The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. from The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States "Am I defeated in any part of my life?" for Monday, 14 November 2016

[Material in this GPS is mainly drawn, or slightly adapted, from The Wesley Challenge: 21 Days to a More Authentic Faith, by Chris Folmsbee, to be published by Abingdon Press in March, 2017.]
The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. from The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States "Am I defeated in any part of my life?" for Monday, 14 November 2016
John 16:33 “I have said these things to you so that, united with me, you may have shalom. In the world, you have tsuris. But be brave! I have conquered the world!”
Romans 7:21 So I find it to be the rule, a kind of perverse “torah,” that although I want to do what is good, evil is right there with me! 22 For in my inner self I completely agree with God’s Torah; 23 but in my various parts, I see a different “torah,” one that battles with the Torah in my mind and makes me a prisoner of sin’s “torah,” which is operating in my various parts. 24 What a miserable creature I am! Who will rescue me from this body bound for death? 25 Thanks be to God [, he will]! — through Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord!
To sum up: with my mind, I am a slave of God’s Torah; but with my old nature, I am a slave of sin’s “Torah.”
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To admit that we are defeated is an act of courage. To admit that we need help is bravery. To admit that our stability, strength and sustainability come from God is an act of worship. We honor God when we declare our need for God’s help. The Psalms were filled with constant cries for help
and support. The apostle Paul memorably wrote, “I’ll gladly spend my time bragging about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power can rest on me….when I’m weak, then I’m strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
• In what areas of my life do you often feel defeated? What are the warning signs in your life that help you see your need for help and support? Is there anything that you could change, such as personal habits like healthier eating or exercise, that would help you overcome feeling defeated?
• Read this verse every day for the next week to remind yourself where your strength to overcome comes from: “The Lord is my solid rock, my fortress, my rescuer. My God is my rock—I take refuge in him!—he’s my shield, my salvation’s strength, my place of safety”
(Psalm 18:2). Consider printing the verse and putting it in a place where you will see it regularly.
Prayer: God, help me, when I feel defeated, to center my thoughts on the many blessings in my life instead of my current or past circumstances. Grow my capacity for hope and trust. Amen.
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Insights from Melanie Hill

Melanie Hill is the Guest Connections Program Director at Resurrection.
When I first saw the question for today I laughed a little. Having just had knee surgery a week ago, my first response was, “Do stairs count?” Standing at the bottom of the stairs looking up these days, it’s easy to feel a little defeated. But God is my refuge, an ever present elevator in times of need. If only! I jest, but this is a serious question that deserves a serious answer. So yes, there are areas in my life where I feel defeated or at the very best, somewhere short of victorious. I’m guessing you have a few of these too.
The most recurring area in my life where I feel defeated would have to be in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I make goal after goal only to have them fail time and again. And the most frustrating part? I can’t even claim ignorance. As a college athlete (a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away) I know all about proper exercise and healthy eating habits. And yet it remains a struggle. Anyone with me?
I have lots of reasons excuses for why I fail. Ever use any of these? I’m too busy. It’s too hard. I don’t know how to do it. My kids are running me in circles. (Doesn’t that count as circuit training?) At the end of the day the result is the same. No matter the excuse, the truth is that I have failed to elevate the goal to a priority, and so after a few days I fall right back into easy, bad habits. And once again I feel defeated.
In my small group this week one of my friends talked about setting the goal of not eating sweets, and that she had failed right away. So she reset the goal but this time she gave the goal a purpose. Instead of making it just something to check off a list, she answered the “why” behind the plan. Now when she is tempted to grab a sweet, she instead asks herself who she is doing it for? Answering that question gives her the will power to say “no” to the sweet.
We all have areas in our lives where we feel defeated. It may be in what we eat, where we spend our money, how we manage our time, or even in the relationships we seek out. The important thing to remember is that life is not a solo sport. The times I feel the most defeated in life are the times that I have shut out my community, my support system. Even when I fail, it’s hard to feel defeated when the community of saints around me is there to lift me up. Even more so when I remember that I am loved by a God who is more than a conqueror. Take heart! God is in control. You don’t have to do it alone.
And put down the cupcake.-------
"Do I go to bed on time and get up on time?" for Tuesday, 15 November 2016
Genesis 2:2 On the seventh day God was finished with his work which he had made, so he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 God blessed the seventh day and separated it as holy; because on that day God rested from all his work which he had created, so that it itself could produce.
Psalm 3:3 (2) how countless those who say of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.” (Selah)
4 (3) But you, Adonai, are a shield for me;
you are my glory, you lift my head high.
5 (4) With my voice I call out to Adonai,
and he answers me from his holy hill. (Selah)
6 (5) I lie down and sleep, then wake up again,
because Adonai sustains me.
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Wesley’s question, “Do I go to bed on time and get up on time?” is about being rested for the work of God in the world, yes. However, his question also points to our willingness to live a disciplined life in general. “Do I go to bed on time and get up
on time?” is like code for “Are you rested and at your best to meet the challenges of the day, and ultimately represent God well and help make the world a better place?”
• Think about a time you’ve felt exhausted and depleted. What was your behavior like at that time? How good were the decisions you made when you were in that state of exhaustion? How would you answer John Wesley’s question, both on the surface level (adequate hours of sleep) and on its deeper level (rested enough to make the world a better place)?
• Choose a reasonable bedtime this week, one that will provide you with a good amount of rest, and stick to it. Perhaps it’s a half hour before you usually go to bed, or perhaps it’s a lot earlier than that. Don’t allow emails, television, or anything else that really can wait until the next day to interfere with that time you’ve set.
Prayer: God, help me be disciplined in my sleep and in my times of rest and recreation. I pray that I’ll be willing to stick to a schedule that allows me to be my best for your Kingdom’s sake. Amen.
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"Do I grumble or complain constantly?" for Wednesday, 16 November 2016
Philippians 2:14 Do everything without kvetching or arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure children of God, without defect in the midst of a twisted and perverted generation,[Philippians 2:15 Deuteronomy 32:5] among whom you shine like stars in the sky, 16 as you hold on to the Word of Life. If you do this, I will be able to boast, when the Day of the Messiah comes, that I did not run or toil for nothing.
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Are you a constant complainer? It’s easy to find out: ask the people around you. When we
complain, we think we are just making observations about reality. But constant complaining creates an alternative reality that leads us to shirk responsibility and blame others for our discontent. Wesley called us to ask ourselves and one another this question so that we can replace negative
with positive thoughts, and start developing new habits marked by hope and optimism.
• Do you think you are optimistic or pessimistic by nature? What kind of feedback have you received from people in your life about this aspect of your personality? Do you believe it is possible to reframe your approach to circumstances to view them in a positive vs. negative light? What could help you do this?
• Think about any constant grumblers you know. What choices might be driving their negative outlook? Who do you know who is consistently a “glass half-full” person? Observe closely what decisions and practices seem to help them live their lives this way. When have you made a conscious decision to be more positive about a particular situation, or about your life overall?
Prayer: Holy God, you always work for my good. May I honor you by avoiding complaining and replacing it with rejoicing, even when things do not go my way. Amen.
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"Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?" for Thursday, 17 November 2016
1 Timothy 6:7 For we have brought nothing into the world; and we can take nothing out of it; 8 so if we have food and clothing, we will be satisfied with these. 9 Furthermore, those whose goal is to be rich fall into temptation; they get trapped in many foolish and hurtful ambitions which plunge them into ruin and destruction.
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The underlying principle behind this question of Wesley’s is simply: Who or what owns us? What consumes us? Who or what do we allow to control our life? When we are a slave to something or someone, it clearly means that we take our direction from a controlling person or object that is not God. We are called toward a healthy, balanced life of serving the Kingdom virtues we see in the life of Christ.
• What controls your life? Be honest with yourself. What is the focus of most of your thoughts? What preoccupies you? How much time, effort and focus would be available for your participation in the mission of God if this factor did NOT preoccupy your life? Ask your spouse or a trusted friend to alert you when they notice you “feeding” this preoccupation in a way that limits your ability to allow God to control your life.
• One of the best ways to control or curb your enthusiasm for things in your life that consume you other than God’s mission is to consistently serve others. Find a place to serve regularly, to help rebalance the priorities in your life. (Go to www.cor.org/missions to view one good listing of lots of varied options for ways and places to serve.) Don’t put it off, and don’t wait for the ideal service situation to present itself. Try out a variety of service opportunities to find the place that captures your attention and focus.
Prayer: God, help me resist the desire to collect things I do not need, to resist the temptation to allow my impulses and obsessions to direct my decision-making. Help me to give you all I am and have. Amen.
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"How do I spend my spare time?" for Friday,  18 November 16
2 Thessalonians 3:6 Now, in the name of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah we command you, brothers, to stay away from any brother who is leading a life of idleness, a life not in keeping with the tradition you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you must imitate us, that we were not idle when we were among you. 8 We did not accept anyone’s food without paying; on the contrary, we labored and toiled, day and night, working so as not to be a burden to any of you. 9 It was not that we hadn’t the right to be supported, but so that we could make ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: if someone won’t work, he shouldn’t eat! 11 We hear that some of you are leading a life of idleness — not busy working, just busybodies! 12 We command such people — and in union with the Lord Yeshua the Messiah we urge them — to settle down, get to work, and earn their own living. 13 And you brothers who are doing what is good, don’t slack off!
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A 2014 Bureau of Labor Statistics survey said that, on average, employed Americans age 25-54 with children sleep 7.7 hours a day. Of the remaining 16.3 hours, people in that group average 2.5 hours of leisure time, what we might assume Wesley meant by “spare time.”
1 It is essential to determine where in your day you have spare time. You must also find what you should do with that time. This is
not a time to answer emails you didn’t get to during your hours of work! Wesley proposed this as a key question for Christians so that we can determine which activities help us be refreshed, renewed and refocused on the essential priorities of our lives.
• Wesley (and Jesus) both want to make sure that we are not wasting time that we could be
using to strengthen our daily pursuit of becoming deeply committed Christians. What activities bring you the most enjoyment and make you feel the most refreshed and energized? How much of your spare time do you spend on these pursuits? If it’s less than you would like, how can you restructure your time so that you are spending it in ways that bring you life?
• Make a spare time “map” of your week. For one week, record everything honestly, (for only your eyes). Be specific enough so that you can spot spare time patterns to help you evaluate your map. Use the calendar or notes functions on your phone to help you, or jot down notes in your desk calendar or portfolio, if that works best for you.
Prayer: God, may I use my spare time in way(s) that please you. Help me develop the consistent practices needed to use the time I have wisely. Amen.
[1 http://www.bls.gov/tus/charts/]
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"Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?" for Saturday, 19 November 2016
Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of rivalry or vanity; but, in humility, regard each other as better than yourselves — 4 look out for each other’s interests and not just for your own.
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It is healthy to be self-aware. However, being too aware of self can make us self-absorbed if we’re not careful. Wesley wanted us to reflect on the question, “Am I self-conscious, self-pitying or self-justifying?”
so that we confront our human penchant to be so concerned with “self” that we lose sight of the “others” in our lives. Do yourself a favor. Reflect carefully and act swiftly on the core of what Wesley was getting at in today’s question. Watch it change the way you see the world and also the way others see you.
• How often do you attempt something you will be “bad” at? If your answer is “rarely,” why do you think that is? Are you afraid of being embarrassed or looking foolish to others? Are you worried about criticism, or is it because you have an excessive need to always be the “best”? Has anyone ever told you that you are self-absorbed, self-pitying, or self-justifying? What were the circumstances of that encounter? What, if anything, did you learn about yourself as a result?
Prayer: God, teach me to serve you first and to seek your kingdom. Help me to be less concerned about myself and more about you and your mission for this world. Help me not to be so concerned with myself that I forget your purpose for me. Amen.
Family Activity: Did you know that God wants us not only to care for others, but to also care for ourselves? Prepare a piece of paper with the headings Physical, Emotional, Spiritual and Mental. Down the left side of the paper, write the name of each family member. First, talk together about how we can each care for ourselves. Are we getting enough rest and eating healthfully? Do we express our emotions in helpful ways? Are we reading our Bible, attending worship and praying? Have we learned any new information recently? Encourage each person to choose one way from each category to commit to growing this year. Pray and ask God to help each of you as you better care for yourselves.

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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Marsha Monica and family on the death of her father Dale Dixon, 11/5
• John DeVera and family on the death of his mother Kitty Juanita DeVera, 11/3
• Deb Wertin and family on the death of her mother Donna Bracken, 11/3
• Ty Cowan and family on the death of his son Evan Cowan, 11/1
• Victoria Edmondson and family on the death of her ex-husband Mike Edmondson, 11/1
• Friends and family on the death of Lester “Les” Pebley, 10/31
• John Yost and family on the death of his sister Dorothy Plum, 10/31
• Megan O’Neill and family on the death of her grandfather Nelson Ball, 10/30
• Jane Berry and family on the death of her mother Shirley Conway, 10/30
• Randy Weast and family on the death of his father Max Snodgrass, 10/29

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