2012 Intentional Questions to Start the New Year:
This is the form we are going through in my DNA (discipleship, nurture, accountability) group this month; maybe it will be helpful to you too!
Christian… Read 1 John
- How will you increase your joy and hope in Christ?
- How will you prepare your mind and heart for suffering well to the glory of God?
- How will you prepare to die well?
- How will you help your church in the mission of God?
- How will you play a part in a sinner coming to salvation this year?
- How will you be a positive contributing factor to your church family?
- How will you use your gifts/passions/talents to bless your church family?
- How will you encourage other believers?
- How are you re-arranging your life around gospel priorities?
- How are you living in such a way that demands a gospel explanation?
Christian Singles….
- What relationships are you currently in that distracts you from living a life honoring the Lord? What changes do you need to make?
- If dating/courting; is this person strengthening your walk with Jesus or distracting?
- What steps are you taking to be preparing yourself to be the wife/husband that God intends for you to be? Find a Mentor.
- Single-hood is a beautiful opportunity to serve the Lord and prepare yourself for the time God brings a future spouse into your life. What fears do you have about remaining single? Is being in a relationship an idol your serving? Or are you finding all satisfaction, peace, comfort, approval from Christ?
- Who is a godly husband and wife in your life that you respect and can seek godly counsel from as you wait and enter into a relationship?
- Are you humbly and patiently waiting on Christ’s perfect, good, sovereign, timing? Or are you pushing your own agenda (time-line) on God? Do you really trust God is Good?
- Is the man/woman your dating a Christian?: A whole-hearted lover of Jesus (loves Christ more than YOU) Do they live their life in pursuit of deeper knowledge of the gospel. Is the man leading the woman to love Jesus more by reading Scripture together, praying together, going to church together? If not…. The relationship is not honoring to the Lord and you should get out of it immediately.
Mothers…
- How will you help your children love Jesus this year?
- How will you instill godly character into their lives?
- How will you keep your own soul fresh amidst the strains of motherhood?
- How will you model restraint in your schedule?
- How will you give them a love for reading good books?
- How will you give them a hunger to learn?
- How will you give them a vision for how to spend their life for the glory of God?
- How will you whet their appetite for gospel ministry?
- How will you give them a desire to live outside of themselves and serve other people?
Husbands…
- How will you nurture your wife in the gospel?
- How will you apply the gospel to her insecurities (do you even know what they are?).
- How will you build gospel, hope-in-God confidence into your wife?
- How will you nurture her emotional needs?
- How will you ensure that she thrives under your leadership?
- How will you lead her so that she is running and living at full capacity?
- How will you lead her so that she faces the trials and temptations and heartaches of every day with the promises of God?
- How will you sacrificially serve her?
- How will you make her glad she married you?
- How will you stir in her a passion for gospel mission?
- How will you draw out of her calling and holy ambition?
- How will you help equip her in her holy task of motherhood?
- How will you make her feel like she is your #1 priority after Jesus?
Wives…
- How will you build the confidence of your man?
- How will you support him and be his helper?
- How will you resist nagging him and instead encourage him?
- How will you let him know you believe in him and love him?
- How will you pray for him?
- How will you encourage/free him to think and dream for your family?
- How will you honor and promote his leadership in front of the children?
- How will you serve him?
- How will you anticipate his needs?
- How will you keep his emotional and physical cup full and satisfied?
- How will you stop undermining his leadership by always taking the initiative instead of humbly waiting and praying for him to lead
Fathers…
- How will you help your children love Jesus this year?
- How will you mold their hearts with the word?
- How will you be intentional about knowing their needs?
- How will you demonstrate the Father’s love to them?
- How will you show them Christ?
- How will you instill in them a love for God’s Word?
- How will you motivate them to live their life for Jesus' sake?
- How will you listen to them?
- How will you model godly decision-making?
- How will you model godly and wise time-management?
- How will you bring your children on mission with you?
- How will you make them feel as though they are priority over your career?
- How will you instill in them the value of mentoring and being mentored?
- How will you equip them to be a disciple-making disciple?
- How will you make them feel secure in your love?
- How will you keep your sons from needing to look for other role-models in manhood?
- How will you keep your daughters from need to look to other men for affirmation in womanhood?
- At the end of the year, will they say, “My daddy loves me, and I know it because ——-.“
Children…
- How will you make it a joy for your parents to lead you?
- How will you work to take stress off of your parents and be a team player in your home?
- How will you encourage your parents? How will you pray for them?
- How will you let them know (tangibly) how much you love and appreciate them?
- How will you encourage your siblings?
- How will you honor your parents?
- How will you fight sin?
- How will you get the Bible into your bones?
- How will you grow up? How will you move from unwise and immature to wise and mature?
- What will you learn this year? Will you learn anything?
- How will you be a witness for Jesus at your schools? On your sports team?
