Your Personal Grow-Pray-Study (GPS) Guide

Monday: Read Mark 6:45-48. Why do you think Jesus chose to walk on the water to get to the disciples’ boat? Where do you clearly see Jesus present and at work in your life? Where would you like a clearer vision of His presence in your life?

Tuesday: Read Mark 6:48-50. How do you think you would have responded if you were one of the disciples in the boat that night? Where do you need to apply Jesus’ words, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid”?

Wednesday: Read Mark 6:49-51. When has God done something for you that was completely amazing to you? What was it? Who have you told the story? Why do you think we are so surprised by God’s presence and work in our lives?

Thursday: Read Mark 6:46. Why does Jesus pray here? What do you think He talked to God about? What lessons of prayer can you learn from Jesus and apply to your prayer life?

Friday: Read Mark 6:48-51. Where do you need to replace fear with faith and love? Here’s a simple practice for driving out fear with faith.

• Confess your fear to God: “God, I’m afraid that…”
• Confess God’s promises to you: “God, you have said that…”

Saturday: Read Mark 6:53-56. Where do you need Jesus’ healing touch? Bring that request to Him in prayer.

You can go DEEPER by reading this great book on Peter and Jesus walking on water in Matthew 14 and what that means for us today is, “If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat” by John Ortbe

Click here to download the full PDF of the sermon message and this week's GPS.

This week's sermon focused on Mark 6:41 -- how do we look at things that happen: are they possibilities or problems?

The three big ideas to shape your perspective are anchored around the truth that "God will provide" what is needed: rest, generosity, and living for God's Kingdom

 Monday: Read Mark 6:30-31. Why is rest commanded by God? What restores your soul to have God’s outlook at work in your life? How is your rest level today?

Tuesday: Read Mark 6:32-34. What does Jesus reaction to the crowds tell you about His character? His mission? His understanding of your life today?

Wednesday: Read Mark 6:35-36. When are you susceptible to “compassion fatigue”? What is the remedy for filling up your compassion levels?

Thursday: Read Mark 6:39-44. How did the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 benefit the crowds? The disciples? You?

Friday: Read Mark 6:42-43. Why do you think Jesus provided 12 more basket fulls of food than were needed? What does that say about God’s generosity? What message is Jesus communicating in the events of these verses for life then and life today?

Saturday: Read Mark 6:41-42. How has Jesus fed you when you were spiritually hungry? How is your spiritual hunger level today? How might God satisfy that hunger in the week ahead?

This weeks sermon message (based on Mark 6:21) and this week's Grow Pray Study (GPS) guide is focused on praying for the persecuted church.

Monday: Read Ephesians 1:18, Ephesians 3:16-7, and Ephesians 6:19-20. Because the New Testament was written to persecuted believers, it is filled with examples of how to pray for those who are persecuted.  Here are 6 petitions from Ephesians:

1. Please pray persecuted believers would know the hope God gives.
2. Pray the Holy Spirit would strengthen  them.
3. Please pray persecuted believers would know how much God loves them.
4. Pray they would know now to share the gospel.
5. Please pray persecuted believers would fearlessly tell others about Jesus.

Tuesday: Read Acts 4:23-31. Acts is a great story of praying for boldness. Here are some practical needs to guide your prayers for persecuted believers:

• Pray persecuted believers would have access to a Bible.
• Pray they have the courage to remain in their homeland.
• Pray for believers rejected by family and friends that God surround them with a new Christian "family" who loves and supports them emotionally and physically.
• Pray for God to be an advocate for women who are socially vulnerable or have lost the custody of their children because of their faith.
• Pray for God to provide persecuted believers with jobs and safe places to live.

Wednesday: Read Matthew 26:39, Acts 12:5, and Philippians 1:9. Pray for the physical protections and deliverance for the persecuted church.

Thursday: Read Colossians 4:2-4. Pray for the persecuted church (and us as well) that God gives us the right words and that we all fearlessly make Christ known.

Friday: Read 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. Pray for God's power in the midst of weakness, and that God's grace is experiences and proclaimed amid the attacks of the world.

Saturday: Read Luke 6:27-31. Jesus's words are challenging to love our enemies and to pray for them. Pray for those who persecute Christians and defame the cause of Christ.  Pray for God's love to flow through us to transform them.

You can GO DEEPER by checking out the following resources for Praying For The Persecuted Church:

• Monday and Tuesday's GPS is adapted from "Pray For The Persecuted Church."
• Wednesday through Saturday's GPS is adapted from "How To Pray For The Persecuted Church."
• The Bible League provides a great 14 day tool for Prayer for the Persecuted Church.

Read Luke 10:1-12. Verse 6 refers to a "man of peace." From the reading, describe what this "man of peace" does and does not do.  

Now consider the following questions:

1. Is there a "man of peace" in your life?
2. Is there someone who is willing to receive you and your message of Jesus?
3. How are they investing in you?
4. How are you blessing them?

If you see no "man of peace" in your life, pray for God to send you that person so that you can bless them.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:20-21. God redeems us through Christ, only to send us out into the world as Jesus' representative. Jesus makes his appeal to others through you and me! We are his official representatives.

How do you see that happening in your life?

What changes can you make so that you more faithfully represent Jesus?

Read 1 Timothy 2:5-6. The greatest provision that Jesus gives us is forgiveness of our sins.

He did this by paying the full price, death on the cross, which was needed to redeem us from slavery to sin.  

Say a prayer of thanksgiving, thanking Jesus for making your redemption back to God possible.

Read Deuteronomy 24:19-22. God has always instructed his people to be generous with provisions they receive.

How is this demonstrated in today's reading?

How can you take the lessons learned from today's reading and apply them to your life?

Read Matthew 19:16-22. The rich young man knew that he had an unsatisfied need that could only be met by Jesus, so he went to Jesus.

Now consider the following questions:

1. What did Jesus tell the young man to do?
2. How did the young man respond?
3. How can abundant provisions, which are gifts from God, be twisted into a curse and trap?
4. Which provisions in your life most easily become traps?

Read Philippians 4:14-19. The Apostle Paul had physical needs.

For Monday's Grow Pray Study (GPS) please consider answering these four questions:

1. To whom did Paul give ultimate credit for meeting his needs?  
2. How does Paul describe how his needs were met?
3. Who are the people in your life that God uses to meet your needs?
4. How is God using you today to provide the needs of someone?

Click here to download the full PDF of the sermon message and this week's GPS.

Monday: Read Ephesians 3:17-19. Emptiness is a difficult emotion to simply describe. When you feel empty, it’s like a piece of your soul is missing. What does this great passage from Ephesians tell you about God’s filling?

Tuesday: Read John 15:5-8. When a person has not hope, life is empty and black. This is perhaps the worst kind of emptiness. From this passage what does God’s filling provide you? Pray for God’s filling for you today.

Wednesday: Read Psalm 121: 1-2. Distractions are all over the place and each of them wants us to fix our eyes on it. What are some of the distractions of the world that call out for your attention? God calls us to keep our eyes on him. How do you do this?

Thursday: Read John 4:1-15. The Samaritan woman was alone and her life was filled with emptiness. What clues in this story show us this empty picture of this woman? What did Jesus offer to her? Jesus, the living water, quenches the thirst of our lives. How has Jesus quenched some of your thirsts? What thirsts remain to be quenched?

Friday: Read John 11:25-26, & John 11:38-44. In this story we see that Jesus is the Lord of Life. He is the resurrection and the life. Each of us have dark tombs in our lives. What are those tombs for you? We hate the tombs. We want out of the tombs. Yet, we continue to call them home. Jesus wants to and can call us out of those tombs. Pray for Jesus’ voice and his power and authority to call you out of those tombs.

Saturday: Read John 15:5-8. As a branch attached to the Vine of Jesus, you receive strength and unfailing love and life. Those gifts you receive by being attached to Jesus are given for the purpose of bearing fruit. What worship, connect, learn, and serve activities does God use to keep you attached to him? Which of these is/are going well and which need attention? How do they bear fruit?

Click here to download the full PDF of the sermon message and this week's GPS.