War Room: Session 3

Session 3: Living the Gospel

Welcome:

Hello Ladies!!! Welcome to Week 3! I hope you ladies had a wonderful week. We missed you last week, but so glad you made the time to catch up with us tonight.

Thank God for technology that we can still meet from the comfort of your home when life gets in the way and you just can't join us at the buiding we call church. But as the Father said, where any two or more meet, He will be there (Matthew 18:20 - "For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them".) That's called church too ladies! So grab a cup of tea or something nice, get your study guide, a notebook, a pen or highlighter and your bible. Ready? Let's get started!

Opening Prayer:

Let's open in prayer. Please bow heads and join us

Dear Father,

We thank you so much for this alternative way to meet and study your word with each other. We pray that we will feel your presence and hear your voice through the message in our study guide. We pray that you will guide our conversation as we share our thoughts with each other and strive to honor you as we grow in the Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

Tips for our online studies:

We will use the Comments Section below to type our comments, questions, answers.  You will see some sections labeled "Activity". These sections contain questions for you to answer in the comments section or some other type of instruction.

If you would like privacy, just use your first name versus your full name when you add your comments in the Comments Section.

You might need to refresh your browser to see comments during a live session.

Reflection and sharing in bible study is an important part of our growth and helps to maximize the benefit of the study. However, we understand if you are not comfortable sharing at this point. If that's you, I encourage you to answer the questions anyway, in a notebook/journal or even on your PC in a word doc.

Session 3 Description:

Our third session is about gospel power.  The gospel doesn't stop when one becomes saved.  It's a start to our transformation to be more like Christ, and flourish in His kingdom.

We will first review the homework from last week (session 2), then we will review the introduction to session 3. Then, you will complete 3 days (only 3 days!) of homework from this session (session 3) on your own before we meet next week, at which time we will discuss the homework in our group. Sound good? Alright.

Session 2 Homework Review

Last week, we had homework on pages 21-29. Let's take some time to discuss.

In the "Engage" section on page 21, some key principles of accountability are discussed with several scripture verses referenced to support these principles.

Activity 1:

Take some time to refresh your memory of these verses now please (page 23).  Then answer the following questions in the Comments Section below.

Which verse resonates with you in terms of your own accountability. Why?

Do you struggle with speaking truth or speaking with love or both?

How can you balance both truth and love, when speaking truth might not be easy to speak or hear?

From the reading on page 23, and the scripture references there, let's list some key principles of accountability:

I'll get us started: 

Accountability is important between believers to stay firm in their faith as Christ followers.

Accountability often means difficult conversations but we should speak truth to each other and do so with love.

Activity 2:

Now your turn.  Use the scriptures referenced (choose 1 or more) to make 1 or more statements about accountability.

Hebrews 3:13

Proverbs 27:17

James 5:19-20

Galatians 6:1-2

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

DAY 1: 

Summary - Day 1 talks about the value of accountability. 

Activity 3:

Describe the value/benefits of the following: 

Confessing your sins before God? (See 1 John 1:8-9)

Sharing our struggles with other believers? (See James 5:16) 

We have talked about the benefits of confession.  Let's discuss what happens when we don't confess our sins, and instead, we conceal them.

Activity 4:

What does page 25 say about concealing our sins?  What does that cause?  __________ and __________.

List some of the negative effects of concealing sin.  I'll get us started: 

It weakens our prayer life and leaves prayers unheard.  (Psalms 66:18)

Day 1 principle: The best picture of Christianity is when we ________________________ so that others can see ___________________.

Please complete the blanks.

Day 1 follow-up activity: Identify who you can ask to be your accountability partner, if you don't already have one.  Ask that person to begin this relationship and discuss how you will go about doing that.

DAY 2: 

Summary - Day 2 talks about Living in Community, and what that looks like.

Activity 5:

 Read the passages on page 26 and list some key words that describe the responsibility in relationships.

  For example: build up, forgive

2.  What does the bible say about isolation (Proverbs 18:1)

3.  Based on 1 & 2, give a brief statement that describes the value of living in community and the disadvantage of living in isolation.

Activity 6:

Based on 1 Corinthians 12:25: 

What are some steps you can take to better use your talents and abilities to suffer and to rejoice with one another? 

Day 2 principle: Without one another, the body of believers would be incomplete.  God has given us each other so that we may grow to be more like Him.  We do that best in community and accountability with one another.

Day 2 follow-up activity:

DAY 3: 

Living/Being the Church

Activity 7:

In the Session 2 video, Michael says to his friend, "I need to see the church in you Bro".

Describe in your own words what this meant.

Review the passages on pg 29 and then for each verse, describe what it says about:

the freedom Christ gave His life for us to have;

the implied responsibility we have to walk in that freedom.

Day 3 Principle:  

With this freedom comes the responsibility to hold each other ______________.  We also have the Holy ________ living in us to guide us, convict us, and correct us, conforming us to the image of our Jesus.

Day 3 follow-up activity

Session 3 Review

Session 3 is about the power of the gospel.  That it's not just our "get out of hell free" card.   It's also our ticket to transformation (to be more like Christ in this journey of life).  This is what we call sanctification. We start this session by revisiting the definition of "grace" as Ms. Clara does in this week's movie clip.

Session 3 Homework Assignment:

For your homework, please complete the "Engage" section on page 33, as well as Days 1-3 on pages 34-39. Only 3 days - yeah!!

Wrap-up:

Have fun with it and remember, just do the best you can. God will always show up when his daughters are pursuing Him

Love you ladies. See you next week - at church (and where is that?) where 2 or more meet in His name! God BlessYou!

Closing Prayer:

Dear Lord,

What a wonderful time you have given us tonight. We thank you for always meeting our needs when we seek you and trust you like these ladies did tonight in our online bible study. Even though they couldn't make it to our in-person class on Thursday night, they showed up tonight as you led them to! I pray that you will bless them and keep them and may your face shine upon them. We love you and praise you Jesus. In your name we pray, Amen.