Your Personal Grow-Pray-Study (GPS) Guide

Day 1: Read Ruth 4:1-6.  What motivations do you notice at work between “Kinsman-Redeemer: Mr. No Name” and Kinsman-Redeemer: Boaz? What drives their approach to being a kinsman-redeemer?

Day 2: Read Ruth 4:7-10. What is one thing you want to take away about how Boaz negotiates, about how he does business at the city gate?

Day 3: Read Ruth 4:11-13. Think to the beginning of this story in Chapter 1. How has God changed the story of Naomi and Ruth? What challenges might you be facing that you need to remember God knows the rest of the story?

Day 4: Read Ruth 4:14-15. God has not left you without a redeemer. When the village women say that this child will be a “restorer of life.” The word “life” is nefesh, the Hebrew word for “soul.” “God restores my soul” is shuv nefesh. “God returns my soul”. The soul that waits on God is always returning, resting in Him. Hardwired in the DNA of David's family is a sense of God restoring our soul. Perhaps that will inspire Naomi’s great-grandson David to write in Psalm 23 about the LORD, our shepherd “as one who restores my soul”. Where do you need some soul restoration? Where might God desire to use you “as a “soul restorer” like Boaz and Ruth?

Day 5: Read Ruth 4:15. What you think is a burden, God can turn into a blessing. How have you seen God do that in the past? Where do you need God to turn a burden into a blessing? Spend time praying for His blessing power at work in your life, and another person you know going through a challenging time.

Day 6: Read Ruth 4:16-17. God has a big picture, and you’re in it. How does the story of Naomi and Ruth cast a bigger vision for God’s calling on your life today – the call to join his rescue operation for the world? How can you live more courageously for Him?

You can GO DEEPER this week by reading the books The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules by Carolyn Custis James and A Loving Life in a World of Broken Relationships by Paul Miller.

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

Day 1: Read Ruth 3:1-2.  Since their arrival in Bethlehem, Ruth has been the one taking the initiative. Naomi (bitter and empty at the end of Chapter 1) stays home throughout all of Chapter 2. Why does she start taking the initiative now in the story? What moves you to care for others?

Day 2: Read Ruth 3:3-8. Do you risk like Ruth in your obedience to God, or are you tempted to hold back? What might be becoming a holy risk taker, like Ruth, look like in your life?

Day 3: Read Ruth 3:9-10. Ruth changes Naomi’s plan. Why do you think Ruth jumped in with a marriage proposal instead of waiting on Boaz like Naomi advised? Where is God calling you to sacrifice to benefit another?

Day 4: Read Ruth 3:11-13. How does the celebration of Ruth’s character encourage you to be faithful in the quiet, small, everyday moments of life?

Day 5: Read Ruth 3:14-15. How is Boaz fulfilling Ruth’s desire by providing food for Naomi? How has God blessed you this week so that you can bless others? Who has God used this week to bless you? Have you given God and that person thanks yet?

Day 6: Read Ruth 3:16-18. How is waiting challenging for Ruth and Naomi? What helps you to get through times of waiting? Throughout this story of waiting, Ruth takes the initiative. If you are in a season of waiting, what action do you need to take? What action do you need to avoid?

You can GO DEEPER this week by reading the books The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules by Carolyn Custis James and A Loving Life in a World of Broken Relationships by Paul Miller.

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

Day 1: Read Ruth 2:2-3. In Brazil, they use the term Jesusidencia. (zhaysoos-adencia), a combination of the words Jesus and coincidence. They use it to emphasize the idea that Jesus is really the One behind what we would typically consider a random event. It's not random, because He's in control. What Jesusidencia does Ruth experience? What has been your Jesusidencia moment in your life the past week? Who did you share your Jesusidencia moment with?

Day 2: Read Ruth 2:5-9, 15-16. When you take the first step, you also open the door to God bringing the right people into your life. How does Ruth step into this Jesusidencia? How is God’s love powerfully at work in her labor? His grace in her growth? What step is God inviting or challenging you to step out in love?

Day 3: Read Ruth 2:10. Commentator Warren Wiersbe writes, “If our circumstances change for the better, but we remain the same, then we will become worse. God's purpose in providence is not to make us comfortable, but to make us conformable...conformable to the image of his Son.” As your life has changed in the past year, how is God shaping you to the image of Jesus?

Day 4: Read Ruth 2:13. When we go through difficult times we have a habit of asking, "Why me?" When we go through blessings, we should also remember to ask, "Why me?" It helps us to remain humbly grateful for all God has done. As you consider your life in the past 24 hours, where are you humbly grateful?

Day 5: Read Ruth 2:11-12. Why is Boaz so moved by Ruth’s work? Who has moved you by his or her work? Who might say they are closer to God because they saw God’s love at work in and through your life?

Day 6: Read Ruth 2:17 and 2.23. God wants you to develop the quality of consistent persistence. You live each day to the best of your ability, day-after-day-after-day, and you stay with it till the very end. The result for Ruth is God’s blessing. Her faithful expression of God’s love brings God’s blessing and care. How have you seen the value of consistent persistence at work in your life? His love producing your labor to bless others as Ruth blesses Naomi?

 You can GO DEEPER this week by reading the books The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules by Carolyn Custis James and A Loving Life in a World of Broken Relationships by Paul Miller.

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

Day 1: Read Ruth 1:1-5. What does your name mean? If you were to give yourself a name for this season in your life, what name would you give yourself? What might be a new name God wants to give you as you move from bad to better?

Day 2: Read Ruth 1:7. When has God used suffering in your life to get you on the road from bad to better? What lessons of endurance did you (are you) learn(ing) along that road? What steps do you need to get back on, or continue, along the road that brings you closer to God?

Day 3: Read Ruth 1:9-10. Why are some friendships strengthened or weakened by being on the road from bad to better? What friend has stood by you in tough times? (Thank God for him or her!) What friend needs you to stand by them? What will you do to help? (Start with prayer!)

Day 4: Read Ruth 1:16-17. Ruth makes six commitments to Naomi in these verses. She locks herself into a relationship of unconditional love towards Naomi. Besides God, who shows you such unconditional love? Why? Who do you show such unconditional love towards? Why?

Day 5: Read Ruth 1:20-21. Is there (or has there been) an area of your life where you have let bitterness take root? How does the story of Naomi and Ruth show God might have a bigger plan in mind than bitterness?

Day 6: Read Ruth 1:22. A seed of hope is planted in this verse. After a time of famine and tragedy, a harvest has begun. As you look at your life today, what signs do you see of God moving you along a better road in life? Yesterday we looked at bitterness, today what blessings do you see God beginning to work in your life?

 You can GO DEEPER this week by reading the book The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules by Carolyn Custis James.  You can also learn more about Biblical names from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.

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