God in the Everyday: A 14-Week Guide toward Hope, Purpose, and Fulfillment

By C. Mark Wade

Are you:

• looking for hope, purpose, and fulfillment?
• tired of trying to live life in your own power? Anxious? Weary? Burdened? Alone?
• thinking that there's something missing in your life? Do you find yourself with an empty feeling, even though you have more worldly possessions than you ever dreamed of owning?
• c

• Language: English
• Publisher: Choose Commitment Ministries
• Release date: Aug 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9781736996317

C. Mark Wade

C. Mark Wade has been a Bible study leader for high school students, college students, and young adults for over 30 years and has served in many capacities in his local church. A sales coach by profession, Mark and his wife, Pam, live in Arlington, Texas. They have two adult sons. Discover more about Mark's passion for discipleship at choosecommitment.org.

Book preview

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Reflections on God in the Everyday

Mark Wade has presented a thoughtful and spiritual work that leads people on a spiritual journey. His guide encourages the reader to find hope and direction in the midst of these very uncertain times. This devotional guide will help both groups and individuals to find strength in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Reverend Dr. Michael A. Evans, Sr.

Bethlehem Baptist Church

Mansfield, TX

"Mark Wade has fashioned an encouraging practical and motivational guide for persons who are ready to discover a more intimate relationship with God. The carefully crafted plan for spiritual formation described in God in the Everyday, is rooted in the author’s many years of faithfully entering into a daily time of personal worship. Readers will find wisdom and valuable assistance in their journey of spiritual growth through Wade’s confessional approach in his writing. Inspired by a desire to help followers of Jesus grow in faith, this book reaches consistently into scripture for its bedrock in guiding seekers. In addition, consistent with the long spiritual formation history of the Christian faith, Mark Wade seeks to help his readers in developing a growing confidence and discipline in the personal practice of prayer."

Dr. George H. Gaston, PhD

Pastor, Retired, San Antonio, TX

What I love about this devotional workbook is that it speaks to the very essence of why we’re here…experiencing God in the everyday of life. It invites the reader to build their house on solid rock, not shifting sand. It offers a blueprint for constructing a life with gold, silver and precious stones, rather than wood, hay and stubble. It makes a case for investing in eternal things and leaving a legacy for the kingdom of God. It’s theologically sound, and wonderfully accessible. If you’re ready to live a life of meaning and purpose, but you’re not sure where to begin, let Mark coach you through the first 14 weeks. You’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish in that amount of time… and you’ll be glad you did!

Curt Grice

Associate Pastor of Spiritual Formation,

First Baptist Church Arlington

Mark Wade has been my friend and business associate for over 20 years. After embarking on the journey, he lays out in his book, I am delighted how my relationships with family, friends and business associates are being enriched. Commitment to this plan is turning my desire to walk with God into a celebration of his love and purpose for my life.

Sam Gorman

Division Manager, National Write Your Congressman

Fort Worth, TX

"This devotional guide, God in the Everyday, is a helpful journey from nominal Christianity to living the way of Christ each day. The practical experience shared in Mark Wade’s own journey will resonate with many people who struggle to integrate faith into daily living. The organization of the study into manageable, but significant daily steps makes it accessible to church-based small groups."

Dr. Kyle Henderson

Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Athens, TX

"God in the Everyday is a great resource for anyone wanting to develop (or sustain) the discipline of meeting with God daily. Mark Wade’s posture is genuine and humble as he simply desires to pass along what has been a transformational practice for him – finding God in the everyday. This devotional book is as good as anything else we could use at First Baptist to help our people (especially young adults) grow in the area of daily time with God."

Rev. Katy Reed Hodges

Minister of Congregational Life

MDiv, Truett Seminary, Baylor University

An incredibly helpful book for an individual, small group in a church setting, or friends who desire a study to encourage them in their spiritual formation journey. Mark Wade has prayerfully put together a book, based on scripture, that will guide the reader along a step-by-step path into a learn-as-you-study, daily progression towards spiritual maturity. This 14-week study isn’t a ‘do this to become more like me’ read written by Mark, but instead is written from the vulnerable heart of a humble, mature layman’s approach for ‘everyman’ who simply desires a moment-by-moment walk with Christ every…single…day.

Larry Link

Christian Adult Education Minister, Retired, Dallas, TX

"What a wonderful work! God in the Everyday is such a practical, straight forward and God based presentation of the gospel. It does not matter whether you are a non-Christian being presented with the gospel for the first time or you are a life-long believer, this work speaks to both and all those in between. It is filled with truth and is a great road map that leads the reader to learn skills that will enable them to be what God wants for all of us to be as we learn from Him, grow and increase in our faith so that we can be that light to the world that we all as Christians are called to be."

Randy J. Long, Attorney at Law

Long, Claypole & Blakley Law, PLC,

Enid, OK

"Here is what you can expect of God in the Everyday: A warmly personal, highly scriptural, well-organized pathway to a disciplined and joyful walk with God."

Dr. Dan McGee, PhD

Author, Speaker, Consultant, Edmond, OK

"In his book, God in the Everyday, Mark Wade accomplishes multiple challenging tasks.

He has distilled many of the elements of the Christian faith into a pathway for spiritual growth.

He has searched Scripture to make these key elements clear and grounded in God’s truth.

He has made them understandable for the everyday person.

He has shown the reader an accessible pathway to daily time in God’s Word and God’s presence that will help create new habits for some and strengthen the habit for others.

Whether you read through the book alone or as a group study, you will be deeply blessed."

Dr. Ross O’Brien, PhD

Professor of Management and Director of the

Center for Business as Mission

Dallas Baptist University, Entrepreneur, Dallas, TX

Mark Wade’s perspective on finding God in the everyday is a tremendous blend of heartfelt reflection and meaningful application. This guided devotional leads the reader down a road that enriches your understanding on how prayer and the Word of God are to be treasured and applied in your everyday experiences. Mark’s words are impactful because they are rooted in authenticity. He writes from a personal experience that serves as a model to anyone who desires to find meaning in each day. No matter your current season or circumstances, this book will help all who read it to find God in the everyday.

Jerimiah Smith

Pastor, University Baptist Church

Fort Worth, TX

"God in the Everyday will help you understand who God is, enjoy God, and strengthen your desire to be more like Jesus. This study points you to God’s Word, the only source of truth, using a systematic disciplined approach to know God, deepen your relationship with him, and live a meaningful, fulfilling life."

Chris Adamson,

CEO, National Write Your Congressman

Dana Adamson,

Bible Study Fellowship, Rockwall, TX

"Mark Wade has beautifully encapsulated these 14 truths for seeking God in our everyday lives. This study presents relevant, real world questions and scripture-based answers as we live out our faith and build a deeper relationship with our Creator. This study is perfect for the brand new Christian, as well as the seasoned Christian, as the questions challenge the reader to go deeper in their faith at the level that God leads. I found myself spiritually challenged and greatly encouraged as I walked through God in the Everyday."

Jenn Kleiber

Host of the Faith Filled Entrepreneur Podcast

and Founder of Pressing Onward, LLC

"In God in the Everyday, Mark Wade takes his readers on a journey though the Christian life—from life’s beginning at the command of God to the embrace of God that believers receive as they go Home. Individuals and study groups will benefit from Wade’s writing in daily devotions and weekly meetings.…Sign up for this 14-week journey!"

Dr. Mark T. Goodman

Senior Pastor, Rabbit Creek Church,

Anchorage, AK

Author of The Ordinary Way

Mark Wade distills a wealth of personal, practical experience to help others take up the Christ life. If you’ve struggled to invite Christ into all areas of your life, or if you’ve never trusted Him at all, this book is a good place to begin.

Becky Jackson, DMin

Pastor, Northwest Baptist Church,

Ardmore, OK

"Mark Wade provides a profound, yet easy to follow 14-week path of transformation exploring 14 Truths that will deepen the faith and effectiveness of any Christian or open-minded seeker of truth and purpose. As our orientation guide and friend, Mark winsomely illuminates for us what a daily journey with God looks like—one that he has been personally practicing for decades—that we can emulate to both discover and live out God’s purpose for us. Encouraging, challenging, relatable and transformational, God in the Everyday is a fulcrum for greater personal and spiritual fulfillment."

Kurt Knapton

Investor and Strategic Advisor, Realm Resources,

Arlington, TX

‘Living life with God in the everyday’ should be a key phrase in all our lives. Through his 14 Truths, Mark helps us discover how to have that kind of walk with the Lord.

Dr. Chris Liebrum

Vice President, Howard Payne University,

Brownwood, TX

Copyright

Published by Choose Commitment Ministries, Arlington, TX 76017

Contact us at choosecommitment.org

Cover and Interior Design by: KUHN Design Group

Copy Edit by: Renee Crawford

Copyright © 2021 by C. Mark Wade

ISBN 978-1-7369963-0-0 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-7369963-1-7 (eBook)

1. Devotional 2. Bible Study 3. Discipleship 4. Mentoring 5. Self Help

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademarks office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, represented by Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May He use it for His glory and for His Kingdom. I pray all who read it will be drawn to a closer, more authentic, healthier relationship with Him, which, in turn, will lead us toward hope, purpose, and fulfillment.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you to all who have believed in this project, specifically Pam, Caleb, and Taylor Wade. I’m grateful for their unwavering love and confidence in me. Honey, thank you for your contributions and insights regarding the entire book, especially on the Day 7 content. To my parents, Charles and Rosemary Wade, for their lifelong support, encouragement, and example. To Cindy Dake, whose spiritual maturity, insight, and wisdom were on full display throughout the content development stage of this book.

Contents

Introduction

Truth 1: Everything Begins with God

Truth 2: God Gives Us Life

Truth 3: God Gives Us Abilities that Grow and Mature

Truth 4: We Recognize Our Sin

Truth 5: We Meet Jesus

Truth 6: We Choose Jesus

Truth 7: We Receive the Holy Spirit

Truth 8: We Receive Spiritual Gifts

Truth 9: We Are Equipped to Continue the Work of Jesus and Grow His Kingdom

Truth 10: We