Copyright 2016 by Samuel Deuth

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2 Copyright 2016 by Samuel Deuth Printed in the United States of America ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written consent. Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

3 INTRODUCTION Come Closer 1 DAY 1 By Grace 3 DAY 2 In Christ 5 DAY 3 Hope & Future 7 DAY 4 Be Transformed 9 DAY 5 You Belong 11 DAY 6 Approach The Throne 13 DAY 7 Only One Thing 15 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 16 FOLLOWINGJESUSBOOK.COM

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5 INTRODUCTION COME CLOSER Come close to God and he will come close to you. James 4:8 We re praying for you as you begin this seven during devotional journey called, CLOSER. This devotional is based off of my book, Following Jesus. There is no greater call or privilege for humanity than to be called to come close in relationship with our all powerful and all mighty creator. But, God doesn t reluctantly invite us close, he passionately calls us to know and follow him. The sad reality is that many people never experience all that God has for them because they stay at a distance, but everything changes when we come closer. There are some things that seem better from a distance, but with Jesus, the closer you get to him the more of his grace, love, acceptance, and purpose you ll find. Enjoy the next seven days; open your heart and invite him to speak to you. 1

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7 CLOSER DAY 1 BY GRACE For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) The good news is that the unpayable debt of our sin has been paid for by Jesus. As we follow Jesus, one of the doubts the enemy will try to get into our head is that our sin is too great and that his grace is limited. It s true that our sin is great, but his grace is so much greater. There is always more mercy and grace available. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV) How do we respond to this Grace? Thankfulness is the greatest response to his grace thank Jesus often. Being thankful shows up in our words and worship, but also we show true thankfulness by living a life that honors that sacrifice and extending grace and forgiveness towards others in our lives even when they don t deserve it. Love has been given to us freely so let s give it freely to others. PRAYER Jesus, thank you for your grace and mercy. Even though I didn t earn it or deserve it you gave it to me. Today, I ll receive that grace and live a life that honors you in response. Amen. 3

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9 CLOSER DAY 2 IN CHRIST But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13 (NIV) Do you see Jesus as wanting to be close to you or just tolerating you? As you read the Bible you ll notice the most incredible theme emerge; God loves you and wants to be close to you. God created us to be close to him, it was our sin that brought that separation. But the good news is that the entire rest of the Bible after sin is introduced by Adam and Eve is the unfolding plan of God to eliminate that gap between you and him. One of the final examples of this is when our savior is in the final agony-filled moments of death on the cross. One of the sinners being crucified next to him reaches out and simply says, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus responds by saying, Today, you ll be with me in paradise. He had a lot going on, but even to the end his focus was on making the way for you and me to be with him. Don t settle for distance when Jesus paid so much to bring you close. PRAYER Father, thank you for your passionate pursuit to bring me close to you again. Thank you for every circumstance and person you used to bring me face to face with your gift of salvation. I refuse to stay at a distance in religious formalities when you passionately call me close to walk with you. Amen 5

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11 CLOSER DAY 3 HOPE & FUTURE For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.! Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) As a follower of Jesus all of our struggles don t instantly disappear. Actually Jesus reminded us that in this world we re going to have trouble. But the truth is that God s plans for you and me are for good; always for good. Even in seasons where we re facing difficulty, God is actively using that to strengthen your life and bring you even closer to himself. Here is a key verse to hold onto during tough times: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, Romans 8:28 (NIV) While Jesus said that in this world you ll have trouble, just before that statement in John 16:33 he says, In me you may have peace. The only place to find that peace and hope for the future is in Jesus. The instability of the world around is often due to trying to find peace in changing circumstances. Don t put your future in the hands of changing circumstances like careers, health, governments, but put your trust in Jesus and his word. PRAYER Lord, thank you for the incredibly good plans that you have for my life. In each and every circumstances I ll choose to trust your good nature and your ability work all things for my good. Amen 7

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13 CLOSER DAY 4 BE TRANSFORMED Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God s will is his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 (NIV) If you re not perfect, welcome to the club. All of us are on a journey of being transformed to be more like Jesus, but it s a process. The primary tool that God uses in that transformation process is his word. The more of the Bible you get inside of you, the more of God s light and truth you ll have flooding your life. The reality is that we ve been programmed to think a certain way by our family and the culture we live in; sometimes that s been good and sometimes it s taken us off course. As we begin to read and apply God s word our lives slowly get back on course. The key is that we allow that process to happen. This takes humility. You and I have to begin by surrendering our way of doing and thinking to God s way. When building a home, the buildings use levels to be sure that the foundations and beams are set the way they need to so that the home will last. For you and me, the Bible is the level we must use to measure and adjust our lives to; if it doesn t line up with the Bible, get ride of it. PRAYER Lord, I know that your ways are higher and truer than my own. I choose to surrender to your will and purpose. I commit to follow everything that you call me to within your word. If there s any part of my life that is off course, speak to me and bring me close to you again. Amen 9

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15 CLOSER DAY 5 YOU BELONG In Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.! Romans 12:5 (NIV) From the very beginning of humanity, God said it wasn t good for a human to be alone, he needed community and companionship. Even though God was with Adam, he made Eve as a companion on earth. Nothing has changed, we re still in need of each other. The bible calls the community of believers the Church. The church isn t just a place we go to on a Sunday, it s also the broader family of Jesus followers that we get to walk with as we follow Jesus. Many Christians don t experience the full benefits of their relationship with Jesus because they re disconnected from the body. It s my connection to other believers where I find fulfillment, community, and purpose. One part of the body isolated from the rest of the body won t last long and won t fulfill it s function. That s why it s so important to get connect in with a local church in your area; attending weekly and being a part of a great connect group. Community is so important, because it creates a space for you to run for strength when you re hitting life s challenges, but it also creates a place where we can be challenged and encourage to grow in Christ. PRAYER Thank you Jesus for your church. Thank you for the relationships and the mission that you ve called us to. Help me to open my life to the encouragement and accountability of the community of faith so that I can become who you ve called me to be. Amen 11

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17 CLOSER DAY 6 APPROACH THE THRONE Let us then approach God s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 NIV Coming to the throne and presence of God wasn t something we all had access to before Jesus, and you definitely weren t going to come boldly. But now on this side of the cross, we re called to come close to God, and to boldly come close. Before Jesus death and resurrection, only the high priest could enter into what was called the holy of holies. This was the sacred place where the priest would come into the presence of God. Separating us from the holy of holies was a thick curtain. But God wouldn t settle for that separation: when Jesus breathed his last on the cross and paid the debt for our sin it says, At That Moment the curtain was ripped in two. God didn t wait a moment to tare down the last thing separating us from him. So, now that the access is open and the way paid, let s not stay at a distance or cautiously come close, but like Hebrews says, come to God boldly. Come with thankfulness, come with requests, come with confidence that he loves you, wants to hear from you, and will respond. PRAYER Thank you father for not waiting a moment to be with us. Thank you for creating the access to your presence and inviting us to join you once again. Help me to not be held back by my past or present, but to boldly and confidently come before you in expectation that you will answer us. Amen 13

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19 CLOSER DAY 7 ONLY ONE THING the Lord answered, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. Luke 10:41-42 (NIV) When Jesus says something is the most important thing, than we better take notice. This verse is a look into the home of two sisters, one is busy and distracted away from the conversation with Jesus and the other chose to place herself right at the feet of Jesus listening to him. When Martha confronts Jesus to try and get him to make Mary help, Jesus reminds us all of what is most important and what he truly wants; it s closeness with him. Jesus says that Mary s choice to position herself close to me and be with me is the most important thing we can do and is everything that the father wants. The question we must ask ourselves is, what s distracting me from spending time with Jesus? Two of the most common ways to spend time with Jesus are through prayer and by spending time reading the Bible. Don t allow the pace of life distract you from regularly meeting with Jesus; prioritize space in your schedule to meet with him. PRAYER Lord, I m sorry if I ve let anything come between us when you gave so much to bring me close. Help me lay down things that distract and pull away my attention. I want to be with you and walk with you. Amen. 15

20 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES This CLOSER devotional is based off Samuel Deuth s book, Following Jesus. This book walks you through the seven essentials to knowing and following Jesus. Each chapter has inspiration and practical next steps to follow. Find this book and other encouraging resources at:. FOLLOWINGJESUSBOOK.COM