Spending Time With Jesus In His Word Every Day -Week 04!

DAY 1

PREP: Jesus gives two pictures for what we’re supposed to be for this kingdom. Think about the pictures themselves - what is the point of salt? What does it do? What about light?

READ: Matthew 5:13-16

SO WHAT: Salt makes food delicious. Light makes things visible. God is building a kingdom - inviting people into life with Him - how can you make life with God more appetizing and visible?

PRAY: What are five things in your life right now you are thankful for? Tell Jesus about them.

DAY 2

READ: Matthew 5:17-20

SO WHAT: The Scribes and Pharisees followed all the rules, but you are supposed to surpass them. How can you surpass them? Who can really follow all of the Law? Has anyone ever done it? Who is the only one who is really righteous? How do believers get righteousness?

PRAY: Ask Jesus to do for you what you can’t - to trade places with you and change you.

DAY 3

PREP: Jesus says, “You’ve heard… but I tell you.” In other words, Jesus is giving us His standards which go deeper. What is this one all about?

Read it a few times and think about it.

READ: Matthew 5:21-26

SO WHAT: Murder ends a person’s life. How can anger do the same thing in the context of a relationship? What do you think Jesus is saying about relationships here? Are there any relationships you need to take care of today?

PRAY: Ask the Lord to help you forgive your broken relationships. Ask Him to give you love.

DAY 4

PREP: Again, Jesus’ standards go deeper. This time with lust. What’s the principle here?

READ: Matthew 5:27-30

SO WHAT: In adultery, someone crosses a line with a person who belongs to someone else, not them. Lust has the same root - seeing someone as yours when they aren’t. Why is that root of possession such a deep, private issue and why is Jesus so intense about getting rid of it?

PRAY: Ask the Lord to help you in that place of your private thoughts, knowing only He can.

DAY 5

PREP: What is it you have in Jesus, and what do you need to be on the lookout for avoiding?

READ: Colossians 2:6-12

SO WHAT: How are people trying to be better by following rules? When you first believed in Jesus, you already had all you’ll ever need. You needed saving, Jesus saved you for free. No religious rules can make you better or give you more because in Jesus you have fullness.

PRAY: Ask the Lord to do for you what you can’t do - fill you with joy and hope for this day.

DAY 6

PREP: What has God done for you through Jesus’ death on the cross?

READ: Colossians 2:13-15

SO WHAT: He has taken away death, guilt and debt. He has made fools of your spiritual enemies on your behalf. Your past is gone! You are accepted, free and totally new.

PRAY: Ask the Lord to help you feel the awesomeness of your status in Him all day today.

DAY 7

PREP: You’re going to have enemies. What will happen to them? What will happen to you?

READ: Psalm 37

SO WHAT: What should you do about your enemies? Why? What will the Lord do about them?

PRAY: Ask the Lord to give you patience and ask Him to help you trust Him in the midst of your specific troubles.

Spending Time With Jesus In His Word Every Day - Week 3!

Day 1

PREP: Why does Jesus set up shop where He does? What do you learn about that place and the people who live there from these verses?

READ: Matthew 4:12-17

SO WHAT: A new Kingdom is coming - new government. Jesus says we should change our mind about what that means and He fulfills an ancient promise by living in Capernaum. What promises do you need God to keep in your life and how does it change your mind about Him?

PRAY: What are some concrete and specific things you need God to do for you today? Tell Him.

Day 2

PREP: What does following Jesus mean here? What does it cost? How do these guys do it?

READ: Matthew 4:18-22

SO WHAT: What is Jesus calling you to today? Are there things you will have to leave behind? Are there people who won’t like you following Him? What will your decision be?

PRAY: Ask the Lord to clearly show you what plans He has for you today, specifically.

Day 3

PREP: Look for verbs. What did Jesus do? What did the people do in response?

READ: Matthew 4:23-25

SO WHAT: What do you need Jesus to teach you? What Good News do you need from Him today? What do you need Him to heal in you? How can you spread the news around you? Who in your life is hurting and how can you bring them to Jesus? How can you follow Him today?

PRAY: Ask Jesus to help you really feel the ways He is healing and proclaiming truth to you.

Day 4

PREP: Jesus uses the word “blessed” a whole lot. That word literally means happy. What kinds of attitudes and perspectives lead to this happiness? What do these ‘blessed’ people get?

READ: Matthew 5:1-12

SO WHAT: Looking through those attitudes, what do you think Jesus wants to work on in your heart today? What is an area where you feel strained and need some happiness and peace?

PRAY: Ask the Lord to help you recognize when He’s at work in you, changing you. Ask Him to help you lean in to that process and be willing to go with it.

Day 5

PREP: In the original language, the word ‘mystery’ meant something you could never understand unless God told you. What did God tell Paul that we all need to know?

READ: Colossians 1:24-29

SO WHAT: Do you recognize Christ at work “in” you? What changes is he bringing about? How is He maturing you? Do you ever sense His energy at work in you? How?

PRAY: Ask Jesus to show you how He’s growing you so that you can see the progress.

Day 6

PREP: What does Paul say will help you really know Christ and keep you from being deceived?

READ: Colossians 2:1-5

SO WHAT: What makes you feel encouraged in heart and united in love? How can you be more encouraging to the believers around you? What if you give others the thing you want to get?

PRAY: Ask the Lord to show you specific ways to encourage people today and ask Him to build you up in some obvious way.

Day 7

PREP: Why does the songwriter tell us what he did and what others did? What does he want you to do? What verbs?

READ: Psalm 34

SO WHAT: When have other people’s stories encouraged you to trust in the Lord more or love Jesus more? Think of the stories. What about your own story? When has God been faithful and good to you? Be specific. How does it help to remember those stories on purpose?

PRAY: Ask Jesus to help you remember His goodness to you and use it to encourage your faith.

Spending Time With Jesus In His Word Every Day

Day 1:

PREP: How does Joseph decide what to do next? When does he make decisions?

READ: Matthew 2:19-23

SO WHAT: You probably don’t get instructions from the Lord in dreams or with an audible voice, but the Holy Spirit has plans for you and is wanting to guide you. Today, try and find out something He wants from you and do it. Get quiet enough to listen in your heart.

PRAY: Ask Jesus to put a burden of love on your heart for someone today. Ask Him to be clear.

Day 2:

PREP: John the Baptist talks about repentance in these verses. That word ‘repent’ in the original language literally means “change your thinking”. What did John want people to change their thinking about?

READ: Matthew 3:1-12

SO WHAT: If Jesus is going to be the King of the world, what do you need to change your mind about? What doesn’t matter? What does matter? What needs to be cut down in your life?

PRAY: Ask the Lord to show you one thing He wants to work on in you today and ask for help.

Day 3:

PREP: Baptism is about allegiance and dedication. It’s a ceremonial way of saying that you’re sold out to a group or cause. It’s like people painting up at sporting events. This is your team.

READ: Matthew 3:13-17

SO WHAT: After 30 years of anonymity, Jesus gets baptized. He’s all in on this mission in a public way, and what happens? Do you feel like the Father did about Jesus? Are you ready to sell out for this mission as well and make this your team today?

PRAY: Ask Jesus to show you specific ways to follow Him today that you can carry out.

Day 4:

PREP: When Jesus was tempted by Satan, what questions did Satan ask Him? Look closely.

READ: Matthew 4:1-11

SO WHAT: Twice, the question was, “If you are the Son of God…” in other words, do you know who you are? What if you get asked that question? Do you know who you are and whose you are today? What do you need to remember about who you really are?

PRAY: Ask Jesus to help you feel what is true about you - so that you can really know it

Day 5:

PREP: What does Paul tell you about Jesus in these verses? What is your image of Him here?

READ: Colossians 1:15-20

SO WHAT: If Jesus has all of God’s fullness and is making God visible for us, then what is Godlike? Think about what you know of Jesus - that’s what God wants you to know about His heart.

PRAY: Jesus died to bring everyone to God and to bring everything together under His supremacy - ask Jesus to show you what needs to be reconciled in you today. Ask for help.

Day 6:

PREP: Paul describes the Gospel (or Good News) - once you were this, now you are this. What is the Good News? How did it become available to you?

READ: Colossians 1:21-23

SO WHAT: Look at the three things Paul says you are now because of Jesus’ death. What would be different about your life today if you lived like you completely believed that was true?

PRAY: What is the one thing you most need Jesus to do for you today?

Day 7:

PREP: What are the things you need to remember when the world falling is apart around you?

READ: Psalm 46

SO WHAT: No matter what happens, God is with me, He is in control and I am safe. Go back through this Psalm with that last sentence in mind. What if you made it your goal to believe this with everything you’ve got the next time the ceiling caves in? What would change?

PRAY: Ask Jesus to help you remember and feel the things you forget or don’t really buy into.

Philippians The Secret Key To Joy: Attitude

When Paul wrote the book of Philippians, he was in prison, and it was awful. Prisons back then were horrible places full of disease, torture, suffering and humiliation. Not only that, but for a missionary whose heart was focussed on serving the Lord and

spreading the message of Jesus, this situation would probably have felt like a disastrous nightmare. The thing is, Paul talks about prison as if it’s the greatest place on earth! He can’t decide between prison and heaven! He’s absolutely filled and overflowing with joy in this short letter. How could he face such disappointment,

frustration, pain and suffering with so much joy? And of course, the real question is, what can we learn from him so that we can face trouble and suffering in the same way?

EVERYDAY:

PRAY:

How do you feel? Tell Him everything.

What do you need Jesus to do for you today?

What are you thankful for?

Day 1- Day 4:

PREP (What are you looking for? - go over these before reading)

What attitude will bring you joy in hard times?

What do you need to focus on / or want more than anything else?

Monday: Read Philippians 1

Tuesday: Read Philippians 2

Wednesday: Read Philippians 3

Thursday: Read Philippians 4

SO WHAT (Boiling down what you’ve found - questions for after reading)

What holds you back from that attitude that will bring you joy?

What is your biggest problem, stress, struggle / where are you suffering?

Day 5:

PREP (What are you looking for? - go over these before reading)

What’s going to happen to your enemies?

What’s going to happen to you?

READ Psalm 37

SO WHAT (Boiling down what you’ve found - questions for after reading)

Who in your life is really hurting you or making you angry right now?

How does God feel about you?

Day 6:

Key Verses of Philippians

Read Philippians 1:6; 1:20-21; 2:3-5; 3:8; 3:12-14; 4:4-8

Write these verses out.

What are they saying to you today?

Day 7:

READ John 1:35-39

As you read this, what is Jesus like? How does He seem to you?

If Jesus asked you the question, “What do you want?” or “What are you looking for?” what would you say?

Jesus hung out with Andrew and John for the rest of the day.

What do you think it would be like to hang out with Jesus for the whole afternoon and evening? What would you want to talk with Him about?

*The main thing is this: Don’t get bogged down. If you need to skip a day, do it. If you hate journaling, don’t journal. If you have a creative idea, incorporate that. This is simply a place to start.