Your Personal Grow-Pray-Study (GPS) Guide

Photo by Marcel Eberle on Unsplash

Day 1 (Monday): Practice Lectio Divina with Matthew 2:1-2.

Day 2 (Tuesday): Practice Lectio Divina with Matthew 2:3-4.

Day 3 (Wednesday): Practice Lectio Divina with Matthew 2:5-6.

Day 4 (Thursday): Practice Lectio Divina with Matthew 2:7-8.

Day 5 (Friday): Practice Lectio Divina with Matthew 2:9-10.

Day 6 (Saturday): Practice Lectio Divina with Matthew 2:11-12.

Our annual theme for 2022/2023 is "DEVOTED" from Acts 2:42. 

Recent additional GO DEEPER reading opportunities available on Amazon Books (#ads):

• "The Soul Felt Its Worth: A 25-Day Devotional Journey Through the Music of Christmas" (The Trinity Project)
• "The Air I Breathe: Worship as a Way of Life" by Louie Giglio
• "Jesus the King: Understanding the Life and Death of the Son of God" by Timothy Keller

You can also watch this week's sermon or read the full message & GPS here.

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Day 1: Read Matthew 2:1-2. The story of the wise men teaches us that God will reveal himself to anyone who seeks Him. Who are you praying for this year to seek and find God? What might be a star that is beginning to shine in their life to guide them to Jesus?

Day 2: Read Jeremiah 29:13. Where do you find yourself seeking God’s direction today? What blocks your heart from being all in for seeking God?

Day 3: Read Matthew 2:12. God speaks to these wise men in the language of their work life – stars and dreams. Such speaking lines up with the message of His Word. How do you sense God speaking into your life today? What message from His Word is He seeking to connect to your heart and life?

Day 4: Read Psalm 119:105. Where do you need the light of God’s Word to shine on your path today?

Day 5: Read Matthew 2:9-10. You say, well, pastor, I haven't seen too many bright stars pointing the way in my life. Yet, think about it, what these wise men did for a living was basically two-fold, interpret the stars and interpret dreams. In other words, God used the circumstances of their everyday job and life to guide them to his Son. He does the same today, maybe not with stars and dreams, but with the stuff that our everyday lives are made of, at our work God is seeking to guide us. In our homes, God is seeking to guide us. How have you sensed His guidance for your life’s path this week? Where are you seeking His guidance in the day ahead?

Day 6: Read John 14:6. There are times in our lives when we find ourselves in situations which offer no clear-cut answers. It is at these times we can trust ourselves completely to God, knowing that he will lead us each step of the way. Where is Jesus calling you to step out in faith in the year ahead?

You can GO DEEPER this week by reading "Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ" by Tim Keller (Amazon Kindle)

Recent GO DEEPER opportunities:

• "The Hole in Our Gospel: What Does God Expect of Us? The Answer That Changed My Life and Might Just Our World" by Richard Stearns (Amazon Kindle)
• "Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help, And How to Reverse It" by Robert D. Lupton (Amazon Kindle)
• "Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World" by Max Lucado (Amazon Kindle, Amazon Hard-copy)

You can also watch this week's sermon or read the full message & GPS here.

Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash

Day 1: Read Matthew 2:1-2. The story of the wise men teaches us that God will reveal Himself to anyone who seeks Him. For whom are you praying this year to seek and find God? What might be a star that is beginning to shine in their life to guide them to Jesus?

Day 2: Read Jeremiah 29:13. Where do you find yourself seeking God’s direction today? What blocks your heart from being all in for seeking God?

Day 3: Read Matthew 2:12. God speaks to these wise men in the language of their work life – stars and dreams. Such speaking lines up with the message of His Word. How do you sense God speaking into your life today? What message from His Word is He seeking to connect to your heart and life?

Day 4: Read Psalm 119:105. Where do you need the light of God’s Word to shine on your path today?

Day 5: Read Matthew 2:9-10. You might say, “Well, Pastor, I haven't seen too many bright stars pointing the way in my life.” Yet, think about it. What these wise men did for a living was basically two-fold: interpret the stars and interpret dreams. In other words, God used the circumstances of their everyday job and life to guide them to His Son. He does the same today; maybe not with stars and dreams, but with the stuff of which our everyday lives are made. God is seeking to guide us at our work and in our homes. How have you sensed His guidance for your life’s path this week? Where are you seeking His guidance in the day ahead?

Day 6: Read John 14:6. There are times in our lives when we find ourselves in situations which offer no clear-cut answers. It is at these times when we can entrust ourselves completely to God, knowing that he will lead us each step of the way. Where is Jesus calling you to step out in faith in the year ahead?

Don't forget you can listen to this week's message or read the full PDF of the message & GPS.

 AS PRAY THIS WEEK FOR CREATE FOR COMMUNITY: For patience with parking challenges during construction. For safety and efficiency of our construction crews. For those who have given generously for these improvements.

Monday – Read Ecclesiastes 3:14. How does your belief in God’s eternity affect your daily attitude and faith walk?

Tuesday – Read Matthew 25:34. Are you on his right because of what you do, or do you do what you do because you are on his right?

Wednesday – Read Ecclesiastes 3:1. Are you fearful about the future? Impatient? Angry about how things are going right now? How does God help us to cope and better understand his timing?

Thursday – Read 2 Peter 3:8. Ponder this verse and see if it can help you let go of any anxiety you have about time – running out of time, waiting, being in a hurry – let God have control of your time resource, and see how he can make enough time for you to praise Him, and do those other things.

Friday – Read  Psalm 40: 1-2. The Psalms are rich with passages about waiting on the Lord – how can waiting strengthen our faith? What can we do while waiting on the Lord to glorify Him?

Saturday – Read Romans 5:6-8. How has God’s timing affected your life? Think about the people and circumstances that lead you to Jesus, and how He does not wait for us to come to Him or to change – he saves us when we are most unable to do anything to save ourselves – but what comes afterwards.

You can also listen to this week's message or read the full PDF of the message & GPS. 

Monday: Read Psalm 118:24. Think on the verse as you practice a "breath prayer." As you breathe in pray, "This is the day that the Lord has made." As you breathe out pray, "Let us rejoice and be glad in it." As you think about the start of a new year, what has you rejoicing?

Tuesday: Read Psalm 84:10. Following the psalmist's train of thought, what does time in worship in God's house top in your life? Is there anything in your life that tops time God's house in worship? Why?

Wednesday: Read 1 Chronicles 16:23. How has God acted in your life in the past year? With whom are you sharing the good news of all that He has done?

Thursday: Read Acts 5:42. Who are you praying for to come to know Jesus this year? How can we at Christ Lutheran help? (Let us know on your connection card!)

Friday: Read Joshua 24:15 and Matthew 25:40. Where did God lead you to server with His love last year? What was your experience of serving? Where might God be calling you to serve others? Whom can you invite to go with you to bring Christ's love in works and words?

Saturday: Read 1 Peter 4:1-2 and Galatians 6:9.  As you look back to last year, where do you remember God giving you the strength to persevere?  As you look at the year ahead, where might you need an extra measure of God's persevering Spirit?

 You can GO DEEPER this week by:

• Reading the book The On-Purpose Person by Kevin W. McCarthy.
• Prepare for next week's message entitled "I Am A Child Of God" by reading Matthew 3:17.
• Start the The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan (PDF).
• Download the YouVersion Bible Application on your smartphone or tablet.

 You can also listen to this week's message or read the full PDF of the message & GPS.