Day 8 - Intimacy - The Jesus Clubs

The Jesus Clubs

Day 8 - Intimacy

Chase Durkin • Proverbs 8:17

SCRIPTURE:
Proverbs 8:17 “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.”

ENCOURAGEMENT:
Intimacy is something that is not found in every friendship. It is something special that is reserved for the relationships in your life that are deep & real. Let’s be honest, we do not have the human capacity to be deep with every friend we have, besides that, it would be exhausting! If anything, we have many friendships, but in the midst of them all, there is that ONE individual with whom we relate, connect, & love the most. That is what comes to mind when I think of intimacy with Jesus. He is the friend above all friends because He has never left me and no one knows me as He does. That is why I come to Him with all things, the good & bad, the hard & easy, because when you are truly intimate with someone they know all of who you are, not just the parts you want them to see.

That leads me to this thought: We can’t have intimacy with Jesus if we are not willing for Him to have all of us and us be willing to want all of Him. It takes us being real, vulnerable, and assessing our lives to ask ourselves, “Am I real with Jesus? Does He have access to every place of my Heart? Or is my friendship with Jesus just on the surface?”

The truth is we are all created for intimacy with Jesus and it is easy to do so because that is what we are made for. The hard part is being willing and open enough to go deep. Intimacy is as simple as making the time to invite Jesus in and seek Him. That can be through prayer, devotion, the word, worship, most of all by letting Him into your life completely. Intimacy, at the end of the day, can be seen and known by how close and involved that friend is in your life. True intimacy goes beyond the surface and finds itself in the deep places of your heart when it is just you and Jesus. You are created for this real and deep place with Him. All you have to do is love Him, seek Him first, and keep coming to Him no matter what. There is no friend like Jesus and there is no one more worthy of our love.

PRAYER:
Take a moment to pray through the prayer points outlined below. If you are looking for a good song during your prayer time, check out: “Move your Heart (Live)” by Upperroom (https://open.spotify.com/track/5z9AMe...).

- Give Jesus Access - Jesus, I want to be real with you. I give you access to my heart to search me and any parts of my heart that are keeping me from deep friendship with you.
- Increase My Desire - Jesus, I want to seek you more than I seek other things or people. You are the one that satisfies me fully in the intimate areas of my heart.
- Jesus, you are my best friend - Jesus, you are number one in my life. There is no one more deserving to know me deeply like you. I want to grow deeper in this friendship. I want to be intimate with you more than anyone else.

CHALLENGE:
Spend 15 minutes in prayer & worship inviting Jesus into a fresh place of friendship & intimacy.

Day 1 - We Are Sinners in Need of God

Brian Barcelona • 1 John 2:15–17, 1 John 1:5–10, 1 John 2:2

SCRIPTURE: 1 John 1:5-10 NASB “5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” 1 John 2:2 NASB “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” 1 John 2:15-17 NASB “15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever.” Highlighted Verse: 1 John 1:5-10 NASB “5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” ENCOURAGEMENT: When we walk with God, we walk in his light! And that light is in us! And the life of darkness can’t exist when we’re in the light! Like when you go into your room and turn on your light darkness can no longer hang in the same room! And as we walk in the light of Christ, we know we are cleaned by the blood of Jesus which washed us white as snow! The first step to be washed clean is being able to admit we are dirty, we have sinned against God, we have fallen! And when you do God is faithful to forgive you of all that has separated you and Him! Where is the joy in all of this? The joy is that forgiveness is available for those who ask for it and will walk in the light! Lastly, I’d like to share about 1 John 2:15, the only way you can not love the world is when you love God! The love for God replaces the love you once had for the world! The things of the world pass away but God remains forever! PRAYER: Take a moment to pray through the prayer points outlined below. If you are looking for a good song during your prayer time, check out: “Surrounded” by Upperroom Music. Prayer Points - Acknowledge your sins and ask for forgiveness. - Ask God to help you walk in His truth. CHALLENGE: - Acknowledge you have sinned against God and spend 5-10 minutes sharing with God the sins you know you have done. Ask God for forgiveness and to cleanse you according to what the bible says. Allow your mind and heart to receive God’s forgiveness! - If there is any sin you have committed against someone as a Christian, that you know of, ask them for forgiveness too. - Ask God to shine light in areas of your life you feel have been dark. - TAKE JOY TODAY! WALK IN HIS LOVE, FORGIVENESS, AND HIS LIGHT.

Day 2 - Repentance

Joel Bomberger • 2 Corinthians 7:1–11

SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 7:1-11 “1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Make room for us in your hearts; we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one. 3 I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together. 4 Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction. 5 For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. 6 But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; 7 and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more. 8 For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while— 9 I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. 10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.” ENCOURAGEMENT: Repentance is more than feeling bad for what you did. Repentance doesn't take hours or days of agonizing pain & prayer and it can actually be joyful! It’s joyful because we are turning from sin, the thing that leads to death & pain, and in turn we get Jesus, the author of love & life! The Greek word for repentance is metanoia which means a change of mind. We’re changing our mind to reject sin & turn from it to desire life with God. 2 Corinthians 7:9 says that we should only be made sorrowful until we REPENT (change our mind about the sin we were in). Verse 10 says when we have true repentance, we have no regret & receive the salvation of Jesus! Whereas merely feeling bad, like the world does, only leads to death. John the Baptist talks about “bearing fruits in keeping with repentance.” This is not just saying sorry & feeling bad. It’s a change of mind, & a change of life direction away from that sin towards God. True repentance will produce zeal & longing to change as Revelation 3:19 says “be zealous and repent.” Lastly, think of the example of God’s mercy & salvation through repentance. In Acts 2, the VERY SAME religious leaders who LITERALLY crucified Jesus listened to the preaching of Peter. It says they were cut to the heart. Imagine you killed Jesus yourself, you think you would need weeks of sorrow & penance in order to gain God’s approval again. But Peter simply tells them to “repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” May we continually turn from our sin, and receive His forgiveness & power of the Holy Spirit. PRAYER: Take a moment to pray the prayer outlined below. If you are looking for a good song during your prayer time, check out: “Obedience” by Lindy Cofer & Circuit Rider Music. The 4 R’s Prayer — Repent, Receive, Rebuke, Replace REPENT: I repent of my sin. (Name the sin & admit it was wrong. Ask for forgiveness.) RECEIVE: I receive your forgiveness, God. REBUKE: I rebuke the enemy’s stronghold & tell it to leave my life! REPLACE: I replace the lies with the truth of God’s word. (Example: I am loved, I am free, I am forgiven, You have not given me a spirit of fear.) Example: “Lord I repent of my sin, I turn from it & ask your forgiveness. I thank you for forgiving me, I receive it in Jesus’ name! I command every demonic Spirit attached to that sin to get out of my life & leave my mind in Jesus’ name! I say it must leave right now! I thank you, Jesus, for setting me free! That I am dead to sin & alive in you! That I am your child, & nothing can separate me from your love! In Jesus name, Amen.” CHALLENGE: - Ask the Lord if there is any area you need to REPENT of today. Wait on Him to tell you! - Then stand up & boldly declare your repentance, forgiveness, & rebuke the enemy out of your life! Do this with each thing that God brings to mind until you feel His joy permeate your soul! - P.S. Do this with a SMILE knowing when we receive His forgiveness it’s DONE & we get to walk in the new life He gave us!

Day 3 - The Blood of Jesus

Jeff Mattheis • Hebrews 10:19, 1 John 1:7, Hebrews 9:14

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 10:19 “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus” 1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” Hebrews 9:14 “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” ENCOURAGEMENT: The blood of Jesus is like a bar of soap. It isn’t until we apply it to our lives that we get to experience its power. What Jesus did on the cross has the power to cleanse you of all of your sin! 1 John 1:7 says “if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” PRAYER: Take a moment to pray through the prayer points outlined below. If you are looking for a good song during your prayer time, check out: “Nothing But The Blood” by Sean Feucht. Point 1: Jesus, I choose to walk in the light as you are in the light. I don’t want to walk in hidden sin any longer! Point 2: Jesus thank you for your blood, thank you for what you did on Calvary for me. Point 3: I pray that the revelation of what you did on the cross would settle in my heart in Jesus’ name! CHALLENGE: My encouragement and challenge to you is that you would walk in the light. Maybe you have some hidden sin in your life or things that you are ashamed of. The power of the blood of Jesus is so much greater than you could ever imagine. As soon as you put your sin in the light, you can be completely washed white as snow.