DISCOVERING MY PURPOSE WITH JESUS EVERY DAY

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2 DISCOVERING MY PURPOSE WITH JESUS EVERY DAY

3 Jesus-Centered Planner 2018 Discovering My Purpose With Jesus Every Day Copyright 2017 Group Publishing, Inc. group.com Credits Author: Stephanie Hillberry Chief Creative Officer: Joani Schultz Senior Editor: Candace McMahan Assistant Editor: Lyndsay Gerwing Art Director: Jeff Storm Production Artists: Darrin Stoll, Shelly Dillon, and Mike Porter Cover Art: Darrin Stoll Production Manager: Melissa Towers No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, visit group.com/permissions. ISBN Printed in China. Welcome to the JESUS-CENTERED Planner Dear Jesus-follower, Congratulations on deciding to pay ridiculous attention to Jesus and to others in Following Jesus is an adventure in surprise, spontaneity, and endurance, which means you ll have to approach planning in an entirely new way than you have in the past. Specifically, you ll have to balance the tension between your plans and goals with Jesus plans and mission. Fortunately, this planner is uniquely designed to help you do that and to have fun in the process. Ultimately Jesus is more interested in our actions than in our words, which is why this planner is a tool for your actions in From big goals to small daily tasks, you ll share your heart and plans with Jesus and hear his heart and plans for you. You ll learn to be sensitive to his voice guiding you step by step, and you ll find yourself drawn to others in ways that draw them to Jesus. By the end of 2018, you ll have experienced more than organization, focus, and checked-off tasks. You ll have a year s worth of joyful memories and a satisfying feeling of living on purpose with Jesus and spending your energy on behalf of others. So let s do this! Turn the page to get started.

4 January February March April January February March April May June July August May June July August September October November December September October November December U.S. Holidays U.S. Holidays Jan 1 New Year s Day May 13 Mother s Day Oct 31 Halloween Jan 1 New Year s Day May 12 Mother s Day Oct 31 Halloween Jan 15 Martin Luther King Jr. Day May 28 Memorial Day Nov 11 Veterans Day Jan 21 Martin Luther King Jr. Day May 27 Memorial Day Nov 11 Veterans Day Feb 14 Valentine s Day Jun 17 Father s Day Nov 22 Thanksgiving Day Feb 14 Valentine s Day Jun 16 Father s Day Nov 28 Thanksgiving Day Feb 19 Presidents Day Jul 4 Independence Day Dec 24 Christmas Eve Feb 18 Presidents Day Jul 4 Independence Day Dec 24 Christmas Eve Mar 30 Good Friday Sept 3 Labor Day Dec 25 Christmas Day Apr 19 Good Friday Sept 2 Labor Day Dec 25 Christmas Day Apr 1 Easter Sunday Oct 8 Columbus Day Dec 31 New Year s Eve Apr 21 Easter Sunday Oct 14 Columbus Day Dec 31 New Year s Eve

5 How to Use This Planner Monthly Calendar The Jesus-Centered Planner is designed to help you partner with Jesus to accomplish goals and organize your days with his mission as your guide. Here s how the planner works. Goal Setting Goal-setting worksheets invite Jesus into your goal-setting process and help you maintain your focus on Jesus in the midst of your busy life. To keep the process manageable, we ve limited your goals to a three-month timeline. This means you ll have an opportunity to choose new goals each quarter, either building on the previous quarter s goals or starting fresh with the new things Jesus has put on your heart. Use your monthly calendar to ensure that your priorities align with Jesus. This calendar prompts you to identify at least one way to focus on Jesus each month. It also prompts you to check in with Jesus to discover who he wants you to connect with each month. Tips for Goal Setting Use a pencil. This eliminates the pressure of getting your goals perfectly right and gives you the flexibility to tweak them (or change them completely) each week. Limit yourself to three goals per quarter. Don t bite off more than you can chew. Every new goal you add divides your focus, so pray about how many goals Jesus has for you each quarter, and don t tackle more than three at a time.

6 Weekly Schedule Jesus-centered prompt Gratitude prompt Prayer prompt Jesus-centered daily Bible-reading plan The weekly schedule is where the real partnership between you and Jesus happens, which is why the planner includes several powerful features to help you center your life on Jesus every day of Special weekly features will transform your year week by week: Jesus-centered prompt: Every week you ll be invited to take part in a creative new way to pay ridiculous attention to Jesus and others. Gratitude prompt: Record the things you re most grateful for each week, and give thanks to Jesus for each one. Prayer prompt: Invite Jesus to identify your needs each week. Jesus-centered daily Bible-reading plan: Greet each day with a new chapter from the Bible with this reading plan specifically designed to highlight insights, prophecies, teachings, and other connections to Jesus. To deepen this experience, couple the Jesus-Centered Bible with your planner. Its notes and commentary showcase Jesus story from Genesis through Revelation.

7 Monthly Reflections At the end of each month, you ll have an opportunity to recall what you ve learned and reflect on how Jesus is affecting your life. Through a series of questions, you ll review goals, celebrate accomplishments, and look forward to each new month. Blank Pages A Word About Hearing Jesus Voice This planner makes a lot of references to hearing Jesus. It asks you to pray and then listen to what he says. Depending on your current relationship with Jesus, this listening may be like chatting with a friend or like awkwardly talking to a wall. If you re more of the awkward-wall-talker type, take a deep breath and relax. Hearing Jesus voice isn t as mystical and elusive as it sounds. Here are a few tips: Before listening, ask Jesus to silence your own voice. You can even say out loud, In Jesus name, I claim God s authority over my thoughts. Then trust that the things you hear next will be from him. Start small by asking for answers to simple prayers (versus BIG, life-changing, I-can t-screw-this-up prayers). For instance, practice listening for his guidance as you set goals for the week before graduating to Should I change careers? Let peace guide you. If you feel uneasy about what you re hearing, keep praying. Jesus words even his challenging and convicting words come with a sense of peace. Look for confirmation of what you hear. Confirmations often come through opening (or closing) doors, the words of someone else, or Bible verses. Use this planner and/or a journal to write down what you re hearing. This helps you distinguish your thoughts from Jesus voice, and it helps you remember what he s saying to you. Don t be afraid to make a mistake. Take a little leap of faith that you are hearing Jesus, and trust that if you get off track, he can lead you back. You ll find blank pages at the back of your planner. Use them for lists, tracking projects, journaling, prayers, doodling whatever you like.

8 Setting Jesus-Centered Goals, First Quarter Invite Jesus to guide you during your goal-setting. Before committing to goals, spend 5 to 10 minutes writing or mapping a sketch of everything that s currently on your heart relating to your dreams and aspirations. Don t edit yourself it s okay if this list includes selfish desires and things that seem impossible. Be open and honest with Jesus about where your heart is right now. Now ask Jesus to speak to you about your dreams and aspirations. Ask him to show you how they align with his plans for you and how they deviate from his plan. Challenge yourself to be open-minded and trusting. If you re confused by what you hear from Jesus, ask for clarity.

9 REMINDER: Use a pencil for this section, and limit yourself to a maximum of three goals. If you ve identified one or two other quarterly goals, write them here along with the reasons they re important and the action steps you ll take to achieve them. Now ask Jesus to guide you toward one to three goals he has in mind for you this quarter. Keep praying until you get clear direction. QUARTERLY GOAL (JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH) Achieving this goal is important to you because ACTION STEPS needed to accomplish your goal

10 To Do JANUARY 2018 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday New Year s Day Martin Luther King Jr. Day Notes This month, focus on Jesus by Ask Jesus who he wants you to be intentional about spending time with this month. Write their names here, and schedule time to connect with them. This month, focus on Jesus by Ask Jesus who he wants you to be intentional about spending time with this month. Write their names here, and schedule time to connect with them.

11 WEEK 1 JAN 1 JAN 7 1 Monday 2 Tuesday 3 Wednesday 4 Thursday 5 Friday 6 Saturday 7 Sunday read read read read read read read Genesis 1 Genesis 2 John 1 Genesis 3 Romans 3 Genesis 7 Genesis 8 Ask Jesus what you and others in your life need this week. Record your answers here To Do Turn to your monthly calendar, and plan a day of rest where you are free from responsibilities and to-do s. Block it off now so that you can prepare to take the day off. Things you re thankful for:

12 WEEK 2 JAN 8 JAN 14 8 Monday 9 Tuesday 10 Wednesday 11 Thursday 12 Friday 13 Saturday 14 Sunday read read read read read read read Genesis 12 Malachi 4 Mark 1 Matthew 3 Matthew 4 Mark 2 Mark 3 Ask Jesus what you and others in your life need this week. Record your answers here To Do Go through your calendar marking significant dates (birthdays, anniversaries, and other milestones) for people you care about. Then count back 5 to 10 days before each date and schedule a reminder to start planning a note, gift, or celebration. Things you re thankful for:

13 WEEK 3 JAN 15 JAN Monday 16 Tuesday 17 Wednesday 18 Thursday 19 Friday 20 Saturday 21 Sunday read read read read read read read Mark 4 Mark 5 Mark 6 Mark 7 Mark 8 Mark 9 Mark 10 Ask Jesus what you and others in your life need this week. Record your answers here To Do Switch off your devices for an hour every day this week and use that time to ask Jesus for ideas of how to fill that time. Things you re thankful for:

14 WEEK 4 JAN 22 JAN Monday 23 Tuesday 24 Wednesday 25 Thursday 26 Friday 27 Saturday 28 Sunday read read read read read read read Mark 11 Mark 12 Mark 13 Mark 14 Mark 15 Mark 16 Galatians 1 Ask Jesus what you and others in your life need this week. Record your answers here To Do Schedule 30 minutes this week to focus on news headlines. Ask Jesus to draw your attention to a specific headline or event, and then ask him to lead you in a prayer response. Things you re thankful for:

15 WEEK 5 JAN 29 FEB 4 29 Monday 30 Tuesday 31 Wednesday 1 Thursday 2 Friday 3 Saturday 4 Sunday read read read read read read read 1 Timothy 1 2 Timothy 1 2 Timothy 2 Isaiah 61 John 2 John 6 Matthew 8 Ask Jesus what you and others in your life need this week. Record your answers here To Do Identify three empty spaces that you can reserve for connecting with Jesus in prayer this week. Schedule them now. Things you re thankful for:

16 Review your gratitude notes from the previous weeks and write a prayer to Jesus thanking him for this month. Reviewing the previous month, how have you grown? What are areas in which you d like to continue to grow? Ask Jesus to highlight lessons, insights, and moments that made an impression on you this past month. Record them here so you don t forget them. Review your appointments and tasks for the coming month. Ask Jesus what he wants you to cancel or remove and what he wants you to add. Update your schedule accordingly. Write a prayer thanking Jesus for the month ahead, and ask him to help you be centered on him.