"Garbage Piles, Trash Cans, and Me"
Devotional Challenge

The pursuit of anything worthwhile does not come at an easy price.
One must be willing to give full-hearted devotion,
attention, energy, and time to see His desire fulfilled.
Are you willing to give God that much this week?
I dare you!!

On a separate sheet of paper write out your responses
or use your journals you were given earlier this year:

 

DAY 1  Read: Romans 12:1-2 "Renew that Mind"

*What sticks out to you the most?
*Define in your own words a living sacrifice and spiritual act of worship
*Define in your own words the difference between conformed and transformed
*What area(s) is God desiring to transform in you currently?
*What are some action steps you can take to reach transformation?

DAY 2   Read: Philippians 4:4-9 "Getting Focused"

*What stuck out to you the most?
*What do you think verse 6 means by saying, "but in everything…present your
requests to God"?
*Where do you turn first when trouble, stress, anger, etc… pops up?
*According to (verses 8-9) what is a key to keeping Christ our "First Response"?

DAY 3  Read: Romans 8:5-8 "Patterns of Thinking"

*What sticks out to you the most?
*Define "having their minds set" or a "mindset" for me
*How might one have his mind controlled by the Spirit (verse 6)?
*What patterns of thinking have been established in your life that are not what God wants?
*How can these patterns be broken and changed to godliness?
--hint read II Corinthians 10:5, Romans 6:11-14 as a help

DAY 4   Read: I Peter 1:13-15, II Corinthians 10:5 "Checking Thoughts"

*What sticks out to you the most?
*What do you think the mind is key to being "prepared for action"?
*What could happen if we let our minds wander from thought to thought unchecked?
--hint, the Bible says, "As a man thinks -- so he stands"
*How can you better discipline yourself to guard your thoughts? Test your thoughts to know if they are godly or not?

 

DAY 5  Read: James 1:12-15 "Temptations Pathway"

*What sticks out to you the most?
*Why might trials and difficulties be good for us?
*Know that Satan is a deceiver by nature (John 8:44); so as he brings temptation would it
most likely be obvious or sneakily presented?
*Relate the above question to the pattern in (verses 13-15) of enticed, conception, sin and death. How might some struggles that you have now, come in by subtle ways?
-- I call this the slippery slope of compromise
*How can you cut-off temptation in the areas you struggle with? Stop compromising before it leads to consequences?

DAY 6  Read: Ephesians 4:20-24 "The NEW Mind"

*What sticks out to you the most?
*Define what it means to be new in the "attitude of your mind'
*How do we continue to put on the "new self" of Jesus Christ?
*What is one area you wish to keep adding growth in to become "NEW"?
*What are some action steps to reaching this goal?

DAY 7  Review what you have read this past week

*What are a couple of things that you learned?
*What are a couple of areas that God kept talking to you about?
*what is your action plan to reach transformation in these areas?
*What have you learned from studying Scripture more in depth?