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The Bravery to Follow

Colossians 1:24-29

Brian

“Christ in You, the Hope of Glory”
fundamental Christianity is found in this phrase

Is it easy to follow Christ? Yes and No
There will he labor and struggle...
But He powerfully works in us

Christ
King, Savior, Image, Creator
Confirmed His supremacy
Empowered by His Spirit
Christ dwells in us by his Spirit
this is called “the mystery”

Why did Jesus die? that he might live in us
• even greater access than the disciples, not just with us but in us

The sinful nature is replaced with New Life
Ephesians 1:13-14

When Christ is at the center of our lives, He affects...
our mind: what we think, our emotions
our body: health as we make wise decisions
our relationships: drama free and balance
our mission: take advantage of the time

Galatians 5:16-18

What is the goal of a Christian life?
completeness in Christ
the goal is Christlikeness

What is our mission, how do we put it into practice?
Listen to the Holy Spirit
Be transformed by the Word
To help other people follow Jesus

Luke 9:22-23
John 10:10

How do we avoid temptation? Deal with temptation? Matthew 4

Jesus example:
responded with the Word
replaces deception with Truth
stood bravely for what was right

1 Peter 4:12-19
Christ suffered to accomplish salvation
We suffer as we spread salvation
Talk about the Christ you know

Will we embrace the cross so that other people can come to know Christ? Many people will come to know Christ through us as we reflect Him and make him the center of our lives.

Pray that He will continue to transform you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18


Small Group Questions

1) How have you shown others "God in You" in your daily walk?

2) What kinds of things have you done OR can start doing today to transform your your life - to start living more like Christ and reflect God in Us?

3) How have you avoided temptations in your life?

4) How have you faced/handled temptations?24-29

More from The Bravery

Schedule

Friday Arrive: 6p Dinner: 7p Session 1: 8p Roll out: 10p Saturday Be at the cabin: 10a Session 2: 10:30a Lunch: 12p Hiking: 12:30p Dinner: 6p Session 3: 7p Roll out: 9p Sun Be at the cabin: 10a Breakfast: 10:30a Session 4: 11p Lunch: 12:30p Helen/Golf: 1p Dinner: 6p Session 5: 7p Roll out: 9p Monday Clean / Pack: 8a Be at the cabin: 9:30a Session 6: 10a Lunch: 12p Final Clean Up: 12:30p Load up: 1p

The Bravery to Move

Rodney

if we take all this and do nothing with it, we leave where we were an early challenge: over the next week, take a lesson each day, pray over it and review the lesson and ask what the Lord wants to teach you spiritual growth must lead to action - excited to take the next step - this is God’s plan for us 1 build a foundation gotta start somewhere this weekend has been part of that build on Christ and His Word 1 Corinthians 3:11 Matthew 7:24 why do we need a foundation? this is the preparation stage, getting ready to move happens before we move 2 fight vs flight; it’s easier to walk away fighting is hard, harder without a firm starting place Colossians 4:2-6 fighting for the Church, for truth devoted, watchful, thankful, prayerful, proclaiming, act wisely, take advantage, speak gracefully - look at all this movement! Proverbs 6:6-8 can’t sit there lazily where are our battlefields? let’s not show up unprepared 3 fear stops us in our tracks - we fail to be obedient because we are stuck in fear remove fear - replace it with something better we often choose worldly pursuits over walking with Christ Psalm 118:6 Isaiah 41 4 how do we overcome fear? Faith - believing that God is in control and wise Matthew 17:14-20 Bravery to see, serve, love, fight James 1:22-25 look intently and receive freedom - then blessing Hear what the Lord says and act on it

The Bravery to Grow

Marc

God does not want us to stay childish, immature, susceptible to lies, easily manipulated it’s easy to stay put, comfortable, familiar, easy, unchallenged ****how do you know that you are maturing - where do we measure? 1 Cor 13:12 now is the time to put childish things away Hebrew 5:11-6:12 Salvation and now what? better things! (6:9) fear (lack of bravery) causes us to shrink back rather than stand out - Hebrews 10:39 to grow in 3 specific areas 1 Prayer 1 Thes 5:17 what is the content of our prayer what are we thinking about whilst praying what is the purpose of prayer? how do you pray the Word? we start with personal prayer we grow into Kingdom prayer a. Pray for one another and with one another • we believe in prayer, that access is a gift from God • prayer brings us together (it’s a whole lot harder to be mad at someone if you spent your morning praying for them) • pray reminds us of the spiritual nature of our lives (how sad is it if we only stop to pray when we need something as if every moment isn’t a moment that is God ordained and full of His provision) 2 Understanding Colossians 1:9 there is a basic knowledge of God (nothing wrong with this) there is an expanding knowledge God (moving beyond the typical, can you enjoy _______ because you see God there too) there is a connected knowledge of God (the pieces fit together) from the heart to the mouth Proverbs 4:23 Luke 6:43-45 3 Speaking encouragement Psalm 19:14 Speak Life protect others sharing what the Lord is doing teaching/leading others we must do our best to be ready to have a meaningful conversation with people about spiritual things Colossians 2:6-7 easily tossed by the waves vs grounded and rooted deep roots leads to a confident stance we are not easily persuaded away from what we have become convinced of Growing in Faith - we become less dependent on the opinions of others as we draw near to Christ; He has provided a new community of believers for you and a launching point for fruitful ministry Are we brave enough to stand out? When might you have to take a stand for something? What is God's plan for you to not be alone? The church) He thinks we are good enough We need people to believe in us / it empowers us Small Group Questions: Session 5 1 What are some childish things you do that still frustrate you? 2 What are some of the “better things” we have access to in Christ? (healthy relationships, freedom from sin and it’s consequences, high self-esteem, well-placed worship instead of worshipping inferior things) 3 Can you share with us a passage of Scripture God has taught you something from recently? 4 What are you convinced of? Like enough to talk about it? (“I am convinced that...” - there is freedom in Christ - that I am loved - the Word is true 5 What are you confused by? Like what topic would you be uncomfortable talking about? (maybe Judgment, or Sacrifice, or the Resurrection) 6 Are there any spiritual habits you’ve seen in others that have encouraged you or inspired you to follow their http://example...or convicted you that you need?