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Winning the Descent

Louie Giglio

7 Days

Expect the Dip

Day 1

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Join us as Louie Giglio explains what happens after we are on the other side of accomplishing something we’ve believed for in faith. We train, prepare, and put in the hard work of summiting the mountain of what God has called us to, but what do we do when it’s over? Over these seven days we’ll learn that learning to navigate the descent is just as important, if not more, than the ascent.

Summary

Most of us have learned to navigate the ascent well. We put heart and soul into something. We pour out everything we have physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to partner with God and accomplish something amazing that brings Him glory. But as soon as it's done, the decent beings. How do you take on the climb down without losing your footing? What is the first thing we can do to prepare?

We have to learn to expect the dip. If you do something great, it's likely that you are going to have an emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual letdown in the aftermath.

Most of us are too quick to move on to the next thing. But consider this: if you run a marathon, you will wake up the next day feeling it. You will be beat up and sore, overwhelmed, and grateful that it happened. What may surprise you is an accompanying sense of letdown. After all, everything you were working towards is suddenly over. The same rules apply when we do something huge for God.

On the descent, you may not feel great. You may get sick, you may get depressed, you may feel like everything is just off. Even if you are a believer... you're going to experience a letdown. Learn to expect it.

What's Next?

Think about a situation where you had to stretch your faith and belief in God for something huge to happen. Can you recall how you felt when the situation was resolved? Physically, did you feel it? Emotionally and mentally, were you maxed out? Spiritually, did you feel empty and depressed?
How can you prepare to be ready for the dip? Practically, what habits can you cultivate beforehand that will lend itself to help you process better after? For example, can you limit time on social media first thing in the morning or last thing at night so those aren't the voices you are consuming?
What scripture can you memorize to be at the ready when you start to feel discouraged and spent?

Scripture References

11I will remember the deeds of the

Lord

;

yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

12I will consider all your works

and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

1I will sing of the

Lord

’s great love forever;

with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known

through all generations.

2I will declare that your love stands firm forever,

that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

3You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,

I have sworn to David my servant,

4‘I will establish your line forever

and make your throne firm through all generations.’ ”

5The heavens praise your wonders,

Lord

your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.

6For who in the skies above can compare with the

Lord

Who is like the

Lord

among the heavenly beings?

7In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;

he is more awesome than all who surround him.

8Who is like you,

Lord

God Almighty?

You,

Lord

, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

9You rule over the surging sea;

when its waves mount up, you still them.

10You crushed Rahab like one of the slain;

with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.

11The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;

you founded the world and all that is in it.

12You created the north and the south;

Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.

13Your arm is endowed with power;

your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;

love and faithfulness go before you.

15Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,

who walk in the light of your presence,

Lord

16They rejoice in your name all day long;

they celebrate your righteousness.

17For you are their glory and strength,

and by your favor you exalt our horn.

18Indeed, our shield belongs to the

Lord

our king to the Holy One of Israel.

19Once you spoke in a vision,

to your faithful people you said:

“I have bestowed strength on a warrior;

I have raised up a young man from among the people.

20I have found David my servant;

with my sacred oil I have anointed him.

21My hand will sustain him;

surely my arm will strengthen him.

22The enemy will not get the better of him;

the wicked will not oppress him.

23I will crush his foes before him

and strike down his adversaries.

24My faithful love will be with him,

and through my name his horn will be exalted.

25I will set his hand over the sea,

his right hand over the rivers.

26He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,

my God, the Rock my Savior.’

27And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,

the most exalted of the kings of the earth.

28I will maintain my love to him forever,

and my covenant with him will never fail.

29I will establish his line forever,

his throne as long as the heavens endure.

30“If his sons forsake my law

and do not follow my statutes,

31if they violate my decrees

and fail to keep my commands,

32I will punish their sin with the rod,

their iniquity with flogging;

33but I will not take my love from him,

nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.

34I will not violate my covenant

or alter what my lips have uttered.

35Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—

and I will not lie to David—

36that his line will continue forever

and his throne endure before me like the sun;

37it will be established forever like the moon,

the faithful witness in the sky.”

1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

3The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4Jesus answered,

“It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

”

5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.

6“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,

and they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

7Jesus answered him,

“It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’

”

8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.

9“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10Jesus said to him,

“Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’

”

11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

1Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,

2just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.

3With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

4so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

5In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.

6Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.

7But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

8Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,

9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

10And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.

12When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.

13But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.

7Be still before the

Lord

and wait patiently for him;

do not fret when people succeed in their ways,

when they carry out their wicked schemes.

16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

3I thank my God every time I remember you.

4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy

3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

11The

Lord

would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

11From the east I summon a bird of prey;

from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.

What I have said, that I will bring about;

what I have planned, that I will do.

Louie Giglio

Louie Giglio is the Visionary Architect and Director of the Passion Movement, comprised of Passion Conferences, Passion City Church, Passion Publishing and sixstepsrecords, and the founder of Passion Institute.