November 7th-13th

Welcome to Confident in This, a blog designed especially for FpStudents, although everyone is welcome!  Please join us each morning for a guided quiet time!

The definition of sacrifice according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary: the act of giving up something that you want to keep especially in order to get or do something else or to help someone

Scripture
Matthew 16:24-26 
²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. ²⁵ If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. ²⁶ And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? (New Living Translation)
Luke 9:24 
If you try to keep your life for yourself you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life.
Philippians 3:8 
Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ. (New Living Translation)

Philippians 4:13 

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. (New Living Version)

Philippians 3:14 

My eyes are on the crown. I want to win the race and get the crown of God’s call from heaven through Christ Jesus. (New Living Version)

Thursday
Worship: All to Jesus I Surrender
Read Matthew 16:24-25
We sing the lyrics, “I surrender all,” but do we really think about what ALL means?  I know that I am very guilty of not giving Jesus all I have and sometimes not even the best I have and holding on to earthly possessions that I could sacrifice for Him.  All around us we see society telling us to indulge in things we want because “we deserve it.”  The truth of the matter is we don’t deserve any of it.  I know that may sound harsh, but the only reason we have this life is because there was a man, who was also God, that was willing to DIE so that we could have the best gift we could ever possible receive.  That gift is eternal life with Him in Heaven.  Why are we so selfish that we won’t even sacrifice our truly meaningless earthly “treasures” to better seek and serve the One who died for us?
Prayer: Praise God for being forgiving and merciful.  Thank him for the gift of eternal life through Jesus.  Ask him to help you discover ways you can be more selfless in your life and how to surrender your whole self to Him. 
Assignment from FpStudents Study Guide: Read Philippians 3:7-8.  Spend 5 to 10 minutes meditating on what this passage means to your life.

Friday
Worship:  Lose My Soul
Read Matthew 16:26
What does this verse really mean when it says gain the whole world?  There are so many things in this world that we strive for.  We want more money, the nicest house and car, new clothes to wear every day, the latest technology, fame, prestige, and the list could do on and on.  The problem is, even when we gain as many of those things as we possibly can, there is no true happiness found in them.  Our true happiness comes from the One and Only God who created, loves, and guides us.  He put our souls in this earthly body for a short period of time, but ultimately we should be striving to get back to Him.  We should be seeking His will for our lives, not all of the earthly possessions we think are going to satisfy us.  Is it worth losing sight of our Lord and Savior to collect a bunch of “stuff” or earthly experiences?  No way!
Prayer: Praise God for being your Creator and the Keeper of your soul.  Thank him for giving you what you need to live and work for Him.  Pray that He will show you the areas in your life that are hurting your relationship with Him because of a love for earthly possessions. 
Assignment from FpStudents Study Guide: Read Luke 7:36-47.  Spend some time reflecting on if your life looks like the Pharisee or the prostitute.

Saturday
Worship: Take My Life
Reread the whole passage Matthew 16:24-26 and Luke 9:24
Sacrificing for God doesn’t mean you have to give up absolutely everything you have.  God is not calling us all to be without a home, transportation, clothing, or money. Although there are times he does call people to get rid of some of those things.  What it does mean is that we should be willing to give up something that gives us security and replace that material security with security in Christ.  When we seek God’s will for our lives, we know how to use the blessings He has provided us in a way that glorifies him, and we know when to sacrifice those things.  When we are totally surrendered to Him our desires are in sync with His desires.  The song today says, “Take my life. Take my mind. Take my soul.  Take my will.  I am yours now, and I give it all to You.”  When we say this, and really mean it, those earthly possessions and experiences become less important to this life and God shows us how He wants us to use what he has given us for His glory.
Prayer: Praise God for His loving guidance and presence in your life.  Thank him for blessing you in the ways He has.  Pray that He take your life, mind, soul, and will.  Tell him you and everything you have is His.  Ask Him to show you how he would have you use your blessings to glorify Him.
Assignment from FpStudents Study Guide: Spend 7 minutes in prayer. (No distractions.)  Read James 1- Does this passage help you know how to find wisdom?

Sunday
Worship: Holiness is What I Long For
Read Philippians 3:8
In this verse Paul says that everything is worthless compared to knowing Jesus.  Do you live your life like your relationship with Jesus is your most valued possession?  Would you be willing to give up everything that gives you security, your friends, boyfriend/girlfriend, allowance, car, job, etc. if it is what God wanted from you?  Do you put more value on those things than the Will of God?  What Paul said is so true, but it is so hard to accept because we want to be comfortable.  We don’t necessarily want to suffer for Christ, but He seriously suffered for us.  Wow!!!  That just personally hit me hard!  Why am I not willing to be a little uncomfortable and step into the unknown for the One who gave His perfect life for me?  The song today says that holiness, righteousness, and purity are what we long for.  As believer, we do long for those, but the song also says those things are what God wants from us.  If we give everything over to God in holiness, righteousness, and purity then we will find our comfort in those very same things.
Prayer: Praise God for being Holy, Righteous, and Pure.  Thank Him for providing for you.  Ask Him to help you make your relationship with Him the most valuable thing in your life.
Assignment from FpStudents Study Guide: Come to Faith Promise! Worship up front!  Go cray cray!

Monday
Worship: Glory to God
Reread Philippians 3:8
Do you ever complain about things that you really shouldn’t complain about?  I know I am guilty of this!  When I think about Paul, I think of someone who experienced tremendous suffering.  Yet the tone in this verse is anything but a complaint.  If someone was ever going to complain about the way he was treated or the things that happened to him, one would think Paul would have reason.  He basically says that no matter what, all he cares about is doing whatever he has to do to gain Christ and all glory goes to God.  We should really have that kind of attitude when it comes to seeking God’s will in our lives.  Instead of complaining about things that don’t go our way, we should be giving everything over to Him, saying that all glory goes to God, and thanking him for giving us the opportunity to know, love, and serve Him. 
Prayer: Praise God for being in control.  Thank Him for giving you some hardships in your life that have caused you to draw closer to Him and for giving you the opportunity to have a relationship with Him through Jesus.  Ask him to help you better know, love, and serve Him with everything you have inside and out.
Assignment from FpStudents Study Guide: Read Matthew 20:1-16.  What do you think Jesus was trying to get across in this passage?

Tuesday
Worship: Who Am I
Read Philippians 4:13
We are not always sure of ourselves in seeking, following, and serving God.  What we need to remember is it is not because of who we are that God works through us but because of who He is.  Paul was just a man like any of us, but he made a commitment to allow God to work through him no matter what happened to him or what he had to give up.  The strength to do this didn’t come from within Paul as a man.  It came from God within him.  The verse today states it best.  We can do EVERYTHING with the strength of Christ.  This includes sacrificing our own comfort and possessions to fulfill the will of God.   We have to be willing, like Paul, to give ourselves over completely to God’s Will in order for it to be fully completed.  What is holding you back from giving yourself over completely?  How can you get that out of the way to be able to commit yourself fully?
Prayer: Praise God for being the Light of the world.  Thank him for knowing your name, feeling your hurt, and helping you up when you are down.  Ask Him to reveal Himself to you and to others through you.  Ask him to help you see what it is that holds you back and to help you let go and be able to fully commit your life to Him.
Assignment from FpStudents Study Guide: Read Matthew 18:21-35- Does this make you rethink how you are to forgive those around you?

Wednesday
Worship: There Will be a Day
Read Philippians 3:14
Paul writes about his eyes being on the crown.  What do you think of as the crown in this life?  Is it something that happens here on earth?  Is it being recognized for an accomplishment or being able to buy a big ticket item with all of the money you make?  Paul wasn’t speaking of a these earthly treasures when he said he was talking about the crown.  He was referring to our Heavenly prize.  When this life is over, we will get to be reunited with Jesus and experience far more joy, peace, and comfort than we could ever imagine here on earth.  We need to stay focused on that now though.  We shouldn’t take our eyes, thoughts, actions, etc. off the end reward that it will be being in Heaven with Jesus.  Let go of the things that take you on any other track and stay focused on fulfilling God’s will in your life. 
Prayer:  Praise God for being graceful when your eyes become distracted from the crown.  Thank Him for giving you’re the assurance of eternal life in Heaven.  Ask him to help you stay focused on the real crown and not all of the shiny distractions you encounter everyday.
Assignment from FpStudents Study Guide: Invite someone to church! Be the difference in this world who NEEDS the light that you have!

Revival starts with you!