Proverbs 31:8 - Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.

THINK: If you watch the news or are active on social media, it seems like injustice exists everywhere. To be sure, there are many places around the world, and sometimes in our neighborhood, where people are mistreated. Since everyone has been created in God’s image
(Gen 1:27), everyone should be treated with respect.

Sadly, not every is able to care for themselves and many can become a victim of someone who wants to take advantage of them. Do you know someone like this? Maybe it is a loved one, friend, or acquaintance. How could you help them?

CHALLENGE: If you know someone who is being mistreated, pray and think about how you could help them. Can you stand up for them or get them the help they need? Perhaps a parent, teacher, or even someone in law enforcement should get involved to make sure that this person is able to be protected. If you feel scared, pray and ask that God would give you courage and wisdom to do the right thing. You might be just the person that God uses to make a huge difference in their life.


James 2:14-26: Faith In Action
"It is easier said than done" is a cliche that certainly applies to our Christian life. It is much easier to talk about God than to obey him. James said that even the demons believe there is one God. But that certainly does not make them Christians! That's why someone can have all his or her doctrine perfectly straight and still have missed out on God's will. James helps us stay on target.
Warm up
Have you ever felt like God wanted you to do (or not do) something?
Do you always do what God wants you to? (think honor your parents, share your faith, etc)
What has God been asking you to do that you have been ignoring?

Discovering the Word
·         According to James, what good is faith without deeds (vv. 14-17)? Explain why he says this.
·         How does James answer the objection "You have faith; I have deeds" (vv. 18-19)?
·         James gives two Old Testament examples of faith in action. The first is the familiar story of God testing Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham obeyed but was stopped by an angel at the last minute. How was Abraham's faith made complete by what he did (vv. 21-24)?
·         The second Old Testament example is Rahab, the prostitute who hid two Israelite spies sent to Jericho before Israel's attack. How did Rahab's belief affect her (v. 25)? 5. How does James's closing analogy (v. 26) summarize his teaching on faith and actions?
Apply the Word
·         How do your actions demonstrate the reality of your faith?
·         What do you need to change to make your actions reflect what you believe?
Pray

Ask God to help you follow through with the works that will reveal your true faith.
READ: Proverbs 4:25-27
“Let your eyes look directly forward,
     and your gaze be straight before you.
Ponder the path of your feet;
     then all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
     turn your foot away from evil.”

THINK: It’s difficult to make the right decisions. Everywhere we look, we’re faced with making more and more decisions. All of a sudden we are faced with making all our decisions. We no longer have mom and dad to make them for us. What does God’s Word have to say about this?

We can find wisdom in the words found in Proverbs. There are things we can do. If we keep our eyes where they need to be, temptation tends to fall away. When we think before we take that step into the unknown, there’s a better chance we will be on the right path. If we make straight our path by following God’s Word, we need not be overtaken in evil.

CHALLENGE: What do you find to be your biggest decision you must make? Take time to call on God and seek His answer in His Word. The answer is there.




READ: John 13:12-15

12 When Jesus had finished washing (his disciples’) feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

THINK:
Heels, arches, toes … our feet are a wondrous, sturdy, flexible, God-made creation.  Most Americans log an amazing 75,000 miles on their feet by the time they reach age 50!  In Jesus’ day people walked even more!  Taking care of the tootsies was a utmost concern and people tended to their feet every day.  In fact, when invited into the home of a host, a slave would often wash the guests’ feet as a health courtesy as well as a sign of hospitality.

So, when Jesus washed his disciples feet he humbled himself to the lowest level – that of a slave – to perform this  grimy task.

Flash forward to today - does that mean you should walk around seeking to wash people’s feet?  Well, maybe.  But in this story Jesus is also suggesting we think about his submission and service.  After all, Jesus' sacrifice – his death – was necessary in order for his disciples, then and now, to receive eternal life.

CHALLENGE:
Ask yourself the question that Jesus asked his disciples: “Do you understand what I have done for you?”  Do you need to put aside any partialities or prejudices of society to follow Jesus’ radical example?  Spend time in prayer thanking Jesus for all he has done. Then share with someone how you can change your thinking in order to walk in Jesus’ footsteps.   
By now, you can see the end. The end of the fast. Less than 1 week away and you are wondering where all that time went. Today is a day of reflection. 

Answer the following questions:
  • Honestly, how hard has the fast been?
  • When you started to fast, you had some goals in mind... how did you do?
  • What could have made this fast better and more effective in your spiritual growth?
  • If there were some things that you wanted to do, but didn't... what kept you from doing them?
  • Are those reasons going to still be the same excuses after the fast?
  • What are some things you are willing to give up in order to spend time with God?
It will be easy to answer these... the trick will be what you do with the answers. Take some time and get together with a couple friends who have been doing the fast and discuss the questions together... then pray for each other.
DEVOTIONAL
THE BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE 
RECAP: PROVERBS 1:7
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”


            This fascinating phrase does not, of course, mean that it’s smart to be scared of God.  After all, Adam and Eve were scared of God after the first sin.  They ran away and tried to hide, which wasn’t smart at all!  First off, they couldn’t really hide from God.  And second, only by running to God rather than away from Him could they have found relief from their guilt.
            No, the “fear of the Lord” isn’t being scared at all.  What it means here, and in most Old Testament texts, is simply to have respect for God; to be fully aware and in awe of the fact that He is living and present.
            This, the fact that we take God’s existence and His presence into account when thinking about any issue or making any decision is, “fear of the Lord.”  And this, taking God’s existence and presence into account, is the beginning of knowledge.  If we take God into account, we look to Him for guidance.  And we find it, for “the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (2:6).
            What a blessing to be among those who fear God and look to Him for wisdom. 
            But what a challenge to realize that we are responsible to live wisely.   We are called not simply to know the will of God, but to let wisdom “enter your heart” so that we will “walk in the ways of good men and keep to paths of the righteous.  (vv. 10, 20)

 PERSONAL APPLICATION
God’s wisdom is displayed in the way we live, not in what we say.

QUOTABLE

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise.  Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it.  There is no fool so great as the knowing fool.  But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.” ---Charles H. Spurgeon
READ: Proverbs 22:24-25
“Make no friendship with a man given to anger,
       nor go with a wrathful man,
lest you learn his ways
       and entangle yourself in a snare.”

THINK: We can spend time with a person that gets mad real easily, but according to Proverbs there is the opportunity to learn from this person their way of handling problems. Anger is not a sign of being great. Anger only tends to get us into more trouble than we can handle.

When was the last time you became angry? How did you handle it? Better still, how did Jesus handle His anger (Mark 3:5; Luke 23:34). Anger is a God given emotion, but the question we must answer is: Will we handle it, or will it handle us.


CHALLENGE: Who is the person you hang out with that is given to anger? Is this the person you want to become? Who do you know that handles their anger in a godly way? Ask God to help you find people to surround yourself with that are not given to anger.
READ: Philippians 4:6-7 
…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

THINK: Many things in our life can make us worry or cause stress:  school work, responsibilities, certain relationships, or just the unknown on what will happen next.  At times of worry, we tend to rely only on ourselves and our own abilities to calm us down, to try to remove it, we work harder, we do things to fix it, or pretend it is not there and hope it will go away.  God’s word reminds us that we have an unbelievably powerful tool available to us to help us through the times of difficulty, worry and stress – God’s peace!   A peace that goes beyond anything that we can think of, understand, or do that will help the situation.  How we obtain this peace is it to bring our worries to God in prayer, and by doing that His Peace will “guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus”. 

Does this mean the problems you are dealing with will miraculously go away, or life becomes problem free?  No.  But it does give you a peace, and helps you through difficult circumstances.  By praying your worries to God, you release your burdens to Him, and rely on God to help you deal with your life circumstances and help you through times of worry.  Trust in God!


CHALLENGE: What are your biggest worries, or things in your life today that make you anxious? As Philippians 4:6-7 states, make those known to God in prayer.  Also, if you want someone to pray with you, share it with your small group leader.

Proverbs 19:1 – Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.

THINK: Everyone (well, most people) wants to be an honest person. But, it is easier said than done. It can be easy with some parts of our life to tell the truth, but when we want to impress others or look good to our friends and family, it can be tempting to lie or mislead them. Whether you tell outright lies or say things that are sort of true, but trick people into believing something wrong, both are wrong and can cost your integrity.
You don’t have to tell everyone everything that is on your mind, but whatever you say must be honest. God knows that it can be risky for us to tell the truth, but it is so important that He says in this proverb that our honesty is worth more than money. Whatever you gain (maybe respect or money) is not worth trading it for your integrity.

CHALLENGE:  When we try to impress others it can be easy to say the wrong thing so we look. The next time that happens, remember that everything we do should be for God’s glory (1 Cor 10:31), not your glory. Trust Him enough to be honest in everything you say (and don’t forget to be kind!).


Today, write down all the positive experiences and outcomes of your fast up to this point. As you reflect back, notice how often God showed up. Maybe it was a time when you were tempted, and you realized it and walked away. Maybe you told a friend what you were doing and they decided to listen to something else or do something else (that's being authentic AND influential). Whatever it was, realize that it was because the Holy Spirit was alive and working through you or the circumstance.


Of course writing this stuff down and remembering is the easy part... the hard part is sharing what you realized... but today, share it with your parent or significant adult. Tell them what you've learned from this fast... you can also post it on ourthirty but make sure you actually talk to your parent about what you've noticed... you will blow them away.


And remember, God gets all the glory... He's the One who's been holding you together in the first place (remember laminin?).

Read through 1 John 4 today
- What sticks out to you in those verses?
- What do you need to work on in your personal life?

Finally, spend some time praying and thanking God for how He's used this fast in your life...
READ: Proverbs 18:13
“If one gives an answer before he hears,
    it is his folly and shame.”

THINK: You go to school and take classes in math, English, health science, and so on, but how many classes do you take that helps you learn how to listen? Mom and dad are constantly reminding you to pay attention and listen. A man of great wisdom tells us that if we speak before we hear what is being said, we find that we tend to embarrassed ourselves and are shamed by our peers.

How do we learn to listen effectively? What source would we consult? Would God’s Word have anything to say on the subject? It’s difficult to learn from older people, but what about your grandpa or grandma? Would they help you find out what God has to say on the subject of listening?

CHALLENGE: Search out an older person that you have confidence in and ask them to help you learn how to listen properly. The body of believers are here to help you become all God wants you to be (Eph. 4:11-16).


DEVOTIONAL
THE MEASURE OF A FRIEND
READ: PROVERBS 18:24

“A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.”
            Abraham Lincoln once said, “Die when I may, I would like it to be said of me, that I always pulled up a weed and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.”
            A popular song once proclaimed that, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love, that’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.”
            These two quotes remind us that our attitude grossly affects our altitude.
How high we reach, to what honorable heights we excel, will be determined by the spirit of our heart. 
            Although no one ever rises above the level of his or her thinking, a person can rise much higher when the level is lofty instead of lowly.  If we really want to see positive change in our families, churches, and communities, then our thinking and our attitudes must begin to reflect and resemble that of Christ.  We must learn to think of others before we seek to satisfy self.  We must learn to be the type of “friend that sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).
            Who doesn’t need a friend? Though it seems that starting friendships is relatively easy, the art of cultivating them is often more difficult. But as Disciples of Christ we must seek to establish and develop meaningful friendships with others, for by doing so we perform the work of Christ.  Thus, we must be like Christ and be the kind of friend who is always interested in fostering new friendships as well as rebuilding broken ones.

Personal application
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.            (PROVERBS 22:1)

QUOTABLE

 “When we as Christians are beset by the works of an unseen foe, we are also befriended by the work of an Unseen Friend.  Great is our adversary, but greater is our Ally.” –our friend, the Lord Jesus Christ. ____ Vance Havner
Beholding the Glory of God


  •  Read Romans 8:28-33 (God the Father)


            1.         What is the Father aiming to accomplish in you “in all things” (see                                             verse 29)? His goal is your utter transformation. In what ways do you trust His plan and faithfulness?

            2.         If He is helping you become like Jesus “in all things,” how will this                                              impact your thoughts and longings? What if you were able to face                                             your current trial with the mind of Jesus? How would your response                           be different?

Read Romans 8:33-39 (God the Son)

            1.         What is Jesus doing on behalf of the saint (see verse 34)? How are you                                  comforted that Jesus is interceding for you at this time?

            2.         As a result of His completed work on the cross, what are you now                                             promised (see verses 35-39)?

Read Romans 8:26-27 (God the Holy Spirit)

            1.         What is the Spirit doing for you in your weakness (see verse 26)?

            2.         What do you think about the Spirit praying perfect prayers for you on your                                behalf (see verse 27)? Speak to Him from your heart. He is listening.

Meditation:

            Romans 8:26-39 exhibits that the entire Trinity is working on your behalf right now. The entire Godhead is committed to loving you, changing you, and sustaining you. Think on these things. Spend the next few minutes praying and considering God’s love, favor, kindness, patience, and faithfulness towards you. How has He strengthened you in your suffering? How has He been faithful to forgive when you sin? What blessings has He provided for you today? Have you enjoyed a good meal recently? How does this express God’s kindness towards you?







[1]Modified from: ©2014, Association of Biblical Counselors For use by current members.
Created by Jeremy A. Lelek, Ph.D., LPC 
"Be still and know that I am God"  What does it mean to be still before God? 

As you read your Bible...as you talk to God....Stop and listen in a quiet place where there are no distractions.
Go for a walk, sit by a stream, lay on the grass and watch the clouds. 
Take time to really hear the Lord. Let Him speak to your heart! He is your very best friend. 

"Be still and get to know Him"

Wisdom vs. Foolishness

READ: Proverbs 8

THINK: It's interesting to read the first 10 chapters of Proverbs... in fact, it seems a bit confusing at first. We remember some verse from the first 4 chapters... Proverbs 1:7, 3:5-6; 4:23... but then Solomon starts referring to an adulterous woman and wisdom is a woman calling from the streets... it's all a bit strange. Maybe it will help to understand the culture and look through the eyes of Solomon. Solomon, while the wisest man who ever lived, also had some issues. He did have hundreds of wives and concubines. Now culturally, this was normal, but this was still what God intended. It seems that women had an influence in Solomon's life which may have contributed to his issues as king of Israel. If you look at how his kids ended up, you might see why multiple "mommies" and a gigolo daddy is not a good idea. This also lends to why he is using the illustration of how women can draw a man to foolish actions or wise actions.

What is interesting in Proverbs 8 is the contrast between this woman, calling men to to seek wisdom, to trust God. In verses 35-36, we see the benefits of following God's instructions as opposed to the inevitable demise of someone who does not. In view of Solomon's life, it's almost ironic. 

DO: So what are you seeking? What draws your interest? Take a personal look at your life this week... as you look back, what pulled you to make foolish decisions? What (or who) has influenced you to make wise decisions? Then determine what or who you will allow to invest in your time and decisions.

Fear

READ: Proverbs 1

"The fear of the Lord brings wisdom..."

THINK: I am convinced that the majority of our problems with sin, with people, with ourselves, is that we devalue "the fear of God" and we overvalue our next breath. We focus more on our feelings, our desires, and our future, while forgetting Who owns the next breath we breathe. Christians have presented God as loving, kind, patient, full of grace, and forgiving... All true. But look at any character in the Bible who came face-to-face (or even close to it) in the Old Testament AND New Testament, and here is a common theme... FEAR. Not the kind of fear like "God is awesome and unimaginable but He loves you and won't hurt you" fear. But a crippling, blinding, mess your pants fear... The kind of fear that makes you fall to your knees because you are going to die.

Think about this... You want wisdom? Do you want to be considered "wise" or "foolish"? Well if you want to be foolish, then chances are you will probably understand the fear of God at the worst possible moment and probably too late to do anything about it. But if you want to be wise, then maybe it's time to imagine what God is really like. So take a deep breath... Because it may be your last.

DO: Stop what you are doing... Turn off the music... Shut off the TV... Get out your Bible and read Revelations 4-5. Imagine what John is describing... That is the very God who holds your every breath, every heartbeat in His hands.

Proverbs 1

READ Proverbs 1

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7

THINK This fascinating phrase does not, of course, mean that it’s smart to be scared of God.  After all, Adam and Eve were scared of God after the first sin.  They ran away and tried to hide, which wasn’t smart at all!  First off, they couldn’t really hide from God.  And second, only by running to God rather than away from Him could they have found relief from their guilt.
            
No, the “fear of the Lord” isn’t being scared at all.  What it means here, and in most Old Testament texts, is simply to have respect for God; to be fully aware and in awe of the fact that He is living and present.
            
This, the fact that we take God’s existence and His presence into account when thinking about any issue or making any decision is, “fear of the Lord.”  And this, taking God’s existence and presence into account, is the beginning of knowledge.  If we take God into account, we look to Him for guidance.  And we find it, for “the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (2:6).
            
What a blessing to be among those who fear God and look to Him for wisdom. 
            
But what a challenge to realize that we are responsible to live wisely.   We are called not simply to know the will of God, but to let wisdom “enter your heart” so that we will “walk in the ways of good men and keep to paths of the righteous.  (vv. 10, 20)

APPLY
God’s wisdom is displayed in the way we live, not in what we say.

QUOTABLE
“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise.  Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it.  There is no fool so great as the knowing fool.  But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.” ---Charles H. Spurgeon