Randy Frazee - Believe Devotional

ZONDERVAN

Believe 365-Day Devotional

Copyright 2015 Randy and Rozanne Frazee

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Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

ePub Edition January 2016: ISBN 978-0-310-35980-7

All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

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Cover design: Extra Credit Projects

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 /RRD/ 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To Max and Denalyn Lucado... your devotion to Jesus and your desire to become more like him inspires us.

CONTENTS

T he devotional you hold in your hand has a simple but profound framework. It is designed to help you think more like Jesus, act more like Jesus, and be more like Jesus. As you embark on this journey through the thirty key ideas of the Bible, it is our conviction that a person who knows what they believe and why, and who practices that faith in concert with the indwelling presence of God, will most definitely be on their way to becoming more like Jesus. It is not only our conviction; it is our prayer for you.

BELIEFS

PRACTICES

VIRTUES

If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.

If you can? said Jesus. Everything is possible for one who believes.

Immediately the boys father exclaimed, I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!

MARK 9:2224

J esus declares with authority, Everything is possible for one who believes. Truly believing the key ideas of the God found in the Bible is a powerful proposition, isnt it? Throughout the teaching of Jesus, and the whole Bible for that matter, we are encouraged to believe not just in our heads but also in our hearts. We are invited to believe these powerful truths not only as the right answers but also as a way of life. When we do, everything is possible.

The journey of belief actually begins with the confession of unbelief. As you turn the page and peer into the key beliefs, practices, and virtues of the Christian faith, turn to God with a willingness to be honest with him. Like the man in Mark 9, tell him where you are in the form of a prayer request: I do believe some things, Lord, but would you help me overcome what I am struggling to believe? If you do, he will.

Then, watch out, because everything is possible for the one who believes.

God

Personal God

Salvation

The Bible

Identity in Christ

Church

Humanity

Compassion

Stewardship

Eternity

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Gods will is.

ROMANS 12:2

C an you remember the first time you donned a pair of polarized sunglasses? If youre like me, you took them off and put them back on several times because you couldnt believe the difference they made in what you saw. Cutting down on glare gives objects clarity and makes colors more vivid.

As Christians, what we believeor the internal lens of our mindimpacts how we live and who we become. For example: If you view God as personal and involved in your daily life, you will experience more joy. If you see people as God sees them (belief in humanity), you will become gentler toward others. If you believe that everything you are and own belong to God (belief in stewardship), you will more naturally offer your time and resources to help others.

Jesus desires to give us new internal lenses by transforming our minds. He does this as we firmly establish ourselves in what we believe.

You have begun a journey of renewing your mind. As you meditate on what you believe, you will adopt a worldview that profoundly reduces glare and reveals clarity about how you should act to become more like Jesus. Soon others will notice the vivid difference. Hopefully you will too!

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

2 CORINTHIANS 13:14

W hen you face a mirror, your reflection appears. It can be a lonely experience that can send you straight to the gym to shed extra pounds or to your makeup bag to cover blemishes. Your flaws glare at you. Stepping in front of the mirror of life, you may have a similar experience. You notice your weaknesses and think, I cant.

You were created in Gods image to live in communityyou were never meant to do life alone. God is a community of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They move and breathe together. You cannot know the love of the Father without experiencing the grace of Jesus and the fellowship of his Spirit. Jesus said, Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:9). As it is with the nature of God, so it is with the nature of humanity.

When you live in community, your strengths come together with others and your weaknesses are shored up. That united group of people reflects Gods perfect image.

Step in front of lifes mirror alone, and a human reflection appears. Step in front of the mirror surrounded by your community, and God appears.

I BELIEVE THE GOD OF THE BIBLE IS THE ONLY TRUE GODFATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT.

I lift up my eyes to the mountainswhere does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

PSALM 121:12

A re you in a valley right now, facing a mountain you didnt expect? Maybe that mountain seems so overwhelming you cant imagine being on top, let alone getting to the other side. Is God really with you? Does he care about your struggle?