Church of the Living God
Bible Study Lesson
Presenter: Overseer
Ennis F. Tait
Date: Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Series: Giving God What You Have
Focus Verse: Philippians 2:5 (KJV)
Today’s Discussion: “Does
the Lord have access to your mind?”
How many of you would
consider yourself a follower of Christ?
The lesson aim is to evaluate and assess the mindset of the church
(ekklesia). More importantly, as
disciples we must be willing to admit that our conversation and lifestyle may
not reflect a growing personal relationship with Christ. Consequently, our
faith in God and the power (authority) we’ve been given as HIS disciples have
become faint or are of no avail. (Matthew
10:1; Matthew 17:19-21)
We started this new journey last week with an introductory
lesson entitled “are you a close-minded disciple”. We discovered a flaw in the disciple’s
thinking, namely Philip, as Jesus challenged them to think in the spirit
and believe on HIM. The premise
for Jesus’ approach in John 6:6 challenges each disciple to think like Jesus if
we hope to fulfill our god-given purpose.
But, the dilemma we face as disciples is not knowing the mind of Christ.
[QUESTION: Can I be a disciple and
not fully believe in the Lord Jesus?] The
enemy works to keep our focus off God and HIS will for our lives. Thus, we
begin to focus too much on our circumstances, problems and issues. (Isaiah
26:3) The enemy’s ultimate goal is to
control our thoughts and use us as pawns to lure others away from God.
The Apostle Paul commands the church at Philippi
to change the way they think. Paul
offers the church a solution on how to change the outcomes in their lives. Some believe “outlook determines
outcomes”. (James 4:1-10) To have the mind of Christ means to exhibit the
attitude of Christ. (References: I Peter 2:19-25; I Peter 4:1-2;
I John 2:6) As disciples of Jesus
Christ we work to change the way we see things and people. Our struggle has more to do with how we live,
learn and respond to people, situations and storms (circumstances).
Key terms in the text:
- Disciple – [math-ay-tes] – a learner; pupil
- Mind – [fron-eh-o] – to exercise the mind, i.e. entertain or have a sentiment or opinion (frane – the feelings or sensitive nature; the mind or cognitive faculties)
Final thought: God
wants to have constant habitation with us and not just unscheduled visitations.
The enemy works overtime to take our focus off God and focus more on our problems/circumstances. We must learn to admit that we struggle to maintain our focus when times are hard. What do you do when living right doesn't seem to be working?
ReplyDeletePersonally, I feel like when my struggles reach an all time high, I have to press all the more to stay focused on God. The Holy Spirit reminds me probably more often than I would like to admit, that I need to refocus or stay focused. There are so many distractions everyday! I think that when living right doesn't seem to be working, it just means that I need to keep living right and expect God's reward! It's just the enemy working to deceive us. Thanks Pastor for the discussion!
ReplyDeleteI guess it depends on one's interpretation of "living right"??? For me, even in my daily attempt to communicate with the Lord and grow in His word, everyday i do something that i KNOW is displeasing to him.
ReplyDeleteIf we sin by our mere thoughts, i'm sure everyone's pray should include "create in me a clean heart o Lord and renew what is right within me"...lol the devil is busy and we make life way to easy for him.
I love the Bible blog...
I agree with you 100% Toya, everyday the enemy presents so many distractions and road blocks in my way to close the communication lines between me and God and I can always see the difference in my day when I didn't pray and read my word before even steeping foot out of my bed. There have been times where I have felt like "living right" was not going to give me any reward that I can see and that is tangible to me but then I realize what peace of mind I have that comes along with putting God first and "living right" it isn't easy but lie Pastor Tait always reminds us...its an active process.
ReplyDeleteI just look back at past experiences where I didn't feel like "living right" was working and I took matters into my own hands they always ended up in complete failure. So now I wait on God and ask him for patience and acceptance of his will. I have to have faith that he will work it out. Even if that means I have to wait or go thru an extra step to get through. Its all about peace of mind for me. I love this blog!! :)
ReplyDeleteIn my growth and Transformation I find that in learning what living right is; I have to reflect on the teachings from my childhood. When it seems that hope is not the way, before I allow myself to regress and backslide, I can hear my Grandmother reading to me from The Book of Isaiah and instilling in me that no matter what the situation, it is the Will of God that we must remain focused on. Thanking Him for another day, another minute, another breathe eleviates the sense of hopelessness for me. And if it is God's Will that I experience adversities, then thanking Him for being here is the first step in recognizing my Blessings. If suffering is where He takes me, then I am worthy of my sufferings. And more importantly, He will not take me anywhere that He can't bring me back from.
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