Becoming like Jesus takes a lifetime…and then some.
Picture a mother teaching her son to eat. The mother is patient and kind; the son is throwing a fuss.
“Here you go, Honey; you can hold the spoon and scoop up the corn all by yourself. Like this…” The mother holds her own spoon, scoops up some corn, and puts it in her mouth in an effort to show her son how it is done. As Mom eats she says, “This is delicious; using a spoon is fun!”
Her son shakes his head vigorously. “No! You feed me!” A minute later, he throws the spoon on the floor. “Feed me, Mommy, feed me!” He cries.
Exasperated, the mother slides her chair a little closer to her son and looks right into his teary eyes. “Sweetie,” she says, “you are a big boy, perfectly healthy; you should be feeding yourself. You’re twenty-three years old.”
Now stop yourself, “What would I think if I saw this drama unfold in real life?” The idea of a mother spoon-feeding a healthy, grown young man just because he does not want to do it himself seems unthinkable.
Sadly, this happens all too often in our spiritual lives and in the church. God longs to see us mature, to go deeper in our faith. If we are not careful, we can become content with where we are and forget God’s call for us to grow, more and more, into people who live and look like Jesus.
Think about a time in your spiritual journey when you felt God call you to a new level of commitment and growth in your faith. How did you respond to this call?
The above is taken from The Story: Getting to the Heart of God’s Story, page 193.
1. While under house arrest in Rome, Paul wrote a letter (an epistle) to the believers in Ephesus. In it he lifted up a beautiful, powerful prayer (Ephesians 1:16 – 23; The Story, pg. 453). What are some elements of this prayer and what can we learn about prayer from Paul’s example?
2. God cares greatly about unity among Christians. The apostle Paul gave several examples of our call to oneness (Ephesians 4:4 – 6; The Story, pg. 455). What are they and how can our unity around these “ones” strengthen the church and become a witness to the world?
3. Paul willingly put himself in danger for the sake of the gospel. What provided him with the courage to do this?
4. At several points in The Story we see Paul share his testimony. How would you summarize his message? Think about how God may have used your testimony as a witness for him.
5. In 1 Corinthians 4:16 and 11:1 and 1 Thessalonians 1:6, how was Paul an imitator of Christ throughout his ordeals and what are the implications for believers today?
6. Paul was a Jewish Pharisee and a Roman citizen (The Story p. 366) who exercised his rights as either at various times in his life. What are some appropriate exercises of our civil rights in the light of our “heavenly citizenship?”
7. Paul urged the believers in Ephesus to “live a life worthy of the calling” that they had received (Ephesians 4:1, pg. 375). According to Paul’s letter, what does that mean?
ReplyDeletePoint to ponder…
Becoming like Jesus takes a lifetime…and then some.
Picture a mother teaching her son to eat. The mother is patient and kind; the son is throwing a fuss.
“Here you go, Honey; you can hold the spoon and scoop up the corn all by yourself. Like this…” The mother holds her own spoon, scoops up some corn, and puts it in her mouth in an effort to show her son how it is done. As Mom eats she says, “This is delicious; using a spoon is fun!”
Her son shakes his head vigorously. “No! You feed me!” A minute later, he throws the spoon on the floor. “Feed me, Mommy, feed me!” He cries.
Exasperated, the mother slides her chair a little closer to her son and looks right into his teary eyes. “Sweetie,” she says, “you are a big boy, perfectly healthy; you should be feeding yourself. You’re twenty-three years old.”
Now stop yourself, “What would I think if I saw this drama unfold in real life?” The idea of a mother spoon-feeding a healthy, grown young man just because he does not want to do it himself seems unthinkable.
Sadly, this happens all too often in our spiritual lives and in the church. God longs to see us mature, to go deeper in our faith. If we are not careful, we can become content with where we are and forget God’s call for us to grow, more and more, into people who live and look like Jesus.
Think about a time in your spiritual journey when you felt God call you to a new level of commitment and growth in your faith. How did you respond to this call?
The above is taken from The Story: Getting to the Heart of God’s Story, page 193.
ReplyDeleteQuestions to consider…
1. While under house arrest in Rome, Paul wrote a letter (an epistle) to the believers in Ephesus. In it he lifted up a beautiful, powerful prayer (Ephesians 1:16 – 23; The Story, pg. 453). What are some elements of this prayer and what can we learn about prayer from Paul’s example?
2. God cares greatly about unity among Christians. The apostle Paul gave several examples of our call to oneness (Ephesians 4:4 – 6; The Story, pg. 455). What are they and how can our unity around these “ones” strengthen the church and become a witness to the world?
3. Paul willingly put himself in danger for the sake of the gospel. What provided him with the courage to do this?
4. At several points in The Story we see Paul share his testimony. How would you summarize his message? Think about how God may have used your testimony as a witness for him.
5. In 1 Corinthians 4:16 and 11:1 and 1 Thessalonians 1:6, how was Paul an imitator of Christ throughout his ordeals and what are the implications for believers today?
6. Paul was a Jewish Pharisee and a Roman citizen (The Story p. 366) who exercised his rights as either at various times in his life. What are some appropriate exercises of our civil rights in the light of our “heavenly citizenship?”
7. Paul urged the believers in Ephesus to “live a life worthy of the calling” that they had received (Ephesians 4:1, pg. 375). According to Paul’s letter, what does that mean?