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Read James 1:2-3. Suffering reveals what we truly believe in. Suffering lay just ahead of Jesus on Palm Sunday, but he believed in the Fathers plan. The plan to bring salvation!
CHALLENGE: Choose to let this present suffering make you a person of prayer!
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Read Matthew 11:28. Hopefully what this time of social distancing has taught us is to lean into the principle of rest.
CHALLENGE: Rest from the headlines of the world. Not that we stick our heads in the sand. But that we lift our heads more than we lower them. Lean into the headlines of Jesus. And then take today and pour into your family. Do something fun! Read Proverbs 28:27. Consider that there are over 2 billion people in the world living in poverty, surviving on less than $1 per day. No matter how tough things seem, God has been good to you.
CHALLENGE: Ask the Lord to show you an area in your life that you could make a sacrifice so that you can remain generous and make a difference in the lives of people around us. Read Ezra 8:23. Take a meal today or something else in your life that might have taken the place of Jesus and fast and petition God about what is going on in our world.
CHALLENGE: Fasting is going without something in order to focus on a spiritual need. Believing that God is going to hear our prayer and change our hearts and our world. Read John 15:13-15. Hey Consider ways in which you can follow Jesus by serving others.
CHALLENGE: Take time today to text your connect group and check on everyone. Lean into relationships, even if you can’t serve people up close and personal, you can still serve people in taking time to love on them through a text or phone call. Read Numbers 13:1-31, 14:1-10. Joshua and Caleb had a different perspective because of their faith. They had a different spirit which caused them to see giant opportunity where others saw giant obstacles.
CHALLENGE: Take a "giant" step today. Initiate that conversation; forgive that person; do that thing you've been thinking of doing for them. Let's be the church today, no matter how big the obstacles may look! Read Daniel 1:8-15. Daniel resisted the foods and practices of his culture and became stronger and healthier than those around him. Ask God to give you and others supernatural strength and favor during these trying times as we fast.
CHALLENGE: Fast from one meal today. Write down areas in your life where you've developed an appetite for culture. How has that appetite affected your life? How can you work to make it have less control over your everyday life? Read Psalm 103. Don't pray today FOR anything. Simply, PRAISE God for everything. When you focus on the goodness of God, rather than your needs, you’re often in a better position to receive God’s blessings.
CHALLENGE: Make sure to be thankful for technology today and our ability to get together virtually and make much of Jesus! Engage today, share the live video, comment, pray for people who need in the comments. Read Mark 2:27. Sabbath is literally translated "take a breath." Ask the Lord to reveal to you areas of your life where you need to "take a breath."
CHALLENGE: Get outside with friends or family. "Take a breath" and explore God's creation and enjoy cultivating relationships with those you love. Read Psalm 19:14. In this passage of scripture King David is asking that the words of his mouth and the meditation of his heart be pleasing to the Lord.
CHALLENGE: Take the whole day or a meal in the day and fast from food. Use the time you would use to consume food to strategically consume more of God’s Word. Keep His Word on your heart and let it penetrate every area of your life. |
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