RESTORED Week 1 - Welcome to the Family! (What it really means to be Born Again) Devotional

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Day 1

Watch the teaching

Watch the Video for Week One: “Welcome to the Family!”

Scriptures Mentioned Today

1 John 3:1
John 3:3-8
Proverbs 4:18
2 Corinthians 5:14-17

Your Notes from the Teaching

Your notes from the teaching

Day 2

Start feeding your Spirit!!

Your Spirit needs to be fed! Find a way that works for you to put into practice the three habits that feed your Spirit: (Prayer, Scripture reading , and Worship).

For some, it works best to begin the day connecting with God, but if you are a “night owl,” it may be best after your day is done. What matters most is that you find a way that works so that these can become a regular part of your life.

Prayer: Keep it short and simple. We will break down "The Lord’s Prayer” in a later lesson

but if you’ve never learned it, it can be found in Matthew 6:5-15. Everything you need to know about prayer can be found in that passage.

Scripture: There are scriptures that go along with each teaching in this series, but if you

would like to begin a scripture reading plan of your own on top of that, many find it helpful to read a Psalm each day. (There are 150 of them, so that will last quite a while).

Worship: At first, you can learn the songs that were sung on Sunday morning at church.

Write down the names of them and a simple search online will usually take you right to the song. Listen along, and then sing along out loud. We will learn more about worship as we go along, but for now, find the songs that move you – that seem to connect with something deep inside. Learn those and let those stir in your heart all day long.

Your response

Day 3

What’s your testimony of Jesus?

Don’t forget to pray, read and worship today!

What’s your story? As you were exhorted in the teaching this week, write down the highlights of your “testimony” (your eyewitness account of how God reached out to you, saved you, and invited you into this journey with Him). In a sense, your testimony is what you would say if someone asks you: “Why did you decide to follow Jesus?

Be ready to share this story with your cohort when you meet next.

Your response

Day 4

Leaving behind what’s behind

Don’t forget to pray, read and worship today!

Read over 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 (your bible has a table of contents in the front to help you find the pages, but this book is found in the New Testament (back half) of your bible.)

When you look at yourself “according to the flesh” (judging only by what you can observe without God’s insight) what do you see? If you are like most at this point, you see the things you are ashamed of, and wish were different. These are the things to be patient with yourself about. Remember, now that you have allowed Him to do His work, God is just beginning to work inside of you, and it will take time.

Take some time to give over to God all the things you are eager to see changed in your life. Literally say out loud, “God, I give over to your hand ______________, and trust you to change this in me.”

Ask God for the gift of patience as He begins to work deep inside you. Bear in mind – God is not about changing just our behavior, but our motives and our reasons for being the way we are. This is a much deeper work, and you may be surprised that God has different priorities than you do.

Don’t forget to enjoy the Journey as you and God do great things together! Remember —

You cannot finish by striving what God began by Grace.

Your response