TRAIL GUIDE: Victory Over Sin
The “Trail Guide” devotional is used by our adult leaders of grade school groups in Quest as a way to prepare their hearts and minds for the topics we will be covering with the children on the weekend. We have made them available here to help our parents of grade-schoolers engage with their children around the topics we are discussing and also for anyone else that might be blessed by following along.
FREE CLIMBING, LESSON 1: Victory Over Sin
“The temptations in our high-tech culture are so much worse than our parents had to deal with.” This is in a sense true, but in another very important sense, it is not. While the Internet, a permissive culture, and a lot of other factors certainly facilitate sinful behavior, they have not created “new” temptations. “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). The temptations or enticements themselves are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. The selfish desire for riches, power, physical pleasure, and fame are still the “sticky” places in our flesh that Satan uses to hook us into sin just as he has for millennia. The good news is that, just as the temptations are the same, the Bible’s answer to them continues to be effective.
Before we were saved and found “in” Christ, we were “dead in our sins.” We were essentially slaves to our sinful or fallen nature. We operated within a closed system where sin had dominion. The Bible teaches us that something changed the day the light of Christ shined on us. We were freed from the rule of sin over our lives. “For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6). If we are freed from sin are we sin free or temptation free? Clearly not, but it does mean that we are no longer trapped in the closed circuit. We are free to choose the right path. Free to resist temptation. Free to pursue holiness in Christ. For the believer this makes life more complicated. Before Christ we sinned because that was our nature through and through. Once we were “rescued from the kingdom of darkness and brought into the kingdom of the Son” we became a “new creation” called to be holy as God is holy. That can be a scary thought given that we are still living in mortal flesh, but God has given us his word that we will not be tempted beyond what we can bear, according to the grace given to us, and that when we are tempted He will always provide an escape route for us to take.
In the coming weeks we will be walking our young people through God’s promise to give us victory over sin in our lives because Christ defeated its power over us. There is great hope to be found in this truth. Christ, our great High Priest, does not command us to do that which He hasn’t already done and equipped us to do. Unencumbered by the sin that entangles us we are free to climb the peaks God has called us to in Christ.
Jesus was “tempted in every way, just as we are – yet, He did not sin.” -Hebrews 4:15b
MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Ecclesiastes 1
Romans 6
Colossians 1
1 Corinthians 10:13
Hebrews 4:13-15
Matthew 4:1-11
Sunday Rewind | 1.5.2014
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Exalted One (Psalm 121:1-2) – For The Honor by Elevation Worship
Closer (Psalm 89:14-15) – Glorious Ruins by Hillsong
Beautiful Lord (Ephesians 2:4-5) – Sound of Melodies by Leeland
Forever Reign (Lamentations 5:19) – A Beautiful Exchange by Hillsong
Give Me Faith (Psalm 73:25-26) – For The Honor by Elevation Worship
TEACHING: Philippians: A Journey Toward Humble Joy, Part 9
The apostle Paul encourages us to press on toward maturity in Christ, not as a means of earning our salvation, but as a means of experiencing the riches we have in Jesus.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What is something that stood out as particularly helpful, insightful, or difficult to grasp from this message?
- What is the difference between knowing someone and knowing about someone? What are the implications of this for the Christ-follower?
- Read and discuss Philippians 3:7-16. What do you observe about the person of Christ from these verses? What is Paul saying about the topic of pressing on to maturity in Christ?
- Are there any tensions to you observe in this text? Are they resolvable?
- What are some things in your life that tend to distract or deter you from pressing on toward deeper maturity?
- How can assets become liabilities in the life of a believer? How does the Gospel call us and empower us to keep first things first?
- What is “one thing” you need to do today to press forward to deeper maturity in Christ? Spend some time in prayer about this with your small group.
Finance & Stewardship Classes at RBC
I want start off by wishing you a happy new year. I also want to tell you about some new classes you might be interested in.
First, Dave Ramsey has come out with a new teen version of FPU known as Generation Change, which is an all-new suite of Bible studies designed to lead teens to a better understanding of God, themselves and their money—and how it all works together. In the three different teaching series, students are equipped with biblical principles to BE who God created them to be, DO more with their money, and GO out into the world ready to write their story. Lesson videos with Dave Ramsey and his daughter, Rachel Cruze, along with engaging hands-on activities, will bring new biblical and financial truths to this generation.
The class will be held concurrently with the normal version of FPU starting next Sunday (January 12). Both will be held in the Youth Building from 4:30-6:30 pm. Due to the room used for the class, it is limited to 20 participants. Click here for more information, including a short video, and click here to register your teen for the class. Cost is $30.
Next, if you would like to attend FPU again as a refresher, you are invited to attend the class starting next Sunday. Remember, as an alumnus you can attend at no charge. Click here to register.
Finally, some of you have expressed interest in taking a Crown Financial Biblical Study class. This course is an in-depth Bible study for those who want to spend 3-4 hours a week deep in the Word to learn more about biblical stewardship. This class will be held during the first service (9:00-10:45 am) in Room 220 starting next Sunday, January 12. It runs for 11 weeks. Click here for more information, including a short video, and click here to register for the class. Cost is $45 and scholarships are available.
I hope your new year is off to a great start and that you will prayerfully consider taking advantage of one or more of these excellent training opportunities. Please contact me if you have any questions. Have a very blessed new year.