SUM 11: Day 30

Matthew 14:13; Psalm 46:10; John 6:15

Refuel: Stop. Have you ever dazed off during a car ride, reached your destination and realized you had no memory of the turns, stops or landmarks you encountered during the drive? This same experience often takes place in our spiritual walks. We clutter our lives with so many tasks that, at the end of the day, we are left exhausted in bed wondering how we got there. During each day, our souls thirst for God; however, if we rush through life without being mindful of Him,we attempt to drink cheap substitutes without even recognizing it. What do you do when your body craves a cold glass of water? You stop what you’re doing and quench that thirst! We should not treat our souls any differently! Taking time throughout the day to pause and seek the Lord is a beautiful, essential act for our spiritual well-being. It refocuses us on our purpose and unites us with our Creator. God doesn’t want to be part of your to-do list; He wants to be the center of it!

Read: Matthew 14:13; John 6:15; Psalm 46:10

Pray: Ask God to forgive you for the times you’ve focused more on your daily schedule
than on Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to hold you accountable throughout the day and remind you of the necessity of stopping to refuel. Thank the Lord for being a God who desires continual communication with you!

Do: The act of stopping is not something that comes naturally. Our flesh will automatically try to satisfy thirst with cheap substitutes. Practicing spiritual discipline is an act of worship, though, and God will honor our diligence. Take time to think about your daily routine and create purposeful “stopping points.” Use those times to stop and recognize the Lord’s presence, power and purpose in your life. Allow Him to refuel your soul with His living waters!

SUM 11: Service and Notes: Day 29

John 7:37-38 and Jeremiah 2:13

How does hunger or thirst affect you?

What do you do when you’re hungry or thirsty?

Discussion Thoughts:
1.

2.

3.

4.

What are the side effects of not quenching your thirst physically? What about
spiritually?

Memorize: On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” John 7:37

SUM 11: Day 16

Ephesians 5:1-2; Romans 5:6-11; John 13:34

Respect for Others. Does anyone sing about it better than Aretha Franklin? Seriously. But does anyone actually know the words beyond,“R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me. R-E-S-P-E-C-T, take care ... watermelon, watermelon ... .” Talk about bad karaoke. Do you ever hear a song, try to decipher the words to no avail and then resolve to recreate the song, using your own words? This has happened to me more than once. Sometimes it’s embarrassing to discover the correct words and realize how off I was.

So many times, we tend to hear words like “respect” and react to them as we react to unknown song lyrics: I’ll make it up as I go. When it comes to respecting others, we don’t have to guess. Jesus shows us exactly what it means to love someone and to treat people with respect.

Read: John 13:1-35. Notice how Jesus shows His respect and love for His disciples. Read the passage again, this time keeping in mind how you treat those you love. How does your love and respect for others mimic Jesus?

Pray: God, You lived a life of love, but sometimes some of those around me just seem so hard to love. Show me how to love those who are hard to love. Help me to remember that You love the unlovely.

Do: Think of a person(s) in your life that could really use some extra love right now. Take some time to think of ways they could be loved this week. Maybe it’s inviting them over to your house for dinner, sitting next to them at lunch, sticking up for them when someone is bullying them or giving them a much needed hug.

SUM 11: Day 13

Matthew 9:37-38; John 4:1-40; Mark 10:46-52

Plant now. A seed will not sprout inside its pretty package. I once heard of a man who never left a conversation without first talking about the Lord. Whether he was on a flight or at a restaurant, he shared his story. No stranger was strange enough to cause him to be silent. Read Matthew 9:37-38.

What about you? I dare say for most of us, telling someone about Christ is quite the event. We feel the need to prep and prepare. And if we don’t feel confident in our answers to the Top 10 Bible Trivia Questions, we forget the first option of the “Fight or Flight” response, and we run like the wind.

Look at Jesus. Name one instance where He forgoes the opportunity to invite another to His Father’s table. Whether He is asking a woman at a well (read John 4:1-40) about her past relationships or a blind man (read Mark 10:46-52) what it is that he deep-down, without-a-doubt wants, Jesus gets to the heart of the matter and goes from there, never relinquishing until He plants a seed and readies for the harvest.

But Jesus is Jesus, eh? And the man on the plane could be perceived as some crazy dude. Yes. But neither argument will move a friend, family member, classmate or foe closer to Christ.

To recap: You are not Jesus, and you do not want to be perceived as a crazy dude. The question, then, is when do we share Christ with others? When do we tell our story? When do we plant a seed?

Now.

Watch the evening news, read the local paper, have a conversation – hearts are hurting, and the only hope we have is Christ. Sad stories sell, but your story – full of Christ’s love – is what people need to hear.

Pray: Thank the Lord for His love and the hope He gives. Ask Him to open your eyes and heart to what He is doing in your life and to provide you with courage and the words to speak in telling your story. Ask the Lord to show you opportunities to plant seeds on His behalf.

Do: Make a list of jobs you can do without pay and give to neigbors (bake cookies, mow the yard, bathe a dog, etc.) When a neighbor asks you to do said job, take the opportunity to share what the Lord is doing in your life or what you hope He will do in your life. Invite your neighbor to church or to a church event.

SUM 11: Day 10

John 10:27

Let there be light! Have you ever woken up in the wee hours of the night, compliments of a full bladder? Ugh. The last thing I want to do when that happens is unwrap myself from my warm cucoon of a bed and stumble around in the dark, just to stub my toe as I scramble for the bathroom light switch. Wouldn’t it be so much more convenient to have an “easy” button that somehow took care of that situation in the middle of the night for you? Your toes could be spared and you wouldn’t have to try to recreate the perfect sleeping position after doing your business. I know it’s far-fetched, but it would be nice.

Do you ever get the feeling that you’re stumbling around in spiritual darkness? Go with me on this. You’ve made the decision; you’ve shown your commitment; you know the routines; but for some reason, you still seem to wobble your way through life, arms stretched out in front of you. Knowing God’s Word is liking flipping on the light switch. It may take a little bit to get in the groove and flip the switch completely, but once it’s flipped, your life is illuminated completely.

Read: Check out Psalm 119:97-105. Reread verse 105 and spend some time focusing on it. How does God’s Word light up our path? Pray: Ask God to help you flip on the light switch. Ask Him for a hunger and thirst for His Word. Tell Him how thankful you are that you don’t have to stumble and stagger through life in the dark, thanks to Him. Ask for His help in knowing His Word.

Do: Dig deeper. Read all of Psalm 119, jotting down anything that talks about an effect of God’s Word in our lives.