Study Guide: Week 6 (Days 36–42)
Day 36 – Your Choice: A Breeze or a Beating
Quote: “If you were to rise early every morning… it would keep it constantly in your head, that softness and idleness were to be avoided, that self-denial was a part of Christianity.” — William Law
The author shares a personal struggle with all-or-nothing thinking, moving from alcohol to other indulgences like ice cream. The key takeaway: 99% commitment leads to constant temptation, but 100% commitment makes obedience easier. By deciding in advance to abstain completely, the decision is already made when temptation arises. Romans 13:14 calls believers to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh.”
Prayer:
Father, You know the weakness of my heart and the pull of the sin that seeks to master me. Today I ask You to give me unwavering decisiveness, the resolve to say no every time, without hesitation, to that which dishonors You. Clothe me in the Lord Jesus Christ so that my life is guarded by His presence and power. Let there be no provision, no compromise, no open door for this sin. Make my heart steadfast so that no matter when, where, or how temptation comes, my answer is always no, for the sake of Your glory and my holiness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1
Paul, called by God’s will to be an apostle, addresses the church in Corinth, extending grace and peace. He expresses gratitude for the grace given to them in Christ, noting their enrichment in speech and knowledge, and assures them of God’s faithfulness. Paul appeals for unity among the believers, urging them to avoid divisions and quarreling over allegiance to different leaders. He emphasizes that Christ is not divided and that he was sent to preach the gospel, not to baptize. Paul contrasts worldly wisdom with the power of the cross, stating that the message of Christ crucified is seen as foolishness by many but is the power of God for those being saved. He reminds them that God chose the weak and foolish to confound the wise, ensuring that no one can boast before Him, and that their identity in Christ brings wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.✝
Discussion Questions:
- What areas of your life require a 100% “line in the sand” decision?
- How does advance decision-making help resist temptation?
Day 37 – No Pain, All Gain
Quote: “It is an abuse to confess any kind of sin… without a will to be delivered from it.” — Francis de Sales
Through an analogy about ignoring a doctor’s health advice, the author explains that confession without repentance is ineffective. True change requires turning from sin and toward Christ, replacing harmful habits with righteous actions. 2 Timothy 2:22 teaches us to flee sin and pursue righteousness with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
Prayer:
Lord, You see my sin more clearly than I do, and You love me enough to call me out of it. Give me the power to truly repent—to turn from sin and turn fully to Christ. Break my attachment to what harms me, and help me pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with a pure heart. Teach me to take each step in Your strength, one day at a time, until my life reflects the freedom You purchased for me. Amen.
Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 2
In this passage, Paul encourages Timothy to be strengthened by the grace of Christ and to share in suffering as a good soldier. He emphasizes the importance of teaching others and remaining focused on spiritual pursuits rather than civilian distractions. Paul reminds Timothy of the resurrection of Jesus and his own suffering for the gospel, asserting that God’s word remains unbound. He advises against quarrels and irreverent discussions, urging Timothy to present himself as an approved worker of God. The text highlights the need to cleanse oneself from dishonorable actions, pursue righteousness, and avoid foolish controversies. Finally, it calls for kindness and patience in teaching, with the hope of leading others to repentance and truth.✝
Discussion Questions:
- Why is confession without repentance ineffective?
- What specific steps can you take to replace sinful habits with godly ones?
Day 38 – Satan’s Sinister Strategy
Quote: “It is the prisoners, and the blind, and the leper, and the possessed… who are His special care.” — Andrew Jukes
The author recounts a conversation among church leaders where many confessed having suicidal thoughts, highlighting that such thoughts often stem from the enemy’s lies. The Bible links self-harm and suicide to demonic influence, showing Satan’s desire to destroy life. Believers must reject these lies, honor God with their bodies, and run to Him for healing. 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 reminds us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer
Father, You know the struggles that weigh on my heart and mind, and You see the battles I face that others may never know. Thank You for sending Jesus to rescue and heal the broken, the bound, and the hurting like me. Help me to reject the lies of the enemy and listen only to Your voice of truth. Remind me that I am not my own, but belong to You, bought at the greatest price. Fill me with Your Spirit’s power to honor You with my body and my life. Thank You for Your constant presence, unfailing love, and victorious strength. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Scripture Reading: Psalm 107
The text emphasizes gratitude towards the LORD for His enduring goodness and steadfast love. It encourages the redeemed to proclaim their deliverance from various troubles, including wandering in desolate places, imprisonment, and affliction due to sin. Each time the afflicted cried out to the LORD, He responded by delivering them from their distress, leading them to safety, healing, and providing sustenance. The passage highlights the LORD’s power over nature, calming storms and transforming desolate lands into fruitful ones. It illustrates the contrast between the fate of the wicked and the blessings bestowed upon the needy and upright. The text concludes with a call for wisdom, urging readers to reflect on the steadfast love of the LORD and to express their gratitude through thanksgiving and praise in communal settings. Overall, it serves as a reminder of divine intervention and the importance of recognizing and celebrating God’s wondrous works.✝
Discussion Questions:
- How can recognizing the source of destructive thoughts help in resisting them?
- What does it mean to honor God with your body?
Day 39 – I of the Hurricane
Quote: “Fallen man is… a rebel who must lay down his arms.” — C. S. Lewis
The author shares his personal story of total loss due to sin, leading to full surrender to Christ. Despite external chaos, surrender brought peace, purpose, and joy, like being in the calm eye of a hurricane. Habakkuk 3:16–19 shows us that even in loss, we can rejoice in the Lord, our strength.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus,
I come to You in the middle of my storm, surrounded by chaos, loss, and uncertainty. My heart trembles, my strength fails, and I cannot calm the winds on my own. But I know You are the One who speaks peace into the fiercest hurricane.
Be the center of my life, the still place in my storm. Take my fears, my failures, my broken pieces, and make them Yours. Fill me with Your peace that the world cannot give. Help me to trust You even when nothing makes sense, to rejoice in You when everything else is gone, and to rest in the strength only You provide. You are my Savior, my refuge, my peace. Be the I of my hurricane today and every day.
Amen.
Scripture Reading: Habakkuk 3
Habakkuk’s prayer expresses deep reverence and fear of the Lord’s power and works. The prophet acknowledges God’s splendor and might, recalling His past actions that shook nations and brought salvation to His people. Despite witnessing calamity and suffering, Habakkuk resolves to wait patiently for God’s intervention against invaders. He emphasizes unwavering faith, declaring that even in times of scarcity and hardship, he will rejoice in the Lord and find strength in Him. The prayer concludes with a note of triumph, as Habakkuk affirms that God empowers him to rise above challenges, likening his strength to that of a deer.✝
Discussion Questions:
- How does surrendering everything to Christ bring peace in chaos?
- What “hurricanes” in your life need Christ’s peace today?
Day 40 – Saved to Be Sent
Quote: “We have the means to evangelize our country; but they are slumbering in the pews of our churches.” — John R. W. Stott
The story of the Gerasene demoniac in Mark 5 illustrates that Jesus not only saves but also sends. After healing the man, Jesus told him to go home and tell others what God had done for him. The man obeyed, and people were amazed. Like him, we are called to share our testimony so others may know Christ.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for coming through the storm of sin and death to rescue me. Thank You for having mercy on me, clothing me in Your righteousness, and giving me a new mind and heart. I praise You for saving me when I was lost, bound, and without hope.
Now, Lord, I ask that You send me. Open my eyes to see the people around me who need to hear what You have done. Give me boldness to tell my story, that others may marvel at Your power and grace. Use my life as a testimony of Your mercy, for Your glory alone. Amen.
Scripture Reading: Mark 5
In the country of the Gerasenes, Jesus encounters a man possessed by an unclean spirit, living among tombs and exhibiting superhuman strength. The man, identifying himself as “Legion” due to the many demons within him, begs Jesus not to torment him. Jesus commands the spirits to leave the man and allows them to enter a herd of pigs, which then rush into the sea and drown. The herdsmen report this to the townspeople, who find the formerly possessed man now sane and clothed, leading them to fear and ask Jesus to leave. The man wishes to follow Jesus, but Jesus instructs him to share his story of healing with his friends.
Later, Jesus returns to a crowd where Jairus, a synagogue ruler, pleads for help for his dying daughter. As Jesus goes with him, a woman suffering from a long-term illness touches his garment and is healed. Jesus acknowledges her faith and assures her of her healing. Meanwhile, news arrives that Jairus’s daughter has died, but Jesus encourages him to believe. At Jairus’s home, Jesus raises the girl from the dead, commanding her to rise, and instructs her parents to keep the miracle private and provide her with food.✝
Discussion Questions:
- Why do you think Jesus told the man to stay and share his story locally?
- How can your personal testimony be a tool for evangelism?
Day 41 – Sold Out or Sell Out
Quote:
Still, as of old,
Man by himself is priced.
For thirty pieces Judas sold
Himself, not Christ.
— Hester H. Cholmondeley
The author likens being “sold out” for Christ to being firmly “nailed down” so that no temptation can sway you. Judas sold out Christ for thirty pieces of silver; we must resolve never to sell out Christ for temporary pleasures. Matthew 26:14–16 warns us of the cost of betrayal.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I declare today that I am Yours. No price the world offers and no temptation Satan presents is worth betraying You. I have been crucified with You, and my old life has been nailed to the cross.
I am sold out to You, Lord. Strengthen me when the pressure comes, guard my heart when sin entices, and remind me that Your love and grace are better than any fleeting pleasure. I will not sell out, because You bought me with Your blood. I belong to You forever. Amen.
Scripture Reading: Matthew 26
In this passage, Jesus predicts his impending crucifixion to his disciples, stating that he will be delivered up in two days during the Passover. Meanwhile, the chief priests and elders conspire to arrest and kill him, deciding against doing so during the feast to avoid public unrest. In Bethany, a woman anoints Jesus with expensive ointment, prompting criticism from the disciples, which Jesus defends as a preparation for his burial. Judas Iscariot then agrees to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
As the Passover approaches, Jesus instructs his disciples on where to prepare the meal. During the meal, he reveals that one of them will betray him, leading to sorrow among the disciples. Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper, symbolizing his body and blood, and foretells Peter’s denial. Later, in Gethsemane, Jesus prays in anguish, asking for strength to face his fate, while his disciples struggle to stay awake.
Judas arrives with a crowd to betray Jesus with a kiss, leading to his arrest. Despite a disciple’s attempt to defend him, Jesus emphasizes the necessity of fulfilling Scripture. He is taken to Caiaphas, where false witnesses attempt to incriminate him. Jesus remains silent until directly questioned about his identity, affirming he is the Christ, which leads to accusations of blasphemy and his condemnation to death. Meanwhile, Peter denies knowing Jesus three times, fulfilling Jesus’ earlier prediction, and he leaves in sorrow.✝
Discussion Questions:
- What does it mean to be “sold out” to Christ?
- What “price” would tempt you to compromise, and how can you guard against it?
Day 42 – Evicting Birds
Quote: “You can’t keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest.” — Attributed to Martin Luther
Using his wife’s battle with OCD, the author illustrates how intrusive thoughts are like birds, inevitable, but they don’t have to be entertained. Philippians 4:8–9 teaches believers to focus on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable, filling the mind with God’s truth for peace.
Prayer:
Father, thank You that I do not have to believe every thought that comes into my mind. Thank You that You have given me truth in Your Word to silence lies and temptations. When I set my thoughts on who You are, on Your goodness, purity, and faithfulness, You promise to fill me with Your peace. Keep my mind steady and my heart secure as I rest in the truth of Christ. Amen.
Scripture Reading: Philippians 4
The passage encourages believers to stand firm in the Lord and to resolve conflicts, specifically urging Euodia and Syntyche to agree. It emphasizes rejoicing in the Lord, being reasonable, and presenting requests to God through prayer, promising that His peace will guard their hearts. The text advises focusing on virtuous thoughts and practicing learned teachings. The author expresses gratitude for the Philippians’ concern and support, acknowledging their partnership in the gospel. He shares his contentment in all circumstances, attributing his strength to Christ. The passage concludes with greetings to the saints and a blessing of grace from the Lord Jesus Christ.✝
Discussion Questions:
- What are some “birds” (thoughts) you need to evict today?
- How can Philippians 4:8–9 reshape your thought life?
✝Excerpted from NIV Application Commentary, One-Volume Edition.