YOUR FIRST FORTY DAYS

 

The churches of Christ Greet You (Romans 16:16)

 

 

 

Let us pray…

 

Holy Father, we bow down on our knees as we humbly approach your throne.

 

We are thankful for this, another opportunity to speak to you in prayer.

 

We are mindful of your presence and your desire to help us.

 

We come now asking a special blessing on all new Christians.

 

Help them to grow as they study your word and obey your teachings.

 

Help them die to self and live daily for you.

 

Use them to teach others about your love.

 

We also ask these things for all those in Christ

 

that have not grown as they should.

 

In the wonderful name of Jesus we pray.

 

Let us all say: AMEN!

 

 

 

You are now a Christian! You have just come forth from the watery grave of baptism and all your sins have been forgiven. Like Jesus, you were willing to "empty yourself" (Phil. 2:7), and God has raised you up to live on a higher plane (Col. 3:1-4). The Holy Spirit now INDWELLS your body as the temple of God (Romans 8:9-17). An awareness of the Spirit's abiding presence can be a powerful motivation to godly living. The Greek word for "temple" is naos, and it is an allusion to that holy sanctuary of the Mosaic economy wherein God actually made His presence known (cf. Ex. 25:22). The fact that we know the Holy One (the Godhead) is dwelling in us (Eph. 3:17) should cause us to live in such a way as to keep His temple HOLY; thus, giving God the glory in our body and spirit (1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:15-20).

 

One of the things a disciple of Jesus learns very quickly is that there is much that he or she doesn't know or understand. You too will learn this, but it should in no way discourage you. It just means you have a life-time of growing and developing ahead (2 Peter 3:18). It will never become boring. God's love is wide and deep and long and high, and the more we grasp the better it all becomes.

 

This study guide is designed to help you have some direction each day for the next forty days (about six weeks) as you start listening to the voice of God as He speaks to your whole life. Why forty days? We have picked this because that was the length of testing Jesus Himself went through following His own baptism (Matthew 4:1-11). He passed victoriously through that testing because He knew the Word of God.

 

Each time Satan came, Jesus drove him away by using the Scripture. Satan will make his attacks on you. He knows you are young and more vulnerable, but God is with you (Matt. 28:20; 1 John 4:4). With the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and left you can defeat anything that would take your new life from you.

 

Determine right now that you are going to make this a rich and powerful study. Open wide your heart and let God do with you all he wants to do. Make sure you have a definite time and place reserved each day to study the Scriptures and listen to the Word of God. Don't let anything or anyone keep you from this most crucial time.  A notebook to put this study guide and your written thoughts in will be a great help to you.

 

 

 

Week 1 - Dead to Self/Alive to Christ

 


Week 2 - No Life Outside The Body


Week 3 - Go Make Disciples

 


Week 4 - The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

 


Week 5 - Submit To Every Authority

 


Week 6 - Fighting The Good Fight Of Faith

 

 


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