April 30, 2009 by Aswain.

Life by the Spirit

Galatians 5:16-26

 ¹⁶So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. ¹⁷For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

 ¹⁹The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. ²⁵Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Questions:

Week 1

1.      What is the Spirit there for?

2.      Does the Spirit help us in our everyday lives? How?

3.      How does the Spirit influence our actions?

4.      What does living by the Spirit look like?

5.      How are we filled with the Spirit?

Week 2

1.      How do we keep away from the acts of sinful nature?

2.      What does it mean “those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God”?

3.      How can you keep yourself pure from these things when it’s all around us?

4.      Which sinful things do you suffer from that keep you from being close to God?

5.      What can you do to remove any barriers that hinder you from having the closest possible relationship with our Father?

Week 3

1.      What is love and how does it look in our lives?

2.      How do we let joy flow through us and be apparent in our lives?

3.      In what ways does God let us experience His peace? How does it change our perspective on things?

4.      How is patience important when waiting on something or even God?

5.      If we see and God reveals His kindness and goodness to us, then how does affect our attitude and behavior?

6.      Instead of reflecting on a question, spend a few moments thinking about how amazing God’s faithfulness is. We mess up time after time again and sin over and over and yet He always welcomes us back to Himself with open arms.

7.      When we get mad, frustrated or just in everyday situations, how can we show gentleness and self-control through our lives?

Week 4

1.      When we are filled with God’s Spirit, how do the fruits of the spirit flow out of us?

2.      So if the fruits of the Spirit are the result of being filled with the Spirit, then what does that look like in our everyday lives?

3.      How do these fruits change our worldview to be more like the Lord’s (biblical worldview)?

4.      How does your life be more Christ-like when you have these obvious fruits?

5.      What does quiet faith mean?

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April 9, 2009 by mbeindorf.

Matthew 25:40-45
 40″The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 41″Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, Read the rest of this entry »

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February 26, 2009 by jnshamus.

14 And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign LORD .  Read the rest of this entry »