post-camp devotional sr high (web)

8/6/2019 Post-camp Devotional Sr High (Web)

1/29

A Post- Summer CampTAWG Journal

From the book of PhilippiansSenior High


2/29

If you want to grow in your walk with God, there isnothing GREATER THAN TAWG.

Time Alone With God is essentia l to seeing sp iritua l growth a t home. Thisdevo tiona l is to serve as a tool to he lp you g et into a reg ula r hab it of TAWG.

It s set up to last 4 weeks, giving you 6 days of stud y per week (every weekdayand one weekend expe rienc e):

Som etimes when we t ry to g et into the ha b it of TAWG, we m ay miss a day ortwo, then want to give up a s we fa ll behind. Don t bea t yourself up if you missa day. This is set up in a way tha t you c ould miss 1 day a w eek without fa llingbehind a t a ll. If you miss more than one, either skip the day you missed , or dotwo in one day. Remember, it s not a bout a c hec klist, it s about Him!

Ma ke sure you have a highlighter and a pen/ penc il handy as you go throug hthis. If something jumps out a t you in the Bible or this journa l, HIGHLIGHT IT! In

the a rea s left open fo r you to journal your thoughts, do it!

While your do ing this journal, rem ember the m any other wa ys you took pa rt inTAWG while a t c amp worship , d raw, sc ulp t, wa tc h videosbe c rea tive!

Fina lly, jo in the follow up d isc ussion online on the Senior High Summer Camp2011 Fac eb ook page . Lea ve a c omment on what you lea rned in your TAWGtha t day, and read wha t others have lea rned as we ll. Some d ays, we ll add alittle c ha llenge or some further thoughts on this website as well!

GO FOR IT! We love yo u, believe in you, and are p raying for you!

-Pastor Derry Prenkert(devotional author)


3/29

Remem be r you ca n go to the Senior High Ca mp Fac eb oo kGroup to share w hat you re learning and hea r from othe rs!

As we dive into the book of Philippians, its good to have a little background.So here it is:

Book: PhilippiansAuthor: PaulAudience: Paul is writing to a ll the Christian of Philipi. As he seeks to

enc ourage, challenge a nd instruc t them, we c an take his wo rds toheart.

Setting: Paul is writing this letter from prison. Why has he been put intoprison? Simp ly bec ause he was sha ring the message o f Jesus.

Take a mo ment to think about this. If you were in ja il for sharing your fa ith, wha twould your a ttitude be like? What would you be d oing w ith your time? If youc ould write a let ter, who would you write and w hy? Write som e thoughts below:

If you c an keep in mind tha t this is lite ra lly mail written from ja il , it makes wha tyou are a bout to rea d in the weeks to c ome even more p owerful.

Read Philippians 1:1-6

If you could p ic k 4 words to desc ribe Paul s a ttitude in the op ening o f this letter,what w ould they be?

1. _________________________

2. _________________________

3. _________________________

4. _________________________

You are bac k from Ca mp . Off the mountaintop . Time to g row . Coming downfrom the mounta intop is rarely easy. It s tough. If you haven t yet, you will likely

fac e som e sort of tria l, d isc ourag ement o r op position tha t ma y cause you towond er if God rea lly has something GREATER THAN wha t was happening beforecamp.

Someb od y onc e g ave m e some inc red ib le advic e w hen he sa id , Derry, life is50% what happens to you, and 50% about how you respond to it. You w illexperienc e some tough times in the days and w eeks to c ome. What will yourattitude b e?

Lets take a closer look at Pauls attitude in this passage, and see what we canlearn from it.:


4/29

In verse 3, you see Paul say, I tha nk my God . He is ab le to take time to tha nkGod, even in the tough times.Do you find this easy or tough to be thankful in tough times?

When times get tough, what are some ways you could show thanksgiving?

In verse 4, you see tha t Paul is ab le to p ray with joy . He is ab le to take timeto thank God , even in the tough times.What does joy look like in your life, and how can you show it in tough times?

Finally, verse 6 is the key in this passage. It is a lso key as you seek to seeGREATER things in the weeks to follow c amp.Like we did at Camp, rewrite this verse in your own words, writing it in a waythat applies exactly to where you are now.

PRAY: How will you respond when time g ets tough. Will your a ttitude bethankful, full of joy, and rema in confident in God? As you p ray today, g ive

your a ttitude to God .


5/29

Read Philippians 1:7-11Pay spec ia l at tention to Paul s p rayer in ve rses 9-11.

What from that prayer connects with you?

Why does this especially stick out to you?

It s awesom e to know tha t someone is p raying for you. I am writing thisdevotiona l from Uganda where we a re w orking o n ad op ting o ur son. It isbeen a rea lly tough proc ess, and it has been ama zing to hea r from peop lethat they have been p raying a nd how they have been praying for us.

Who is someone that you know you could be praying for right now, and howcould you be praying for him/ her?

PRAY: 2 ways for you to p ray today. First, ask God to help you app ly thesec tion of Paul s p rayer to your everyday life. Sec ond , take some time to prayfor the p erson you mentioned above . Then, like Paul d id with the Churc h of

Philipp i, let tha t person know what your prayer is. You m ay even wa nt to texttha t prayer or send it to him/ her on Fac eb ook (rec ommendation, send it as amessage o r c hat ra ther than on the ir wa ll let it be more b etween you andhim/her).

*Somet imes Go d uses our prayers to rea lly speak into o the rs lives. If anything rea lly coolhap pe ns from your prayer for someone , hop over to the Fac ebook group and share w hathappened.


6/29

Read Philippians 1:12-19Paul highlights two ob stac les tha t c ould ea sily c ause him to get frustra ted orwant to g ive up . First, in verses 12-15, he lets us know he is in prison fo r sha ringhis fa ith. Then, in verses 16-17 we read about tha t som e he is c onnec ted with

have b een sharing a bo ut God with the wrong motives.As you read about these two issues, wha t is Pauls response?

His response to being in jail (v. 12, 14)

His response to those sharing Christ with wrong motives (v. 18-19)

Heres the key: Paul looks a t both o f these OBSTACLES as OPPORTUNITIES inboth c ases the he sees them as opportunities to share his fa ith.

Are there currently any obstacles you are facing in your walk with Christ thatcould be turned into opportunities to share your faith?

CHECK IT OUT: Christianity is full of peop le who have taken up the sameattitude when faced with tough times. They have seen God do ama zingthings in and through the m. One suc h person is professiona l surfer Bethany

Hamilton. Log on to www.iamsecond.com or go to the Fac eb ook Grouppage a nd c lic k on the Betha ny Hamilton story.

PRAY: Lay your ob stac les before God and ask him to he lp you ma kethem op portunities.


7/29

Read Philippians 1:20-26Have you eve r been in a c onve rsation w ith som eone where it s just going a longand a ll of the sudden, out of nowhere he/ she just drop s a b omb? You know, he/she tells you something tha t is inc red ib ly shoc king , profound , or maybe even a

little c razy Well, my parents are gett ing a d ivorce.(shocking)

I ve rea lized follow ing Jesus is more imp ortant tha n my popularity.(profound) I ve b een thinking about shaving every sing le ha ir on my bo dy. (crazy)

In Philipp ians 1:21, Paul d rops a bom b. It s shoc king, p rofound, and maybe a littlec razy all rolled into one.In your own words, what does he say, and what do you think he means by it?

To b e c lea r, Paul is not ta lking about end ing his own life here. He is ta lking aboutbeing exec uted (p ut to d eath) for his fa ith. When being killed . This is somethingthat happened often a t the time when Paul wa s a live. In fac t, d id you know thatof the 12 origina l d isc iples of Jesus, it is widely believed tha t 10 of the ir werema rtyred for their fa ith (Judas hung himself and John, a lthoug h bea tenrep ea ted ly, d ied while imp risoned on a n island).

So, when you c onsider that Paul is, in a very rea l way, po tentially fac ing dea thwhile in prison, it makes verse 20 a ll the more p owerful. Pay spec ia l a ttention towha t attitude Paul says he hopes to take up. In the NIV, he hopes he will in nowa y be a shamed, but have suffic ient c ourage to live out his relat ionship withChrist. Let s get honest fo r a mom ent.

When or where a re you tempted to hide your relationship with Christ (beashamed)?It may be c ertain place s. It may be a round certain people. It may be certain activities. It may be in certain crowsize. It ma y be never. It may be all the time. Just be honest, and list them below:

What do you think it is that makes you more likely to be ashamed of Christ in whayouve listed above?Let s face it, it c an be tough to live for Christ a s a Junior or High Sc hool stud ent.Granted , you a ren t fac ing dea th like Paul, but you a re fac ing the p otentia l stic kout, go aga inst the flow of a ll your pee rs (whic h c an get REALLY tiring), and you


8/29

run a very high risk of do ing it alone muc h of the time. It takes energy. It takesfa ith. It takes, as Paul says in verse 20, SUFFICIENT COURAGE.

What do you think sufficient courage needs to look like in the situations, people,and/ or activities you have outlined?

PRAY: You ve outlined som e situa tions, peop le, and/ or ac tivities whe re you ma yfind yourself ashamed to live out your fa ith. Pray for courage. In fac t, write outyour p rayer to God tod ay, asking him to he lp you find c ourage in the a rea syou ve outlined . Be spec ific .

CHECK IT OUT: Did you know that there are many in the word today still fac ingdea th simp ly for being a Christian. For more informa tion o n this, you c an c hec kout a ministry ca lled Voice of the Ma rtyrs a t www.persecution.com for more info.Also, chec k out the Fac eb ook group for a few video stories on those who ha ved ied for their fa ith.


9/29

Read Philippians 1:27-30The first sentence to verse 27... rewrite it in your own words.

Think through your day yesterday and/ or today. How do you feel like your attitudand actions matched up with this verse?

In verse 29, what does Paul say we can look forward to if truly conduct ourselves a way that honors Christ? (hint, its not necessarily something fun!)

Yesterday, we looked a t c ourage. Living out tha t first sentenc e in verse 27 willta ke just tha t. But, is tha t a ll it ta kes? Think ab out it for a sec ond , how d o you knohow to c ond uc t yourself in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ?

You re a t hom e ha nging o ut by yourself for the d ay...You re o n the basketba ll or volleyb a ll c ourt

You re hang ing out with your friends (Christian or non-Christian)You re a t sc hoo l

In these sc ena rios, how do you know w hat your c ond uc t should be? It ta kesWISDOM. Wisdom is know ing the best c ourse of ac tion to take in a situa tion.Wisdom is som ething tha t c om es from God. When I p ray for God to w ork in mylife, I often ask for two things: WISDOM & COURAGE. Wisdom to know the p a ththat God wa nts me to ta ke a nd Courag e to take the pa th he revea ls to me, noma tter wha t the c ost.

PRAY: As you p ray tod ay and in the d ays to com e, think throug h those situa tionsyou a re fac ing, and a sk God fo r Wisdom and Courage. As he guides you, youma y wa nt to journal (write d own) some o f the guidance He g ives you.

CHECK IT OUT: Log on to www.iamsecond.com or go to the Fac eb ook Grouppage a nd c hec k c lic k on the Tony Dungy story to see an example o f someonewho ha ve lived and c oac hed a sports team w ith WISDOM & COURGE.


10/29

It s importa nt to remember that when Philipp ians was orig ina lly written, therewere no c hapters and verses ma rked in it. Those were la ter added in to a llboo ks of the Bib le to make it ea sier to find c erta in sec tions. So, Paul rea llyintend ed for Philipp ians to be read as a whole, not in b its and p iec es.

For weekends, let s do tha t.Read through Philippians completely.

A few thoughts:1. Don t frea k out! It s only 4 c hap ters.2. Rea d it quickly.3. Try to foc us in on the Big Ideas you think Paul is trying to b ring ac ross.4. If something sticks out to you, underline o r highlight it so you can come

back to it la ter.

After you re d one rea d ing, answe r the q uestions below:

If you were to sum up what you think Paul is trying to say in Philippians with 1sentence, what would it be?

If you are were to sum it up in 1 word, what would it be? __________________

Look back through week 1. What is your biggest takeaway from Philippians 1?

How are you doing on follow through with commitments you ma de at Camp?

PRAY: This weekend , foc us your p rayers for your fellow c amp m ates. Go dga ve us some g rea t perspec tive while there, but we ve b een off the mountaintop for a week. You may even wa nt to c a ll, text, or message a fellow c ab ingroup mem be r and p ray together for eac h other.


11/29

Read Philippians 2:1-4You rea d this sec tion of sc rip ture while a t Ca mp. It is c huc ked full of som e grea tinsight on how we a re to interac t with ea c h other.

Rewrite verses 1-4 into your own words.

Verse 3 is a powerful challenge. I once hea rd someone say, You know you areliving out Philippians 2:3 when you actually want to see someone succeed morethan you want yourself to succeed. Wow, thats tough.

Give yourself a grade (A, B, C, D, or F) on how you think you are living outPhilippians 2:3 with the following people:

Parents: ______ Why that Grade?

Brothers/ Sisters: ______Why that Grade?

Friends: ______ Why that Grade?

Enemies: ______Why that Grade?

How can you work on making Philippians 1:3 more of a reality in the relationshipsyou marked as weak?

PRAY: Foc us your p rayer efforts on the p erson or peop le you fee l you ha ve notdone a goo d job living o ut Philipp ians 2:3 with. Ma ke your p rayers very foc usedon your desire for tha t person to be b lessed , to ha ve a grea t week. In fac t, ma keit a point to p ray for that person o r peop le every da y this week. Ma ybe even tryto c ome up with a wa y you c an go out o f your wa y to d isp lay Philipp ians 2:3 intha t person/ people s life.

Reme mb er you ca n go to the Senior High Ca mp Fac e-book Group to share wha t you re learning a nd hea r


12/29

As your read through this section of scripture toda y, take your time. Read itat least 3 times, paying very special attention to exactly what Jesus did whenhe came to ea rth.


As you read through the actions and attitudes that Jesus took when he cameto earth, what especially struck you and why?

Reread Verse 5.How has your attitude stood up in comparison to what has stuck out to you.

Philipp ians 2:5 is one of the toughest verses to read , and it s very ha rd to liveup to.

CHECK IT OUT: How hard is it to truly live out Philipp ians 2:5? How c an youtake up the same a ttitude as Jesus? Log on to www.iamsecond.com or goto the Fac eb ook Group page a nd c lic k on the Chris Plekenp ol story.

What sticks out to you about Chriss story?

PRAY: Pray for three things today. First, pray for those who a re serving ourc ountry. Pray espec ia lly for those who a re Christians, tha t they ma y live outthe ir fa ith in the midst of tough c irc umsta nc es. Sec ond , p ray for Philipp ians2:5 to be something you could live out in the d ays to c ome. Third , p ray forthe person/ peop le you identified yesterday.


13/29

Its a Worship Wednesday.What is a Worship Wed nesday? Glad you asked . Today, for your TAWG, finda w ay to wo rship God . The way we d efine worship a t NMC is putting ourmind s a ttention and heart s a ffec tion on Jesus Christ.

Find a way to d o just tha t.

Heres some ideas: Listen to some worship music on your iPod , or if you d on t ha ve any on

your iPod , find some online (fo r example, www.allworship.com). Sing to God. Not a goo d singer? Who c ares? He doesn t. He just

loves for you to sing. If you p lay an instrument, take it out and p lay it for God . Go to the book of Psa lms. These a re a ll songs written to God. Take

the Psa lm a nd m ake it a prayer or pra ise to God. (som e ideas wouldbe Psa lm 1, 19, 23, 40, 121, 136).

Write a poem, a lette r, d raw a p ic ture. Do som ething c rea tive forGod.

Whatever you d o, just let your mind s a ttention and heart s a ffec tion on God .

After your time of worship, write out what you did, and some of your thoughtsand impressions below:

PRAY: Let your p rayer, aga in, be focused c om plete ly on pra ising God .Don t forget to p ray for the person/ people you identified on Monda y!


14/29

Tod ay, you a re g oing to a llow God to tea c h you through His wo rd in withoutmuc h help from this devo tiona l. Heres wha t you do

SLOW DOWN: Just hit pause on everything else. Ge t in a spot where youwo n t be d istrac ted . Pic ture just you and God hanging toge ther for the next

little bit.PRAY: Ask God to spea k to you as you a re g oing to rea d his word.

READ: Philippians 2:12-18

RESPOND: To the following questions

What one or two thoughts or statements have stuck out to you?(Write them out wo rd for wo rd )

Why did these thoughts or statements stick out to you?

How can you take these thoughts or statements and put them into practice?

PRAY: Pray a bout what youve read tod ay, and a sk God to help you put itinto p rac tic e in the way you have journaled ab ove. Dont forge t to p ray forthe person/ peop le you identified on Mond ay!

Tip: What you have done tod ay is something you can do with any sec tion of the Bib le. It sc a lled Induc tive Bib le Study and is one of the best wa y to read and app ly sc rip ture to yourlife.


15/29

Just to ge t into a b it o f a prac tic e, let s do the same thing you d id yesterday,but w ith a d ifferent sec tion of sc rip ture:

SLOW DOWN: Just hit pause on everything else. Ge t in a spot where youwo n t be d istrac ted . Pic ture just you and God hanging toge ther for the next

little bit.PRAY: Ask God to spea k to you as you a re g oing to rea d his word.






PRAY: Pray a bout what youve read tod ay, and a sk God to help you put it

into p rac tic e in the way you have journaled ab ove. Dont forge t to p ray forthe person/ peop le you identified on Mond ay!

CHECK IT OUT:Paul ta lks about the pow er of God to hea l som eone. Didyou know tha t can still happen tod ay? Log on to www.iamsecond.comorthe Faceb ook pa ge a nd c lic k on Shane Kamp e s story.


16/29

Read through Philippians completely.Keep a pen or a highlighter handy, marking out any verses or phrases fromCha pter 1 or 2 tha t just keep jump ing o ut to you. As you rea d Cha pters 3 and4, try to c apture the b ig idea s Paul is throw ing out there.

What 1 verse or passage (a passage would be 2 or 3 verses together) hasbeen the most meaningful to you from Chapter 1? (Write it out word for word)

What 1 verse/ passage from Chapter 2 that has been most meaningful to you?(Write it out word fo r word)

Try to c ommit these two verses/ passages you ve identified to memory. Heressome idea s on how you c an do this:

WRITE IT TO MEMORY:1. Take a piec e of pa pe r.2. Copy the ve rse out wo rd for word 10 times in a row (the verse a nd whe re it is found ).3. Fold the pap er over, and attemp t to write it from mem ory.4. If you mess up , try aga in until you g et it right 3 times in a row.5. Now, instead o f writing it out from memory, say it out loud to yourself from memory.6. Don t stop until you ha ve sa id it out loud wo rd perfec t from memo ry 3 times in a row .

FLASH CARD MEMORY:1. Get a 3 X 5 note c ard or a sma ll p iec e of pa pe r.2. On one side write where the verse is found (in this c ase II Timothy 3:16 on one side,

and the verse on the othe r).3. Rea d the ve rse aga in and aga in and aga in until you think you know it.4. Flip the c ard over and see if you can rec ite it word p erfec t.5. If you miss it, reread it aga in and aga in and aga in until you think you ve got it.6. Don t stop until you ve sa id it out loud from memory 3 times in a row .

How are you doing on follow through with commitments you made at Camp?

PRAY: Pray for your fellow c ampers who will be sta rting in on two-a-da ys forthe ir sports and / or marc hing band . Pray for the GREATER THINGS to come.


17/29

Read Philippians 3:1-4Paul wa nts to be very c lea r that not everyone w ill be exc ited about youpursuing a relationship with Christ. If we a re g oing to truly live out our fa ith,we w ill have those who w ill push bac k. Paul has some p ret ty harsh things to

say about those who are c hoosing not to follow Christ.What does he call them in verse 2?

Okay, gut level honesty time. Who are those you have around you that tendto pull you away from your relationship with Christ rather than toward Him?

Ultimately, Go d wa nts us to be influenc ers on a nyone and eve ryone . BUT(and this is a b ig but ) we have to b e honest ab out where we a re a t. If weare a t a spo t where w e feel we a re g oing to be more influenced bysom eone than influenc ing them , it may be wise for us to d istanc e ourselves

from tha t relationship .Are there any who have been listed a bove that it may be best for you to geta little distance? If so, how do you think you should do that?

CHECK IT OUT: Log onto www.iamsecond.com or the Fac ebook pa ge andc hec k out the story of Da llas Cowboys lineb ac ker, Brad ie James.

PRAY: Here is another moment to p ray for WISDOM and COURAGE.Wisdom to know wha t to do with your relationships, and the c ourag e to dowhat God tells you.


18/29

This is a passage tha t sums up the hea rt o f ha ving a sold -out relationship withChrist.Lets do the Bible Study Method we learned about last week:

SLOW DOWN: Just hit pause on everything else. Ge t in a spot where you

wo n t be d istrac ted . Pic ture just you and God hanging toge ther for the nextlittle bit.

PRAY: Ask God to spea k to you as you a re g oing to rea d his word.






PRAY: Pray ab out wha t youve read tod ay, and ask God to help you put itinto p rac tic e in the w ay you have journaled ab ove.


19/29

Its a Worship Wednesday.

Aga in, let s take a b rea k from Philipp ians. You c an look ba c k to lastWednesday for som e d ifferent ideas on how to spend your Worship

Wednesday. Rem ember, we serve a c rea tive God, so be c rea tive in yourworship back to Him!


PRAY: Let s Prac tice ABC Prayer tod ay think of som ething or som eo ne youc an pray for that sta rts with ea c h lette r of the a lphabe t. Ask God to help youthink as you d o this. Let him spea k to you as you p ray!

A -

B -C -

D -

E -

F -

G -

H -

I -

J -

K -

L -

M -

N -

O -

P -

Q -

R -

S -

T -

U -V -

W -

X -

Y -

Z -


20/29

Read Philippians 3:4-11 (yes, rea d the same passage as Tuesday)

Paul gets very b lunt in verses 7 and 8. Theres a word he uses tha t in Greek(the orig ina l language Philipp ians was written in) c a lled skuba lon . Your

Bib le p robably transla tes it to garbage or rubb ish. This is a very kindtransla tion. If transla ted litera lly, the word mea ns exc rem ent. Paul says tha the c onsiders anything else c om pared to follow ing Jesus to be a b ig p ile o fpoop.

Sometimes we tame dow n how God is c a lling us to live b ec ause it can ge ttough. We have to make a c hoic e on who or wha t we will love the most.

In your mind , take some time to fill in this b lank:

Jesus or _______________?

Fill the b lank in with the people o r things you love. As you menta lly fill in theb lank with those peop le or things, ask yourself the following questions:Whic h one c ontrols me mo re?Whic h one do I love more?Whic h one should I love m ore?If I c ould c hoo se only one , whic h one wo uld I honestly c hoose?

These are some tough q uestions to wrestle through, but ultima tely, Paulrem inds us tha t everything is skuba lon c omp ared to Jesus Christ!

In the space below, write out what you filled the blank in with and some ofyour thoughts concerning the questions above.

PRAY: If you a re honestly willing to say, I want to live a live tha t c hoosesJesus over anything e lse, p ray prayers of surrender tod ay, laying down thepeop le a nd things to God. Let Him know tha t you desire to have Him b e THEpriority in your life.


21/29

SLOW DOWN: Just hit pause on everything else. Ge t in a spot where youwo n t be d istrac ted . Pic ture just you and God hang ing toge ther for the nextlittle bit.

PRAY: Ask God to spea k to you as you a re going to rea d his word.

READ: Philippians 3:12-21RESPOND: To the following questions




PRAY: Pray a bo ut what you ve read tod ay, and ask God to help you put itinto p rac tic e in the way you have journaled ab ove.


22/29

Read through Philippians completely.Keep a pen or a highlighter handy, marking out any verses or phrases fromCha pters 1-3 that just keep jump ing out to you. As you read Cha pters 4, try toc apture the b ig idea s Paul is throw ing out there.


Ad d this verse/ passage to the o thers in c hap ters 1 and 2 that you p lan tome morize! Work on g ett ing these verses (and whe re they a re found)c ommitted to m emory over this weekend.

How are you doing on follow through with commitments you made at Camp?

PRAY: Sc hool is d rawing c loser. Take some time this wee kend to Claim YourCa mpus for Jesus. Ask Go d to do a move in your sc hool. Ask Him wha t yourrole is supposed to be as we take this next yea r to Claim our Ca mp usesthrough p rayer and see God do something in our sc hools GREATER THAN hehas ever done before.

Maybe even write out your prayer below:


23/29

Read Philippians 4:1-7Verses 4-6 are c hucked full of some g rea t a dvic e.

Which piece of advice especially hits you and why?

Paul then g ives us a p romise.

What is that promise in verse 7?

Do you fee l like the promise of verse 7 is present in your life? YES NO

Go d does not b rea k His p romises. If verse 7 is not p resent, it p robab ly mea nstha t something in ve rses 4-6 is not ta king p lac e. Let s do a little eva luation.

Put an X oon the scale how you think you are doing in each ca tegory:

Rejoice in the Lord always:__________________________________________________

All the Time 1/ 2 the time Never

Let your gentleness be evident to a ll:__________________________________________________

To everyone To Some To None

Do not be anxious about anything:__________________________________________________

Never Anxious Sometimes Anxious Always Anxious

Taking everything to God in Prayer:__________________________________________________

Praying like crazy Sometimes Praying Never Praying

As you look at your responses above, what do you think needs to take placeto find yourself living in the promise of verse 7?

PRAY: Ask God for help where you fee l weak. If you re strugg ling withRejoic ing , ask for perspec tive. If strugg ling with gentleness ask for it. If you rec onsta ntly anxious, ask God to c a lm yo u. If your struggling to p ray, DO IT!


24/29


Often, I will run my life through what I c a ll the Philipp ians 4:8-9 test.

For instanc e, I have the op portunity to go out with a group of friend s for anight of fun. In the a c tivities we ha ve outlined doing, I c an ask the q uestionIs wha t we a re a bout to d o true?Is wha t we a re a bout to d o nob le?Is wha t we a re a bout to d o p ure a nd lovely?Is wha t we a re a bout to d o a dm irab le?Is wha t we a re a bout to do exc ellent o r p ra iseworthy?

I c an do the same thing with the ente rta inment I am taking in (movies, music ,internet, etc .) Is wha t Im abo ut to wa tc h true, nob le, pure, love ly, etc

I c an run my interac tions (texts, wa ll posts, phone c a lls, fac e to fac ec onversations) through the test. Is wha t Im a bout to say true, nob le, pure,love ly, etc

Run the test in your life right now. Take an ac tivity with friends, a p iec e o fente rta inment or a c onve rsation that is c om ing up and ask the questions.

How did your potential actions stack up?

Recommendation: This is a grea t ve rse to write out a nd put som ew here a s areminder.

PRAY: Pray Philipp ians 4:8-9 today. Simp ly take your ac tivities tha t you haveahea d and ask God to a llow them to stac k up to this passage.

For example: God, as I go to the p rac tic e, help m e to spea k and live truth. Help m e to a c tin a nob le ma nner. Help me to keep my hea rt and mind p ure, and to thinkabout things that are love ly and not evil. Help m e to p rac tic e in a wa y tha twould be a dmirab le to others. Help me to g ive my b est that it might bec onsidered excellent a nd b ring pra ise to you!


25/29

Its a Worship Wednesday.

Worship God in a way you have neve r done before. Remember, worship issimp ly putt ing your mind s a ttention a nd hea rt s a ffec tion on God. Think

outside the box.


PRAY: Let s Prac tic e ABC Prayer aga in today, but let s have it be a ll p rayersof Thanksg iving. Come up with a way to thank God for som ething orsomeone who sta rts with every let ter!

A -

B -

C -D -

E -

F -

G -

H -

I -

J -

K -L -

M -

N -

O -P -

Q -

R -

S -

T -

U -

V -

W -

X -

Y -

Z -


26/29


Im fa irly c onvinced tha t Philipp ians 4:13 is a verse tha t we often use in thewrong way. You ve seen it the quarterbac k has won the big game o r themusic ian has wo n the b ig awa rd . Everything ha s been pe rfec t and e xac tlythe way they wa nted , and they say, I c an do a ll things throug h Christ whostreng thens me (tha t s the KJV style of the verse). Is tha t wha t Paul is rea llysaying? Tha t if you a re a Christian, you ll a lways win a nd finish in first?

Go back and reread verses 10-12.Paul is c lea rly saying tha t things may or may not go his way. He may or maynot get exac tly what he wants. He ma y or he ma y not win.

In your own words, rewrite Philippians 4:13 to sum up what you think Paul istrying to get at:

Now, take some time to think about that key wo rd that is pop p ing up aga inand aga in, attitude.

How does your attitude stack up to Pauls attitude in this passage?

CHECK IT OUT: Log on to www.iamsecond.com and c hec k out Texas andNFL quarterback Colt Mc Coys story as a grea t rem inder of wha t it loo ks liketo live out Philipp ians 4:13.

PRAY: Think through situa tions and rela tionships tha t espec ia lly c ould use thea ttitude a nd hea rt behind Philipp ians 4:10-13. Give these situa tions over toGo d and ask Him to d o His work.


27/29

SLOW DOWN: Just hit pause on everything else. Ge t in a spot where youwo n t be d istrac ted . Pic ture just you and God hang ing toge ther for the nextlittle bit.

PRAY: Ask God to spea k to you as you a re going to rea d his word.

READ: Philippians 4:14-23RESPOND: To the following questions




PRAY: Pray a bo ut what you ve read tod ay, and ask God to help you put itinto p rac tic e in the way you have journaled ab ove.


28/29

Read through Philippians completely.


Ad d this verse/ passage to the o thers in chap ters 1 - 3 tha t you a reme morizing! Work on gett ing these verses (and where they a re found)c ommitted to m emory over this weekend.

As you look back over your journey through Philippians, what are the biggestlessons you will be taking with you? (ma ke a list below)

PRAY: Pray throug h the list above . Also p ray that God will guide you in your

TAWG for the days to c om e.Maybe even write out your prayer below:


29/29

Co ngratulat ions, you have just finished 4 weeks of regula r Time Alone WithGod. You a re well on your wa y to develop ing a hab it that will revo lutionize

your relationship with Christ. As you c onsider wha t s next fo r you, remem ber,this is a relationship. It s a ll about opening yourself up to Him, and gett ing toknow Him.

So, where d o you go from here? Heres a few idea s:

1. Take a book of the Bible and go for it! If youve been paying c loseattention, you have lea rned a very valuab le w ay to rea d sc rip ture.Induc tive Bib le Stud y is simply where you rea d a sec tion o f sc rip ture,c onsider what hits you, why it hits you, and wha t you need to do b ec ause ofit. Some possib le books of the Bib le to g o with:

MarkRomansJamesEphesiansColossians

2. Proverbs a.m./ Psalm p.m.: Take a m onth whe re every morning you rea d ac hapter of Proverbs in the morning , and a Psa lm a t night. Proverbs is a boo kof wisdom , whic h will be g rea t to read as you hea d into your day. Psa lm is150 different worship songs, which is a grea t way to c lose your day.

3. Resources at the NEXT STEP Stations: We have several grea t d evotiona lsava ilab le fo r purchase a t our Ministry Center in the Grand Ha ll. Grab one

and go for it!4. Look for more: As we head into the Fa ll, look for other TAWG journals like the

one you rec eived a fter c am p to po tentia lly bec ome ava ilable.

Above a ll, remember If you want to grow in your walk with God , there isnothing GREATER THAN TAWG. God has a fanta stic p lan for your life, and if you

seek Him with a ll your heart, you will find Him.

You a re loved ,

The Stud ent Ministries Sta ff

post-camp devotional sr high (web)

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