Spiritual Habits (Part 1) Lesson 1 Workbook Having a Relationship With God FOUR PEOPLE Person's Name Days per week Hours per day How much time I see this person I spend with this I spend thinking person about this person Psalm 42:1-2 1. How does the author of that Psalm express his need for a relationship with God? 2. Is that kind of passion for God evident in your own life? 3. What do you think it would take for you to desire a relationship with God in that way? Starting Points 1. If you were making a list of friends, where would Jesus fit on the list? Who is a closer friend to you than Him right now?
2. How do you measure your "closeness" with Jesus? 3. How much time do you spend communicating with God? 4. How many days a week do you hang out with God? 5. How often do you find yourself thinking about Him? Homework Memorize Psalm 42:2 Review your answers to the five questions above. What areas in your life need changing? What can you do to make those changes? What Spiritual Habit can you develop over the next few weeks that will help you build a deeper relationship with God?
Spiritual Habits (Part 1) Lesson 2 Workbook Studying the Bible (Part 1) Genesis 2:7-22 1. What type of relationship does it seem like God had with Adam & Eve? 2. How direct was their contact? 3. In what ways is that contact different from ours today? Genesis 12:1-7 1. What type of relationship does it seem like God had with Abraham? 2. How direct was their contact? 3. In what ways is that contact different from ours today? Exodus 3:1-10 1. What type of relationship does it seem like God had with Moses? 2. How direct was their contact?
3. In what ways is that contact different from ours today? Acts 9:1-8 1. What type of relationship does it seem like God had with Paul? 2. How direct was their contact? 3. In what ways is that contact different from ours today? Start a Habit A Proverb a Day: A Verse in the Mirror: Blog Through the Bible: Read Slow/Think Slow: Get a Bible Reading Plan: Homework Memorize 2 Timothy 3:16 Review the five start a habit options covered in class. Choose at least two of these and make them part of your daily Bible study or quiet time. Be prepared to share how these new habits made a change in your relationship with God.
Spiritual Habits (Part 1) Lesson 3 Workbook Studying the Bible (Part 2) 2 Timothy 3:16-17 1. According to these verses, what are the Scriptures good for? 2. What is the ultimate goal of this training, according to verse 17? TEACHING (Doctrine) Romans 15:4 1. Can you think of a time when you were reading the Bible and you learned something new? What was it? REBUKING (Reproof) 1. Can you think of a time when you read the Bible and felt rebuked? 2. Whether you liked it or not, did the outcome of this confrontation with God s Word improve your life in some way? CORRECTING (Correction) Acts 2:36-37 1. What is God's Word through His servant Peter, in verse 36? 2. How did this effect the people in verse 37?
3. What did the people ask upon being convicted? TRAINING (Instruction) Hebrews 12:11 1. Does the idea of discipline in the Scriptures sound right to you? Why/why not? 2. In what ways has discipline gotten a bad rap in our world? What Should I Do? Verse Reference(s): Now, what should I do in response to these verses? Homework Memorize 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Continue with the start a habit activities you started last week. This week ask yourself, What should I do? Think about the changes you need to implement in your life to respond to what you just read or memorized.
Spiritual Habits (Part 1) Lesson 4 Workbook Prayer Matthew 6:5-13 1. What does Jesus say our attitude should be like when we pray? 2. If God knows what we need before we ask, why do you think we pray? 3. If you could summarize the Lord s Prayer (verses 9-13) into a couple statements, what would they be? Acts 1:14 & 2:42 1. What was the priority of prayer in the early church, based on these two verses? 2. How often did they devote themselves to prayer? 3. Acts 2:42 describes the lifestyle of early Christians. If you were to describe your lifestyle, or the lifestyle of our group, in one verse, would it sound like this? 4. What is the priority of prayer in your life? 1 Thessalonians 5:17 1. How often does this verse say we should pray?
2. How often do you prayer? What would it mean to pray without ceasing? Prayer Exercises & Ideas Postured Prayer: Prayer List: Biblical Prayers: Pray Out Loud: Prayer Walks: 1. How might these exercises help you pray more effectively? 2. Which one do you think you'd e willing to try first? LIVE A LIFE OF PRAYER 1. What would a lifestyle of prayer look like in your day-to-day? 2. How might you find your attitude changing if you adopted a lifestyle of prayer? 3. How is this suggestion different from the more formal prayer life that is often proposed for Christians? Homework Memorize Acts 2:42 Review the five prayer exercise ideas discussed in this lesson. Try each one on a different day during the week. Consider which ideas seemed to help the most to deepen your relationship with God. Which ones do you need to make into a Spiritual habit?
Spiritual Habits (Part 1) Lesson 5 Workbook Journaling Psalm 119:9-16 1. According to this passage, if someone is going to live a pure life, how do they do so? 2. What commitment to God s commands does the author of this Psalm have? 3. What do you think it means that he had hidden God s Word in his heart? 4. Verse 15 mentions mediation upon the Word of God. What do you think of when you think of meditation? 5. In verse 16 the author makes a promise to God. What is it? Psalm 42 1. What does the psalmist say here, in summary? 2. How is this honesty honoring God? 3. How might this be like the journaling you do?
Psalm 51 1. What does the psalmist say here, in summary? 2. How is this honesty honoring God? 3. How might this be like the journaling you do? Psalm 150 1. What does the psalmist say here, in summary? 2. How is this honesty honoring God? 3. How might this be like the journaling you do? Ways to Journal: God's Word: Journal Prayers: Through the day: Using Art:
Journal Challenge Psalm 1 John 6:1-15 Philippians 2:12-18 Read all verses once. Select one passage to read again, and then journal. My reaction to: My journaling schedule for the rest of this week: Homework Memorize Psalm 119:11 Practice journaling for at least five out of the next seven days.