Challenges

What in life are you passionate about? What do you care about and show the most interest in? For Jesus, he cared the most about other people.  This week's challenge is to align your interests with those of Jesus. This doesn't mean that you have to totally change all your interests or passions, but shift them to also include some intentional time to be with other people. If you love food, invite a friend to share a good meal with great conversation. If you love sports, invite someone to watch or participate with you in the sport that you enjoy. There are so many ways to make sure that your interests are aligning with what mattered most to Jesus.  Who were you able to invite along this week to share in a activity or area of life that you enjoy?

Matthew 20:26-28 reads, "Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus was the ultimate example of what it looked like to live as a servant through his actions. He did this countless times throughout his ministry, including washing the disciples' feet in John 13. This week, you are challenged to serve like Christ! Find someone in your life who you can humbly serve and do so without complaint. Sacrifically serving isn't something that comes naturally to most of us, but it allows us to demonstrate the love of Christ in ways that little else can.  Share your story here on how you were able to humbly serve someone this week!  

Circumstance and situations have a strong impact on our attitudes. But as followers of Christ, we are called to have the attitude of Christ at all times.  This week, you are challenged to find a way to be a servant in your attitude, especially in the way that you speak value into other people. Find someone in your life who needs life and courage spoken into them and act on the Spirit's prompting. You may feel led to speak life into someone who isn't the easiest to love or get along with, but embrace this calling because you might be surprised what changes in that person when you do. Make sure to share your story of the impact of having a servant's attitude had in your life!

We natually want to hide our struggles in the dark and away from others. Sometimes it is out of embarrassment, sometimes it is because we fear we are being a burden, or sometimes it is just easier to avoid our struggles than to face them.  This week, you are challenged to be vulnerable about your struggles with someone in your life. Find a trusted friend or family member, share what you are struggling with, and ask them to pray for you. You may be surprised at how being vulnerable with someone can reshape and reframe how you think and feel about what you are going through.  Make sure to share your story of how being vulnerable changed how you looked at your struggle.

Philippians 1:6 tells us, "...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." No matter where you find yourself today, whether on top of a mountain or in a deep valley, you can be confident that God will never abandon you on your path and will be with you for every step. When you go through difficulities and struggles, it is especially important to remember that God never leaves you and "all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28 NIV) All you need for this week's 1X challenge is some paper and a pen! Write the phrase "God finishes what He starts" and place that phrase in three different places that you will frequently see it throughout the week to remind you of God's promise. Share your story of what this phrase did for your mindset this week. 

Identify someone in your circle of influence who needs encouragement this week. Write them a note or a letter, or even give them a phone call, explicitly stating the ways you see God working in their life. Keep in mind, despite our natural tendency to encourage from a distance, the people we are closest to relationally (spouse, children, close friends) should be the people we encourage the most regularly. Make sure to share your story here on how your encouragement impacted others or you were changed by someone else's encouragement!

For this week's challenge, set up a time to meet with a trusted Godly friend or mentor. When setting up the meeting, ask them to prepare an answer to the question, “In what ways do my character or my actions reflect and not reflect Christ?” You can also ask a question like, “What is one thing in me that I can work on improving to be a better representation of Jesus?"  When receiving the feedback, resist the urge to defend yourself. Just listen because feedback because the words are coming from a loved friend or mentor who can be trusted. Thank them for loving you enough to give you, perhaps difficult, feedback. You can rest knowing that whatever they reveal to you is already known and forgiven by Jesus, or it’s simply not true. Allow the feedback to drive you toward repentance and deeper dependence on the grace of God. Share what God taught you through this experience in the story section here.

This week, you are challenged to have a completely genuine conversation with another believer who has a background or personality that is foreign to you. Be curious. Let your only agenda be to get to know them as a human being. Don’t attempt to change their mind, but simply ask them questions. Just listen and figure out what is God loves about them, even though they are different than you.  Share what God taught you through this experience in the story section here!

God has gifted us all in unique, special, and amazing ways. Sometimes, the person with the spiritual gifting is the last one to realize it or recognize it in their life though. We all can grow and learn from the powerful ways that God is moving in the lives of others.  This week, you are challenged to spend some time with someone who you see God moving powerfully through their lives through a special gifting. After you identify this person in your life, let them know how much you admire this quality in them, and that you want to learn from them and be spurred on by them (and hopefully, you can do the same for them)! Make sure to share the ways that you were spurred on this week in the story section.

Forgiveness is difficult for almost every single one of us. Some of the ways that others have hurt us can have life-altering consequences, but yet, we are still called to forgive others as Christ followers. This week's challenge isn't about tackling those big and overwhelming hurts and offenses though. Just start with the small ones! Start your day by praying that the Holy Spirit would lead you to forgive the little offenses that occur throughout your day, such as someone cutting you off in traffic, taking the last donut in the break room, or just someone with a negative and bad attitude. Throughout your day, just forgive people for the small ways they have offended you that they may not have even realized. Practicing forgiveness in small offenses allows us to grow and be able to forgive in big ways later! Make sure to share your story of the ways that you forgave someone this week.

Who do you know who might need some help carrying a burden in life right now? For whoever comes to mind, find a simple way to demonstrate the care of Christ for them this week. Babysit for them, cook them a meal, give them a hug, cry with them, or write them a check. It will look different for everyone, and feel free to be creative! Share your story here on 1X to encourage others to do the same!

Everyone's life path looks different, and no two journeys are exactly the same. But take some time to think about what you want your legacy to be when you are older. What will people remember most about you? Will people think you as someone who was always busy or always present? What does your relationship with Christ look like? Will people identify you as a Christian by your words and actions? All these are questions that we can only ponder now, but the results are being determined even now by how you love others and how you prioritize Christ in your life. This week, take some time to imagine what your life will look like when you're 85 years old (or whatever age you consider to be older). How are your actions today impacting your future legacy? Take some time share what you would most like to accomplish when you look back at your life!

Vulnerability can be difficult for almost all of us. It is hard to let other people see and know the parts of ourselves and our lives that we really don't like or that we wish were different. Fear keeps us from being vulnerable, and not being vulnerable denies us the intimate relationships with others that we all crave and God built us for.  This week, have at least one vulnerable conversation with a trusted friend or family member. Allow them to know something about you that you probably aren't proud of or are currently struggling with. You might be surprised at how your vulnerability can transform your relationship or how the other person might feel comfortable opening up as well. Share how your vulnerability impacted your relationship here on the app to encourage others!

The Message translation of Ephesians 5:22-28 states: "Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands. Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives." This week, your challenge is pretty straightforward. Read the verses above and spend some time reflecting on God's view and design for marriage. Also, take time in prayer to talk with God about Christ's love for the Church that is discussed in this passage. What did God show or reveal to you in these verses? Share your story here on the app so others can learn and gain new insight as well!

Colossians 4 reminds us that we are called to make the most of every opportunity that we encounter. So, what opportunities has God placed in your life today? Think about the opportunities that God has given you to speak life or share God's love and grace with someone else.  This week, speak a word of courage, faith, or kindness into the life of someone who needs it today! Make sure to share your story here on the 1X app of how you made the most of the opportunities that God put in your path. 

We read in Colossians 3 that we are to "set your minds on things above, not on earthly things" and "put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry". The old has gone, and the new has come. So this week, make an intentional effort to take off the old, and choose the new you that is found in Christ! Challenge yourself and fellow brothers and sisters to choose to give grace and love to others, no matter the situation. Share your story here on the app of how God is using the new you to impact the lives of others.