Decode -WEEK 1 by Nate Farro

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Week 1

------------------------Everyone of us carries a picture of God in our hearts. How we see God is

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impacted by numerous events that have filtered into our hearts over the and family members impacts your view of God. Movies, music, and TV shows impact your view of God. The difficult moments in life skew your view of God. When you loose someone close to you or when a tragic event happens, creates stress cracks that complicated your relationship with God. All this leads to this question: Who is God? The truth, there is no simple answer to define God. This week is all about helping you DECODE the amazing mysteries of God. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about answering questions that you -------------------------have had about God and helping you to get to know a God who desperately loves you and desires to have a growing, deepening relationship with you. You will be challenged. You will get some questions answered and develop a list of new questions. You will--------------understand more and at the same time encounter moments ---------------------------that confuse you. The journey, if you let it, will lead to amazing discoveries. If you embrace it, your picture of God will come alive in your heart.

-------------------years. The opinions of your friends ---------------------------

IF GOD IS ALL POWERFUL, CAN HE CREATE A ROCK SO HEAVY THAT HE CAN’T LIFT IT? (THAT LAST ONE IS JUST FOR FUN.)

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10. If someone invented instant water, what would you mix it with?

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9. Why aren’t whole planes constructed from the substance used for the indestructible black box?

WHERE DID GOD COME FROM? ----------------------------

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8. If a vehicle is traveling at the speed of light, what happens when you turn on the headlights?

DOES HE EXIST? --------

6. Why is transporting something by car called a shipment and transporting something by ship called cargo? 7. Why isn’t the word, phonetic spelled the way it sounds?

WHO IS GOD?

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3. What’s another word for thesaurus? 4. Who decided the order of the alphabet? 5. Does a fish get cramps after eating?

Some questions have the potential to change your life. These are the ones to really contemplate and pursue until you find answers. Some examples are:

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2. Why are hot dogs and hamburgers named after meat they don’t contain?

----------------In the grand scheme of things, these questions are not some of the world’s most pressing. But have you ever ----------------heard a question that just blows you away -- a question so humongous, immense and thought provoking that it has world-altering implications? ---------------------------------

1. Who decided to call the fear of long words, Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia?

DAY 1

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The Big ?

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WEEK 1

Have you ever tried to get your mind around these kinds of questions? Have you ever tried to get your mind around . . . God himself? This simple three-lettered name brings mind-boggling questions, thoughts, and sometimes confusion.

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----------------So where do we begin this journey of better knowing and understanding God? We have to start with the book he gave us to reveal himself to us.-----------------

C.H\E -.C_K. O--U/.T CHECK OUT WEEK 3 FOR MORE ON THE BIBLE

The Bible is the best place to discover who God is and what he desires for you. You don’t have to go far to find him there. The fourth word of very first book brings a discovery that deepens the mystery of God, yet gives you key insight into his being.

“IN THE BEGINNING GOD . . . “ GENESIS 1:1

EL-O-HÉM (PLURAL)

The Old Testament was written in Hebrew. The Hebrew word for God is Elohim. Elohim is a plural word, meaning God = multiple (not one). My name is Chris. When anyone calls me by name, they are talking to me as one person. I am only one person. There is only one of me. God or Elohim means there are multiple parts of our one God. Sound mysterious and confusing? God doesn’t want us to be confused. He quickly decodes part of the mystery in verse 2.

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GOD THE SPIRIT

“AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD WAS HOVERING OVER THE SURFACE OF THE WATERS.” GENESIS 1:2

Then, Genesis 1:3 reveals yet another part (or person) of God. But this verse requires going all the way to the New Testament to fully understand its meaning.

“THEN GOD SAID, “LET THERE BE LIGHT,” AND THERE WAS LIGHT.’ GENESIS 1:3

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WHO IS THE “WORD”?

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JOHN 1:1-5, 14

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(ANSWER)

Do you see the connection? God the Son = the Word. How did God create creation? He spoke. Who is the Word? God the Son. Who Spoke? I hope you got all that. It’s so amazing to see how the Bible comes together. ( CHECK OUT DAY’S 15-19 FOR MORE INFO)

So the opening three verses of the Bible contain references to three separate parts of one God. God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit. If you keep reading Chapter 1 of Genesis you encounter another interesting moment.

TRI = 3 UNE = 1

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THEN GOD SAID, “LET US MAKE HUMAN BEINGS IN OUR IMAGE, TO BE LIKE US.” GENESIS 1:26

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Us - Our - Us. Up to that point, people had not been created. So who is God talking to? Who is “us”? In this short sentence we see the staggering truth that God is a community within himself! Our one God exists in three persons. This thought is called The Trinity. Is your mind hurting yet? Are you ready to explode? That’s okay. Trying to fully understand the amazing complexities of God is a journey that will make more sense as you continue this study.

THE TERM TRINITY ITSELF NEVER APPEARS IN THE BIBLE, BUT THE CONCEPTS LEADING TO THE TERM ARE FOUND IN BOTH THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS.

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C.H\E -.C_K. O--U/.T

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----------------Think of a glass of water. H20 is the chemical makeup of water. When you lower its ----------------temperature to 0c (32F) …it freezes and becomes ice. What is the chemical makeup of Ice? H20! When you take the same glass of water and bring it to 100c (212F), it becomes steam. The chemical make up? You guessed it, H20. Water. Ice. Steam. It’s all H20, but each with an entirely different form and purpose. God the Father. God the Son. God the Spirit. All God, but with very distinct purposes. Here are some great verses that describe God. Take a few minutes to read each verse and write a brief thought.

N.O\ T. E -S GOD THE FATHER MATTHEW 6:8-9 MATTHEW 12:50 GALATIANS 4:6

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ALL THREE TOGETHER MATTHEW 3:16-17 MATTHEW 28:19 2 CORINTHIANS 13:14

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GOD THE SON JOHN 1:1 JOHN 10:30 JOHN 10:33 PHILIPPIANS 2:6 COLOSSIANS 1:15

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GOD THE SPIRIT JOHN 14:26 1 CORINTHIANS 6:19 ISAIAH 63:10 LUKE 2:25-26

Daddy

DAY 2

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My dad rocks. I have so many amazing memories of him. He was my first soccer coach for our team, ----------------Nick’s Kicks. Yes, that was our team name, don’t laugh. All the years I played soccer I don’t remember him ever missing a game. He made family a----------------priority and took off work for great family vacations. (Except for Kentucky Lake, but that’s another story.) He taught me so much over the years; how to fix things around the house, to work hard, to live a life of integrity, to be a loving husband and father, and most importantly, to be a Christ Follower. He taught me with words and even more through his actions. He lived out his faith everyday in every way. He isn’t perfect, but he has lived an inspiring life of authenticity. Today, I have an incredible relationship with this man who continues to support, encourage, and show his deep love for me. So when I think of the word dad, life-giving thoughts overwhelm me. I’m so incredibly thankful for him and for our relationship.

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Jesus calls God, “Father.” He teaches us to pray by saying, “Our Father who is in heaven.”1 He tells us that the Father knows our needs and will provide for us2. He called us to do the will of the Father3. In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus cried out to God using one of the most personal names possible.

“ABBA FATHER.” HE CRIED OUT, “EVERYTHING IS 1. Matthew 6:9 2. Matthew 6:8 POSSIBLE FOR YOU. PLEASE TAKE THIS CUP OF 3. Matthew 12:50 SUFFERING AWAY FROM ME. YET I WANT YOUR WILL TO BE DONE, NOT MINE.” MARK 14:36 GALATIANS 4:6

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Jesus called God, ‘Abba,’ the Aramaic term for dad. It’s the name young Jewish kids would call their fathers. Jesus was the first person we know of to address God with this term of affection and care. Every one of us carries a picture of God in our hearts. This picture comes primarily from what we’ve learned or heard about God in childhood. But we can also be swayed by portrayals in movies, music or books. What is your image of God? Is he an angry God wielding a sledgehammer in one hand and a rocket launcher in the other, just waiting to unleash on you? Is he a twinkle-eyed, white-bearded Santa Clause who comes to bearing gifts? Does the thought of God being Abba, daddy, send a wave of complex emotions through you?

“AND BECAUSE WE ARE HIS CHILDREN, GOD HAS SENT THE SPIRIT OF HIS SON INTO OUR HEARTS, PROMPTING US TO CALL OUT, “ABBA, FATHER.”

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WEEK 1

WA R N I N G THE CONDITION OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR DAD DIRECTLY IMPACTS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THE FATHER.

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What comes to mind when you think of your dad? Do your thoughts and feelings resemble mine? Or is it the exact opposite? Does your stomach clinch violently, ready to heave your lunch? Maybe you don’t have a relationship with your dad at all. When you think of your dad, what qualities come to mind? Write your top three. CHRIS’ TOP 3 1. LOVE 2. INTEGRITY 3. PRESENT

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God is many things. He is so complex that you and I will never completely understand him. But we know for certain that God is Abba - Daddy. He desires a close and loving relationship with you. As long as you view God as something less than he is, your faith will be less than it can be. If you view God as weak, angry, profound or amazing your faith will be a direct reflection. So let’s rehab our view of God through his Word, the Bible. Read through the verses below and write the key characteristics that describe God.

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DEUT 33:27 JOSHUA 1:8-9 2 CHRONICLES 30:9 PSALM 46:1-2 PSALM 73:26

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DEUT 20:4

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LOOK AT THE CHARACTERISTICS YOU WROTE. IS THIS THE KIND OF FAITH YOU SEEK? BELOW, WRITE OR DRAW HOW FAITH LOOKS WHEN YOU LIVE OUT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUR ABBA, GOD.

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DEUT 4:31

N.O\ T. E -S -----------

DEUT 4:24

PSALM 116:5 PROVERBS 30:5 HEBREWS 4:12 1 JOHN 4:7-9 1 JOHN 4:16

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Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia -----------------

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PNEUMONOULTRAMICROSCOPICSILICOV----------------OLCANOCONIOSIS is the longest word in the English dictionary – sort of. This word, also known as P45 (for 45 letters in the word) was made up by Everett Smith in 1935 for the single purpose of creating the longest word in the dictionary. There is a war (okay, that’s an exaggeration) being waged in dictionary communities over the “official” longest word. The Oxford dictionary side exempts P45 as the longest word, arguing that it was created for the sole purpose being the longest word. The people at Oxford dictionary adamantly hold that Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism –is the legitimate longest word.4

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DAY 3

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WEEK 1

Just for fun, here’s some big words you can work into your conversation or school papers.

P45: a lung disease caused by breathing in particles of siliceous volcanic dust. Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism: a form of bone softening caused by Vitamin D resistance.

CONVIVIALITY: MERRY; FESTIVE

The name God is a short, monosyllabic (ironically, a five-syllable word that means PENULTIMATE: words with only one syllable) SECOND TO LAST – (AS IN LOSER) word describing a being that is anything but simplistic. How SESQUIPEDALIAN: many times have you let the ONE WHO USES BIG WORDS. word God role off your tongue without fully realizing what you CALLIPYGIAN: are saying? God’s attributes are HAVING SHAPELY BUTTOCKS the qualities that make him God! Since God is bigger than anything we can comprehend, it is impossible to explain everything about him or to even break him down into bite-size pieces. It’s like trying to explain the programming intricacies of the iPhone to a two-yearold.

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4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

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There are countless unique and amazing attributes of God. These qualities will stretch your understanding of who he is. One such quality is that God is eternal. He has always been. You and I live in a world where everyone and everything has a beginning and an end. Your iPod, your cell phone battery, and you; each had a beginning and each will die. There is no beginning for God. He is the beginning. He has always been and will always be. He has no end.

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OMNI = ----------------OMNIPOTENT = ALL POWERFUL -----------------ALL

Three additional characteristics of God use big words to explain big concepts. Don’t let the size these words scare you. Each can be broken down and understood.

God is all-powerful. You see his power in Genesis Chapter 1 when he spoke all of creation into existence. The depth of his power is revealed throughout the Bible when he floods the earth, parts the Red Sea, raises Jesus from the dead, and so much more. In the book of Jeremiah, God says, “I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?”5 Do you think God was really asking that question? It’s more like he’s saying, “Are you kidding?”

OMNIPOTENT // OM-NIP-UH-TUH NT

OMNIPRESENCE // OM-NUH-PREZ-UH NT OMNISCIENT // OM-NISH-UH NT

C.H\E -.C_K. O--U/.T PSALM 33:8-9 // PSALM 107:25 // ISAIAH 43:13 // MATTHEW 19:26

OMNI-PRESENT = EVERYWHERE AT THE SAME TIME

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IF I GO UP TO HEAVEN, YOU ARE THERE; IF I GO DOWN TO THE GRAVE, YOU ARE THERE. OF BY

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EVEN THERE YOUR HAND WILL GUIDE ME, AND YOUR STRENGTH WILL SUPPORT ME.” PSALM 139:7-10

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“I CAN NEVER ESCAPE FROM YOUR SPIRIT!I CAN NEVER GET AWAY FROM YOUR PRESENCE!

IF I RIDE THE WINGS MORNING, IF I DWELL FARTHEST OCEANS,

God is everywhere in the universe at the same moment! You cannot escape him. He is with you every moment of every day. He is not distracted with “more important” things. He is interested in you, watching over you, caring for you, available to you. You will never go through a dark night or even one moment without God. No matter how alone, misunderstood or isolated you feel, God is right beside you. He is always there and always will be. He will never leave you or forsake you.

5 Jeremiah 32:27

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DEUTERONOMY 31:6,8 // PROVERBS 15:3 // JOHN 1:1-5, 14 JEREMIAH 23:23-24 // 2 CORINTHIANS 4:9 -----------------

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OMNISCIENT = ALL KNOWING “O LORD, YOU HAVE EXAMINED MY HEART AND KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT ME. YOU KNOW WHEN I SIT DOWN OR STAND UP. YOU KNOW MY THOUGHTS EVEN WHEN I’M FAR AWAY. YOU SEE ME WHEN I TRAVEL AND WHEN I REST AT HOME. YOU KNOW EVERYTHING I DO.

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YOU KNOW WHAT I AM GOING TO SAY EVEN BEFORE I SAY IT, LORD.” PSALM 139:1-4

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C.H\E -.C_K. O--U/.T ISAIAH 49-9-10 // MATTHEW 10:29-30 // HEBREWS 4:13

God knows how many hairs are on your head. He knows what you are thinking, the choices you are going to make and the consequences of those choices. He knows everything that’s going to happen in your life. Nothing surprises or catches him off guard. God simply knows everything, past, present, and future.

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OMNIPOTENT: GOD IS ALL POWERFUL // OMNIPRESENT: GOD ----------------IS EVERYWHERE // OMNISCIENT: GOD IS ALL KNOWING

These are attributes unique to God. You and I can never be everywhere, all-powerful, or all knowing. But God has many other traits he wants to share with you. Below are some of the characteristics that you can strive toward in your quest to become more like him. GOD IS HOLY.

The word holy literally means “to cut” or “to separate.” God is entirely unique or “set apart” from all his creation. Everything he does is right and good. He cannot lie, cheat or steal. He is morally pure and the exact opposite of wickedness. It is impossible for God to sin. He does not expect or ask for perfection from you. Only he is perfect. But he does call you to imitate him. It is not enough to compare yourself to others and think you measure up. God is your one and only standard of measurement for holiness.

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1 PETER 1:16 // REVELATION 4:8

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WHAT AREAS OF LIFE CAN YOU FURTHER DEVELOP TO CLOSER REFLECT GOD’S HOLINESS?

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One of the most famous verses in the Bible is John 3:16. The word love in the original----------------language is agape. Agape is the strongest possible type of love. It is completely unconditional. It doesn’t say, “I love you, if ….” Or I love you when . . .” Think about the conditions you put on love. “I love you if you’ll buy me ----------------_____________. I love you if you say nice words to me. I love you when ______________ (fill in the blank). Agape says I love you no matter what. Love is not a noun. It is a verb, an action word. How have you shown (action) love to those around you? Does your life reflect 1 Corinthians 13? When you love others through your actions, big and small, you’re imitating a God who is love.

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1 JOHN CORINTHIANS 1:1-5, 14 13 // 1 JOHN 4:11

WHAT AREAS OF LIFE CAN YOU GROW TO CLOSER REFLECT GOD’S LOVE?

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If you’re wondering what the title of this day means, you didn’t read Day 1. Go back and check it out. DID YOU KNOW? TAUMATAWHAKATANGIHANGAKOAUAUOTAMATEATURIPUKAKAPIKIMAUNGAHORO NUKUPOKAIWHENUAKITANATAHU A HILL IN NEW ZEALAND. THIS MAORI NAME WAS IN GENERAL USE, BUT IS NOW ABBREVIATED TO TAUMATA. THE NAME MEANS: THE SUMMIT OF THE HILL, WHERE TAMATEA, WHO IS KNOWN AS THE LAND EATER, SLID DOWN, CLIMBED UP AND SWALLOWED MOUNTAINS, PLAYED ON HIS NOSE FLUTE TO HIS LOVED ONE. 6 6 http://www.englishforums.com/English/LotsOfBigWords/bvwgh/post.htm

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GOD IS LOVE.

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Internal GPS

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DIRECTIONS: 1. Take 1st avenue for about 5 miles down to Jones St. You will see a yellow building with a tomato on top. That’s Jones. Turn right onto Jones and go about 3 ½ miles until Jones starts to veer to the right. 2. Don’t go right. Go Straight. That turns into Wallaby Way. One block past Wallaby Way, you turn left.

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3. Take a quick right onto FairFax expressway. You want to stay in the right lane and look for the giant pickle truck parked on the side of the road. Take a right and pass the pickle truck. The road doesn’t have a sign on it. If the pickle truck isn’t there, just look for a fire hydrant on the corner.

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4. Take that street - can’t remember the namethere hasn’t been a sign there forever - through 3 stoplights, 2 stop signs, and a yield sign. 5. Right past the 2nd stop sign, you turn left and come to an empty warehouse. Drive through the parking lot and come out on URLost Pkwy. It’s one way. So go right. 6.We’re right there on the left.

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43//DFC/ S2 3AX

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•I remember the world without cell phones. Every phone was a landline, meaning it had a cord attached to the wall. • I remember when you had to get off the couch and turn the TV channel. You could choose from all of six channels. • I remember when my family got a new invention, the microwave oven. Now we could cook food in minutes instead of hours. • I remember my first Walkman. It played tapes and was the size of a Kleenex box. • I remember my first video game system, the Atari 2600. It had one button and a joystick. The graphics were worse than stick drawings and the games had no end. • I remember using the Yellow Pages to find a store. What’s that you ask? It’s a book about 18 inches thick with addresses and phone numbers of all the local businesses. You look up the business, call the store and ask for directions. (You can still do this today). The clarity of the directions rested completely on the person who answered the phone. Most of the time, it went like this.

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X3..2SLKK D90 - 00X

I REMEMBER . . .

DAY 4

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WEEK 1

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----------------If you got lost, then good luck. You had to find a pay phone, pull over, find change to pay for the call, and try to figure out where you went wrong. -----------------

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Good thing technology has evolved in the last twenty years. I don’t even have a home phone, just a cell phone always in my pocket. I have more remote controls than I know what to do with, and more than 200 TV channels. (That’s ridiculous, I know.) I have an iPod the size of my pinky finger that holds thousands of songs. And when I need directions, I take out the technological marvel . . .my iPhone. I open an app called maps, type in the name of the store and follow the blue blinking dot right to it. It’s quite amazing and almost impossible to get lost! Just like an internal GPS, God the Spirit guides you from within. Stop and let that soak in for a minute. If you trust Christ and name him as your Lord and Savior, the Spirit lives in you. The Holy Spirit (just another name for God the Spirit) is active in your life. He is guiding, directing, and speaking into your soul. He is there to help you navigate life, to help you understand the heart of God, and to help you become the person God created you to be. But you can refuse his help, send him off to a corner of your soul, and live your life without his help or guidance. That’s free will.

The Holy Spirit has been at work since earth’s creation. (GO BACK TO DAY 1) In the New Testament, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to actively work in and through us. Right before leaving earth, Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth7.” Then in Acts 2:1-4 something amazing happens. Open up your Bible and read it.

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1 Corinthians 3:16 says, “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” The word lives indicates permanency. We are God’s temple. At the point of salvation, the Spirit of God indwells the new follower of Christ and begins to live inside of him or her, remaining available 24/7 to help, correct, console and guide. The Spirit of God existed before the world was created. He has all the same characteristics as the Father and the Son. He is all-powerful, all knowing, and everywhere. He has all knowledge and wisdom. He is kind, loving and equal in every way to the Father and the Son. He just has a different ministry role.

7 Acts 1:8

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----------------You are probably in one of three places right now when it comes to the Holy Spirit. Read through each description below and circle the place closest to your position. Don’t worry, wherever you are today is okay. What’s not okay is to stay there. Be challenged to take a step in your journey. ---------------------------------

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1 Place #1: You haven’t accepted Christ.

If this is you, I urge you to take this step! Talk to someone, get your questions answered, and work through your concerns and doubts. Don’t let another day go by without moving forward. Ask yourself, what’s keeping you from taking the most important step of your life?

2 Place #2: You’ve pushed the Holy Spirit off to the corner. What sin is crowding out the Holy Spirit? Maybe it’s poor choices, anger, doubt, worry, or confusion. Maybe you don’t even know. Ask God to convict you and reveal the area to your heart. Whatever it is, work through it. Talk to someone who can better your understanding or provide accountability.

3 Place #3: You’re on track.

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If you are not in place 1 or 2, that’s great. But don’t get too comfortable. Take the day to pay attention to the Holy Spirit at work in your life. So many times the noise, the pace and the craziness of life blocks out what the Holy Spirit is doing. Protect your regular quiet time with God and bring him into the rest of your day.

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LOOK UP THESE VERSES TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOLY SPIRIT.

JOHN 3:5-6

JOHN 16:5-11, 15 JOHN 14:26 EPHESIANS 1:14

ISAIAH 11:2-3

1 CORINTHIANS 3:16 TITUS 3:4-7

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God’s Gift

DAY 5

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WEEK 1

What is the first thing that comes into your mind when you read – hear – think of the word, -----------------

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CHRISTMAS?

(ANSWER)

If you are like most people, the first thing that comes to mind is presents - gifts – stuff! Christmas = Gifts. The United States Postal Service delivers approximately 16.6 billion cards and packages between December 1 and Christmas. Billions of dollars and hours of brainpower are spent every Christmas season as we consider what to buy for others. How much time do you spend thinking about, planning, searching, or shopping for Christmas gifts? What about narrowing down your own Christmas list, or shopping for yourself? Do you even remember what you got last year for Christmas? What about the year before? Here you go. List all the Christmas gifts you can remember below.

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YOUR FOCUS FOR CHRISTMAS SHOULD BE ON: 1. THE AMAZING GIFT OF CHRIST’S BIRTH 2. OTHERS

Has your focus during the Christmas season ever tended more toward selfish desire than toward Christ and others? Self-centeredness creeps into daily life too, including your Bible study or devotional time. If you are not careful, today’s reading can become very much about you instead of on God working in and through you. Consider yourself warned!

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CHRISTMAS = 2 YRS AGO

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CHRISTMAS = 1 YR AGO

SPIRITUAL GIFTS (1 CORINTHIANS 12)

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When it comes to spiritual gifts, no Christian gets coal in his or her stocking. You were ----------------not left out, overlooked, or considered unworthy. Every Christ Follower gets at least one ----------------spiritual gift. What is the purpose? First, let me tell you what the purpose is not. Spiritual gifts are not about making you more talented, wealthy, or famous. They are not about increasing your popularity, intelligence, or athletic ability. These gifts really have nothing to do with you at all.

TWO IMPORTANT QUESTIONS 1. WHO IS GIVEN SPIRITUAL GIFTS? 2. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS? The answers to these two important questions are discovered in 1 Corinthians 12:7. Circle the answer to each. “A SPIRITUAL GIFT IS GIVEN TO EACH OF US SO WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER.” 1 CORINTHIANS 12:7

It doesn’t say that gifts are given to some, a few, or the elite ‘super-spiritual’. Spiritual gifts are given to each and every one of us. Following this verse, Paul uses the phrase “to one person the Spirit gives” this and “to another the same Spirit gives” that, a total of nine times. Clearly, there are many different gifts and each believer has a unique contribution. Every believer (yes you) is given at least one spiritual gift.

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(MORE ON THIS ON DAY 23.)

The second part of this verse says, “so we can help each other.” This is the entire purpose of spiritual gifts. Throughout the Bible different gifts are described. 1 Corinthians 12 has the most exhaustive list, though no list is complete. No matter what the gift is, the purpose is clear. God intends us to help each other with the gifts he gives. They are not self-serving, ego-building, me-centered gifts. They have everything to do with helping others. It is no mistake that Paul quickly goes from the subject of spiritual gifts in chapter 12 to the topic of love in chapter 13. There is nothing more important than loving each other. I encourage you to discover your unique giftedness and to use it to serve God and others, in love.

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Something else happens when the spirit lives in you. It gives you the power to live a life that reflects God. Though you can never fully live as Christ, the Holy Spirit helps----------------you make a great attempt at living a holy life. Galatians 5 unveils the Fruit of the Spirit. These are ----------------all qualities we long for, the healthy characteristics of a person who actively has the Holy Spirit living within.

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FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

C.H\E -.C_K. O--U/.T JOHN 1:1-5,5:22-23 14 GALATIANS

LIST THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT. (HINT: THERE ARE NINE)

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----------------When we are filled with God’s Spirit and live out the Fruit of the Spirit, we walk with God and he walks with us. The Holy Spirit is the person of God who lives within you and wants to be an integral part of every moment of every day of your life. If you walk by the Spirit, you walk with God, and reap the harvest of a healthy spiritual life. Look at the list of the Fruit of the Spirit and give each one a number between 1 and 10. 1 being “non existent” and 10 being “perfection”. Don’t hold back. Be honest and transparent with yourself. After you are done, Circle the fruit of the spirit that you need to work on the most. Connect with a youth leader to talk about how you can increase the level of that specific area. GOODNESS

LOVE

JOY

FAITHFULNESS

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SELF-CONTROL

KINDNESS

GENTLENESS

PATIENCE

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PEACE

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He is one of the most polarizing people in history. Everyone has an opinion about who he was and is today. The extremes ----------------of culture paint varying pictures of Christ; some are honoring ----------------and respectful, others are not. Whether you know him, like him or don’t really care; you can’t escape Jesus in popular culture. Images and messages about him are everywhere.

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HomeBoy

DAY 6

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WEEK 1

You can buy a bobble head Jesus for your car. People wear T-shirts with a wide range of messages. One has Jesus waving a Yankees flag with the caption, “Number 1 Fan.” Another t-shirt says, “Hey Jesus, you drop that cross one more time and you’re out of the parade.” Yet another says, “Jesus stole my girlfriend.” And then there’s the t-shirt that says, “Jesus is my Homeboy”.

Popular TV shows like The Simpsons and South Park have dedicated entire episodes to Jesus. Family Guy featured Jesus as a disco-partying crazed miracle worker, a golfing buddy, and as a guy sitting on the couch eating potato chips. In the movie, Talladega Nights, Ricky Bobby (aka Will Farrell) ran around the racetrack in his underwear screaming, “Help me Jesus! Help me Jewish God! Help me Allah! AAAAHHHH! Help me Tom Cruise! Tom Cruise, use your witchcraft on me to get the fire off me!8” Marilyn Manson once said, “Jesus was the first rock star. The cross is the biggest, greatest piece of merchandise in history, bigger than any concert t-shirt. And Jesus was the first dead rock star. Like Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix, he became immortal by dying.9

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So, who is Jesus? If you asked ten friends, you’d get ten different answers. Some responses would be similar, but if you listened carefully you’d pick up on small but revealing differences. The world has convoluted and diluted the person of Jesus to a point that people really don’t know who he was and who he is today 8 Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Dir. Adam McKay. Columbia Pictures, 2006. // 9 Manson, Marilyn. “The Dead Rock Star.” Rolling Stone (May 2003) // 10 Luke 2:10-11, KJV

Charlie Brown shouted, “Doesn’t anyone know what Christmas is all about?” Then Linus walked to the middle of the stage and quoted the Gospel of Luke, “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”10

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----------------The most important question is not who Jesus is to anyone else. The most important question is, who he is to you? -----------------

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STEP 1:

Take a few minutes to write down who Jesus is to you. This can be simple phrases and thoughts or a complete paragraph. What matters most is that you clearly write out who Jesus is to you today. HERE ARE SOME VERSES TO HELP MARK 14:61-62 JOHN 10:30 JOHN 14:10 JOHN 20:28 PHILIPPIANS 2:6-11 1 TIMOTHY 3:16

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---------------------------DID YOU KNOW . . IF YOU GOOGLE PHRASE “WORST BAND IN THE WORLD” THE TOP SEARCH RESULT IS THE BAND “CREED”.

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Because the early Christians believed the Gospels were historical documents reporting on an historical Jesus who said and did historical things, they believed very concrete things about Jesus. Their beliefs were grounded in the Bible and in history, so they were not blown about by the winds of sensationalist speculation. Their Jesus was no myth or icon built around hints and whispers, so their statements about him have a firmness that is of immense value to the church today.

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“WE BELIEVE . . . IN ONE LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD, BEGOTTEN OF HIS FATHER BEFORE ALL WORLDS, GOD OF GOD, LIGHT OF LIGHT, VERY GOD OF VERY GOD, BEGOTTEN, NOT MADE, BEING OF ONE SUBSTANCE WITH THE FATHER; BY WHOM ALL THINGS WERE MADE; WHO FOR US AND FOR OUR SALVATION CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, AND WAS INCARNATE BY THE HOLY SPIRIT OF THE VIRGIN MARY, AND WAS MADE MAN; AND WAS CRUCIFIED ALSO FOR US UNDER PONTIUS PILATE; HE SUFFERED AND WAS BURIED; AND ON THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES, AND ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN, AND IS SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER; AND HE SHALL COME AGAIN, WITH GLORY, TO JUDGE BOTH THE LIVING AN THE DEAD; WHOSE KINGDOM SHALL HAVE NO END.” (NICENE CREED, 325 AD)

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The good news is that historic Christianity is not at all confused about who Jesus claimed to be. The church fathers brought some clarity to the church’s expression of faith in Jesus through creeds. A creed is simply a formal statement of belief. One of the oldest creeds was written 325 AD.

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----------------Now for a bold step. Ask at least five friends this simple question. Who is Jesus? Don’t lead or guide their answers. Just let them talk. (Whatever you do, don’t criticize their answers.) Capture the essence of their ----------------answers and write them down below.

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STEP 2:

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Journal -----------------

Journal

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WEEK 1

----------------DAY 7