FALL 2014 PERSONAL STUDY GUIDE RONNIE FLOYD GENERAL EDITOR CONNECTED: MY LIFE IN THE CHURCH OVERCOME: LIVING BEYOND YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES

FALL 2014 PERSONAL STUDY GUIDE RONNIE FLOYD GENERAL EDITOR CONNECTED: MY LIFE IN THE CHURCH OVERCOME: LIVING BEYOND YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES

Contents SUMMER FALL 2014 VOL. 2, 1, NO. 14 BIBLE STUDY SESSIONS STUDY THEME: Connected: My Life in the Church 6 Suggested for week of: September 7 Session 1 Connected in Christ....8 September 14 Session 2 Connected in Unity...20 September 21 Session 3 Connected in Growth...32 September 28 Session 4 Connected Through Words.... 44 October 5 Session 5 Connected in Service...56 October 12 Session 6 Connected Through Prayer....70 Looking Back: Connected....82 STUDY THEME: Overcome: Living Beyond Your Circumstances 86 Suggested for week of: October 19 Session 7 Overcome Betrayal.... 88 October 26 Session 8 Overcome Temptation... 100 November 2 Session 9 Overcome Being Forgotten.... 112 November 9 Session 10 Overcome Hard Times.... 124 November 16 Session 11 Overcome Bitterness.... 138 November 23 Session 12 Overcome an Earthly Mindset.... 150 Looking Back: Overcome....162 November 30 Session 13 Ministry in the Face of Mental Illness.... 164 3

Contents continued FEATURES Access... 2 A Word from Ronnie... 5 Can I Take Your Coats?... 68 Joseph: A Man of Integrity.... 84 With Those Who Weep.... 136 Coming In Winter.... 178 136 This Personal Study Guide is designed for senior adults ages 70 and up. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter, and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWay s doctrinal guideline, please visit www.lifeway.com/ doctrinalguideline. Bible Studies for Life: Senior Adults Personal Study Guide (ISSN: 2330-9814; Item 005075046) is published quarterly by LifeWay, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. 2013 LifeWay. Printed in the United States of America. For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway.com, call (800) 458-2772, or write LifeWay Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, e-mail subscribe@lifeway.com, fax (615) 251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, e-mail orderentry@lifeway.com, fax (615) 251-5933, or write to the above address. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. ERIC GEIGER Vice President, Church Resources RONNIE FLOYD General Editor DAVID FRANCIS Managing Editor JEFFREY HOLDER Content Editor PHILIP NATION Director, Adult Ministry Publishing FAITH WHATLEY Director, Adult Ministry Send questions/comments to: Content Editor Bible Studies for Life: Senior Adults Personal Study Guide One LifeWay Plaza Nashville, Tennessee, 37234-0175 or make comments on the Web at www.lifeway.com. 4

A Word From Ronnie Your Bible study group is going to delve into three studies I am particularly excited about. First is Connected. When I first read Thom S. Rainer s book, I Am a Church Member, I was convinced that millions of Christ-followers needed this content. This study helps us discover how to be healthy church members. One of my dear friends and former staff members, Alex Himaya, wrote our study on the life of Joseph called Overcome: Living Beyond Your Circumstances. Alex lives these principles in his life and local church. He is a passionate man of God and pastor of an exciting growing church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Finally, there is a special session addressing an issue we don t often talk about: mental illness. Mental illness is a real issue for many, but we often don t know how we can help those who struggle in this area. Dr. Frank Page, who has dealt with this in his own family, wrote Ministry in the Face of Mental Illness. This study gives us biblical direction on how we can minister to individuals and their families dealing with mental illness. These are exciting life-changing topics. May God bless as you encounter Him on an ever deeper level. General Editor TWITTER: @ronniefloyd www.ronniefloyd.com 5

6 CONNECTED: MY LIFE IN THE CHURCH

I am a Christian. Therefore, I am connected. Let s make a quick list of pressing issues we face on a regular basis: Paying the bills Raising a family Keeping afloat in today s economy Church membership Church membership? I doubt the issue of church membership makes it on most people s list, but it should. Unfortunately, many Christians have developed a faulty view of what it means to be a church member. Many of us talk about our church in terms of what we get out of it. This consumer mentality focuses on the perks we gain from the church, which makes church membership sound more like club membership. In reality, being part of the body of Christ means so much more. The Book of Ephesians helps us see the true benefits that come from our connections to Christ and His church. Within this study we ll discover six ways church members are connected: connected in Christ, connected in unity, connected in growth, connected through words, connected in service, and connected through prayer. Your connection to the church your membership will prove over time to be just as important as paying the bills and raising a family. During this study you ll discover that, through Christ, we are all truly connected in a way that lasts not just for a lifetime, but for all eternity. Thom S. Rainer Thom S. Rainer serves as president and CEO of LifeWay. One of his greatest joys is his family: his wife, Nellie Jo; his three sons, Sam, Art, and Jess; and his seven grandchildren. Dr. Rainer publishes a daily blog at ThomRainer.com and can be followed on Twitter @ThomRainer. He has authored several books, including the book that complements this study: I Am a Church Member: Discovering the Attitude that Makes the Difference. 7

SESSION 1 CONNECTED IN CHRIST When have you been interested to join a group or a cause? 8 session 1 QUESTION #1

THE POINT Church membership is a privilege made possible through Christ. THE PASSAGE Ephesians 2:17-22 THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE Membership has its privileges. Join Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Montana, and you can golf, ski, snowboard, ride horseback, fly fish, hike, bike, kayak, and more among some of the most beautiful scenery around. You can dine in luxury, and maybe rub elbows with Olympic athletes, politicians, and business leaders. For all this you pay a hefty $300,000 just to join and $30,000 in annual dues. On top of that, you re required to purchase a $2.5 million condo, a custom-built mansion, or a ranch that will set you back more than $10 million. Most people can t relate to forking over millions of dollars for such perks, but we do get the idea of membership. Many of us have belonged to organizations where we paid our dues and were entitled to certain benefits in return. The problem occurs when we bring this same mentality to the church. The Bible helps us see that being a part of the church is not about what we can get out of it. Church membership is not about our expectations to be served and have our needs met, but there is great value in being a church member. Let s begin our study with this truth from the Book of Ephesians that belonging to the body of Christ is a gift. SUGGESTED USE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 7 9

THE POINT Church membership is a privilege made possible through Christ. Ephesians 2:17-18 17 When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. If you or I went to the White House in Washington, D.C. and requested an audience with the president, we d likely receive a formal reply that could be translated as, Yeah, right. It wouldn t happen. Ordinary citizens can t just show up and expect to get access to the president of the United States. But if the president s wife or children appeared with the same request, the response would be different. Of course they have unqualified access to the president, they re his family! To put things in perspective, Ephesians 2:17-18 is not about the elected leader of any country. It s about the sovereign, eternal Ruler of the universe. We may not have access to the U.S. president, but we do have access to God. In Ephesians 2, Paul wrote that at one time the believers had been far away from God (see 2:13). He reminded them they had been disobedient, living in sin, and subject to God s anger (see vv. 1-3). They were without hope and without God in the world (v. 12) cut off, no access, excluded. Although Paul was addressing a specific group of people in a specific place at a specific point in history, his words certainly apply to us as well. He wrote to Gentile believers who had been far from God because they had no knowledge of God through the Law of Moses or the prophets. He wrote to Jewish believers, who had knowledge of God but were also cut off from Him by their sin. 10 session 1

Everyone falls into one of these two groups. Whether we learned about God during childhood or came to know about Him later in life, all of us start out at war with God just like the Ephesians with no relationship and no access. But then Jesus arrived. When He died on the cross to pay the penalty for sin, He made a way for those who were separated from God to be reconciled to Him. Jesus opened the door and gave the excluded us access. The gift of salvation is for all who believe in Jesus and trust Him as their Savior. Scripture makes it clear: no one can earn this right standing with God by his or her own good deeds. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God s gift not from works, so that no one can boast (2:8-9). Ever hear people drop names when they know someone famous? It makes us feel important to say we have a relationship with a celebrity as if the association says something about our intelligence, success, or charisma. Through Jesus, we have a relationship with the King of kings, but we have no bragging rights for having obtained this relationship. We received it as a gift we neither earned nor deserved. Hulton Archive/Getty Images By grace alone, we who had no relationship with God now have become sons and daughters with unlimited access to the Ruler of the universe. We re family. Several days after President Kennedy s assassination in 1963, Look magazine published pictures taken only weeks earlier of Kennedy and his young son at the White House. One photo shows the president reviewing papers while little John Jr. peers out from a secret door underneath the desk. The image gave the country an intimate view of our late president running the country, while his young son played happily at his feet. 11

THE POINT Church membership is a privilege made possible through Christ. It s a great picture for us as well. The Lord of the universe is on His throne conducting business, while you and I are given access to enter and sit at the feet of our Father. We were undeserving, rebellious sinners who now have the greatest access imaginable. And that access is a gift. What emotions do you experience when you think about our direct access to God? QUESTION #2 Ephesians 2:19 19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God s household, KEY WORDS: Foreigners, strangers (v. 19) Foreigners refers to non-citizens who are short-term in a country; strangers to longer term residents. Neither had citizenship or full rights. Beginning a relationship with God is a little like going through one of those turnstiles to enter a football stadium. It happens one person at a time. God saves us as individuals. We each must come to Him through personal faith. But once we enter that relationship with Him, we immediately become part of His family with multitudes of brothers and sisters. We re in the stadium with a whole crowd of people. In another way, becoming a Christian is like getting married. You marry one person, but you gain a whole new family as well: the in-laws and a reunion full of cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews the lovable and the hard to love. Likewise, when you 12 session 1

enter the family of God, you gain a huge family. Receiving this family, along with salvation, is also a gift. How is being part of a church like being part of a family? QUESTION #3 Still speaking to the Gentile believers in Ephesus, Paul reminded them they had been outsiders foreigners and strangers (v. 19). Paul s words referred to people who lived in a country not their own. They were people who could claim no rights of citizenship there. If you ve ever traveled where a different language is spoken, you know what it feels like to be an outsider. You hear people talking all around you, but you don t know what they re saying. Perhaps you dress differently. Your skin and hair color, even facial features could label you as a foreigner. It s obvious to everyone that you don t belong. Before coming to Christ, the Ephesians were outsiders, excluded from the chosen people of God because they were Gentiles who didn t have a saving relationship with Jesus. By dying on the cross, however, Jesus made a way for them to become a part of His family. Now, through their faith, they were joined with all believers Jew and Gentile. They had the full rights of kingdom citizenship and the benefits of family membership. Instantly, they went from being outsiders to being insiders. Access to God gave them access to the family of God. I remember entering God s family when I was a teenager. My high school football coach, Joe Hendrickson, showed me the Bible verse, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). He explained to me that everyone is a sinner, and none of us deserves salvation. We all deserve death (see 6:23). 13

THE POINT Church membership is a privilege made possible through Christ. Coach Hendrickson helped me understand that Jesus took the punishment for me with His death on the cross (see 2 Cor. 5:21). After hearing the gospel, I repented of my sins and placed my faith in Jesus (see Acts 3:19). At that moment, I received the gift of salvation, which included forgiveness of my sins and adoption by God the Father. It meant the Holy Spirit came to dwell in me. And it made me part of the body of Christ. Just as it was for the first century Gentile Ephesian believers, so it is for all of us: membership in the body of Christ, the church, is a gift from God. As a gift, membership in the body of Christ is to be treasured. It s not a legalistic obligation. It s not a country club to provide us privileges and perks. It s not a license for entitlements. It s a gift to be cherished. Ephesians 2:20-22 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. 21 The whole building, being put together by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord. 22 You also are being built together for God s dwelling in the Spirit. KEY WORD: Cornerstone (v. 20) The foundation stone that anchors the whole structure. It sets the angle and the bearings for the structure that will rise from the foundation. Country clubs, health clubs, and the like are businesses designed primarily to make a profit for the owner. So if you choose to join a club, it makes sense to consider what it will cost, what activities and services it will provide, and how well you like the other members. After all, it is a business; you are paying for a service. 14 session 1

If you ve ever worked in a business on the customer-facing side of things, you know what I m talking about. The customer is always right, and the employees job is to keep the customers happy. By contrast, the church is not a business that exists to make a profit or provide a service for its patrons. It is the body of Christ with Jesus as the head and the focus of the church. The church is built on the foundation of the apostles who witnessed the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and declared His gospel. What prevents us from viewing church membership as a privilege? QUESTION #4 So what is the church s purpose? Let me tell you what it is not: The church is not simply for church members to enjoy one another s company (although we should). The church is not to see that we are served and get our needs met (although the church may minister to us). The church is not to entertain us. The church is not primarily for you or me. The church is primarily for God, who founded it and sustains it to this day. Paul called Jesus Christ the cornerstone of the church (v. 20). In ancient architecture, the cornerstone was the most important stone in an entire building. Covering a right angle where two walls joined, it was the binding stone that held the entire structure together. To say Jesus is the church s cornerstone is to say that everything in and about the church rests on His authority. Jesus is the reason for the church s existence. He is the One who connects us all together. The purpose of the church is to worship and serve Him. 15

THE POINT Church membership is a privilege made possible through Christ. This must impact the way we view our own roles in the church. God never intended His church to be a place for followers to act like consumers seeking to be served and entertained. Instead, He designed the church to be a missionary people carrying out the greatest work the world has ever known. To be invited to join with Jesus Christ and His followers in carrying out that mission as a member of His church is truly a gift that should inspire humble gratitude and motivate sacrificial service. When we truly appreciate a gift, we naturally want to show our gratitude to the Giver. We do that by serving Him through His DIGGING DEEPER Verse 21. In the Old Testament, God revealed Himself to the world through physical glory, and is revealing Himself to the world through spiritual glory in the New Testament. In both cases, God s intention was to give a picture to the world of who He was through the blessing of His people. In both the Old and the New Testament, the focal point of God s blessing is the temple. The Old Testament temple was a stunning building. The idea is that the people of the world would get some idea of the grandeur, glory, and power of God by looking at His physical temple, the physical site of His presence on earth. The counterpart to the Old Testament temple is the New Testament temple, which is the totality of all believers in Jesus. Instead of God investing the New Testament temple with His physical glory, His intent is to invest the New Testament temple with His spiritual glory. Instead of gold and cedar and ivory and tapestry, He has lavished His New Testament temple with love, joy, and peace. The idea is that the people of the world would get some idea of the character of God by looking at Christians, His spiritual temple, the spiritual home of His presence on earth. Max Anders, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians & Colossians, vol. 8 of Holman New Testament Commentary, gen. ed. Max Anders (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 122-123. 16 session 1

church out of the overflow of joy for our salvation. Our gratitude to God is expressed in thankfulness for our brothers and sisters in Christ and a willingness to put their needs above our own. Jesus remains the foundation of the church. What is our role in continuing His work? QUESTION #5 WHAT A PRIVILEGE! Through the church God has determined to reveal His Son to the world and communicate His plan of salvation to all people. Why is making Jesus known a privilege? Why is being connected in Christ to your fellow church members all of them a privilege? 17

THE POINT Church membership is a privilege made possible through Christ. LIVE IT OUT Ephesians 2 lays out the meaning of what the church is. Which application below fits best for where you are in your spiritual journey? View church membership as a gift. Thank God daily for the opportunity to be included in His family, the church. Ask the right question. John F. Kennedy famously challenged Americans, Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. This week, ask your group leader or pastor: What can I do for my church? Then do it! Invite others in. Who around you needs to be introduced to the gospel and included in Christ s church? List their names. Then invite at least one of these individuals to come with you to your Bible study group this week. Church membership is not about our expectations to be served and have our needs met. It s about the opportunity to serve and meet the needs of others. Most importantly it s about serving the one true God. Yes, membership certainly has its privileges. 18 session 1

by Susan Childress Why do I always get asked to serve in the nursery? I ve done my time; it s someone else s turn. There is a need that s not being met, and you have been asked. Get over it and get in there! Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others (Phil. 2:4). to be there, no excuses. I can t visit the nursing home. It s so sad and Today, you are invited and expected to it smells. Yes, it can be a sad place, and accept an invitation from the King of kings. sometimes it does smell, but one of those What excuses are you using for not ministering to others? smile. Do not lack diligence; be fervent residents needs your visit and your kind in spirit; serve the Lord (Rom. 12:11). I should take them a meal, but I m so busy. Someone else will help. But they do need I won t serve on the committee if he is on it. your help. You re passing on an opportunity to be a blessing to someone and to be would be uncomfortable to be around him. We had a disagreement not long ago, and it blessed yourself. A generous person will be Pack up your pride, be the bigger man, and enriched, and the one who gives a drink talk to him about it. When pride comes, of water will receive water (Prov. 11:25). disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom (Prov. 11:2). I should welcome the new family to my neighborhood, but they have little kids. Little kids can It s time to put away excuses and serve get on my nerves. Your nerves will survive. others. Ben Franklin wrote, He that is Take a few minutes and go over there with good for making excuses is seldom good some cookies for those kids. You are a light for anything else. that needs to shine in your neighborhood. Let your light shine before men, so that Susan Childress lives in Atlanta, Ga., with her husband, daughter, and two dachshunds. Most recently, they may see your good works and give glory Susan worked at the North American Mission on the to your Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16). communications team. She is guilty of making excuses. 42 Mature Living SEPTEMBER 2013 JANUARY 2014 JANUARY 2014 U.S.A. $3.95 page 28 of Leadership, & Discipleship My Thoughts My Group s Prayer Requests All Excuses Ceasing This year, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated the 60th anniversary of her coronation. n 1953, she sent special invitations to the coronation. The invitations were Iinscribed, all excuses ceasing. In other words, there is no RSVP you re expected ALL Excuses Ceasing PHOTO: THINKSTOCK / ISTOCKPHOTO In 2013, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated the 60th anniversary of her coronation. In 1953, she sent special invitations to the coronation. The invitations were inscribed, all excuses ceasing. In other words, there is no RSVP you re expected to be there, no excuses. Today, you are invited and expected to accept an invitation from the King of kings. What excuses are you using for not ministering to others? LIVING A LEGACY Stewardship, June Hunt HOPE for the HEART BIBLICAL Promises 3for the NEW YEAR page 52 HAS GOD Ever LEFT YOU Feeling DISAPPOINTED page 8 To continue reading All Excuses Ceasing from Mature Living magazine, visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/articles, and enter the article title in the search bar. Or use your smartphone to access the article directly by scanning the QR code. WWW.LIFEWAY.COM 19