living life well...1. in the disney hit film, frozen, the main character elsa sings the powerful...

LIVING LIFE WELL

O God of all creation, You made me, and you know me.I am flawed and yet loved, accepted and forgiven.Thank you for your grace thattransforms and remakes me.I come to you again,for rest, hope andfreedom in thename of Jesus. Amen. Some of the most popular stories

we have are about battles. Whether they be war movies, or stories about battling to overcome the odds, we love tales of struggle and fight. They give us courage to keep going in the face of massive pressure.

Of course, most of these stories have happy endings to inspire us. We roar when the hero finally wins, and the conflict ceases. But sometimes, the battles we face feel pretty brutal. The happy ending seems a long way away, and the victory roar is only a whimper.

Yes, life can be a real battle. And some of us know the painful heat of action right now. Well, the Bible has some inspiring words that stir courage for our hearts so that we can keep living life well.

There is one particular passage that provides a perspective that is a gamechanger, even when the combat feels very real. As he comes to the end

Tim, Judy & AndyChurch Leadership Team

of his letter to Timothy, Paul writes, ‘...pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith.’ Paul talks of life being worth fighting for. That faith in Jesus is worth the battle, and so keep on pursuing the good things of life such as righteousness and love.

But how? What does it look like to fight the good fight? Paul continues to Timothy with an important reminder that changes everything, ‘...take hold of the eternal life to which you were called’. There is hope ahead, a victory, that is greater than you dare imagine. There is one who has gone ahead of us. And so, keep going.

This third section of Living Life Well is all about partnering together as sparring partners, so that we can spur each other on in the good fight. So that we can take hold of what is ahead. Are you ready? Get your gear on, the battle has already begun.

2 | Living Life Well Living Life Well | 3

A PRAYERINTRODUCTION

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT?

|06. Fellowship. Together we stand.

|14. Confession. Strong enough to be weak.

|22. Sabbath. Practicing being human.

|30. Submission. Daring to be second. |38. Take it further.

Readings to change your life |42. Taking stock.

So it begins...


TABLE OF CONTENTS06

30

14 22

38 42

“6 | Living Life Well Living Life Well | 7

FELLOWSHIP

LET US CONSIDER HOW WE MAY SPUR ONE ANOTHER ON TOWARDS LOVE AND GOOD DEEDS Hebrews 10:24

• BE BRAVE. WHO IS IT THAT NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT AND INVESTMENT AT THE MOMENT? WHAT MIGHT THAT LOOK LIKE?

• BE REALISTIC. DON’T TRY TO CHANGE THE PLANET IN ONE GO! RATHER, FOCUS ON A FEW SPECIFIC PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN REALLY COMMIT TO PARTNERING TOGETHER IN SOME WAY, FOR SOME TASK. TELL THEM.

• BE EXPECTANT. PEOPLE CAN BE DIFFICULT! SO, IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT CONFLICT AND DISAGREEMENT ARE NORMAL. IN FACT, IT MAY WELL BE THAT, THROUGH CONFLICT, SOMETHING REALLY BEAUTIFUL APPEARS.

• BE SACRIFICIAL. WHAT DOES THIS PARTICULAR GROUP REALLY NEED FROM ME? AND WHAT CAN I REALLY OFFER TO THEM?

• BE COMMITTED. TRY AND AVOID HAVING TO REARRANGE GETTING TOGETHER. TRY TO REALISE THAT YOUR PRESENCE IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO OTHERS, WHETHER OR NOT YOU FEEL LIKE IT IS!

In the The Fellowship of the Ring, there is a scene in which they commit to supporting Frodo Baggins in trying to destroy the powerful ring. As they do so, Aragorn says “If by my life or death I can protect you, I will.” It is a beautiful picture of support and partnership - being willing to work together, whatever the cost, for the sake of a cause.

What is true in the Lord of the Rings is even more noticeable in the scriptures. Time and time again, the church is referred to in terms of unity, togetherness and fellowship. There is something so important about each other that defines and describes the very centre of Christian community.

We live in a society that centres on the importance of the individual person. Our rights, our dreams, our potential are so often focussed on us as individuals. We dream of what we as an individual can achieve in life. We focus on the potential we as individuals have to make a difference with our lives. We fight for the rights of us as individuals.

Much of this is good and right, and yet perhaps we are in danger of missing something crucial. Perhaps we miss the importance of partnering together. The old fashioned word ‘fellowship’ describes this well. Literally, it means a communion, joining together in partnership with a common goal. It is something we miss if we only focus on our individual faith, and only emphasise our own personal relationship with God.

Fellowship is often hard and messy. And yet, it is the only way. Only as we partner together, with other mixed up people like us, we truly grow and learn what it means to know Jesus more.


THE PRACTICE OF FELLOWSHIP

1. In the Disney hit film, Frozen, the main character Elsa sings the powerful words ‘A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I’m queen.’ It is a stirring anthem about being free as an individual to do whatever you want with life. And yet, the ending of the story is about her being queen for other people not for herself. There is something about living for others, not just for myself, that seems inbuilt into our human dreams. Why do you think that is? 2. Read Hebrews 10:19-25. What is the relationship between v19-22 and v23-25?

3. It can be so easy to focus on our own personal faith, and undervalue the role we have in helping other people in life and faith. Why do you think the writer, in v24-25, places such an emphasis on simply showing up?

4. Can you think of an example of when someone has ‘spurred’ (v24) you on and ‘encouraged’ (v25) you? What did they do or say?

5. Are there any ways you can do that for someone else at the moment? What can you do this week?

IDEA As you attend a gathering this week (eg. Sunday services, Community group etc.) intentionally think about how you can spur someone else on.

1. What, if anything, does the word ‘fellowship’ mean to you? What do you think it looks like in practice?

2. Read Philippians 1:3-6. What two reasons does Paul give for why he thanks God for them?

3. In verse 5, Paul celebrates their ‘partnership in the gospel’. The word that he uses is the word ‘fellowship’. In other words, fellowship is not just friendship, it is joining together with a common cause that is so important. In this case, that community is the church - they are joined together for the sake of spreading the message about Jesus. How does this change how you see your role in church?

4. Later on, in chapter 4:15-18, we learn what partnership/fellowship looked like. They had supported Paul financially in his mission to spread the good news of Jesus. How does this change our pespective on what fellowship can look like? Do you see this sort of thing as being an important act of fellowship?

5. Paul is clearly so happy and encouraged by how the Philippians have supported him? How does this encourage us about the potential we have for others?

6. Take some time to pray about opportunities you have this week to join in fellowship with other followers of Jesus.

IDEA Think of specific opportunities every day this week to show fellowship to someone.


1. FELLOWSHIP: TOGETHER WE STAND

BIBLE READING Philippians 1:3-6

2. FELLOWSHIP: FOR THE CAUSE - FIRST CHRISTIANS

BIBLE READING Hebrews 10:19-25

1. One day a friend says to you ‘Why are there so many different types of church? I thought Christians were supposed to be about unity and stuff.’ What would you say?

2. Read Psalm 133 out loud three times (feel free to use different translations if you like). What strikes you about these verses?

3. What do you think the picture in v2 is describing?

4. Referring to v3, Timothy Keller writes, ‘The unity of God’s people brings opposites together, symbolised by tall Hermon in the rural north and the little hill of Zion in the urban south.’ Unity is not uniformity. In fact, the unity of God’s people is miraculous! Why is this so important to remember? 4. Read Ephesians 4:1-6. On what is our unity based? Why does this reality enable us to be united with people who are very different from us?

5. As a church, we want to better reflect Birmingham. Take some time to pray for ways you can encourage unity.

BIBLE READING Psalm 19

IDEA Plan in your diary a time to meet up with someone who is not like you, to simply share unity.


3. FELLOWSHIP: LIVING UNITED - DAVID’S LIFE

“ SPIRITUAL FORMATION OCCURS PRIMARILY IN THE CONTEXT OF COMMUNITY... LONG-TERM INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS ARE THE CRUCIBLE OF GENUINE PROGRESS IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. Joseph Hellerman



CONFESSION

“ ONE OF THE MOST PRACTICAL WAYS TO SURRENDER TO CHRIST IS TO PICK UP THE TELEPHONE AND TELL THE TRUTH TO ANOTHER CHRISTIAN. GOD ALWAYS REWARDS THAT SIMPLE ACT OF HUMILITY.Nate Larkin

• BE THOUGHTFUL. WHO IS THE PERSON, OR PEOPLE, THAT YOU CAN REALLY OPEN UP TO? MAYBE PRAY THAT GOD WOULD SHOW YOU.

• BE BOLD. CONFESSION IS NEVER EASY, AND TAKES A HUGE AMOUNT OF COURAGE. BUT, RECOGNISE THAT HONESTY BEFORE GOD AND OTHER PEOPLE IS THE GREATEST WAY OF GROWING.

• BE ENCOURAGED. AS YOU CONFESS

TO SOMEONE ELSE, REMEMBER THAT EVERYONE HAS ‘STUFF’. WE ARE ALL FLAWED AND MIXED UP. AS SUCH, THE PERSON YOU ARE CONFESSING TO WILL LIKELY BE HUMBLED AND ENCOURAGED BY YOUR HONESTY.

• BE THANKFUL. GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU ALREADY, AND SO ISN’T SURPRISED BY YOUR CONFESSION. IN FACT, JESUS DIED FOR YOU AND SO AS YOU CONFESS YOU CAN BE THANKFUL THAT CHRIST HAS ALREADY DONE ENOUGH.

• BE REPETITIVE. CONFESSION IS SOMETHING TO RETURN TO OFTEN.

The practice of confession has been a controversial one throughout history. Indeed, much blood has been shed about what role confession should have in life! This has led to some Christians traditions have a very big emphasis on confession, whether others practice it in a much lower key way.

What is clear, is that regardless of its role in church life the Bible insists on the power and importance of confessing - acknowledging - our brokenness and sin to God, and others, in some way.

Dietrch Bonhoeffer, the 20th century German pastor who was executed under Hitler’s regime, wrote the following words about confession:

‘Why is it that it is often easier for us to confess our sins to God than to a brother? God is holy and sinless, He is a just judge of evil and the enemy of all disobedience. But a brother is sinful as we are. He knows from his own experience the dark night of secret sin. Why should we not find it easier to go to a brother than to the holy God? But if we do, we must ask ourselves whether we have not often been deceiving ourselves with our confession of sin to God, whether we have not rather been confessing our sins to ourselves and also granting ourselves absolution...Who can give us the certainty that, in the confession and the forgiveness of our sins, we are not dealing with ourselves but with the living God? God gives us this certainty through our brother. Our brother breaks the circle of self-deception. A man who confesses his sins in the presence of a brother knows that he is no longer alone with himself; he experiences the presence of God in the reality of the other person.’

Confession is never easy, but Bonhoeffer’s words are worth reading slowly and reflecting on. As we journey to live lives well, may we discover the immense power and freedom in confession.


THE PRACTICE OF CONFESSION

1. What is the most embarrassing thing that you have ever been told? How did you react?

2. Read 1 John 1:5-10. What is the relationship between who God is (v5-6) and our need to confess? (v7-10)

3. What do you think the link between the ‘darkness’ and ‘light’ in v5-7 and confession is?

4. What according to these verses are the benefits of confessing our sin? Why do we find it so dificult, do you think?

5. It takes great strength to be open to confessing our sin, and yet it is one of the most impacting things we can do. Author Dallas Willard says that confessing your weakness and sin to another follower of Jesus is ‘one of the most powerful of the disciplines for the spiritual life.’ Why do you think that is?

6. Turn the words of 1 John 1:8-10 into a prayer and use that prayer as an act of confession.

BIBLE READING 1 John 1:5-10

IDEA At the start of every day this week, read the words of 1 John 1:8-10 out loud. Then, commit yourself to trying not to ignore or hide any of your sin this week. Then at the end of every day, use the words of 1 John 1:8-10 as a prayer of confession.

1. Do you think of yourself as someone who is quite private, or someone who is very open about the stuff going on in your life? What impact might our personalities and individual characters have on the way that we approach the practice of confession? 2. Read James 5:13-16. Which parts of the passage encourage you most and which bits do you find most difficult?

3. It is important to realise that the Bible doesn’t say that there is a direct link between all ill health and sin. In fact Jesus makes this clear in John 9:1-7. One author, John DIckson, puts it like this ‘While many ancient cultures frequently connected sickness with wrongdoing, the Bible does not share this mechanistic, karmic view of reality.’ With that in mind, what difference do you think the word ‘if’ in verse 15 makes?

4. Notice the direction of confession in v16. Why is this so challenging?

5. Who do you think the ‘righteous person’ in v16 refers to? What impact does Romans 3:21-24 have on your thinking? Why is this so encouraging for all of us?

6. Take some time to pray in the light of these verses now.

IDEA Book a date in to be really open with and pray with a close and trusted Christian friend.


1. CONFESSION: STRONG ENOUGH TO BE WEAK

BIBLE READING James 5:13-16

2. CONFESSION: OPEN UP - FIRST CHRISTIANS

“ I AM A MAN OF UNCLEAN LIPS, AND I LIVE AMONG A PEOPLE OF UNCLEAN LIPS, AND MY EYES HAVE SEEN THE KING, THE LORD ALMIGHTY. Isaiah 6:5

1. Has anyone ever challenged you about something you have done? How did you react? And, how did you feel about it at the time, and how do you feel now?

2. Read Psalm 51. (If you don’t know the background to David’s confession, it may be worth taking some time to read through the story in 2 Samuel 11&12.) Which phrases do you find most striking? Why? 3. What according to v1 is the basis on which we can confess our sin? Why is that so encouraging, particularly in light of v4-6?

4. T.S.Eliot once said that ‘Our lives are mostly a constant evasion of ourselves.’ In what ways is David brutally honest and transparent in this Psalm? What about us?

5. It’s noticeable in v7-12 what David does, and doesn’t, ask for. How does this compare to the kind of things we might ask for as we confess our sin?

6. Use some of the words of this Psalm to confess your own sin.


IDEA Try and memorise the words of v1-2 or v10-12 and recite them every day this week.


3. CONFESSION: WEAK AS I AM - DAVID’S LIFE

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SABBATH IS A WAY TO BREAK OUR ADDICTION TO ACCOMPLISHMENT AND ACCUMULATION. John Mark Comer

SABBATH

• BE PREPARED. TAKING A SABBATH CAN TAKE A BIT OF WORK BEFOREHAND, SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE THE SPACE TO REALLY REST WITH GOD. THINK ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE THE DAY, OR EVENING, BEFORE.

• BE REALISTIC. FOR SOME OF US, IT MAY BE TOO BIG AN ASK TO START WITH AN ENTIRE DAY OF SABBATH. IF THAT IS THE CASE FOR YOU, WHY NOT START WITH A SPECIFIC PERIOD OF TIME IN A DAY THAT YOU CAN.

• BE OPEN. AS YOU PREPARE TO TAKE

A SABBATH, SPEND SOME TIME THINKING ABOUT THE REASONS WHY YOU MIGHT FIND IT DIFFICULT TO DO SO. THEN, SORT OUT WHICH OF THOSE REASONS ARE NATURAL AND LEGITIMATE, AND WHICH ONES ARE NOT!

• BE THANKFUL. ASK GOD TO HELP YOU TO USE THE SABBATH WELL. SPEND SOME TIME SLEEPING, PRAYING, READING, DOING SOMETHING YOU ENJOY, AND SIMPLY RELAXING IN HIS PRESENCE.

We live in a frantic world, with a frantic pace that can lead to frantic lives. And for many of us, we can be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of activity in our lives, and the number of things we need to do. As a result, more and more of us struggle to simply rest. To stop. To be.

Most new parents discover that it is quite important to have some sort of bedtime routine for their newborn. Without routine and regular patterns, the sleep of a child can be much more complex! The same is true for all of us. Rest takes work. We need to develop patterns so that we can rest properly. That is what the practice of taking a sabbath is about, when people stopped working for one day in a week. It was a day devoted to resting in God and his good gifts.

Rich Villodas says this about sabbath: ‘Sabbath is not just rest from “making things.” It’s rest from the need to make something of ourselves.’ Part of the power of sabbath is stopping to let God be God, and rediscover our humanity. We are not in control of everything. Everything doesn’t depend on us. The world still turns. Emails come and go. Meetings can be reorganised. Stopping for a while can be a humbling experience, as we discover we’re not quite as important as we thought we were. In workplaces where there is a culture of taking sabbaticals, it is quite common for the person to really struggle to switch off from work, and then feel thoroughly disheartened when they return to work and realise that everything was fine without them! The world still turned.

And that is the beauty of sabbath. It is God’s way of helping us to know our limitations as humans, and therefore our dependency on him. He is the one who holds everything, not us. And living in the light of that really sets us free.


THE PRACTICE OF SABBATH

1. One day, a friend says to you, ‘I wish that everything was still shut on Sundays, like it used to be. It makes me sad that no-one’s allowed to stop any more.’ What would you say to them? 2. Read Exodus 20:8-11. What are the reasons given for taking a sabbath day? What statement might we accidentally be making if we refuse to stop and take a sabbath?!

3. What do you think it might mean for the sabbath day to be holy and blessed (v11)?

4. In what way do you think these requirements still stand for followers of Jesus? (cf. Matthew 12:1-13). What is the heart behind taking a sabbath do you think?

4. Read Isaiah 58:10-14. Do you think there is any relationship between verses 10-12 and v13-14? What seems to be the heart of the issue in v13? 5. Spend some time thinking about your own patterns of rest, and sabbath. Ask God to give you courage, wisdom and insight to be able to rest well.

BIBLE READING Exodus 20:8-11 & Isaiah 58:10-14

IDEA Look through your diary for the next month. When can you set aside some time to take a proper sabbath, even if it is not an entire day? Book it in now and then plan what you will do.

1. What’s the difference between a sabbath and a day off?

2. Read Acts 20:7 and Colossians 2:16-17. It is clear that the early Christians started setting aside and meeting together as ‘church’ on the first day of the week, in the light of Jesus’ resurrection. And yet, it was also clear that they didn’t judge each other as to what that looked like. Why, do you think?

3. What, in v17, is the freedom that they have discovered that means they don’t need to judge each other about the sabbath? How mght that apply today?

4. Read Romans 14:5-6. It seems as though the early church had an astonishing care for each other. What relationship do you think that this might have to practicing the sabbath today?

5. In verse 6, it looks as though the key phrase is doing things ‘for the Lord’. What role does this have in showing the difference between a day off and a sabbath?

6. When was the last time you took a sabbath - a day of rest from work - that is devoted to enjoying God and the gifts he gives?

IDEA Think of something you really enjoy doing. The next time you do it, try and ‘do it for the Lord’. How does this change it?


1. SABBATH: PRACTISING BEING HUMAN

BIBLE READING Colossians 2:16-17 & Romans 14:5-6

2. SABBATH: LIVING FREE - FIRST CHRISTIANS

1. What would your perfect day look like? What things would you do?

2. Read 1 Samuel 21:1-6 and Mark 2:23-28. How does the passage in Mark explain the passage in 1 Samuel? What is the key point that is being made?

3. In 1 Samuel 21:5-6, the story seems to suggest that, because David and his men are on God’s mission, it is perfectly acceptable to eat the consecrated food - after all they are on a ‘consecrated’ mission. God is, in effect, providing for their needs rather than mere rules they must fit into. How does this help in having a correct understanding of what sabbath is?

4. As you combine these passages, it begins to show us that the practice of sabbath is about blessing people and helping them to fully thrive. What might this mean for your life right now?

5. What do you think Mark 2:27 could mean for you?

6. Take some time to thank God for the fact he really cares for us, even to the point of insisting we rest!

BIBLE READING 1 Samuel 21:1-6 & Mark 2:23-28

IDEA What is something that you need to stop doing this week, to make space to rest?


3. SABBATH: A GIFT FOR US - DAVID’S LIFE

“ THEN HE SAID TO THEM, ‘THE SABBATH WAS MADE FOR MAN, NOT MAN FOR THE SABBATHMark 2:27

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SUBMIT TO ONE ANOTHER OUT OF REVERENCE FOR CHRIST. Ephesians 5:21

SUBMISSION

• BE HONEST. THE PRACTICE OF SUBMISSION IS NOT EASY, AND REQUIRES KNOWING YOURSELF WELL. BE HONEST ABOUT WHAT THIS MIGHT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU IN A HEALTHY AND GODLY WAY.

• BE OPEN. IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING WITH WHAT THIS MIGHT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU, ASK SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS GOT YOUR INTERESTS AT HEART AND YOU TRUST, TO GIVE SOME SUGGESTIONS.

• BE DELIBERATE. IT MAY START BY MAKING A REALLY SMALL, BUT IMPORTANT, DECISION TO DO, OR SAY, A CERTAIN THING EVERY DAY.

• BE SPECIFIC. IS THERE ONE PARTICULAR WAY YOU STRUGGLE WITH THIS PRACTICE? WHY? TRY AND NAME IT, AND WORK OUT HOW TO BEGIN TO CHANGE. YOU MAY FIND IT HELPFUL TO SHARE IT WITH SOMEONE.

• BE KIND. TO YOURSELF! CHANGE

RARELY HAPPENS OVERNIGHT.

The concept of submission is not exactly a easy one! Adele Calhoun talks about it as ‘an unpopular, repugnant concept these days. The notion of giving away power conjures up images of becoming a doormat, a weak-willed nonentity or a brainwashed cult follower.’ Even the word ‘submission’ seems a negative, almost dirty, word.

However, Calhoun goes on to say, ’But this perception is miles away from the biblical model of submission.’ As is so often the case, the way the Bible talks about things is very different to our own approach. The supreme example of this is Jesus. As he approached the cross, he prayed a desperate prayer ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will’ (Matthew 26:39). It’s a heartfelt cry of honest submission - I don’t want to go to the cross, but I submit to your will. Submission.

It raises some big questions for us, as we long to live lives well. How do we relate to those around us? Are my preferences and dreams more important than those around me? Should I always come first? What about my relationship with those people who are called to look after, care and even lead me?

It’s important to realise what submision isn’t. The ancient practice of submission is not about submitting to oppressive or abusive behaviour. Abusive relationships and behaviour are never a pattern for healthy lives, and such injustice needs to be battled against, not colluded with.

Rather, the biblical practice of submission is being willing to come second for the sake of God’s call on your life and those around you. Submission is being able to use my freedom to say ‘I come second’ so that I can help others thrive and discover hope and freedom. It is saying to God ‘Not my will be done, but your will be done.’


THE PRACTICE OF SUBMISSION

1. What does the word ‘submit’ bring to your mind? Do you think of it as a positive thing?

2. Read Ephesians 5:21-6:9. What strikes you about this passage?

3. What relationship does verse 21 have to the rest of the passage do you think? How does this verse clarify what the rest of passage means?

4. This passage describes the outworking of faith in Jesus in various household relationships. Some of them seem controversial today, but we may be in danger of missing a deeper point. What, according to the passage, is the link between our attitude towards Jesus and household relationships?

5. Which of these acts of ‘submission’ would be most revolutionary in our world today?

6. What might these verses mean to you for your life right now?

BIBLE READING Ephesians 5:21-6:9

IDEA Think of one person that you can ‘value above yourself’ this week.

1. Think of times that people have made sacrifices on your behalf. How does it make you feel?

2. Read Acts 4:32-35. You get the sense that the early Christians really were looking out for each other. What, according to the passage, do you think it means to be ‘one in heart and mind’? What might that look like today?

3. Why do you think there is a link between putting others before ourselves and ‘God’s grace being so powerfully at work’ (v33)? Why, when we have experienced grace, can we then more readily show it?

4. Read Philippians 2:1-4. What is the link between being encouraged by ‘being united with Christ’ and putting others first?

5. Why do you think we struggle with v3 so much? What would it look like in your life to ‘value others above yourselves’ in the light of Christ? What doesn’t it mean?

6. Take some time to pray for any particular area of your life in which you struggle to live these verses out. Ask for God’s help and grace to do so.

IDEA Think of one of the relationships mentioned in the passage, and prayerfully commit to a wholesome ‘act of submission’ every day this week in that relationship. How was it? What did God teach you?


1. SUBMISSION: DARING TO BE SECOND

BIBLE READING Acts 4:32-35 & Philippians 2:1-4

2. SUBMISSION: TO THE OTHER - FIRST CHRISTIANS

1. What is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

2. Read 2 Samuel 9:1-13. David chooses to show care and kindness to someone in his friend, Jonathan’s, family. What strikes you about David’s desire and the effect it has?

3. What phrases jump out at you in this passage? What do they show you about the possible impact of putting others before yourself?

4. There is something infectious about submitting to someone’s care for you. It has an effect on how you view them and others. What might this have to say about the practice of submission?

5. Who do you find it difficult to submit to in your life, who you know really has your best interests at heart? Why do you think that is?

6. Take some time to say thank you to God for those who care for you, and want to help you, even if you struggle with that

BIBLE READING 2 Samuel 9:1-13

IDEA Choose someone in your life that you know you struggle to submit to, but you know they actually have your best interests at heart. Why not write them a card to say thank you for their care and love for you?


3. SUBMISSION: ACTIVE SERVICE - DAVID’S LIFE

“ THE COMMAND OF JESUS IS HARD, UNUTTERABLY HARD, FOR THOSE WHO TRY TO RESIST IT. BUT FOR THOSE WHO WILLINGLY SUBMIT, THE YOKE IS EASY, AND THE BURDEN IS LIGHT.Dietrich Bonhoeffer


TAKE IT FURTHER

It’s not too late to start reading the Bible! To accompany the practices mentioned in this handbook, here is a way to read through the entire New Testament over the course of 9 months. The following schedule outlines a way to do this by reading one chapter per day (7 per week).

WEEK 1 Luke 1-7

WEEK 2 Luke 8-14

WEEK 3 Luke 15-21

WEEK 4 Luke 22-24, Acts 1-4

WEEK 5 Acts 5-11

WEEK 6 Acts 12-18

WEEK 7 Acts 19-25

WEEK 8 Acts 26-28, 1 Corinthians 1-4

WEEK 9 1 Corinthians 5-11

WEEK 10 1 Corinthians 12-16, 2 Corinthians 1-2

WEEK 11 2 Corinthians 3-9

WEEK 12 2 Corinthians 10-13, Romans 1-3

WEEK 13 Romans 4-10

WEEK 14 Romans 11-16, Galatians 1

WEEK 15 Galatians 2-6, Ephesians 1-2

WEEK 16 Ephesians 3-6 , Matthew 1-2

WEEK 17 Matthew 3-9

WEEK 18 Matthew 10-16 WEEK 19 Matthew 17-23

WEEK 20 Matthew 24-28, Philippians 1-2

WEEK 21 Philippians 3-4, Colossians 1-4, 1 Thessalonians 1

WEEK 22 1 Thessalonians 2-5, 2 Thessalonians 1-3

WEEK 23 1 Timothy 1-6, 2 Timothy 1

WEEK 24 2 Timothy 2-4, Mark 1-4

WEEK 25 Mark 5-11

WEEK 26 Mark 12-16, Titus 1-2

WEEK 27 Titus 3, Philemon, Hebrews 1-5

WEEK 28 Hebrews 6-13

WEEK 29 James 1-5, 1 Peter 1-2

WEEK 30 1 Peter 3-5, 2 Peter 1-3, John 1

WEEK 31 John 2-8

WEEK 32 John 9-15

WEEK 33 John 16-21, 1 John 1

WEEK 34 1 John 2-5, 2 John, 3 John, Jude

WEEK 35 Revelation 1-7




READ THE NEW TESTAMENT IN 9 MONTHS

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FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF THE FAITH. TAKE HOLD OF THE ETERNAL LIFE TO WHICH YOU WERE CALLED 1 Timothy 6:12

TAKING STOCK

An author called G.C. Lichtenberg once said, ‘There is a great difference between still believing something and believing it again.’ In the journey of Living Life Well, it is so important to keep on getting to know Jesus more and more.

This is not something we do in isolation. Yes, we have responsibility for how we lives our lives, but the journey of life is not done on our own. We need each other. We need each other to help us with our questions. We need each other to support us when the battle rages. We need each other to pick us up, brush us down and point us in the right direction.

And, other people need us too! They need us when they are going through battles, questions and struggles. We need each other. As the antiquated poem says, ‘no man is an island’.

When Paul tells Timothy to ‘fight the good fight’, he would never have presumed that Timothy would do this on his own. In fact, in 1 Timothy 6:12 he talks about taking hold ‘...of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your confession in the presence of many witnesses.’ There is a communal aspect to growing in Jesus. No wonder he ends his letter with the words ‘Grace be with you all’. This is where church comes in. This is why groups are so important. They are places in which we are both known and needed. People get to support us in ‘fighting the good fight’ and we get to support them. Me becomes we.

And so, as we approach the end of a year of Living Life Well the journey is really just beginning. There will be challenges & joys ahead. The following questions are simply a way of helping us to consider what kind of ‘fight’ will we be involved with? We do not go alone because we have people around us to support and care for us. But even more than that, we realise that we have one who has gone before us and that the battle is already one!

Therefore, let’s press on knowing that we are never, ever alone.

Write down the names of people that you know, who are people who really care for you and that you have let into your life to support, care, ask difficult questions and spur you on:

If you realise that you have less people than you need, why not prayerfully consider who you can invite into your life to be able to ‘join your team’. Write some names down here:

Are there ways you can help people to know what is going on in your life & faith journey so that they can support you more?

Are you in a group of some sort (eg. Life group, Community group etc)? If yes, how well do you think you support each other in ‘fighting the good fight’? If No, have you considered being a part of one?

Take some time to thank God for every person ‘on your team’. Why not write a note to say ‘thank you’ to them?

WHO ARE YOU FIGHTING WITH?


SO IT BEGINS...

Write down the names of people that you are ‘fighting for’ - supporting, caring for, praying regularly for, in their faith journey. Then take some time to pray for them individually now.

If you realise that you have less people than is healthy at the moment, why not prayerfully consider who you can commit to walking with, and supporting them on their journey?

Write down the names of some people in your life that don’t yet know Jesus at all, that you are willing to commit to pray for them regularly. Then, take some time to pray now. How can you help ‘fight for them’?

If you are in a group of some sort (eg. Life group, Community group etc), do you view it as a place for you to attend to ’get something out of it’, or an opportunity to support others? If you aren’t part of a group have you considered being a part of one as a way of actively supporting other people?

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WHO ARE YOU FIGHTING FOR?

AND FINALLY...We hope that you have found the Living Life Well series helpful. As part of this, we would really value your feedback. Simply go to the following link and complete the short survey. Thank you!

Or, simply hold the camera on a smart phone over the following QR code, or use a QR reader app.

LINKhttp://bit.ly/LLW-2019

Read 1 Timothy 6:11-12. What does it mean to ‘take hold of the eternal life to which you were called’?

Jesus has gone before us and has fought the fight and beaten the greatest enemy - death itself. Therefore, any battles we are in, we know the final victory has already been won. What impact might that have on your life going forwards?

THE FIGHT HAS ALREADY BEEN WON

http://bit.ly/LLW-2019



SOMETIMES LIFE CAN BE A BATTLE.

MAYBE IT’S BETTER TO BATTLE ALONGSIDE OTHER PEOPLE?

MAYBE IT’S GOOD TO REALISE THAT SOMEONE IS FIGHTING FOR US?

JOIN US FOR THIS FINAL PART OF LIVING LIFE WELL.

Riverside House | 21 Alcester Road | Moseley | Birmingham | B13 8ARE: [email protected] | T: 0121 442 4484

WWW.RIVERSIDE-CHURCH.ORG.UK

Riverside Church is a charity (#1099487) and a company limited by guarantee (#4479264)

living life well...1. in the disney hit film, frozen, the main character elsa sings the powerful...

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