⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:9 – 17)

Theme:  If not You, then Who?

Today we conclude our 40-Days-of-Discipline journey.  Thank you for being a part of this experience! 

We are all living through challenging times brought on by the pandemic, and we have seen potent reminders of the world’s need for God.  It was timely therefore, to consider our role in advancing God’s kingdom supported by Spiritual Disciplines.  The world’s need for God means that the world also needs those who are prepared to be soldiers in God’s army.  If not you, then who? 

Let us recommit to imitating Jesus as He empowers and inspires us to represent God’s kingdom.  We can do this with discipline because the Holy Spirit provides the resources we need.

Suggestions:

• Please review the key points from this week and reflect on the overall 40-Days-of-Discipline journey.
• Pray specifically for God to show you what he wants you to focus on.

For I am the Lord your God   who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear;   I will help you. (Isaiah 41:13)

Theme:  If not You, then Who?

Today is dedicated to reviewing what we have learned over the past five days.  This is a good time to catch up on the comments if you haven’t had a chance to read them all. 

What can you apply to your life from the discussions related to Counsel, Creation and Sabbath?

Suggestion

Please share any thoughts from your review that you believe others could benefit from. 

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸ Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹ In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17 – 19)

Theme:  If not You, then Who?

Today is dedicated to reviewing what we have learned over the past five days.  This is a good time to catch up on the comments if you haven’t had a chance to read them all. 

What can you apply to your life from the discussions related to Service and Stewardship?

Suggestion

Please share any thoughts from your review that you believe others could benefit from. 

¹⁹ “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:19 – 20)

Theme:  If not You, then Who?

Today is dedicated to reviewing what we have learned over the past five days.  This is a good time to catch up on the comments if you haven’t had a chance to read them all. 

What can you apply to your life from the discussions related to Worship and Fellowship?

Suggestion

Please share any thoughts from your review that you believe others could benefit from. 

¹ In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, ² Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.  ³ They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”  ⁴ When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. (Nehemiah 1:1 – 4)

Theme:  If not You, then Who?

Today is dedicated to reviewing what we have learned over the past five days.  This is a good time to catch up on the commentaries if you haven’t had a chance to read them all. 

What can you apply to your life from the discussions related to Prayer and Fasting?

Suggestion

• Please share any thoughts from your review that you believe others could benefit from. 

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.  (Psalm 119:105)

Theme:  If not You, then Who?

Today is dedicated to reviewing what we have learned over the past five days.  This is a good time to catch up on the commentaries if you haven’t had a chance to read them all. 

What can you apply to your life from the discussions related to Bible Study and Spiritual Warfare?

Suggestion

• Please share any thoughts from your review that you believe others could benefit from. 

¹The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.  ² One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. ³ The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. ⁴ Then the Lord called Samuel.  Samuel answered, “Here I am.” ⁵ And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”  But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.  ⁶ Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”  “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”  ⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.  ⁸ A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”  Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. ⁹ So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.  ¹⁰ The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”  Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”  ¹¹ And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. ¹² At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. ¹³ For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. ¹⁴ Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”  ¹⁵ Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, ¹⁶ but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”  Samuel answered, “Here I am.”  ¹⁷ “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” ¹⁸ So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”  ¹⁹ The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. ²⁰ And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. ²¹ The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.  (1 Samuel 3)

Theme:  If not You, then Who?

Today is dedicated to reviewing what we have learned over the past three days.  There is much to reflect on and apply to our lives.  As we have emphasized in prior years our desire is to make this journey transformative and not just informative.  If you didn’t have a chance to catch up on comments during the week, today is a good day to get caught up.

Suggestion

How inclined are you to respond to God like Samuel, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”?

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Today we conclude our 40 days of Discipline journey.  As in prior years, you are encouraged to use today to review lessons you have learned and commitments you have made.  We engage in this 40-days journey each year with the sincere desire to improve our walk with God through daily practice of the Disciplines.  We do not want this to be a purely “theoretical” exercise.

This year we focused on the theme: a world in need.  The 11 Disciplines we reviewed are powerful tools to minister to the world if we practice them with the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.  With that guidance and power, we are equipped to let the world know that God loved them so much that He gave his one and only Son. The world so desperately needs to know and accept this.

Tomorrow we will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.  Let’s do so with reenergized gratitude for God’s amazing grace and a renewed commitment to share His love with the world.

Suggestion:

Pray specifically for God to show you what he wants you to focus on from the 40-days journey.

¹ Shout for joy to God, all the earth!  ² Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious.  ³ Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!  So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.  ⁴ All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name.” (Psalm 66:1 – 4)

Today is dedicated to reviewing what we have learned over the past five days. Having covered the Disciplines of Counsel, Creation and Sabbath, we have now completed our review of 11 Disciplines and considered how our practice of them can minister to a world in need.

As I reflect on the disciplines we covered this week, I see qualities of God that I need to make the world more aware of.  For example: Counsel reveals His wisdom; Creation reveals His sovereignty; and Sabbath reveals His sufficiency.

Please spend some time prayerfully reflecting on what we have covered this week.  God will make your time rewarding.

Question

Based on your reflections, what can you apply to help a world in need?

Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:39)

Today is dedicated to reviewing what we have learned over the past five days.  This week we focused on the Disciplines of Service and Stewardship as we considered our theme: A world in need.

This was a great week of learning and I want to thank all commentators again for adding to the richness of this experience.  I really do learn a lot from all of you.  Throughout the week, I was reminded of the importance of giving – giving myself in service, and giving God’s resources as a good steward.

Question

What stuck with you this week that you can apply as an agent of God in a world in need?