Week 9 - SUBMIT
CONNECT
What are you thankful for?
What challenge are you facing?
Have there been any answers to prayer?
Pray for each other.
Did anything stand out to you from last week’s follow-up Bible readings, the prayer exercise of putting on The Armor of God and practicing B.R.A.C.E.?
How did your “I will …” statement from last week go?
How did your sharing goal from last week go?
How is your memory work coming along?
John 8:31-32 (NAB)
31 Jesus said to those who believed in him, “If you remain in my word, 32 you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
DISCOVER
Let’s start with a review. We’ve worked through these freedom truths and freedom responsibilities:
OBEY
Obedience leads to freedom while disobedience leads to bondage, so obey the Lord and be free.
RESIST
Jesus resisted Satan by reciting the truth of God’s Word, so resist Satan by reciting the truth of God’s Word.
FORGIVE
God has forgiven you, so forgive others.
RUN
We are to be holy as God is holy, so run from temptation and sin and run to God for help to be holy.
RENOUNCE
Involvement with evil spiritually pollutes us, so renounce (openly confess and verbally reject) any current and past involvement with evil and in Jesus’ name break its power over your life.
REPLACE
Satan uses lies to control our lives, keeping us in bondage, so replace these lies with God’s truth and find freedom.
TRUST
God has not given us a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control, so step out in faith and boldly follow Jesus.
STAND
God has given us spiritual armor, so intentionally put it on to stand your ground against the devil’s schemes.
And now …
SUBMIT
As a good Father, God disciplines those whom He loves, so submit to His discipline and grow in holiness.
Ask God to speak to you as you read His Word.
Hebrews 12:1-14 (NIV)
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Have someone retell the passage in their own words.
What stands out to you in this passage?
What does this passage say about God (The Father, His Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit)?
What does this passage say about people, including ourselves?
What does this passage say about the life God invites us to live?
Digging Deeper
Hebrews 12:5-6 (NIV)
5 “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
What’s the motivation behind the Father’s discipline?
Hebrews 12:10-11 (NIV)
10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
What’s the purpose of the Father’s discipline?
How have you experienced the Father’s discipline?
What has your reaction been to this discipline?
Hebrews 12:7-9 (NIV)
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!
What should your reaction be to the Father’s discipline?
What have you learned from this discipline?
Why is the Father’s discipline one of His greatest gifts to us?
Truth & Responsibility
This week’s freedom truth is:
As a good Father, God disciplines those whom He loves.
This week’s freedom responsibility is:
So submit to His discipline and grow in holiness.
The Way to Grow
Is there a way to intentionally grow in holiness so we won’t need the Father’s discipline? In other words, is there a way to practice self-discipline and so grow as a follower of Jesus? Maybe the acronym V.I.A. can help. As you may know, the word “via” is Latin and Spanish for the word “way”.
V - Vision
Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)
Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith …
Why do we need to fix our eyes on Jesus?
How can we fix our eyes on Jesus?
Don’t focus on your failures. Focus on your Savior! Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus because He is the vision of who we are becoming.
I - Intention
Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)
Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Hebrews 12:3 (NIV)
So that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Why is perseverance necessary?
Why is it important to not grow weary and lose heart?
We need to be fully engaged in God’s goal for us of maturing and becoming more like Jesus.
A - Action
Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)
Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
James 1:17 (NIV)
Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Why do we need to run the race and make every effort to be holy?
Why is faith without action dead?
Holiness takes effort. Maturing and becoming like Jesus takes work. That’s why vision and intention must be followed by action.
The acronym V.I.A. doesn’t just apply to holiness (that is, putting on the character of Christ), it also applies to mission (that is, ministering to others through the compassion of Christ). So practice V.I.A. when it comes to witnessing and forgiving and showing mercy and promoting justice as well. V.I.A. is a great WAY to grow as a follower of Jesus.
Fall Forward
As we intentionally pursue holiness and run the race marked out for us, who won’t slip and fall along the way? As James says, We all stumble in many ways (James 3:2). When you do—Fall Forward! Immediately head Home to the Father. Repent of your sin. Experience His forgiveness. And welcome His discipline.
Luke 15:20-24 (NIV)
20 While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
22 But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate.
How does the Father’s heart of love motivate us to fall forward toward Home?
LIVE
What truth have you discovered from today’s Bible passage(s) and conversation?
What would stop you from believing and obeying this truth?
How will you live out this truth this coming week? Finish this statement: “I will ….”
Who else needs to hear this truth? How could you share it with them?
When will we meet again?
Who will facilitate that meeting?
Pray for God’s help as you seek to follow Jesus this coming week.
FOLLOW-UP BIBLE READINGS
Here are the Bible passages you are encouraged to read this coming week:
Proverbs 12:1, 13:1 & 19:18
BUDDY SYSTEM
Connect with your buddy this week and ask each other these questions:
How are your readings going?
How’s your “I will …” statement coming along?
How’s your sharing goal coming along?
How can I pray for you?