Living Free - Dec. 4, 2012

Living Free Every Day®

"Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don't drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it." - 2 Corinthians 13:5 MSG

Thoughts for Today

Yesterday we considered the importance of taking a regular inventory of our lives. A good place to start is by examining our relationship with God. As you begin to do this, ask yourself some hard questions like these:

• Do I know God better today than I did last month or last year?
• Am I asking God about his plan for my life—or just forging on ahead, doing my own thing?
• Am I too busy for God?
• Am I persisting in some behavior that I know is displeasing to him?

Consider this …

You can trust Jesus to forgive your failures and give you the strength to get your life back on track. The changes might be small or large. The important thing is to always be moving in the right direction … toward God and his plan for your life.

Prayer

Father, I desire to grow in my walk with you, to know you better, to accomplish your plan for my life. As I celebrate the birth of your Son and all that he means to me, help me see the areas in my life that need change—and then to do something about it. In Jesus' name …

These thoughts were drawn from …

Stepping into Freedom: A Christ-Centered Twelve-Step Program by Jimmy Ray Lee, D.Min. This twelve-step program is suggested for use in support groups, recovery groups and home groups. It offers help for anyone struggling with a life-controlling problem like drug addiction, alcoholism, sexual addiction, gambling or workaholism. Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.