Day 1 | 21-Day Growth Challenge | Foundations for Prosperity God's Way

Monday, August 30, 2010 Bryan Hudson 14 Comments







Proverbs 1:1 (NLT) These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. 2 Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. 3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair.  4 These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. 5 Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.  Let those with understanding receive guidance 6 by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles. 7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

INSIGHT:

This 21 Day Growth Challenge is called "Prosperity God's Way: Wisdom from Proverbs." When I think about prosperity, I think about financial wealth. When I think about prosperity God's way, I think about serving Christ from the heart and walking in God's blessings at every level, from the spiritual to the natural, including financially.

John's greeting in his Third Letter, while not intended to establish a doctrine, nevertheless reveals the heart of God for His people, "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." 3 John 2 (NKJV)

The clear condition for "outward" prosperity in all things, and in health, was "inward" prosperity of the soul. Many newer Bible versions use a word other than "prosper," maybe for reasons of concern about the so-called "prosperity gospel." Regardless of any error or foolishness that may have been perpetrated related to prosperity, the fact remains: God wants His people to prosper and His people want to prosper!

What we need to do is operate from a biblical perspective, not to get stuff, but to live a godly and excellent life.  If we begin at the place were the word of God directs us to begin, we will always place Jesus Christ and godly character ahead of everything else.

So then, "Prosperity God's Way" begins in the soul, which is your mind (what you think), will (what you do) and emotions (how you feel or your disposition) – or your personality and character. The Book of Proverbs was written for the expressed purpose of helping people develop godly character as well as acquire the virtues related to wisdom.

For simplicity of thought, we will mainly use the New Living Translation. For study, I also recommend the New International, New King James versions of the Bible. Daily lessons will only cite a few scriptures, but you should consider reading entire sections and chapters as well.

PRAYER AND ACTIVATION:
(Use comment section below to share your insights. Record sensitive items in your personal journal. You may use your name or remain anonymous.)
  1. What are 2-3 of your goals for this 21 Day Growth Challenge?
  2. According to verse 3, what areas in your life require greater discipline?
  3. After reading Proverbs 1:1-7, what are three specific insights did you gain from this scripture?
  4. What actions will you take today related to this lesson?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:

Message by Pastor Bryan Hudson (MP3):
Prosperity God's Way: Cultivating a New Attitude
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COMMENT SECTION:
Click on "Comments" to read others and add yours.

14 comments :

  1. 1.)My goal is to compare what I am currently doing to open myself up to God's blessing and add good habits to my daily life, based on scripture, to claim my ultimate inheritance in Christ.

    2.)I need to take better care of all the things God has already blessed me with. Once I learn to do this and become more mature in Christ, then God can promote me and bless me with more.

    3.) To serve God effectively, it is necessary to be always increasing in wisdom. God requires us to understand our neighbors, to live a just life and to learn how to avoid foolishness. God has called his people to increase in earthly knowledge and in knowledge of Christ.

    4.) I will become a better steward of everything God has put under my charge. I will also continue to study God's living word. Through my will, I have chosen to do this but it is the holy spirit that brings understanding which leads to wisdom. It takes your will and God's gift of discernment to gain ultimate knowledge. And, the knowledge of God (+ obedience) leads to prosperity in all things.

    -Angela Davis

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  2. What are 2-3 of your goals for this 21 Day Growth Challenge?
    I hope to remain consistent in reading and using a daily devotional focus.
    I hope to gain insights on prosperity - God's Way.

    According to verse 3, what areas in your life require greater discipline?
    I have to discipline myself to stay focused. There are a lot of things that I enjoy doing, but I must finish up some things that I started before moving on to new adventures.

    After reading Proverbs 1:1-7, what are three specific insights did you gain from this scripture?
    1. It is wise to do things God's way.
    2. God wants us to prosper and gives up wisdom to do it.
    3. We all can grow in wisdom.

    What actions will you take today related to this lesson?
    I will meditate on these thoughts throughout the day.

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  3. 1) One goal is to be more sensitive to people needs,try to stay positive, in all I think and do.

    2)I need to spend more time to hear from God.
    3) In verse 6and7 Good Godly guidance and wisdom is found in the proverbs but a fool hate this.
    4)In my daily devo i will take 15-20 min to hear God.

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  4. 1) During this 21-Day Growth Challange, I intend to intensify and consistency of my bible study.

    2) My desire is to become more proficient in balancing natural and spirtual responsibilities.

    3) Wisdom and prosperity are synonymous. They are meant to be shared. Obedience, instruction and counsel are key when it comes to wisdom.

    4)I will become more aggressive in searching out the wisdom of the word.

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  5. 1.My goal for this 21-Day Growth Challenge is:
    a) To learn what it really means to be prosperous God's way and not my own ideas or the ideas of others, drilled into me, past down from generations before me.
    b) Learn how to live, walk and breathe in the knowledge I have learned long after this challenge is over.
    2.According to verse 3:
    The area I feel that requires more discipline is in my emotions; I need to continue to let God heal those sensitive areas in my life and not be easily lead my them.
    3. After reading Prov.1:1-7 the insight I gained is this:
    a) Learning wisdom and discipline is not to constrain you or keep you in a controlled environment, but to free you to enjoy the environment you are in "God's Way".
    b) You don't have to be young and stupid( without understanding), or grow old and foolish.
    c) How to recognize the foolishness in me/and or in others.
    4.The actions that I will take is:
    a) Recognize when I am being foolish and stop.
    b)Realize that I don't know enough and I need to ask God what he thinks about everything ,even if I think I already know.
    c)See if I can try to take this challenge one day at a time and make time to do it.
    d) Learn how to ask for wisdom every day and stop waiting on it to just come, "I'll figure it out".
    -Rhonda Davis

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  6. 1) My goal is to simply grow each day, and meditate on these insights to keep my mind on the Lord.

    2) I need to be more open to what God wants me to do in the kingdom. This may include more face to face mentoring in addition to the media things I do already.

    3) The verse that sticks the most out to me is verse five: "Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser." This means we shouldn't assume we know everything about God and his kingdom, but we should always long and thirst for more understanding and insight. I believe that is the purpose of this growth challenge.

    4) My action is just simply look to serve to the highest capacity I can, and also press to further my understanding about the things of God.

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  7. What are 2-3 of your goals...

    I just want to take the opportunity to discipline myself to go through this structured look into God's word. I also want to gain insight about prospering God's way.

    According to verse 3, what areas...

    According to verse three, I think doing what is right requires discipline, from reading the Word daily to things like eating properly or managing finances. There are many things that I know are right to do, but sometimes I need greater discipline to help me do them.

    After reading Proverbs 1:1-7, what are three specific insights...

    1) Everyone needs the wisdom contained in Proverbs (the simple, the young, the wise, those with understanding)
    2) Wisdom and discipline go together. It's not enough to know what is right, but to be disciplined to do it.
    3) By fearing the Lord, we have insight and wisdom available to us to live successful lives.

    What actions will you take today...

    An action I can take is to open my heart to what God is saying to me about areas of my life where I may not be acting in wisdom and then ask him to help me be disciplined enough to change.

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  8. 1. What are 2-3 of your goals for this 21 Day Growth Challenge
    1: Do each challenge daily and try to gain wisdom from each.
    2: Try to let what I learn make a permanent change in my life.

    2. According to verse 3, what areas in your life require greater discipline?
    Stopping to hear from God and knowing what He want me to do.

    3. After reading Proverbs 1:1-7, what are three specific insights did you gain from this scripture?
    1: God want me to have wisdom.
    2: We can always learn more.
    3: Knowing God is the start of true knowledge.

    4. What actions will you take today related to this lesson?
    Ask God daily for wisdom.

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  9. My goals are:
    1.)To prosper spiritually, physically, and financially.
    2.)To have a more consistant, and powerful daily time in prayer and worship with the Lord daily.
    3.)To get up out of the rut that I've been in for much too long and allow the Lord to declutter my mind and life.

    The areas in my life that require greater discipline are:
    1.)Setting aside time to be with the Lord.
    2.)Eating healthy and exercising.
    3.)Putting first things first and finishing what I've started. Realizing what my priorities are and that I can do everything God says I can do.

    Three specific insights I gained from reading
    Prov. 1:1-7:
    1.)Wisdom and discipline are taught and as I read Proverbs I must surrender myself and heed to those teachings.
    2.)The teaching of wisdom and discipline in Proverbs will make even the simpleminded clever. So no matter how little education you have or how backward your mind thinks God can use you too!
    3.)"...True wisdom begins with knowing and honoring God."

    The actions I will take today that is related to this Lesson are:
    Realizing that in order for me to think right, act right and do right, I need to read and meditate on God's word throughout the day. I need to Read, Listen, and Do Gods Word.

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  10. My goals are:
    1. Complete the challenge
    2. Cultivate an environment necessary for an attitude adjustment.
    3. Gain wisdom and direction
    4. Create an atmosphere that allows God to speak clearly.

    The actions I will take today:
    1. Read daily and complete all assignments
    2. Continue to pray more
    3. Continue to clear the clutter

    Insights:
    1. God is interested in my whole life
    2. You never stop needing wisdom
    3. Prosperity comes from the inside out.

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  11. 1.According to Proverbs Chapter 4, three or four other benefits to listening well include causing one to grow wise; helping one to receive instruction; enabling one to carry out the instruction of wisdom, and enabling one to not lose sight of what has been spoken.
    2.Preventing us from listening well are the inner and outer distractions that take our attention away and occupy our thoughts; the mind being already made up, causing us not to be able to receive, that is, to really hear what persons or the Spirit of the Lord is speaking.
    3.The actions I will take today is to focus on being quiet and listening intently to people and the Lord speaking to me; to respond to what I have heard by doing according to what I have heard, and if I get sidetracked, to again take the words to heart and get back on the path of wisdom.

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  12. 1.a) Goals are as the scripture reads - to become wiser through studying what causes a person to become more wise, and use wisdom with all I gain. b) To use wise thinking to evaluate daily choices that effect me on a daily basis.
    2. One area in my life that requires greater discipline is in healthy eating and staying physically active to eliminate health issues.
    3. a) Proverbs were written to make us think, not just hear and admire the wording, but to seek the deeper meaning of what is said. b) If Ihave any wisdom at all,to read scriptures of wisdom can only make me better. c) To know that simple things produce more wisdom than complicated matters, which produce frustration.
    4. Look for wisdom more in the simple things in life. "It odesn't have to be that complicated!"

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