Day 1 – READ EXODUS 6:6-7

Write down the five promises God gives to the Israelites. (Hint, each promise starts with “I will”) Everything in the Old Testament anticipates Christ. The passage you read is what God promised to the Israelites while they were in slavery in Egypt. It is right here in these verses that God shares His will for all of mankind. Have you asked the question what is God’s will for my life?  Grab your pencil because you are about to read His answer as He says “I will…” Read Exodus 6:6-7 and write it out.
The first three lines is what God has done to make His will possible. Jesus has already accomplished this on the cross. The last two “I will” statements in the list are His WILL for your life… to be His. God wants to walk in an intimate, right relationship. Think about how He initially created Adam and Eve. They walked with God freely in the Garden. They lived in an intimate relationship with God until they sinned. God’s will is to restore this broken relationship and walk with you forever. It’s that simple. That is God’s will.

Day 2 – READ MATTHEW 6:9-10

What is the first thing Jesus teaches His disciples to pray?
If you have grown up in church, you have probably recited the Lord ’s prayer many times. It’s not a coincidence that God’s will is Jesus’ top priority in prayer. God’s will should be the most important thing. We need to always be focused on striving to align ourselves with His will. This will be easy to do in eternity. It takes relying on God while on earth.
Look back to your fill in the blank list from Day #1. Re-write it and note the reference to Exodus 6:6-7.
Since the day you were born you have been burdened with sin. The Bible calls this problem imputed sin (Romans 5:12). God promised that He would solve this problem. In His list of “I wills” #1-3 sums up the work He did to reconcile our sin problem. He brought you out. Another way to say this is “set you apart” (Galatians 1:15). He delivered you from the bondage of sin (Galatians 5:1) and He has redeemed you with an outstretched arm by dying on the cross (Ephesians 1:7). He will one day return and redeem you from the presence of sin through great judgments of the wicked world (1 Corinthians 15:23-24). This is the “plan of salvation.” This is the message of the Gospel. This is the goal of evangelism. This is how God has reconciled your relationship. The last two promises in Exodus 6:7 is how God begins the process of restoration of relationship. He makes you His own and in doing so asks you to be like Him. (Ephesians 5:1-2) Once your relationship is reconciled with God, you are now His and are afforded the opportunity to become like Him. This is why He made you in His own image. (Genesis 1:27) To become like Him you must walk with Him. The goal of discipleship is to grow your walk with God. It is what God has set in place while you live on earth-to start doing what you will do in heaven for eternity… walk with God.

DID YOU KNOW

Reconciliation of relationship is the goal of evangelism. Growing in your walk with God is the goal of discipleship. True growth comes from being taught and serving others.

Day 3It might seem redundant but it is important you understand what God’s will is for you and the goal of discipleship. Write out a list of 5 promises listed in Exodus 6:6-7.
Note which ones have to do with reconciliation or relationship.
Note which ones have to do with restoration of an intimate walking relationship.
Go back through all the verses listed yesterday. Read them and write them out next to the corresponding promise from Exodus 6:6-7.

Day 4 – READ JEREMIAH 29:11

What does God promise you?
It is a common question… what is God’s will? You now know the answer to this. It’s the same for every person to ever walk on earth. Many people join in and some do not. God’s plan for you is different than His will, yet His plan is not APART from His will. They co-exist together. God’s will is to be in a right relationship with you where you walk with Him and He calls you His. His plan for you has to do with what He has mapped out specifically for you to do. This involves the spiritual gifts He has given you, your background, your circumstances, your personality, your talents, your job, your family, your ministry and so much more. Confused? Here is an example from the Bible.
Esther was a Jewish girl who became a Persian Queen. God’s will for her was to walk with Him in an intimate, right relationship. His plan for her was to place her as Queen at the right time so she could save her people from annihilation.
Peter was a simple fisherman who became one of the 12 disciples. God’s will for him was to walk with Him in an intimate, right relationship. His plan for Peter was to be bold, preach the Gospel to the Jews and lead the early church.
Paul was a proud religious leader who persecuted Christians. God’s will for him was to walk with Him in an intimate, right relationship. His plan for Paul was to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles and write God’s word in letters… which would become the majority of the text of the New Testament.
Do you see the difference in God’s will and plan? God’s will is the same for all of the examples, but His plan is unique and different for each of them.  Every person, including you has a plan for their life. A plan that cannot be recognized until you start to walk intimately with God.
Tomorrow you are going to learn how God uses discipleship to not only grow your walk with the Lord but also help you find your purpose. From what you have learned today, how do you think discipleship can help you see what God has planned for you?

MEMORIZE EPHESIANS 2:10

Day 5 – READ JOHN 1:35-42

What happens in this passage? Who is involved? What does John the Baptist do for his disciples?
This story is often overlooked in the Bible. You have read it once but today the focus will be on John the Baptist. John the Baptist had disciples. These men were spending time with John the Baptist and learning from him. John the Baptist did the exact thing every person who is discipling another should do… point their disciples to Christ. Peter was actually a disciple of John but wasn’t there that day. His brother was and eventually went to get him to meet Jesus. It was through spending time with John the Baptist that Peter had the opportunity to meet Jesus. It was when he began to walk with Jesus that he grew in his relationship with Him and eventually learned what God had planned for Him. The same is true for the other two examples listed yesterday. Esther was more than likely taught about the God of her people by Mordecai, a relative who raised her. God used Mordecai to point her in the direction of God’s plan (Esther 4:14). Paul spent time with the disciples before he fully knew how he would share the Gospel with the Gentiles. The goal of discipleship is to grow your walk with God. The result of discipleship, as you grow more like Him, is to be able to recognize what God has purposed for you to do. What is the goal of discipleship? What is the result of growing in your walk with the Lord? How can these results impact the lives of those around you?