HP GOWEEK Devotional 24 Devo V. 1

2024

TH IS JOURNA L BELONGS TO:

GOWEEK is an experience that unites all Hyde Park students as we serve.

Some will serve in other countries on another side of the world. Some will serve in another state on the other side of our country. Some will serve across our state in another city or even here in our own city. Some will do projects inside Hyde Park that will go out to serve organizations in Austin. We will all serve.

This year our focus is freedom.

Lord, set me free from the lies and sin that entangle me.

WELCOME TO

2024

L O C AT I O N :

MY LEADERS:

MY TEAM:

I ' M M O S T E X C I T E D A B O U T:

I ' M N E R V O U S A B O U T:

M Y P R AY E R F O R T H I S T R I P :

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This devotional book was created to help you remember key points as you serve during GOWEEK.

All Hyde Park students will be doing the same devotionals throughout this week, so you can talk to your friends and family about what you are learning.

We’ve designed this book to point you back to God each day. It is only through HIS strength that we are able to go and serve. Each day, read the devotional and answer the questions to help you process what you are learning. Use the prayers to reflect on what God is teaching you as you serve.

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CONTENTS

Day 1: Identity ............................ 11 Day 2: Love ................................ 19 Day 3: Confidence ................... 31 Day 4: Grace ............................ 43 Day 5: Work .............................. 55 Reflection: Gratitude ............. 67

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{free} adjective

delivered from or relieved from something for a purpose.

In Christ, I am set free from sin, worry, fear, and more, free from the need for others to like me, free from the need to prove to the world I have value, free from everything that weighs me down!

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Do you often feel overloaded by what the world is telling you? We have so many different voices telling us who we should be, what we should be good at, how we should look. So many minutes of our days are spent thinking about all these “shoulds” that cross our minds. But all of these voices point us to rely on the evaluation of something that changes day by day, the definitions of the world. It is impossible to keep up.

Let’s look at Jeremiah 17:5-7 “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.

That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him".

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Notice how it says “they will not see prosperity when it comes”. Think about it. Good things happen, but this person is cursed to never see them as good enough.

Wouldn’t it be freeing to know exactly who we were made to be and what we should do? And for that answer to be constant and unchanging?

This week, while we spend our days differently than regular school days, consider what Jesus offers us when we get outside of ourselves.

He offers His truth, which is unchanging.

He offers His approval, which isn’t dependent on us.

He offers His love, which brings us closer to Him when we mess up rather than pushes us away.

Lean into the truth of all the ways God has offered us freedom. How different could your life be if you experienced His freedom?

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from sin, worry, fear, anxiety, guilt, insecurity, feeling like I am never enough

from the need for others to like me

from the need to prove to the world I have value

from everything that weighs me down

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D AY 1

IDENTITY

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{iden·​ti·​t y} noun

who I am as an individual, all the time, in every place, no matter my circumstances.

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D AY 1

IDENTITY W H AT I D E N T I T Y M E A N S T O M E

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In Christ, I am loved, valued, and wanted.

IDENTITY It doesn’t matter what others think about me, or even what I think about myself, because God says that everyone who trusts Christ is His beloved child, and He always tells the truth. I am free to live in a way that helps others because I have no need to prove to anyone who I am or why I am important.

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BECAUSE . . .

"The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.

He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17

I CAN . . .

"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

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Matthew 5:14 & 16

Reflection Questions Where does the world pressure me to find my identity?

What does God say about my identity?

What are the ways I struggle to know my identity?

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What truth do I need to remind myself of when I doubt my identity?

When does it feel hard to believe what God says about my identity?

Think of someone who has a strong identity in Christ.

How can you tell they are sure of who God made them to be? In what ways do they look different from other people?

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Daily Recap What did I do?

Who do I remember meeting?

What was the highlight of my day?

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When was I challenged?

Where did I see God show up?

How do I understand God differently because of today?

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NOTES

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NOTES

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NOTES

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NOTES

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D AY 2

LOVE

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{love} noun

a strong feeling of valuing another that is demonstrated- love requires action

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D AY 2

LOVE W H AT L O V E M E A N S T O M E

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In Christ, I am loved far beyond my wildest imagining.

God loves me so much that He sent His Son to live, die, and rise again just so I could be forgiven and have a relationship with Him. I am free to love others without worrying about if they will give me love in return, because I already have more love than I could ever ask for.

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"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:38-39

"Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God”

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Romans 15:7

Reflection Questions What does the world say about love and where it has the most value?

What does God say about love?

What are the ways I struggle with how I am loved?

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What truth do I need to remind myself of when I doubt God’s love for me?

When does it feel hard to believe what God says about His love?

Think of someone who shows others the love of Christ.

How are they different from other people? Does it feel different to be loved by them? How?

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Daily Recap What did I do?

Who do I remember meeting?

What was the highlight of my day?

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When was I challenged?

Where did I see God show up?

How do I understand God differently because of today?

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NOTES

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NOTES

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NOTES

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NOTES

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D AY 3

CONFIDENCE

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{con·​fi·​dence} noun

feeling convinced, being certain or sure of something.

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D AY 3

CONFIDENCE W H AT C O N F I D E N C E M E A N S T O M E

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In Christ, I am confident because He will never lose those who belong to Him.

My relationship with God does not depend on what I do for Him, but on what He has already done for me. I am free to take risks to serve others because no matter what happens, I will be OK, because even death cannot separate me from God.

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"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

John 1:12

"So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

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Hebrews 13:6

Reflection Questions Where does the world say confidence comes from?

What does God say about the source of our confidence?

What are the ways I struggle to have that kind of confidence?

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What truth do I need to remind myself of when I doubt?

When does it feel hard to have confidence in what God says about me?

Think of someone who has confidence in Christ. How can you tell they are sure of who God made them to be?

In what ways do they look different from other people?

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Daily Recap What did I do?

Who do I remember meeting?

What was the highlight of my day?

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When was I challenged?

Where did I see God show up?

How do I understand God differently because of today?

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NOTES

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NOTES

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NOTES

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NOTES

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D AY 4

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{grace} noun

the help of God that we do not earn, but is freely given to us.

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D AY 4

W H AT G R A C E M E A N S T O M E

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In Christ, I have been given amazing grace for all my sin, past and future, known and unknown.

My sin is not a surprise to God. He sent Jesus to die for me knowing all I would ever do, think, say, and feel. I am free to serve others even though I know I am a sinner, because I also know I am forgiven fully.

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"He has saved us and called us to a holy life— not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.”

2 Timothy 1:9

"Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

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Hebrews 4:16

Reflection Questions What does the world say about grace? Think about “cancel culture” or the anxiety people often feel of being exposed on public platforms for their mistakes.

What does God say about grace?

What are the ways I struggle to believe in grace like this?

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What truth do I need to remind myself of when I doubt God’s grace?

When does it feel hard to believe what God says about me and the ways I mess up?

Think of someone who walks freely in the grace of Christ. How can you tell they are sure of who God made them to be? In what ways do they look different from other people?

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Daily Recap What did I do?

Who do I remember meeting?

What was the highlight of my day?

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When was I challenged?

Where did I see God show up?

How do I understand God differently because of today?

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D AY 5

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{work} verb

using strength to get something done, tiring yourself for a purpose.

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D AY 5

W H AT W O R K M E A N S T O M E

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In Christ, I don’t have to do anything to earn my salvation, but I get to participate in work He has for me.

I don’t have to work hard in order to earn approvals, because God has already given me everything in Christ. God gives us work to do and a purpose because He loves us and wants us to join Him in doing good things in the world. My hard work isn’t a burden, but a joy - a chance to use the gifts God has given me to make a difference in the world. He designed me for a purpose and I honor Him when I live into that purpose with my work.

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"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do..”

Ephesians 2:10

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

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Hebrews 12:1

Reflection Questions What does the world say about hard work? How do my friends and I often view hard work?

What does God say about hard work?

What are the ways I struggle with the sense of purpose that working hard provides?

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What truth do I need to remind myself of when I don’t feel like working hard on the task before me?

Why does it feel hard to believe what God says about not having to earn my salvation?

Think of someone who has a strong work ethic in Christ.

How can you tell they are sure of who God made them to be? In what ways do they look different from other people?

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Daily Recap What did I do?

Who do I remember meeting?

What was the highlight of my day?

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When was I challenged?

Where did I see God show up?

How do I understand God differently because of today?

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NOTES

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NOTES

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NOTES

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NOTES

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REFLECTION

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GOWEEK 2024 is over.

You did it.

Now, it is easy to just return to being the same person you were before you left. But that would be a miss on your part.

Don’t let this be an anomaly in your experiences. Don’t leave GOWEEK unchanged by what you have completed and learned.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

What questions do you have for Jesus right now, if He were sitting right in front of you? He wants to hear them all.

Don’t hold back!

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We are proud of you.

We are proud of your hard work. We are proud of your commitment. We are proud of the way you committed to allowing God to grow you, to change you.

And we know God is honored when we are doers of the word, and not hearers only (James 1:22).

Please write a commitment, a prayer, to God in response to your GOWEEK 2024 opportunity.

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THANKS

We are grateful for the parents and people who pour into and pray over our Hyde Park GOWEEK experience.

A special acknowledgment for the wisdom and hours dedicated by John Murchison, Annie Lent, and Julie Manning for shaping the content of this GOWEEK journal. We also are indebted to Mica May and May Designs for serving our students as a resource in design and printing. We could not do this project without you.

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