Rising Oaks

Scripture to Read

John 9:1-3, John 16:33, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Colossians 3:1-3, Hebrews 3:1, 2 Timothy 1:10

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Resources

Article: Three Ways to Overcome Gun Violence in the United States by Dawn Sutherland

Daring to Hope: Finding God’s Goodness in the Broken and the Beautiful 

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Questions for Reflection

1. What are you focusing your attention on? What are you thinking about? What do you notice?
2. Are you more concerned with the eternal or temporary? With the internal or external?

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Memorize & Meditate

Write out 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Meditate on this Truth.

Memorize this Scripture, let it renew your mind and change your heart.

I will fix my eyes on Jesus, to see the unseen and eternal. 

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Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for Your word. It is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Your Word breathes new life and into dry and weary bones. Help me to see people the way you see them. Increase my love for people and You. Fill me with hope in the eternal to overflow onto others and be a light in this word. Thank you for the cross and for Your love, that’s everlasting. Please give me a Jesus perspective.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Scripture to Read

1 Corinthians 12:4-6-11; 27-31, Romans 12:3-8 & Ephesians 4: 11-13

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Research & Define

Your gifts. Study what it means to have the personality and gifting that are you.

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Questions for Reflection

1. Take the Spiritual gift assessment: here
2. What drives you? What do you really love to do?
3. Why?
4. How is God using your gifts where you are currently?

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Related Scripture

Psalm 139

Philippians 1:6

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (Paul’s example of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit within him.)

1 Timothy 4:14

2 Timothy 1:6

Colossians 3:23-24

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Memorize & Meditate

Write out Colossians 3:23-24

Meditate on this Truth.

Memorize this Scripture, let it renew your mind and change your heart.

It is the Lord you are serving. 

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Prayer

Father God, thank you for creating me and calling me your masterpiece. Help me to see You in everything and become more aware of how you are and can use my gifts right where I am. Renew my mind and heart with Your love. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. How mighty are your works and how vast are your thoughts. I love you Jesus!

In Jesus’ name! Amen.

Scripture to Read

Genesis 39, Revelations 3:5, 2 Corinthians 2:14-15; 4:13, John 3:16

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Research & Define

1. legacy
2. serve
3. aroma

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Questions for Reflection

1. What kind of legacy are you leaving for today, tomorrow and for generations to come?
2. What scripture spoke to you most through this study?
3. How can you create a culture of praise God in your own home?
4. What’s one thing you can do today?

 

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Memorize & Meditate

Write out 2 Corinthians 2:14b-15a

Meditate on this Truth.

Memorize this Scripture, let it renew your mind and change your heart.

We are the sweet aroma of Christ. 

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Prayer

Father God, let my life be an examples of your love. Let my legacy on this earth be about the lives touched and hearts rendered to you. Let my prayers be powerful and purposeful. Let my life and legacy move through my daughters and their children in a mighty way. To You be the glory and praise!

In Jesus’ name! Amen.

 

Scripture

Genesis 12

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Let’s dive deeper into Genesis 12:1 & 4.

The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people, and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” (7 promises later…) So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years olds when he set out from Harran. 

**The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people, and your father’s household: 

The Lord told Abram to leave all he had ever known. Obedience builds faith. When Abram obeyed and trusted God he stepped into a deep relationship with God Almighty and had his faith increased the more he experienced God’s faithfulness and presence. But, Abram was told to leave… why? (Check out the podcast to find out… )

 

What will God do with surrender and obedience?

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**to the land I will show you.

Abram didn’t know where he was going. God hadn’t revealed the destination to him, just the first step.

As we step out in obedience and surrender, God reveals more and more of HIs plan to us.

In Luke 8:22-27 Jesus told His disciples that would go across to the other side of the lake. The disciples chose to step into the boat and go with Him. They faced storms and uncertainty of the unknown. Jesus woke to distressed men in need of a Savior. He calmed the storm and questioned the disciples faith because when Jesus says “Let’s go over to the other side” He will fulfill His word and you’ll get there. It doesn’t mean there won’t be storms, but with Jesus ion your boat all will be well, our job is to lean on Him, trust in His word and have faith that He will guide and protect our steps of obedience into the unknown. 

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(7 promises later…)

God made seven promises to Abram that would change his life and the world. Seven is the number of completion in scripture and it also is the number that represents God. In Revelations, 6 is distinguished as the number of man and 7 is the number of God. 6 always falls short of 7 and will never be 7. We, as humans, fall short of the glory of God and need His grace and righteousness through Jesus. It’s not a coincidence that God game Abram 7 promises. He is always faithful to complete the work He starts. He did it for Abraham and he will do it for you.  (Philippians 1:6)

7 days of creation. 

7 times the Israelites marched around the city of Jericho for 7 days and God delivered that city into the Israelites hands. 

7 pairs of every kind of animal were on the ark. 

7fold Spirit of God in Christ: Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge, fear of the LORD, and a delight in obeying the LORD (Isaiah 11:2-3)

In Revelations….

7 churches in Asia (Rev. 1:4)

7 seals opened by the Lamb of God (Jesus) (Rev. 6:1)

7 angels stand before God (Rev. 8:2)

7 trumpets for 7 angels standing before God (Rev. 8:2)

7 golden bowls… of God’s wrath (Rev. 15:7)

…. to be continued…

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So Abram went, as the LORD had told him

Abram left his family, home and all that was known to follow a God and the unknown. 

There are times when God will pull you away and out of some stuff so that you can grow in Him.

Abram’s willingness couldn’t have been easy or without pain. But he wanted the life and promises only God could give him. When we recognize that God’s ways are far better than our own we begin to want His ways over our own. 

Hebrews 11:8-13 reveals that it was by faith that Abraham obeyed and went to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, even though he did not know where he was going.  He was looking past the circumstance he could physically see and into an eternal legacy provided by God. Abrahma would not live to see the promises on earth, he only saw and welcomed them from a distance. He understood that his citizenship was in heaven not earth; therefore, he lived to obey and surrender to God, who’s ways and plans greatly surpassed his own. 

We may not understand the reason or even see the purpose, but when we are obedient to God and desire His will, we will be blessed and be blessings to others. Surrendering to Him is the first step. 

Are you ready? What can you do today, in this moment, to fully surrender? 

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and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years olds when he set out from Harran. 

Finally, this journey is not meant to be taken alone. Abraham has Lot, Sarah and the LORD. This is a journey of faith, find community and relationships to join you on this road. 

There’s no age or moment in life that you have passed the point of being used by God. 

Surrounding to God’s will, God’s way, will always cause us to step out of what’s comfortable and cozy, but the blessings of obedience greatly outweigh the pain of surrender.

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Related Scripture

Hebrews 11:8-13

Philippians 1:6

Joshua 24:2-3

Scripture

Jeremiah 11:6-11 and 21:1-10

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Jeremiah 21:8 says … Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the LORD says: see I am setting before you the way of life and death.’

Let’s look closer into Jeremiah 21:8 and dissect it to grasp the deeper meaning.

**This is what the Lord says: See, I am …

LOOK, LISTEN, PAY ATTENTION. God is all knowing, all powerful and ever present. He is the creator os the heavens and the earth. 

Isaiah 40 tells us that God sits enthroned over all the earth, its people are like grasshoppers and who can compare? He has no rival or equal.

Revelations 1:8 says “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” 

Our job is to pay attention, listen to His voice and be aware of His holy presence. 

**This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you …

God has given us free will, the choice is ours to follow and obey Him or go our own ways. 

God sets before you the way of life and prosperity & death and destruction. (Deuteronomy 30:11-20) 

“Free will is a precise gift from God, for it lets us love Him with out “whole heart”- because we want to.” Matthew 22:37

**This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life …

In the Gospel of John we learn who Jesus is by the 7 I AM statements He makes. We are going to look at two of those statements to understand how our free will is a sacrifice. 

He is

1. the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6) 
2. the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)

Jesus is the only way to eternal life and a life full of abundance on this earth. Through God’s amazing grace we have the opportunity to reign in this life through Jesus. (Romans 5:17) In John 4, Jesus offers the Samaritan woman life giving water that nourishes the soul from deep within, wells up inside and bubbles over with an abundant, fruitful life. Jesus’ manifested presence in our lives is the sources of freedom. 

**This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and death…

SIN. 

Death entered this world through sin. All people have sinner and fall short of the glory of God. 

The mistake the Israelites kept making was to turn their heart away from God, disobey His commandments, and worship other gods. 

What do you worship? Just look at what you spend your time, energy and money on and you’ll find the object of your worship. 

 

 

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Research & Define

1. life
2. death
3. surrender

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Questions for Reflection

1. Has there ever been a time when you unintentionally allowed your devotion to slip away from God?
2. What did you do to get back to Him?
3. What is taking first place in your life today? What are you worshipping?
4. How does this scripture help you see God and what He values?
5. What are you worshipping in place of God today?
6. What changes do you need to make to live a life of worship instead of a life influenced by this world?

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Related Scriptures

Deuteronomy 30:11-20

Isaiah 40

Revelations 1:8

Romans 5:12-17

John 4:1-26

1 Peter 1:14-17

Romans 12:2

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Memorize & Meditate

Write out Romans 12:2.

Meditate on this Truth.

Memorize this Scripture, let it renew your mind and change your heart.

We are living sacrifices to God by the way we live and honor Him. 

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Prayer

Father God, I honor you today and humbly submit myself to you. I love you and want to live a life that pleases you. I am on fire for Jesus and choose to be alive to You and dead to the world around me. Nothing means more to me than pleasing You, Jesus. Every day of my life, I live to serve You. Holy Spirit, if there is any part of me that has been influenced wrongly by this world, I ask you to please reveal it to me and help me change my ways. I choose to worship you above all other things, above my life, above my dreams, above my desires.

In Jesus’ name! Amen.

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The Podcast

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