The Seek God Challenge Day 31

January 31, 2012 by Jules Leave a Comment

HOLD ON TO GOD

READ

“22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had.24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day.25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.26 Then he said, "Let me go, for the day has broken." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."27 And he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob."28 Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed."29 Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him.30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered."31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.32 Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob's hip on the sinew of the thigh.”

– Genesis 32:22-32

THINK

While there is lots to be learned through this passage the concept we want to look at is in verse 26. Jacob despite being in pain and clearly going from a position of strength to brokenness refuses to let go. What is Jacob’s reason for refusing to let go? Why do you think the blessing was so important to Jacob?

Look again at verses 25-28. In what ways was Jacob changed in these verses? Which one made the greatest impact on his future? Why?

What are you holding onto God for? Who are you holding onto God for?

PRAY

These thoughts and prayers are just a guide to get you started in your conversation with God. Think of them as conversation starters rather than a check list to quickly pray.

Cry out to God for the things/people that you are refusing to give up on.

Thank the Lord that He changes you from death to life and from darkness into light. Ask Him to help you be a light in the darkness to your generation

DO

We are seeking the Lord through prayer and fasting starting tonight at dinner (skip dinner), and finishing tomorrow at dinner (skip breakfast & lunch, then eat dinner).

Download the guide here

Filed Under: Seek God Challenge Tagged With: Book of Genesis, God, Israel, Israelites, Jacob, matt rothacher, Old Testament, Penuel, Seek God Challenge, Zarqa River

The Seek God Challenge Day 30

January 30, 2012 by Jules 2 Comments

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MINISTERING TO THE LORD

READ

“25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.

“1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.”

-Acts 12:25 -13:3

THINK

The church at Antioch understood the importance of passionately seeking God and His direction. Keep in mind that there are things in our life that we don’t need to seek God on, such as sharing the Gospel, because we have been clearly commanded through scripture to do them. What would be an example of things you should seek God’s direction for?

Some translations use the phrase “ministering to the Lord” in verse two which is a great picture of what it means to worship. He is our audience and we are giving honor and attributing praise to God. The picture here is that they were giving up food to worship God. They refused to just sit casually and attend church as normal. How might fasting change your relationship with God?

Knowing the end result of this meeting, (1.3 billion people coming to Christ, 13 books of the NT, etc.) what then can we conclude might be accomplished by diligently seeking God through prayer and fasting?

PRAY

These thoughts and prayers are just a guide to get you started in your conversation with God. Think of them as conversation starters rather than a check list to quickly pray.

Pray that you will begin to desire God even more than lunch or dinner.

Thank the Lord that He hears our prayers and draws close to us when we draw close to Him.

DO

Make a plan to set aside tomorrow night and the following breakfast and lunch to seek the Lord through prayer and fasting.

Download the guide here

Filed Under: Seek God Challenge Tagged With: Antioch, Barnabas, God, HolySpirit, Jerusalem, Lord, matt rothacher, Niger, prayer, Seek God Challenge

The Seek God Challenge Day 29

January 29, 2012 by Jules Leave a Comment

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GOSPEL IS OUR ONLY HOPE

(ETERNITY IS FOREVER)

READ

"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself."

-Philippians 3:20-21

“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

-Revelation 20:11-15

THINK

The reason that the Gospel is the only hope for those that surround us is concluded in the fact that what we do with this truth effects peoples eternity. What should the knowledge of the Gospel lead us to concerning those around us?

How does the reality of heaven and hell effect you? Your family? Your friends?

PRAY

These thoughts and prayers are just a guide to get you started in your conversation with God. Think of them as conversation starters rather than a check list to quickly pray.

Pray that you will be unashamed of the Gospel for the sake of those people in your life who don’t know Christ.

Pray that although the destination of eternity is pressing that your faith will be built on more than just going to heaven.

DO

Time again to jump out there, share the truth of the Gospel with one of the three friends you have been praying for.

Download the guide here

Filed Under: Seek God Challenge Tagged With: Book of Life, Christ, God, gospel, Great White Throne, Hades, Heaven, Jesus, matt rothacher, Seek God Challenge

The Seek God Challenge Day 28

January 28, 2012 by Jules Leave a Comment

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THE GOSPEL IS OUR ONLY HOPE

(THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH)

READ

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

-Ephesians 2:4-7

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person

is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

-Galatians 2:15-16

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

-Romans 5:1

Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

-1 John 2:4-6

THINK

So we’ve seen our condition before God (dead in our sin), and then we’ve seen God’s saving plan (Jesus death & resurrection), now we want to see how we move from death in sin to life in Christ. According to both Galatians 15-16, and Romans 5:1 how do we stand right before God?

As we mentioned early on in our study, too often we stop at what we believe is the point of salvation then we may miss Jesus altogether. 1 John 2:4-6 tells us that what must be present to say that we “know” God?

Why is doing what Jesus tells us to do an important part of faith?

Jesus’s actions on the cross and through the resurrection opens the door to us to move from death to life and if we will place our faith in Christ, repent from our sins, and walk in His ways we will be transformed, both in our eternal destination and on this earth.

So then the whole answer of how we enter from death to life is?

PRAY

These thoughts and prayers are just a guide to get you started in your conversation with God. Think of them as conversation starters rather than a check list to quickly pray.

Pray that your faith will grow in such a way that you will walk in the ways of Jesus.

Pray that as we desire God we come to better understanding of the gospel and its role in your life.

DO

Take a minute and write out the gospel in a way that helps you clearly understand it.

Download the guide here

Filed Under: Seek God Challenge Tagged With: Christ, Christ Jesus, Epistle to the Galatians, Epistle to the Romans, First Epistle of John, Gentile, God, Jesus, matt rothacher, Seek God Challenge

The Seek God Challenge Day 27

January 27, 2012 by Jules Leave a Comment

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THE GOSPEL IS OUR ONLY HOPE

(THE JESUS FACTOR)

READ

“7 Josiah provided for all the lay people who were there a total of thirty thousand lambs and goats for the Passover offerings, and also three thousand cattle—all from the king's own possessions.

8 His officials also contributed voluntarily to the people and the priests and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah and Jehiel, the officials in charge of God's temple, gave the priests twenty-six hundred Passover offerings and three hundred cattle.9 Also Konaniah along with Shemaiah and Nethanel, his brothers, and Hashabiah, Jeiel and Jozabad, the leaders of the Levites, provided five thousand Passover offerings and five hundred head of cattle for the Levites.

10 The service was arranged and the priests stood in their places with the Levites in their divisions as the king had ordered.11 The Passover lambs were slaughtered, and the priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them, while the Levites skinned the animals.12 They set aside the burnt offerings to give them to the subdivisions of the families of the people to offer to the Lord, as it is written in the Book of Moses. They did the same with the cattle.13 They roasted the Passover animals over the fire as prescribed, and boiled the holy offerings in pots, caldrons and pans and served them quickly to all the people.14 After this, they made preparations for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were sacrificing the burnt offerings and the fat portions until nightfall. So the Levites made preparations for themselves and for the Aaronic priests.”

-2 Chronicles 35:7-14

“He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.”

-1 Peter 2:22

“9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”

-Romans 5:9

“9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

-Colossians 2:9-15

THINK

We know that the point of the Passover was to celebrate the saving goodness of God, particularly in the way he led them out of Eygpt, we see through our other verses that Jesus is now responsible for our salvation. What does Romans 5:9 tell us about how Jesus saves us?

1 Peter 2:22 shows us that, all the while He was on the earth, Jesus was without sin. That He lived a human life just like ours and yet displayed the righteousness of God. What does that mean to you? The fact that Jesus came to demonstrate what a holy life looks like should hopefully encourage us.

Without the resurrection we’re all just wasting our time. Why or why not is this a true statement? Colossians 2:12-15 talks to us about the importance of us being raised from the dead. According to yesterday what are we dead in? And then if we are dead in our sin, then we, through Jesus are made alive by the power of His resurrection.

PRAY

These thoughts and prayers are just a guide to get you started in your conversation with God. Think of them as conversation starters rather than a check list to quickly pray.

Praise God that He loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for you.

Pray that today you would not take for granted what Jesus did for you and will allow that memory to lift Jesus up among those you come in contact with.