What does it mean to turn from our sin? What would it look like if we resisted the temptations in our life and turned away from our sin and toward our God?

If we turn away from our sin and toward God, we will receive God’s forgiveness, the wiping clean of the slate, and we will receive God’s refreshment and restoration. God is present with us in our turning towards him.

In the Book of Acts, the author Luke tells us of Peter’s words when he says, “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” (Acts 3:19-20, ESV).

Are you weary? Are you languishing? In what ways do you need to be replenished, rested, or refreshed?

God desires to satisfy our every need and to minister to our weary souls. God will replenish us when we are weary and languishing.

God spoke through the Prophet Jeremiah, saying, “For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.” (Jeremiah 31:25, ESV).

Is it hard for you to tell the truth about who you are and what you have done or not done?

Honest confession to God is difficult. It can be painful to acknowledge our sin.

However, it is essential for us to honestly confess our sin to God so that he can forgive us, heal us, and restore us to himself.

The Apostle John wrote, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9, ESV).

Do you need help? What kind of help do you need?

We all need help. We specifically need help in our relationship with God. We need understanding and wisdom. We need to be reminded of Jesus’ teachings, and we need help remembering all he has said to us.

In John’s gospel, Jesus said, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26, ESV).

After Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, we were not left alone. We were given a Helper. We were given the Holy Spirit to be our Helper, to teach us all things, and to remind us of everything Jesus did and taught.

Does your offering to God cost you? When you fast, do you experience the loss and the gain of Jesus?

When we make an offering to God, it should be something of value. When we fast, we should experience the loss and gain intimacy with God as we let go of the things of this world and of the flesh and take hold of what God has for us.

King David wanted to make an offering to God after he had sinned and a man named Araunah offered to freely give David the sacrifice. David said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.’” (2 Samuel 24:24).

Where do you place your trust? Where do you find security? What do you value? Do you trust your treasure more than you trust God? Is your security in your possessions or in the one who possesses you?

It is easy to place our trust in our possessions and in our earthly treasures. We can find security in our financial securities. However, our belongings and financial stability can disappear in an instant. We cannot put our eternal trust in our temporary treasure.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21, ESV).

Who are we listening to? Who is the most important person we should be listening to in our life?

God wants us to listen to his son Jesus. At the transfiguration, Jesus took his disciples, Peter, James, and John, with him on the mountain. Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus, and Jesus was transfigured before them.

Matthew’s gospel account tells us, “a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’” (Matthew 17:5, NIV).

Matthew tells us, “When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up. Don’t be afraid.’ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.” (Matthew 17:6-8, NIV).

How do we draw near to God? Do we draw near to God with a correct assessment of who we are and who God is? Are we honest with God when we come before him?

Drawing near to God requires self-awareness and integrity. When we draw near to God we must do so with honesty about who we are and what we need from him. However, most of us have blind spots and we are not fully aware of our sin, our true condition, or our need.

God spoke to the Prophet Isaiah, saying, “Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God.” (Isaiah 58:1-2, ESV).

What does it cost you to have what you need? Have you ever not had the money or resources to buy what you needed?

God freely provides for our needs. There will come a time when all we need and desire will be freely given so that we may freely receive.

God invites us to come to him so that we may freely receive all that we need from him.

God spoke through the Prophet Isaiah, saying, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.” (Isaiah 55:1-2, ESV).

What does God think about unrest and war? What is God’s future plan for war and for the nations?

God will judge the nations with his perfect justice. God will settle the disputes of every nation. God is a God of peace and he intends to bring his peace to the nations. God’s will is to end all war for all of time.

Every instrument of war will become an instrument of cultivation in the hands of God’s kingdom agents who are working to participate in the restoration of all things.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of God’s restorative work, saying, “He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4, ESV).

What would you get if you received what you were looking for? Would you be content to receive the reward of your search?

We often find what we are looking for—for better or for worse. It matters what we set our mind and heart to, as me might receive the fruits of our labor.

The wisdom of God from the Proverbs says, “Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.” (Proverbs 21:21, ESV).

When we pursue what is right and kind, we find the rich reward of life, goodness, and integrity. We find life, righteousness, and honor.

What do you do with what you have been given? Are you faithful with stewarding what you have?

God will not entrust us with anything more if we are not good stewards of what we have been given.

In Luke’s Gospel account, Jesus said, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.” (Luke 16:10, ESV).

If we are faithful with what we have been given, God will entrust us with more so that we can better serve him.

What can you do without God? What is the main factor in bearing fruit in our lives?

There is nothing we can do apart from God. We must abide in Jesus if we are to produce any fruit in our lives.

In John’s Gospel account, Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, ESV).

Just as a branch cannot produce fruit apart from the source of the plant, we cannot bear fruit unless we abide in Jesus. We cannot do anything without God’s help and provision.

What do you experience in stillness? What is the outcome of your stillness?

God wants us to be still and sure in our knowledge that he is God.

In our knowledge of God, we glorify God and participate in God being exalted everywhere.

The Psalmist writes, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10, ESV).

What detracts you from having peace with God? What keeps you from seeing God?

Often we do not have peace with God, because we are not at peace with the people around us. Sometimes we do not see God because we have sin in our lives that separates us from the holiness of God.

The author of the Book of Hebrews encourages us to, “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14, ESV).

Being at peace with those around us and striving for holiness helps us to be at peace with God, and to be at peace with others, and helps us to see God clearly and to be at peace with God.

How are you sure of your position in this life, and your protection from the evil of this world?

God is faithful and generous concerning his children. We can be confident that God will set us up, set us on our way, and protect us from the evils of this life as we live for him.

The Apostle Paul wrote this encouragement to the church of the Thessalonians, saying, “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3, ESV).

The Lord is faithful to establish us and to guard us against the evil one.

What does it mean to have a halfhearted or indifferent faith? What does it look like when our faith is apathetic or dispassionate?

The Laodicean Church was the poster child for an apathetic people towards their God. Jesus called the Laodiceans lukewarm. He said they were neither hot nor cold, and wanted to spit them out of his mouth—to have no part with them. Unlike the other six churches in the Book of Revelation, the Laodicean church had nothing positive that could be said of it.

Jesus begins his message to the church of Laodicea with condemnation, saying, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” (Revelation 3:15-17, ESV).

What is revival? How do we experience the revival of our faith in Jesus?

Revival is a reinvigoration of our relationship with Jesus—it is a re-awakening and renewal of our faith in Jesus. Revival is hearing Jesus knock and opening the door to him and letting him into our lives.

Evangelist and author Leonard Ravenhill said, “As long as we are content to live without revival, we will."

In the Book of Revelation, Jesus spoke to the church in Laodicea saying, “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16, ESV).

What is love and how do we love well?

Love is God’s idea. Love is a choice and involves sacrifice.

The Apostle John defines love and its expression this way, when he wrote, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” (1 John 3:16, NIV).

We know love, because God has loved us. Jesus gave his life for us in love and in sacrifice. This love requires a love response from us of sacrifice and laying our lives down for our brothers and sisters as Jesus did for us.

What are your plans for this week? What are your plans for this year? What are your plans for your life? How do you expect to accomplish all that you are setting out to do?

It is good to make plans. Having aspirations and setting goals is a good thing. However, without God, our plans are futile. We need God. It is God who establishes our steps.

The wise Proverb says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9, ESV).