LESSON:GOD'S WILL -- Part 1

1. GOAL

Church members will understand that it is not enough to know God's will. They should also follow and do the will of God.

2. INTRODUCTION

Have you always had difficulty making decisions? Sometimes pondering what to order from a menu may irrunobilize you. Deciding where to go on a vacation may preoccupy you for weeks. You may keep asking yourself what the will of God for your life is. You may ask this kind of question: "Does God want me to take a new job or to stay where I am? Does God want me to marry or to remain single?

The will of God has less to do with the past or future and more to do with the present. We usually have in mind some decision we made in the past and now regret or some decision we must make in the future about which w~ are uncertain. We have no power to reverse decisions we have made in the past, and we may not know in precise terms what God wants us to do in the future. No matter what we have done in the past or will do in the future, we can always give ourselves to the will of God we know now.

3. QUESTION

In what book can you find the will of God? (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

4. CONTENT

The Bible records the will of God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitablefor doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. "

These are examples of the will of God:

A. Believe in Jesus

John 6:28-29 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God? If "[esus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent. "

When people asked Jesus about the will of God, Jesus replied, "What God wants you to do is to believe in the Him whom He sent." The Greek language for "believe" means "be committed unto or be put in trust with." God's will is that we are committed to Jesus and put our trust in Him fully. He becomes Lord and Master of everything in our lives.

B. Offer your body as a living sacrifice and renew your mind

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present. your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 'And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

c. Be joyful always

1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing,

D. Extend the kingdom of God in the hearts of people

God wants people to repent, believe in the gospel, and obey God's commands, especially that they love God and love one another.

Mark 1:15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. II

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' "t'This is the first and great commandment. 39"And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ' 4fJ "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. "

John 15:12 "This is My commandment, that you lave one another as 1 have loved you.

The will of God is not something we need to discover, for it is as plain as the nose on our face.

Rather, it is something we need to do. We need to repent of our sins, love one another, serve the Lord, and extend His kingdom.

James 4:13-15 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; '14whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. "Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that. "

When we read the Bible, we find there is agony in the minds of Biblical authors concerning the difficulty of doing the will of God. Jesus knew what His mission was. He -knew that it would culminate in His crucifixion. He asked His Father in heaven to "remove the cup" before His execution, yet submitted to God's will, obediently embracing His destiny of suffering and death. Likewise, Paul did not seem to wrestle much with the problem of finding God's will for his life. It was doing the will of God that created such zeal and even fear in him. He spoke with great fear about disobeying God's will for his life.

1 Corinthians 9:16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!

Our problem usually is not that we do not know the will of God; it is that we do not do the will of God we already know. We can easily find the will of God in the Bible. It is not ignorance that plagues us; it is lack of faith and stubbornness of heart.

5. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

A. Do you struggle in doing the will of God? If you do, how will you overcome this struggling?

B. Please share with one another the will of God for your life.

C. Has God ever told you to do something and He brought blessing to you when you obeyed Him?

6. MEMORY VERSE

John 6:29 "Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom Resent. "

LESSON: GOD'S WILL-PART 2 Past, Present, and Future

1. GOAL

Church members will understand God desires for them to do His will in the present.

2. INTRODUCTION

We can discover the will of God for our lives by understanding biblical concepts. God dwells in eternity (Psalm 90); therefore He is not bound by time. There is no past or future to God. All times are the present to Him. But we are bound by time. There is a past to our experience, just as there is a future. We carry the past with us in the form of consequences of decisions that we have no power to change; we anticipate the future as a range of possibilities that mayor may not be realized. But we can live in the present.

Paul said, "In the time of my favour I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. " I tell you, now is the time of God's favour, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2, NIV)."

How we view time, then, will affect how we understand the will of God.

3. QUESTION

What is the will of God for your life? What will you do about it?

4. CONTENT

A. Past

If the will of God is associated in our minds with a bad decision we made in the past, we will become preoccupied with the past and live with regret. We may say to ourselves, "If only I had not taken that job" or "If only I had not married so quickly and impulsively." Soon we will begin to believe that we missed the will. of God for our lives because of bad decisions we made in the past, and we will be left only with longing and regret. The past will be like the dust stirred up by a speeding car on a dirt road, which then lingers in the air and suffocates us.

Philippians 3:i3-14 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14[ press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

We should not live in the past or let the past experiences stop us from doing the will of God in the present.

B. Future

If, on the other hand, we associate the will of God with a decision we must make in the future, we will become preoccupied with the future and live in anxiety. We may say to ourselves, "What if there is no clear direction? What if all my options are good ones, every. one of which could be the will of God? What if I made the wrong choice, though I have no way of knowing whether or not it is wrong?" TIlls uncertainty will cause us to keep looking ahead, always to the future, and be obsessed about decisions that have to be made. The future is like a mirage that appears in the distance, shimmering, inviting us to rush toward it. But it keeps receding from us, always remaining just out of reach, refusing to yield to us.

God says in Matthew 6:34, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (NJV)."

We should not worry about the future because God holds the future.

c. Present

If we associate the will of God with .decisions we can make in the present, we will be empowered to do the will of God we already know. We will direct all of our energies into the now. What is more, we will receive grace for the past. Though there is nothing we-can do to reverse the past, God can reverse consequences of the past into blessings. Only God through Christ can forgive -us for past sins and redeem the past by using it as a tool in the present to transform us.

Isaiah 43:25 "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (jor it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),

We never have to live outside the will of God in the present if we repent of our sins and c.ast ourselves on the mercy of God. A person could be in prison for crimes corrunitted in the past but still do the will of God in the present.

If We do the will of God we already know, we will no longer have to live with regrets over past misdeeds but instead be able to embrace the grace of God given in the present moment. Paul describes this kind of grace as the grace of no regrets. Godly repentance will lead us into that kind of radical grace (2 Corinthians 7:5-12). We will also experience the peace of God concerning the future.

Luke 12:22-23 Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

Worry will keep us from doing what holds the greatest promise to influence the future. We should do the will of God in the present. Some people fret so much over whether they will find a suitable marriage partner that they never become the kind of person a suitable marriage partner would want to marry.

Worry erodes the spirit, distracts the mind, and dulls our creativity. It keeps us from embracing this present moment, which is the only one we have. If we use the present wisely and trust that, no matter what happened in the past or may happen in the future, God will work all things together for good for those who have been called according to His purposes. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

We can believe that God will redeem the past and prepare us for the future as we do our best in following His will in the present. We can plan for the future according to His will but we should not worry about it (Matthew 6:34).

5. 'DISCUSSION QUESTION

A. Have you seen people whose behaviors have been negatively affected by their past experiences? Give examples of wrong behaviors that are affected by past negative experiences. (Please do not specify names of people.) ,

B. Do you worry about something in the future? How will you be free from worries?

C. What have you done in order to fulfill the will of God for your life?

6. MEMORY VERSE

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

LESSON:INNER STRENGTH OF CHRISTIANS Part 1: Inner strength

1. GOAL

For members to understand how to develop the Christians life, so that our inner attitude can be changed by the Lord our God.

2. CONTENT

2.1 Introduction

The Bible teaches us the principles of how to live as a Christian, balanced in both the spiritual gifts and the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:1 "Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophecy."

God is not only teaching us what we should do, but also how we should be, in changing OUI inner attitudes, so that our works are good.

The Bible compares our lives with a tree, which has roots, a trunk and fruit. (Psalm 1:3, Isaish 61:3, Matthew 7:15-20).

nus compares with our inner attitudes, our habits, and shows up in our works.

Proverbs 4:23 "Keep your heart with all vigilance; for from it flow the springs of life."

The word "Christian" derivates from the first followers of Christ, and means to say, that whoever follows Jesus Christ should be like Him.

2.2 Question

How do you think you can develop Christ's likeness in your life?

A) _

B) _

C) _

2.3 The Bible teaches us that Christ's likeness in our lives come true by

A. Romans 8:29

'When we become Christians God conforms us to the likeness of Jesus.

God does not wants us to have salvation alone, but He wants us to be like

Him. Remember to conduct ourselves in the likeness of Jesus.

B. Hebrews 4:16, Galatians 2:21

We receive God's grace. We do not walk according to the laws but we are saved

by grace so that we will change our attitude. We should respond to God's

grace in a righteous way.

Hebrews 12:15

We should receive God's grace in the right way. Some Christians

receive God's grace in the wrong ways such as continuing to

commit sins, growing the root of bitterness. It is God's grace that allows some

situations to happen in our life and if we respond to those situations in a

righteous way, our life and attitude will be changed. If we have bitterness

toward God or others, we will fall away from God. We should be thankful in

all situations.

C. Philippians 2:13

God does not only protect us but He also works in us to give our will and to act according to His good purpose. He gives us a new Born-again Christians hate sin and desire to obey God.

heart.

D. Romans 12:2

The Bible tells us to renew our attitude (mind). God's Word will renew our

attitude. Therefore Christians must know God's Word. Most of us receive the

world's infomations more than God's Word and. our attitude is influenced

by the world's values. Christians must learn the Bible so that God's Word

will transform us and we will have a new attitude. We should

respond to every situation in a Biblical way.

E. Galatians 4:19

It takes time for Christ to be formed in us. We cannot be a godly person

the day after we received Christ. Our goal is to be like Jesus. In order to be

like Jesus, we have to respond to Him in the right way.

2;3 Discusstion questions

A. Share how you respond to problems, and how they affect your

B. If somebody in your care group takes advantage of you, how you react and why would you react in that way?

life. should

-·-----3. MEMORY VERSE

Romans 12:2 "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your. mind, that you may prove. what is the will of God, w~at is good and acceptable and perfect."

LESSON: INNER STRENGTH OF CHRISTIANS Part 2: Inner strength

1. GOAL

To develop your Christian life: The inner strength of Christians.

2. CONTENTS

2.1 Introduction

The inner- strength in our lives affects our works outwardly, and is an important influence in other peoples' lives. If someone has powerful inner strength he can do what he likes. He can overcome many problems which show outwardly in his success.

This inner strength is different from person to person (Philippians 1:15). In our Christian lives, the Lord does not. want for us to just do things, but wants us to change - our inner strength so that it is usable to the Lord, and whatever we do is then valuable in the eyes of our God.

2.2 Bible Verses

The Bible teaches us about this real Godly inner strength.

If we have the right and sincere motives for God's kingdom, God will not forsake us and ' no one can touch us without His permission. When we walk with Him, He will protect us. Do not have the wrong motives in walking with God.

A.2 Corinthians 5:14-15

We serve God because God loved us first. Share some situations which show God's love in our lives.

B. 1 Peter 1:8

We walk with Him because we love Him. Share-an example of a ' ministry that we do because we love Him.

serving

C. 2 Corinthians 5:11

Fear of the Lord.

D. Proverbs 29:18

We serve God because we receive vision from Him.

E. 1 Thessalonians 1:3

Because we have faith and hope in the Lord; we will not be we will have confidence in Him.

discouraged and

F. Ephesians 4:1

God calls Christians to serve Him. He is the King of our lives. Even though we sometimes do not want to obey Him, but we should not deny the King when He calls us.

For example: Christians should not miss church when they are discouraged. Do not use emotion or feeling to measure your Christian walk, but follow God's truth and calling on your life.

C. 2 Corinthians 5:9-10

We realize that on that last day we will stand in front of God and receive rewards according to the motives we have had in our lives.

2.3 Discussion

A. Share about the things you have done because of your love for the Lord.

B. Share about the difference in your inner strength for your work or studies before you were a Christian, and after you ·were a Christian.

C. Share about your experience which you had in working toward your vision and how it affected the work you did.

3. MEMORY VERSES

2 Corinthians 5:9-10 "So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him.

For we must all appear before His judgement seat of Christ, so that each one receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body."