IN the 4th message of this series, we’re tackling the big step that tends to trip us up from moving to “normal.” What is that step, and how can we take it?
You can listen to all the messages in this series at THIS LINK.
Discussion questions after the link.
If you are the group discussion leader, have your whole group open this page on their mobile device. Remind everyone that this discussion is based on Sunday’s message, and that they can always catch up by listening to the podcast.
On Sunday, we started off talking about “supposed to,” vs. “who I am.”
What are some things in your life that you are “supposed” to do?
What are some things you “like to” do?
What is the difference?
Why is it so easy for us to fall into the pattern of living our Christian lives because we are “supposed to?” How is this different from the way God intended it to be?
There may be something missing here. Paul gives us a little insight into that in the following verses.
Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
-Romans 6:13 NLTPreviously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.
-Romans 6:19 NLT
On Sunday, I said that the “Normal” recognizes a difference between what I SEE about myself, and what God says about me. Do you agree with me on that? What does that mean?
“Giving yourself completely” to “become holy” means that God has set us apart for His purposes. What do these verses say about that?
If anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
-2 Timothy 2:21 ESVI appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
-Romans 12:1-2 ESVThrow off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
-Ephesians 4:23-24 NLT
The “average” doesn’t see themselves as set apart for God. They don’t see that everything about them, all they have, all they are belongs to God… Not themselves. So, they will tend to be frivolous, careless, irresponsible. They will drift through life never tuning into their purpose in this world, making little difference.
How many of us have such a strong sense that we belong to Another that we dare not squander a shilling of our money, or an hour of our time, or any of our mental or physical powers?
-Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Life
It is like the kid who was with his friends in the mall when the group decided to lift some stuff and run.
“Come on, grab that and let’s go,” they told him.
“Sorry, I can’t do that. I didn’t bring my hands with me,” he replied.
“What are you talking about??”
“I can’t steal from this store, because these aren’t my hands. They don’t belong to me, so I can’t use them that way.”
What would that look like in our lives? How would our lives be different if we saw ourselves that way?
Tonight, spend some time praying for each other in your group that we will each begin to really see ourselves as His, not our own.