Love as a Way of Life



Study Series: A Hunger for the HolyBy: Calvin MillerLesson Title: Walking in Obedience (pp. 67 - 76)January 8, 2017Session 06 The main point of this lesson is: Holiness is a matter of knowledge that blossoms forth in obedience.Focus on this goal: To help adults not be satisfied with only knowledge about God but strive to live out the knowledge in obedience before the world.Key Bible Passages: Psalm 119:33-36, 40 and 57-58To the LeaderRead all of Acts 10 and be prepared to summarize it briefly during the session.During the SessionStep 1. Lead-in Write LORD vertically on a writing surface. Guide adults to make an acrostic with terms that describe the Lord/lordship. (Samples: Love, Leader, Obey, Owner, Ruler, Reign, Devotion, Discipleship) Explain Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem expressing the psalmist’s passion for knowing the Lord by knowing and obeying His Word. This Old Testament psalm has much to teach New Testament believers about how to satisfy our hunger for the holy by submitting to Jesus as Lord.Step 2. Day 1 – Walking in ObedienceRead Romans 10:9. Note “Jesus is Lord” is the earliest Christian confession. Discuss Day One, activity 1 (p. 67), using the margin quotes (pp. 67-68) to add to the discussion. Declare: “Jesus is Lord” is not a slogan, it’s a surrender. We don’t make Jesus Lord, He already IS Lord. Request adults read Philippians 2:9-11 in their Bibles and identify who will confess that Jesus is Lord. (Encourage them to put a marker at Phil. 2; you’ll return there shortly.) Declare people can either voluntarily confess that Jesus is Lord or be compelled to bow to His lordship. The only people who can truly say Jesus is their Savior are those who have obediently yielded to Him as Lord. Ask: According to Psalm 119:57-58, why is it to our benefit to submit to His lordship? Read the paragraph in Day One, beginning “The psalmist lets us know …” (p. 68).Step 3. Day 2 – Obedience Above AllInvite a volunteer to read Psalm 119:33 (p. 68). Discuss Day Two, activity 1 (p. 69). Point out the psalmist didn’t want just to study and understand God’s Word; he wanted to live it out obediently as long as he lived. He knew that was impossible in his own power so he asked the Lord to teach him what His Word said and give him the ability and desire to obey it. Request a volunteer to read Philippians 2:12-13. Explore how those verses also challenge us to obey “to the end” while trusting God to empower us to do so. Request adults underline the sentence “Obedience implies submission” (p. 69). Ask adults to flip back to Philippians 1:1 and state how Paul identified himself. (Slave, not servant, is the most accurate translation of doulos.) Declare the term Lord literally means owner or master. Ask: Why is it difficult for us to think of ourselves as being owned? Is being a slave to godly obedience the end of our liberty or the beginning? Explain your reasoning. Invite adults to discuss Day Two, activity 2 (p. 70) in teams of three or four. Discuss the quote in the margin of Day Two (p. 70).Step 4. Day 3 – Discerning ObedienceInvite a volunteer to read Psalm 119:34-35 (p. 70). Evaluate what the psalmist is praying for. Explain Acts 10 is a vivid illustration of a believer’s need to understand what obedience looks like in this broken world. Summarize Acts 10:1-8. Invite a volunteer to read Acts 10:9?14. Summarize the remainder of Acts 10. Evaluate why Peter needed understanding in order to obey. Explain that although Leviticus provided strict dietary laws, Jesus had declared all foods clean (Mark?7:18?19). Christ’s commands to us will never contradict the Bible, but we need understanding to live out His commands with compassion and courage. Request a volunteer to read Acts 10:14 in the Holman Christian Standard Bible (14?“No, Lord!” Peter said. “For I have never eaten anything common and ritually unclean!”). Ask: How is the statement “No, Lord” a contradictory statement? Discuss Day Three, activity 2 (p. 72).Step 5. Day 4 – The Foundation WordAsk a volunteer to read Psalm 119:36 (p. 72). Request adults scan the first paragraph of Day Four (p. 72) and state what the psalmist was acknowledging with this prayer. Then ask them to scan the second paragraph (p. 73) and state why the psalmist longed to know God’s Word through intensive, intentional study. Discuss: Is it possible to be preoccupied with Scripture and practically productive in this world at the same time? Explain your reasoning. Discuss the quote in the margin of Day Four (p. 74). State: James, Jesus’ half-brother, promoted the balance between studying and living out God’s Word. Discuss Day Four, activity 2 (p. 74). Step 6. Day 5 – Submitting to SovereigntyInvite a volunteer to read Psalm 119:37-40. Write Worthwhile and Worthless on the board. Brainstorm what the world considers worthwhile and worthless, writing responses on the board. Analyze how submission to Christ’s lordship transforms our attitudes about what’s worthwhile and worthless. Discuss Day Five, activity 1 (p. 75). Ask: How does the way we respond to interruptions reveal the degree to which we have yielded to Christ’s lordship? How can we be less selfish and more submissive? Explore the principles of transparency, submission and identity with Christ discussed in Day Five (p. 76).Step 7. Review and ApplyUrge adults to prayerfully consider Day Five, activity 2 (p. 76) after the session. Read Psalm 119:33 as your closing prayer. ................
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