Thriving in IsolationSample

HEAR AND OBEY THE WORD

Jesus doesn’t just want people to learn more and more about him. Jesus wants disciples, followers, ambassadors who will obediently do what he commands and represent the best interests of His Kingdom. Hearing from God and obeying what he says is a crucial part of being a follower of Jesus.



In what is commonly referred to as the Great Commission, Jesus gives very specific instructions. He begins by underscoring his own authority to make commands. Then, he commands his disciples to go out and make more disciples. What are the defining characteristics of a disciple in this passage? They identify with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit through baptism and they obey his commands. Notice that Jesus doesn’t say that they know his commands, but that they obey his commands.



Go back and look at yesterday’s passage and journal entry. Did you DO anything in response to what you read? Did it change the way you think, act, speak, or believe? In the Old Testament, the word for HEAR and OBEY are the same word. They are two sides to the same coin.



So, once again, we want to show you how to do the SOAPS journaling pattern. Don’t just learn how to do these things - put them into practice with today’s passage.

• Scripture: Summarize the Scripture in your own words. Don’t interpret it yet, just boil it down to a few summary sentences.


• Observation: Write down what this passage teaches about God (his character, the way he acts, what he loves, etc) and about people (our tendencies, what is expected of us, our needs, etc).


• Application: What would it look like to live this passage out today? Is there a sin to avoid, a promise to cling to, an example to follow, or a command to obey? Write down what you think God wants you to do.


• Prayer: Write down a prayer to God, telling him what you’ve learned and asking him to help you live this truth out today.


• Share: Take a moment and ask God who would benefit from hearing what you discovered today. Write down their name and share with that person today!