The Seek God Challenge Day 26

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THE GOSPEL IS OUR ONLY HOPE

(THE SIN PROBLEM)

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Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

-Romans 6:16-20

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.”

-John 8:34

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

-2 Corinthians 4:4

They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

-Ephesians 4:18

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned …

-Romans 5:12

THINK

In the first three chapters of the Bible we watch God create a perfect world where humans and God walk together in sweet fellowship and then in an instance humans disobey God and bring sin and death into the world. Our passages today help us better see why, as a result of this, it is huge in our understanding that the Gospel is our only hope.

The Bible tells us clearly in both Romans 6:16-20 and, from Jesus Himself, in John 8 that we are slaves in sin. What comes to mind when you hear the word slavery? Could slaves just choose freedom? Could they just will their way out of slavery? Seeing the comparison what does that tell us about our condition concerning sin?

Likewise it gets worse and we read on to see that we aren’t only slaves to our sin but in fact we are dead. (Romans 5:12)

 What can dead men do about their condition? Fortunately God has not left us without a way out of death, think about in your life if you were physically dying, and someone you knew possessed the knowledge to restore you into life. Even better life than you experienced before you nearly died. How desperate would you be for that life? In the same way shouldn’t our knowledge of being born into slavery and death change how we reach out to this generation around us? Why is this most important?

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.

Acknowledge your sin before the Lord today.

Confess your failures to God and dwell on the fact that alone we are helpless

DO

Take your list from a few days ago and contact another member in the same way you did the first name. Just let them know that you are praying for them. Then do it.

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The Seek God Challenge Day 25

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THE GOSPEL IS OUR ONLY HOPE

(THE CHARACTER OF GOD)

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For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things were created through him and for him.

-Colossians 1:16

He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in welldoing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.

-Romans 2:6-11

“I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior.”

 -Isaiah 43:11

“But I am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and besides me there is no savior.”

-Hosea 13:4

THINK

We know there are depths to God that we will never grasp or understand, but we have been given pictures of who God is through His Word. Colossians 1:16 gives us the picture that God is our what?

It also shows us (see the last three words) about our relationship to him. What does it tell us?

Romans 2:6-11 lets us know that we will be held accountable for our actions and will receive based on our seeking. What is granted to those who seek good things?

We see the picture that God is our creator and we were created for Him, and that He is our just judge and finally in Isaiah 43:11 and Hosea 13:4 we see that we need Him because He is our what?

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.

Thank the Lord that He created you for a purpose and that you belong to Him.

Thank Him that He is a righteous judge and treats us mercifully when we do not deserve it.

Thank Him that He alone is our salvation.

DO

Wrestle with how you should respond to those aspects of God today. It may be in a song, or a poem or a picture, etc. Just respond to God.

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The Seek God Challenge Day 24

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THE GOSPEL FOUNDATION

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“21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

-Romans 3:21-26

THINK

We see quickly in verse 23 that all human beings are what?

Verses 24 & 25 tell us that “redemption” and forgiveness of that sin come as a result of Who? And as a result of what?

We as humans can take hold of this forgiveness how?

And then in verse 26 it tells us that we can be justified or made acceptable by what?

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 we will clearly see that the truth and our spiritual, eternal condition will be made plain to us

Pray that we will begin to view those around us in light of the scriptures and see their need for Jesus

DO

Take your list from yesterday and write a note to one of the people on it letting them know that you are praying for them. It can be a text message, facebook message, handwritten note, etc. Then take a few more moments and pray that God will give you an opportunity to share the Gospel in there life.

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The Seek God Challenge Day 23

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THE GOSPEL IS OUR ONLY HOPE

READ

1 Josiah celebrated the Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem, and the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of the first month.2 He appointed the priests to their duties and encouraged them in the service of the Lord's temple.3 He said to the Levites, who instructed all Israel and who had been consecrated to the Lord: "Put the sacred ark in the temple that Solomon son of David king of Israel built. It is not to be carried about on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel.4 Prepare yourselves by families in your divisions, according to the instructions written by David king of Israel and by his son Solomon.

5 "Stand in the holy place with a group of Levites for each subdivision of the families of your fellow Israelites, the lay people.6 Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves and prepare the lambs for your fellow Israelites, doing what the Lord commanded through Moses."

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.

15 The musicians, the descendants of Asaph, were in the places prescribed by David, Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun the king's seer. The gatekeepers at each gate did not need to leave their posts, because their fellow Levites made the preparations for them.

16 So at that time the entire service of the Lord was carried out for the celebration of the Passover and the offering of burnt offerings on the altar of the Lord, as King Josiah had ordered.17 The Israelites who were present celebrated the Passover at that time and observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days.18 The Passover had not been observed like this in Israel since the days of the prophet Samuel; and none of the kings of Israel had ever celebrated such a Passover as did Josiah, with the priests, the Levites and all Judah and Israel who were there with the people of Jerusalem.19 This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign.”

-2 Chronicles 35:1-19

THINK

We see Josiah unsatisfied with simply cleansing the land and having the people pledge to follow the Word of God in their lifetime. He goes a step further and reinstates the Passover festival to bring the nation to an annual remembrance of the greatness of God. What in your life is pointing people to the greatness of God?

The Passover was set to remember the salvation God provided for His children in Egypt. What is the salvation provided from God for you and me today?

In what ways does this generation need to see the delivery of salvation to this world? How can you be an example of that today?

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 we will become focused on the fact that our only hope rests in the gospel of Christ.

Pray that the people you encounter in the days ahead will come to know Christ by your words and example.

DO

Take a moment and write down the names of three people that you know that need to experience the saving knowledge of the Gospel in their lives.

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The Seek God Challenge Day 22

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THE WORD MUST BE SHARED

READ

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” -2 Timothy 4:2

THINK

Paul’s final instruction to his apprentice Timothy is to “preach the word” what images come to your mind when you hear that phrase?

We often think that it is simply the job of paid staff at churches or other Christian ministries to preach the word however; the Bible calls us to share. What difficulties come as a result of sharing the word in your life?

What fears are there that keeps you from sharing God’s word with others?

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 God will help erase the misconceptions about sharing His word

Pray that the Lord will create a Spirit of boldness which will lead you to sharing God’s word with others.

DO

Share with someone today, something you’ve recently read in God’s word.

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