1) Read the Bible passage.

2) Write out the memory verse.

3) Choose one of the options provided (or create your own method) for personalizing, processing, and memorizing the verse.

4) Spend some time committing the verse to memory. (Review prior verses too if you choose!)

You can find our devotions booklet to print out here. Just print it out (double sided) and fold the pages over in the center and you can make your very own devotions booklet!

1) Read the Bible passage.

2) Write out the memory verse.

3) Choose one of the options provided (or create your own method) for personalizing, processing, and memorizing the verse.

4) Spend some time committing the verse to memory. (Review prior verses too if you choose!)

You can find our devotions booklet to print out here. Just print it out (double sided) and fold the pages over in the center and you can make your very own devotions booklet!

If you’re having trouble printing out the handy booklet and need something a little simpler, you can grab the normal layout file here.

Passion Week (aka “Holy Week”) is from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday (Resurrection Sunday). It’s called “Passion Week” because of the passion with which Jesus willingly went to the cross to pay for our sins. Passion Week is described in Matthew chapters 21-27, Mark chapters 11-15, Luke chapters 19-23, and John chapters 12-19.

We are covering the Passion account in Luke with the text each day corresponding to what happened each day as Jesus was accused and crucified. We encourage you to take extended time this week to do your DT so you can remember and appreciate what Christ has done for you.

1. Read the text two times.
2. Write your favorite verse.
3. Write one aspect of what God is like.
4. Write one aspect of how text describes you.
5. What lesson can I learn from this text?
6. Write out a prayer in response to the text.

How does Jesus define friendship, and what is the difference between a “friend” and a “servant”? Which do I relate to more?

A servant does not know what His master is doing and must blindly obey. God does not want us as minions to do His bidding – He has revealed a lot to us if we would but pause to spend time with Him, as we do with any other friend, in prayer and reading His Word, His precious journal for us. Sometimes, when I don’t understand His will, I fell more like a servant, but I don’t ask God to explain or for insight. When I feel like doing DT is a task or loving others is a burden, I must remember that Jesus sees His disciples as His friends, and He is willing to talk about what is going on. Many times, we simply close ourselves off at that point, and we choose to entertain concepts of God as a distant, oppressive killjoy in our refusal to confront the state of our hearts. But He is always open to talk with us about how we are doing. Though we are slow to communicate, Jesus already knows what we are thinking and how we feel, and He will meet us where we are.
Jesus defines friendship as those who know and understand Him and His Father’s heart. When I think about my close friends, I know their likes and dislikes, what their reactions to situations would be, their dreams for life, etc. Jesus also says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” He did exactly that. Not only does He know everything about me, He willingly died for me when I was yet a rebellious sinner. How merciful and wondrous is our God for stooping down to pick us up and call us “friend” while we were still His enemies! Jesus is the best friend I have and could ever have. But am I His? I hesitate to call myself Jesus’ friend because it seems so unworthy. What can I possibly offer Him? The least I can do is whatever He asks of me – to obey His commandments to love others, just as He loved me. The least I can do is everything.

John 14:5-7

“Jesus’ reply is the ultimate foundation for a satisfactory philosophy of life. First, it is personal. He did not claim merely to know the way, the truth, and the life as a formula he could impart to the ignorant; but he actually claimed to be the answer to human problems. Jesus’ solution to perplexity is not a recipe; it is a relationship with him[…] He is the truth because he has the perfect power of making life one coherent experience irrespective of its ups and downs. He is the life because he was not subject to death but made it subject to him. He did not live with death as the ultimate end of his life; he died to demonstrate the power and continuity of his life.”

Reflect on v. 6.  In what ways has Jesus been the way, the truth and the life for me?

There are many ways to follow and many ways to live one’s life, and I have tried out many. I tried the ways of selfishness, watching out for my own back, being as comfortable as possible, and serving myself as much as possible with indulgences and entertainment. I have tried the ways of promoting my reputation trying to gain the praise of man, which often involved wearing masks, lying, and hypocrisy. These all left me feeling empty. These ways from the world all promised maximum happiness, and pleasure, but in reality they all resulted in isolation and numbness. These ways all lead to death. The promises of the world are all lies. Only Jesus leads to true life. Indeed Jesus is THE way, the only way to actually live, and it is the Truth. When I follow Jesus’ way of sacrificial love, humbleness, and servitude, I experience true life. I love being a part of His good work, and I love being able to be useful for God. I love forgetting about myself and losing myself for the sake of others. This was how God designed us to live, and it was the way that He had marked out for us. I had lost my way at a very young age, but now I know THE way: Jesus Christ.

John 13:6-9

What may have been going on in Peter’s mind as he refused Jesus’ offer to wash his feet?

Peter was probably overcome with a mix of emotions—confused that the Son of God would want to perform such a menial task by washing his feet, embarrassed that the Son of God was kneeling down at his feet, and maybe even angered that Jesus, the King of kings, would be humiliated in this way. The root of all of Peter’s mixed responses, though, was the sense of unworthiness that he felt at have Jesus washing his feet and an understanding of who Jesus actually is.

 What are some ways in which people respond to Jesus like Peter did?

People often respond to Jesus with confusion, embarrassment, or even anger because they do not understand Jesus’ act of sacrifice on the Cross and instead see it through the world’s eyes—a humiliating act. Because the world has no standard to comprehend and interpret such an act of sacrifice, people simply respond with a mix of emotions and feel uncomfortable. They are confused. After all, no where in the world do you see someone of great stature and power embracing a lowly and even humiliating life. Rather, when a famous and powerful celebrity or politician performs such an act, it is not a genuine act of embracing a servant-like mentality, but rather a “publicity stunt” with ulterior motives. The lowly life is something to be intentionally avoided. Therefore, instead of viewing what Jesus did as a beautiful thing, it is interpreted as a humiliating and unwanted act, not something to be accepted and embraced.

 What can I learn about what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus from this passage?

This amazing image of Jesus really overtook me this time reading this passage. As I have come to know Jesus more, and the infinite ways in which He knows my life and thoughts more than I could ever fathom or plan out, I can only stand in awe of the Author and Creator of life. The extent to which He knows me nothing in this world, no human or thing, could even come close to matching. His act of sacrifice to wash the feet of the disciples is paralleled by His sacrifice on the Cross. I am unworthy, yet the King of kings humbled Himself in the ultimate act of love and sacrifice. The very fact that He would offer Himself to me in a servant-like manner like He did to Peter is completely amazing.

To have a personal relationship with Jesus means accepting this gift of sacrifice. Ironically, it means that the most unworthy person, who has no entitlement to pride, must let go of her own pride in feeling unworthy of such a gift. It means following Christ out of obedience (“Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”), regardless of your own sense of worthiness of the gift or whether you believe the gift should have been given at all.

What is the fundamental difference between Mary and Judas as revealed by his objection to what she did?

Mary had her life savings in the form of this expensive perfume poured over Jesus’ feet. This act of utmost humility and reverence for Jesus was objected by Judas, however. The difference between Mary and Judas is that Mary was God-centered while Judas was self-centered. Her bottle of expensive perfume equaled to that of a year’s worth salary, and through Judas’ eyes, it was a waste to pour it over a person’s feet, instead of selling it in exchange for money. From John, we see that even though Judas spoke of giving the money to the poor, in truth, he was a thief who often stole some money for himself, which warns me to not say things in order to look like a “good” Christian in front of people when in fact those statements are being said to cover up a sin that I am ashamed of. Also, Judas’ thoughts parallel with those of today’s world’s; through the eyes of the world, Mary’s dramatic gesture would be seen as costly and wasteful. Perhaps, any act of devotion for God seen as radical would be seen this way, if it means giving up something that would be good for oneself, such as passing up a good job or school, to obey and follow Him.

However, through Mary’s act of pouring her perfume, and washing of Jesus’ feet with her hair, I can see her heart for Jesus. Oftentimes, when my schedule is wrapped heavily around school, I can feel myself drifting apart, and the potential for me to be self-centered increases. But reading about Mary’s love for Jesus reminds me of what love for Jesus should be like. Things that may seem foolish to the world, may actually be treasures; Mary knew that Jesus was worth more than a bottle of perfume, as it is with so many things in my life that I try to grasp onto. Knowing that compared to having Jesus in my life and obeying Him, it is worth it because He is worthy.

By Lizzie Hui, InterHigh Mentor, Sophomore @ UC Berkeley

John 12:20-28

How does the Christian understanding of glory differ from the world’s defintion?

To Christians, it is considered “glorious” to be immune to the world’s voice, to be able to die to earthly desires and place God at the very center of your life, and to carry out his kingdom work by reaching out to others and bringing them into the light.  This definition of “glory” is drastically different from the the world’s.  As a non-Christian growing up, I believed that living a “glorious” life meant earning career success, fame, and admiration from others.  I later realized this essentially meant living a highly individualistic life of never bothering anyone and of constantly conforming to society’s arbitrary standards and expectations in order to gain respect.  Even if I did achieve the world’s version of “glory”, what would I lose in the process?  More importantly, what would I ever GAIN the promised contentment or be forever hungry for even more recognition?  What kind of empty, self-centered person would I ultimately become?  It is still so tempting to succumb to the world’s definition of “glory”, but when I really force myself to pause and step back, I see how destructive it is to fool myself into striving for society’s approval. And when I do set my mind upon becoming more other-centered, taking baby steps towards the kind of glory God wants for me, I find this incredible joy in knowing I am carrying out his will for me.

In what ways have I embraced the life of becoming a kernel that falls and dies?

Striving to become a kernel that falls, dies, and thus “produces many seeds” really challenged me to venture outside my comfort zone by opening up to people and getting to know them on a deeper level and becoming more other-centered, even if I’d had a bad day or wasn’t feeling particularly social.  I’m the type of person who tries to avoid confrontation and potential awkwardness at any cost, and I really had to work on overcoming the desire to just “leave people the way they were” or settle for only knowing their major and number of siblings.  A lot of it required me to also share my own feelings and experiences, something I was also hesitant to do, in order for them to become more comfortable and open.  I was also challenged to close myself off from secular influences, especially the media.  I realized the extent that television and the Internet contributed to a state of idleness and isolation, and made me more concerned about not
conforming to the world’s standards.  Doing these things really motivated me to die to my own desires and really be more other-centered.

When I think about how Mary & Martha must have felt not being able to do anything about their brothers death as they watched him suffer, I’m reminded of myself standing by my father’s hospital bed fifteen years ago as he was dying of cancer. I remember the countless nights asking God why he let such a thing happen to my dad. Mary & Martha’s cries to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died,” are so similar to my cries to Jesus as a child. After Lazarus’ death, Jesus did not impede on Mary & Martha’s grief and tell them to stop crying, but rather, he grieved with them because he loved them and understood their pain. Looking at the big picture, my Lord walked with me and guided me my entire life knowing my pain and grief. As I grew up, God was able to use me to speak to people whether in the mission field or at school. One verse in particular comforted me growing up, Psalm 68:5 says that “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” Even when I’ve been the least faithful, He remained faithful in times of grief & suffering so that I could glorify Him and encourage & bless others so that they may see God’s glory in my own life.

In present days, when I face many different hopeless situations like falling to addictions or failing to love others, God knows my pain when I do what I don’t want to do. A recent example of seemingly hopeless situations for me includes choosing to spend time on the internet and consuming media, even though I’ve made commitments to reduce my time on such distractions in order to spend more time with people. I know I’ve had problems spending too much time on the computer in the past, and finding myself lacking self-control and breaking my commitments just seems devastating. However, rather than feel depressed or self-pitiful, I know I need to humble myself and repent for my selfishness and entitlement to time. Because of grace, Jesus is willing to take me back in, even though I stray from him. With accountability and confession, by faith, and by the Spirit, I am able to overcome addictions and temptations one step at a time. If I pray and have faith in him and take the proper steps to repentance, God is able to use every victory for his glory.

Just as sheep “follow [the shepherd] because they know his voice,” have I learned to recognize Jesus’ voice?

In the past couple of years, a major part of growing in my relationship with Jesus has been learning to recognize his voice and then following it. It’s been learning to recognize whether my thoughts, desires, or actions are in line with what Jesus desires from my life. It’s been tough, because it’s never easy when you realize the way you’ve been living and the way you view the world are not in line with what Jesus teaches. In those moments, you are compelled to change; though it may be painful, I know that in those moments, when I had to make the choice to follow Jesus’  voice rather than my own, I have grown closer to God. Also, I must remember that I can’t follow Jesus’ voice unless I can recognize his voice, which means I have to study the Bible and know what it is that Jesus desires from his followers. One of the ways I know I’ve been able to grow was to take each devotional personally and to listen to each sermon or bible study with the mindset that it directly applies to me. How can I follow the shepherd, if I do not know what his voice sounds like?

Are there other voices that I heed that have muffled Jesus’ voice in my life?

There are so many voices that scream at me to listen every day. They can come from so many sources: friends, family, media, music, desires, etc. Currently, I think my own personal desires most often muffles Jesus’ voice in my life. My personal desires can range from the temptations I feel and my impulse to satisfy these or from my desire to live a comfortable life, both on a day-to-day basis and for the long term. These desires make me lukewarm, afraid and unwilling to follow Jesus’ radical call. It causes me to lose sight of Jesus who wants to lead me to a fulfilling life. My personal desires call out to me, claiming that only through fulfilling these desires will I be happy. But I want to practice self-control. I want to practice delayed gratification. I have to constantly remind myself that I must seek to follow Jesus’ voice, and this means drowning out the other voices which cause me to miss what Jesus is trying to tell me.

By Paul Lee, InterHigh Staff

John 10:3-5

Are there other voices that I heed that have muffled Jesus’ voice in my life?

… Another voice I have thought a lot about last few months is the voice of the world’s philosophy. Romans 12:2 says, “do not confirm any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. Practically speaking, it is the voice of social norms. The voice that speaks “truths” found in social norms in order to get me to focus on what I desire. It is good to pursue the best job. It is good to pursue marriage. It is good to have personal time to relax or rejuvenate. True statements. Yes. But when such things become idols or become an excuse to indulge myself with what I desire – it is not. No one in the world would argue with such statements, but the reason no one would argue with that is because that is the pattern we find in the world. I am called not to follow these patterns but to have a biblical perspective. God clearly says to seek his kingdom first. Matthew 6:33 says “but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all things will be given to you as well”. God says very clearly that my first and foremost priority should be to seek his kingdom or in other words, to love and serve God and others. To live a life focused on others in this way is not something that comes naturally for me. As a sinner, I am always inclined to think of my own desires first. For me to be renewed in my mind from these patterns, I need to be able to let even these good things become a secondary issue in my life and not let these social norms dictate everything I do simply because they have been built into me. I need to be rooted in my daily DTs to properly align my mind with what God desires on a daily basis. I also need to be constantly alert and practically find ways to give up the things I desire for the sake of others.