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21 Day Challenge

Daily challenges with prayer, Bible reading, and encouragement.

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.

Day 4 - Being Born Again

Jeff Mattheis • 2 Corinthians 5:17, John 3:1–21, John 3:3

SCRIPTURE: John 3:1-21 John 3:3 “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” ENCOURAGEMENT: Jesus said that if we want to see the Kingdom of God, we must be born again. What does it mean to be born again? We must surrender our full selves to Jesus. When we do that, the Bible, in 2 Corinthians 5:17, says that we become a NEW CREATION. This means that we are nothing like our old self, we are given a new heart, a new way of thinking, and a fresh start. This is one of the greatest invitations to throw off our sinful life and the shame that comes with it. PRAYER: Take a moment to pray the prayer outlined below. If you are looking for a good song during your prayer time, check out: “Beautiful Surrender” by Melissa Helser. Pray this prayer: “Jesus, today I recognize that I have a desperate need for a savior. I need you to rescue me from my sinful ways. I recognize how I have been living is sin and I want to put a stake in the ground today. I commit my whole life to you today. I repent for my sin and believe that Jesus you lived, died, and were resurrected from the dead so that I could be restored in my relationship with you. Thank you for giving yourself for me. I declare you as Lord of my life today. Amen!” CHALLENGE: If you haven’t fully given your life to Jesus, let today be the day that you commit your whole life to Jesus with me. Pray the prayer below to give your life fully over to Jesus. This was the best decision I made almost 10 years ago!

Day 5 - We Have Been Adopted

Nate Slaughter • Ephesians 1:3–14, Ephesians 1:11–14

SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 1:3-14 (NIV) "3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. 11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory." Highlighted Verses: Ephesians 1:11-14 “11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory." ENCOURAGEMENT: You are adopted! When you give your life to Christ, you're not just making a decision, or praying a prayer. You're not just getting a ticket to heaven. You are stepping into a new legal standing and you have been adopted by a new family, spiritually speaking. God is now your father. Satan has no rightful claim over your life, your old spiritual birth certificate has been destroyed, and a new one has been created. You are now eligible to receive every good spiritual gift that God wants to give you. I challenge you to live in this reality today. When you pray, don't just pray to God like he's distant. Pray to him like he's the best father you could ever imagine, and that you are his favorite child. PRAYER: Take time to pray today and remember that you are talking to God as His son or daughter. CHALLENGE: Take a moment to read Ephesians 1:3-14. Remember when you pray, you are a child of God!

Day 6 - God’s Strength & Overcoming Sin

David Matteucci • Galatians 5:16–26

SCRIPTURE: ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:16-26‬ ‭NIV “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” Highlighted Verse: Galatians 5:16 “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” ENCOURAGEMENT: Every day there is a war being waged within us between our flesh and our spirit. Our flesh desires for everything that is evil and our spirit desires to draw close to God. When our flesh overcomes our spirit we find ourselves giving in to sinful desires but when our spirit overcomes our flesh we find ourselves near to God. So how do we determine who wins? The one who wins is the one you feed. Every day you can either feed your flesh or your spirit. If you begin your day by feeding your flesh with things that lead you towards the world (social media, shows and movies, secular music), instead of feeding your spirit with what leads you towards God (The Word, Worship, Prayer) then you will find that your fleshly desires become stronger than your spiritual ones and then you fall. Once you feed one, you become full and you do not have room to feed the other. That’s why if you first feed your spirit there will not be much room left to feed your flesh. Galatians 5:16 says “walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh”. If you feed your spirit, you will find that your spiritual desire to draw close to God in prayer and worship overcomes your fleshly desire to sin. Overcoming sin is not about being strong enough, it is about running towards the one who already overcame sin! So choose every day to first seek God and feed your spirit by spending time in His Word, prayer, and worship. PRAYER: In your own words tell God the things you struggle with and pray through these prayer points: - Ask God for forgiveness if there is any sin you still find yourself falling into. - Ask God for the strength to die to your own fleshly desires. - Ask God to place in your heart the desire to seek His word and time with Him every day. CHALLENGE: Tag three friends (and @thejesusclubs) on an Instagram story and challenge them to see who can go the most days opening up the Bible before opening up social media.

Day 7 - Living In The Spirit

Nate Slaughter • Romans 8:1–17

SCRIPTURE: Romans 8:1-17 (NIV) Highlighted Verses: Romans 8:1-2,5-9,14-16 “1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death." "5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God." "9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ." "14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” ENCOURAGEMENT: Now that you are a child of God, you receive spiritual gifts from your father. God doesn't just leave you hanging. God gives you "grace". Grace is the power to obey. Before you knew Jesus, you had no choice. When temptation came, you fell every time. Now you actually have a choice, if you take advantage of it. Next time temptation comes, say "No!". You have options now! It doesn't mean you're perfect but that you actually have the power to resist. This is what it means to walk in the Spirit. Your flesh (aka your sinful desires) doesn’t own you anymore (flesh is the opposite of spirit)! You own them now, they have to listen to the spirit of God inside of you, and that spirit says "No!" to your flesh. PRAYER: Ask God to pour His spirit out over you so that you can walk in the Spirit. CHALLENGE: - Read Romans 8:1-17. - Walk in the Spirit. Walk as a son or daughter.

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 http://(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 9 - Flesh vs. Spirit

Joel Bomberger • Romans 8:1–14, Romans 8:6, Galatians 6:8

SCRIPTURE: Romans 8:1-14 “1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Highlighted Verses: Romans 8:6 Galatians 6:8 ENCOURAGEMENT: The beautiful thing about Christianity is that not only are our sins forgiven, we also receive the power of the Holy Spirit to free us from sin, death, & sickness! The Holy Spirit is literally the Spirit of Jesus sent to be our helper, friend, & advocate! He will help us overcome sin & walk in the new life in Jesus! In Romans 8:6, we see that the mind set on the Spirit is life & peace, but the mind set on the flesh is death! When we walk in our flesh, it produces sin within us, & those who are in the flesh cannot please God. OUCH! However, Galatians 5 tells us that those who “walk by the http://spirit...will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” YAY! The Good news is all that is required to walk in the Spirit is us acknowledging Him, & setting our MIND on His reality in our lives! Romans 12:2 says we are “TRANSFORMED by the RENEWING of our MIND” so this is about controlling our mind & thoughts to live out the way the Spirit wants! Galatians 6:8 says, “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” We must make an investment into our Spirit man over our fleshly man daily. We must be planting seeds of the Spirit into our hearts every day so we can produce a harvest of righteousness through God’s Spirit! Seeds don’t grow up overnight! It will take continued discipline to sow seeds & invest in your spirit until you see results! Eventually, your Spirit man will become stronger than your flesh & setting your mind on the Spirit’s desires will become easier. Sowing into your Spirit looks like, reading your bible, praying, worshipping, fasting, & giving up fleshly things (entertainment, secular media, etc.) Just like eating cake or cookies, there is nothing wrong with certain entertainment or music (as long as it isn’t glorifying sin). But if that is our primary source, our spirit will be so weak. Just imagine if 90% of your meals were cake & cookies, but you ate 1 carrot a day so you thought you were healthy. So it is with our Spirit man, we can’t just spend 10 minutes with God while the rest of our day is full of worldly entertainment. Let’s sow into our Spirit every day. And focus our mind on Jesus, bringing Him into every decision, this will enable us to walk free of the desires of the flesh, and He will help us walk in His newness of life! PRAYER: Take a moment to pray the prayer outlined below. If you are looking for a good song during your prayer time, check out: “Holy Spirit” by Bryan & Katie Torwalt http://(https://open.spotify.com/track/1atwsv...). Pray this prayer: “God I thank you for giving me Your Holy Spirit. I thank You, Holy Spirit, for residing within me. I set my mind & heart on You! I focus on You & ask You to speak to me, guide me, and empower me to overcome the desires of my flesh.” CHALLENGE: Set a timer for 30 minutes and quietly sit alone & focus your mind on Jesus. This will be difficult at first! Read Revelation 4 before for a picture of Jesus & His throne. Imagine the Holy Spirit surrounding you.

Day 10 - Importance of The Word

Timothy Bruce • John 1:1–18

SCRIPTURE: John 1:1-18 Highlighted Verse: John 1:14 NASB “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” ENCOURAGEMENT: Why is it so important to seek God’s word daily? The first question we have to ask ourselves is why did Jesus Christ die on the cross for our sins? Our sins separate us from God and pull us away from a relationship with Him. God sent Jesus Christ down to die for your sins because God WANTS a relationship with you, He longs to be intimate with you and for you to be close to Him. Now that we have been granted access to a relationship with God, how do we grow in that relationship? The same way we grow in our relationships with friends and family! We spend time with Him, we pursue intimate moments with Him, and we get to know Him on a deeper level. John 1:14 says “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. Jesus is The Word made flesh! If you truly want to know Jesus more and grow deeper in your relationship with Him, it is essential to draw near to His Word. Draw near to the Word of God and you will draw near to God himself. When we pray we speak to God but we still need the other half of the relationship which is to listen. We listen by reading His word. His word is a guide for us that teaches us who He is, who we are, and what His plans are for our lives. If you truly want to have an intimate and deeper relationship with God then seek His word every day. Although sometimes we might not have as much time it makes God happy when we go out of our way to separate time for Him! Keep walking on this daily Bible Reading journey you have started, and remember that every day you are drawing near to God and He is drawing near to you! PRAYER: Take time each day to seek God and ask Him to reveal His truth to you. CHALLENGE: Take time every day and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal His truth to you. Before you read the Bible, pray this prayer: “God, open the eyes of my heart to behold wondrous things in your word.”

Day 11 - Prayer

Chase Durkin • Matthew 6:6, Mark 1:35, Luke 6:12

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 6:6 “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” ENCOURAGEMENT: Prayer is one of the greatest foundations in the life of a follower of Jesus. It is the place where we communicate and grow in our relationship with Him. The place of prayer is the most fought after thing in our lives because there is true power in devotion. That is why today, I want to jump into the biggest questions that surround prayer. That way you understand and see the practicals of prayer. This will encourage you to jump in because you simply see prayer for what it is. These thoughts come from a book that has changed my prayer life, check out Simple Devotion by Micah Wood & Samuel Bentley. Let’s start here: Matthew 6 is the blueprint for prayer given to us by Jesus. You mean Jesus Himself taught us and gave us a glimpse into how to pray? YES! How amazing and like Jesus to not leave us to figure it out on our own. He so desires us to pray and talk with Him that He has shown us HOW! Let’s break down the HOW by describing the WHO, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, WHAT of Prayer. We can answer these all through Scripture in Matthew 6:6-13. WHO? YOU are the WHO of prayer. It is when you pray, that prayer begins and has a place. WHEN? The time of prayer is decided by you. It is that time you feel to make priority because it allows you to come and seek Jesus. We see through the life of Jesus in scripture, that He had different times He prayed. (Mark 1:35 & Luke 6:12) The time can be whenever for however long, that is up to you. The time we choose should be one that allows us to come without distraction & not to just get it over with, but a time where we can come and make prayer what it is about - time with Jesus. WHERE? Your bedroom, the park, you choose! We see in Matthew 6 - go into your ROOM. The where can be anywhere that you want to create as a place to pray! WHY? We pray to see & hear our Father in secret, to know Him more, to make our requests known to God, to be with Him. Prayer is about a relationship and a desire to be with Him, above all! WHAT? Pray what is on your heart. We see in Matthew 6 that we are not to make prayer just a “duty” or something we accomplish and do to make us feel close to God. Are we actually praying to draw near and grow in Him? HOW? We go into secret & we close the door. We see prayer for what it is and we fight for it, we create a place where we can be undistracted and approach our Father who sees and hears us, and to grow with Him! You are created for this place of Prayer to grow and communicate with Jesus. It is in this model of prayer, we find encouragement to make prayer the priority of our lives, and to pursue and fall in love with Jesus unlike ever before, no matter what comes our way! You can start this life of Prayer & Devotion as soon as you want, you got this! Reference - Simple Devotion by Micah Wood & Samuel Bentley - The Ramp 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: “Hidden” by United Pursuit (ft. Will Reagan) http://(https://open.spotify.com/track/3chz1d...). Pray through these prayer points: A Personal Blueprint for Prayer - Jesus, I ask you to show me what the Who, What, When, Where, & Why looks like for me personally. A Desire to Pray - Jesus, I want a heart & spirit that desires to pray and make it a priority in my life. Eyes to See - Jesus, I ask that you give me eyes to see what prayer truly is and that in my eyes being opened, I see you more than I ever have! CHALLENGE: Write out the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY for yourself & put it where you can see it, keep it in front of you as you grow in prayer as a reminder!

Day 12 - Worship

Lindy Cofer • John 4:23

SCRIPTURE: John 4:23 ESV “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” ENCOURAGEMENT: We worship God from the inside out for WHO He is! Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. We need to be rooted in the truth of who Jesus is. We worship because we know who God is! PRAYER: Take a moment today to pray and thank Jesus for who He is in your life. CHALLENGE: Take time to worship Jesus today!

Day 13 - Hearing God’s Voice

Joel Bomberger • 1 Kings 19:11–13, John 16:5–15, John 14:26, John 10:27

SCRIPTURE: John 16:5-15 “5 “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 “But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. 12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 “All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.” Highlighted Verses: John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” ENCOURAGEMENT: It’s amazing that God wants to speak to us! The God of the Universe, who spoke everything into existence, wants to live inside of us by His Spirit & teach us, guide us, & bring to remembrance everything Jesus said! This is the Christian’s superpower, the Spirit of God & His voice inside of us! If you ever doubt whether you hear God’s voice, remember John 10:27 which says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” If you made a decision to follow Jesus, you have heard His voice! He has gotten your attention & called you to Himself & you responded! Maybe you've never heard His audible voice, heard Him in a dream, or seen an open vision, but you CAN hear His voice! As we grow in our relationship with Him, it’s learning to grow our ability to discern His voice so you can better follow Him. The Holy Spirit is the one who speaks to us & tells us everything Jesus and the Father want to do. We see first and foremost that the Holy Spirit will highlight & bring revelation to the Bible, God’s Word to us. This is the primary way God speaks to us, by illuminating a passage of scripture & showing us His heart through the Bible! Anything God speaks to us through a vision, a dream, or any other way will NEVER contradict what the Bible says about God. Sometimes it will be different than what we’ve previously KNOWN about the Bible, but it will always line up with it! So make sure you are spending time with God asking Him to speak to you through the Bible first and foremost. Throughout the Bible, we see various ways God speaks: mainly dreams, an inner Spirit’s voice, through angelic encounters, & varieties of other ways. Again, once you have a good base of seeking God through the Bible, ask Him to speak to you in any & all the ways you want to hear from Him. Then make time to listen for His response. So much of a relationship is listening. We can’t spend all our time talking, but never spend a moment to listen to His response. Lastly, in 1 Kings 19:11-13, when God spoke to Elijah, God wasn’t in the whirlwind, or the rocks, or the fire, but was in a “still, small voice.” So don’t get distracted by wanting a loud exciting encounter. Let God speak to you through the small inner voice, and be obedient to THAT above all! PRAYER: Take a moment to pray the prayer outlined below. If you are looking for a good song during your prayer time, check out: “Holy Spirit (we love you)” by Upperroom http://(https://open.spotify.com/track/0mkoo9...). Pray this prayer: “God, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to teach, guide, and speak to me! I ask that You would open my ears to hear your voice! I ask for the gift of dreams, visions, & pictures! I surrender to Your ways and ask that You would speak to me in any way you want! Make me sensitive to Your words, God! In Jesus Name, Amen!” CHALLENGE: - Ask God to speak to you about 3 friends. Pray & ask God to give you encouraging, edifying words & pictures for them. - Then write out anything that comes to mind. Tell your friends you're practicing hearing God and want to give them some things He said about them. - Ask them afterward if what you said resonated and if it was encouraging. Tip: Set a timer & talk to God like you would talk to a friend. Then stop & set another timer for the same amount of time. Wait in silence. Write any pictures, thoughts, or things that come to mind. Then look over them & see what could be God. This will help you discern His voice!

Day 14 - Following Jesus

Mason Bristol • John 10:26–28, Matthew 16:24, John 10:27

SCRIPTURE: John 10:26-28 “26 But you don’t believe because you are not of my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.” Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”” John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.” ENCOURAGEMENT: Following Jesus is so much more than a set of religious values that we agree to. We follow Him because He loves us, He wants to see us prosper, and He wants a unique and intimate relationship with us. Understand the fact that following Jesus isn’t something we do to just check off a list, it’s something we do in order to seek true life in the intimacy of a relationship with Christ. 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: “While I’m Waiting” by John Waller http://(https://open.spotify.com/track/77kwks...). Pray through these prayer points: Pray for Jesus to become the leader and Lord of your life. Pray for a passion to follow Jesus and be obedient to him. Pray for a fresh ability to seek after his heart thoroughly. CHALLENGE: Choose to follow Jesus today! Choose to deny yourself and obey Jesus.

Day 15 - Does Everyone Have a Calling?

JD Here • Jeremiah 1:5, Jeremiah 29:11, Isaiah 55:8–9

SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” ENCOURAGEMENT: Does everyone have a calling? Maybe you asked yourself this question or to a point, you even doubt that you were created with a purpose or a calling for your life. If you think that you are not special, that you are not important, you feel hopeless and uncertain, know that God created you with a purpose, He knows you by name. His plans are good, to give you hope and a future. His plans never fail. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His ways higher than our ways. Trust God and rely on Him to walk according to His will and follow His plans. YOU HAVE A PURPOSE! 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: “How He Loves” by David Crowder Band http://(https://open.spotify.com/track/6wsfma...). Pray through these prayer points: - Thank God for giving you a purpose. - Ask Him to help you understand your calling. - Ask Him to guide you on every single step you take. CHALLENGE: Send these Bible verses to 3 friends and encourage them!