4-Week Study on Being Made New

Transcription

1 4-Week Study on Being Made New

2 He Makes All Things New Study Guide This study, designed to supplement our He Makes All Things New sermon series, will ask thought-provoking questions to help you see how you can be made new, into the person you hope to be. We all have stuff in our lives that tends to define us. We are apathetic, greedy, stuck on ourselves, stressed out...you name it and that is the me that we all too often settle for. But what if we had a chance to be made new into the person we hope to be? Into the person God wants us to be? What would that person look like? You want to be more devoted to God. You want to be more focused. You want to be free. You want your life to mean something. You want to tell others about Jesus. Whatever it is...a new start is waiting for you through Christ Who makes all things new. God has a specific vision for your life. The Holy Spirit is your guide to discovering that vision. As you complete this study, pray and reflect on what it means to be made new by Christ. Recommended resource If you would like to delve deeper into what it means to be the person God created you to be, read The Me I Want to Be, by John Ortberg.

3 Outline for Study Week 1: January 1 7 Week 2: January 8-14 Week 3: January Week 4: January Fully Alive Renewing My Mind Breaking Free Making a Difference Key Bible Passages Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17 For we are God s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God s will is his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 It is my prayer that as you complete this study guide, you will gain a deeper understanding of who you are in Christ, and how He is making you new. ~ Tom Harland, Family Pastor Intern

4 Week One Fully Alive Jesus tells us, I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10) What does it mean that Jesus comes to give life? What are some ways God gives life and vitality to you? In restoring or fixing something, we can experience its full effectiveness and its full magnificence. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! Becoming a new creation doesn t mean becoming completely different; it means being restored to our intended beauty. What holds you back from leaning into becoming all God intended you to be? How does your hesitation in that area affect those around you? In what ways has sin distorted what you were intended to be? The church father, Irenaeus, said, The glory of God is a human being fully alive; and to be alive consists in beholding God. How can you build life-giving, vitalizing activities into your life and schedule this week? 1 Peter 1:8, Though we have not seen Jesus, we love him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. Have you ever experienced this kind of inexpressible and glorious joy that Peter describes? How would others describe your joy factor? What would be their evidence? It is easier to seek things, people and activities to make yourself feel happiness but how do you seek fulfilling joy? Read Psalm 92: God wants you to flourish. Flourishing is becoming more of what God made you to be. Is there something you re trying to be for which God did NOT design you? Have you given up (consciously or subconsciously) on dreams that God gave you? If so, what are those dreams? Are there changes that need to be made in your life to put you back on track for what God designed for your life?

5 Matthew 11:29 says, Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. What are some ways you receive rest, rejuvenation, and vitality from God that allow you to flourish? How would your calendar from the last few weeks or months reflect your engagement in these practices? When Jesus prayed for His disciples, He did not pray, May they all have identical devotional practices. He prayed, Father, may they be one with you, (John 17:21 paraphrased). What have you learned about how God grows you? Describe your personality. How do you think your personality affects the way you respond to God? [This is a good time to remind you about our Serve Like Christ course, in which you how God has uniquely designed you. Contact the office (office@gccstl.org) to sign up!] Responding in Prayer Ask God to help you identify the person He intended you to be and to have the courage to respond to His promptings. A Verse to Memorize He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new! Revelation 21:5a

6 Week Two Renewing My Mind Think back over your thought life from the past several days. What was the pattern of your thoughts in general (e.g., positive, discouraged, worried )? Did you find yourself consciously aware of the kinds of thoughts you entertained? Read 2 Corinthians 10:5. Is it a common practice for you to take your thoughts captive to God, as the Bible tells you to do? What makes that hard or easy for you to do? How do you think God wants to change your thoughts about yourself? You may have heard the phrase, garbage in, garbage out. When you consider your thoughts, were there times this week that you allowed garbage in or consciously entertained thoughts you knew you shouldn t? Share a brief example. Read the following three passages: Romans 8:5-8; Colossians 3:1-2; Romans 12:2a. What is the common theme in these passages? How would you define set your mind? How do you determine on what to set your mind? What result will you experience when you are controlled by the Spirit in what direction will your thoughts lead you? What kind of thoughts do you have if you are controlled by your sinful nature, by the pattern of this world? What do you hear the Spirit prompting you to do in your own life as you reflect on these passages? Read 1 Thessalonians 5:18. How does giving thanks in ALL circumstances affect the way you see life? How well do you do in giving thanks in all circumstances?

7 Read Philippians 4:8, which offers clear-cut directions on where to direct our thinking. Using these categories (e.g., noble, lovely, pure ), make a list of things in your life that fit (e.g., physical blessings, something that catches your attention in nature, family, friends, etc.). What are some areas that stand out as definitely not fitting into the categories of Philippians 4:8? Ask God to reveal your blind spots. Can you identify any habitual thought patterns that are not honoring to you or God? Confess any thoughts that do not honor God. Do you sense a battle for your thoughts? Explain. To really challenge yourself on this issue, make an effort to discover where your thoughts are throughout the day. Set a timer on your watch or phone to go off every few hours. When the timer goes off, write down the focus of your most recent thoughts. If you find yourself not thinking a Philippians 4:8 kind of thought, ask God to help you exchange it for something more God-honoring. Responding in Prayer Ask God to help you to focus your mind on the things that are honoring to Him. A Verse to Memorize Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God s will is his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

8 Week Three Breaking Free Read John 16:33. What is the bad news and the good news in this verse? Our dilemma is this: although we are being made new, we still have sinful, wicked hearts. We are not called to sit back and wait for God to change us. We are to actively fight back against sin and temptation. Read 1 Corinthians 10:13. What three truths do you learn about temptation in this verse? In what ways are these truths comforting to you? Read James 1: temptation come from? According to this passage, where does Read James 4: In this passage, do you see a passive or assertive response in the face of temptation? Explain. On a scale of 1 10, how seriously do you take temptation resistance? (1 = lazy/casual, 5 = depends on the temptation, 10 = extremely imperative) Read 1 Corinthians 10:14 and 2 Timothy 2:22. What do these two verses have in common? Read the following passages: Proverbs 5:3-4; Galatians 6:1; 1 Timothy 6:9; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; and James 1:14. What do all these passages have in common about the way sin is described? How does an understanding that sin is a trap by the devil help you to understand sin? One of the best ways to avoid sin and temptation is to communicate more with God. Read Matthew 6:9 13. Although you are probably familiar with this passage, try to read it with fresh eyes. What kinds of things does Jesus include in His prayer? When you have extended time in prayer, do you tend to include praise, worship, confession, and requests? Does one of those flow most readily or least readily for you? Explain.

9 Read 1 Thessalonians 5: If you were to pray the way that we are directed in this passage, would that change your prayer life? Does it seem possible, remembering that God is always present? 1 Thessalonians 5:19 (in different versions) warns us to not put out (NIV), stifle (NLT), suppress (The Message), or quench (KJV) the Holy Spirit in our lives. What makes you ignore or suppress the promptings of the Holy Spirit? When are you most open to the Spirit s work in your life? What do you think your signature sin is? What steps can you take to remove that sin from your life? Read Psalm 139 in its entirety. If God already knows the psalmist s thoughts, why does he ask God to test them? What is the benefit in bringing our offensive ways (see v. 24) to our awareness and to God s? What role might forgiveness play in allowing us to flourish? Responding in Prayer Ask God to give you the courage to deal with your pattern of sin and to grow in awareness and resistance toward it. Ask Him to help you to grow in your desire for Him instead of your desire for sin. A Verse to Memorize No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

10 Week Four Making a Difference Read Mark 8:34. When Jesus invited His followers to take up their cross, do you think they understood that it was a call to sacrificial love and serving? When you hear these words, do you tend to think about this as a burden, an opportunity, or both? Why? Read Numbers 13: Keep in mind that the men who were sent to the land had seen the power of God when He rescued them from Egypt. How did most of the men respond to the challenges facing them? How did Caleb respond? What do you think allowed Caleb to have a different perspective? Do you think you would have responded the way Caleb did or the way the others did? Why? Next read Joshua 14:10-12, which describes Caleb s testimony over forty years later. Notice that his faith in God was still strong, and he was willing to follow God in challenging circumstances. Do you feel that you have grown more open to the adventures God is calling you to or that you more often miss those promptings? Why? Caleb obviously focused on a cause much bigger than himself. Do you need to make any changes in your life to help you focus on God s mission rather than your mission? We often tend to think that people who accomplish great things for God have it all together. Read 1 Corinthians 2:3-5. What does this passage reveal about the apostle Paul? What did Paul rely on to carry out what God had called him to do? In his book, Crazy Love, Francis Chan says that something is wrong if our lives make sense to unbelievers. In what way do you think that authentic lives lived for God wouldn t make sense to unbelievers? In what ways would your life make too much sense to an unbeliever? Have you ever paused to think about how our culture (for most of us, Midwestern, middle class, suburban) affects our ability to live biblically? How does our culture affect the way you spend your time? Your money?

11 In what ways can you take a step of faith and begin living a life that better demonstrates your love for God and people? Read 1 Peter 2:9. On a scale of 1 to 10, how well do you think that the way you live your life declares His praises? How might God be asking you to take a step of faith and move out of your complacency in these areas of your life? -Your use of your time -The way you spend your money -The way you talk -The way you do your job -The way you treat others -The way you worship -The way you help those in need Responding in Prayer Ask God to give you the courage to take risks for His kingdom and teach you to trust in Him more. A Verse to Memorize Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Mark 8:34

12 Gateway Christian Church All Things New Series