Day 1 - Monday, October 12th
· Day 2 →
LIFE Journal
This Week's Memory Verse
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23
Devotional
Anytime we want to see growth in our lives: the real, life-altering kind of change that makes a lasting effect, discipline is required. Whether it is losing those pounds or taking a different path in life, to get the kind of transformation that sets us up for seeing a marked difference, it requires us to do something that we hadn’t done before or to push ourselves further in the ways we already have.
Just like an athlete, our spiritual growth demands us to put in the time and attention to the things that will flex our spiritual muscles and use them in new ways so that we can become more and more like our end goal, Christ himself. Scholars call these spiritual disciplines, which is a fancy name for some of the things many of us already do in order to engage with God, Scripture, the people around us, and ourselves. These habits don’t save us, only faith in Christ alone can do that. Instead, these are the vehicles God uses to shape us, smooth out our rough edges, teach and train us, and whittle away at all that does not glorify Him.
In the next 28 days, we are going to walk through how we as a church family can move into a deeper relationship with the Lord, the Bible, and our community through several spiritual disciplines. For some, this will mean merely focusing our intentions in these areas that we already practice. For others, this may feel a bit uncomfortable, like the first day learning a new skillset or trying something we never have before. No matter what your starting line is, know that God has something to show you as an individual and The Exchange as a collective body if you’re willing to put in the time and commitment to the things that He can use to mold us into something entirely new.
Think On This Verse:
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. - Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV
Ask and Answer:
What’s my starting line when it comes to disciplines in my faith? That is, where am I right now? What things do I need to forget: past failures, excuses, or not feeling like I am equipped enough to move forward? What new thing do you think God is wanting to do in your life in the next 28 days?
Just like an athlete, our spiritual growth demands us to put in the time and attention to the things that will flex our spiritual muscles and use them in new ways so that we can become more and more like our end goal, Christ himself. Scholars call these spiritual disciplines, which is a fancy name for some of the things many of us already do in order to engage with God, Scripture, the people around us, and ourselves. These habits don’t save us, only faith in Christ alone can do that. Instead, these are the vehicles God uses to shape us, smooth out our rough edges, teach and train us, and whittle away at all that does not glorify Him.
In the next 28 days, we are going to walk through how we as a church family can move into a deeper relationship with the Lord, the Bible, and our community through several spiritual disciplines. For some, this will mean merely focusing our intentions in these areas that we already practice. For others, this may feel a bit uncomfortable, like the first day learning a new skillset or trying something we never have before. No matter what your starting line is, know that God has something to show you as an individual and The Exchange as a collective body if you’re willing to put in the time and commitment to the things that He can use to mold us into something entirely new.
Think On This Verse:
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. - Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV
Ask and Answer:
What’s my starting line when it comes to disciplines in my faith? That is, where am I right now? What things do I need to forget: past failures, excuses, or not feeling like I am equipped enough to move forward? What new thing do you think God is wanting to do in your life in the next 28 days?
Prayer
God thank you for a church family that wants me to grow closer to you. I ask as I start this time of fasting from social media in order to spend more time with you that you help me focus on you, to prioritize time with you, to endure to the end of this fast, to give myself grace if I miss a day, and the strength to pick it back up if I miss. I also pray that you help our church family use this time to grow closer to you so that we can introduce others to your endless love. Amen.