Oct 19 2023 From Thought to Action: Chapter 3
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Before we begin, remember…making disciples can be as easy as reading a chapter of The Four Priorities and discussing it with someone else. This blog series is designed to supplement your journey. Feel free to take what you need and leave the rest! And remember, please share this post with your disciple so they can subscribe, too!
KEY QUOTES from Chapter 3: What is the Christian Life? (Part 1)
Howard Hendricks definition of Christianity: “The life of Christ reproduced in the believer by the power of the Holy Spirit in obedient response to the Word of God.”
“The meaning of life starts with Jesus (Acts 4:12) and, in Him, you find ultimate, eternal satisfaction (Revelation 21:6-7).”
“The life He promises is the life He produces.”
“The life of Jesus Christ is reproduced in the believer by the power of the Holy Spirit, who makes your obedience to the Word of God possible.”
REFLECT: Paul writes in Galatians 3:3, “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” God is the one who brought about salvation in us. And yet, we can so easily believe that it is up to us to sustain and continue the salvation and sanctification.
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- Pray like David in Psalm 139:23-24 and ask the Lord to show you where you have fallen into this temptation. Where have you tried to sustain and continue and perfect your Christian life?
PRAY: We have a tendency to overcomplicate things – especially our prayers! One way to simplify your prayer life is to pick two phrases or truths from scripture and attach them to your breath pattern. As you inhale, internally say the 1st phrase. As you exhale, say the 2nd phrase.
INHALE: Apart from You
EXHALE: I can do nothing
MEMORIZE: Take this week to memorize Ephesians 1:4 with your household. Write it on a sticky note to place on your car dashboard, your bathroom mirror, or wherever you will view it often.
Ephesians 1:4 (NLT) “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.”
WORSHIP: Listen to this song called Yet Not I but Christ in Me by CityAlight
PLAY: Get several random objects to play “One of TheseThings is Not Like the Other.” Put the items together in groups of four. Three items should go together, and one won’t belong. For example, you could have a plate, fork, napkin, and Lego. Which one doesn’t belong? The Lego, of course. The rest are used when eating a meal. Separate the Lego from the other items. Use this game to explain that being holy means being set apart. You look and act differently because of God’s holiness.
TABLE TALK: Tonight at dinner, have your kids sit across from you and tell them to pretend they are looking into a mirror. They should do everything that you do, mirroring your actions. Explain that imitating, like the reflection in a mirror, is what we should do with God. He is holy; therefore we are to be holy.
TEACH: Get several objects that can be used to clean something. Use things like a toothbrush, a washcloth, hand sanitizer, dusting spray, dish soap, laundry detergent, and a hand-held vacuum. Put all the items in a box.Have kids take turns pulling out an object and telling you what it is used for. See if they can come up with what all the items have in common – they are all used to make something clean. Have a conversation about holiness being something that Christians possess to show they are pure and set apart from the world.
“What’s the Christian life all about?”
1. It’s not about performance. It’s about Christ reproducing Himself in you (review Chapter 2).
2. Your thoughts determine your actions, and your actions determine your life’s results. No more “Stinking Thinking!”
3. Take those thoughts captive! (2 Corinthians 10:4-6)
4. Are there areas in your life where you should “break up with yourself”?
That’s it for Chapter 3!
Now…go! And make disciples!