Want to learn more about The Spiritual Life – Experiencing Jesus
Christ as Lord? Use these Bible Studies for personal devotion, group Bible studies, or teaching a church class. Below are links to the lessons in this 13-part series.
How do you like being called “stupid” or “foolish?”
While I’m not wild about it, our study this week throws the term
“fools” around quite a bit. If you don’t like the term, you might
have to duck! Seriously, is it dangerous to think we are not foolish?
If we are foolish, is there a way to become an “ex-fool?” Our new
series of lessons which start this week call on us to rethink every
aspect of our life. Instead of trusting our own foolish thinking, our
own wisdom, we will examine the benefits of looking to God to resolve
the issues in our life. Let’s dive in!
Often I ask myself “What should I do first?” It is an
important question to consider, because otherwise I find myself
working first on whatever has caught my attention, and not what is a
priority. Our lesson this week is about spiritual priorities. Do we
make spiritual matters a priority, or do we just take care of what
currently has our attention? Let’s dive into our lesson and see what
God has to say on the subject of spiritual priorities!
Have you heard it said, “I don’t want to be a Christian
because it is all a bunch of ‘don’t do this and don’t do that?'”
People who say this kind of thing know almost nothing about God’s
desires for our life. Christianity, as we will learn this week, is
mostly a battle for the heart and not the hands. Let’s dive into our
study!
Disney has a ride where you pretend that you are in a
microscopic “boat” and you go sailing into a person’s mouth, then
lungs, then deeper and deeper into the circulatory system. That is
how I feel about these lessons. Last week we learned that sin begins
with the thoughts, not with what we do. We sailed from the hand into
the heart. This week we sail even deeper into the mind and study our
desires and our nature. Let’s jump into our boat and set sail into
the topic of desire!
Would you like to discover the “elixir of life?” This
week I was at Disneyland and the theme there is being happy. Are you
looking for a happy life? Who would not? For just a moment I want you
to think back to the most embarrassing, unpleasant times of your
life. Were your words (or the words of someone else) involved in
creating your embarrassment? Chances are that they were. Our study
this week looks at how submitting our speech to God improves the
quality of our life. Let’s jump in!
When I have an argument before a judge, I want to know
something about that judge. What kind of attitude does the judge have
towards lawyers? What kind of attitude does the judge have towards
my kind of case? What kind of relief is the judge likely to give my
client? This week our lesson is about prayer. What kind of God do we
approach? What kind of attitude does He have towards us? What kind of
relief is He likely to give us? What has He promised? Let’s dive in
and find out!
How many of the regrets in your life have to do with
fractured relationships? How much of the joy in your life comes from
good relationships? This week we learn that having good relationships
with others comes from spiritual growth. As we grow spiritually, we
should make fewer mistakes in our relationships with others. Let’s
plunge into our study!
When we read a title like “Lord of Our Resources,” we
think: “Oh no, not another pitch to give more money.” Being faithful
to God is not simply a matter of money (although that is surely part
of it), it involves all of our gifts and talents. Let’s dive into our
lesson and see what God says about our resources!
How many times have I heard someone say, “Your body is
God’s temple?” What does that mean? Does it mean that I have to jog?
Does it mean potato chips are off my menu because I cannot get too
fat? Must I wear a seat belt when I drive? Must I avoid driving small
cars or flying in private planes? Generally, people who use this
phrase are talking about smoking and drinking, not jogging. Does this
phrase convert issues of health, safety, fitness and temperance from
practical issues into spiritual issues? Let’s dive into our study and
see what the Bible really teaches about our bodies being the temple
of God!
What kind of employee should a Christian be? Should
your religious beliefs affect your secular work? If we are a good
worker, does that reflect on our God? Does the Bible give us
practical instruction on our daily work? Should we be part of a labor
union? Let’s get to work on our lesson!
What does it mean to worship God? Is it a state of
mind? Is it a physical expression? Can we get too “carried away” with
worship? What motivates us to worship? Worship styles have been
terribly divisive in some churches. Is it a sin to criticize the
worship style of others? Let’s leap into our study of the Bible and
find the answers to these questions!
Does God call us to serve Him in all that we do? What
kind of attitude does God desire for us to have in our work? What is
it, specifically, that we are supposed to do? Does every church
member have some role in the church? Let’s explore what the Bible
teaches about service!
This is the last lesson in our series on practical
Christianity. What is the final result of our decision to make Jesus
Lord over every aspect of our life? To what do we have to look
forward? What is our glorious hope? How can we be sure we are right
with God? Let’s dive into the Bible and find out!
