10: Willingness to Grow and Change - Teaching Plan

Key Thought : Change does not occur without a spiritual battle. Reformation occurs by faith as we choose to surrender our habits and attitudes to Him.

[Teaching plan for Willingness to Grow and Change September 2, 2013]

1. Have a volunteer read James 4:6,7

a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
b. What is the difference in being proud and being self-confident? Does God want us to be self-confident?
c. Personal Application : What is the difference in being proud and being humble? Don’t you know some people who are proud of their humility? Share your thoughts. Share.
d. Case Study : One of your relatives states: I don’t know how we are to resist the devil. It seems like when I realize I’m being tempted, it’s too late. He doesn’t seem to flee from me when I try to resist. It seems like his temptations get stronger.” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read Philippians 2:12-14.

a. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
b. What does it mean to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling?
c. Personal Application : Have you ever become discouraged over your spiritual growth or walk with God? That you feel that you should be more advanced? What encouragement and assurance did you claim? Share your thoughts.
d. Case Study : One of your friends states, “How can I work out my own salvation when it is God who works in me both to will and do? If He doesn’t will me to do right or lead me to do right, then it’s not my fault if I don’t. Who’s supposed to do what?” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Luke 15:17-20

a. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
b. What specific attitudes and actions did the prodigal do to decide to return home? Do you think he experienced revival and reformation at this point?
c. Personal Application : How does choice and love play a role in revival and reformation in our lives? Have you ever chosen to leave and then chosen to come back? Share.
d. Case Study : One of your neighbors states, “Why was the prodigal son treated better than the son who never left his father’s side? This doesn’t make sense in my understanding of justice and fairness.” How would you respond to your neighbor?

4. Have a volunteer read John 5:11-14

a. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
b. Was Jesus telling the man here that his disease was the result of sin and that a worse thing could happen if he didn’t so right?
c. Personal Application : Is it important to believe that we can overcome sin in our lives through Christ’s power? What about someone who doesn’t believe they can overcome? Share your thoughts.
d. Case Study : Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Note : “Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.” MH p. 149.

Print/PDF/Email

(6)

Comments

10: Willingness to Grow and Change – Teaching Plan — 6 Comments

Rosario Tanguay on September 4, 2013 at 4:53 am said:

I believe that this lesson apply personally to all of us. We need to think what habits, thoughts, feelings are damaging to us and others and ask God to help us to change them. We have to be willing to change. God almighty helps us to change, to do your will.

(3)

Reply ↓
John Herscher on September 5, 2013 at 9:59 pm said:

One of your friends states, “How can I work out my own salvation when it is God who works in me both to will and do? If He doesn’t will me to do right or lead me to do right, then it’s not my fault if I don’t. Who’s supposed to do what?” How would you respond to your friend?

From what I understand, we are to get involved in our salvation, yes it is a gift, without Christ we can't do any thing. John 15:4.5. Which is true. Choose is like believe, unless we act upon that belief or choice, salvation is beyond our grasp. James says that we must be doers of the word not just hearers. James 1:19,20,21,22,23,24,25. Jesus said which James was expanding upon, DO the will of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 7:21. Jesus also said, my mother and my brothers and sisters are those who hear my word, and DO it. Luke 8:21. God will not work in man or woman with out our co-operation. To be doers of the word we must get physically as well as mentally involved. We are married to Christ. What spouse would stick with his or her spouse if all he or she did was to lay on the recliner all day chanting I believe, I chose, I hear you? Yes God likes to hear our commitment, but He also likes to see some action, sharing, obeying, doing the will of the Father. Don't just stand, sit, or lay there, do something.

(1)

Reply ↓
- Inge Anderson on September 6, 2013 at 9:39 am said:
  
  I think I agree with the intent of your comment, John, but isn't "choosing" the same as doing?
  
  In my mind, there's no choosing without action. If I simply look at a fork in the road ahead and think the left one is the better way but don't go there, I'm not choosing. I'm only choosing when I walk down the left road.
  
  The way I see it choosing is our part in the process of revival and sanctification. We choose to surrender fully to Jesus (which means we choose to obey, among other things), and He supplies the grace and power to actually effect the change which we cannot effect on our own.
  
  Or so it seems to me ...
  
  PS Your comical picture of the spouse lying on the couch chanting various words actually demonstrates not choosing, but only pretending. 😉
  
  (0)
  
  Reply ↓
  - John Gilmore on September 7, 2013 at 2:34 am said:
    
    Inge and John, it sounds to me like you both understand the important points but express them in different words.
    
    I might add that choice has both mental and physical aspects, both decision and action. And in spiritual matters there is the issue of power. Paul spoke of a time in his life when he had no power to do the good that he chose or to stop sinning (Romans 7:15 and 19). "There but for the grace of God, go I"
    
    I’m so thankful that Paul didn’t stop writing at the end of chapter 7. The power to do good, revealed quite plainly in chapter 8, is the Spirit of God, working with our choice. We must both “walk … according to the Spirit” (verse 1), and “set [our] minds on … the things of the Spirit” (verse 5).
    
    (0)
    
    Reply ↓
John Herscher on September 7, 2013 at 4:58 am said:

John and Inge you are so right. The Bible does support grasping the hem of His garment and holding on for dear life. Zechariah 8:23, 1 Timothy 1: 17,18,19, Hebrews 4:14, Revelation 3:10. I believe that is something we can do with the power of Christ working in us. The woman in the crowd touched Him physically than mentally held onto Him for life.Yes we do something but not without cooperation with God's Spirit. And they all left in one accord.

(0)

Reply ↓
Cesar Albano on September 7, 2013 at 8:03 am said:

I believe that unless Jesus comes, we cannot be able change ourselves, like a leopard as it is written. The only thing we can do is to put it into our mind our interest of changing and surrender everything to the Holy Spirit. Our mind has to focus on heavenly things, and our actions will follow, and yet we're not changed because there is still the tendency of sinning or to stumble. Only when He comes "we will be changed".....

(0)

Reply ↓