Discipleship Matters – How Do Good Deeds Affect my Future with God?…

Understanding the Message of the Bible:
What are your feelings about the good things you have done in your life? What is your legacy?

Dig into the Bible:
Ephesians 2:8-9,
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Titus 3:5,
not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

Many believe heaven awaits them, regardless of faith in God, because they are good people. But we have different opinions as to what is good. Really, we boast in our own goodness. I’m better than that person because I’m not as bad as him. What does God have to say about our standard of goodness?

Discover:
1. What do these verses say how we are saved?
2. What is it we are saved from?
3. How is being saved a gift from God?
4. What are the works being described here?
5. What would cause us to boast?

Apply God’s Word:
6. How do you get this gift?
7. Where do works fit into our lives?
8. What happens in your heart when you know that you can’t be saved by works?
9. What weight does your righteous deeds carry in your salvation?
10. What can you do to experience the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit?
11. What will you do to receive this gift?

Digging Deeper:
12. What is the most important part of this lesson to you?
13. How do you see applying aspects of this lesson to your life?
14. When do you feel would be the best time to make that application?
15. What do you hear the Lord speaking to you about this right now?

For further information check out: https://coachthebible.com

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Vengeance is no Substitute for Love…

Read: 1 Samuel 25-27
Marked: 1 Samuel 25:13, Then David said to his men, “Every man gird on his sword.” So every man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And about four hundred men went with David, and two hundred stayed with the supplies.

David had been slighted by a man who should have been grateful for the protection he had received from David and his men. David was right to be angry but he allowed his anger to bring him to the point of seeking vengeance.

The Bible teaches that vengeance is the purview of God alone. Paul says in Romans 12:19, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but [rather] give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance [is] Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.”

No matter who or what comes against us, what we suffer in this world, or how we are treated by the world, we must never forget that we have not been called “to command fire to come from heaven and consume them” (Luke 9:54).

Instead, we’ve been called to love our enemies, and pray for those that spitefully use us and persecute us (Matthew 5:44). If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink (Romans 12:20). This is what we are instructed to do even if it costs us our lives.

For we died and our life is now hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). These things are hard to grasp, but only in Christ can we understand these truths.