21 Days of Advance is all about starting the year intentionally seeking God. For these last 7 days, we’re going to cover how to live out the new advance you’ve been building over the past 21 days.
Principles in Action
Day 15
"You are the salt of the earth... let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."
Matthew 5:13, 16 NLT
Everything you’ve learned about generosity, integrity, and forgiveness shows up most clearly in how you treat people. Your faith is visible in your relationships.
Jesus said we’re the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Salt adds flavor to food and light brightens the path ahead of us. They change what they interact with. In the same way, our lives should make a difference in the lives around us.
It’s one thing to talk about biblical principles in a small group or write them in a journal. It’s another thing entirely to live them out when your coworker takes credit for your work, when your spouse says something hurtful, or when a friend betrays your trust. That’s where the rubber meets the road.
The principles you’ve been learning aren’t theoretical. They’re meant to change how you show up every single day. How you respond to conflict, spend your money, talk about people when they’re not around—all of it reflects whether your faith is real or just something you claim on Sundays.
Dig Deeper
How have the principles you’ve been learning these past two weeks changed the way you interact with people around you?
Take A Step Forward
What’s one specific relationship where you need to apply these principles differently?
Love Without Judgment
Day 16
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
John 13:34-35 ESV
We’re called to stand firm in our beliefs while showing genuine love to everyone. That’s a tension, but it’s not a contradiction. Jesus was full of both grace and truth. He never compromised what He believed, but He also never stopped loving people who disagreed with Him or lived differently.
Love doesn’t mean approval, and truth doesn’t mean judgment. You can believe something is wrong and still treat the person with dignity and kindness. We are to hold to our convictions without being condescending or harsh. The question isn’t whether you’ll encounter people who think differently than you; it’s how you’ll respond when you do.
People should be able to tell you’re a Christian by the way you love them. Not by how loudly you proclaim your beliefs or how quickly you correct them. How you listen, serve, and display respect even when you don’t see eye to eye showcases the love of God more than words.
Dig Deeper
How have you shown Christ’s love to someone who thinks or lives differently than you?
Take A Step Forward
Who can you intentionally show Christ’s love to this week, even if you disagree with their choices or beliefs?
Friends Who Sharpen You
Day 17
"Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another."
Proverbs 27:17 ESV
You need friends who will encourage your faith when you’re discouraged, challenge you when you’re coasting, and pray with you through the hard stuff. True community means being honest about your struggles and letting others speak truth into your life.
Too many of us fake it in our Christian relationships. We show up, smile, say we’re fine, and leave without anyone knowing what’s really going on. That’s not community; that’s performance. Real friendship means being vulnerable enough to say, “I’m struggling,” and trusting that the people around you will help carry the weight.
You can’t grow alone. God designed us to need each other. Find people who will ask hard questions, won’t let you settle for mediocrity, and will point you back to Jesus when you drift. The best way to cultivate those people in your life is to be that kind of friend to others.
Dig Deeper
Who can you be real with about your faith journey? Are you actively investing in friendships that help you grow closer to God?
Take A Step Forward
What’s one specific way you can deepen an existing friendship this week or reach out to someone who could be that kind of friend?
Honoring Those Closest to You
Day 18
"Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged."
Colossians 3:18-21 NLT
It’s easy to be kind to strangers and short with family. We give our best to people at work or church and save our worst attitudes for the people we live with. God calls us to flip that script. Our family should see the best of us, not the leftovers.
How you treat your family reflects your faith more than almost anything else. If you’re patient and gracious with everyone except your spouse or your kids, something’s wrong. If you’re generous with your time for friends but always too busy for your family, your priorities are off.
Honoring your family means being intentional, patient, and loving even when it’s inconvenient. It means putting down your phone when your kid wants to talk, speaking kindly to your spouse, and showing up consistently. Honor takes intentionality, especially with those who see us at our best and worst.
Dig Deeper
How have you been treating your family compared to how you treat others?
Take A Step Forward
What’s one way you can be more intentional, patient, and loving with your family this week?
Your First Priority
Day 19
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
Matthew 6:33 ESV
All your relationships—community, friends, family—flow from your connection with God. When that relationship is right, everything else follows. When it’s not, everything else suffers. Your relationship with God must be your top priority, or it will quietly slip down the list.
It’s easy to let other things take God’s place. Work, relationships, hobbies, and even ministry can become more important than time with Him. You convince yourself you’re too busy, but the truth is you make time for what matters to you. If God isn’t first, it’s because you’ve made something else more important.
Seeking God first doesn’t mean you neglect your responsibilities. It means you approach everything from the foundation of a strong relationship with Him. When you start your day with God, you’re better equipped for whatever comes. When you end your day with Him, you can release the things you can’t control.
Dig Deeper
Is your relationship with God truly your top priority, or have other things quietly taken His place?
Take A Step Forward
What needs to change in your schedule or habits this week to make God your first priority instead of just fitting Him in?
When Faith Gets Hard
Day 20
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
James 1:2-4 ESV
Struggles don’t mean God abandoned you. They’re often where faith grows deepest and where you learn to trust Him most. James tells us to count it as joy when we face trials because God is using them to produce something in us that wouldn’t develop any other way.
That doesn’t mean you have to be happy about the hard stuff. It means you can choose to see it as an opportunity for growth instead of a reason to give up. When life is easy, we coast. When life is hard, we’re forced to trust God in ways we wouldn’t otherwise. That’s where real transformation happens.
The question isn’t whether you’ll face difficulty. The question is how you’ll respond when you do. Will you let it drive you away from God, or will you let it drive you closer to Him? Will you become bitter, or will you become better? The struggle itself doesn’t determine the outcome; your response does.
Dig Deeper
What current struggle can you choose to see as an opportunity for God to grow your faith?
Take A Step Forward
How can you intentionally lean into God this week in the middle of that struggle instead of trying to fix it on your own?
Keep Advancing
Day 21
"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."
2 Peter 3:18 ESV
These 21 days were a jumpstart, but advancing your faith is a lifelong pursuit. What you’ve started here doesn’t end today. The habits you’ve built, the truths you’ve learned, the ways you’ve grown—those are meant to continue long after these three weeks are over.
Peter tells us to grow in grace and knowledge. That’s not a one-time achievement; it’s an ongoing process. You never arrive at a place where you’ve learned enough or grown enough. There’s always more of God to discover, more character to develop, more ways to become like Christ.
As you look back over these three weeks, ask yourself: what’s the one thing God has been speaking to me? Maybe it’s a habit you need to build, a relationship you need to mend, or a truth you need to hold onto. Don’t let this moment pass without carrying that forward. Decide today what you’ll do tomorrow, next week, and next month to keep advancing in your faith.
Dig Deeper
Looking back over these three weeks, what’s the one thing God has spoken to you that you need to carry forward into the rest of this year?
Take A Step Forward
What specific action will you take this week to make sure you don’t lose the momentum you’ve gained during these 21 days?
