God knows what we are thinking and He knows everything that is in our heart, why would we have to verbally praise and adore Him? Romans 10:11 says, “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” Again, why is this important if He already knows our heart and our thoughts?

Men, it is no different than offering a sacrifice or our money to Him… He doesn’t need it. If you do not already practice praising and adoring God, you should try it. You will be amazed at what it will do for you when you verbally acknowledge God, His greatness, His truth, His love, His faithfulness, etc. and you will begin to realize how much He truly means to you.

Take some time right now and write out praise and adoration toward God and then speak it to Him. Try to include that throughout your day.
End of the Day Review

Were you able to take time throughout your day and praise and adore God?

How did you go about praising Him?

What impact did that make on your day?

December 15 2011

2011-12-14T19:10:00.000-08:00

Brazen Branches

Reading: John 15:4-5, 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

We have a Bradford Pear tree that is located only about 5 feet in front of our house. When we first moved in, we had to have a dead tree removed and each tree service that we spoke with stated that it would be essential to cut the Bradford Pear tree back. I learned that they are very well known for their branches breaking because the branches become disproportionate in size and location and tend to break from being too big for the location in which it is growing. This typically happens after the tree has matured for many years.

This verse reminds me of how similar we can be to the Bradford Pear tree. We find our strength and growth in God and His Son. But, as time goes on and as we have matured in Him, somehow we forget what our purpose is and we somehow begin to believe that we have something to do with our growth. But, men, God will not allow us to attempt to become bigger than He is. Unfortunately, the bigger we get with pride and arrogance that somehow we had something to do with our successes and growth, He will have to remind you that He is your life source and, unfortunately, it may be through being broken. Be careful not to be bigger than the tree itself.

Men, be honest, have you lost sight of where your successes and growth have come from? (before we quickly brush it off to be done with the devotional for today… really think about every aspect of your life… have you?)
If so, in what ways have you lost sight of that and how has that been demonstrated in your life?

How can you stay connect to Christ and let Him receive all the glory, praise and honor in your life for your successes, status or accomplishments?

End of the Day Review

How were you able to give all the praise, honor and glory to God today?

In your mind, heart and spirit, were you able to maintain a sense of humility that you are the result of what God is doing in your life, rather than YOUR accomplishments?

December 14 2011

2011-12-14T19:09:00.001-08:00

Your Roots

Reading: Colossians 2:6-8, 6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

As we understand that it is up to us how rich and prepared our soil is for the seeds that God is planting in our hearts and lives, we see how rich and plentiful the soil and fruit is in other Christian’s lives. As we do, we want to share soil with them because we see the results. Many times these are pastors, teacher or mentors. Men, what happens when one tree that is already established has another growing right next to it? Exactly… the tree that has just started growing or grows in the shadows of the larger tree does not get nearly the nutrients or “Son-light” that it needs. More dangerous still is the fact that the roots become intertwined. The reason that this is so dangerous is because when the larger tree is uprooted or cut down and removed, guess what happens. That’s right… the others come with it that have been clumped together. Men, this is exactly how church splits occur… this is exactly how people fall away from the Lord when a pastor or someone who you respect has fallen into sin. These verses are extremely invaluable to you and to our churches today. If you truly have received Christ Jesus, walk in HIM, not in anyone else. Let your roots sink deeper and deeper into Him and nothing or anyone else. This is when you will be established and strengthened and you will become an “oak” of faith. I have seen too many fall flat on their face, not to rise again for many years, with many hurts and scars because they chose to use someone else’s soil and let their roots grow into a man, instead of Christ.

Where are your roots? Do you want a test? If the godly man you admire the most fell into sin or left or said something hurtful to you, would it affect your relationship with God and your walk with Him, if so, how much would it?

Really evaluate it… it’s not too late to be transplanted into Christ. How can you start that process today?

End of the Day Review

How were you able to evaluate whether your roots are established in Christ?

How were you able to grow and strengthen your roots in Him today?

December 13 2011

2011-12-14T19:08:00.002-08:00

Your Soil

Reading: Mark 4.3-9, 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.”

Anytime that I read this passage or heard this passage taught, I had the perception that the seed is tossed on the soil and it being rocky, or thorny, or dry, etc. is just what it is, there is no consideration for it being made that way or a possibility that it could be any different. If you are going to prepare the soil, of course, it should be good soil for seed… but these soils were not. Why? The preparation of the soil, the nature of the soil, the richness of the soil is completely up to us, the soil. We have the right and the ability to choose which soil we are. We have the choice to let go of the “rocky” hardness of our heart from the bitterness of past hurts. We have the choice to eliminate the thorns and weeds of our sin that can choke out the good that God is attempting to grow in your life. We have the choice to dig more deeply into God’s Word so that the world cannot snatch away through lies, deceit and human reasoning the seeds that God is planting in your life. You have the choice to work at being the good soil, constantly ready for the seeds that God is attempting to plant in your life. Although hurts, temptations and other influences are a part of our life; we must maintain a focus that the singular purpose of the soil is to be ready for the seeds that God is sowing.

How is your soil? Evaluate the soil of your heart… are their rocks of unforgiveness or weeds/thorns of sin that have grown, if so, what are they?

How can you prepare the soil of your heart for the seeds that God will be planting today?

End of the Day Review

Were you able to cultivate your soil and eliminate the enemies of maintaining healthy soil, if so, how?

Were you able to see and understand the seeds that God was planting in your heart today? What were they and how did you respond?

December 12 2011

2011-12-14T19:08:00.001-08:00

Heavenly Forgiveness

Reading: Ephesians 4:32, 32Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. [NASB]
Matthew 6:12, Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
I John 3:16, This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. [NIV]

Often, it is difficult to imagine how it will be in heaven? Can you try to imagine, though, how forgiveness will look in heaven? You will have Uriah the Hittite in the same place that King David will be, when David slept with Uriah’s wife, got her pregnant and, then, if that wasn’t enough, he set him up to be killed “in battle”. If it weren’t for the fact that the Bible says that we will be changed to be like Christ in heaven, I can just imagine Uriah, sitting in his golden chair across from David, with the squinting look and the “I’m watching you” gesture… for all eternity. Then, you have Stephen who will be in the same place as Saul who stood there holding the coats of the men who were stoning him to death. But, then there’s you… standing there in heaven with whip in one hand and hammer in another, with head hung low out of shame for beating Jesus and nailing Him to the cross as a result of your sin. Yet, Jesus would walk over to you and say, “Oh, you don’t need those here. I forgave you a long time ago. No need to keep holding onto it.” Imagine the level of forgiveness that we will be able to experience… but, what about the forgiveness that you will need to give to those who hurt you severely but are also in heaven? According to these verses, we shouldn’t be waiting until heaven to forgive those people and love them… today, you can offer pure, heavenly forgiveness to those who have wronged and hurt you.

Who has hurt you to a level that makes it difficult to truly forgive them?

Why would being in heaven make a difference in your purity of forgiveness?

How can you apply that same outlook and forgiveness today to those who have hurt you?
End of the Day Review

How were you able to forgive those who have hurt you and how were you able to demonstrate that forgiveness?

How did you feel after offering pure, heavenly forgiveness?

December 11 2011

2011-12-04T19:56:00.002-08:00

CELEBRATION!

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?

December 10 2011

2011-12-04T19:56:00.001-08:00

Bible Study #3
Character Bible Study

Bible Character: Titus

What are the key Scripture passages associated with this character?
II Corinthians 2:13; 7:6-14; 8:6-23; 12:18; Galatians 2:1-3; II Timothy 4:10; the Book of Titus

Give a brief description of what was going on sociologically during that historical time (A.D. 49-65) and possibly about the area in which he was living:

What were a few of his greatest strengths?

How did he use these strengths for God?

What impact did it make?

What were a few of his greatest weaknesses or struggles?

Did they acknowledge these weaknesses or struggles and/or confess them, if so, how?

Describe his key encounter(s) with God?

Who were his key friends and were they a help or hindrance?

How did he influence others?

What is a key lesson from his life that you can apply to your life?

End of the Day Review

How?

What?

December 9 2011

2011-12-04T19:55:00.002-08:00

He’s Got It

Reading: Exodus 15:22, 24, 27 22 Then Moses led Israel from the red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. 24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink? Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water. Exodus 17:1-2, 1 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin… They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” - NIV

Many of us already know the story of Israel leaving Egypt and journeying to their new home, the “Promise Land”. Israel had between 2-3 million people. The daily needs of water supply, especially traveling in desert regions, became a pre-planned necessity. Typically, Israel was found grumbling and complaining about the apparent lack of planning. Constantly, they were saying, “Okay, Moses, you brought us out here and obviously, you must not have had a real clear plan or just didn’t think through what it would be like to move 2-3 million people and what our needs would be.” God could have very easily given them a map and said, “Okay, to move 2-3 million people you should be able to travel 30 miles and you can see the building marked on your map that indicates the rest area, which includes a food and drink station.” He’s God… He could have done that. But, if He did, would they have learned to look to God to meet their needs? Instead, they were able to witness God’s hand meeting their specific need. He already knows when you’re walking in the desert of life, men, and that you will need His refreshing. We don’t need to see our rest area marked on our life’s map but we do need to look to Him and trust that He’s got it. He wants you to see Him meet your specific need.

First, just like the Israelites saw God’s power in previous events, what has God done for you to show His hand in your life?

In what “desert” are you walking through and how will you look to God to meet your needs and trust Him that He’s got it?
End of the Day Review

How were you able to look to God to meet your needs today?

How did God show Himself to you through your needs?

December 8 2011

2011-12-04T19:55:00.001-08:00

Facing the Sun

Reading: Hebrews 12:2, “2Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” [NASB]

On my way to work every morning, I pass a huge field of sunflowers. It is truly amazing to see, all of the sunflowers standing at attention with their bright yellow faces of flowers aimed directly at the sun as it rises, almost as if they waited the whole night just for that moment. The amazing thing about sunflowers, though, is that they follow the sun the entire day to absorb as much sunlight as they can. My mind immediately wondered what the world would look like if all of the Christians acted the same way. How amazing it would be to see Christians greet the day as if they spent the whole night in anticipation of seeing the Son and all throughout the day their faces are constantly following the Son as if their life, their energy, their very existence depended on it.

May we as a Band of Brothers be like that field of sunflowers, instead of all facing our own way doing our own thing… may everyone that passes us be able to see that we, as a huge field of Christian men, are standing together with our eyes fixed on the Son.

How can you be sure to fix your eyes on the Son today, throughout the entire day, as if your life, your energy your very existence depends on it (because… as a Christian man… it does)?

How can you encourage other brothers to be unified with you, today, with your focus on Christ?

REVIEW

Were you able to keep your focus on the Son today?

Were you able to encourage other brothers to be jointly focused on Christ today?

If so, how did this impact your day?

December 7 2011

2011-12-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

Checkup #2

Reading: Philippians 1:3-6, 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It has been 2 months since the men’s conference. It’s time for another checkup. Now is when it typically becomes a little more difficult. The seeds of the old sin can start taking root again, if we are not careful. Here’s our check-up.

What decision did you make for God at the Conquest men’s conference?

Do you have 2 or 3 men that you have been talking to about your decision(s)?

When is the last time that you spoke to someone about your decision(s)?

Have you struggled over the past month with the same sin or the decision you made at the conference? If so, in what ways have you struggled?

Also, what steps can you take to get back on track with your decision?

If you have found complete victory from your sin or struggle from the conference, in what ways can you help others who may be struggling with the same thing?

End of the Day Review

If you have still been struggling, how were you able to take steps today to get back on track?

If you have found complete victory, how were you able to help someone today who may be struggling with the same thing?

December 5 2011

2011-12-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

Fear?

Reading: Hebrews 13:5b-6, “For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

We live in a society that is full of fear mongering, which means,“the use of fear to influence the opinions and actions of others towards some specific end”. Why has it become so prevalent? Well, fear tends to produce a natural reaction of an exaggerated response to protect yourself from the potential danger. The reality? There is a lot of power in producing fear in people to get a desired response. We are surrounded by fearful things. Look at how far that we have come. When I was young, there were four of us kids and we all crammed into a Plymouth Champ, which seemed to be a little bigger than a smart car is today. I, being the youngest, would often sit in the hatch back. Also, our cribs were covered in lead-based paint, there were no childproof lids, it was fun to ride in the back of a pickup truck, we drank out of a garden hose, we shared drinks with our friends out of the same bottle, we ate white bread and real butter and drank and ate things with real sugar in it. We ate mud pies and toads peed on our hands. We picked candy up off of the sidewalk and still ate it… and ya know what? We are still alive to tell about it. We were able to go down the street to play and there weren’t cell phones for our parents to get a hold of us every second. We weren’t afraid of doing things that might give us cuts, scrapes and bruises. But, over time, fears have squeezed us into a tighter and tighter box. The devil is a fear monger. The world is full of them as well. They know that with fear comes control and there is only One under whose control we are to remain; and the beauty of that is, under His control, we know that He always has our best interest in mind, unlike the world and the devil.

In what ways are you experiencing fear, today? What are you afraid of?

How can you rest throughout your day in the fact that He has promised that He will never leave you nor forsake you?

End of the Day Review

What things happened today that would normally cause or produce fear in your?

Were you able to remember that He is with you even in those situations, if not, why; if yes, how?

December 4 2011

2011-11-27T21:37:00.002-08:00

CELEBRATION!

Reading: Psalm 135:1-3, 1 Praise the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD; praise him, you servants of the LORD, 2 you who minister in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God. 3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.

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?

December 3 2011

2011-11-27T21:37:00.001-08:00

Be a Blessing!

Reading: Matthew 25:35-40, "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.' “Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.' (the Message)

We don't have to wait for a natural disaster such as Katrina or the flooding in Tennessee or the earthquake in Japan to be willing to render aid to people who are hurting. We also don't have to wait for the church to ask us to help with a coat or a backpack drive to get involved in helping someone.

Josh Wilson in his song "I Refuse" say's, “I don't want to live like I don't care; I don't want to say another empty prayer; Oh, I refuse to sit and wait for someone else, to do what God has called me to do myself; I could choose not to move, but I refuse."

We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus. There are needs all around us if we are willing to see them. Be led by the Holy Spirit and be a blesser today! Romans2:13, says "merely hearing God's law is a waste of your time if you don't do what He commands. Doing, not hearing, is what makes the difference with God.” (the Message)

How can you be a blessing or make a difference to someone today?

Is there someone in particular God is laying on your heart and mind?
End of the Day Review

How were you able to be a blessing or make a difference to someone today?

What impact did that have on you and/or on the person that you helped?

December 2 2011

2011-11-27T21:36:00.000-08:00

The Temple

Reading: I Corinthians 3:16-17, 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. [NKJV]

“You are the temple of God”… “YOU are the temple of God!” Let that sink in for a moment. King Solomon, when he gathered all of Israel together at the completion of the temple, he blessed the people and then he stood in front of the alter of God, spread out his hands and prayed in front of the people, “…But will God really dwell on earth with men? The heavens, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, O Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence. May your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name there.” (II Chronicles 6:18-20). Oh, that this would be our prayer, knowing that WE are now the temple of God. To think that the entire universe cannot contain Him, yet He chooses to live with and even live within us.

Let us as men, bow before God and pray together, today… “Will God really dwell on earth with men? The heavens, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this temple You have made! Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, O Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence. May Your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which You said You would put your Name there.”

How do you need to cleanse and prepare your temple today to make it a “holy” dwelling for Him?

How do you want His Name to be presented today by your temple?
End of the Day Review

How did you present the Name and temple of God today?

What impact did this have on you and those with whom you came in contact?

December 1 2011

2011-11-27T21:35:00.000-08:00

Branch Basics

Reading: John 15:4-5, 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

Recently, I heard a man say something that was amazingly simply and yet incredibly deep. He asked, “How hard does a branch have to work to produce fruit?” I immediately pictured an animation of a branch turning a shade of red as it pushed and pushed until all of a sudden, “Pop!” Fruit starts bursting out of the branch. The gentleman quickly followed up with, “The branch doesn’t have to work hard at all, it simply has to make sure to stay connected to the tree. That is its singular and only responsibility”. So many times, we make life so much for difficult than what it should be. We work so hard for the perception. When we lose our “leaves” (loss of a job, loss of a spouse, rebellious child, depression, etc.), we struggle; we feel inadequate; we are bothered with the thought of what others may think. Yet, when you drive past a tree, do you comment about how gorgeous that branch looks? Of course not… it’s all about the tree. Cut a branch off and the branch will die. The tree? It will continue to grow and feed the branches as long as it remains alive. Men, Jesus IS ALIVE! He will always produce and feed the branches but you as a branch simply have to make sure to stay attached to Him, to grow in Him. You will still have times that you lose your leaves but, in Him, you can trust that it is only a season, there will always be a spring… new leaves… new growth in your life. All you have to do is remain in Him.

Are you going through a time right now where you’ve lost your “leaves”? What are you struggling with?

How can you have a singular focus today of simply remaining in Him and focusing on growing in Him today?

End of the Day Review

How were you able to focus on simply remaining and growing in Him today?

How did that impact your day and your perspective on things?

November 30 2011

2011-11-27T21:34:00.002-08:00

Study What?

Reading: II Timothy 2:15, “Study to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Did you know that based upon Revelations 20:4-6 it is impossible for there to be a pre-tribulation rapture? Before you throw the devotional book down because you disagree… take some time to read the passage. Don’t just take my word for it. This devotional is not to convince you that there is or is not a pre-tribulation rapture. It is to serve a much deeper purpose and that is to encourage you to study and to know what the Bible says. Often, we study or read the Bible just to the point that we agree and then we stop. Our mentality is, “See? I found it… the passage that says what I agree with.” Why do we have such a difficult time with those who disagree with us and what the Bible says? Can you imagine what Christianity would look like if, instead of agreeing to disagree, or instead of constantly arguing with one another because of our disagreements, we actually decide to sit down and study it out to see what God has to say about the topic? Instead, we go by what we already know is in the Bible, instead of digging deeper in the Word or we go by what we have been told, and it just so happens that we agree with that. Proverbs 27:17, says, “As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” Sharpening iron takes some friction but in today’s Christian world we don’t push each other deeper into the Word to sharpen us because of a difference of opinion. As soon as there is friction due to a difference of opinion, we part ways. Men, let’s be men of the Word of God. Let’s, through our disagreements, sharpen our swords to become stronger warriors together. It will take a measure of humility to let the Bible simply say what it says, instead of making it be what you want it to be. I hope that when you read the first sentence, it made you want to pull out your Bible, read it and study it; instead of close the devotional book and be done with it. If you wanted to study, you’re already on your way and, if not, don’t study my words, study HIS.

How can you find or make time to study, not just read, the Word today?

Who can you seek out with whom to study a topic on which you may disagree?
End of the Day Review

Were you able to seek someone out with whom you may have disagreed and agreed to study the Word together on the topic in question?

Did you make time to study the Word of God today?

November 29 2011

2011-11-27T21:34:00.001-08:00

The Gateway

Reading: II Corinthians 10:4-5, 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

Ever since 9-11, people have complained about airport security. Can you imagine, though, what it would be like in an airport if there was no such thing as a random check… that every single person that came through was pulled aside for a thorough, pat-down search? You would probably have to go to the airport about 5 hours early just to make your flight but, at the same time, airlines would probably go out of business. This is the exact dilemma that we tend to run into. We are required to pull each thought aside, “into captivity”, and do a thorough, pat-down search to see if there is anything hidden that could be used as a terrorist attack on your faith and righteousness, although, we do not have the “time” to do so. Yet, just like it took some time to get use the heightened security after 9-11, it works the same with the security of our mind and thoughts. It takes a while at first but it can and should become second nature after a while. Then, there may be times that the “threat” level is increased due to the temptations growing stronger.

Some may say, “What is the big deal? My thoughts aren’t hurting anyone.” But, men, the mind is the gateway to actions. You are the gatekeeper. You are the sentry that is standing guard and is responsible and will be accountable for what enters and exits. Any action that does not go through the gateway of the mind is called an accident. Accidents do happen. Anything that entered the mind and an action occurred as a result is not an accident and it is your responsibility. Where the mind goes, action will inevitably follow.

What are some things that have been getting past the check point of your mind?

How can you get rid of those potential security threats and do better at standing guard?

End of the Day Review

How were you able to clean out some of the security breaches of your mind?

How were you able to maintain the protection of your mind and what steps did you take?

November 28 2011

2011-11-27T21:33:00.000-08:00

Enjoy the Run

Reading: Hebrews 12:1-2, 1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I remember when I was in 6th grade, our varsity baseball team was heading out to practice and I got to go with them that day. The baseball team usually practiced on a field a few miles down the road. On the way there, everyone walked but, after practice, the coach had the team to run back to the school. Well, I thought it was fantastic because I would be running with them, almost as if I was really practicing with the varsity baseball team. How cool was that? I ran and ran, like most kids who can run almost all day. A lot of the baseball team couldn’t keep running the whole way but I was so excited to be with them, I wasn’t even thinking about it. After we got back, the baseball coach was so impressed he asked me if I wanted to be on the varsity cross country team. I was ecstatic! We got to the first cross country meet and, there was no feeling of being ecstatic, it was cold, it was rainy, it was muddy and I couldn’t keep running. I came in dead last, in fact, I think they got a little concerned that I got lost in the woods that we had to run through. To say the least, I was not asked back. The same has held true over time… running sprints and laps in practice is grueling but put a ball in front of me and I could run for a couple hours. Why? It’s the mindset… because with a ball, its fun… just running is work. Running with the varsity team was exciting… running in the rain, mud and cold was work. Men, our race in life is the exact same way, we are to keep our eyes on Christ who actually found joy in the race that He had to run and it was a lot worse than rain, mud or cold. Yet, He found joy in it. I have a feeling no matter what happens today we can find joy in our life race. And, guess what? I can guarantee that it will not be as difficult because you, not only get to run with the varsity (“the cloud of witnesses”), you get to run with the King.

How can you find joy in your race today?

End of the Day Review

Were you able to find joy in your race, if so, how?

What impact did finding the joy in your race make in your life today?

November 27, 2011

2011-11-20T21:12:00.001-08:00

CELEBRATION!

Reading: Psalm 138:1-3, 1 I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the "gods" I will sing your praise. 2 I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. 3 When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.

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?

November 26, 2011

2011-11-20T21:10:00.000-08:00

Bible Study #2
Topical Bible Study

Topic

With a Topical Bible study, it will be important to use either a Bible Concordance or go online for a Biblical word/topic search. Some Bibles even have a concordance in the back. You can select a topic in the Bible and look in the concordance for all of the passages in which that topic is discussed. You can then see a common denominator for the way that the word/topic is used in the Bible, then answer the following questions.

What questions do you have about the topic, prior to beginning your study?

Dictionary Definition:
(Circle the definition that best fits the direction of your Bible study)

Key Verses & Key Words associated with the topic:

What role did this topic play in the Old Testament?

What role did this topic play in the New Testament?

What role does this topic play in a Christian’s life?

What role does this topic play in the non-Christian’s life?

Is this topic relevant today and what role can and should it play today?

Your impression of a Biblical definition of the topic:

Were all of your original questions answered regarding the topic?

What role can this topic play in your life and how can you communicate that to others?

November 25, 2011

2011-11-20T21:09:00.001-08:00

She’s Hot!

Reading: I Peter 3:1-6, 1 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. 3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

Isn’t it amazing that when we read the Bible we tend to read and comprehend the things that sound the best to us. For instance, we can tend to read a passage like this “WIVES, likewise, be SUBMISSIVE TO YOUR HUSBANDS (oh, yeah… that’s right), that even if some do not obey the word (or do what she thinks I should do), they, WITHOUT A WORD” (wow… so far, loving this passage)… “Do not let your adornment be merely outward”… yeah, yeah, yeah… okay. We read and got what we wanted out of the passage but when it comes to verse 3 and 4, we can pass over it pretty easily because, pretty much, we can read it as, “Wives, do not be hot!” We can tend to gloss right over that because, hey, in our society today our wife is suppose to be “hot”. And, if she does or doesn’t look hot, you will notice those women who pass by you throughout your day. We may love the idea of her submitting… but do you love, admire and even “check out” her “hidden person of the heart”, her inner beauty? How do we expect to be the spiritual leaders that God has called us to be, if we place such a high value on whether a woman or our wife looks “hot”.

What do you notice about your wife or other women if you’re not married?

Ask God to help you see beyond the physical. How can you minimize the outward beauty and see the treasure and value of her inner beauty?
End of the Day Review

How were you able to focus on the inward beauty of your wife and minimize the notice of outward beauty in her or other women?

How did that impact your view and perception of your wife and other women?

November 24, 2011

2011-11-20T21:08:00.002-08:00

Give Thanks

Reading: Psalm 35:18, 18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you.
Ephesians 1:15-16, 15For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

Even if you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, or have an extremely busy day ahead of you, or are going through a difficult time or are just plainly not in a good mood this morning, today is a day to thank the Lord and thank others. It is amazing what finding things to be thankful for can do for your perspective on your day.

What are you thankful for that God has done for you?

What attribute of God are you most thankful for today and why?

What will you do today to demonstrate your thankfulness to God?

What are you thankful for that someone else has done for you?

What attribute in someone else’s life are you most thankful for today and why?

What will you do today to demonstrate your thankfulness to others?

REVIEW

What did you do today to demonstrate your thankfulness to God?

What did you do today to demonstrate your thankfulness to others?

November 23, 2011

2011-11-20T21:08:00.001-08:00

Unconditional Love

Reading: I John 4:10-12, 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

I thought I knew what unconditional love was. I had heard about it all my life and knew God’s demonstration of that love. But, I never truly grasped it. I never truly understood it. I never truly experienced the real meaning until the first time I was able to look down on our little baby girl. There she lay. She had no ability to do anything for me. She had no experience to offer me. She had no help or assistance to give me. All she could do was produce extra work, sleep deprived nights, gross diapers, ears filled with cries and screams, constant bottle consumption, time taken away from alone time with my wife, and a lot of money spent on the million things a baby needs, and I loved it. I still remember the first time that I was able to stand over her crib and watch her sleep. I choked up with tears and my mind immediately went to the realization of God’s unconditional love for me as His child. Men, there is nothing you can do that will cause God to love you less.

Men, there is nothing that your brother in Christ has done to you that would surpass the gravity of what you have done to God in forcing His hand to send His Son to have to suffer and die for you. Unbelievable, unconditional love. So, how can we withhold unconditional love amongst our Christian family?

Who have you been withholding unconditional love from and why?

How will you be sure to demonstrate unconditional love to “love one another”?
REVIEW

How did you demonstrate unconditional love to “one another” today?

How did this impact your relationship and your perception of your Christian family?

November 22, 2011

2011-11-20T21:07:00.000-08:00

Was It Worth It?

Reading: I Corinthians 2:9, 9However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"

I’m sure we have all been asked or have asked someone at some point, “Was it worth the wait?” But, with heaven, it’s typically not the waiting, it’s the living beforehand. Can you imagine someday when we are ushered into heaven and into the presence of our Lord? The Bible says that, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” I truly believe that a large part of the tears that will be shed on that day that He will wipe away our tears will be from regret. Paul told the Corinthians that you can’t even begin to imagine what God is preparing for us. I love the song, “I Can Only Imagine”, but I believe that there is one thing that I know. I know I will begin to ask myself, “Was it worth it?” Now that I’m here and can see all the incredible things that God had prepared for me, was it worth it? Was it worth constantly going back to and holding on to the sin that Jesus had already defeated for me? Was it worth the selfish decisions that I made day after day? Was it worth all the work that I did for temporary gain and monetary values that mean nothing here? Was it worth not sharing His message due to embarrassment or working harder to bring more people with me to this splendor and truly experience His glory? Was it worth it? Really… was it worth it?

Men, today, we have the ability to minimize our regret in the future.

Challenge: Today, constantly, all throughout your day, ask yourself, “Is this worth it?” with the reality of heaven in our focus.

What are some things that you may need to do differently, to make it worth it?
REVIEW

Did you constantly ask yourself throughout the day, “Is this worth it?”

If yes, how did this influence your day and what adjustments did you need to make from your typical day?

November 21 2011

2011-11-20T21:06:00.000-08:00

Keep‘em Spinning

Reading: Galatians 5:22-23, 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (NIV)

I don’t know about you guys… but there are times that I really struggle. I feel like I have just got a plate spinning nicely up on a stick. Then, someone comes along to say, “Hey, you are suppose to have this plate spinning too.” So, I start spinning that plate. Meanwhile, the first plate starts to wobble, so I quickly try to get the first one spinning faster again before it falls off. Then, I just get the 2 spinning together, not as fast as they should be spinning, but, hey, they’re spinning… and someone else comes along and says, “Oh, no… you’re suppose to have this plate spinning too.” Now, I’m starting to feel a bit of pressure. This keeps happening until I have 9 plates spinning and I feel like I’m running back and forth between plates and the only thing that I’m doing is just trying to keep the plates from falling… I’m not really spinning them well. Sometimes those 9 plates are similar to the fruits of the Spirit. You hear someone say that you should be spinning the plate of “love”, so you start to spin and someone else says that you should be working on the joy of the Lord, so you start to spin that plate. One by one, you are told that you should be working on having peace, being patient, being more kind, demonstrating goodness, maintaining faithfulness, being gentle and, for goodness sakes, be self-controlled. And, now, you’re spinning all 9 plates… but, you see patience slipping, so you run over to get that spinning again, and so on. Men, this passage states that it is a FRUIT! It is a result of the Spirit of God within you. These things are merely a gauge as to how much you are living in the Spirit… one plate. All you have to do is focus on the one plate of living in the Spirit and HE spins the rest. What a relief!

In what area of the 9 fruits of the Spirit are you lacking right now?

What can you do today to focus, not on that fruit, but on living and walking with and in the Spirit today?

End of the Day Review

How were you able to focus on living and walking with and in the Spirit of God today?

How were you able to see it help produce or enhance the fruit of the Spirit?

November 20 2011

2011-11-13T21:22:00.002-08:00

CELEBRATION!

Reading: Psalm 138:4-8, 4 May all the kings of the earth praise you, O LORD, when they hear the words of your mouth. 5 May they sing of the ways of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD is great. 6 Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. 8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands.

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?

November 19 2011

2011-11-13T21:22:00.001-08:00

November 18 2011

2011-11-13T21:21:00.002-08:00

His Presence

Reading: Psalm 139:7-12, 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”

I don’t know about you but when I am driving down the road and I glance to the side and see a police car, my heart begins to race. Then it transitions into another physical response by running through a checklist: what’s my speed, do I have my seatbelt on, do I have my cell phone in my hand? But, when you see in your review mirror that he’s not pulling out after you and you’re at a “safe distance” you relax and stop thinking about making sure you’re doing everything right. Now, imagine, he DID pull out and began following you. How do you drive and how do you perform in that situation?

God says that He is with you wherever you are. Everywhere! Yes, with you as you sit down in front of your TV or your computer… with you in the dark, with you in your car, with you when you think no one else is with you or looking, or would ever know.

Today, take Jesus with you everywhere you go. Everywhere! Although God IS everywhere… today… welcome Him with you everywhere you go and involve Him in everything you do.

Go through your schedule of your day, how can you involve God all throughout your day? (be specific)

What would you normally do today that you would need to change, with Jesus looking over your shoulder? (be honest… He already knows)

REVIEW

What did you do different today with Jesus right by your side?

How did this affect you?

November 17 2011

2011-11-13T21:21:00.001-08:00

Refer Back

Reading: Matthew 22:34-39, “34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” [NIV]

Have you ever heard the saying or read a t-shirt or coffee mug on which it was printed, “Rule #1: I am always right. Rule #2: if you have any questions, simply refer back to rule number 1”? God knows us so incredibly well… He, in His infinite wisdom, already knows exactly what we need to get us where we need to go and how to get there. I look at these verses in the same way as the previous saying, because once you get to command #2, “love your neighbor as yourself” all you have to do is refer back to command #1. Command #2 is simply a reminder. Because if you truly are loving God with all of your heart and all of your soul and all of your mind, it does not leave room for anyone else, except for God. Yet, God knows that if you do that you will, without a doubt, love your neighbor as yourself… because He will produce that in you. So, loving your neighbor as yourself is a great gauge as to your level and holistic love for God. So, let’s test that a little bit.

Do you love your neighbor as yourself?
… even the guy at work that drives you up a wall? …even the person that cut you off on the road? …even the neighbor that is constantly loud or has annoying pets or children? Do you love them as you love yourself?

How do you demonstrate your love for yourself?

How can you demonstrate your love for your “neighbor” today?

End of the Day Review

How were you able to demonstrate your love for your “neighbor” today?

What was their response?

How did it impact you or make you feel?

November 16 2011

2011-11-13T21:20:00.000-08:00

All Your Soul

Reading: Matthew 22:34-38, “34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.” [NIV]

Usually we can easily understand “love the Lord… with all your heart… and mind” but love the Lord with all your soul? Now, remember this is the greatest commandment... within 66 books… this is the greatest thing to know and follow… so, pretty important. That being the case, let’s dig into it a little bit. The Greek word in this passage for “soul” is “psuche”, which means “breath, life, lives, person, persons, soul, souls.” It is who you are… you as a person. We have 3 parts: body, soul and spirit. As an illustration of the roles that these 3 parts play, as a car, the body would be, obviously, the body; the soul would be the interior and the engine; and the spirit would be the steering wheel, the accelerator and the brake. The soul is what makes you run or, in another sense, what makes you tick. It is your personality, your rationale, your legacy, your very being.

How can you love God with ALL of your being? Remember, this isn’t your thoughts or your heart… this is in everything you do, in everything you say, in all that you are, how can you love God with ALL of it? How can you live that out today?

How can you give yourself reminders throughout the day to accomplish this?

End of the Day Review

How were you able to demonstrate your complete and total love for God with all of your soul?

What changes or adjustments did you have to make to help you with accomplishing that today?

November 15 2011

2011-11-13T21:19:00.000-08:00

All of Your Mind

Reading: Matthew 22:34-38, “34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.” [NIV]

The mind can sometimes be the most difficult of the three (heart, soul and mind) to give over completely. It seems to be that way because the mind, of all things, seems to be the place that is yours exclusively. We tend to think that we are the only ones that know what is in our mind and we alone are the ones that have the key to open it. We might be able to look at our wife and yet, be thinking about another woman at the same time. We may convince ourselves that our wife has our body, our heart and our life but your mind is yours to live vicariously. This is why God says that He wants all of your mind. He is not even asking you to share 50/50 between He and your wife. He wants it all. Once again, it is because He knows that when you give it all to Him, you will also have the right thoughts about your wife, material possessions, your church, your friends, etc. Love Him with all of your mind and He will help to make your thoughts pleasing to Him. In turn, you will have right thoughts about others. Although, it will be like the elephant in the room, because He already knows your thoughts, “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.” (Psalm 139:2) Will you choose to love Him with all of your mind?

What thoughts have you been allowing in that is a clear symptom that you have not truly given God all of your mind?

What can you do today to make a conscious effort to love God with all of your mind? (please remember it is just as important to focus on filling your mind in with good things as you are in removing the bad thoughts)

End of the Day Review

How were you able to take steps to eliminate the bad thoughts in your mind and replace them with thoughts that are truly given over to the Lord?

Do you sense that you were successful today in loving God with all of your mind, if so, how?

November 14 2011

2011-11-13T21:18:00.000-08:00

All My Heart

Reading: Matthew 22:34-38, 34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

Do you remember the first time that you told a girl that you love her with all of your heart? The feeling at that moment and leading up to it seems very overwhelming. It feels almost like you’re about to explode from trying to contain this feeling that you have for her. It goes further… it produces actions.
But, let’s focus on the word “all” for a moment. “I love you with all my heart.” If I were to walk into my kids bedroom and say, “I want you to pick up all of your toys immediately.” If I were to come back in a little while and there are still toys on the floor and they are now off playing, I can just imagine the exchange, “I thought I told you to pick up all your toys.” “We did,” they respond. I most likely will look at them dumbfounded as they continue, “We may not have picked up those toys but we picked up all of them.” I would immediately feel like both my wife and I or the school has completely failed at teaching the basics to my children. I can just hear myself saying, “All means all.” When you told a girl that you love her with all of your heart, most likely you were attempting to communicate that there is not room for anyone else in your heart. This is exactly what God is wanting from us… to love Him so much that there is not room for anyone else. He knows that if we love Him with all of our heart, then that same love will spill out into others and it will be a more true and genuine love than we could even attempt to possess. Remember, all means all. Do you love God with ALL of your heart?

What things have crowded into your heart with which you are now in love that are infringing on your total and complete love, your all?

What can you do to change that today and love God with “all” of your heart?
End of the Day Review

How were you able to make some changes in your life today to have your heart be totally given to God?

How did that impact your day and your love for Him?

November 6 2011

2011-10-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

CELEBRATION!

Reading: Psalm 145:1-8, 1I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. 2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. 4 One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. 5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. 6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. 7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. 8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

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?

November 5 2011

2011-10-30T14:16:00.002-07:00

Who Cares?

Reading: Jeremiah 5:28-29, 28 Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor. 29 Should I not punish them for this?” declares the LORD. Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?

What would you think, if you were sitting in church, and they were sharing footage and clips from a missions trip of starving and naked children, and a man sitting behind you as the footage ended said, “Ah, who cares?!?!??” What would you think of him? But, the question is… what do you do when you really care about something? Let’s take a moment and be really honest with ourselves… if you were sitting there watching your favorite football team and it was the 4th quarter and they are charging down the field… and your TV turns off. What would you do? If you went to the movie theatre and it was reaching the climax of the movie, you’re just about to find out who the killer has been… they just start to lift the mask and a very large man decides to leave and moves very, very slowly in front of you… what would you do? We could go on and on giving illustrations but, if we are really honest with ourselves, when we care about something we take action. It doesn’t matter what that action would be… but we most definitely take action. So, as appalled as we would be if someone said, “Who care?” The question really does stand… “Who really does care?” It is amazing how strong God’s words are about those who do not care about the needs of the fatherless and the poor. But, notice, He doesn’t just say “care” about them. He says, “Plead [their] case… defend [their] rights”… another words, “take action”. Don’t just say that you care… because saying you care without action is not caring. So, men, who cares?

I hope your response is… “I do!” Are you ready today to really care and take action? If yes, what action will you be taking today to show that you care?

I do not want to take away from the Lord leading you to do even more than this but taking action can sometimes be… prayer!

End of the Day Review

How were you able to take action today and demonstrate that you truly care?

What impact did it make on your life today and apparent impact did it make on others?

November 4 2011

2011-10-30T14:16:00.001-07:00

Build It

Reading: I Corinthians 3:12-15, 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Can you imagine being on a construction team that will be competing against another team to win a multi-million dollar project to build a bridge? The project manager gets up in front of both teams and states that the competition is simple, you have to build a model bridge that is 20 feet long and 5 feet high that can hold a military grade tank within a specified period of time. You have been given a huge variety of materials from which to choose. As your team begins working hard with steal and concrete, members from the other team come over and ask if you are planning to use your cardboard. With a look of confusion, you give them permission to take it all. A little while later, they ask for your team’s scotch tape, then your pile of newspaper. Your curiosity got the best of you so you go and look at their project. You can hardly contain your laughter and your excitement that winning the project will be easy, since they have built their entire bridge out of cardboard, tape and newspaper. Do you really think at any point you would be upset that they took any of those products away from your team?... absolutely not… because that wasn’t even important to complete the task. You can’t even believe that it was important to them for the project. Men, unfortunately, we look at other things of this world and perceive them as important for our life project. We get upset that the world is taking our flimsy things away from us that not only doesn’t help the building of our life project but actually will hurt the strength of it.

What flimsy materials have you been using lately to build the structure of your life?

How can you get back to simply using the materials that will last and endure?

End of the Day Review

How were you able to refocus on the building materials in your life that will last?

Were you able to get rid of the flimsy material that’s hurting your structure? And, how were you able to incorporate the lasting material today?

November 3 2011

2011-10-30T14:15:00.001-07:00

Spot of Sin

Reading: II Peter 3:14, 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to [Christ’s coming], be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;

I’m sure you probably have your pet peeves. One of mine is when I am wearing a clean white shirt and sit down to eat spaghetti. Inevitably, somehow, someway, I get spaghetti sauce splattered on the shirt. It is amazing how a simple little spot of spaghetti sauce can stand out a mile away, especially a nice, white dress shirt. I’m sure some of you may be thinking, “Well, then don’t wear a white shirt or wear something to protect it, when you eat spaghetti.” You would be absolutely correct. That would be the smart thing to do. Why do we make more effort to either eliminate the possibility or to protect our precious clothes from a spot or stain than we do our spiritual pure, white garment that Jesus has washed white as snow with the blood of His sacrifice? We are told to be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless. It’s amazing how a spot on our clothes bothers us but when it comes to our spiritual garment we have the attitude, “Well, it’s not THAT big of a spot, besides, I can just cover it up with another shirt.” We don’t tend to respond until it’s “big enough” to notice or deal with.

What are some “spots” in your life that is staining your spiritual garment?

What can you do to address those “spots” today?

What can you do to protect your spiritual garment from those spots today?

REVIEW

Were you able to identify and address the spots in your life today?

Were you willing and able to protect yourself from staining your garment?

November 2 2011

2011-10-30T14:14:00.002-07:00

Beyond Our Ability!

Reading: I Peter 4:11, If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

It’s been said many, many times that a true superstar is the one that rises to a whole different level than anyone else when the game is on the line. It’s as if something takes over to elevate them to a whole new level, leaving all the other players standing there simply observing the performance. I’m sure that a variety of names of sports heroes are running through your mind. If you are a Christian, you have those same abilities, not on a sports court or field, rather on the field of life. You have been equipped with a button labeled “turbo superstar” which is powered by the ability the God of the universe has supplied you. The question is, why do we often times rely on our own ability, our own power to be a “regular player”? I’m sure our Father gets frustrated standing by watching us attempt in our own strength something that He knows, with His ability, we could do so much better. When we finally do perform with His ability, the opportunity arises for Him to get the glory in all things, because, men, the glory and dominion belong to Him. It is HIS to possess. He is the only worthy and deserving one of such glory and praise. Let Him do the work today.

What are some thing s that you will be doing today that you will do with the ability that God supplies?

How will you be sure to perform with His abilities today?

How can you give God the glory through what you do today?

REVIEW

Were you able to live and perform in God’s ability?

How were you able to accomplish this today?

November 1 2011

2011-10-30T14:14:00.001-07:00

Refuge

Reading: Psalm 91:1-7, 1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. [NIV]

As you get up in the morning and prepare for your day as a warrior of your faith, your home and the cause of Christ, it doesn’t seem to mix with being a warrior and needing a shelter or a refuge. If you notice, though, the specifics that David lists in this Psalm, verse 5, the terror of night, the arrow that flies by day, the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, the plague that destroys at midday, each one of these things are things that are out of your control… the darkness that you can’t see through; a plague that you can’t really fight; even an arrow that you may see because it’s daylight but while you’re fighting hand to hand combat, you can’t see all of the arrows falling from the sky that have a chance to hit you. It is these things that God clearly says, I’ve got you. This is exactly why He promises in Romans 8:28 that He will not give you more than you can handle. When we start worrying about and fearing those things that we cannot control, that is when it when we can become overwhelmed and feel like it is more than we can handle. It is at that point that God is calmly saying, “I am your shield, I am your shelter, you can find rest in me, even while the battle rages on and thousands are falling beside you. I am here.” But, this comes with a stipulation, you must “dwell in the shelter of the Most High.”

What “arrows”, “plagues”, or “terrors” are weighing on your mind?

How can you dwell in His shelter today to find rest from the things that are out of your control?
End of the Day Review

What “arrows”, “plagues” or “terrors” came your way today?

How were you able to give them over to your “My Fortress” and find rest in His capable hand?

October 31 2011

2011-10-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

Which Fruit?

Reading: Luke 6:44-45, 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

The question is what type of fruit are you? When your friends, family and co-workers look at you, do they see the fruit that grows under the light of Jesus Christ our Savior or is your fruit the type that grows out of the world. Like a tree everything that grows from it comes from its roots. The leaves, the branches and the fruit, everything exists and grows based on how good the roots are and what type of soil they are in. If it gets watered enough and has the right nutrients then everything lives healthy and good. And when you drive down the street and see that beautiful healthy tree we may not think of it but we know that that trees root are good its soil is good and it gets plenty of water and food. But if the owner does not care for a tree and does not water it, or even worse, dumps his pollutants and chemicals around it, then the roots of that tree will starve for water and will soak up the pollutants. This tree will be sick and stunted. Everyone that drives by that tree will see that it is sick. So too, everyone can see from you, your actions and words, where your roots are planted. Are you soaking up the pollutants of the world or the love and light of Christ?  The good news is that the tree that was stunted and in need of care can still be saved. If all of the pollutants are cleaned up, the good and proper nutrients are given to the tree, and it is watered and cared for, then it too can live an abundant life and bear good fruit.   Where are your roots?  
Do you water your roots with the Word of God regularly?

If you have pollutants feeding your roots, what can you do today to clean those out? 

End of the Day Review

How were you able to water your roots in the Word of God today?

How were you able to clean out the pollutants that have been feeding your roots?

October 30 2011

2011-10-26T20:22:00.001-07:00

CELEBRATION!

Reading: Psalm 146:1-2, 1 Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. 2 I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

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?

October 29 2011

2011-10-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

Bible Study #1

Reading: I Peter 5:1, Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,

Each month there will be a Bible Study, in an effort to give you the tools that you need to fill the role as spiritual leader of your home. One of the first and most important lessons to learn about studying the Bible is to read it and to study it in its context. There are plenty of denominations and religions based upon verses taken out of context. Has someone ever taken something you said out of context? It can be very frustrating. With written work, it is even more important to focus on context because you do not have demeanor, facial expressions or tone of voice. In Bible study, you have the context of a verse, the context of the passage, the context of the book, the context of the entire Bible. One way that people often get confused in discussing a passage with someone with whom they disagree, they say, “Oh, that is your interpretation.” Men, there is only one interpretation… there are many applications. This is very important because the author had a specific purpose for writing what he wrote. It should be our goal to find out what that is. To test context, look at this sentence and the differences in its context. “He got out of his chair in the living room and made his way to the refrigerator to get something to drink” What does this sentence say? Now, in context, there could be multiple ways that the same sentence could be understood. Context #1 - “After watching 8 hours of football and eating an entire pizza by himself, he slowly moved his 300lb. figure to the edge of his recliner ‘He got out of his chair in the living room and made his way to the refrigerator to get something to drink’.” Context #2 - “Since he lost his legs in the war, he has never left his wheelchair without assistance but, since no one was around and he didn’t have anything to drink all day in the intense heat, ‘He got out of his chair in the living room and made his way to the refrigerator to get something to drink’.” It’s the exact same sentence with a very different context. After reviewing I Peter chapter 5, who are the “elders” in I Peter 5:1?

KEY NOTE: this does mean that “elders” in all passages mean the same.
End of the Day Review

How were you able to determine who the “elders” were in this particular context?

Does this differ from the impression that you previously had of “elders”?

Answer: in context, in vs.5, alternatively speaking to “younger men”, the “elders” in this passage is referring to older men.

October 28 2011

2011-10-26T20:19:00.000-07:00

He Did It

Reading: Ephesians 2:8-9, 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. [NASB]

Most who are reading this already know that you cannot do anything to earn your salvation. You cannot do enough works to attain it, to earn the right to spend eternity with God. It is only by the grace of God through the faith that we have in Him and the work of His Son on the cross. You may already know that but, often, we only know that for salvation. The realization of this fact does not seem to carry over into our daily lives. Let’s just say that you owed a massive amount in debts, an amount that you could never, ever repay and that the company to whom most of the money was owed has a close affiliation with the “mob”. One day the mob hit man shows up at your door and forces his way in. He holds you and your son at gunpoint. Your neighbor shows up at your door and sees through the window what is happening… he lets himself into the house with his son by his side… and he tells the hit man that he and his son have talked and they would like to have his son take your place. Since someone was going to have to pay for the debt with their life, his son would be willing to take their place. Afterwards, every day for the rest of your life… how would you feel? How would you associate with that neighbor? We know that we are saved by God’s grace alone but, afterward, we tend to act like we did a really good job earning it ourselves. If the hit man scenario actually happened, not a day would go by without a feeling of indebtedness and a sense of “please tell me what I could do to ever repay you for the sacrifice that you gave”. That is why Paul said that it is simply “your reasonable service” to be a “living sacrifice”. It’s not a stretch, not extraordinary… it’s just reasonable.

Are you living your life to demonstrate a sense of indebtedness to God and His Son for such a great salvation and sacrifice?

How can you do that today?

End of the Day Review

How were you able to live in a sense of indebtedness today?

How did that seem to impact your day and your perception of your great salvation?

October 27 2011

2011-10-26T20:18:00.000-07:00

Enticed?

Reading: Proverbs 1:10, 10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. (NKJV)

My 2 year old picked up my cell phone this morning off my night stand to play with it. I immediately told her that she needed to put it down and not touch it or play with it. She did really well and set it back down… but, then, she just stood there and stared at it. After a little while of staring at it with a look on her face like she was just itching to touch it again, sure enough, she did.

Men, in this situation, what should happen? Take some time and write out exactly what should happen in this situation.

Okay, now that you have written those things out… what is your enticement right now?

How can you take the things that you wrote down that would be appropriate in the situation with my 2 year old and the cell phone and apply those same principles to the things in your life that are enticements?

The challenge today is to simply follow those things that you already know to do in dealing with something that is an enticement. By the way, one of the biggest things I like about this verse is… it is so direct and to the point… just don’t do it. “Do not consent”.
End of the Day Review

How did you do with your enticements today?

How were you able to follow your own advice to “not consent” to your enticement?

October 26 2011

2011-10-26T20:17:00.000-07:00

Think about It

Reading: Philippians 4:8, 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. [NKJV]

One of the nice things about the Apostle Paul is… you didn’t really have to guess where you stand with him. He usually was very good at saying things fairly pointedly. This passage is not different. He gives a list of things and simply says, think or meditate on these things. So, today, let’s not just read about it… let’s truly follow what Paul is saying.

What are some things that you know to be true about God?

What are some things that are noble that you see in Christian men around you?

What are some ways that you have seen God’s justice?

What are a few things that you would consider being pure?

What are some things that you consider lovely?

What has happened recently that you would consider good news, “good report”?

Today, make a point to continue to review the things that you have listed above to follow Paul’s instructions to “meditate” or think about those things.

End of the Day Review

What were some distractions that tried to keep you from meditating and thinking about those things?

How did meditating or thinking about those things impact your day, your attitude and your perception?

October 25 2011

2011-10-26T20:16:00.002-07:00

Our Life in His Death

Reading: Matthew 27:27-31, 27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
Luke 23:34, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Crosses are everywhere; on necklaces, rearview mirrors, tattoos, car bumpers, etc. Yet, even with this constant reminder out in plain sight, we tend to lose sight of what really occurred on the cross. Today, on my way to work, I was, once again, cut off by a fellow commuter. As I tried to hold back my frustration, my line of vision from my sustained scowl directed at the offender caught a glimpse of a familiar imagine dangling from my rearview mirror. As my focus pulled back from the offender to the cross, my eyes filled with tears. I recalled the verses above. I hang the symbol of His sacrifice in my car but how much do I LIVE as a reflection of that sacrifice? There is NOTHING in my day today or your day will even come close to the pain, suffering, neglect, sorrow, or betrayal that Jesus felt on that day. Yet, He still mustered the strength to utter the words, “Father, forgive them.” As the blood drained from His body, one thing was not depleted. His love!

Men, are there potential hurts and struggles in your day today? Or, will you be around those who have hurt you or frustrate you? What are those things or individuals?

How can you live as a reflection of His sacrifice and only show love… no matter what comes your way today?

End of the Day Review

Did you have struggles, frustrations or hurts today?

How were you able to reflect the sacrifice of Christ and His love today?

How did this impact your perception of people or situations?

October 24 2011

2011-10-26T20:16:00.001-07:00

Where’s the Forgiveness?

Reading: Matthew 18:21-22, 21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

“Where has all the forgiveness gone” sounds like a song from Peter, Paul and Mary, but it brings up a question we should all ask ourselves. In today’s world someone cuts you off and the hands and language starts flying. If you burn yourself on a cup of coffee you can sue the person who handed it to you, hey, you may even get rich. So where does “seventy times seven” come in to our lives? Think about it I don’t know anyone who gets cut off 490 times on his way to work, DO YOU? Seems kind of silly doesn’t it…or maybe getting mad at that one person that cuts you off seems pretty silly.

Furthermore, has anyone raised a hand against your son… beaten, mocked, tortured and nailed him to a cross? Yet, you did that. It would be comparable to a mass murderer getting angry and scolding someone for breaking the law by going 7 miles over the speed limit. Your sin drove the nails into the Son of God and, yet, you cannot forgive someone who has wronged you in a way that is far more menial.

Take some time and spend some time talking with God. Ask Him to reveal areas in your life where you are storing a lack of forgiveness.

Who has God revealed that you need to forgive?

With whom can you be more understanding and not get so angry over their menial sin?

What do you need to do today to demonstrate that forgiveness?

End of the Day Review

How many people wronged you today?

In what way did you react to these people today? Did you forgive or did you get mad?

October 23 2011

2011-10-16T21:56:00.001-07:00

CELEBRATION!

Reading: Psalm 9:1-3 1I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. 3 My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you.

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?

October 22 2011

2011-10-16T21:55:00.000-07:00

Search Me!

Reading: Psalm 139:23-24, 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Okay, men, we have reached that time to focus on yourself, again. The devotionals are focusing on doing, performing, thinking and so on; but, today, is a fine tuned look at yourself.

Find place in your house and let your everyone in the house know that you cannot be disturbed. Find something that you can lay on the ground, a hoola-hoop, a towel, a chalk drawn circle, or anything that will help you as you focus on yourself. Don’t just let this be something you do quickly and in passing. Take some quality time and actually schedule it into your day.

While in the circle or on your towel or whatever you have chosen to use, pray what David prayed in Psalm 139, “Search me, O, God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.” Beg God to reveal your sin to you. Beg Him to help you fix everything inside that circle. Don’t let anything in your thoughts or prayers be about other people. Don’t let anyone be your excuse for you sin or anything else that God reveals to you. Focus solely on yourself and the sin, temptation, struggles and repairs that need to occur in you and you alone. Then repent to God for those sins revealed and, then, present yourself to Him.

Write down key points that God revealed to you to keep yourself aware:

REVIEW

How did God speak to you?

What did you do with the things that God revealed to you?

What did you do with those things today?

October 21 2011

2011-10-16T21:54:00.000-07:00

Build them up

Reading: 2 Timothy 1:1-8, 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, 4 greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, 5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. 6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Not Ashamed of the Gospel 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,

Paul goes on and on and on and on...can you think of the last time someone poured out praise for you this much? Paul often spent significant portions of his letters to praise and build up others. Can you imagine how good it would feel to go into work and get this kind of greeting from your boss? Wow! What a day that would be and what a place to work... think about it, can you see it think hard on it. Now turn it around when you get home from work, how would your family feel if they heard this kind of a greeting from you? How would your wife and children feel if you were to pour this kind of praise out on them? The beauty of the way that God made us is, if you try doing that I’m sure you’ll be surprised that it makes you feel good too.

Who comes to mind that you could and will build up today?

How will you do that today?

End of the Day Review

How were you able to pour praise into someone today?

How did it impact the person that you praised and how did it make you feel as well?

October 20 2011

2011-10-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

Permission?

Reading: Mark 2:1-5, 1 When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 3And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. 4 Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. 5 And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Can you imagine if this event took place today in our churches? I can just hear it now. “Hey, is the Pastor or the board aware that this is going on?” “Did they get permission to do that?” “Who’s committee oversees buildings and maintenance?” “Isn’t there a permitting process or something?” It would never end. The greater question remains… can you imagine having such a passion to bring someone to Jesus that you would do anything… ANYTHING to make it happen? Can you imagine being one of those men… knowing that after you tore the hole in the roof and began leaning down through the hole to lower him that your friends would see you… or fellow church members would see you? And, now (from the perspective of the church) if you were standing there watching someone tear a hole in the roof of your church to lower someone, how would you respond? How would you feel about that? I have a feeling that no one will be tearing a hole in the roof of our churches but I still cannot get out of my mind the time that I saw a man in our church when I was a teenager, chewing out a young boy for jumping up and hitting an interior overhang with his hands because he left dirty finger marks. This young kid did not have parents that came to church; he would come on our busses. Where is the hunger and passion to simply bring others to Christ? Where is the focus on reaching the world, rather than how comfortable, neat and clean we can keep our temporary stuff?

Today, men, you don’t need permission… do whatever you need to do to show Jesus to someone. How do you plan to do that today?

End of the Day Review

How were you able to show Jesus to someone?

How did it go? What was the result?

October 19 2011

2011-10-16T21:51:00.002-07:00

Wake Up!

Reading: Matthew 24:42, "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. Mark 13:33, 33"Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. Luke 21:36, 36"But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." (NASB)

Did you catch the one word that stood out in all three scriptures? Jesus was telling His disciples to be on the "alert" at all times for the signs of His return. I believe Jesus was saying this because of the time in which we are living. We have all the modern devices at our disposal: the internet, blackberries, 24 hour news broadcasting, 300 T.V. channels. We can get so wrapped up in being on Facebook, or playing the latest X-Box game, that we are wasting our time being distracted from what’s really going on around us. We can't wait to be on Farmtown or Mafia Wars, yet we don't read our bibles to keep us focused on what Jesus told us. We are witnessing massive earthquakes and tsunamis like we have never seen before. We have dictators being overthrown in Egypt and, potentially in Libya. Jesus said in Matt.24:7 "nation will rise up against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes." These things have to take place before Jesus comes back to earth. With all of this increase in technology, we have a great opportunity to reach the lost with the gospel. We can calm the fears of those who don't know which direction to turn with this down-turned economy and tell them of the hope we have in the word of God. I believe we are living in exciting times, not frightful ones. We can be that shining light God uses to lead someone to the truth and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

What are some of the ways that you can encourage someone who is troubled today?

With the modern devices at your disposal, send someone an encouraging
e-mail or text today.
End of the Day Review

How did you respond to the term " Be Alert"?

What did you do with the tools that were at your disposal?

October 18 2011

2011-10-16T21:51:00.001-07:00

The Spotlight

Reading: I John 1:5-7, “5This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. (NASB)

I love acting. I remember the first time that I was in a college play production. I was extremely nervous but it was pretty incredible… I came out, said my lines and moved across the stage like we had practiced over and over and over again. The time that I moved toward the front of the stage and looked out into the crowd… I was very pleasantly surprised… I could hardly see a single person. There could be only one person or a couple thousand people and I would never know. The spotlight shining in my face and the darkness of the audience produced an inability to see beyond the stage. They could all be doing cartwheels or throwing a football and I would have no idea.

Men, “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9, NASB) Wouldn’t it be great if we lived out lives in remembrance that we live in His marvelous light, yet with that comes the reality that we are now in the spotlight, on stage, in front of the world who is in darkness. One of the amazing byproducts of this is, with the light shining in your face, you cannot see the distractions of the world. Yet, the world is an audience watching how we act in the light. How is your performance?

What have been distractions and temptations for you in the world?

How can you allow the light of Christ to shine in your face to blind you from those distractions and temptations today?
End of the Day Review

What distraction and temptations were you able to see today?

Were you able to keep your eyes on the light and, if so, what happened to the distractions/temptations?

October 17 2011

2011-10-16T21:49:00.000-07:00

Personal Bible Study

Reading: I John 4:7-8 Dear friends let us love on another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love (niv)

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

Question for applying this principle to your life:

Answers for applying this principle to your life:

October 16 2011

2011-10-09T16:04:00.001-07:00

CELEBRATION!

Reading: Psalm 150:1-6, 1 Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. 2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. 3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, 4 praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, 5 praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. 6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. 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?

October 15 2011

2011-10-09T16:03:00.002-07:00

Be a Good Samaritan

Reading: Luke 10:30-35, 30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

Most, if not all of us, know about the story of the Good Samaritan.
The challenge today? Simply, be a Good Samaritan to someone today.
What are some ways that you will be a Good Samaritan to someone?

What could be some pitfalls that could keep you from being a Good Samaritan to someone today?

REVIEW

What were you able to do today to be a Good Samaritan to someone?

What was the response? What are your thoughts?

October 14 2011

2011-10-09T16:03:00.001-07:00

Draw, Aim, Shoot

Reading: I Corinthians 9:26-27, “26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 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.” [NIV]

I use to own a .410 shotgun. I LOVED that gun. One of the biggest reasons that I loved it was because you could shoot from the hip like they do in the old westerns. Funny thing is… just like in most things… the movies aren’t very realistic. They make it look like, if you draw and shoot from your hip, it’s really easy to hit your target exactly where you wanted to every time. Yeah… didn’t seem to happen for me, when I thought I could be just like John Wayne. If I was just shooting just to shoot, it was fine but if a rabbit or pheasant shot out and I really wanted to hit my target, I learned very quickly that you don’t shoot from the hip. Fellow hunters who are with you don’t seem to like it too much either, for some reason. You have to go back to hunter’s training days of draw… aim… shoot.

We tend to do the same thing, especially in our spiritual life. Yes, we tend to have a goal when we get up in the morning. We may know what we need or want to accomplish in the day. We may know what we need to do or get done at work or around the house. Meanwhile, in our spiritual lives, we shoot from the hip… we allow ourselves to be aimless when it comes to living our lives for Christ or being a husband or being a father. The paycheck that you may earn today will not last long, especially since others seem to find creative ways to help you spend it. The prize to which Paul is referring is eternal. Let’s not be accidental Christians, husbands and/or fathers today. Let’s take aim on what God has called us to be today.

What are your goals for Christ today?

How can you take aim and make sure to reach those goals today?
End of the Day Review

Were you able to reach your goals today? If so or if not, how did that happen?

How did this impact your day and how can you continue taking aim?

October 13 2011

2011-10-09T16:02:00.000-07:00

Jenga!

Reading: I Corinthians 3:10-11, 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

My oldest daughter and I held our breath as my other daughter pulled out a wood block from the very bottom and placed it on top. Now, my turn… as I tested different wood blocks the whole tower of Jenga blocks would slightly sway back and forth, each time, holding my breath, knowing I am a fraction away from the tower crashing down. Finally, I find a piece that is loose and I carefully position it on top. My oldest daughter’s turn… she tests the different blocks to find the loose one as the tower rocks back and forth… but this time… it was pushed a little too hard and we all in unison cry, “Ooooooooohh…” in harmony with the slow wobble and fall of the tower. Unfortunately, it seems like we have, over time, begun playing Jenga with Christianity. The point of Jenga is to see how high you can build the town without it falling down, although… you’re not adding new blocks… you are simply removing some from the foundation and structure to build on top of it. We have tended to build our Christianity and our churches, for that matter, as “big” as we can, while sacrificing the foundation and the core structure. As Paul say, you “must be careful how [you] build” your life. We must not sacrifice, take away from, minimize, detract or remove any piece to the foundation of Christ. Does that mean that we are “removing” Christ? Not necessarily… it means that we are, possibly unknowingly, making everything else bigger or more important than Him. Just like Jenga… it will inevitably come crashing down. It is a matter of a spiritual law of physics.

Are you building everything on Christ, your foundation, without making other things bigger than He is in your life?

How can you do a better job of getting back to your foundation and making sure that you are not taking away from that?

End of the Day Review

How were you able to focus on building on the foundation of Christ in your life today?

What were you able to build upon in your life today?

October 12 2011

2011-10-09T16:01:00.002-07:00

No Matter What

Reading: Genesis 39:6-7, 10-12, 16-20, 6 So [Potiphar] left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. 11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. 16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” 19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.

Imagine, men, working so hard to get to the point that you, as a foreigner, have become the manager of all things for this leader in Egypt, one of the most progressive nations at that time. You have a gorgeous women who wants to be with you. Trust me, she was gorgeous. He chose to do the right thing, even though he’s in a foreign country (the world) and she kept pursuing him day after day. How did he get rewarded by God? He was thrown in prison. Can you imagine how we would feel? Many would probably respond, “Well, good grief, if this is how I’m going to get paid for doing what’s right… I might as well have just gone ahead and given in to her. If I’m going to be accused of that, I might as well just do it”. But, that was not his response, and God blessed him even more greatly than before. Often we seem to expect an immediate reward for doing what’s right. Joseph, at some point, just decided to do what’s right… no matter what! Rewarded for it… punished for it… doesn’t matter. I will chose to do what is right!

What is a temptation that you’re struggling with and how will you choose to do what’s right today… no matter what?

End of the Day Review

How did you choose to do what is right today, no matter what?

What were the struggles with accomplishing this and how did this alter your day?

October 11 2011

2011-10-09T16:01:00.001-07:00

The Real Needs

Reading: Acts 3:2-6, 2And a man who had been lame from his mother's womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple. 3When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms. 4But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, "Look at us!" 5And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6But Peter said, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene--walk!" (NASB)

Men, imagine going out hunting with a friend of yours and while you both walk away from your car to your hunting spots with gun in hand. Your friend steps into a hole and his gun goes off. You run to his side and realize that he has sustained a life threatening wound from the gunshot. But, your friend begins complaining about how badly his ankle hurts from stepping into the hole. What would you do? What wound would you address? Can you imagine spending your time trying to make his ankle feel better and even trying to make a splint for his ankle while he continues to lose an excessive amount of blood? That would be CRAZY! Can you imagine the looks of the EMT’s when they arrive and you explain what you have already done to help him?

Unfortunately, this is what we tend to do with the needs of others. They are blind to their real need. “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers…” (II Corinthians 4:4). Peter knew this very well. He could have quickly walked around and taken up a small collection for this man but he knew that his real need was the fatal wound to his soul as he was spiritually bleeding to death.

Men, today, look for the real needs of people. Those needs are not based on their financial status. Look closely!!! How can you try to meet the real needs of those around you today?

End of the Day Review

How did you meet the real needs of those around you today?

What apparent impact did it make on them? How did it impact you?

October 10 2011

2011-10-09T16:00:00.000-07:00

Praise Him Together

Reading: Psalm 34:1-3, 1 I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. 2 My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 3 Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.

What an amazing thing to say, especially since David wrote this Psalm while in the midst of running from Saul when Saul was wanting to kill David. I will praise the Lord “at all times”, “His praise will always be on my lips”. This devotional is not requesting that you say, like David, that you will praise Him always and at all times, although that would be fantastic; it is simply to do that today. If Job, after losing everything that he had including his children, could fall to the ground in worship and say, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” (Job 1:21), then, the least that we can do today is to praise God all throughout our day.

Take some time and write out your praise to God:

Now that you have written out some good praise and adoration to God, let’s take it a step further and as David said, “Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together.” Let’s choose 3 men with whom we can share our praise to God and ask them what God is doing in their life for which they can give praise.

Who would those 3 men be that you will speak to?

Write out some of their praise so that you can reflect back for encouragement on what God is doing in other men’s lives as well.

End of the Day Review

Were you able to speak to 3 men about your praise to God and take some time to praise Him together, if so, how did it go?

How did this affect your relationship or sense of closeness with God and these men?

October 9 2011

2011-10-02T19:13:00.001-07:00

CELEBRATION!

Reading: Psalm 16: 2, 5, 2I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good besides You." 5The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot.

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?

October 8 2011

2011-10-02T19:11:00.002-07:00

Homeschool

Reading: Proverbs 1:8, Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. Proverbs 4:1, Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. Proverbs 4:10, Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many.

These three verses are just a short list of how many times Solomon tells his sons to listen to his instructions. Today, I wonder how much time we really take to teach or instruct our children. Often, we wait until there is a discipline or a correction to “teach” them. It reminds me of the movie, “My Life”. Michael Keaton is dying of cancer and he begins making videos for his son of things that he would want to teach him, even showing him how to walk in a room and how to shake hands. Many times, we think if we were in the same place, how much of the kid’s lives you would miss and how much you would have taught them. Yet, for some reason, without that fatal reminder, we spend our evenings letting the television or peers teach and instruct our kids.

From the moment your children wake up, they are learning, whether it is good or bad, they are learning. Outside of school what is teaching your kids?

What would you want to teach your kids?
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Challenge: The kids only have one YOU, dad, stepdad, grandpa, uncle, etc. Take time today to teach them. Don’t let another moment go by.

REVIEW

What were you able to teach the kids today?

How was it go? How did you do it?

October 7 2011

2011-10-02T19:11:00.001-07:00

He’s Got It

Reading: Exodus 15:22, 24, 27 22 Then Moses led Israel from the red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. 24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink? Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water. Exodus 17:1-2, 1 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin… They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” NIV

Many of us already know the story of Israel leaving Egypt and journeying to their new home, the “Promise Land”. Israel had between 2-3 million people. The daily needs of water supply, especially traveling in desert regions, become a pre-planned necessity. Typically, Israel was found grumbling and complaining about the apparent lack of planning. Constantly, they were saying, “Okay, Moses, you brought us out here and obviously, you must not have had a real clear plan or just didn’t think through what it would be like to move 2-3 million people and what our needs would be.” God could have very easily given them a map and said, “Okay, to move 2-3 million people you should be able to travel 30 miles and you can see the building marked on your map that indicates the rest area, which includes a food and drink station.” He’s God… He could have done that. But, if He did, would they have learned to look to God to meet their needs? Instead, they were able to witness God’s hand meeting their specific need. He already knows when you’re walking in the desert of life, men, and that you will need His refreshing. We don’t need to see our rest area marked on our life’s map but we do need to look to Him and trust that He’s got it. He wants you to see Him meet your specific need.

First, just like the Israelites saw God’s power in previous events, what has God done for you to show His hand in your life?

In what “desert” are you walking through and how will you look to God to meet your needs and trust Him that He’s got it?
End of the Day Review

How were you able to look to God to meet your needs today?

How did God show Himself to you through your needs?

October 6 2011

2011-10-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

Wake Up!

Reading: Matthew 24:42, "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. Mark 13:33, 33"Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. Luke 21:36, 36"But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." (NASB)

Did you catch the one word that stood out in all three scriptures? Jesus was telling His disciples to be on the "alert" at all times for the signs of His return. I believe Jesus was saying this because of the time in which we are living. We have all the modern devices at our disposal: the internet, blackberries, 24 hour news broadcasting, 300 T.V. channels. We can get so wrapped up in being on Facebook, or playing the latest X-Bow game, that we are using our time to be distracted from what is really going on around us. We can't wait to be on Farmtown or Mafia Wars, that we don't read our bibles to keep us focused on what Jesus told us.

We are witnessing massive earthquakes and tsunamis like we have never seen before. We have dictators being overthrown in Egypt and about to in Libya. Jesus said in Matt.24:7 "nation will rise up against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes." These things have to take place before Jesus comes back to earth. With all of this increase in technology, we have a great opportunity to reach the lost with the gospel. We can calm the fears of those who don't know which direction to turn with this down-turned economy and tell them of the hope we have in the word of God.

I believe we are living in exciting times, not frightful ones. We can be that shining light God uses to lead someone to the truth and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

What are some of the ways that you can encourage someone who is troubled today?

With the modern devices at your disposal, send someone an encouraging e-mail or text today.
End of the Day Review

How were you able to “Be Alert" today?

How were you able to encourage someone today and what was the
result?