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Plan of SalvationGoing Deeper 7-Day Bible Study
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Let’s start at the beginning. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as yourLord and Savior, read the Plan of Salvation below. God wants to be morethan your best friend and closer than the most loving spouse. He wants apersonal relationship with you. “What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, andno human heart has conceived—God has prepared these things for thosewho love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 GOD LOVES YOU“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, thatwhoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 WE ARE ALL SINNERS“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 GOD HAS A REMEDY FOR SIN“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13 YOUR ASSURANCE AS A BELIEVERIf you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart thatGod raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 A PRAYER TO RECEIVE CHRISTDear God, I confess that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus died on the crossto save me of my sin. Lord Jesus, please forgive me of sin. I ask you to comeinto my heart. Thank you God for saving me. I love you Jesus. Amen
If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior for the first timetoday, we want to celebrate this life-changing moment with you. Please letus know by email ([email protected]) or phone (859-873-1967)so that we can rejoice with you, pray for you, and connect you with moreresources as you start your faith journey.
PLAN OFSALVATION
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READ MARK 12:28-33
The theme for the 2020 Devoted Conference was The Power of One. It wasthere that we discussed the unity in the trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.We focused on the importance of unity in the body of believers and howGod can multiply what little we have into something much greater when weoffer ourselves, including our gifts, time, and talents to Him.
As I was praying about the direction we should go for the 2021 DevotedConference, I was led to Mark 12:28-31. A teacher of the law asked Jesus, “Ofall the commandments, which is the most important?” Jesus begins Hisresponse in Mark 12:29, “The most important One is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, theLord our God, the Lord is One.” God himself is united in love within theTrinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is also worth noting thatthe great love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13, was preceded by Paul’s message inchapter 12 where he used the analogy of ONE body with many parts. I hadnever noticed the connection between unity in the body of believers andthe following chapter, defining love, until I looked a little deeper.
READ 1 CORINTHIANS 12:1-31
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul teaches the importance of ONE body with manyparts. No single part is more important than the others but, instead, all areequally important to the body as a whole. The same is true with regard toour spiritual gifts. Each is equally important in relation to the body of Christ,the Church. As believers, we each have been given at least one spiritual gift.Paul knew there would be problems when, in our humanness, we getdistracted by weighing and comparing our spiritual gifts. Thousands of yearsafter Paul recorded those words in the Bible, we still find ourselves caughtup in the snares of comparison. Paul urged us as believers to stopcomparing one gift to another but, instead, acknowledge their usefulness inadvancing God’s ONE kingdom.
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GOING DEEPERDAY 1
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It is also important to note that Paul doesn’t say that God gives spiritual giftsto us for our own selfish advancement but, rather, to advance the ONE bodyof believers. Paul addressed the people of his day and their natural tendencyto compare their spiritual gifts to one another. Just as Paul addressed thepitfall of comparison, we also need to examine ourselves to see if we toostruggle in that area. We do not need to be jealous or envious of others andtheir gifts, nor should we feel insecure about our own. On the contrary, weshould humbly use our gifts for God’s glory and encourage others to do thesame.
Have you ever felt less than because you didn’t feel as though you or yourgifts measured up to the next person?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How do you react or respond in those moments?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
READ ROMANS 12:9-21
Sometimes it is easier to show compassion on those who are sad than toapplaud those who seem to have everything going for them. How can youbetter rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
READ 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-13
Our responsibility as believers is to exercise love in all our pursuits and tohelp one another in whatever way possible. This can only be accomplishedwhen we fix our eyes on Christ rather than on each other.
As previously stated, it is interesting to note, the connection betweenspiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12) and love (1 Corinthians 13). Unlike thedisbursement of spiritual gifts, love is made available to everyone and isessential to the productive and effective use of those gifts. It doesn’t matterhow spiritually gifted you are, without love very little is produced. 1 Corinthians 14:1 says, “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of theSpirit,” but not for personal gain but in order to unify them with otherbelievers to advance the kingdom of God. When we use our spiritual gifts inlove, we are able to help others along in their faith.
What are your spiritual gifts? Pray and ask God to reveal them to you. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Be on the lookout for opportunities to use your spiritual gifts, in love andservice to others, for the advancement of God’s kingdom.
What are some ways you could use your spiritual gifts for the advancementof God's kingdom?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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GOING DEEPERDAY 2
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Jesus tells the crowd, and us, in Mark 12:30-31 that the most importantcommandment is this, “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart with allof your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second isthis: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greaterthan these.” God’s word says love is a commandment, not a suggestion. TheBible boils down to ONE word, love, which seems simple in theory but canbe very difficult to practice.
Describe an instance where you found it difficult to practice love. How couldyou do things differently in the future?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
As Paul closes out 1 Corinthians 12, he vows, “And now I will show you themost excellent way.” Paul described love, in 1 Corinthians 13, as being the“most excellent way.” We too should strive to follow the most excellent wayby living a purpose-driven and abundant life in view of Christ’s greatestcommandment: to love God and to love others. Acceptance of God’s greatlove for us should spur us on to exercise great love for others. At the close ofthat great love chapter, Paul states in 1 Corinthians 13:13, “And now thesethree remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
What are some specific ways you can follow God's commandments to loveHim and to love others?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
READ HEBREWS 11:1-40
FAITHFaith can be defined as “reliance, loyalty, or complete trust in God orsomeone else.” Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hopefor and certain of what we do not see.” Then in 11:6 the Hebrew writer says,“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone whocomes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those whoearnestly seek him.” Believing in the existence of God is not enough. Eventhe devil and his demons recognize God’s existence. God desires a personalrelationship with each of us and invites us into fellowship with Him.
The following verses go through a roll call of Bible characters saying, “Byfaith Noah… By faith Abraham, Isaac, Jacob…”
What do you need to trust God with so that you could also be listed in thatroll call of faith?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Are you relying on or trusting in God or are you placing your faith insomeone or something else? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What emotions surface when you put your faith in God? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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GOING DEEPERDAY 3
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In contrast, what emotions surface when you place your faith in someone orsomething other than God?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we can take comfort in knowing thatour salvation is secure, giving us peace and hope. In contrast, when we putour faith in anything or anyone other than God, we feel pressure, anxiety,and fear over the outcome or result we so desperately desire. Psalm 34:4says, “I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all myfears.” When we pursue God, He will deliver us from all of our fears. In John14:1-2, Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God;believe also in me. My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so,would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” Byplacing our faith in Jesus Christ, we are freed up to live a life full of hope.
How did you feel when you first placed your faith in Jesus Christ?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Are you searching for more meaning or purpose in life?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
HOPEHope is defined as “a desire for something with confident expectation of it’sfulfillment.” Because we have faith, we also have hope, or a confidentexpectation of our future in Heaven. David speaks of that hope in Psalm62:5-8, “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he ismy rock and my salvation; he is my fortress; I will not be shaken. My salvationand my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in himat all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”David shares in Psalm 147:11, “The Lord delights in those who fear him, whoput their hope in his unfailing love.”
Hope isn’t just some happenstance as a result of our faith in Christ, it is apromise. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declaresthe Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hopeand a future.” The Lord promises that He does, in fact, have plans for us. Wecan take comfort in the fact that we may not know what the future holdsbut we know who holds the future.
Hope not only comforts us but gives us focus. 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore,my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always giveyourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor inthe Lord is not in vain.” Ecclesiastes 1:2 emphasizes a life without purpose ismeaningless, "'Meaningless! Meaningless!' says the Teacher. 'Utterlymeaningless! Everything is meaningless.’” Isaiah 49:4 also talks aboutpointless living, “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothingat all.” Scripture further drives home the message in Mark 8:36, “What goodis it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” How emptylife is in pursuit of worldly things!
In contrast, Colossians 2:2 tells how filling it is to be “united in love having fullriches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mysteryof God."
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GOING DEEPERDAY 4
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Colossians 2:6 says, “Having received Christ as Lord, continue to live yourlives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as youwere taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Verse 10 goes on to say, “InChrist, you have been brought to fullness.” We should all desire to live a fulllife in Christ, not a foolish one in the pointless pursuit of temporary, worldlythings. Life without purpose is meaningless!
Ecclesiastes 2:26 says it best, “To the man who pleases him, God giveswisdom, knowledge, and happiness, but to the sinner, he gives the task ofgathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God.This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Instead of pursuing aname for ourselves, which is useless as described in Ecclesiastes 1:11, weshould desire to make known the name of Jesus Christ which lasts forever.Galatians 5:6 says, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itselfthrough love.” Galatians 5:13 tells us to “serve one another in love.”
As you reflect on your life, have you spent more time in pursuit of worldlythings, for your own selfish advancement, or in pursuit of eternal things, insearch of a deeper relationship with Christ?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Pray and ask God to show you the steps necessary to living a full andabundant life rather than a foolish one.
LOVEAs a result of God’s promise of hope, we are freed up from all of ourmeaningless movement. This freedom allows us to shift our time andenergy in growing a deeper relationship with God which, in turn, helps us toextend that love to others. Colossians 2:6-7 says, “So then, just as youreceived Christ Jesus as LORD, continue to live your lives in him, rooted andbuilt up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, andoverflowing with thankfulness.” It is out of that overflow of thankfulness thatwe can better share Christ’s love with others.
What are you thankful for? How can you use that overflow of thankfulnessto benefit others?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1 Corinthians 13 describes in detail “the most excellent way” to live, which isto live a life of love. Our key scripture, Mark 12:30-31, tells us to love the Lordour God with all of our hearts and with all of our soul and with all of ourminds and with all of our strength. But what does loving God with all ofyour heart, your soul, your mind, and your strength mean?
LOVE WITH ALL OF YOUR HEARTTo love God with all of our hearts means to love Him at all times, no matterour circumstances. Our circumstances sometimes include periods ofwaiting. It is during these times that we feel the Lord is quiet and, at times,even silent. Our love for God should not be dependent on our circumstancesor even on a feeling. Loving God is a commitment and runs deeper than anyemotion. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, givethanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
GOING DEEPERDAY 5
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GOING DEEPERDAY 5
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READ JOHN 16:33
Have you experienced hardship or tragedy? How have you reacted orresponded during those times?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Can you think of anyone who has been able to rejoice, pray, and give thanksdespite their circumstances? How has their ability or inability to do thosethings affected you personally?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It is easy to give thanks when things are going well but it is very difficult, tosay the least, when we face trials. However, if we have given our hearts andlives to Him fully, then we take comfort in knowing that God is still in controleven when things seem out of control.
What do you need to turn over to the Lord today? Maybe it's out of yourabundance or maybe it's your need. Ask God to bless it.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LOVE WITH ALL OF YOUR SOULLoving God with all of our soul is an acknowledgment of a God-shaped holewithin each of us that can only be filled by Him. That acknowledgmentcomes with an understanding that we are not God and that we are in needof salvation. It is only by faith in Jesus Christ that we are saved from sin andthe pain of eternal death. Our bodies are temporary vessels, with more life tolive on the other side of death. We get to decide if we want to spend it ineternal communion with our Father in Heaven or in eternal separation fromHim in Hell.
Have you given your soul to Jesus Christ? If not, what is holding you back?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you would like to give your life to Christ, we celebrate with you. We haveincluded the plan of salvation with this study. We encourage you to make apublic profession of your faith in Jesus Christ by sharing your decision with afamily member or a friend and by contacting, either us or your local churchin order to follow through with baptism.
LOVE WITH ALL OF YOUR MINDIn order to love God with all of our minds, we must follow the instructions in2 Corinthians 10:5 and “take captive every thought to make it obedient toChrist.” Cambridge Dictionary describes being in two minds as “being unable to decide about something, or to be in doubt.” Jill Briscoe, in herDevoted Conference message, discussed being halfhearted or lukewarm,and being doubtful or being in two minds. In order to love God with all ofour minds, we must cast out any selfish or deceptive thoughts and replacethem with truths from God’s word. The Word of God is the sword of thespirit, which equips us for the battlefield of the mind.
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GOING DEEPERDAY 6
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Philippians 4:6-8 gives a prescription for peace of mind, “Do not be anxiousabout anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends allunderstanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
What fills your mind? Is it worry or anxiety? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Do you have the “peace of God, which transcends all understanding?”________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you find yourselves being held captive to your own deceptive thoughts,then memorize scripture. Deuteronomy 6:6-10 challenges us to memorizescripture, “to write them on the doorframes of your houses and on yourgates, tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on yourforeheads.”
So finally, sisters, fill your minds with “whatever is true, whatever is noble,whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
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LOVE WITH ALL OF YOUR STRENGTHPray that God will reveal your strengths to you and that He will show youways to use those strengths for His glory. No matter how insignificant youmay think they are, when offered up to God, He can multiply their impact.Be on the lookout for opportunities to use your strengths for His glory.
What are your strengths? Is it time, money, talent, or influence?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How are you using those strengths?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Are you using those strengths for the Lord? If yes, how? If not, why?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
But then loving God with all of our strength can also mean loving God withall of our emotions, even those found in weakness. No matter ourcircumstances, we can take comfort in knowing that when we are weak, Hemakes us strong. The Latin root of the word courage is “cor” which meansheart. When we love God with all of our hearts, we find renewed strengthand courage to face the trials of each day.
GOING DEEPERDAY 7
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In what areas do you need strength?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In spite of your weaknesses, how can you find the courage to take the firstbrave step toward a deeper relationship with God?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In closing, our thoughts, decisions, and actions should be driven by ourobedience to Jesus’s greatest commandment; to love God and to loveothers. After all, John 13:35 says, “By this everyone will know that you are mydisciples, if you love one another.” When using your spiritual gifts to serveGod and others, remember to exercise love and humility. When facingeveryday decisions, consider which path demonstrates love for God and lovefor others. Then ask God to give you boldness to walk “in the most excellentway;” LOVE!
Thank you for DEVOTING your time to this study and we look forward to theripple effect of women who are DEVOTED and DRIVEN by Jesus Christ andby His purposes. I leave you with this. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You, Lord, give perfectpeace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you!” Ipray that you will receive peace as you stand firm in His purposes and putyour trust in Him.
READING & RESOURCESUGGESTIONS
The Purpose Driven Life:What on Earth Am IHere For?by Rick Warren
Finding Sanctuary: Howthe Wild Work of PeaceRestored the Heart of aSandy Hook Motherby Jenny Hubbard
Rescue: Raising Teens ina Drowning Cultureby Candy Gibbs
Here Am I, Lord... Send Somebody Elseby Jill Briscoe
Fervent: A Woman'sBattle Plan to Serious,Specific and StrategicPrayerby Priscilla Shirer
The One Year: DevotionsFor Womenwith Jill Briscoe
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The Candy GibbsPodcastwith Candy Gibbs
The Love OfferingPodcastwith Rachael Adams
The Telling the Truth forWomen Podcastwith Jill Briscoe
Just Between UsMagazineExecutive Editor: JillBriscoe
MINISTRY INVOLVEMENTOPPORTUNITIES
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GET INVOLVED IN YOUR LOCAL CHURCHIf you don't already have a church home we'd love foryou to join us for worship at Forks of Elkhorn BaptistChurch. On Sundays, we have in-person worship at8:30 & 11:00 a.m. and online worship at 11:00 a.m. Formore information on Forks and its ministries, pleasevisit forksbaptist.org.
NATALIE'S SISTERSTo find out how you can donate to or serve in theministry at Natalie's Sisters, please visit them atnataliessisters.org. Volunteers are vital in the missionto extend hope and unconditional love to our sisters.They also rely on in-kind donations to help supportthe ministry.
COMPASSION INTERNATIONALSponsor a child through Compassion's Christian childsponsorship ministry. Your tax-deductiblecontribution of just $38 a month connects a childliving in poverty with a loving, church-based ChildSponsorship Program. Text DEVOTED to 83393 tosponsor a child today.
MANNA HOUSE AT FORKS OF ELKHORN BAPTISTThe Forks Manna House Food Pantry serves familiesfacing a food emergency in the Central KY area. Thepantry is in need of non-perishable food donationsand volunteers who will work during open hours andat other times to sort, clean, and pack food. Learnmore at forksbaptist.org/iwanttohelp.
The Bible is the only true source and authority and we should always use it to filterwhat we hear and form our own opinions with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Devoted Women's ConferenceHosted by Forks of Elkhorn Baptist Church
495 Duckers Road, Midway, KY 40347(859) 873-1967 • [email protected]
devotedconference.org • forksbaptist.org
