Your Personal Grow-Pray-Study (GPS) Guide

Monday: Read Hebrews 10:24-25. Think of an intersection you have faced in your spiritual life in the recent past. How did you proceed? What did you do right? What did you do wrong? What is different or better about your life today because of how you faced that intersection?

Tuesday: Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. Are you facing an intersection in your physical health? A medical problem? Do you need to get into better shape? Lose some weight? Quit a bad habit? Start a good habit? Pray about how you can navigate this intersection right now. If your physical health is good—thank the Lord for the gift of good health!

Wednesday: Read Ephesians 4:22-24. How is your mental and emotional health? Do you suffer from depression or anxiety? Are you avoiding the intersection of seeking help? Consider your emotional intelligence—are you a well-balanced person? How does your mood and your attitude affect your work and your family for good or for bad? If you are emotionally and mentally healthy—thank the Lord for this gift!

Thursday: Read Philippians 2:3-4. Do you have spiritually encouraging relationships? Are you needing to face an intersection that will end or change a relationship?

Friday: Read Malachi 3:10. Have you evaluated your financial health lately? Do you need to face an intersection to improve it? Reduce your debt? Reign in spending? Make more money? Consider God’s plan for financial health? Attend Financial Freedom University?

Saturday:  Read Romans 12:2. How is your vocational health? Are you employed? Retired? Looking for work? In a business or thinking of starting a business? Do you have activities and hobbies that bring personal satisfaction? Are your work and personal habits God pleasing?

Monday: Read 1 Samuel 17. What is familiar as your read the David and Goliath story? What resonates with what you already know? What stuck out this time as you read the story? What’s at work in Goliath’s heart? Saul’s heart? David’s heart? God’s heart? Your heart?  

Tuesday: Read 1 Samuel 17:36-37. As David convinces Saul how he will handle Goliath, he remembers how God has helped him in the past to get him ready for the present battle. Where do you need to remember God’s work in your past to face the day ahead? Saul focused on how big his problem was with Goliath, while David focused on the great power God’s presence brings. When problems come your way, where do you find your focus? How can you turn that focus to the lessons God is teaching and the developing dynamic disciple He is making you to be?

Wednesday: Read 1 Samuel 17:38-40. Saul thinks the best way to fight Goliath is with Saul’s armor on David (quite a comic picture). David recognizes he has to use the tools and talents God has given him As you look at the challenges and problems you are facing, what tools has God given you to use? How are you putting them to use today?

Thursday: Read 1 Samuel 17:45-47. Goliath uses “trash talking” throughout this chapter, David reverts to Truth talking, speaking of who God is and that what he is about to do is for God’s glory, not his own. As you look at the giants you are facing in your life, how might God be working through you for His glory? How might that effect your prayers in this area of your life if you filtered them through the goal of glorifying God in what you seek for God to do?

Friday: Read 1 Samuel 17:49. For 40 days, Goliath terrorized the army of Israel. In one second God uses David to transform the problem. Where do you need to trust God’s grace to work through long lasting problems you are facing? What might be the next step He wants you to take in this area of your life?

Saturday: Read 1 Samuel 30:6. At one point, the battle does not go well for David. His men are ready to kill him. While his men focus on their pain and problems, David turns his focus to strength that comes from God. Where do you need to find strength in Christ not your circumstances today?

You can Go Deeper this week with:

• "David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants" by Malcom Gladwell
• "Facing Your Giants" by Max Lucado

Monday: Read Luke 16:1-8. Scholars over the years have had a multitude of interpretations for this parable of Jesus. As you think about this parable, what do you think the main message of Jesus’ parable is? What does it say to your financial health? You spiritual health? 

Tuesday: Read Luke 16:9. A shrewd manager invests in God’s kingdom by using affluence to influence. Why is it so difficult for us to become good stewards of the resources God has given us? In what ways, as transformed healthy financial managers, should we use temporary resources for permanent good? 

Wednesday: Read Luke 16:10-13. Everything on this earth belongs to God, and he tests our faithfulness first in the small things that he has given us to manage. What things (small or big) has God trusted you with? What would you like God to trust you with in the future? What can you change in the way you manage your possessions? What does God say will happen as a result?

Thursday: Read Luke 16:10-13. In these verses, Jesus commends a particular character trait of a good disciple: faithful or trustworthy stewardship. Why should you be faithful with whatever you have in this world? What truths do you learn from each verse?

• Vs. 10
• Vs. 11
• Vs. 12
• Vs. 13

Friday: Read Matthew 6:19-21. Money shows what we love most. What is the difference between treasures on earth and treasures in heaven? Give examples of each, and discuss ways to invest in heavenly things. 

Saturday: Read Proverbs 3:9-10. What can you do during this next week to become a better steward of the resources God has given you? During the next few weeks, what is one way you can use money to serve others and show them the love of God?

 You can Go Deeper this week by:

• Read Kenneth E. Bailey’s book, "Poet and Peasant"
• Check out resources on DaveRamsey.com

Monday: Read Jeremiah 23:23-24. In these words recorded in Jeremiah, God leaves little doubt that we cannot hide from him. Fear can drive us to hide or at least to avoid a person’s company. Can you think of a time when fear of something led you to avoid a person’s company? Are there areas of your life that you would just rather God not see? What are these areas? In light of today’s reading, what might you do about this or these areas of life?

Tuesday: Read John 13:13-19. These incredible words of promise and hope were spoken by Jesus, of all people to Peter. This is astounding because Peter is the one who denied Jesus three times when faced by a little girl’s accusation of being with Jesus. After this denial of Jesus we know that Peter was filled with shame. What do Jesus’ words to Peter tell us about Jesus ability to redeem us from even our deepest shame? What area of your life needs to be similarly redeemed by Jesus?

Wednesday: Read 1 Chronicles 16:10-12. The Bible is chock full of passages in which God’s people are exhorted to REMEMBER God. In which of the 10 Commandments are we exhorted to remember? What habit(s) can you build into the rhythm of your day to help you remember? How do you think this might help you?

Thursday: Read Isaiah 54:9-10 and 1 John 3:1. God’s love for you is unconditional and consistent. We always get into trouble when we either doubt this or forget it. What does it mean that God’s love is both unconditional and consistent? Say a prayer in which you praise and thank God for his unwavering love.

Friday: Read Romans 15:7 and Acts 10:44-48. Every day, our faith in Jesus calls us to OFFER our love to others. Loving others includes accepting them in the messiness of their life. In the Acts’ reading we see even the apostles had a difficult time accepting people. They were thinking that the Holy Spirit was only for Jewish people, certainly not for Gentiles. Whose life is so “messy” that it is difficult to accept them? Start to pray for this person or group of people. Your prayers will be the first way you offer love to them. As you pray, watch God transform your heart.

Saturday: Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. This is a beautiful description of love. Having received love from God, we are daily called to OFFER our love to other people. We offer our love to others by extending grace to them, expressing our faith to them, expecting the best from them, and being prepared to endure the worst. Offering our love to others is hard, but is that to which we are called. As we do this, the Light of Jesus shines into a very dark world. Into whom are you called to offer your love?

Monday: Read Psalm 55:2. Ask God to name your feeling. Pray: God, show me what I am really feeling. Show me what are my trigger points?

Tuesday: Read Psalm 26:2. Ask God to test your feeling. Pray: God, what’s the real reason I’m feeling this way? Is it true? Is it helping or hurting me?

Wednesday: Read Zechariah 4:6. Ask God to tame your feeling. What feelings or emotions seem out of control? What have you learned the first two days of the GPS that you need to continue to pray about today?

Thursday: Read Galatians 5:22-23. Thank God for the Holy Spirit, and then ask God the Holy Spirit to fill you with His fruit package. Of the nine listed by Paul in these verses, where might you need an extra measure of the Spirit’s fruit in that area?

Friday: Read Proverbs 4:23. Thank God for your heart and your emotions. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guard your heart. What areas of life weigh your heart down? What emotions need to change? What emotions need to be channeled for good?

Saturday: Read Psalm 19:14. Thank God for the gift of communication. Ask that God’s words might be your words, and that the words you speak will be words that build others.

Read Colossians 3:2. We focus our minds on the right things by thinking about Jesus, thinking about others and thinking about eternity. Which one of these thought patterns represents the most difficult struggle for you? Pick one as a personal priority for the week.

You can Go Deeper by:

1. Sign up for a Life Group (PDF) and share your goal transformation journey.
2. Read "The Life You've Always Wanted" by John Ortberg (This books is a great tool for looking at developing spiritual habits in a humorous, practical, and most of all powerful way for personal growth.)

Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. A stronghold or "argument and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God" is a lie that we believe.

We have a choice, our mind has to listen to us; we can take it captive. Our thoughts can be obedient.

So how do you make your mind, mind?

Name a few "strongholds," and then discuss ways to destroy the lies that we might be enticed to believe.

Read Romans 8:5. As seek to free your mind from destructive thoughts, you will need to wage war against the enemies that do battle in your mind, and keep you from thinking about things that please the Spirit.

Your old nature, Satan's powerful suggestions, and the value system of the world around you are powerful adversaries.

What is one weapon you can use this week against each of these enemies as you face them?

Read Psalm 119:97. David reflects on God's Word "all day". When's your best time to engage God's Word?

When is your most challenging time to engage God's word?

How might you add an "all day" component to feeding on God's Word?

Read Matthew 4:4. Why is the truth of God's word so important for transformation?

How are the things you are filling your mind with hurting or helping you achieve better mental health?

How do you personally need to change the way you think?

List some ways the Bible can help.