Living a Victorious Christian Life

Introduction:

Ice-Breaker Questions:

1.     Who’s the most Christlike person you know presently or in the past?

2.     What things have been helpful to you in your quest to become more like Jesus?

Overview of the Lesson:

When we become Christ-followers, our faith journeys have just begun. Our faith continues to grow as we desire to become like Jesus in our thoughts, words, and deeds. As we pursue Christlikeness, let us not forget that the devil (Satan), the world and self are constantly waging a spiritual war against us. The three entities seek either to derail or dishearten us, so we do not follow Jesus closely. Let us, therefore, submit to God and draw near to Him so He can help us resist the devil and not yield to his temptations (cf. James 4:7-8; Matthew 4:1-11). When the love of the Father is in us, we will not love the world or worldly things (cf. 1 John 2:15-17).  We will also not focus on ourselves but on Him and, like John the Baptist, we would want Jesus to increase and ourselves to decrease (cf. John 3:30). Consequently, we will put God and His kingdom first (cf. Matthew 6:33). At the same time, we will put the interests of others before our own and, thus, we will less and less do things out of a self-serving attitude and more and more out of a self-giving attitude. Overall, we must not let up, but rather press on toward the goal of Christlikeness by fighting faithfully until “faith shall be sight.” Amen!

Points to Ponder:

1.     Submit to God (Romans 12:1-2; James 4:1-10; Ephesians 5:15-21; 6:10-18)

a)     What does it mean to submit to God? What encouragements do we find in James 4:1-6 and Ephesians 6:10ff for submitting to God?

b)     How is seeking God’s will and following His ways part of our submission to God? 

2.     Resist the Devil (James 4:8; Ephesians 4:27; Matthew 4:1-11)

a)      “Sin will take you farther than you wanna go; Slowly but wholly taking control; Sin will leave you longer than you wanna stay; Sin will cost you far more that you wanna pay.” (Harold McWhorter). Do you agree or disagree with the words of this quote/chorus?  

b)     What temptations did Jesus face and how did He triumph over them?  

3.     Overcome the world (1 John 2:15-17; 1 John 4:20-5:5)

a)     What does “the world” mean? 

b)     What are some worldly things we should avoid and how do we overcome them? 

4.     Deny Yourself (Luke 9:23; Philippians 2:1-8; John 3:30; 10:11)

a)     What does it mean to deny oneself? 

b)     In what ways does, “Self,” hinder our being shaped into the Image of Christ?

A story on the Hymn, “Have Thine Own Way, Lord” by William Petersen

At forty, Adelaide Pollard was trying unsuccessfully to raise support to go to Africa as a missionary. She wondered why the Lord could so burden her with the needs of Africa, but not make it possible for her to go. During this time of discouragement, she attended a small prayer meeting where an elderly woman prayed, “Lord, it doesn’t matter what You bring into our lives, just have Your way with us.”

That night, Pollard went home and read the story of Jeremiah’s visit to the potter’s house, and later that evening she wrote this hymn. She said that she had always felt the Lord was molding her and preparing her for his service. Then all of a sudden, he seemed to have deserted her.

“Perhaps,” she reasoned, “my questioning of God’s will shows a flaw in my life. So God decided to break me, as the potter broke the defective vessel, and then to mold my life again in his own ."

Scriptures: Jeremiah 18:3-6; Romans 9:20-21; Galatians 2:20
Themes: Consecration, Confession, Humility

Lyrics of the Hymn:
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the potter; I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me!
By ADELAIDE ADDISON POLLARD (1862–1934)

Reference for the Hymn:
Petersen, William. The Complete Book of Hymns (pp. 334-335). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

A story on the Hymn, “Rejoice, the Lord is King,” by William Petersen

In such times it would have been natural for Wesley’s followers to become discouraged and lose hope. One reason Charles Wesley wrote six thousand hymns was to encourage Methodists to be a singing, joyful people.

Paul’s letter to the Philippians provided Wesley’s text for this hymn. Paul was imprisoned in Rome under Emperor Nero. But the message to the Philippians is one of joy and encouragement. As Paul concludes his letter, he reminds Christians to “rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice” in whatever circumstances they find themselves. You can be a victor regardless of the situation because the Lord is King.

This hymn first appeared in Wesley’s 1746 collection, Hymns for Our Lord’s Resurrection. Each stanza adds another dimension to our praise: adoration, thanksgiving, and exultation.

Scriptures: Psalm 95:1-3; Philippians 4:4-9; Hebrews 1:3
Themes: Joy, Praise, Adoration, Easter

Lyrics of the Hymn:
Rejoice, the Lord is King!
Lord and King adore!
Rejoice, give thanks, and sing,
And triumph evermore:

Lift up your heart, lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Jesus, the Savior, reigns,
The God of truth and love;
When He had purged our stains,
He took His seat above:

His kingdom cannot fail,
He rules o’er earth and heaven;
The keys of death and hell
Are to our Jesus given:

Rejoice in glorious hope!
Our Lord the judge shall come,
And take His servants up
To their eternal home:
By CHARLES WESLEY (1707–1788)

Reference for the Hymn:
Petersen, William. The Complete Book of Hymns (pp. 68-69). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition.