As Each Day Ends

Day One:Listen to the following sermon called “A Biblical Understanding of Sleep”.

You’ll have to download it from this page.

http://www.sovereigngracestore.com/downloadFiles.aspx?key=Freed40591d8-7bee-46a1-b09d-c55138535e37

Whether you’re prone to enjoying too much sleep, or you have problems getting enough sleep, this sermon helped me in having a Biblical perspective on the subject. It’s a little longer, so you might want to listen to half of it today and half of it tomorrow.

Day Two:What do the following verses say about sleep?

1. Psalm 127:1-2
2. Psalm 3:5; 4:8
3. Proverbs 6:9-11, 20:13
4. Proverbs 3:19-24
5. Psalm 4:4

Spend time in prayer about how the Lord may be wanting you to change your sleeping habits.

Day Three: Read Chapter 6 in the Humility Book.

Spend twenty minutes in prayer. Tonight as you go to sleep, follow the suggestions given in this chapter.

Day Four: Pick a passage of scripture that speaks of God’s grace: saving grace, sanctifying grace, sustaining grace, serving grace, etc. Post on the Going Deeper blog what passage you chose. Then meditate on that passage today and as you’re falling asleep tonight.

Spend twenty minutes in prayer.

Day Five: Spend time memorizing the passage that you choose yesterday. Write down an application of this passage that you can share during our Tuesday morning breakfast at Denny’s.:) Spend more than twenty minutes in prayer today and be sure to pray for the other youth group and “Going Deeper” girls.

Grace and Truth

Day one:
I know that you are studying the book of John. This study will go along with that.
Reread John chapter one and memorize John 1:14. Concentrate especially on the phrase “full of grace and truth”
Write the definition of grace:
Write the definition of truth:
John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."


Day two:
Reread John chapter one and concentrate on verse 17.
What does it mean that the law was given through Moses?
What does it mean that Jesus is full of grace and truth?
John 1:17 "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
What would a person be like who really loves and promotes the truth but doesn't show grace?
What would a person be like who really loves and promotes grace but doesn't value truth?


Day three:
Read 2 Cor. 4.
Concentrate on these verses:
2 Cor. 4:1,2 "Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God."

This verse says that Paul was “Renouncing disgraceful ways”, what ways do you lack grace that you should work on?

Paul refused to “practice cunning or tamper with God's word” what ways have you sacrificed or softened the truth in order to be accepted by others?

Pray for opportunities to speak the truth of the Gospel to unbelievers without softening the truth, but also showing extreme grace and humility.


Day four:
Reread 2 Cor 4. Review the verse you memorized on day one.
Pray for opportunities to see evidences of grace and truth in other believers you know.
Praise God for those people and what God is doing in your life through them.
Ask God to help you grow in the area of demonstrating grace and truth to the believers around you.


Day five:
Read this excerpt from Thomas Watson's “The Beatitudes”
called: This perfume of free grace! Scroll down to find it.
pray for an hour.

Finish Strong!

Day One:
The book of 2Timothy was written by Paul as he awaited execution. Read all four chapters of this book and make a list of things he is concerned about even while he is facing his own death.

In your prayer time today, ask God to give you an eternal mindset so that you could be more concerned about these things too.


Day Two:
Read 2Tim. 1 three times. Who is this letter written to? He warns against fear. Go through chapter one and write down all the ways to abolish fear.

In your prayer time today confess the sin of fear of man, or fear of circumstances, rejection, injury, death etc. And ask God to remind you to care more about the Gospel and God's glory than you do about your own self-protection.

Day three:
Read 2Tim. 2 three times. Paul is passing on his example of faithfulness in the face of suffering to someone younger who can do the same for others. How are you planning to do this?

What does he say about the soldier?

What does he say about the athlete?

What does he say about the farmer?

How can you apply these principles to your own experience?
In your prayer time commit to put aside something that has been a hindrance to what really matters, the Gospel.

Day Four:
Read 2Tim. 3 three times.
What are the last days like? Write out a list of things describing the last days.

What does Paul say is the only thing that is able to equip Timothy for every good work; it comes from the very breath of God?

Paul endured sufferings and persecutions to bring the truth of the Gospel to an evil world. This chapter tells us that it has only gotten worse since then. I believe the beginning of this chapter describes our world today. Are you willing to love these people and do you love God's glory enough to bring the truth to them no matter the cost to you?
Make this a focus of your prayer today.

Day Five:
Read 2Tim 4 three times.
What is the charge given to Timothy in the beginning of this chapter? He is to _____________________, being ready in season and out of season.

Paul is very sure about his life. He knows without a doubt that he lived it fully in obedience to his calling. (4:7,8) Can you say this about yourself?
Do you want to live the kind of life that brings you the assurance that Paul has here?

Make this a focus of your prayer today, that you want to be willing to be poured out completely for Jesus in this world, not holding back parts of your life for selfish, fleshly gain. Tell Him you want to finish strong!

My dream

My dream is to take Amy P. and all you girls to California with me when it's winter here, and jump in the pool with our clothes on! Wanna plan it?

As Each Day Begins!

Welcome back to a New Year!

Day One: Pray for an hour! I feel like this would be a good way to start off our lesson this week. Follow the previous “pray for an hour”(October 17th post) outline and be sure to include a time of heart examination before the Lord.

Day Two:Read chapter 5 in the Humility(true greatness) book. This is such a great chapter! It is filled with purposeful applications that will be helpful to all of us I’m sure.

-Write down the 6 Daily Practices that are listed in this chapter. Next to each daily practice write down a way/time/plan about how you will do these things.

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

-Spend time in prayer.

Day Three:Start off your day by reflecting on your purposeful application points above and be sure you follow through on them today!

-Let’s take the example of William Wilberforce by reading and meditating on Psalm 119 today. Read it in the morning before you start your day and then write down a section of verses that you can carry with you and meditate on throughout your day. At night, pray these verses back to the Lord.

Day Four:Apply purposeful application points!

-I was struck by the power of the words in the hymn that were mentioned in this chapter “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”. Read or sing through them now and really think about the words.

1. When I survey the wondrous cross

on which the Prince of Glory died;

my richest gain I count but loss,

and pour contempt on all my pride.

2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,

save in the death of Christ, my God;

all the vain things that charm me most,

I sacrifice them to his blood.

3. See, from his head, his hands, his feet,

sorrow and love flow mingled down.

Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,

or thorns compose so rich a crown.

4. Were the whole realm of nature mine,

that were an offering far too small;

love so amazing, so divine,

demands my soul, my life, my all.

“How can anyone be arrogant when he stands beside the cross?”-Carl Henry

“The cross never flatters us”-CJ Mahaney

-Read Psalm 119 through once more.

-Spend 20 minutes in prayer.

Day Five:Apply purposeful application points.

-How many times have we all read through 1 Peter this past year??? A lot! So, DO IT AGAIN!:)

-Memorize 1 Peter 5:6-7.

-Spend at least 20 minutes in prayer

-Please post a comment on the blog about how these purposeful application points have challenged you this past week! It will be an encouragement to all of us to hear from each other and it will cause us to pray for one another!

NEW POST

Hey Girls! Amy P. here! GOING DEEPER will be up and running again next week. I pray that you all have been going just as deep in your devotional times even without this guide over your Christmas breaks. I also hope that you've been using the guide that was in the Fort booklet for follow-up devos since the retreat. Praying for you all and be sure to check out the blog on Wednesday for a NEW lesson!

The Humility of Christmas

Day One:

Incarnation: Look this word up in the dictionary or click the link.

Write down the definition that describes what Christ did for us.

Read Philippians 2:1-11 three times.

Answer these questions:

1)Who wrote this book?

2)Who was he writing to?

3) How does he say that his joy will be made complete?

4)How does the word incarnation relate to this passage. List the verses and write the specific phrases that refer to this word, Incarnation.

Day two:

Read Phil. 2:1-11 again, three times. Memorize verse 3.

1) What did Christ leave behind when he took on the incarnation (verse6)?

2) What can you leave behind to take on your own humility?

3) What does verse 6 say Christ made himself?

4) What will be the outcome of Christ's acts of humility? (verse 9)

Day three:

Listen to this sermon excerpt from John Piper (very short).

What is the point of being born again?

What happens when you are born again?

Can you be born again without the incarnation of Christ?

Why is it so important to know about Christmas?

Day four: Read Phil. 2:1-11 and John chapter 1.

Listen to this sermon excerpt from John Piper (very short).

What should be the outcome of meditating on Philippians and John?

How are you going to demonstrate this to the people around you?

Pray and ask God to help you keep the magnificence of Christ's incarnation first in your heart today and at Christmas.

Have a Very Merry Christmas as you praise The Lord for the real reason Christ came.