Session 3: Student Workbook
Session 3: Why should I follow Jesus?
Key point: I follow Jesus because I know He loves me and wants me to be part of His plan
- sub-point: The selfish pursuit of what I want causes internal and interpersonal conflict which leads to destruction
- sub-point: By giving Jesus control of my life I accept His plans and priorities over my own, thereby receiving purpose and true life which is found in a relationship with God
Previous weeks’ recap:
Session 1 Key point: A good _____________ leader must be a _____________ of _____________. Spiritual leaders are different from regular leaders because they move people to follow _____________.
Try to write the scripture from memory:
John 14:21:
Write out the meaning of this passage, try to do it in a way that will make sense to a child:
Meaning:
Session 2:
Last week we talked about what it takes to build a solid Christian foundation and discussed what it meant to be a disciple of Jesus. We discussed how being a Christian couldn’t be wholly defined by a set of beliefs or actions but was something measured in obedience=love.
1. A solid relationship with Jesus is built on a commitment to obedience=love.
2. Persevering through difficult circumstances in our relationship with Jesus produces a stronger relationship bound by trust.
This week we’ll be exploring the question of why anyone would want to follow Jesus by making Him the Lord of their life.
What does Jesus say about following Him?
Luke 9:23
“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
Prior to Jesus giving this description of what a person needs to do to follow Him, He asks his disciples who they think he is. When Peter answers, he asserts the identity and authority of Jesus. After Peter’s response Jesus asserts that what Peter has said is true and that because of His identity He must suffer, be rejected, and be killed. After this he goes on to give a description of what His followers must do. Let’s explore each of the three things Jesus says his followers must do to follow Him. The first thing Jesus says His followers must do is to deny themselves. To seriously consider what Jesus is saying we need to ask ourselves some basic questions.
Deny:
What does it mean to deny oneself?
What are we supposed to be denying ourselves?
Why would we want to deny ourselves?
The reason why we should deny ourselves
James 4:1-10
“What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from the cravings that are at war within you?[a] 2 You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your evil desires.
4 Adulteresses![b][c] Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy. 5 Or do you think it’s without reason the Scripture says that the Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously?[d]
6 But He gives greater grace. Therefore He says:
God resists the proud,
7 Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people! 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.”
What does it say?
What does it Mean?
How does this apply to me?
*Write the verses that correspond to the key points and discussion questions in the box below
Key Point
· The desire to satisfy ourselves causes struggle and conflict in ourselves and with other people.
· Our desire to satisfy ourselves apart from God causes dissatisfaction and conflict
-pursuing what we want apart from God implies that we don’t trust that God will provide for our needs
-We imply that God is either incapable of providing for our needs or doesn’t care for us
-the devil will flee when we submit to God
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Discussion Questions
1. What are some things you’ve wanted and tried to get? What are some things you’ve thought you needed? How often have your plans to get what you want made you more stressed or conflicted?
2. How has your pursuit of your desires caused conflict between you and other people? How do you murder in the pursuit of your desires?
3. Is it bad to pursue the things we want or think we need?
4. How does the pursuit of things we want cause conflict between us and God? Why is it such a big deal?
5. What are some desires we have that are in conflict with what God wants for us? How do we know this?
-always direct people to look at what the Word says
6. How do you determine whether or not you have the right motives?
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Special Activity
Draw a picture of what you think James 4 looks like. Draw where you think you fit into the picture.
James 1:12-15
“A man who endures trials[c] is blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that God[d]has promised to those who love Him.
13 No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God.” For God is not tempted by evil,[e] and He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone. 14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.
16 Don’t be deceived, my dearly loved brothers. 17 Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. 18 By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth[f]so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures.”
Key Points
· The desires we have to satisfy ourselves apart from God produce sin which leads to death
· Our own evil desires lead to death
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Discussion Questions
1. According to this passage what/who causes us to sin?
2. Who will receive the crown of life? How do we show/express our love for God?
3. What is the source of all our decisions and actions?
-all decisions and actions originate in our thoughts, our mind
4. How do we keep from sinning?
-the battle against sin begins in our minds
5. Why is it important for us to know that God doesn’t tempt us?
6. How does knowing that all we have is a gift from God affect our attitude toward God?
-having the right perspective puts us into an attitude of thankfulness
7. Who is responsible for the sin, chaos and destruction that happens in our lives?
-according to this passage , direct people to the text to look for the answers
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Romans 3:23
Key Points
All of us have sinned and all of us deserve to be separated from God because we consistently have chosen to reject God by pursuing our own agendas and purposes rather than God’s.
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Discussion Questions
1. Who falls into the category of “falling short of the glory of God?”
2. What does it mean to fall short of God’s glory?
-miss the mark, not just miss but not even come anywhere close to reaching the target. God’s glory is defined by His Holiness and our glory comes nowhere close to describing the Holiness of God. God’s Holiness is what fundamentally separates us from God.
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*Supplemental: Romans 3:10-18
Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Key Points
· We work for and earn death
· When we work to satisfy ourselves we are working to die and be eternally separated from God
· We can choose to accept the gift of God which is eternal life
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Discussion Questions
1. What are wages?
-payment
2. How do we work for sin?
3. What is the payment sin gives us?
4. If we work for sin what are we working for?
5. What is the gift God gives to us?
6. How do we receive God’s gift?
7. In who/where is God’s gift found?
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How to accept God’s gift and know what God intends to give us
Jeremiah 29:11-14
“ For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and I will restore your fortunes[a] and gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “I will restore you to the place I deported you from.”
Key Points
· God’s gift of eternal life comes when we accept His plans for our life
· God’s has plans for us
· God’s plans are for our benefit
· God’s plans are not meant to harm us
· God’s gift and plans give us hope for the future
· We accept God’s gift by calling out to Him and praying to Him
· We will find God and become inheritors of His promise and plans when we seek God with all our heart
· When we find God He will restore us and bring us back to the place from which we were exiled/banished/deported.
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Discussion Questions
1. According to this passage what are God’s plans for us?
2. How are God’s plans for us different than the plans we have for ourselves?
3. When does it say God will listen to us? How does God know we will seek Him? Is it a true statement that everyone will call and pray out to God?
-Everyone will call out and pray to God if not in this life they will on the day of judgement . For the person that is not in a relationship with Jesus this will be a horrible day when the cries to God are too late and the full wrath of God is unleashed on everyone who rebuffed God’s plans that ensure a future with God through the hope given to us by Jesus Christ.
4. When does it say we will find God? What does it mean to seek God with all our heart?
5. What/where is this place God is restoring us to? Where were we deported from? What were we banished from?
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*Supplemental Reading: Proverbs 16:3-4, 9
Session Summary:
The first step to unlocking the meaning of Jesus’ instructions about following Him is understanding what it means to deny ourselves. The first thing we need to understand is that denying ourselves is actually a good thing, because the pursuit of our desires leads to conflict, discontent, and ultimately death. God has a purpose for our lives and gives us the opportunity to escape the death that we deserve through His Son Jesus Christ. We can receive this gift of life by humbling ourselves and seeking God with all our heart by praying to Him. It is only through this humble submission that we escape our destructive nature and the hope of a future with Jesus Christ becomes a manifest reality.
Luke 9:23-24 Memory Verse(Discussion)
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it and whoever loses it for My sake, he is the one who will save it.”
Before the next Session
Check when completed
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Activity
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Read Genesis 3, Romans 12:1-2, 2 Corinthians 5
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Ask and Answer (What does it say, What does it mean, How does this apply to me)
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Summarize/Bulletize the passage(s)
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Prepare to share 1 of your spiritual markers next week
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Work on memorizing Luke 9:23-24
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Continue assembling SERVE Profile(Take Spiritual Gifts test)
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Pray for Clan Group
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Draw or describe a picture of what it would look like to live out the first part of Luke 9:23 and deny yourself?
What do you have a difficult time denying yourself from?
Why is it hard to deny self and trust Jesus?
Have you told Jesus about what you have trouble trusting Him in? Have you asked Him for help?
Who else in your life can help hold you accountable to trusting God?
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