Faith Workout

TODAY'S STEPS
READ:  Galatians 2

REFLECT:  How were others attempting to intimidate Paul, so that he would alter his message?  
And, what made Paul feel secure so that he "did not yield in submission even for a moment?"

RESPOND:  
1 - Identify people, or things, that tend to intimidate you.
2 - If you are a Christian, who is really on trial in God's courtroom on your behalf?
3 - How does the truth of the gospel give you freedom?

*Share your thoughts on comments and with your Faith Rx'd Chapter.

"I identified myself completely with [Christ]. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not 'mine,' but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.  Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily." (Galatians 2:20-21 - The Message)

Faith WOD

TODAY'S STEPS
READ:  Lamentations 3:21-66

REFLECT:  What is "new" every morning?

RESPOND:  
1 - What has caused you the most anxiety in recent months?
2 - How does this promise give you hope in the midst of this trial?
3 - How might YOU be useful to the fulfillment of this promise for someone else?

*Share your thoughts on comments and with your Faith Rx'd Chapter.

"Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God..." (2 Peter 1 - The Message)

Faith WOD

TODAY'S STEPS
READ:  Hebrews 11:4-6

REFLECT:  Why was Abel's offering more accepted than Cain?

RESPOND: List 3 ways you have attempted to find acceptance outside of faith in God.

*Share your thoughts on Comments.


"It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him." (The Message)

Faith WOD

TODAY'S STEPS
READ:  John 1

REFLECT:  What did Jesus bring that Moses could not?

RESPOND:  Identify all terms which describe Jesus in this chapter.  Which ones especially speak "good news" to you?

*Share your thoughts on Comments.

"We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

Faith WOD

TODAY'S STEPS
READ:  1 Corinthians 1 - 3

REFLECT:  What caused the divisions among the Corinthians?

RESPOND:  List 3 people in whom you have attempted to find your identity.

*Share your thoughts on Comments.

"I don’t want to hear any of you bragging about yourself or anyone else. Everything is already yours as a gift—Paul, Apollos, Peter, the world, life, death, the present, the future—all of it is yours, and you are privileged to be in union with Christ, who is in union with God." (The Message)

Faith WOD

TODAY'S STEPS
READ:  Luke 4:14-21

REFLECT:  What part of this experience was most shocking to the crowd?

RESPOND:  Identify the aspects of Christ's ministry that can only be realized through His power.  How do these aspects correspond to you personally?
 

*Share your thoughts on Comments.

"You’ve just heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place.” (The Message)

Faith WOD

TODAY'S STEPS
READ:  Romans 7:21 - 8:11

REFLECT:  How did Paul feel bound by "another law in his members?"

RESPOND: List your 5 greatest strengths.  Then, describe how these "strengths" are powerless in the battle of overcoming temptation without the true power of the Spirit.

*Share your thoughts on Comments.

"Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God!" (The Message)

Faith WOD

TODAY'S STEPS
READ:  Colossians 1:3-14

REFLECT:  How did Paul know the Colossians had been affected by the gospel?

RESPOND:  List 2 areas of your life that seem to remain attached to the "domain of darkness."  Pray for the power of God to break these bonds.

*Share your thoughts on Comments.

"The lines of purpose in your lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to your future in heaven, kept taut by hope." (The Message)

Faith WOD

TODAY'S STEPS
READ:  Titus 2:11 - 3:8

REFLECT: What has the power to train us for good works?

RESPOND:  Identify an evil work the Gospel empowers you to eliminate.  Confess this sin and speak renewal through a good work the Lord will produce in its place.

*Share your thoughts on Comments.

"But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit." (Titus 3:4-5)

Faith WOD

TODAY'S STEPS
READ:  2 Timothy 1

REFLECT:  Which word did Paul insert into his greeting to Timothy that was NOT normally included?

RESPOND:  Look for ways God demonstrates His grace in your life today.  Describe one event that makes His grace obvious.

*Share your thoughts on Comments.

"The Lord passed before [Moses] and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness..." (Exodus 34:6)

Faith WOD

TODAY'S STEPS

READ:  2 Peter 1

REFLECT:  How do we obtain grace and peace?

RESPOND:  Identify one person you know better than anyone else in this world.  How do you know you KNOW them?

*Share your thoughts on Comments.

"The Lord passed before [Moses] and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness..." (Exodus 34:6)

Faith WOD - 9/27/2012

Read 1 John 3:1.  Write the verse on a note card and carry it with you all day.  Read it every time you think of it.

*Share your experience on Comments.

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. ¹² It teaches us..." (Titus 2:11-12)

Spiritual Weekend WOD - 3/9/2012 to 3/11/2012

Add to your knowledge...

Commit this passage to memory: "Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. 6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. 7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!  People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light." (Psalm 36:5-9)

*Share thoughts on Comments.

Spiritual WOD - 3/8/2012

On the hour, every hour...thank God for the things you listed on Monday that increase your faith.

*Share thoughts on Comments.

"For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, ¹⁶ do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers." (Ephesians 1:15-16)

Spiritual WOD - 3/7/2012

Catch yourself saying, or thinking, the words "have to" -  and substitute "get to" every chance you can.

Example:  "I HAVE TO go to this meeting!"

Substitute:  "I GET TO go to this meeting!"

*Share your example on Comments.

"In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³ Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. ¹⁴ For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." (Romans 6:11-14)