The Cost of Following Jesus Devotional Guide
Monday: Read John 18:36; Matthew 6:25-33; Romans 14:17. How does the Kingdom of God overturn ways of thinking and living that you take as “common sense”? Can you identify one or two ways that the values of the kingdom have changed your life and the way you live in the world?
Tuesday: Read Psalm 40:6-8; Jeremiah 31:31-34. How do these texts explain how God’s will is to be done by God’s people? Does this change the way you interpret “Thy will be done” in The Lord’s Prayer?
Wednesday: Read Luke 14:25-33; 2nd Corinthians 4:5-7; Colossians 2:6-7. Think of the times in your life when you have had to choose between building up “your kingdom” and “God’s kingdom”? What kind of sacrifices have you had to make in choosing God’s kingdom over your own?
Thursday: Read Ephesians 5:3-10. If God’s will is to be done on earth as it is in heaven, it begins with each one of us. What is one change you will make in your life in order for God’s will to be done?
Friday: Read Revelation 1:4-6; 1 Peter 2:9-10. Darrell Holtz writes, “As children of God, we are not just isolated individuals—we are a ‘kingdom,’ a community where God reigns. How are you growing together with the church in your active service to God’s kingdom and will, as well as in knowledge? How are you taking part in moving our congregation toward becoming more fully “the kingdom of God” in action?”