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Table of Contents Introduction 5 Week 1 Lost and Found 6 Week 2 Surrender 10 Week 3 Listen 14 Week 4 Obey 18 2017 Willow Chicago
Introduction Our lives are chaotic. In the rush to prepare for a test, get to practice, or make it to the next event, it is easy for us to forget who Jesus is calling us to be. Have you ever wondered if you may be settling in your faith? Jesus told His disciples they would leave behind security, money, convenience and even family for Him. They would abandon everything for the sake of the Gospel. In this devotional, you will be challenged to ask yourself how seriously you are taking Jesus command to follow Him. You will ask yourself, Where do I need to surrender, listen, and obey God in my life? Though these are difficult questions, they are important to ask as we seek to follow Christ. This booklet is broken up into four weeks. Every week there are two devotionals. The first looks at a story from the Bible and the second focuses on a story from a student in Impact. As you read the Scripture and students stories, be open to how God may be communicating with you. Ask Him to show you where you can grow. Our hope is that, by working through this booklet, God would make you aware of areas in your spiritual life where you can grow, and in doing so, be able to live a life that is devoted to following Christ. 5
WEEK 1 LOST AND FOUND Day One Luke 15 Read Luke 15:1-32 1. What is the most valuable thing you have ever lost? What did you do to try to find it? 2. In the parable of the prodigal son, there are two sons that are lost. One leaves to party while the other one stays and becomes resentful. Which one do you relate to better? Why? 3. Think about a time you were lost. How did God find you? 6
This year, our church is taking a step of faith by moving to a new location. Our church s mission has always been to reach lost people and to disciple students so they can live out a lifelong relationship with Jesus. There are so many students in this city that are lost, hurting, and dealing with some serious life circumstances. With this new building, Student Ministries will have even more capacity and resources to reach middle school and high school students. However, a new building alone won t reach lost people for Christ. It will take each one of us being open to letting God use us for His purposes. It will also require us to take some action and intentionality. Our neighbors and people we interact with every day need us. Start by thinking of a friend who is lost. Write out a prayer on behalf of them to God. Memorization Verse 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-6 (NLT) 7
Day Two Alyssa s Story Have you ever heard that God can speak to you in the most bizarre ways? He does and sometimes you don t even recognize that He is speaking until much later. He spoke to me through a poem in school. The poem was The Person Sitting Next to You by Ross Snyder. There is a part that says, The person sitting next to you is the greatest miracle and the greatest mystery that you will ever meet. The person sitting next to you is sacred. This was a powerful message to me. When I go to school, I see my friends and peers as people in my life. While they are important, I often fail to realize how important and how much depth there is to them. That day, God began to teach me that everyone matters to Him. Look at Luke 15:1-7 when Jesus shares the parable of the lost sheep. A shepherd with one hundred sheep lost one sheep, which doesn t seem like a big deal because he still has ninety-nine sheep. Yet he searched desperately to find the one lost sheep. Yes people are not sheep, but this story shows how much effort God is willing to put forth to save just one person. This parable doesn t only show God s love for the lost. The shepherd would provide for his entire flock but also cares about each individual sheep as well. The same is true for God. He loves everyone, but His love is for the individual as well. Trying to see everyone as God sees them has challenged me greatly. Everyone wants to be understood and accepted, and God is calling us all to treat others the way we want to be treated, because everyone matters to Him. You never know if God may be using you to bring back one of His lost sheep. 1. How is God s love different than our love? 8
2. How is God s view of people at your school different than your s? 3. What is holding you back from telling people about Christ? Memorization Verse For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NLT) Alyssa s Challenge If you think about your past relationships, you can probably think of a time when someone let you know that you mattered through something they said or did. My guess is you can also think of a time when someone made you feel like you did not matter. Who in your life may need to hear that they are loved and matter? This week, go out of your way to let someone know that they matter to you and to God. 9
WEEK 2 SURRENDER Day One Mark 10:17-31 Read Mark 10:17-22 1. Write down your thoughts about the rich young man. Why do you think Jesus asked him to give away all his possessions? 2. This rich man is morally good, but there are still things that are more important to him than following God. Christ does not want him to surrender part of his heart; He wants him to give it all. Why do you think Jesus asked him to give up everything, but didn t ask others around to do the same? 3. What are the things you feel would be almost impossible to give up if God asked you? A relationship? Sport? Something you own? 10
Read Mark 10:23-31 4. Later in this passage (vs. 23), Jesus says it is almost impossible for a wealthy person to enter heaven. What do you think about this? Was Jesus being too harsh? 5. After Jesus turned away the rich man, the disciples were worried. It seemed to them nobody would be good enough to enter Heaven. That was precisely Jesus point! Salvation is impossible without God s help! It is only by Jesus power that we can be saved. While God offers His grace freely to us, the cost of following Him is high. It requires us to trust only in Jesus and to surrender everything else over to Him. Write out a prayer asking God to show you what is holding you back from following Him. What is it that you need to surrender in order for God to work more powerfully in your life? Memorization Verse And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Romans 12:1 (NLT) 11
Day Two Taylor s Story When I first became a Christian, I knew there were some things I needed to give up in order to really follow Jesus. I needed to surrender my pride, greed, and lust. But as time went on it became harder and harder to surrender these things to God. At some point I realized I had begun to take these things back, and worst of all, I was fine with it. I remember trying to bargain with God thinking if I did something nice or talked about my faith I could keep holding on to the things I did not want to surrender. Eventually, I stopped trusting God to give me what I needed and instead held on to what I wanted. This led me on a downward spiral. Even though I had what I wanted, I was still unhappy. I was making mistakes and knew I was far away from God. One day, I realized that even though I was holding on to this stuff, it was God s anyways. Everything I have is God s. It always has been. I was just trying to use it behind His back. That is pointless. God is the one who will provide for us. When we surrender to God, He will give us what we need. There are two Bible verses that have helped me through my journey of giving and taking. The first is Matthew 6:33, But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. The second is Galatians 5:1, For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. I love these verses because they remind us that if we surrender our life to God, He will give us all that we need and has set us free from our hardships. They no longer have a hold on us! 1. What does it mean to surrender something? 12
2. Why is it difficult to completely surrender to God? 3. What is one thing you have been holding on to that you need to surrender completely to God? What will it take for you to give it up? Memorization Verse 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek His will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) Taylor s Challenge Find a friend and discuss with them one thing that you have a desire to surrender. Together, come up with a plan to make this desire a reality and use your friend as an accountability partner. 13
WEEK 3 LISTEN Day One 1 Samuel 3 Read 1 Samuel 3:1-21. 1. 1 Samuel 3:1 says it was rare for God to speak to anyone. Yet, at a young age, Samuel heard God speak. Do you think God still speaks to people today? Why or why not? 2. The call that Samuel received from God was unique (1 Sam 3:20). Not everyone in his day (or in our day) could claim to have heard the audible voice of God like him. In what other ways might God speak to us? 3. Has there ever been a time in your life where you felt like God was speaking to you? How did you know it was Him? How did you respond? 14
4. Three times, Samuel thought that Eli was calling him. Eli eventually helped Samuel figure out that it was God s voice he was hearing. Who in your life is helping you listen to God? 5. What did Samuel say in response to the first three calls? Samuel s response, here I am was what a servant would say when he was ready and willing to obey. It was similar to the answer spiritual giants like Abraham, Moses, and Isaiah gave when they heard the voice of God (Genesis 22:1, Exodus 3:4, Isaiah 6:8). 6. If God spoke to you, would you be ready to respond like Samuel? How are you creating room for God to speak into your life? Memorization Verse And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. 1 John 5:15 (NLT) 15
Day Two Anna s Story Before Blast my sophomore year, I felt myself getting buried in my schoolwork and friends. I knew I had lost focus on Christ and His plan for me so I prayed that God would show up and speak to me during the retreat. On the second night, there was an evangelism station where you could pray for someone who you wanted God to work in. Though I had a friend in mind, I was not expecting anything to happen. However, God had greater plans for me that night. I bowed my head to say a quick prayer for her and without warning, something within me just broke. God showed up in that place and spoke to me more clearly than I had ever heard before. He did not literally speak, but he gave me a glimpse of His infinite love. In that moment, I felt fully secure and safe in Him. My heart broke for my friend, though, because for the first time, I could see how much she was missing out on. I remember a deep sorrow that cut to my core and an intense longing for her to know God the way I did. I sat back down to pray for my friend, but God wanted me to listen a little longer. As I listened, he turned my sadness to a passion. Right then, I wanted nothing more than to show her the hope I have in Jesus. God further moved in my heart to give me a calling that I still have to this day; People are the only things you can take from this world, so live with love that shows Christ to the world. When I finally began worshiping, I had this amazing feeling of joy and peace. It was beyond any feeling I had ever experienced. I was sure of Jesus and my purpose. I believe God broke my heart that night so he could meet me in such a vulnerable place and speak to me without interruption. 1. How do you connect with God best? Worship? Prayer? Reading His Word? 16
2. In Anna s story, God used a fairly ordinary moment to light a fire in her heart that she still has to this day. Anna could have easily walked away with no change in her heart, but decided to listen to God s voice. Can you think of a time when you may have missed out or ignored what God was saying to you? 3. God has so much to tell us. He promises that he will draw near to us if we draw near to Him (James 3:8). Write out a prayer asking God to give you a passion to hear His voice and to take away any distractions that may be keeping you from listening. Memorization Verse If you are wise and understand God s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. James 3:13 (NLT) Anna s Challenge This week, take a few minutes each day to connect with God. Whether you read the Bible, pray, or listen to worship music, give Him a chance to speak to you. Be still and listen. God shows up on ordinary days to ordinary people in extraordinary ways. 17
WEEK 4 OBEY Day One Daniel 6 Read Daniel 6:1-28. 1. What sticks out to you about Daniel? How did he stand up for his faith? 2. After Daniel heard about the new law, he continued living out his faith the same as always. Have you ever felt pressured to compromise your faith? When? In what ways? 3. What does it look like to obey God in your school today? 18
4. Being a follower of Christ can be scary. Often times God calls us to do something that involves a risk on our part. The sad thing is that many Christians will hear God s call and never obey. In the end, they miss out on all that God has in store for them. Take some time to write about the kind of faith you want to have. Ask God to give you strength to obey His call in your life. Memorization Verse Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 (NLT) 19
Day Two Joey s Story Going into high school, I viewed partying as a means of fun and I idolized the upperclassman for it. I wanted to live it up like everyone else each weekend. After a year of having this mindset, I attended the winter retreat, Blast, where I experienced the presence of God for the first time and dedicated my life to im. When I returned to school, I still found myself struggling with the temptation to participate in this lifestyle. I felt disconnected from my peers and found myself questioning why it was so bad to drink? I thought, They did it in the Bible, so what was wrong with me doing it now? If I was not drinking just to obey the law, then I was a hypocrite because I was willing to break curfew but not drink a few beers. As I thought about these things, I kept being reminded of a word: Authenticity. Authenticity is a rarity in high school these days. Everyone seems to have a double life, willing to put on the image of a responsible young adult for college apps or parents, while secretly going out each weekend doing the exact opposite of what they claim to stand for. This made me think of my faith. By saying I was a Christian, yet drinking with my friends on the weekends, what would people think of my authenticity? Or worse, what would they think of my religion? The hypocrisy I show by claiming to have a relationship with God, but partying is a direct reflection of God s people and can actually cause others to be detoured from being open to Christ. God answered my struggle with a call to obey Him by being authentic in my faith. I was convicted to live a what you see is what you get lifestyle. By not drinking I do not have to lead a double life, covering up the truths of what I really do each weekend and what type of person I actually am. I take comfort in something besides the temporary fulfillment that comes from living the typical high school party life. I take comfort in the fact that by obeying Gods call to live an authentic lifestyle, I am not only being honest with others, but myself. 20
1. Joey talked about his struggle to have an authentic faith in high school. What does it look like for you to have an authentic faith? 2. What stops you from obeying the things you know God wants for you? 3. Do you trust God to provide you with a better outcome by obeying His wants? If not why? 4. How often do you listen to what God is calling you to do? What happened the last time you did? Was the outcome good or bad? 21
5. Do you see obeying God as annoying and limiting or do you find enjoyment in following His call? Why? Memorization Verse Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 1 John 2:15 (NLT) Joey s Challenge Are there any areas in your life where you feel like you are leading a double life? List them below: What would you have to do in order to stop leading a double life and to completely obey God in one of these areas? This week, talk to your small group about how you struggle to live out an authentic faith. Commit to follow through with what you wrote in the previous question. 22
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