SUM 11: Service and Notes: Day 36

Philippians 3:12-14 and Hebrews 10:23-25, 35-39

Does God have more for me?

It is really easy to feel stuck in our faith. We all go through doubts and questions, and we wonder, “Am I really growing?” We can feel like our hearts are cold and our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling. We even start to wonder if God has more in store for us or if this is all there is. We can even come to the point where we don’t even know if we can grow anymore or if we even want to.

So, what do we do when we feel this way? What do we do when we feel like there
is a wall? Press On. Our faith is a marathon, not a sprint.

When we feel stuck in our faith, we must take the focus off ourselves and put it on God, refocus. If we try to move forward in our own energy and strength, we will continue to feel stuck. We must trust in the character and consistency of God, not ourselves!

What is God like? What is His character? List characteristics of God.

Why is it important for our faith to know what God is like?

Read Philippians 3:12-14 again. Discuss what Paul is saying in these verses.

When we feel stuck, we need to stay connected to:
God (through prayer)
God’s Word
Things that point us to God (music, books, etc.)
Other believers

Read Hebrews 10:35-39. Will you stand on Christ even when it does not make sense?

Why it is important to stay close to other believers when you feel stuck?

What do you think it means to “throw away your confi dence”? (Hebrews 10:35)

How can you avoid throwing away your confi dence?

What are the rewards of not throwing away your confidence?

SUM 11: Day 35

Romans 13:1-10

Lead those you have influence with! All authority is from God. When I was a kid, I went to church a lot. My dad was a pastor, so every time the door was open, we were there. Pretty much all that time. I hated Sunday School. If you don’t know what Sunday School is, allow me to explain it. Sunday School is a time when adults try to teach you about the Bible and why you should not be drinking, partying, watching Rated R movies or pretty much having any fun. Sunday mornings always seemed like such a drag.

My sophomore year, however, was a little different. That year, my Sunday School teacher was a guy named Eric. Eric was different than any of the teachers I had in the past. He was a young, single lawyer with a sweet pad and sweet wheels. He taught us the Bible in a way that made it come alive. Really, for the fi rst time, the Bible was more than a collection of memory verses. He taught me about historical context and that the Bible was not full of foolish, 1st Century weirdoes; instead, it was full of businessmen, athletes and blue collar workers. At times, it was as crazy as a Springer episode. Eric did not do this because he was being paid or to win applause.

Rather, he invested into the lives of eight sophomores because God had given him authority, and he wanted to be a good steward of it. Not only does God put others in positions of authority over us, but, also, at many times, He puts us in positions of authority over others. The Bible is clear we 1) Should respect those in authority over us and 2) We should be worthy of respect if we are in authority. Eric was worthy of respect, and we loved him. To this day, all of the guys in my class are serving the Lord in our respective fields and making a difference for the Kingdom.

Pray: God, help me to respect those in authority and to be worthy of respect
to those who I have authority over.

Do: Find someone who is in authority over you and tell them you appreciate them and
their efforts in leading.

SUM 11: Day 34

Proverbs 12:24 & Romans 12:8

How should I lead? Lead enthusiastically! When I was in seminary, I happened upon my dream job. For three years, I coached a high school basketball team at a small Christian high school. The fi rst day of practice, I was so excited. My team was small, weak, slow and without any athletic ability, but, man, we had heart. (That’s what a coach says when he knows his team isn’t good.) The school was so small that our varsity team was the only team, and we had four freshmen on it, including our starting point guard. We were doomed. As the season went on, I had so much fun getting to know my players and working with them; however, no matter how hard we practiced, we could not win. We were bad.

As the season was winding down, I had circled one specific game on my calendar. The team was almost as bad as we were. I thought if I scouted them hard and drilled a few
specifi c plays into the brains of my kids, we could pull off the upset. The day of the game, I gave the best pre-game speech ever. (Maybe an overstatement.) We went out there and played so hard but got our tails kicked by 15. My fi rst year as coach
gave us our record of 0-18. We stunk.

I still keep up with those kids and many of them have kids of their own. They have grown up to love Jesus. Awhile back, one of them contacted me and told me how my involvement in his life had helped him to become a Christian. Even though the immediate goal (winning) was never reached, the greater goal was. When we lead, we build into others with the goal of making them better. I tried to do that both on the court and in their lives. BTW, three years later we finished undefeated. Booyah!!!

Pray: God, is there some way I can use my gifts and abilities in
leadership to make Your name great?

Do: Find a place to use your gifts and passions and invest in someone else.

SUM 11: Service and Notes: Day 33

Proverbs 11:14

Everything rises and falls on leadership, and leadership is all
about influence!

There is more to leadership than having a position or title. In fact, some of the most influential leaders in history didn’t have a title or an official position. Instead, they were leaders because they had influence with others.

Do a Google search on “leadership.” What do you find?

Do a second search on the word “leader.” What did you find?

Do another Google search. This time, search “influential leaders.” Did you see the “Religion of History’s 100 Most Influential Leaders?” As you look at what each person did to gain his/her rank, notice whether it was a title or something they did that placed them in that position.

Outline:

You can be a leader. In fact, you may already be! Use your influence with your friends, family and others to lead people.

How can you use your influence to lead people to Christ?

How can you develop more influence with others?

Do: Go be influential! Lead people to Christ!

SUM 11: Day 32

Hebrews 4:16 and James 4:8

Refuel: Make a Connection. Taking time to pause and refresh by reading Scripture and
praying is a necessary component of our Christian walk. Even though this is such a beautiful act, it is possible for “refueling” to become an idol in our lives. We can easily begin to focus on checking off devotions on our daily to-do list and completely miss the Creator, who is desperate for intimacy with us. It is important to remember that God aches for a one-to-one relationship with us, which is why He sent Christ to sacrifice Himself in order to clear the way for communication with a living God. We now have the freedom to continually experience connection with our Father! Through these interactions, we will be refueled; however, God’s primary concern is for us to simply seek Him in all things we do.

Read: Hebrews 4:16 and James 4:8.

Pray: Thank the Lord for the sacrifice He made so you could communicate freely with Him. Ask Him to stir within you a desire to draw near to Him—not because of what He does, but simply because of who He is.

Do: Spend time thinking about what it would look like if God would physically walk through life with you. Would you tell Him about school? Would you ask for His advice? Would you hug Him? He longs for these types of interactions, even though He may not be physically present. Involve Him in your day-to-day and be excited—
He will draw near!

SUM 11: Day 31

1 Kings 19:9-13

Refuel: Be Quiet. “In the secret, in the quiet place/In the stillness You are there/In the secret, in the quiet hour I wait only for You/Cause I want to know You more.”

Oftentimes, Christians proclaim they long to know God more; however, His methods of communication do not typically align with our comfort zones. In our culture, silence is an intimidating thing. We are surrounded by noises and often try to create more in order to avoid uncomfortable moments. Yet, we sing about longing to know God
more, linking that to stillness and quiet. Being immersed in silence provides
us with the necessary environment to listen. God designed prayer to be a dialogue, yet we have often forced Him out of the equation by creating epic monologues. He wants to talk with us! We must trust that He does, and we must be willing to seek Him in a quiet place so we are more than ready to listen. This is more than just finding a noiseless corner in your home; we also have constant internal noises (worries, selfish desires, thoughts about the day, etc.) that compete with God’s speaking time. When we stop to properly refuel, we are approaching the throne of
the Most High God; we must let our preparations reflect that.

Read: 1 Kings 19:9-13

Pray: Thank God for His patience as you begin the quest of seeking Him in silence. Ask Him to draw near to you, as you draw near to Him. Ask Him to reveal the internal noise that fights Him for speaking time.

Do: Take time to ponder what noises (both internal and external) have competed for your refueling time. Create a plan for how you will quiet those things in order to seek HIS voice! Maybe your phone will not be near you when you pray, or you will go for a walk to get away from a talkative family—personalize it.

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 28

Matthew 6:33

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously and He will give you everything you need. (NLT) This verse is just one verse from Jesus’ amazing Sermon on the Mount teaching. In the versus preceding this one, Jesus teaches that we should not worry about money and possessions because He promises to supply all our needs. In the midst of His teaching, Jesus challenged His listeners with the question, “Why do you have so little faith?”

We are not all that different than Jesus’ first century audience. It is easy to find
our faith slipping, but notice what Jesus says in verse 33. He gives us two direct
imperatives: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else” and “Live righteously.” Before you move on, reflect on what Jesus is saying in these two imperatives. Ask yourself the following questions during your reflection:

What does it mean to “seek the Kingdom of God above all else”?
Do you think there is any significance in the order of these imperatives?

The challenge of today’s devotion is to avoid compartmentalizing our faith. In other words, our faith needs to be who we are, not just part of who we are. Stop for a minute and reflect on that statement; there is a big difference between the two descriptions.

Jesus gave us the formula for making our faith who we are. Jesus told us to seek the Kingdom of God above everything else; then He commanded we live righteously. We stand a chance to do just that if we focus on putting Jesus above everything else!
Can you see the transformation formula? If our faith is to become who we are rather than just part of who we are, our priorities must always be on the Kingdom of Jesus.

Pray: Are you trusting God in every area of your life? Pray today that you will allow God to be in charge and that you will seek Him first.

Do: Take some time to think about the things you are seeking. What are your priorities? Are you seeking Christ first and allowing Him to be the center of all you do?

SUM 11: Day 27

1 John 1:5-7

Getting rid of the compartments in our lives means letting the Light of God shine on the dark places and being real no matter who we are with or where we are.

Compartments. What comes to mind when you think of compartments? For me, compartments mean organization. The first thing that comes to mind is a child’s plate. Remember how, when you were little, you had those plates with three different compartments for each type of food? Your mom put your PB&J in one spot, your Mac-n-Cheese in another spot and your apples in another. Each food was separated in it’s own spot. You did your best to keep your food from crossing over into the other compartment because, if one spot was invaded, all the food was tainted, untouchable and disgusting! Bring back memories?

So it can be with our lives. We lay out our lives like a divided plate. We have our school life in one spot, our church life in another spot and our family life in another. Most of our effort at school is spent keeping our church life and family life hidden so we don’t look weird or stick out. We spend our effort at church hiding the things we do at school and at home so we appear to have it all together and no one will know that we lie to our parents or party with our friends. We spend our energy at home keeping it all hidden from our parents, because what do they know, right?

God calls us to get rid of the compartments. To throw out the divided plate that we like to call “organization” and be real. Be real at home. Be real at church. Be real at school. In 1 John 1:5-7, we read, “God is light; in Him there is no darkness.” When we live with a divided life, we convince ourselves certain things are hidden, and no one will ever know. But what does light do to darkness? It exposes it. When we allow the Light of God to shine on our lives, the dark compartments we try to hide are exposed. He calls us to live a life without division. To be the same in school, at church and at home. Is your life a divided plate?

Pray: Pray that God will show you the divisions in your life and that He will shine His light to expose the darkness. Pray that you can be real and consistent no matter who you are with or where you are.

Do: Make a list of the different parts of your life (i.e. sports, school, family, church, work) and think of ways to live out your faith in each of these places.

SUM 11: Service and Notes: Day 26

God wants to be in charge of every area of our lives, not just a few parts.

What is compartmentalized faith?

Make a list of the different areas, or “compartments,” of your life.
1.

2.

3.

4.

The story of Samson - Judges chapters 13, 14 and 16

“The sacredness or worldly status of a task matters less than the motivation behind it.” – Brother Lawrence

Worship is about doing everything for the glory of God. It is not meant to be something that is confined to church!

Question: Are you living a compartmentalized life? Or are you allowing God to be in charge of everything?

Thoughts from Discussion:
1.

2.

3.

4.

Do: Remember the list you made earlier? Get your list out and evaluate these areas.

Challenge: Are you allowing God to be the center of these things? If not, will you let Him be in charge of these areas?

SUM 11: Day 25

1 Corinthians 7:1-9; 17

It is good for a man not to have sex. Read the theme again. Really? Seriously? That cannot be right. Can it? I’ve never heard that said or seen that message anywhere except for Scripture. That’s crazy. Right?

Not really. It makes total sense. If you are not focused on sex or pursuing a relationship with a person of the opposite sex, then you can totally focus on God. Remember, there is a bond that develops when you have sex. You are giving part of yourself to that sexual partner. You are building a bond with someone other than God.

So, don’t have sex. Keep yourself pure unto God. Keep your focus totally on Him. When you do, if He has a spouse for you, then He will bring the two of you together. You won’t have to fret or stew about when or how. Just focus your future on the Lord. Keep yourself free of any other commitment except for your commitment to God.

Pray: Talk to God about the concerns you have about today’s theme. Are your friends in sexual relationships? Do you feel alone while waiting for God’s plan? Do you think sexual activity would make your life better? Pray. Ask God for His direction, love and encouragement.

Do: Make a list of videos, TV shows and movies you watched this week. How does culture model sex? How would MTV or NBC respond to today's theme?

SUM 11: Day 24

Hebrews 13:4; Ephesians 5:1-3

Sexual immorality has no place among Christians. At several different times, I began the workout program “P90X,” but the longest I made it is the start of the third week. I’ve thought about my lack of commitment to the program, and I’ve figured out why I drop out.

I have to sacrifice too much to do P90X the right way, so I quit early to save myself the hardship of giving up ice cream and Mountain Dew. Therefore, I continue to have high cholesterol and a weight problem.

Sexual immorality is like P90X for a lot of people. They feel like they are giving up so much or “missing out” on something by keeping themselves pure. God is clear about what is best for us. He is clear about what he expects from us as followers of Christ, to be free from sexual sin.

Pray: Thank God for giving you clear direction in Scripture about what He wants for you. Thank Him for giving you a way out when temptation comes. Ask Him to forgive you for any sin that is in your life. Ask Him to help you to love Him more than anyone else in this world.

Do: If you are in a relationship where you are guilty of sexual sin, end the relationship now. Regardless of your current relationship status, vow to keep yourself pure.

SUM 11: Day 23

Proverbs 31:1-9; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Sexual acts are powerful; they can destroy you and others. Sex is a powerful bond not meant to be taken lightly. Have you ever heard the phrase, “There is strength in numbers”? This is a true statement when it comes to many things in life, like war, street fights, team sports and moving into a 5th floor apartment! But when it comes to sexual acts, there is strength in one.

You see, it only takes one sexual act to build a bond between two people. And that bond grows stronger with every sexual act. So keep yourself free from sexual immorality.

Sex is a powerful thing. It is not something that should ever be taken lightly. Scripture is clear as to the power that is part of sex. God has created it to be an intimate aspect of a marriage relationship.

Pray: Ask God to help you keep your strength for your spouse. Ask for forgiveness for any sexual sin you’ve committed. Thank God for giving you a way to be intimately connected to your spouse.

Do: Make a commitment to God, your parents and your future spouse regarding your sexual purity from this day forward.

SUM 11: Service and Notes: Day 22

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Matthew 5:27-30

God wants us to live in holiness, not lustful passion.

What is holiness? What is sanctification?

What is lust and how is it different from action? Is lust as sinful as action?

According to Scripture, what does sexual immorality consist of?

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8. Is this a list of “do nots”? What does it mean that

God wants us to remain holy and sanctified?

For God to want us to remain holy and sanctified, and to live without sexual
immorality, what does that say about how much He loves us and how important
we are to Him?

Biblical Passage: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Outline:

Discussion: God created our bodies. God created sex. What are practical ways
in which we prevent sex from being sin in our lives? Guys, by refraining from
sex before marriage, how are you showing love for your girlfriend and future
wife? Ladies, by refraining from sex before marriage, how are you showing
respect for your boyfriend and future husband? Consider this statement: By
choosing sexual activity before marriage, you are choosing self rather than
God. Is the Lord your God? Or is sex your god?

Scripture Memory: 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

SUM 11: Day 21

Proverbs 6:23-35; Colossians 3:5

Sex outside of marriage is foolish. We must have nothing to do with sexual immorality. Have you ever seen someone do something you knew was going to hurt later? I had a couple of friends who decided they wanted to try boxing. They found some old boxing gloves and laced them up. When we yelled, “Fight,” they began swinging. As I watched, I quickly realized this was a stupid idea!

Only seconds into the boxing match, one guy had a bloody nose, was crying like a little girl and was begging for the other guy to stop punching him. Like I said, stupid idea!

Sex outside of marriage may seem fun, and it may seem like no big deal. But it is a stupid idea. The only result will be hurt.

Pray: Ask God to help you make wise choices when it comes to sexual activity. Ask Him to surround you with wise people who will not encourage you to do foolish things.

Do: Your choice to -- or to not -- have sex outside of marriage starts today. Choose wisely. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality.

SUM 11: Day 20

1 Corinthians 10:6-13

When tempted, we must not indulge in sexual relations. God will provide a way out! Have you ever been in a situation where you felt there was no way out? I’ve been in a couple of those situations in my life. One that comes to mind happened when I was in college. I was dating someone for a long time, and we were getting too “friendly,” physically. In the moment, she wanted to “go all the way,” but I said, “Only when we are married.” At that point, I shut things down for the evening.

Long story short: She was upset that I didn’t love her enough to go through with it at that moment. Longer story short: We didn’t end up getting married. Even longer story short: I’m so glad God provided me a way out! I had made a commitment long before that night that I would wait until marriage to have sex. He reminded me of that commitment when I was in “the heat of the moment.”

He will do the same for you!

Pray: Thank God for promising you that He will provide a way out when you are tempted! Ask Him to help you make wise decisions when it comes to who you date and the standards you set as a couple.

Do: If you have not already done so, make a commitment to God that you will wait to have sex
(any kind of sexual activity) until your wedding night! If you have already experimented with sex, choose now to stop and wait until your honeymoon.

SUM 11: Service and Notes: Day 19

Proverbs 5:15-21; Song of Songs 4:1-6

Sex is God’s gift to a man and a woman, who are married to each other. It is designed to be a delight!

Intro: Sex is awesome! You need to know that. You also must understand that God created sex to be a way for a man and wife to delight in one another! Sex is not something that is to done with selfish motives. Sex is a gift for your spouse! Nothing else in marriage is as powerful as sex or as necessary as sex. However, sex is often misunderstood and therefore used as a means for selfgratification. This is when sex is sinful.

Motion: Give examples of ways you think people use sex as a means of self-gratification.

Biblical Passage: Proverbs 5:15-21

Outline:

Discussion: What advice about sex have your parents given you? What have they told you about sex before marriage? How old were you when you and your parents had “the sex talk”?

Biblical Passage: Song of Songs 4:1-6

Outline:

Conclusion: Sex is a gift that God has given for a married man and woman to enjoy! However, sex can be dangerous when done outside of its intended purpose.

Do:

SUM 11: Day 18

Romans 5:1-11

Respect for God: He is worthy! Reconciliation is a big word, with an even bigger meaning and impact. According to the World English Dictionary, to reconcile is “to become friendly with.” Debtors “become friendly” with those they owe once they pay back the money they borrowed. We “become friendly” with God only through paying the price for our offense toward Him! The amazing news is that Christ pays the price for us. He offers to clear our debt once and for all through His sacrificial death. All we have to do is trust in Him.

He paid for you.

His great love for us is what changes us and causes us to worship Him. His Spirit within us propels us to desire Him, to pursue Him, to honor Him. True respect doesn’t come from duty or obligation, nor does it come based on something that someone has done; true respect comes from a reverence and honor for who a person is. And that comes through “being friendly” with God, which He makes possible.

Read: Romans 5:1-11. Read it again, this time looking for characteristics that describe who God is.

Pray: “God, You have come to give me new life. I don’t have to try and gain my way to You through things I do; but because of Christ’s death on the cross, now He lives within me. I have been chosen! Help me to live out who You have made me to be
– an ambassador for Christ. Show me how to live out a life of reconciliation just as You reconciled me to You.”

Do: Write or draw ways Christ has saved you from who you were to who you are today.

Challenge: Study the way Jesus walked on earth. He did some pretty crazy and challenging stuff, but, most of all, He just spent time with people. How can you spend time with those who you know are not reconciled with Christ?

"

SUM 11: Day 17

Romans 5:1-11

Respect for Self: Who am I? Have you seen the Bourne trilogy? The series centers around the main character’s quest to find his identity after his memory is erased due to covert operations he navigated. The question of “Who am I?” drives us all at some level. Thankfully, unlike Jason Bourne, we don’t have to run for our lives as we discover our identity and worth.

God tells us plainly in Scripture who we are in Him. We are loved, desired, valued, fought for, paid for; the list continues. Because of who we are in Christ, we can value and respect ourselves. It’s not prideful or arrogant; it’s understanding your identity and living it as reality. Respecting yourself means living out who God says you are.

How do you show respect for others? Do you show the same respect for yourself?

Discover what Jesus says about you. Uncover the many reasons why you are valued and worth respecting yourself. Then, live it out. Start today.

Read: Romans 5:1-11. For a deeper look, check out Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 and Ephesians 1:3-14. As you read, make a list of the characteristics that God says belong to you, thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice.

Pray: Pray that the Lord would use the repeat of these verses to let you know that you indeed are a treasure and dearly loved.

Do: Make a list of the things that are hard for you to believe about God, His love, your identity in Him or anything else on your heart.

Examples from people who are dear to my heart
: Believing God could really love me after all I have done.
: Trusting God is good when things are good and when things are really hard.
: Believing that I am chosen, not because of what I have done or the things I continue to do, but because of His great love.