When we find ourselves not doing anything, it is easy for the mind to wander back to darker times. Staying busy doing the Lord’s work keeps our mind focused on the present. The Christian has plenty of work to do. The only question is whether he will get busy doing it, but what if he does not feel like doing it? Do it anyway. We should not subject our work for the Lord to our negative feelings. Rather, our feelings should be subject to the work we do.
What got him beyond the mental paralysis of past failure? It was God’s grace in his Savior, Jesus Christ. He said: “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him…” (Philippians 3:7-10). In 1 Corinthians 15:10 Paul wrote, “But by the grace of God I am what I am.”
For many, the problem is that we do not want to let go. We want to control and “fix” things. This attitude is deceptive. It does not eliminate the past but reinforces our failures by getting us to dwell on them. If we think we can “fix” or “control” things, we will not let the past go, and it will continue to haunt us. We do not need to be a “fixer” or have “control.” If we want peace, we will give it to God and let it go from our thoughts entirely.
From Hebrews 13:5-6 we learn that Christ’s presence brings some wonderful blessings: 1) Contentment, 2) Help, and 3) Fearlessness. I hope that each listener will understand that Christ’s presence brings great blessings.
Negative thoughts can be a big struggle as we try to forgive ourselves. Recurring negative thoughts may be symptoms of unresolved issues. In the previous article we noted that identifying when these negative thoughts begin can help us stop them, but it can also help us determine what is triggering them to get at the root cause. We can address these causes with God’s word.
Freedom in Christ brings joy when we 1) beware of false identities of the flesh, 2) count all things loss for Christ, 3) identify wholly with Christ. Each listener will be able to understand and explain how joy in Christ comes from freedom from fleshly identities and attitudes. I hope to show from Paul’s life and history that release from fleshly captivities brings joy
Our struggle with self forgiveness may include old and painful memories. Sometimes these memories plague us in an endless loop of negative thoughts and pictures. We need to address our memories in a constructive way. When old memories continue to bother us, that indicates a lack of resolution. Are we trying to the same problem in the future? Do we feel like we were treated unjustly? Are we using those memories to justify present behavior? Are we are hung up in unbelief that something so terrible happened to us, a denial of reality?
Christian unity is based upon the teaching of Christ. We are united as Christians and without the teaching of Christ we are not Christians. This teaching is summarized in the list of seven “ones” in Ephesians 4:4-6. Each person should understand that for us to have unity as Christians we must adhere to the same standards of the teaching of Christ.
In this lesson we want to look at the Baptism of Christ. We will note that the Baptism of Christ is: 1) A burial in water. 2) An action of faith. 3) God’s work of righteousness. Everyone needs to be able to discuss what the baptism of Christ is in relationship to the plan of salvation. Not many in the religious world today understand it. But it is part of the great commission and we must preach and teach it. To encourage the brethren to teach others about the Baptism of Christ.
Just because one has sinned does not mean that that is what one is. Christ does not casually destroy His new creation! If the Christian sins, Christ has made a way for him to be forgiven to maintain his novel status (1 John 1:7). Sin does not have dominion over the child of God (Romans 6:14). The Christian may come back to the deep wells of forgiveness as much as he needs to overcome the sin that is in his life (Matthew 18:22).
Satan wants to own our identity. He wants sin to define us because that is what defines Him. He wants us to identify with our sins so that He can control us in His orchestrated rebellion against God. Just because we commit a sin does not mean that our identity is that sin. We must put Christ in the place of those sins. He is the standard for who God made us to be (Galatians 2:20). He does not want us identifying with our sins. Instead, He wants us to be found in Him (Philippians 3:9).
We need to know that God loves us and forgives us. Sometimes people say to themselves, “God could never forgive me for what I have done.” That is a lie. He gave the highest price that He could give for us, His only begotten Son. Why would He hold back on us when He was willing to give everything for us? That is Paul’s point in Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” God is generous in forgiveness.
These books never had canonical status in the Hebrew Bible. The translator of the Vulgate, Jerome (342-420 A.D.), said that they were not to be considered part of the canon of the Old Testament. He maintained that there were twenty-two books in the Old Testament canon and he listed them in a letter known today as the Prologus Galeatus. He said, “what is not found in our list must be placed amongst the Apocryphal writings,” and they “are not in the canon.”
The word “Hades” means the unseen realm. It is also known as the realm of the dead. “Torments” is just one part of Hades. The other part is a place of comfort. Lazarus went there (25). There was a great gulf fixed between the place of torments and the place of comfort (26). This meant Lazarus could not go to the Rich Man and vice versa. Jesus comments on the place of comfort when he said to the thief on the cross, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).
Faithful brethren are a joy when they exhibit the qualities of Timothy and Epaphroditus. Each listener should understand what qualities God desires in faithful brethren. I want to help people come to appreciate faithful brethren for the right reasons.
Greed, covetousness, lust, and pride contribute to a person’s love of money, which is the motivation behind the desire to be rich. Men deceive themselves to think that money will solve their problems. Instead, they fall into temptation, harm themselves with lusts, and drown in destruction and perdition. This generates sorrow for them and their families.
In this Psalm we see that God blesses the King and destroys His enemies. Each one should be able to explain how God blesses the King and destroys His enemies today. I want to teach that God has triumphed through Jesus and destroyed the devil.
In this lesson we will look at Jesus teaching regarding discipleship as it relates to his identity. We will notice 1) Jesus is the Leader, 2) Christians are the Followers, 3) Christians are alive, but can die, 4) Jesus Commands Faithfulness, 5) True Disciples Bear Fruit. Each person should be able to discuss their relationship to Jesus as His disciple and how to pursue that relationship more effectively. I want to encourage all to learn more about Jesus so as to strengthen each as a disciple of Jesus.
God never gave Adam and Eve any money. Humans invented money to facilitate exchanges. Money is just a tool; it has no value beyond what we assign to it. Its only value is in what it can be used for, and if we are not using it, we are valuing it wrongly.
The Christian can truly have personal peace in his life by following the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Peace comes from the Spirit of God and His teaching to us on how to live. This lesson will bring scripture to bear on some practical ways to have personal peace.