Prayer: Father, may the men who read today’s journal, engage with You in word and Spirit in a greater way in 2025. May they grow in wisdom, power, and strength. May they grow closer to You! Amen.
Reading: Ephesians 4:17-24 “So I tell you this, indeed I insist on it in the Lord—walk no longer as the pagans do, stumbling around in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance in them due to the hardness of their heart. Since they are past feeling, they have turned themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of immorality, with greed for more. However, you did not learn Messiah in this way— if indeed you have heard Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Yeshua. With respect to your former lifestyle, you are to lay aside the old self corrupted by its deceitful desires, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self—created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Attention: Paul’s exhortation to all followers of Yeshua, is my desire today. “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new self—created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” He uses the same language to the Roman followers, “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2).”
The Greek word for perfect, mature, is “teleois”: grown, mature (when used of persons), perfect (when used of Yeshua), complete. I have used the illustration of biological growth. As a baby we nurse, grow to a highchair, and then we get to sit at the table and use a spoon to feed ourselves. In our spiritual growth, let us not expect to sit in a highchair all our lives. Let us grow expecting to come to the table and feed ourselves.
The journals which you have read are the product of the journaling method which I created and published in a book titled, Choose Life Journal. I share with you the tools and methodology to use in growing in Jesus’ image and putting on the new self which Paul exhorts us toward.
May you find and develop a deeper walk with God through the word and spirit. May you engage with the Holy Spirit in a lifetime journey of faith.
Action: I choose to allow the Holy Spirit to mentor me in 2025 and until the Lord returns.
Yield: I choose to submit to the Holy Spirit’s mentoring for the rest of my life!
Engage: I choose to engage with the Holy Spirit in being transformed into Yeshua’s image.
Relationship: I choose to live in holy, intimate, obedient relationship with God.
Prayer: Father, a relationship with You is forged in a lifetime process of mentorship with the Holy Spirit. May those reading today be willing to develop a disciplined time in the word and Spirit. Amen.
Memory Verse: 2 Timoty 2:15 “Make every effort to present yourself before God as tried and true, as an unashamed worker cutting a straight path with the word of truth.”
Music Video: CityALight—Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me https://youtu.be/zundjUFazfg?si=HsAgHqhnC8zeTo1q
Remember, “Abide in Yeshua, today!”