JESUS IN MY LIFE PROJECT (JIML) PROJECT OPTIONS.

1. The Prayer God Always Answers, “Yes!”

In my experience, this prayer is: “Please send me someone I can bless today.”  At the end of your devotional time every morning, ask Jesus to send you someone to bless and encourage.  (Make sure you spend time in Bible Study and prayer every morning especially during this time.  So often God will bless the person through what He shown you during your time together that morning.)  Ask the Holy Spirit to keep you aware throughout the day, so that when that opportunity comes you will recognize it.  Keep a record of your experiences and at the end of the ten days, write a report on it. Include some of the scriptures you read during your time. (You don’t need to use the actual names of the people God blesses through you in your report.

Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.  ~ Ephesians 6:18.

2. Video: Who Do You Say That I Am?

Go off-campus and do on-the-street interviews with a random sampling of people about who they think Jesus is.  Be courteous and make them feel comfortable.  You may ask up to three questions.  One of them needs to be: “Who is Jesus?”  (Other possibilities: “Do you think Jesus is the Son of God?”  “Do you think Jesus was raised from the dead?”)  Interview at least 20 people.  Edit your video and turn in a copy with the essay about your experience.

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?

Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.” 

 ~ Luke 9:19-21

3. “Are you going to trust me today?”

Distrust makes us feel separated from God and is the basis of almost every sin.  Worry and fear also come from not trusting God.  Write/Print out the words, “Are you going to trust Me today?” in large letters and put it inside your laptop at the top of the screen, on your mirror, or at your desk – somewhere you will see it every day.  Keep a journal during this time.  Write down the areas in which you find it hard to trust God and what you find yourself doing as a result.  (You are not required to hand this part in, but many do.)  Spend at least 15 minutes every day journaling out your concerns to God.   Be alert to anything you read, hear, or experience that could help you trust God in these areas. Notice during the day when you become overwhelmed or anxious.  Try to identify the area of mistrust that is worrying you.  What is its root? Then work to give the problem to God and trust Him with it.  Do your part and decide to trust Him for the rest.  Write the results of your experience.  Attach at least 5 Bible verses or meaningful quotes that have been helpful to you during this time. If you need help finding the verses, come see me.

Worry is blind and cannot discern the future; but Jesus sees the end from the beginning. In every difficulty He has His way prepared to bring relief.  Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us, of which we know nothing. ~ Ellen White, Desire of Ages

JESUS IN MY LIFE PROJECT (JIML) PROJECT OPTIONS.

4. “The 10-Day Challenge”

Can you believe God is real and good for 10 days?  For at least 15 minutes a day, focus on a loving God; rebuke fear and doubt; spend time reading/memorizing scriptures that speak of God’s love for you. Don’t just pray and talk to God about your concerns, actually believe He will help.  Be intentional about doing things that help you feel close to God (such as spending time in nature and listening to praise music); be intentional NOT to do things that make you feel distant from Him (such as certain kinds of music, video games, friends, etc.); “unplug” for at least two days.  Find an accountability partner to keep you on track for these ten days. Afterwards write a report on what you did, what you learned and what difference this made in your life.  I have a good list of bible texts for this; come see me if you would like to use it.

Perfect love casts out fear ~ I John 4:19

JESUS IN MY LIFE PROJECT (JIML) PROJECT OPTIONS.

5. Prayer

Each morning, ask God to lead you to someone to pray for.  He may give you a certain name or bring someone across your path that day. If so, make time to talk with them and ask God to provide an opportunity for you to offer to pray with them. (For example, “Is there anything I can pray for you?” or “Do you have any specific prayer requests?”) If no name comes to your mind, just notice and listen to people throughout the day.  If someone looks worried or voices a concern, ask if you can pray for them.  If they will let you, pray with them right then, if not, write their prayer request down and faithfully pray for them during the ten days.  God dearly loves the people you will pray for! Believe He will help them!  Thank Him for what He will do. Check up on them at least once and ask how they are doing.  Write a report on your experience.  (If you would like to do this project, but feel a little uncomfortable praying aloud with people, come see me after class and we’ll talk over ideas.)

If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within our power to give them, and this will lead us to prayer.  Intercession is a way of loving others. ~ Richard Foster

JESUS IN MY LIFE PROJECT (JIML) PROJECT OPTIONS.

6. The Good Samaritan Project

Consider what Jesus said in the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37 and the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25:31-46.  For the next 10 days pray for at least 3 opportunities to put these ideas into practice.  Pray that God will show you someone in your sphere of influence, or perhaps, bring someone new into your life who could use an act of kindness.  It could be someone in your family, a fellow student, or a stranger.  Do your acts of kindness quietly and even anonymously, if possible.   Afterwards write a report on what happened and what God taught you through the experience.

The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these

brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” ~ Matthew 25:40

7. Heap “Burning Coals”

Consider what Jesus said in Matthew 5:38-48 and compare to Proverbs 25:21-22.  Write a brief description of one or two situations or relationships in your life that are difficult.  They may be anything from mildly irritating to outright hostile.  They may be family, roommate, work-related, local or long distance.  Tell how you plan to apply the perspective of Jesus to these difficult situations or relationships, and then begin praying and practicing it during the next 10 days.  Then write a report about what happened.

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

~ Proverbs 25:21-22

JESUS IN MY LIFE PROJECT (JIML) PROJECT OPTIONS.

8. Peacemaking/Forgiveness

Do you have a relationship in your life that is broken and in need of peacemaking?  Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of yourself.  Admit to God and another person the exact nature of your wrongs.  Ask God to remove these shortcomings.  Spend some time in the Bible looking for scriptures on peacemaking and include some in your report. Make direct amends to the person in the relationship that has been broken.  Then write a report of the experience.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

~ Romans 12:18

JESUS IN MY LIFE PROJECT (JIML) PROJECT OPTIONS.

9. Forgiveness

Have you been wronged?  Are you willing to entrust that person to God and forgive them?  Forgiving does not mean that what the other person did is OK.  If it was OK, you wouldn’t have to forgive them.  It means that you realize you cannot carry the burden of their sin and that it is not your place to punish them. There is nothing like the peace that comes from letting go of bitterness and trusting God to bring justice (and mercy) on that person.  Pray and ask God to help you forgive.  Look up scriptures about forgiveness and write down the ones that help you. Write or talk your grievances out to God – maybe write the person a letter exactly as you feel it – but don’t send it.  Spend a couple days seeking God’s will about what the next step is.  Is it just to forgive in your heart and move on?  To be in a position of reconciliation should that person be ready to be in relationship again?  To send a letter/email/text?  Pick up the phone and call?  Once you’ve forgiven, ask God to help you know what boundary to set with that person.  Just because you’ve forgiven someone does not mean they are safe to be in a relationship with; on the other hand, they may be.  Ask God for wisdom.  At the end of ten days, write a report about your experience.

If you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. ~ Matthew 6:15

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows. ~ Galatians 6:7

JESUS IN MY LIFE PROJECT (JIML) PROJECT OPTIONS.

10. Pandemic Project

The gospel of John was especially written to people who would never know Jesus personally. John wanted people who couldn’t touch Jesus’ wounds or witness His miracles to know that Jesus was the Son of God, the promised Rescuer, and by believing have eternal life.  In most of the “signs” Jesus did in John, the person was healed by Jesus’ words, not by His touch.

We are in a similar position right now. Because of this pandemic we can’t reach out and touch each other. But we can speak an encouraging word to someone who is fearful; or leave a strengthening message for someone who is afraid; or create art that will help someone de-stress or give them courage.  And did you know that helping others has been proven to lower anxiety and even give a “helper’s high” to the person who reaches out?

In your 10-hour experience with Jesus, start by setting some time aside every morning to spend with Jesus.  Ask Him to show you who in your sphere of influence most needs encouragement and make a plan.  Keep praying for them during your 10 days of JIML.  You may need to do more than one of these to fulfill the project which should take at least 3 hours as well as the daily prayer.  Here are some ideas:

1. Encourage someone in healthcare. There are so many ways!
2. Relieve boredom for a little person (e.g., by hiding stuffed animals in your yard for them to find as they walk by. Include a sign to tell them what to look for).
3. Encourage your neighbors (e.g., by writing encouraging messages with sidewalk chalk or by writing kind messages on rocks and leaving them in random places).
4. Reach out to those most at risk.

• Write a letter to your grandparents. A real letter. With a stamp.
• Let a friend know you are concerned about them.
• Think about making a friend in a nursing home. (Google “Adopt-a-    Grandparent during Covid.”)

1. Here are some more ideas:

• Make Masks
• Organize a prayer call
• Make a weekly Zoom Prayer/hangout time with friends and/or relatives
• Ask God to bring to mind 5 people who need encouragement and then write them encouraging texts.
• Spend some time praying about who in your family needs encouragement and then act.
• Think of a way to encourage your mail/delivery person or other essential workers
• Send/make cards for people in the armed forces
• Send/make cards for people who have COVID-19 and find a way to support them and their family
• Make your own SGN (‘Some Good News”) network channel to offset the way the media highlights the bad news https://youtu.be/TDyt44iy97I
• Come up with your own idea and run it by your instructor

Keep a journal of what happens. Then write a report according to the instructions at the beginning.  Include 5 texts on peace, trusting God, or not being afraid.

Anyone can be great because anyone can serve. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” ~ John 13:35

JESUS IN MY LIFE PROJECT (JIML) PROJECT OPTIONS.

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