Devotions (Rom 12:2) - Eastside Community Church

From !e Pastor…  Riaan Niemand | Senior Pastor, Eastside Community Church

Dear Friend, This year our forty day journey has something for everyone; •

If you are still considering the claims about Christianity and whether you want to be a Christ follower, this is for you.

•

If you have become stagnant in your spiritual journey, this is for you.

•

If you have become neutral or disengaged with church life, this is for you.

•

If you are a new believer and do not know what the next step is, this is for you.

•

If you are a mature Christian and you want to take up the challenge of helping a few others to become mature in their walk with God, this is for you.  

From my experience it seems as if the third quarter of every year seems to be the overwhelming quarter. Carrying the scars of a busy year with family responsibilities heaping up and work deadlines looming, the thought of adding one more thing can seem that ‘one bridge too many’. I want to challenge you to take the risk. Make an investment, give a little time and see how God will transform your life. This year our journey will focus on Romans 12 and will answer several existential questions like: what does it mean to be fully surrendered to God? Why are we called to be separate from the world and what does this mean? How should I see myself and what is my purpose here on earth? Lastly, how can I respond to the evil realities of the world around me? This journal is made up of five devotionals for every week. It starts with Monday and ends with Friday but you can use as you see fit for any day of the week. It dovetails with discussions in your small groups and with messages given every Sunday. So it is really a package deal if you want to get the full benefit. Why not join a small group or better still, host a small group? We will give you everything that you will need so all you have to do is get a few people (from work, your street or just a few friends) together. Pop the dvd in a dvd player and facilitate a few questions over a good cup of coffee. It is that simple. Lastly commit to church for these few weeks and bring your friends from your small groups to church every week for the duration of the course. Let’s see how God will transform lives.  

Riaan

2 of 91

40 Day Journey Workbook  Index 40 Day Journey Workbook  Index

3

Week 1 | Devotions (Rom 12:1)  What is true spirituality?

4

Week 1 | Small Group Notes  What is true spirituality?

14

Week 2 | Devotions (Rom 12:1)  Giving God what He wants most

16

Week 2 | Small Group Notes  Giving God what He wants most

31

Week 3 | Devotions (Rom 12:2)  Getting the very best from God

33

Week 3 | Small Group Notes  Getting the very best from God

43

Week 4 | Devotions (Rom 12:3-8)  Coming to grips with the real you

45

Week 4 | Small Group Notes  Coming to grips with the real you

57

Week 5 | Devotions (Rom 12:9-13)  What is authentic community?

60

Week 5 | Small Group Notes  Experiencing authentic community

73

Week 6 | Devotions (Rom 12:14-21)  Overcoming the evil aimed at you

76

Week 6 | Small Group Notes  Overcoming the evil aimed at you.

90

3 of 91

Week 1 | Devotions (Rom 12:1)  What is true spirituality? DAY 1 | Monday

Is Spirituality about the inside of the outside? For God is Spirit so those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and in truth. John 4:24

John 4 tells how Jesus, after a time of relative success in his ministry amongst Jewish people, meets a Samaritan woman at the well. In those days Jews did not associate with Samaritans and it would have been the last thing that a renowned spiritual leader would have done. Still Jesus, true to form, breaks the code. He initiates conversation with her and asks her to give him a little water. Her response says it all: “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” Later in the chapter you see that even the disciples had misgivings about what was happening. Jesus shows through this symbolic act that he had come not just for the Jews but also for those who were not Jews. Wherever you are on your spiritual journey this story shows that Jesus opened the way so that everyone can come into a deep, personal relationship with God. Jesus makes it clear that it is not your race or your political correctness that paves the way to the heart of God. For us to enter into a personal relationship with God, whoever we are, the door is open. We must worship Him in Spirit and Truth. True spirituality is not reciting liturgy, or singing songs or reading the Bible. It is much more than that. True spirituality has very little to do with external expressions of worship. True spiritually starts inside of us. True spirituality is when our spirit connects with God’s Spirit. It can start with something as small as a prayer but the prayer must come from the heart and be directed at the heart of God. “For God is Spirit therefore those who worship Him must worship in Spirit…” Worshiping in Spirit is therefore an emotional response towards the God who loved us so much that He sent His son to die in our stead. Just worshipping God in Spirit is not enough. In the words of Jesus, we also need to worship Him in truth. There needs to be a cognitive understanding of the

4 of 91

truth that God set out in His word. Truth takes us deeper than the froth of emotion. Truth shapes the way that we think, and the way that we think carries us through the times when we are emotionally down, when we wonder about God in the complicated times of life. Truth is found by reading the Bible. So wherever you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome into the presence of God. The appropriate way to do this is to come with your heart wide open and with your head informed from God’s word.

PRAY God thank you that anyone is welcome to come to you. I want to open my heart to understand your truth.

REFLECT Have you allowed ‘true spirituality’ to be defined more by outward expressions than inward reality for you?

DECIDE Commit to open your heart daily to God in prayer and to fill your mind with truth by studying every devotion for the next couple of weeks.

JOURNAL | Any thoughts you want to jot down?

5 of 91

DAY 2 | Tuesday

Does true spirituality come from association? Jesus replied, "I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without   being born of water and the Spirit”. John 3:5

If a child is born in a garage, it does not make that child a car - the child is simply a child born in a garage. One of the last things that Paul writes to people in the Corinthian church is this: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realise that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5). His concern was that there may be many people who go to church who think that they are Christian but they are not. Just because one associates oneself with Christianity does not make one a Christian. It simply makes you someone who associates with Christianity. So what is the difference? Nicodemus, a significant spiritual leader in Jesus’ time, came to him in the middle of the night with this same question. He had probably been watching and following Jesus for a while and what he had seen happening through Jesus and what he was experiencing in his personal life did simply did not add up. He longed to experience the spiritual power that he saw in and through the works of Jesus. He longed for his life to reflect a spirituality that transformed his life. His embarrassment is clear in that he comes to Jesus at night. It is hard if you have been religious all of your life to admit that this is all you are-religious. As with Nicodemus, we have the same hunger deep inside; for our spirituality to be extraordinary, for it to touch and transform our lives. We desire for the expression of our spirituality in everyday life to positively impact the lives of others so that their lives are changed for the better. Jesus says for this to happen we need to be born in two ways: there needs to be a natural birth (born of the water in a woman’s womb) and the second is a spiritual birth. There needs to be a spiritual change. Before this happens, all that you are is religious. This can happen through a simple prayer, by accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour of your life.

6 of 91

PRAY Jesus thank you for dying for me on the cross. I invite you into my life to transform me for the better and to guide me to be the person that you want me to be. I commit myself to live the life that you intend me to live. I commit myself to live for the purpose that you have made me for.

REFLECT Is there any area of your life where you have ‘settled’ for ‘ordinary spirituality’?

DECIDE You will not settle for ordinary spirituality. That you will live a life completely dedicated to the will and purpose of God as Jesus did.


7 of 91

DAY 3 | Wednesday

Is true spirituality a result of works? I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

People think that true spirituality equals the things that we do like praying, reading the bible, tithing and serving others. All of this means nothing if it does not flow out of a relationship with Jesus. Many people make a decision to follow Jesus. They pray a prayer of repentance and invite Him into their lives but that is where it stops. The net result is pseudo spirituality characterized by doing things to try and earn their way into a deeper relationship with Him or by compartmentalising. By compartmentalising I mean that people are great Christ-followers on Sundays but the rest of the week leaves a lot to be desired. The outcome of this kind of living is a spiritual life without the power that Jesus demonstrated and spoke about. The answer to this predicament lies in Jesus’ words found in John 15: 5, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” After accepting Jesus as Lord of your life you need to apply the “remain” principle. This does not mean another thing to do in order to earn the right to be called a follower of Christ but rather cultivating a friendship-relationship with Him. You have to make regular times to grow your relationship with Christ. The best way to do this is to set aside a daily time, preferably at the same time every day, for Bible reading and prayer. The bible is a revelation of what He is like and tells of the important things that He wanted to say to us. Any friendship needs to be cultivated in the same way. You have to make time to get to know the person and to interact so that the relationship becomes more than an acquaintance. God speaks to us through His word and we speak to Him through our prayers. It is in this time with Him that God, through his spirit, changes us and gives us perspective. It is during these special times in His presence that we move from pseudo spirituality to true spirituality. From being spiritual to being friends of God.

8 of 91

PRAY Father thank you for the Bible that helps me to hear your voice. Thank you that you hear my prayers. Help me to abide in you by being more consistent at reading your word; help me to understand it better. Help me to abide in you by being more consistent in my prayer life.

REFLECT Are there areas in your relationship with God that you have compartmentalised?

DECIDE To build a rhythm of Bible reading and prayer every day.


9 of 91

DAY 4 | Thursday

Has God always intended for   me to experience true spirituality? For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

One of the things that always amazes me is how different most of us are and yet how well we all fit together. In an effort to understand people and how they fit together, human resource sciences have developed all kinds of psychometric tests that help us understand how people function in groups and at various levels of stress. We are told that not one person’s fingerprints is that same as another’s. There are introverted and extroverted people. People who can handle extraordinary levels of stress and others who are not so good at it. Some love to organise in life, others bring beauty and wonder to our lives through the arts. Have you ever wondered why we are so different? I think one reason is because God is infinitely creative. God is so creative that even His creation keeps on evolving into something more beautiful and special. The other reason is that God has made all things to fit together like a giant puzzle piece for a purpose. What this means is that you and I have been made to fit somewhere in God’s master piece called history. We have been created with our unique abilities and our unique gifts to make a contribution that only we can make. Note what the Bible passage for today says, we are God’s master piece created in Christ Jesus to do the good things that God has planned for us to do long ago. However you see yourself, you are God’s masterpiece created for a purpose. True spirituality is when you use the gifts and abilities that God has given you to do the things that God has planned long ago for you to do.

10 of 91

PRAY Thank you for the way that you have made me father give me clarity on how you want me to use the gifts and abilities that you have given me for your purpose.

REFLECT What unique gifts and abilities has God given you that can help you serve Him better?

DECIDE To act on the promptings that you may receive from the Holy Spirit on what he wants you to do.


11 of 91

DAY 5 | Friday

What is true spirituality? A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another. John 13:35 Jesus sure had a way of saying things. Here He does it again. Surely the way that people will know that His disciples were His disciples was that they were able to teach like Jesus did or do miracles like Jesus did. Not so says Jesus. There is one way in which people will know if you are his disciple, by the extent of your love for each other. Jesus takes it a step further; he makes love a command, “a new commandment I give you”. Later, Paul the Apostle qualifies what this love looks like in 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” True spirituality is not defined by how “spiritual” I am i.e. speaking in tongues or prophesying. It is not defined by the things I do like “moving mountains” . These things can be acts of love but when they are not done in the right kind of way they mean nothing. True spirituality is expressed when people experience my kindness and my patience. My true spirituality is experienced by others when I give people the benefit of the doubt and when I keep going trusting God for the outcome even when others are not that kind to me or when they do not give me the benefit of the doubt. This is how Jesus says that others will know that we are true Christ-followers.

12 of 91

PRAY Help me to be more loving. Help others to experience Your presence in their lives by giving me the ability to love as you did, Jesus.

REFLECT What 3 things can I start doing immediately that will help me love others more?

DECIDE To live your life in a way that will help others to think that Jesus is great.


13 of 91

Week 1 | Small Group Notes  What is true spirituality? 1. Jesus defines true spirituality by _______________________________________ •

True spirituality is NOT religious activity or keeping religious rules.

•

True spirituality is loving God and loving people    The question you need to ask and answer is, ‘how is your love relationship with Jesus Christ’? 

He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him. (John 14:21 - NASB) 2. Jesus defines true spirituality by _______________________________________ Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’. (John 14:6 - NIV)  •

The Way - the Path

•

The Truth - The Teacher

•

The Life - the Source and Creator

Jesus’ life is the way to true spirituality. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17- NIV) Have you put your trust in Christ or in your religious activity?

14 of 91

3. Jesus offers true spirituality _______________________________________ “Come to Me, all [a]who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29 - NASB) True Spirituality is a life of rest, refreshment and joy.

TALK IT OVER | Small group discussion suggested questions 1. Reflect back on your spiritual roots. Where did your ideas about true spirituality come from? 2. During this session, Chip shared the gospel and its power to change lives. Take a few minutes and hear some in your group share their story of how they came to faith in Christ. 3. Over the course of your life, who or what has had the most impact on your spiritual growth? 4. How would you describe your spiritual growth over the last five years? When did you grow the most? When have you struggled? 5. Brainstorm as a group and make a list of at least ten examples from the life of Jesus when he modeled true spirituality … loving God and loving people. 6. Read Matthew 22:37-39 and answer the following question: ‘If you decided to really make this the definition of true spirituality, how would it change you?’

LIVE IT OUT | Some practical suggestions for the week ahead 1. Spend some time this week reading through portions of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John). As you read, keep the following question in mind: how is Jesus modeling true spirituality? (Mark 1-9 is a good place to start). 2. This series could shape your life in significant ways. Will you commit to participating in this group for all six sessions?

15 of 91

Week 2 | Devotions (Rom 12:1)  Giving God what He wants most DAY 6 | Monday

WHAT DOES GOD WANT FROM YOU? “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) I remember giving my life to the Lord, properly, for the first time. I had grown up in a Christian home and was a believer in Jesus - but had never surrendered my life to Him. I thought I knew what that meant when I put my hand up at the end of a service and asked Jesus into my life as Saviour and Lord. For some time after that commitment, I had a great sense that this was what life was about living for Jesus. I read my bible, I prayed, I started getting involved in the church and I felt that my life had changed. My salvation may not have been a dramatic “thunder and lightning” event in that I hadn’t been living a reckless life - but Jesus definitely changed my life. I had a new hope with which to live and God’s word begin to shape my life. I had purpose. But after a while I started to realize that while my life had started changing, it wasn’t changing as quickly as it had when I first gave my life to Jesus. Sin didn’t bother me as much as it had before; it was easier to skip my quiet times and church; and I started feeling more disconnected from God. Complacency in my spiritual life was starting to become my norm. Then one day I walked into church and the pastor preached one of ‘those’ sermons. You know… the ones where you are sure the pastor is speaking directly to you?

He preached on Jesus’

words in Matthew 11:28, inviting me to come to Jesus, in whom I can find rest. While I did feel weary and burdened spiritually, all I actually heard out of that verse and the sermon was the first three words: come to me. I began to understand that what was missing in my life was that I hadn’t fully “come to Jesus”. I had visited Him; I had stopped by and had some quality time occasionally; I had waved across the wall. But I had not fully come to Him and allowed myself to be consumed by Him. My relationship with God was weary and burdened,

16 of 91

and I was looking for rest elsewhere. I had to learn to come to Jesus… to surrender… because I realized more than anything that that was what He wants from me. And more than that, it’s actually want I wanted for me. Because of all Jesus had done for me, I realized that the very best thing I could do was to surrender, “to give myself as a living sacrifice” to the One who had given everything for me. Your journey of learning to surrender to Jesus may be similar to mine. I was terrified of fully ‘coming to Jesus’ because my warped understanding of who He is led me to believe that coming to Him would mean He was going to expect me to do all kinds of crazy things I didn’t want to do. Have you ever had that thought? If you have then you will understand when I tell you it scared me! I was concerned that God would change things I didn’t really want Him to change. Sure there were things that I knew God needed to change in my life, but there were also things I liked as they were. (A quick confession…I was actually scared that He was going to send me into ‘deepest darkest Africa’ as a missionary. At that stage in my life there is nothing I would have feared more than going into Africa and telling people about Jesus. That thought still scares me today). But the more I meditated on God’s desire to have me come to Him and surrender fully, the more I realized if I didn’t surrender my life fully to God I would never live the full life He intended for me to live. For me, surrender had to do with trusting that He really knew best! And so started the journey of surrendering to God everyday. Coming to Him everyday. Asking Him to lead me everyday. Or, at least, most days, because I will never reach the finish line this side of eternity. The journey we are about to embark on is one of surrender. It’s a journey of realizing that surrendering to Jesus is not about popping over from time to time. It’s about dwelling with Jesus. What does God really want from you? He wants you. All of you. He created you. He died for you. He has prepared a place for you - all so that He can have an intimate relationship with you. He wants the fully surrendered version of you so that He can grow you fully in the likeness of His son. Will you consider going on a journey of surrender with Jesus so that He can show you what that means in your life? Will you learn to trust Him more than you currently do? That is what Jesus wants from you.

17 of 91

PRAY Dear Jesus - thank you that you love me so much that you invite me to come to you fully and to find my rest in you. There are areas of my life where I have struggled to surrender fully. Please reveal those areas to me and help me understand how my life would be better if I surrendered them to you.

REFLECT How do you feel about the week ahead, as we speak about surrender? Is surrender something you find easy, or do you always feel the need to be in control? How do you think your life would be different if you were able to surrender fully to Jesus?

DECIDE What can you do today to take one step closer to surrendering your life to Jesus? (Especially a part of your life where you feel you always need to be in control?)

JOURNAL | Any thoughts you want to jot down? 

18 of 91

DAY 7 | Tuesday

WHY IS SURRENDER SO HARD? “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it. .…” Matthew 13:44-46

I hope you spent some time during the past 24 hours thinking about the one thing Jesus wants the most from you - your trust and your surrender. I’m fairly confident that, if you did spend time thinking about surrender, at least at some point in the day you would have asked yourself the question, “Why is it so hard to surrender everything to Jesus?” The parable Jesus tells in Matthew 13 about the men who discovered a treasure in a field, and another who discovered a pearl of great value, gives us a great clue as to why surrender is a difficult thing for us today. Imagine this: You drive into a parking lot and park your 1995 sedan as everyone looks around at you because of the puff of smoke you’re leaving behind you. You force the door open and slam it as rust falls to the floor. You take your 5 children out the back seat and spend a moment praying that no one will steal your car because you cannot lock the car. The lock fell out many years ago. As you step away, a well dressed man steps up to you and says this: “I see the car you are driving is not suitable. What you have is putting you and your family at risk. I want to give you the keys to this brand new, seven seater German SUV. I also want to cover the running costs for this vehicle for the rest of your life. All you need to do, is hand over your old rustbucket to me.” How would you respond? Any reasonable person would believe it’s too good to be true. There is no way that this man would willingly give up something so good, so valuable for something so bad, so worthless. There must be a catch. It would probably take a lot of convincing for you to hand over the (useless) keys to your rust-bucket. Why? Because you would be doubting two things: 1. Is this for real? 2. Is the risk worth it?

19 of 91

We aren’t given too much information about the man who found the treasure, or the other who found the pearl, but we can deduce from the parable that the two men were able to discern that, yes - this treasure was indeed real. And because it was real, they were able to weigh up the risk/ benefits to realize that, yes, this deal (selling everything to buy the field and the pearl) was worth the risk because the benefits outweighed the risks. Let’s come back to the question of the day: “Why is it so hard to surrender to Jesus?” In most cases, it’s because we are not convinced that the deal Jesus offers (in short - “surrender to me and I will give you everything you need, I will meet your needs, I will empower your with the Holy Spirit, forgive your sins and live with you for eternity”) is real (because - it really does seem too good to be true) or that the risk of surrendering to God is worth it. It’s the second part that’s tricky. Being convinced that what God is asking of you is worth the risk. The clue here is knowledge. The man who bought the field, and the man who bought the pearl, had enough knowledge to know that it was in their best interests to take the risk and sell all they had. They knew the benefits. They knew that it would be for a very short period that they would go without. Very often we don’t know just how great the deal is that God offers us because we haven’t taken the time to find out just what it is God offers. This is where spending time in His Word, being in a Life Group where people can teach you what they know about ’the deal’ and being in church where you can be taught the truths of God’s Word, become so helpful. John 8:32 says: “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Without knowing the truth, there is no freedom. Knowledge truly is power.

20 of 91

PRAY Dear Jesus - thank you that you offer me this incredible deal whereby I get so much for giving up so little. Please would you help me to trust that what you are offering me is real and the risk is worth it, and to surrender more of my life every day.

REFLECT Have you ever considered life in the context of Jesus’ parable about the men who found the treasure and the pearl? How do you usually respond when a deal seems too good to be true? Have you responded in the same way to life that Jesus offers? Have you taken the time to analyze if what Jesus offers you is real and worth the risk?

DECIDE How can you change your thinking about the Christian life so that you are more aware of how incredible the Gospel (the good news of what Jesus has done, and continues to do) is for you?


21 of 91

DAY 8 | Wednesday

DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE GOD HAS YOUR BEST IN MIND? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all,   won’t he also give us everything else?  (Romans 8:32)

Do you believe God is a good God? No, I mean, do you really believe God is a good God? Is it possible that the lens you view the Christian life through points to God as being someone who demands a lot from you without giving you much in return? Maybe that’s been a concern for you as we start this journey speaking about ‘surrender’, and as you evaluated the ‘risk’ yesterday. When we speak about surrender to God, what we are really speaking about is total commitment. This is something that many people struggle with - fully committing to a life lived to the honour of Christ Jesus. Maybe part of the reason for that is that we aren’t always entirely sure what total commitment really is. So let’s have a look at a definition: ‘Total commitment is the alignment of one’s motives, resources, priorities and goals to fulfill a specific mission, accomplish a specific task or follow a specific person.’ - Websters Dictionary It’s clear that total commitment means absolute surrender. In Romans 12:1 God commands us to offer our bodies - ourselves (motives, resources, priorities and goals) as a living sacrifice. He tells us that acceptable worship begins with the act of surrender - or total commitment. It’s so easy to read that and get overwhelmed at the idea of living a life of total surrender. Yet once we start to understand the nature of God, we get to see that surrendering to Christ is not only something that God requires, but it’s something that is in our best interest. When you read the story yesterday of the man who found a treasure in the field, or the man who found a pearl, did you feel sorry for them? Did you, for even a second, think “Shame, that man had to sell everything he owned to buy the field”?

No, of course you didn’t, because you

understood that what the man was “sacrificing” (could we use the word ‘surrendering’?) was nothing compared to what he was gaining by buying the field. When we start to understand that God really is a good God who gives good things to His children and who loves them with the deepest, most captivating love, we start to get a glimpse

22 of 91

into the reason behind God’s call for us to surrender to Him - to commit to Him fully: Jesus wants us to give ourselves to Him so that He can give us everything in return. One of my favourite verses in scripture is found in Matthew 7:9-11. I think one of the reasons I like the verse so much is not only because of what it communicates about God, but also because in it Jesus is being so direct… a little sarcastic even. Look what He has to say: “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?   Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful   people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly   Father give good gifts to those who ask him!

That reminds me of the story of a little girl who saved up some money to buy a fake pearl necklace at the convenience store. She saved for a few weeks - going without some other things she would have liked - to buy this necklace. After seeing it, her mother asked if she could please have it as a gift. The girl was torn. She had saved her money and was looking forward to wearing the fake necklace to a school dance.

But here her mother was asking for it, and her

mother didn’t ask for much, so she must have really wanted it. After a few days the girl relented and handed her mom the necklace. “Here you go, mom, it’s yours,” she said.

The mom took it, and smiling, reached into her pocket and pulled out a

beautiful, genuine pearl necklace of great value. “And here you go, this one is for you.” That is exactly what total commitment to Jesus means - giving up our cheap, plastic pearls for the real deal. It means giving up sin that brings us pseudo happiness so that Jesus can fill us with true joy. It means giving up unhealthy relationships so that Jesus can bring the right people into our lives. It means giving up debt so we can sow into His Kingdom and He can bless us in ways we cannot begin to imagine. It means giving up fears and doubts so that He can fill us with indescribable peace. It starts with believing this incredible truth: He really is a good, good God!

23 of 91

PRAY Jesus, please would you help me to understand that you are not just a little good - but that you are an immeasurably good God who only has good things in store for me. Please help me to think about those areas in my life where I have had wrong thinking, and reveal to me things I need to give up in order to enjoy what you have for me. Amen

REFLECT When you think about God, what is the first thought that comes to mind? Do you think of God as being a ‘good good Father’ who gives good things to His children or do you think of Him as a dictator who just wants to take from you? What are some thoughts that you need to change so that you can appreciate that He is a good God? How would your day look differently if you thought often of the goodness of God today?

DECIDE Decide that today you will focus on the goodness of God, and thank God throughout the day that He has your best in mind, even when you don’t fully understand why He asks you to surrender some things.


24 of 91

DAY 9 | Thursday

WHAT DOES A SURRENDERED LIFE LOOK LIKE? And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.  (Romans 12:1) That’s a good question, isn’t it? “What does a surrendered life look like?” If we are pursuing a life of total commitment to Christ, we ought to know what that life looks like. Contrary to what many people may think, a life of surrender isn’t something noble and virtuous that only a few people do. Instead, totally committed Christians are ordinary people who are experiencing God’s biggest and best blessings. They are people who have surrendered their lives to Christ because they have come to understand that God has their best in mind, and in order to experience God’s best they have had to commit to Him. But what does surrender in our relationships with God actually look like? Romans 12:1 above has the answer. Two observations: Firstly, notice that this is the twelfth chapter in the book of Romans. It comes after eleven great chapters that are well worth reading in order to understand the context of Romans 12. When you read the eleven preceding chapters, what you will notice is that Chapters 1-3 point out the problem all mankind has: we have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. In chapters 4 and 5 we read about the solution to this problem: God has sent His son Jesus to die on the cross in our place to pay for our sins, and we have received this free gift of salvation by faith. In Chapters 6 to 8, Paul describes how this new lifestyle is lived out. He reveals a life that is impossible to live - but is made possible through the Spirit of God who dwells within us. Then in chapters 9-11, we see that God doesn’t only have a plan for our lives but has a future plan to fulfill all His promises. It is in this context that the first verse of chapter 12 confronts us. Because of God’s incredible plan of salvation, the life we live empowered by the Holy Spirit and the incredible promises for the future, we get to respond by giving our lives to the One who has given everything for us.

25 of 91

The second observation is the structure of this verse. Romans 12:1 contains three components: ●

an instruction to live by

●

the motivation for the instruction

●

the reason to obey

The Instruction God makes a demand of us. The demand is hard core… it is to put Him first. In fact, the first portion of the 10 great commandments focusses on the greatness of God and how we are to love Him with every part of our being and not to have any idols in our lives (Exodus 20). The idols in the time when these commandments were written were often physical idols of other gods. Today, I suspect our idols are much worst: our sport, our families, our careers, our images, our reputations and our hobbies. All of these are things that we have fully committed to, leaving God on the sidelines waiting for us to turn to Him and obey His command to give it all for Him. And when we actually do? Something incredible happens in our journey with God. Something that you will only appreciate when you experience a life of surrender for yourself. The motivation The motivation we have touched on already - God’s incredible greatness to us. Take yourself back to that rust-bucket car that isn’t meeting your needs. As you hand over the keys, and slip into the brand new, 7 seater German SUV, what will your thoughts be toward the person who gave you this incredible gift? You will likely start thinking of ways to try thank him, but will come up short with every idea. Because how do you thank someone who has given you such an incredible gift? Jesus has given you much, much more than an SUV. That should motivate us every day to live a life of surrender to Him. The reason But the reason for this instruction is where the rubber hits the tar - surrender that Romans 12:1 speaks of brings us into a new place of spiritual worship unto the Lord. We have been created to worship! That is what God requires of us more than anything else. More than your church attendance, your tithe, your good acts of care toward the widows and orphans, the Lord requires that you worship Him above all else. That is why He wants us to surrender - because He knows that a life of worship comes from a life of surrender.

26 of 91

PRAY Jesus, I want to live a life of surrender and worship. Please will you help me to take the leap from being a comfortable Christian to a fully devoted Christian who lives a life of worshipping in spirit and in truth, as you taught in John 4. Amen.

REFLECT Are you a worshipper (someone whose life is defined by their worship of Almighty God) or do you occasionally worship? How would your devotion to Jesus look different if, in response to His love for you, you were motivated to become a true worshipper?

DECIDE Decide that today you will spend more time than usual worshipping the Lord. That doesn’t mean you’ll sing more, but rather that your heart will be more turned toward the presence of God and that you will focus more on thanking Him, praising Him, giving Him credit for the good that happens in your day.


27 of 91

DAY 10 | Friday

ARE YOU “ALL IN” No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. (Matthew 6:24) The other day I was sitting in a room with some millennials, and the topic of cheques came up. A large number of people around the table admitted that they had never written on a cheque. They have grown up in a ‘plastic’ generation. This proves how quickly life can change and how things evolve. But the conversation reminded me of a time when I had to take a cheque to be cashed. The details aren’t that important, but there was huge time pressure, and in short, I needed to take the business cheque to the bank and have it cashed, but the administrator wasn’t yet sure of the exact figure. So we decided that I would drive to the bank, get into the queue (as it was always long) and she would then phone me with the figure, which I would then fill in to get the correct amount of money. So off I went with a signed, “cash” cheque and no figure filled in. This was the ultimate expression of trust.

The administrator was giving me a blank cheque and

trusting me to fill in the details. I could have done anything! I could have decided that this was my moment to run, and fill in many 0s. (I’m here to tell the story, so obviously I didn’t do that!) Surrender to God is exactly that - giving God a blank cheque and inviting Him to fill in the details. Or, if you prefer, surrender is handing the keys of your car (your life) over to Jesus, and getting in the back seat and inviting Him to take the wheel. What many of us do is, we respond to God’s gift of salvation, we pray a prayer or make a decision in our hearts and ask Jesus to be Lord of our lives. Then, we invite Him to take His place in the passenger seat. And, as with any person in the passenger seat of a vehicle, we give Him some “perks”.

He gets to choose the music we listen to.

He gets to control the aircon

temperature. He can even control the GPS once we’ve told Him where we want to go. But that’s not what it means to be ‘All in’. To be ‘all in’ means that we sit in the passenger seat and choose the music; we control the aircon; and we put in the GPS coordinates once HE has told us where we are going and how to get there.

28 of 91

We cannot serve the agenda of the Lord and our own agenda at the same time. If we are ‘all in’ when it comes to trusting God with our lives, then we need to hand over the keys. The vehicle of our lives is not driven in one of those old-school “learn to drive” cars with steering wheels and foot pedals. This vehicle only has one driver - and that driver should be Jesus. This week we have encouraged you to think a little more about surrender. We have asked you to look at some of the areas in your life that would be different if you trusted Jesus more. Today we want to ask you to go ALL IN! Are you ready to commit, or recommit if it is something you did long ago, to hand over the keys to Jesus? Are you ready to ask Jesus to take full control of your journey and destiny? Are you willing to step out in faith and commit to serving Jesus with every part of your life? If you are, I want to tell you that you are making the wisest, most life changing decision. This is not just about salvation, as you may have already given your life to Jesus. But this is a second step of true surrender to Jesus whereby you are giving Him permission to bring His best into your life and to take you on the most exciting journey with God. If you have never made a commitment of any kind to Jesus before, I want to invite you to do that right now by praying this prayer: Jesus, I believe you are the son of God who died on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me for living a life apart from you. Today I want to trust you as my Lord and receive Your forgiveness as my Saviour. Please come into my life. Please forgive me for my sin. Please help me to live for you. Amen. If you have prayed a prayer similar to that before, of if you have just prayed that prayer for the first time, I want to invite you to pray a prayer of commitment: Jesus, I want to be “all in”. I want to hand over the blank cheque of my life, and the keys of my life, to you. I commit today to stepping out of the driver’s seat of my life and trusting you to direct my life. Please help me, every day, to remember this commitment and to trust you with everything I have and everything I am. Amen.

29 of 91

PRAY Spend some more time in prayer today than you usually would, asking Jesus to help you with some specific areas where you think you will struggle to hand over the keys.

REFLECT How do you feel? Do you feel excited and relieved that you’ve handed over the keys of your life to Jesus?

Do you feel a little anxious because you’re not sure if you’ll be able to see your

commitment through? Do you feel overwhelmed because there are so many areas where you still need to surrender? Think about these, then move onto the decision for today.

DECIDE If you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed at your decision to go “all in”, decide to make a list of the areas in your life where you are concerned about surrender. Over the next few days and weeks, work systematically through that list, bringing a new concern to God every day and asking Him to help you. If you would like, you are also welcome to contact one of our pastors who will happily journey with you through these concerns.

30 of 91

Week 2 | Small Group Notes  Giving God what He wants most 1. What did Jesus teach us about surrender and true spirituality? •

Surrender is the _______________________________ to experiencing true spirituality. 

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the group and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lost it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.   (John 12:24-25 NIV) •

Jesus teaches surrender as the ______________________________ through which God’s biggest and best blessings flow.

2. How did Jesus model surrender as the pathway to pleasing the Father? Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. (Philippians 2:6-7 NLT) •

Jesus surrendered even before he came to earth. The first surrender is one we never see.  Jesus ave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son of God can do nothing by himself.” (John 5:19a NIV)    By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. (John 5:30 NIV)

•

Jesus’ ________________________________ was marked by surrender 

•

Jesus’ ________________________________ on earth was marked by surrender

  Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Matt 26:39 NIV)

31 of 91

•

Surrender is the _________________________________ element in the church today.

3. What is Jesus saying to you about surrender in your life? Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24 NIV) The problem is not that He is asking too much;   the problem is that we are believing too little.  For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Psalm 84:11 NASB) 

TALK IT OVER | Small group discussion suggested questions 1. When it comes to growing up, what was your view of God? What was he like? How have you come to believe in God’s goodness? 2. Who is the most committed Christ followed you have ever known? What is it about his/her life that is different? 3. Read Luke 9:57-62 and answer the following questions: In this passage, what principles can we learn from Jesus teaching about surrender? Practically speaking, what would it look like for you to “put your hand to the plow” and to look back when it comes to following God? 4. Read Hebrews 12:2.

Surrender is not easy, but it is the pathway to joy. After Jesus

surrendered to the cross, what was the “joy set before him”? What joy (or satisfaction) is there in surrendering to God? 5. What are the biggest barriers that keep you from making a total commitment to Jesus Christ? Is there some area of your life that is not surrendered to the lordship of Jesus? 6. Are you willing to surrender each and every area of your life to the lordship of Jesus? Spend the last few minutes of your group time in prayer. Offer prayers of surrender, letting God know that you are “all in”

LIVE IT OUT | Some practical suggestions for the week ahead 1. Sometime during this week, write out a prayer of surrender. Set aside enough time to carefully consider your prayer.

32 of 91

Week 3 | Devotions (Rom 12:2)  Getting the very best from God  DAY 11 | Monday

ARE YOU GETTING GOD’S BEST? Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 Have you ever found yourself wondering if ‘this’ is as good as life is going to get? Or found yourself praying for God to show you his will? Or if you are fulfilling your purpose here on earth? The longer someone is a Christian the more likely it will be that they would have heard or read Romans 12:2 before. The emphasis, however, is usually placed on the first part of the verse: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” But for just a moment I would like to take your attention to the last part of the verse: Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. As you think about it you will realize that this thought is absolutely mind-blowing! Paul is saying that it is possible for you (yes…you!) to know God’s predestined will for your life. Not only that but he is saying that you can “test and approve” God’s will for your friends, your family, your school, your workplace and even your college or university. Ultimately what he is saying, is that it is possible for you to walk in and live in God’s good and pleasing will for your life. It is possible for you to live a fulfilled purpose driven life. It is possible for us to grab hold of everything God has for us during our lifetime and getting God’s best for our lives.

33 of 91

Yet this is only possible by applying the first part of the verse, by no longer living in the ways of the world but rather allowing the Spirit of Christ to transform your mind. Here's the question: Are you getting God’s best for your life? Are you experiencing God’s good and pleasing will unfolding in your life? If you are like the rest of the world then your answer will probably be leaning closer to “No” in answer to the question. If this is so, then I would like to challenge you with this thought: Maybe the only thing standing between you experiencing the full life God intended for you is surrendering your life to Jesus so that he can renew it by His power and life.

PRAY Pray through areas in your life where you might have struggled the most in your journey with Jesus. Pray through habits, sins, or setbacks that seem to thwart your relationship with Him. Ask God to forgive you for living in the ways of the world and ask Him to renew your mind by the power of His Spirit. Ask God to begin opening your eyes and your heart to what His good and pleasing will is for your life.

REFLECT What comes to your mind when you think about doing God's will? Does your mind gravitate towards words like difficult, painful, distasteful; or do you see His good, well pleasing, and custom made plan for your benefit and joy? Why?

DECIDE Think of one thing or habit in your life that you know isn’t God’s intention for you. Make a decision today to “stop” that habit.


34 of 91

DAY 12 | Tuesday

WHY IS THE CHRISTIAN LIFE SO DIFFICULT? Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12:2  When you placed your faith in Jesus as your Saviour a number of significant things happened to you: ●

your sins were immediately forgiven

●

you were put in right standing with God

●

you became a part of His family

●

you were taken out of the kingdom of darkness and placed in the kingdom of light

●

the Holy Spirit entered you

Most importantly your life shifted from emptiness and brokenness to freedom and adventure. All of us experienced that excitement when we first received the Spirit of God. It’s transforming! Yet, one of the first lessons we learn as believers is how difficult it is to be a Christian. We want to live the life we are called to but more often than not we don’t. We get trapped and tripped up by our own sinfulness, doing things we don't want to do and avoiding the things we ought to do. Eventually what began as a glorious journey feels like an ugly, never ending battle that we are losing all the time. The thing we fail to realise as believers is that although we are forgiven of our sins and have the power to overcome them, we will forever struggle with sin because it is a part of our fallen being. Paul summarized this is Galatians 5:17: “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.” These two forces are constantly fighting each other and we will only be free of the conflict when Jesus returns and takes us to the new earth. When we feed our sinful nature it reigns over us, providing spiritual death, darkness and we lose. Yet, the hope we have is that when we ‘feed’ the Spirit within us the Spirit will reign over us, giving us life, light and we gain. That’s why Paul encourages us in Romans 12:2 to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds” rather than being conformed and moulded by the patterns of this world.

35 of 91

In Galatians 5:16 Paul explains how: let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. God has set us apart. Let us strive to be a people who live as such. Free from the broken pattern the world tries to mould us through. Let us strive to be a people who surrender to the infilling, empowering and guiding of the Spirit of God.

PRAY •

Pray that God will forgive you for the moments in this week when you have ‘fed’ the sinful nature rather than the Spirit.

•

Pray that God will fill you with His Spirit, that he will teach you to allow the Spirit of God to guide your life.

•

Pray through Romans 12:2 asking God to make it a reality in your life.

REFLECT Why is the Christian life so difficult for you? In what specific areas have you found it particularly difficult to live out a holy life?

DECIDE Make a decision today to be determined to feed your Spirit more than you feed your flesh.


36 of 91

DAY 13 | Wednesday

ARE YOU A FAITHFUL LOVER? Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. 1 John 2:15-17 Almost every single one of us has been affected by adultery and its profound impact in some way or another. You may not be married or have experienced it in your own marriage but you would have most probably encountered it at some point as a child, in your extended family, in your friendship group, among coworkers or in society. The effects of adultery are devastating, not only impacting the couples involved but cascading into the lives of their children, family, friendship groups, the church and wider groupings. There is almost nothing more devastating than when an individual decides to break the promise of marital purity. This is essentially God’s position with us in Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world” is God’s declaration that we are to take ‘no other lovers’. He desires our relationship with him to be one of purity and loyalty. Yet the Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:8 that Satan is your enemy who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” That someone is you. He wants to devour you and the primary way in which he does that is through “the world” which he has been constructing since his fall. John warns us of this very thing In the scripture we read above. John’s message is both harsh and clear: if you love the world then you don't love God. Then he elaborates on three areas in which we often are devoured and consumed in craving: The first is a passion to feel “physical pleasure”. We get consumed with a craving to feel more and this is often expressed in overconsumption of food and alcohol; sexual pleasure through adulterous relationships, sexual thoughts, pornography or even light flirting with colleagues; and pursuits to experience bigger and better things. The second passion Paul describes as “everything we see”. This is by and large our biggest sin as a society, an uncontrollable desire to have more (ie: materialism). We never settle but our eyes are always wandering to things that are slightly bigger, a little more expensive and will make you look a little more important.

37 of 91

The third area is connected to the two above and that is “pride”. You may or may not be a confident person but you definitely have pride within you; we all do and it is the root of almost all sin. We are all driven by a passion “to be” people of status, position and to receive glory. If we are honest with ourselves we have all experienced temptation in these three areas. That's because Satan uses these three forces to cripple and devour humanity. When Paul writes and begs us not be conformed to the pattern of the world he is encouraging us to fight against the bombardment of mass media, of cultural acceptance and acceptable worldview and rather strive for purity and holiness in relationship with God, to allow The Word of God to determine what we accept as truth and His life as an example to follow. If you looked honestly at your relationship with God, would you consider your relationship pure? Are you faithful to Him? Or have you allowed yourself to be distracted and devoured by the tools of the enemy and crippled your relationship?

PRAY Pray specifically through the three areas of temptation that we are so often exposed to. Ask God to bring to light areas in your life where you have fallen short in any of those areas. Ask for forgiveness and ask for strength to overcome. Pray through Romans 12:2 and ask God to make it a reality in your life.

REFLECT How does seeing “the world” as a tool of Satan and as a seductress that seeks to corrupt your pure relationship with God, change its appeal? How does reframing sin as a “relational issue” vs “breaking the rules” make you feel about your sin?

DECIDE Take a 3,5,7 day media fast. Break the supply lines of TV, movies and all non-work related computer activities…and watch what happens (Romans 13:14).


38 of 91

DAY 14 | Thursday

IS YOUR MENTAL DIET KILLING YOUR SOUL? Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12:2  There are certain principles in life we understand well. For instance we know that if we want to get physically fit, then eating McDonalds and sitting around all day, everyday is not going to help. Instead, you will get fat and sluggish. If we want to live productive and effective lives hanging out with lazy and unpassionate people won't assist us because we know that who we hang out with, determines who we become. We know that sad movies make us sad and happy movies make us happy. Ultimately, we understand that what we put in us is what comes out of us. We completely understand how this principle is true for our physical, emotional, social and mental wellbeing but so often we fail to realise that this is also true for our spiritual state. When we fill our minds with the world's value system (as discussed yesterday: physical pleasure, everything we see and pride) we will corrupt and decay our spirit. We will experience spiritual death and separation in our relationship with God. Like fast food, these things look good, taste good and promise a wonderful time, only to deliver death. In order for us to enjoy the very best from God it requires us to change our diet. Romans 12:2 tells us to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind”. In other words the battleground for your spiritual life and relationship with God is found in your mind and the victory comes from your mind being ‘transformed’. The word ‘transformed’ comes from the Greek “Metamorphosis” which is used to describe the process of something changing from the inside out. It is the same word you would use to describe a caterpillar being transformed in its cocoon and eventually becoming a butterfly. When Paul said that your mind needs to be transformed, he was implying a couple of things: •

Firstly, God is the one who does this to us. It is not something we do to ourselves.

•

Secondly, it is a command. So we have a responsibility to collaborate with God in the transformation process.

•

Thirdly, this is an ongoing and continuous process that will continue as long as you have breath.

Our minds and world views are constantly being morphed by the bombardment of information from music, to billboards, to radio stations, to the series and movies we watch, to the books we read. All these things shape our minds and often in a way that is antagonistic to the ways of

39 of 91

Christ. We often go to church and read our Bibles and have every intention of living the life Jesus has called us to, but struggle and wonder why. Yet it is simply because we are allowing the voice of God to be drowned out with the bombardment of louder and more persistent voices. Here are a couple of questions to think through: ●

What does your mental diet look like?

●

What are you putting into your mind on a daily basis?

●

What do you think the ratio between the amount of time you spend in God’s word, or listening to his truth, and the amount of time you take in messages of the world via TV, movies, music and the internet, would be?

Please don't gloss over these questions. Stop. Take some time to think through them. The battle for your spiritual life is fought through what you are putting into your mind. The best decision you can make today is to start intentionally filling it with music, movies, series, podcasts, videos and books that speak the life of Christ, rather than the ways of the world.

PRAY •

Pray through the list of questions above. Ask God to reveal the reality of the ‘food’ you are feeding your mind.

•

Ask God to forgive you for allowing things to come into your mind to corrupt it and damage your spiritual life.

•

Ask God to fill you with a passion and determination to fill your mind with good, holy and life-giving things.

REFLECT If Paul is right, if the battle for our soul really comes from our minds being transformed and that transformation comes through allowing God and His words to transform them, what steps are we going to take?

DECIDE Decide today to start doing one thing daily that will bring life into your mind (ie: reading the Bible daily, listening to Christian radio, reading a Christian book, finding Christian music)


40 of 91

DAY 15 | Friday

ARE YOU TIRED OF TRYING HARD AND FEELING GUILTY? If you love me, you will obey my commandments. John 14:15 We have all experienced it. We hear an inspiring sermon, read a motivational book or find something in the Bible that challenges us and finally we make the decision to change and we say, “Enough is enough! I am going to change ______(insert personal decision)”.     For a couple of days or maybe even weeks, we strive to be better, do better or live better… yet sooner or later we fall back into the old habits. Usually when this happens in the context of our spiritual life or habits we tend to do one of two things:  •

Firstly, we put up a facade and we pretend to live a holy life and begin to live a life of duplicity and hypocrisy.

•

Secondly, we simply agree that the life we are called to live is simply impossible for any normal human to attain and so we drop the standard for what is acceptable to what is ‘doable’ or ‘comfortable’. Holiness and the application of God’s Words become relative to our day and those around us.

If most Christians aren't living like “Christians” then something is seriously flawed in our understanding of spiritual growth. You see, spiritual growth is actually less to do with what you do or don't do and everything to do with relationship.   Spiritual Growth: ●

does not begin with focussing on behaviour

●

does not even begin with focussing on attitudes

●

always begins with focussing on our thinking

●

is accomplished by the Spirit of God, through the Word of God, in the context of authentic community, for the purpose of glorifying God.

The focus in genuine transformation is never in the do or don’ts nor the shoulds or oughts. These things just end up bringing us a sense of guilt or condemnation. If trying hard, being disciplined or doing religious activities could break the power of sin over our lives, most of us would win awards. The place we must begin is our thinking! We must begin to see our ‘spiritual health’ as ‘relational health’. We must begin to see our ‘obedience’ to God not as a rule to follow but rather as us

41 of 91

loving him. You see His love language is words of affirmation, not acts of service, not gifts (ie:tithes) and not even quality time. All of these are important to God but what is most important, is obedience to His Word. Jesus said in John 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey my commandments”. We begin to do this only through the transformation and the renewing of our minds. How can we renew our minds? Good question. Here are five practical methods for renewing your mind: 1. Hear God’s Word (Romans 10:17) 2. Read God’s Word (Revelation 1:3) 3. Study God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:15) 4. Memorize God’s Word (Psalm 119:9,11) 5. Meditate on God’s Word (Joshua 1:8) In the end “renewing your mind” is God’s divine prescription for getting the very best He has to offer you.

PRAY Ask God to renew your thinking about his commands - moving from restrictions to a way in which you prove your love for Him.

REFLECT What new insight did you get about how transformation occurs?

DECIDE Over the next week apply one of the five practical methods of renewing your mind to each day.


42 of 91

Week 3 | Small Group Notes  Getting the very best from God 1. What did Jesus say about true spirituality in a ________________________ world? What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? (Luke 9:25 NIV) •

Jesus taught that we are in a real battle with Satan and a world system designed to     ______________________________ our lives 

2. How did Jesus model “the way” of victory over the world’s temptations? •

The 1st temptation - Lust of the flesh (Matthew 4:3-4)

•

The 2nd temptation - Pride of Life (Matthew 4:5-7

•

The 3rd temptation - Lust of the eyes (Matthew 4:8-10)

3. What is Jesus saying to you about how to overcome the world system? Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “if you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32 NASB) •

Your mind is transformed by the ________________________________ 

•

Your mind is renewed when you  •

Hear God’s Word

•

Read God’s Word

•

Study God’s Word

•

Memorize God’s Word

•

Meditate on God’s Word

43 of 91

SO WHAT? 1. Where do you need to say “no” to the world? 2. How do you need to say “yes” to the world?

TALK IT OVER | Small group discussion suggested questions 1. In your mind, where have Christians violated Scripture and been swept along by the culture? Give some specific examples 2. In John 17 Jesus said that we are not of the world, but that he did send us into the world. What does it mean for Christ followers today to be in the world, but not of the world? 3. Share a time in your journey when the world’s values made it difficult for you to follow God. How did you get through it? What did you learn? 4. Where is the world squeezing you into its mould? What specific strategies does the enemy use that tempt you the most? 5. Read John 15:4-5 and discuss the following questions: What does it look like in your everyday life to “remain” in Jesus? How is the analogy of “vine and branches” a picture of our relationship with Christ? 6. What is the biggest hindrance to you spending time in God’s Word on a regular basis? 7. What step will you commit to taking in order to more fully engage God’s Word? Have daily time alone with God and His Word Spend more time reading the Bible Memorize a passage of scripture Begin to listen to biblical teaching on CD/Podcast ________________________________

LIVE IT OUT | Some practical suggestions for the week ahead 1. Give up all forms of media for 48 hours (tv, radio, podcasts etc). Ask a friend or family member to do this with you. Commit to pray for one another and to hold each other accountable. Consider having your entire group do this together this next week. 2. Have a discussion with your family or with a good friend about this week’s session. Spend some time talking about the impact of media on our lives and how we should respond as Christ followers. 3. Decide to get up twenty minutes earlier each day for the next two weeks to spend time with God and His Word. Find a partner who is willing to make the same commitment. You can share what you are learning and you can help each other follow through. 4. This week, consider memorizing Romans 12:2

44 of 91

Week 4 | Devotions (Rom 12:3-8)  Coming to grips with the real you Day 16 | Monday

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, ‘You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.’” Luke 16:14: We live in a world where social systems, our culture and people’s opinions put value to people and things that God does not put to them. Think about it, we send our children to expensive schools - why? We want them to be clever, to have a great job and for others to look up to them. Good education is a good thing, but not if it puts a false value to the person who is blessed enough to have it. Put in another way - not if it devalues the person who is not blessed enough to have it. Years ago I had the privilege of walking through Harrods luxury department store in London. It did not take me very long to realise why the adjective luxury is used next to Harrods: buying shoes at Harrods is an experience limited to those who had more than enough money. So who decided that Harrods was the place to buy shoes? It goes even to the point where people pay more than some earn in a month for a pair of shoes! Years ago while I was doing some leadership consulting I was advised to add a significant amount to my hourly rate, the reason being that people would take me less seriously if I did not. How’s that for logic: be more expensive so that people will hire you! We live in a world where what one does, where one lives, what one drives and what one wears defines one’s worth. What a way to live! No matter who you are, at some stage you will not be able to live up to the ever-changing yardstick which measures success and worth in this broken world. Jesus tackled this issue head on in Luke 16:14: “The pharisees who loved money sneered at Jesus.” In their eyes Jesus did just not have the right pedigree: he was born in the wrong place. In their eyes he was just a restless wanderer, not someone to be taken seriously. Jesus made it clear that God did not look at outward things but he looks at the heart when he looks at us.

45 of 91

The Bible makes one thing clear: though we do not deserve it, we have infinite worth in God’s sight. God put so much value on each one of us that He gave his son to restore relationship with us. God wants you to think about yourself as someone who has great worth in His economy. He also wants you to know your worth is not in what you do, what you have or what you wear. God values you for who you really are.

PRAY God, thank you for the way in which you value me. Help me to find my worth not in the way that people see me but in the way that you see me.

REFLECT Who do you think that you are? How do you determine your personal worth?

DECIDE To think about yourself in the way that God will think about you.


46 of 91

Day 17 | Tuesday

THREE THINGS THAT KEEP YOU   FROM SEEING WHO YOU REALLY ARE. “The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die. ‘You will not certainly die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ’For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realised they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. “But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’ “He answered, ‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.’ “And he said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?’ “The man said, ‘The woman you put here with me — she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.’ “Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ “The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’ “ Genesis 3:2-13 This is where it all went wrong for mankind. A small discussion with Satan started the slippery slide to the point of no return. The Bible tells us that this decision by Adam, the first man on earth, locked us into the same pattern of self destruction. Our souls long for intimacy with God but somehow we rebel. We want our independence and then we are left alone, scared of life and when caught out, we have a tendency to blame - blame God, blame our wives, blame the children, blame circumstances… We struggle to own up. This passage highlights three barriers that keep us from seeing ourselves as God wants us to see ourselves: ●

Fear rooted in shame. Earlier in the book of Genesis we read that God made man and woman in His image. They were both naked and they felt no shame. Before shame set in, Adam and Eve met with God, communicated with God and enjoyed each other and God’s presence. Before shame set in, man and woman were equal and there was no fear, no need to dominate, nor hide anything from each other. Then shame set in and the first thing that they did was to cover up. See Adam’s reaction to God questions:“I heard you

47 of 91

in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked.” The nakedness referred to here refers to much more than just their physical nakedness. It refers to their ability to be totally transparent or vulnerable with God and each other. We struggle with who we are because of shame and that has all kinds of negative effects on the relationships that we have with people and God. These negative effects are more often a result of how we feel about ourselves. ●

Hiding rooted in insecurity. Not only did they cover up, they also hid from God. They hid because they did not really want God to see them as they really were. It is the same with us: we cover up, we will do whatever it takes for people not to see us as we really are. We have to keep our pose so that others will not think badly of us.

●

Blame rooted in denial. I am not sure why they bothered! They should have known that God knows everything and that he knew exactly what they had done and where they were hiding. Once exposed, Adam blames Eve and Eve blames the snake. Psychologists call this projection. Put the blame anywhere else but not with me. Parents know this conversation only too well: she made me do it; it just happened.

All of this leaves us in a bad place. We struggle in relationships with each other and with God because we feel the need to cover up and to hide. The good news is that Jesus has come to change all of this. The Bible tells us (Ephesians 2:14) that Jesus through his death on the cross broke down the dividing wall between God and man, and between man and man. By believing in Jesus and accepting Him as Lord or our lives, we can pray to our Father in heaven without shame. The relationship is restored. Jesus fixes what was broken by Adam and Eve; he restores everyone’s value to the same level. No matter who you are, you do not have more value or less value than the person next to you.

48 of 91

PRAY God, I struggle to be completely open and honest with you and with others. Will you help me to open my life to you so that I can see myself as you see me. Thank you that I can ask you to intervene, not because I am great, but because of what Jesus has made possible through His death on the cross.

REFLECT Are you fearful because you have something to hide? Do you struggle to really be yourself in front of others?

Do you have a tendency to blame others for things that are really your

responsibility?

DECIDE Do not let these three barriers determine your relationships with God and with others.


49 of 91

Day 18 | Wednesday

HAVE A GOOD LOOK IN THE MIRROR “For by the grace given me, I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” Romans 12:3: In the TV series House, brilliant Dr Gregory House, a Princeton graduate, condescendingly interacts with the people around him. Seeing himself as superior in intellect to any of his peers, at best he treats them with disdain and at worst, he repeatedly humiliates them. I think this is the way it was with Jesus when he was confronted with the religious leaders in Luke 16 when they in a condescending way sneered at Jesus. Life has its fair share of people like this. On the other hand, there are people who live their lives pathetically, always apologising for everything. They have no self confidence; they do not trust their own judgement and cannot believe that they can do anything right. As a rule both of these categories of people are very draining to be around. So how should I look at myself? The answer to this question is in our passage for today, Romans 12:3. Three things are highlighted in this passage; ●

“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought.”

The Greek word is more

descriptive: do not be high minded. No matter what your status in life there is no reason for you to think that you are any better than any other person. ●

“Think of yourself in sober judgement.” There is always the danger of seeing oneself lower than God intended, that is, not as good as other people. I would venture to say that most people have this problem. The hits that they have taken in life or the way in which they have disappointed themselves have left them in a place where they just do not trust themselves. When they look at others, in their own minds they look up because of the way that they feel about themselves.

●

“Think of yourself with sober judgement in accordance with the faith that God has given you.” To understand this passage one really needs to read the whole chapter. Note Paul’s intro in verse 3, “for by the grace given to me”. This is in reference to him being an apostle. Paul did not choose to be an apostle, God chose him. Therefore Paul could in no way claim to be better than any of the believers that he was writing to. On the other hand, Paul could take great courage, as someone who had persecuted Christians, from

50 of 91

the fact that God wanted to put his hand on Paul to be an apostle to the Gentiles. All of his confidence was rooted in the fact that God had chosen him. Later in the passage from v. 4 onwards, Paul uses the analogy of a body to explain that everyone is important. The body cannot work without the brain and the body would be crippled if the body did not have a hand. He makes it clear that every part of the body is necessary to make the body the best that it can be. Because of this one part cannot claim to be superior to the other parts. It just does not work that way. In fact all parts are important because God placed them all in strategic places so that together the body can be the best that it can be. God has made us just as we are for a good reason and when we embrace this together with the people around us without feeling superior or inferior, then great things can happen for the kingdom. This is true not just for when we work in the church but wherever God has placed us in society. God has made you as an important part of the whole. We find our greatest worth when we are among others working together with them, using the way that God has wired us doing the things that God has called us to do.

PRAY God help me to see myself in the way that you see me. Not better than others, not of less worth than others but on par with whoever you cause me to have contact with. Give me confidence in the way that you have created me and make me bold in the way that I use my gifts and abilities to let people feel the benefits of your kingdom.

REFLECT How do you see yourself? Has pride or has your inferiority complex limited you in your relationship with God and with others?

DECIDE To ask God to help you look in the mirror and see yourself as He sees you.


51 of 91

Day 19 | Thursday

FLYING WITH INSTRUMENTS,   “WHAT THE BIBLE REALLY SAYS ABOUT YOU”. Several years ago I watched a TV documentary about passenger planes that crashed.

The

programme detailed the investigation, the team that led the investigation and the reasons for the crash. Interestingly most of the accidents were as a result of human error. One such accident occurred because the pilot felt an uneasiness about the instrument readings and decided to fly the plane on gut feel in thick mist. He flew into the side of a mountain and all aboard were killed. Many people struggle with the same thing.

They live life by the way that they feel and because of this their lives are

complicated. To feel is not a bad thing: we were created to feel but when feelings dominate our lives to the point where every decision we make is an emotional one, it can be disastrous. Sometimes we just have to take a step back and look what the instruments have to say so that we can make good decisions. As Christ followers we have the Bible as our instrument panel to help us fly in life. The Bible has a lot to say about you: 1. God likes the way that you look: Take a walk down the magazine aisle at the supermarket and you will be bombarded with graphic images of men and women who have the perfect body. These images would be accompanied by phrases like “three weeks to your perfect bikini body”, or “how to have six pack abs in a few weeks”. Remembering that we are stewards of the bodies that we have, we need constant reminders that God has given each of us different bodies. We look different; we have different skin colour; some of us as T Shaped bodies others are Apple shaped. It is the way that God has made us and he is happy with what he made. See what the psalmist says in Psalm 139:13: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

52 of 91

2. You belong to God; some of us struggle with feelings of abandonment. We feel all alone with no one to care for us. Note the word ‘feel’. What does the bible say? Romans 8:35:   “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? …For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 3. You are righteous in God’s sight. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord of your life, there is no need to walk in shame. God has taken care of your shame by sending His son. Romans 8:1: “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 4. You are secure because of what Jesus has done.   John 10:27: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” 5. God has made you uniquely competent.

However you feel about yourself and your

abilities, God has made you there is no-one else just like you. He has made you as you are because He has something special for you to do that only you can do. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” These are the Biblical instruments that God has given us by which we should measure our worth, the instruments which should predetermine our action, irrespective of how others see us or how we feel about ourselves.

53 of 91

PRAY Father God, remind me that irrespective of how I feel you are here right next to me. Remind me that you have made me the way that I am and that you are happy with what you have made. Bring to mind that my design is attached to the eternal purpose that you have for my life.

REFLECT Do your emotions dominate how you feel about yourself and the way that you act towards others and towards God? How can you build your life one the perspectives given above?

DECIDE To live and act with a Biblical confidence in who and how God has made you.


54 of 91

Day 20 | Friday

WHERE DO I FIT? “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith.” Romans 12:3 We are living in a world that is connected like never before. Email, internet, Facebook, social media have made it possible for us to connect and see things about each other that we would never have thought possible twenty years ago. While pastoring in another church years ago, I tried to convince the leadership of that church that email would be a good thing. Today it is almost unthinkable for a church not to be connected in this way. We have at our fingertips possibilities to connect like never before. We do not even have to type anymore - we can simply talk and our smart devices will respond. We have made a quantum leap in less than twenty five years to be connected. From landline dial ups to wifi... what a jump. We can connect with anyone anywhere in the world at speeds that boggle the mind. Techno geeks tell us the sky is the limit. In spite of all of this, psychologists are reporting more and more people who feel disconnected, unsure about life and why they are here. The quest for purpose and direction in life has never been greater. So where do I fit? In the devotional passage for today there are two clues. Note v. 3: Paul the Apostle makes this statement, “for by the grace given to me”. Paul is referring to his role as an Apostle here. How did Paul get to be an apostle? God in His grace made him an Apostle. God’s purpose for Paul was part of God’s big plan for all of humanity. It was through his ministry that non Jews would hear about God’s love demonstrated through His son Jesus Christ. It was through his ministry that we have a very large component of the New Testament. We read in Psalm 139 that God uniquely wired Paul like this even before he was born. The second clue is in the picture painted from verses 4 to 6. Paul makes it clear that there are no duplicates that we are all uniquely wired from personalities to the way in which God has gifted us. Through our personalities and our gifts, we fit together like a giant puzzle pieces to tell the Jesus story. What this means in practice is that some of us are wired for full time ministry. This is our unique contribution or where we fit. We wake every morning with the feeling, “This is what I

55 of 91

have been made for.” Other are doctors, teachers, engineers, lawyers and politicians. This is what they have been made for, where they fit. How it works in reality: on Sundays and in our small groups we all gather together. We worship together, fellowship together and we use the gifts and abilities that we have to strengthen each other and to build each other up. Then we high five each other as we move out into the world empowered by the Holy Spirit, uniquely gifted to make a contribution there that no-one else can make. In this way we help people experience some of the benefits of the kingdom of God. In this way we invite people to join our community of believers. People are healed, taught better, benefit from engineering insights and knowledge, enjoy righteous judgements in the law and live in peace and prosperity because of godly politicians. Sounds like utopia, right? Well this is God’s intent, that we so impact the world, that serious transformation happens; people become Christ followers, society changes for the better and that godly leaders start to lead the nation. All this will happen because you understand that you have be wired in the way that you have because you have a role to play in place where you are.

PRAY God help me to like myself. By this I mean, the way that you have made me. Show me what I am good at and what I am weak in. Help me to embrace the things that I am strong in. Give me a sense of purpose in this; help me to know how to use the way in which you have made me to make a difference in our church and in the lives of people who do not go to church. Help me not to have small thoughts about the way in which you want to use me. Use me to change the world around me. Use my life so that people will feel your love.

REFLECT What are you good at? How does God want you to use what you are good at in the church, in your family and in the world.

DECIDE Dedicate these gifts and abilities to God. Let Him use you as you are to change lives, transform cities and bless those who worship next to you everyday.


56 of 91

Week 4 | Small Group Notes  Coming to grips with the real you 1. What did Jesus teach us about how we are to view ________________________________? For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 14:11)

2. How did Jesus’ life show us “the way” to obtain an accurate self-view?

•

No one can give you an accurate view of your life, but ___________________ alone.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17)    While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” (Luke 9:34-35) •

Every one of us needs someone else to tell us who we really are.

3. What is Jesus saying to about your need for an accurate self-view? From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. (Luke 12:48b) •

I am __________________________.

57 of 91

I no longer call you servants, because a servant doesn’t know his master’s business. Instead I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did no choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.  (John 15:15-16 NIV) •

I am __________________________.

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. (1 Peter 4:10 NLT) •

I am __________________________.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.   (2 Corinthians 5:10 NIV) •

Someday I will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and God will ask me. “What did you do with what I gave you?”    So what? •

U must get into God’s Word and understand who I am in Christ.

•

I need a community of believers in my life who will help me have an accurate self-view.

58 of 91

TALK IT OVER | Small group discussion suggested questions 1. What is the most powerful affirmation you can ever remember receiving? 2. What are the primary messages you received from your parents that have shaped your view of yourself? 3. Who or what are the top three people or events that have shaped how you view yourself today? 4. What is the biggest discovery you have made for yourself in the last five years? 5. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Honestly, how are you doing with accepting how God made you and who He made you to be? 6. If you could do anything for God, and time and money were not obstacles, what would you attempt? 7. Spend time affirming one another. As you think about others in your group, complete one of the following statements: •

What I appreciate most about you is…

•

I am glad you re in the group because…

•

Over the past four weeks I’ve seen you grow in this area….

LIVE IT OUT | Some practical suggestions for the week ahead 1. Make it your mission this week to help people know how wonderfully created they are. Look for opportunities all week long to say to people, I”m really glad God made you the way He did… you are a gift to me.” If you are a parent, you might want to write a letter of blessing to each of your kids. 2. Make a list this week of statements that are true about your identity in Christ. Spend some time with your Bible, seeking to discover what God says about you.Start with Psalm 139, Romans 8 and Ephesians 1. 3. If you are struggling to know where you are gifted, try this little exercise. Do a little informal survey of people that you know well. Ask them this simple question: “Based on what I”m good at and passionate about, how could you see God using me to serve others?” 4. One of the best ways to discover where you are gifted and passionate to serve is to just start serving. Explore opportunities to serve in your church or community. Make a short-term commitment and dive in… you were made to serve.

59 of 91

Week 5 | Devotions (Rom 12:9-13)  What is authentic community? DAY 21 | Monday

WHAT IS AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY ANYWAY? Jesus’ last words to his disciples before his death were not about the importance of sound doctrine. He had taught them all they needed to know to equip them for the task of building His church. His last words were not about strategy. The Holy Spirit would initiate the birth of the church and guide its leaders concerning the spreading of the Gospel and the growth of the church. The one thing on Jesus’ heart in that upper room was that they should love one another. Love would help them to serve with the right motive; love would unite them in their purpose, and love would attract others (Acts 2:44-47). In fact, everything that had been accomplished through Jesus’ ministry reflected the Father’s love. And in case the disciples didn’t grasp the practical outworking of Jesus’ command to love, He demonstrated what He meant by washing their dirty feet. Love in action. Then He told them to do the same. After His resurrection, Jesus started building His church from its foundation, and love cemented each stone in place — exactly where He wanted it to be. As Peter said, “You are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple” 1 Peter 2:5. In this way, the community of believers has become the temple where outsiders can experience God, and worship Him. Authentic community is our local church mingling with ordinary people in our workplaces and our suburbs. This is how people can see and experience the love of Jesus outside the church. There may be those who have misconceptions about the character of God: His incredible love, His awesome power, and His dazzling holiness. By having honest, meaningful conversations with these folk, their ideas can be realigned with the reality of Truth. However, to be authentic, we ourselves should be convinced that the truths we believe are essential for everyday life and for determining our eternal destiny. Without a conviction about the reality of the spiritual world around us, and the deep desire to unite the unseen world with the physical world through love, we continue to move clumsily between these parallel worlds. Yet if we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen

60 of 91

(2 Corinthians 4:18), we will be in far better place to make a difference in the physical world. When we draw strength from our time with the Lord, and hope from His promises, our hearts will move us with compassion for people who are without hope and without purpose. The result is that our spiritual dimension merges with our physical world as we allow God’s love to flow through us by our actions (1 Thessalonians 3:12). This is how the world will recognize us as followers of Christ (John 13:35). Here are some examples of what this may look like in our everyday world: ●

When we share our resources with people in need (as the early church did).

●

When we encourage each other by our gifts, and use the gifts God has given us to serve others.

●

When we do good to strangers and those outside our church circle. Simply remember their names and say something encouraging. There is so much pain and loneliness in the world, you can be pretty sure most people could use a kind word, a smile, or a helping hand.

●

When we take time to listen, and share the hope that Jesus has given us.

●

When we pray for people we meet daily — even for our competitors and rivals in the workplace.

●

When we are patient and gracious. “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone” Colossians 4:6 (NLT).

●

When we offer to babysit, offer someone a lift, or offer someone a cup of coffee.

An encouraging note; a verse of scripture with a chocolate; a ‘how are you doing’ message might be all it takes to make someone’s day… and it may also be the first step to sharing your faith with them.

PRAY Lord, make me clean and let Your love flow through me to others.

REFLECT The love of God grows in a humble heart that values others (Romans 5:5).

DECIDE I want to be part of this—part of God’s growing kingdom.


61 of 91

DAY 22 | Tuesday

WHY IS GOD SO SERIOUS ABOUT AUTHENTICITY? God has never glossed over the sins of His faithful ones in the Bible. One could be led to think that if their sin were never mentioned, they would be held in high esteem and we would have a more noble example to follow. Yet we read about Abraham — the father of those who believe — lying about his wife because he was afraid for his own safety. Or Peter — one who led the early church — denying Jesus when he was challenged about being a follower. Do you sometimes feel you need to protect God’s honour by hiding the rot? God doesn’t do that. We are all flawed. From the least to the most revered person in Scripture, each was tainted by some sin. The Bible paints a portrait of them, warts and all. Their sin is recorded not for us to use as an excuse to do the same, but a warning of sin’s elusive power and a demonstration of God’s amazing grace. Jacob was a deceiver. Moses ‘lost it’ a few times. Eli allowed his sons to dishonour sacrifices. King David concealed his adultery with a murder. In fact, Adam and Eve, Cain, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Job, Isaac, Rahab, Samson, Solomon and others each had their own shortcomings, yet many of the abovementioned were characterized as righteous — or at least people of faith as we see in Hebrews 11. God does not try to defend His honour by concealing the flaws of His people; and neither should we. We are human. We are sinful. No one can claim to be other than that. Moving to the New Testament, the time had finally come for the first living stones to be chiseled by the Holy Spirit and carefully placed on the foundation of God’s living temple (Ephesians 2:22). At the end of Acts 4, we read of a wealthy man who sold some property and gave the money to the apostles in order to help meet the needs of converts who had no source of income. This man was later nicknamed Barnabas, which means son of encouragement. Having seen what Barnabas did, Ananias decided to show equal commitment. He, too, sold some property but decided to keep some of the money from the sale for himself. Nothing wrong with keeping some of the money, which was rightfully his. But when he went to give the money to the apostles, he somehow made it seem as though he was giving the full amount. Peter sensed that something was wrong and challenged Ananias about the amount. “You have not lied to men, but to God,” Peter said. And Ananias fell down dead. Later his wife Sapphira — in on Ananias’ plan — suffered the same fate. Ananias and Sapphira looked good on the outside

62 of 91

— to the ordinary folk in the church — but were deceitful on the inside. How serious is God about authenticity? Very! Jesus had seen how the hypocrisy of the Pharisees had made potential believers cynical, and frustrated those who tried to follow God’s law. In Jesus’ words, they were whitewashed tombs that looked beautiful on the outside, but were dead on the inside — rotten and repulsive. God was not going to allow the same hypocrisy and deceit to become part of the foundational structure of the church. The church was His new dwelling place, unlike the stone temple which he had abandoned and left to the Pharisees (Matthew 23:38). If the rotten material of deceit had been used at the base of his new dwelling place — the church, it would have compromised the strength (authenticity) of what was to follow. Authenticity can be likened to transparency and purity. God’s love and power — His spring of living water — cannot flow through us when we are clogged up with hidden sin and distorted attitudes. The result is stagnation. Authenticity keeps us connected to a hurting world. Jesus was called a friend of sinners (and a sinner Himself) because he preferred to associate with the spiritual outcasts rather than the temple hypocrites. When we are authentic it helps people to relate to us. Authenticity: ●

Keeps us humble.

The religious Pharisees were characterized by pride and deceit —

children are characterized by humility and trust. Guess to whom God chose to reveal deeper things (Luke 10:21). ●

Builds trust between people. When we are willing to expose our own weaknesses, other people will trust us more easily and share theirs.

●

Helps us to become vulnerable. When we open up to someone, that person is able to care for us and pray for us – the things we struggle with (Admit your faults one to another).

●

Helps us to love deeply. Romans 12:9 tells us that love must be sincere. Where there is pretence, love become superficial because it focuses on oneself rather than on others. Superficial relationships lead to loneliness and isolation: meaningful relationships lead to joy and lasting companionship.

63 of 91

PRAY Lord, You know that I’ve messed up again and again. I want to be restored, and I want to feel your closeness once more. In Peter’s words I want to say, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you” (John 21:17).

REFLECT Are you tired of hiding, pretending, feeling guilty and alone? The Gospel invites us to come clean; to live in the light and be free!

DECIDE No more pretence for me! (What you see is what you get.)


64 of 91

DAY 23 | Wednesday

ARE YOU BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME? The rewards of authentic community are amazing, but they come at a price. Being authentic is a great start, but the real you needs to meet the real needs of others. It may start with a cup of coffee or sharing a Bible verse, but a loving community goes beyond that and gets its hands dirty. It lets love flow past the boundaries of the church building and out to a needy world. This is what happened in the early church. In Acts, a feeding scheme for destitute widows was started when donations for the needy were channeled through the church.

And as often happens when we get involved in practical

ministry, things got messy. A complaint by the Greeks arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. The church acted swiftly and appointed Stephen to ensure fairness to all. They understood that ministry is not just about focusing on a task; it’s about caring for people. Scattering seed on unprepared ground is almost effortless — no digging, no weeding. But we cannot hope to reap a harvest of righteousness by sowing haphazardly (without heartfelt prayer and wise planning). If we desire a harvest that is bountiful and lasting, we should be like those who go out weeping, carrying precious seed to sow; and we will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with us (Psalm 126:6). Ministry requires passionate effort. Providing a gap for someone in peak-hour traffic and dropping off old clothes at a charity are good, but they’re only a start. Friendliness seems rare nowadays and the world could do with more smiles and friendly chit-chat. Yet, “If you greet only the people you know, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” (Matthew 5:47). Jesus showed more than politeness; He showed compassion. When Jesus met the woman at the well (in John 4), He started off with a non-threatening conversation. He asked a favour from the woman — a drink of water. It was only when the woman opened up the subject of religion, that Jesus slowly swung the conversation and dug deeper. He didn’t let the opportunity slip by and carry on a superficial conversation. Counter-cultural and spiritually awkward as that encounter was, Jesus had compassion for the sinful woman and prepared the soil of her heart for the seed of Truth. Being human, Jesus had the same physical and emotional capacity we have. He was restricted by the same number of hours in a day. He too was weary after a day’s ministry. Although Jesus

65 of 91

did what He could to alleviate the misery of the sick as He went, His main focus was on spreading the Good News of the Kingdom. In addition, Jesus focused on a deep and lasting relationship with His close followers. Just a dozen of them. He used every spare moment to teach them groundbreaking Truths and to show them God’s love in action. While Jesus did good wherever He went, His goal was to form lasting relationships (with Himself, and ultimately with His Father). Doing good wherever we go is what Jesus expects of us. But if we want to foster relationships that last a lifetime, we have to plow deeply and stay involved to weed and water the tender shoots that spring up. With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can build relationships that last not only a lifetime, but extend into eternity. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” Galatians 6:9. Building relationships that last will probably take; ●

Emotional effort: a person’s primary need may be the need to share; to be guided; to have a loyal friend.

●

Physical effort: a person’s immediate need may be for practical help. We may have a certain ability with which to bless someone.

Preparing a meal for someone; helping

someone with their tax return; or pruning someone’s roses, are ways we can start building a lasting friendship. ●

Time: all relationships require time. However, due to busy work schedules and after-hour commitments, time may be one of your most precious commodities. We cannot help everybody, so ask the Lord to help you to know.

●

Resources: we all have some God-given resources at our disposal. From offering a cup of cold water to letting someone keep your pen, use ‘whatever you have in your hand’ and, by faith, God can bring about a miracle.

66 of 91

PRAY Thank you, Jesus, for Your example of how to build lasting relationships. I pray for the kind of compassion that will help me to make a difference.

REFLECT The unity Jesus prayed for in John 17:20-21 cannot happen when we isolate ourselves from those in our local church.

DECIDE Plan to become involved in an aspect of the church where you can build a lasting relationship with someone. Reach out to someone who is lost.


67 of 91

DAY 24 | Thursday

WHAT IS KEEPING YOU FROM   EXPERIENCING AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY? Does going to church seem more like an event than an opportunity to gather with ‘the family’? Does involvement feel more like a task to be done than an opportunity to make a difference for eternity? Sometimes when we’re challenged to become involved, we translate that into volunteering for yet one more thing. While getting involved may be the right thing to do, we shouldn’t miss out on the joy and excitement of being a part of something that has eternal value — either by having made a difference in someone’s life or because each act of service has eternal reward. We should also remember that whatever we do for someone else, we are doing for the Lord. The important thing to remember though: it’s not about activity—it’s about attitude. Paul said that “In our relationships with one another, we should have the same mindset [attitude] as Christ Jesus”— an attitude of love and humility (Philippians 2:5).

When love is the motivation for our

involvement, we experience authentic community. The reality is, however, that involvement takes time. Yet, somehow, we always manage to set aside time to do the things that are important to us. Do you remember the parable of the banquet where a man sent out invitations to a dinner? (Luke 14:16-24). The invited guests all made excuses as to why they couldn’t go. In fact, they could have gone, but their priorities were skewed.

Their lives were too busy to concern themselves with kingdom (eternal) matters.

Although the parable is about God’s invitation to come to Him, we may find similar excuses when it comes to our involvement or the desire to experience real fellowship (community). Can you perhaps identify with one of these excuses? Excuses not to get involved ●

Busyness (stemming from a cluttered lifestyle)

●

Personal priorities (e.g. social / sporting / hobbies)

●

Important business deals

●

Complicated relationships

68 of 91

Excuses not to enjoy fellowship ●

The fear of people discovering the real you.

●

The emotional effort it takes (because we don’t make friends easily or we don’t fit in).

Authentic community is not about the number of people we interact with, but the fact that we reach out to someone intentionally. Jesus said that He will make us fishers of men. To some He has given a rod and reel with which to fish; to others He has given a boat and a net. What is important is that we are doing what we can with what we’ve been given to reach people for the kingdom. Involvement + Fellowship = Community The Lord doesn’t expect us to go it alone; to slave away without the help and encouragement of others. He wants us to share the workload as well as our burdens. That’s what community is about! Teamwork is an opportunity to help each other; learn from each other; pray for each other. Jesus sent out the disciples in pairs to go minister. What would it have been like to be paired up with a Matthew; a Peter; a Thomas? The Lord wants us to experience community in a unique way, partnering us with people we wouldn’t naturally choose to team up with. In this way, we can learn new ways of doing things and get a different perspective. Proverbs 27:17 states it so well: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

PRAY Lord, help me to balance my relationships, my commitments and my personal time in a way that honours You.

REFLECT It’s safe to stand on the sideline: it’s far more exciting to be in the game.

DECIDE Commit to helping one person in some way. Make friends with one more person.


69 of 91

DAY 25 | Friday

WHERE’S YOUR FOCUS? Our calling: to follow Jesus called us to follow Him — to follow His ways and His Truth. We came to know Jesus when we accepted His Word of truth, which is now at work in our hearts (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

God’s word of Truth is likened to a seed, which grows in the heart of a

person (Luke 8:11, 1 Peter 1:23). When a farmer plows a field, he must head toward a certain point at the other end if the field. By looking straight ahead he ensures perfectly straight, parallel furrows. The moment the farmer takes his eyes off the mark and looks around, the plow curves to the side. When potential followers had some reservation about their complete commitment to Jesus, He used an analogy of a farmer. “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God,” He said (Luke 9:62). Jesus gave a stern warning to those who say they want to follow Him, yet who also want to keep on doing their own thing, being in charge of their own lives. When Jesus called Peter, John and the other fishermen, they left everything and followed Him. They didn’t ask what lay in store; how long they’d be away from home, or what was expected of them. They simply dropped everything and followed — ready for a life-long commitment. Our calling: to serve Our calling to follow includes our calling to serve. Paul uses the following analogy to remind Timothy to stay focused in his service of the Master: “No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer” 2 Timothy 2:4. The Lord chooses us to be on the side of good and fight against evil (Romans 12:9). We don’t fight against people, but against the evil forces: “For we are not fighting against fleshand-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” Ephesians 6:12. We may miss an important instruction from our ‘Commanding Officer’ because we’re busy texting, streaming, or upgrading stuff. Keeping abreast of trends, news and opinions isn’t wrong in itself, but the world has a way of keeping our eyes glued to the here and now. That’s why Paul

70 of 91

says, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth” Colossians 3:1-2.

Our headquarters is above, and we get

personal messages from HQ through the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We have the Bible for our instructions; however, in order to use this guide effectively, the Holy Spirit needs to decode God’s plan for us personally. In other words, read the Bible and spend time in prayer, thinking about God’s message and how that works out in your everyday life. Keeping our Focus Talking about keeping the focus in our race of life, Paul uses the analogy of an athlete. He says this about himself: “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” Philippians 3:14. There are many things which can distract a cross-country runner: fellow competitors, cheering and jeering onlookers, physical discomfort, and obstacles can take our eyes off our heavenly goal. Distractions can slow us down or lead us completely off course. If the devil cannot rock our faith, he will try to make us ineffective. But this is your race, so; “Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established” Proverbs 4:25-26. Instead; “Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). Don’t weigh yourself down with worries about tomorrow; don’t hold on to regrets of the past... and never, never give up!

71 of 91

PRAY Lord, You have given me the freedom to think. Yet, as much as I want to keep my focus on You, my thoughts run wild between my responsibilities, regrets, desires and hopes. And so, as I meditate on Your Word and pray, help me to focus on You.

REFLECT Take some time out and go where it is quiet. Be still, and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart (passion), and then through your thoughts (process). “Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this” 2 Timothy 2:7.

DECIDE Nothing changes unless you take steps to change things. Get up earlier if you must. Get a notepad and a highlighter. Get a Bible reading plan and make a prayer list. Put up verses in your home and office so that your thoughts will focus on what is truly important.


72 of 91

Week 5 | Small Group Notes  Experiencing authentic community “Authentic community happens when the real you meets real needs for the right reason in the right way.” 1. What did Jesus teach about authentic community? A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35 NASB) •

The gospel is _________________________ by how deeply we love one another.

•

Authentic community is at the _____________________ of Christianity.

… that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent me. (John 17:21 NASB) 2. How did Jesus model “the way” to build authentic community in his life? •

r12 Christianity is caught in _____________________________________.

When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer”. (Luke 22:14-15 NIV) •

Characteristics of Community: •

A place and time (they were intentional)

•

A meal

•

Singing

•

Truth-telling

•

Teaching

•

Serving

73 of 91

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with a towel that was wrapped around him. (John 13:3-5) Now that you know these things, you will e blessed if you do them. (John 13:17) •

True community is not defined by a warm, fuzzy feeling. Rather, it is defined by _________________________ love.

3. What is Jesus saying to you about the depth and quality of your relationships? Greater love has no one that this, that one lay down his life for his friends.   (John 15:13 NASB) •

So what? •

Stop… examine the pace of your life and the depth of your relationships. •

•

Look… pay attention to the needs of the people in your relational world. •

•

Who do I need to go deeper with? Who has some needs that you could meet?

Listen… ask God to show you who and where to serve in love. •

Where do I start?

74 of 91

TALK IT OVER | Small group discussion suggested questions 1. Describe the closest friendship you have ever had and what made that friendship so special. 2. What characteristics would you use to define authentic biblical community (fellowship)? 3. Share a time when you needed the support of your friends to make it through a difficult time? In what specific ways did they support you? 4. What is the biggest barrier to you experiencing deeper relationships? (For example: too busy; fear to initiate; job demands; lack of intentionality; fear of rejection; past hurts) 5. As a group, brainstorm as many examples as possible of times when Jesus “noticed” and met a need. 6. Read Luke 10:30-37. In this story, what lessons can we learn from Jesus meeting real needs for the right reason in the right way? 7. What is one tangible, practical, generous way that your group could serve someone in need? Make a plan and commit to follow through.

LIVE IT OUT | Some practical suggestions for the week ahead 1. This week get in touch with someone who has provided true, authentic community in your life. Let that person know what the friendship has meant to you and how his or her life has impacted you. 2. This week personally do something that anonymously blesses someone in need. You will rediscover the joy and adventure of generosity. 3. Have an intentional conversation with a friend this week. Rather than talking about sports, weather and politics, spend time talking about the more important things in life. For example, ask the following questions: What are your hopes for your kids? What concerns do you have for the future? Where are you personally struggling? 4. Every single day this next week pray for people in your group. Consider asking people for specific prayer requests, and then throughout your day, carry the needs of your friends to the Lord.

75 of 91

Week 6 | Devotions (Rom 12:14-21)  Overcoming the evil aimed at you DAY 26 | Monday

WHO HAS HURT YOU THE MOST? Surely each of us has been the target of conflict at some stage in our lives. We live in a fallen world in which people are far from perfect. Sometimes it may seem like a war-zone out in the workplace, and you long to escape to the peace and safety of your home only to find that things aren’t so tranquil there either. Sometimes we are caught in the crossfire between two angry people. Sometimes we’re the casualty of a major blow-up. Sometimes we are scarred by the shrapnel of life or deeply wounded by a direct hit. There are obviously a variety of ways in which verbal, physical and emotional injury take place, for example: ●

Being treated unfairly;

●

Being disappointed by someone you trusted;

●

Being mocked, bullied and belittled.

We have a tendency to either hit back in anger or cover up our wounds instead of dealing with them. Either way, the resultant damage to our vulnerable hearts often causes anger or bitterness to fester. The good news is that there is a healing balm: God’s incredible love for us. Many don’t know how to respond to and counter the evil aimed at them. Paul tells us that the Lord has not left us vulnerable and abandoned in the warzone. Firstly, the Lord has given us armour. He calls it the armour of God because it comes from God. Part of the outfit—which you can read about in Ephesians 6:16—is the shield of faith. We can use this shield to stop the lethal arrows that the devil fires at us. In Bible times, the shields were often made of wood, and so the enemy would dip the tip of the arrow in burning tar and shoot a fiery arrow. In order to quench such an arrow so that the shield would not catch fire, soldiers would wrap a wet cloth around the shield. Faith in an ongoing struggle should be grounded on this assurance:

76 of 91

●

that God is with us at all times and knows our situation (Jeremiah 29:11-12).

●

that He will not leave us in a situation too difficult for us to bear. Remember how Jesus prayed for Peter—that his faith would not fail (Luke 22:32).

●

that God can, and will, get us through the situation and let some good come out of it (Romans 8:28).

Secondly, when we are weary and cannot carry on, we have a tower to retreat to. Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runs into it, and is safe.” We all need to have a safe place, where we can rest, attend to our wounds, gather strength and restrategize. Maybe you need to get up early, spend some private time with the Lord. Call on His name and allow the Comforter, who heals and restores, connect with your spirit. You may not even know how to put your feelings into words. Don’t try. The Holy Spirit living in our hearts helps us in our weakness. When we don’t know what we should pray, the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans (Romans 8:26). The devil doesn’t do all his dirty work himself. The devil’s tactic is to use people to discourage us; to wound us; to weaken our faith. So what do we do when we’ve been hurt? ●

Pray that the Lord will give you the grace to open up a wound and deal with the cause of your hurt.

●

Find a counsellor to help you work through the emotional impact that an incident has had on your life.

●

Forgive the one who hurt you. Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the chains that keep you from being truly free. Let the person who offended you know how you were hurt, and that you forgive him/her. You might prefer to do it face-to-face or perhaps write him/her a note.

Remember: We are on the winning side. Victory is ours because everyone born of God overcomes the world. “And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith....” 1 John 5:4-5. God brings good from bad. We may want to use something that has happened in the past to excuse us for our present state: our struggles and weaknesses. But that’s not what Joseph did when he was nearly killed by his brothers and then sold to traders and taken to a foreign land. He made the best of his situation, believing that God had a plan for his life. It may not have seemed like God was in control when things went from bad to worse, and Joseph ended up in prison. Addressing his brothers many years later, Joseph summed it up like this: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good” Genesis 50:20.

77 of 91

PRAY Lord, help me to use your invisible armour, not to cower behind or to shield me from people, but to protect me from the destructive thoughts and emotions the evil one fires at me. Help me to stay sensitive to Your Spirit and soft in my dealings with others.

REFLECT In today’s devotion, think of the person who comes to mind…. What emotions surface? Write down what you are feeling.

DECIDE Decide in your heart to forgive; then go make it right. Once you have taken action, symbolically destroy the paper on which you expressed your bad feelings. Thank God that His love has set you free.


78 of 91

DAY 27 | Tuesday

WILL YOU LET CHRIST HEAL YOU? Our primary healing takes place when Jesus gives us a new heart and takes away our sin. We are cleansed and made whole. We have been raised from the dead—we have crossed over from death to life (John 5:24). Subsequent healing may be physical or emotional or relational. This cleansing and healing is an act of God who alone can heal and restore the inner part of us. With the new heart God has given us, we are now in the position to let His grace flow through us to those who have hurt us. This is the secondary part in the healing process. Having a new spirit from God, we have been made perfect (Hebrews 10:14). That is why God, who cannot look at sin, is able to dwell in us through His Spirit. The Spirit motivates us to act in love and helps us to strive to be more Christ-like. However, God does not override our freedom to think and decide i.e. He doesn’t give us a new mind. And so it is up to us to renew our minds so that we can conform to His image (Romans 12:2). As we mature and grow in our faith, the Holy Spirit makes us sensitive to the things that need to change—things that keep us stuck emotionally and spiritually. The Lord wants to make us whole to the point where we can love others unconditionally because we love ourselves (and are at peace with ourselves); and so obey the second commandment: to “Love our neighbor as ourselves” (Mark 12:31). Forgiving others We need to see ourselves as a holy God sees us: a sinner needing grace. Once we have understood that we are worthless sinners who have received God’s forgiveness and grace, we are better able to forgive. First we receive forgiveness, and when we sense the release and freedom of forgiveness, we complete the process by forgiving others. Understand that it is not our task to pay back evil for evil. If we did, where would the vicious circle of justice for injustice end? There is a better way: “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord” Romans 12:19. No one having wronged you will get away with it! No wrong goes unpunished. The punishment will be meted out to the person responsible; or if He asks the Lord for forgiveness, the equal punishment has been placed on Jesus on the cross (Isaiah 53:5).

79 of 91

(When we forgive someone we are not saying that what the person did is acceptable. Hurting someone is never okay. An ongoing abusive situation needs to be dealt with, not accepted. If this is where you are at, ask a trusted friend, a counselor, or your pastor for wisdom to deal with the situation.) Pray that the Lord will help you to forgive. Forgiveness is not something that comes to us naturally. Forgiveness is the way of God; and so, the act of forgiveness requires His touch in our hearts. Forgiveness is an act of the will, not the emotion. In the same way that you don’t necessarily have to feel loving toward someone to do a kind deed for them, one does not have to feel loving toward a person in order to forgive them. If we had to wait until we feel loving toward some people, it may take a very long time to forgive them and be kind to them. And yet, once we have acted, more cordial feelings usually follow. Remember that once you have forgiven someone, the memory of what happened (together with the accompanying emotion) will not be wiped away, but will probably recur from time to time, as related incidents trigger a flashback of the incident. That is normal and can be expected. The difference is, however, that we have let go and moved on. We no longer harbour a grudge. Overcome evil with good We live in a world where we are surrounded by people with warped motives. Yet, as we let Jesus shine His light through us, we dispel darkness wherever we are. Jesus said that we are the light of the world, and in John 1:5 it says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” That means you have greater power by living in the light and doing good than the powers of the darkness of this world. Where light shines, darkness must flee. Your words have power too. Instead of an expected retaliation, surprise others by verbally turning the other cheek. “Bless those who persecute you. Bless them, and don't curse them” Romans 12:14. The power of our words is significant! To bless people is to wish favour on their lives—firstly pray for their salvation so that they would be forgiven; and secondly, that God would bless and protect their lives, and change them for His glory. This is how God heals us: by receiving His forgiveness, and by extending our forgiveness to others.

80 of 91

PRAY Lord, you know how I struggle to let go of my deep hurt. What that person did to me changed my life! Lord, please bring good out of that bad situation so that the change in my life will be for Your glory.

REFLECT What is the first step I need to take in order to make this thing right and move on?

DECIDE Do I want to continue living in defeat, using my bad feelings to defend my actions, while hurting others in the process?


81 of 91

DAY 28 | Wednesday

DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU LOOK THE MOST LIKE JESUS? We read in the Old Testament of someone who came close to God… and lived! His name is Moses. The first time he hears the voice of God, he is tending sheep in the desert. God tells him that He is holy and that Moses is standing on holy ground. Moses is told to take off his sandals, and so his feet touch holy ground un-insulated by the leather of his shoes. As we fast-track the story of Moses, we find him—again in the desert—this time leading probably well over a million Hebrews out of Egypt to the Promised Land. This time, as Moses comes down from the mountain where he’d been meeting with God, his face shines so brightly that he has to keep it covered when he approaches the people in the camp (Exodus 34:29-35). That’s what happens when we meet with God. We shine—not physically—but spiritually. We shine with the light that Jesus shines into us (2 Corinthians 4:6). Jesus said “I am the light of the world.” Then He said, “You are the light of the world.” It only takes one candle to light up a room: it only takes one believer to light up an office. However, just in case you recoil at the idea of becoming this bright-shining, super-spiritual Christian, shining is simply becoming more like Jesus. Paul puts it this way: once we are forgiven, the veil that separated us from God is removed. “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18). We don’t need to hide from the presence of the Lord, guilty and afraid, like Adam did when he heard the Lord’s voice in the garden. In order to shine, all we need to do is draw near to God and spend time with Him. “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” Ephesians 5:8. In the New Testament, when Jesus called the first disciples to follow Him, He chose ordinary people, busy in the marketplace of life. Jesus spent most of His ministry years teaching the twelve men He had chosen. Then Jesus died, rose again, and ascended to heaven, leaving the Gospel at its most vulnerable point, hanging on a thread. Eleven disciples, plus a number of followers, were left with the task of spreading the Good News of the Kingdom around the world. Although Jesus was no longer with them physically, they were constantly united in prayer (Acts 1:14). Then at the right time, the day came for them to go out into the world—filled with the Spirit’s power. Suddenly, people noticed something. “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” Acts 4:13. Spending time with Jesus does that.

82 of 91

Suddenly the scriptures make sense and the Holy Spirit makes us passionate to share the Good News. And the result is that the know-it-alls listen in amazement. Having been with Jesus, Peter and John had slowly changed from being ordinary, unschooled fishermen to being spiritual leaders that astounded people. People noticed a change. Do people notice a change in you? To the man in the street, what would make people say, “That person makes me think of Jesus!”? Becoming more like Jesus is quite do-able. In fact, it’s even easy for children to be Christ-like in their hearts (Matthew 18:3). When thinking of what would make you look more like Jesus, here are a few examples: Someone who… ●

is humble (childlike) – one who does not act out of selfish ambition; but rather, values others (Philippians 2:3)

●

is generous and caring

●

is uncompromising (obedient to God’s Word and the Spirit’s voice)

●

gives thanks to the Lord for small things that go almost unnoticed. A person who praises the Lord for His goodness, despite circumstances.

●

prays about things and trusts God

●

loves – one who respects others; who is not easily annoyed; who keeps no record of wrongs and is always hopeful (1 Corinthians 13:1-4).

83 of 91

PRAY Lord, help me to reflect your light in this dark world. Although I’m far from perfect, I ask You to help me think, say and do things that please You.

REFLECT Do people notice when I have spent time with the Lord? Do my words and action reflect my relationship with Him?

DECIDE I want to do one thing today to bless someone who cannot repay me.


84 of 91

DAY 29 | Thursday

COULD YOU BE “PLAYING GOD”   AND NOT EVEN KNOW IT? As well-meaning as we may be, do we find ourselves going beyond our God-given task in our eagerness to make the world a better place? Here are four areas in which we may find ourselves doing God’s part: Judging others “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” Matthew 7:1. Being judged is usually bad news if we’re in the dock because we are offenders and sinners by nature. Whether it is for a civil offence or a sin, being judged and found guilty results in punishment. But Luke puts it a different way. It’s as if we are offered a free ‘Get-out-of-jail’ card. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven” Luke 6:37. Wow! Accepting the terms of this option seem like a no-brainer. And yet we fall into the trap and judge someone—even if it’s just in our thoughts. The Pharisees were major culprits of this sin, being guilty of sin in their own hearts—sins such as pride, jealousy and deception—while judging the more obvious faults of others. They even judged Jesus’ motives and actions. That’s what Simon, a Pharisee, did when he invited Jesus to a dinner (Luke 7:36-39). Judging others elevates us in our own eyes. We feel a little superior. And so we concern ourselves with the speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye in order to divert attention from the plank in our own (Matthew 7:3). And even if someone does sin, judging someone is final—it is literally, pronouncing judgment. On the other hand, gently helping someone is gracious and ongoing. Paul has some wise words for us in this regard: see Galatians 6:1. Analyzing situations Too often we assume to know things. We analyze a situation in someone else’s life and advise them according to the way we see things. We draw from our own personal experiences or from advice we’ve picked up from friends and assume to all the answers. That’s what Job’s friends did when he lost all his possessions and his family. The three friends started analyzing Job’s

85 of 91

situation. “It’s because you sinned and God is punishing you,” they said. “You are a bad person and you need to repent!” They didn’t know that God was testing Job’s faith to prove to the devil that His faithful servant would stand firm in the fiercest storm. When Job’s test was over, God said to Job’s friends “I am angry with you because you have not spoken the truth about Me.” That’s the problem when we presume to know what God is doing. We say things about God, and about His ways, that are simply not true. God says, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” Isaiah 55:9. Speaking into people’s lives When we speak before listening, there’s a good chance we may say something that is out of synch with what God is doing (see James 1:19). Listen to the other person, and listen to God! And sometimes admit that you simply don’t know what God is doing. We so easily assure a friend that something will happen, when actually we don’t know if that is in God’s plan or not. “God will get you that job”; “He wants you to have the best car”; “God won’t let your granny die.” James said to those making plans without taking into account God’s will for their lives; “You do not even know what will happen tomorrow… You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” James 4:14. Watch out for those gut-feelings that end up as, “God told me that…” Beware of ascribing to God something that hasn’t come from Him, (even if your intentions are good). Many a person’s faith has been shattered by an assurance that didn’t materialize. Allowing people to become dependent on us Are you allowing someone to become dependent on you (emotionally or financially) instead of allowing them to rely on God? We may unknowingly become someone’s focus and source of provision, and so rob God of what He wants to do for that person. Bailing people out of a situation that God wants to use in order to shape them and grow their faith is counterproductive in His kingdom. God has a long-term plan for us—eternity; and when we try to fix things without prayer and wisdom, we may well be wasting kingdom resources and hindering His plan. We are called to bear one another’s burdens—there is a mutual sharing of the load.

86 of 91

●

How to know whom to help: “You can tell a legitimate widow by the way she has put all her hope in God, praying to Him constantly for the needs of others as well as her own (1 Timothy 5:5).

●

An opportunity for two-way service: “Sign some widows up for the special ministry of offering assistance. They will in turn receive support from the church. They must have a reputation for helping out with children, strangers, tired Christians, the hurt and troubled” (1Timothy 5:9-10).

PRAY Lord, let my thoughts about others and my motives always be pure before You. Please give me the wisdom to know how and when to say something, and when to pray instead.

REFLECT Are you perhaps stunting someone’s spiritual growth by your attitude or your actions? Is there a better way to help that person?

DECIDE I want to make a difference in someone’s life by helping them with their specific need, while leading them forward and encouraging them in their walk of faith.


87 of 91

DAY 30 | Friday

ARE YOU READY TO SEE GOD DO THE IMPOSSIBLE? Some of us may remember the day in 1969, when a man walked on the surface of the moon. It was absolutely mind-blowing. Nowadays, young people may say, “So what!” By landing on the moon, people had done the unthinkable—surely the impossible for those living 2000 years ago. Yet those same people, living 2000 years ago, had seen Jesus do some incredible miracles. Defying the laws of nature, Jesus turned water into wine, walked on water, multiplied bread to feed 5000, travelled across a lake in an instant (John 6:21), and rose from the dead. People of the day said, “So what!” When we see the impossible—the miraculous—happening daily, those amazing things eventually become commonplace and ordinary. That’s what happened to the Pharisees who had seen Jesus do many miracles, yet wanted Him to do something even more spectacular to convince their unbelieving hearts that He truly was the Son of God (Matthew 16:1). Even the disciples, when suddenly faced with a mini crisis, forgot about the great miracles they had experienced (Matthew 16:5-10). So Jesus warned them to guard against the unbelief of the Pharisees. In fact, Jesus highlighted the link between faith and miracles when He left Nazareth, unable to do miracles there because of the people's unbelief (Matthew 13:58). Miracles aren’t performed to boost our faith. Rather, our faith is the platform on which God can perform His miracles (Matthew 17:20). Jesus didn’t do the impossible to impress people. He didn’t perform miracles to make life easier for Himself. When Jesus did a miracle, He did it because He had compassion on the people (Matthew 9:35-36, 15:32); He cared for them. When we pray fervently for others, we will see God answering those prayers in miraculous ways; for “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” James 5:16. We live in an age where there are systems in place to avert crises. On the financial side we have insurance; on the technical side we have backups; on the health side we have top surgeons and medical aids. Experts of every kind are on standby to rush out to our assistance. And so, perhaps, our faith gets neatly rolled up in our emergency pack, for when all else fails. If you expect to see miracles, learn to walk by faith. Faith isn’t something we ‘get’—it’s something we live by. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons Jesus sent the disciples out into the world without any extras (Luke 9:1-3). The less we have, the more we depend on God; and the more we depend on God, the more our faith has a chance to grow.

88 of 91

You will see miracles when you’re involved in ministry, where resources are inadequate, or broken, or non-existent. This is where our earthly limitations are countered by God’s heavenly power. This happens through our fragile faith and God’s abundant grace. Are you ready to see God do the impossible through your life? ●

Start by recognizing God’s small miracles around you every day.

●

Believe that God will hear your prayers and answer them in the best way.

●

Use crises in your life as a time of humbly learning to trust God.

●

Risk for God. We are in a spiritual battle. Take a risk, as David and Jonathan did. Enter enemy territory, and go do what God has called you to do.

●

Continue to pray. Don’t give up asking and trusting (Luke 18:1-8).

●

Always give God the glory for answered prayer.

Remember, God has not changed! He is just as majestic and powerful as He was in Bible times.

PRAY Lord, I believe that nothing is impossible for You.

REFLECT Have you lost the wonder of seeing God at work? Do you look forward with anticipation when you pray for a miracle in someone’s life?

DECIDE To pray God’s restoration and blessing into someone’s life. God wants to restore relationships, and He wants to be glorified through His perfect work in the lives of people.

JOURNAL | Any thoughts you want to jot down? 

89 of 91

Week 6 | Small Group Notes  Overcoming the evil aimed at you. 1. What did Jesus teach is to be our response when evil is aimed at us?? You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:43-45a NIV) •

Jesus taught that we are never more like ________________________________ that when we return good for evil.

2. How did Jesus model “the way” we are to respond to the evil aimed at us? Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One”. The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” (Luke 22:32-27 NIV) •

Not only did Jesus (the Creator_ allow those he created to kill him, he even forgave them for doing it. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32 NASB)

90 of 91

3. What is Jesus saying to you about your response to someone who has hurt you deeply? Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:12-13 NIV) How do we get there?  •

__________________________ - a choice = a point in time decision 

•

__________________________ - a process = a journey of aligning our will and emotions 

•

__________________________ - a conclusion = rejoicing with their success

TALK IT OVER | Small group discussion suggested questions 1. Spend some time sharing about any wound that you might still be carrying. How are you handling it? How does God want you to respond? How will you begin the forgiveness process? 2. Read Ephesians 4:32. How does understanding this verse help in forging someone who has hurt you? 3. Practically speaking, what does it look like to “bless” those who have hurt you? 4. If you are going to have a conversation with someone who has hurt you in the past, what are some precautions you should take? 5. What would change in your individual lives, your families, your group and your church, if for the next 12 months you decided to live the “way” Jesus modeled for us to live? 6. How has this R12 journey impacted you? Over the next 60 days, what are the most important steps you can take to sustain the momentum? 7. If this group gathered back together one year from today, what would be the evidence that R12 has made a lasting impact on us?

LIVE IT OUT | Some practical suggestions for the week ahead 1. If you have a wound that needs to be addressed, identify one trusted friend you can share this hurt with and ask him or her to walk with you. 2. If there is a person you need to forgive, make a choice today. Write it down with today’s date. Share your decision with a friend and ask for his/her prayer and support. 3. Read through an entire gospel this week. Pay attention to the “way” Jesus lived and the implications for the “way” we are to live.

91 of 91