Study Eight

Study Eight

Knowing The Christian Life

Prayer:

“To love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Mark 12:33) O God, teach me to love You more and more every day. Teach me to grow in my spiritual devotions and to mature spiritually. Let Your Holy Spirit touch all areas of my life and help me surrender gracefully to You. And teach me to love others as myself.

Amen.

After we become Christians, the life we now live is called the Christian life. Being a Christian involves all areas of our lives: our intellect, emotions, body, hopes, ambitions, possessions and our relationships. We start off by being spiritual babies and grow to spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is to be like Christ. The process of spiritual growing is called by many names: life of communion, life of obedience, sanctification, spiritual formation, or discipleship. Just like a baby needs food, protection and nurturing to grow, a spiritual baby also needs nurturing to grow. In this study, we shall see some of the means of nurturing that can help us to grow spiritually. Read chapters ten and eleven, “Christ Our Life”: A Communicant’s Manual

BIBLE READING

1. Why should we study the Bible? Read 2 Timothy 3:16

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2. The Bible is a unique book. Even though it was written by about forty people over a period of 1,500 years, the Bible has only one great theme which is Jesus Christ. Who do you think is the actual author of the Bible? Read 2 Peter 1:20,21

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3. Read Colossians 3:16. List some of the ways you can “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly”.

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4. What does James 1:22 encourage us to do with our Bible reading?

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Text Box: I began to read the Holy Scriptures upon my knees, laying aside all other books, and praying over, if possible, every line and word. This proved meat indeed and drink indeed to my soul. I daily received fresh life, light and power from above.
George Whitefield

PRAYER

5. Prayer is talking to God. We can talk to God like we are talking to our friends. We do not need to use any fancy words to talk to God. What does Hebrews 4:16 teach us about prayer?

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6. Does God answer prayer? Read John 15:7; 1 John 3:21,22

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7. What are some of the things you want to pray about? List down these items (prayer list)

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The Quiet Time is the time we set aside everyday to read and study the Bible and to pray. It may be in the early morning or at night but should be a time suitable to us and be free from interruptions. There is no fixed duration to the quiet time. It may be 10 minutes to 5 hours. A suggested format is to start the quiet time with a prayer of praise, worship and thanksgiving. Then we should spend some time reading the Bible. We should have a Bible reading plan that helps us to read through the whole Bible in one or two years. Read the Bible expecting the Holy Spirit to speak to you. Listen and meditate on the text. Write down the insights that come to you in a journal. Then spend some time praying for people and other specific prayer requests. A prayer list will be useful. End the quiet time by thanking the Lord and a short period of silence to centre your soul.

FELLOWSHIP & WORSHIP

8. Why is it important to meet regularly with other Christians? Read Hebrews 10:24-25

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Why should we attend Sunday service?

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SERVICE

9. To live a Christian life is to live a life of service to others. Jesus Himself came to serve. Read Matthew 20:28. List some of the ways you can serve in:

(a) school/polytechnic/college/university

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(b) workplace

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(d) church

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(e) community

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10. Another way of service is to give of your money. What does the Bible teach about giving (money)? Read 2 Corinthians 9:7

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‘TO GLORIFY GOD’

11. What does it mean to ‘glorify God’?

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In this series of studies, we have learned the basics of our belief as a Christian. We have learnt to know God, man, Christ, faith, the Holy Spirit, Church, the Sacraments and the Christian life. The Christian life is often described as a journey and we have just begun. There will be many more things to learn and to experience. But it is nice to know we do not travel alone. We travel with other Christians and with our Lord who will be with us every step of the way.

Prayer:

Lord, we thank You for this series of studies. We thank You for your Holy Spirit who has been with us, teaching us and opening our eyes to new spiritual truths. Lord, we now commit one another into Your Hands. Help us and guide us, protect us and strengthen us for the journey ahead. We ask all this in Jesus’ Name. Amen