.jpg)
May 14 was the last regular session of our Fellowship Group for the season. I wasn't there, as I surprised my mother at her Church for Mother's Day; but here's the book material for this lesson --
So last week, we covered the definition and misconceptions about Godly Conduct. This week is about the Milestones of Conduct. What does it take to change our conduct and how can we gauge our progress??
As we saw last time, one of the major misconceptions that people have concerning improved conduct toward God, is that we can do it without Him. That is a self-defeating theory because it simply can't be done. It's an exercise in frustration to even try. We need to realize and remember that New Behavior is just as Supernatural as New Birth. The "Old Man" never "retires" so much as becoming surlier because we've shoved him aside. As with everything in life, permanent change is a process. We need to take it one step at a time.
While our Conduct Verse in 1 Peter 1:15-17 remains part of the lesson, Bruce also uses 2 other Scriptures to introduce the material this week --
Matthew 5:16
New International Version
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
1 Peter 2:11-12
New International Version
Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society 11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Milestones are as follow --
A. Purify our lives. This entails 5 key steps -- Read 2 Cor. 7:1 and 2 Tim. 2: 21.
1) The first step in purification is to cleanse our lives of problem areas.
2) Next, we repent of our sins in that area.
3) Repair relationships.
4) Reading Scripture on a daily basis helps to keep us focused on God*.
5) Rely on the Holy Spirit for strength and guidance.
B. Prune our lives of anything that distracts us from God. For some things, we may need to pray for God to remove them because we may not realize that something is a problem. I'm sure you've all heard it said that diet is more than just food and exercise. It is friends, music, media, and Spirituality as well. That's not to say we can't enjoy ourselves with secular music and Social Media, it's just that those things should also be a positive influence in our lives*. The point lies in our public witness, which depends directly on our "diet" of life input. John 15:2b
C. Put-off the Old Man. We may need to stop unhealthy habits, end unhealthy relationships, or simply be more conscious of our words. If cigarettes or drugs are a problem, get into a program or habit that will help you quit. If you have a drinking problem, get support to cut down or stop. If there are toxic relationships (other than family), cut them off or at least put them at "arms length".* If swearing is excessive, filter it better*. Finally, if it's that your words are hurtful or rude, that needs to change as well. Read Eph. 4:22-24 and Col. 3:8, 12-13.
You can't be a "new person" and keep old habits any more than you can put new wine into old wineskins, as Jesus teaches in Matt. 9:14-17.
D. Productivity is the stage where we are actively seeking to please God. We have turned our lives around and are living daily for Him. Read John 15:8, 16.
E. Walking in the Spirit is the only way to maintain our progress and make further improvements as needed. In the original Greek, the word for this is "peripateo" which literally means, "walk". In Galatians 5, Paul suggests that we "keep on walking" as all areas of our life come together. Only then can we serve God to our fullest potential. Read Gal. 5: 16-17.
So how do we start on this journey?? Again, there are 5 key points --
A. Realize that your flesh cannot and will not obey God.
B. Recognize whether your works are of the flesh or the spirit.
C. Repent for walking in the flesh.
D. Relax and walk in the Spirit.
E. Renew your mind with the Scriptures.
On this page of the material, Bruce uses a quote from former Archbishop of Canterbury, John Tillotson -- "The true ground of most men's prejudice against the Christian doctrine is because they have no mind to obey it."
I concur.
The concluding verses of this lesson are Matt. 16: 27 and Rev. 22:12, both of which speak of reward in Heaven for those who have followed Him and been fruitful.
The Discussion questions, I didn't have a lot to say about, but here they are --
Why do you think God doesn't automatically purify people at the point of Conversion?? He wants to be sure we're sincere and honor our side of the Covenant to the best of our ability.
Did that happen for you or anyone you know in some way?? No.
2. Compare your conduct before you were Saved to now. What changes have you seen or wish to see?? I
was 6 when I was Saved, so this really doesn't apply for me. It's good enough for me that I've matured
and continue to grow.
3. Read Matt. 6:33 and discuss ways that you've prioritized God in your life. My blog focuses my attention during the week. (for the most part)
4. Conduct issues are often rooted in family. Without going into detail, discuss a problematic relationship
you have, how it has affected your immediate family, and how can you defeat it?? The struggle of tension between me and my mother has always been a strain for me and my father. I'm trying to reach out more with kindness, gentleness, and grace.
5. Discuss a victory you've had with walking in the Spirit. Finding balance both during my relationship with
Jeremy* and since. Just knowing when to speak up or just let him rant.
So that's it for Part One of this series until September. I haven't included everything here, such as the bits on measuring progress personally in each area; but the material is available online if you need/want it. Stay tuned for more Sermon Summaries through the Summer, and we'll meet back on this page in the Fall.
As always, God Bless!!
Footnotes -
Reading Scripture every day can be a challenge. But don't stress it; you don't have to follow a Devotional Book if that's not what works for you. Personally, I just use my FB most of the time. At least 90% of my friends on there are Christians, plus I follow a couple of Christian pages on there, so I get my "fix" from that unless I decide to do something separate on a particular day. (or I just get it from blogging prior material, like today)
Back in my Baptist HS, they had one of those "Rock Music Experts" come in to warn us of the "evil influences" it held. I have since discovered that much of that presentation was inaccurate and/or useless. (for example, Hotel California is NOT an "invitation to the Satanist Church". If you actually take 3-4 minutes and LISTEN to it, you'll find it's a WARNING against the Hedonistic Lifestyle of any given secular community. The Eagles just happened to focus on California when they wrote the song) Thanks to one influence or another in my life, I actually listen to literally anything from Iron Maiden to Classical. Just nothing overly "edgy" (no Death Metal or Screamo) or anything overly rude. (No "Gangsta Rap" or anything that degrades women or swears every 5 words... ;p I grew up on a mix of Church, light rock, and Country.
Also, having a glass of wine with/after dinner is Biblical. Paul tells Timothy that, "A glass of wine with dinner aids the digestion and other issues. It was actually a normal thing for them to mix their water 3:1 with wine simply because the water supply wasn't always great. Other drinks now and then are fine too, like a margarita with Taco Tuesday or celebrating with friends. The key lies in moderation.
3. Keeping people at "arms length" is sometimes your only option. That's how it is between my ex- boyfriend, Rob, and I at this point. I hadn't thought to ever speak to him again since about a month ago, but he came to my door last night asking me to make a card for him and a few others to give a local bus driver who is being forced to a different route. That was acceptable; as it wasn't personal.
4. Language issues can be tricky to discern properly. Most people think this verse means never "dropping an 'F bomb'" or thing like that, but if you look at the context, it's talking about slander and other hurtful communication. As to "cursing" per se, it's actually been proven that people who aren't afraid of a few "choice words" now and then are actually more truthful and trustworthy. Why?? Because we're being honest about our emotions/opinions, and we're not afraid to show it. Of course, proper times and places are still important.
5. My relationship with Jeremy has been a long one, at least in some aspects. We originally met in June of 1990, dated for a few months, and broke up. Time went on, and we each led our own lives. Skip ahead to Jan. 2015 when Jeremy send me a message on FB. Although technically, it was mid-March before I actually found it. We were reconnected from that point on, but we were only dating for maybe 2 1/2 yrs. Anyway, we've remained friends and I'm still a safe outlet for his ranting when he needs it. If I feel like it's worth it for me to say something, I will. We mostly message, but he also calls once in a while. My boyfriend Mike and I were actually introduced by Jeremy back in July of 1990, when Mike arrived at Job Corps and joined our circle of friends. He's perfectly fine with Jer and I talking now and then, because he knows there's no threat to our relationship at this point. Jeremy is back in Nebraska since breaking up with me this last time; and he has another girlfriend now going on 3 yrs. It's all good. :)
Song -- No rights, ever!!
