Quiet Times Search

• To please him
• To change
• To serve him better

1. God's promises and faithfulness should inspire repentance
2. We need to rely on the promises even as we commit to repentance
3. Truly become repentant
4. We refrain from taking personal credit because we understand we are being recused

The Call

Mark 1:16-18

…To purpose

• Do not promise them forgiveness, salvation, excitement of watch miracles
• Called them to a life of purpose

… To Imitate Him

• We need to become what our people need to become
• He demonstrated a passion for purpose
• As the men spent time with Him, His men would share his purpose

… To a mutual Commitment

• Not I will do my best
• He committed himself to their ultimate success
• No one has unique struggles, although most of us think we do
• A man who has been deeply convicted of the selfishness in his own life can more easily detect selfishness in someone else
• If we do not give our people individual attention they will not feel valuable

Effective with the crowds

Mark 3:7-12

• Jesus was approachable.
• He was known as a man who meet people’s needs
• What are we like in front of a crowd?
  • Become self-conscious?
  • Concerned about how people will perceive us?
  • Lose ability to think or speech clearly and passionately?
• Jesus was not anxious, afraid, insecure

Toughness

Mark 6:45-46

• Worked harder and longer than anyone else
• Expected more from himself than from his disciples
• The one leading the way must pay the greatest price

Unwavering Excellence

Mark 6:47-56

• Fruit was only harvested what another had sown - what Jesus had sown
• He directed the efforts of many followers but did not become an administrator behind a desk.
• He had an unbelievable schedule with
  • frequent interruptions
  • time conflicts
  • people clamoring for his attention

Sounding the Alarm

Mark 7:1-13

• Living by traditions = living in vain, a waste of time.
• Jesus was not afraid to rebuke people, to “lay it out” when it was necessary.
• When stirring up things, some people wake up to discover a true relationship with God or they will become furious
• People of impact do not hesitate to raise their voices in order to shake people out of their slumber.
• They are not afraid on how people react when they are disturbed from their sleep.
• It is wrong to be silent and leave people comfortable in their false sense of security

Protectiveness

• He stood up for his followers.
• Jesus took responsibility for his disciple’s actions
• When a leader stands up for and protects his followers, a strong loyalty is forged

Firmness and Flexibility

Mark 7:24-30

• Are you able to say “no” to people? Jesus was.
• Some of us are unable to deny anybody anything.
• Others are too inflexible and become unwilling to make any exceptions.
• Jesus was not afraid to change his mind.
• We need to think for ourselves and make the right decisions.
• If we want to make a difference, we must be willing to disappoint some people.

Ambition

Mark 9:33-35

• Jesus let them cool down before choosing to address the matter. (less defensive)
• Jesus never corrected these men for wanting to be great.
• High achievers in life tend to be high achievers for God.
• People who are eager to use their lives to benefit others are remembered and admired for generations

Win/Lose/Win

• When we try to eliminate the agony of defeat, we also take away the joy of victory.
• To discard dichotomous thinking is to discard the God of the Bible.
• I win by losing so that you may also win. The loser becomes the ultimate winner!

Friend or Foe?

Mark 9:38-41

• To wrongly oppose an ally is wasteful, and to aid an adversary out of ignorance is embarrassing.
• Jesus did not recognize anyone as being “neutral” about him.

Hell-Fire Speech

Mark 9:42-50

• When a person steps into seawater, he becomes acutely aware of open wounds on his feet.
• Salty speech is good for producing impact.

Teacher

Mark 10:1 – We must good teachers and in teaching mode.

• He was furious about the fruitfulness of another “tree” that he had planted, watered, weeded, fertilized.
• Jesus cleared the temple at the beginning of His ministry and also here at the end of His of His ministry
• There was no fear of God.
  

• Jesus knew the right place and the right time the do the things needed.
• He was disciplined and self-controlled for just the right time.
  

• What made Jesus angry was the stubborn refusal of most to change.
• A willingness to change is a precious and seemingly rare behavioral characteristic.
• Become exceedingly insecure and defensive when we are awakened to the existence of personal deficiencies.
• We must also get angry about obstinacy in our own lives and other people’s lives.

• Why didn’t anyone try to stop Jesus as he was taking over the temple? (Only one person and many of them)
• They knew that they were in the wrong.
• Teachers of the law and chief priests feared Jesus
  
• If people consider you a “nice guy” and are not in awe of you, you probably won’t have much impact.

Emotional Transformation

Mark 14:32-42

• Jesus’ friends provided him with absolutely no support at all during this spiritual struggle.
• All are overwhelmed with losses, failure, challenges, frustrations, by life
• If you are a leader, you cannot afford to be “down” for any significant length of time.
• The ability to make a quick and complete emotional turn-around is invaluable for the man or woman who wants to have an impact.

In touch with His feelings

• A person unfamiliar to their own emotional nature is a slave to it, while the person who is familiar with their weaknesses is in a position to master them.
• A spiritual man, through humility, has become acquainted with his own emotional self, and armed with that knowledge, has learned to turn his negative emotions around quickly.

Where do we come from?

A man must know where he comes from and what he is made of both past and family fathers

Most men are trying not to be like their fathers

Who will they derive their sense of strength?

To men God is: Distant and weak (How they would describe their father)
Jesus has become – Mister Rogers with a beard
God – gives a reason and purpose to fight

Reminds us that life lived in fear is no life at all – all will die someday
Jesus = Mother Teresa or William Wallace? Both

• Perfectionism
• Nice guys - pushovers
• Violent
• Passive

1. Mind your own business - can gravitate to this view because of our own conform

• Can become busybodies instead - 2 Thessalonians 3:11
• Can become lazy - 1 Timothy 5:13
• Offering guidance, instructions, cautions, warnings, or sometimes stronger - all part of being faithful in our relationships

2. Judge not and you will not be judged

• Jesus is condemning self-righteous judging
• For those unwilling to examine the issue in their own lives
• Must care enough about each other to help each other to grow

1. Have you made a recent decision to change something in your life?
2. Why is it more comfortable to make changes on your own terms? What changes do you seek to make?
3. How well do you respond to reproof – from the Bible and from fellow Christians?
4. Have you ever changed a fellowship, that is, church membership, to avoid a call to repentance?

• Return to God – Deuteronomy 30:2
• Worship other Gods and you will perish - Deuteronomy 30:17-18

• The great love for surveys and polls
• We can not repent if we do not know that we have drifted – It takes a prophet of God
• See how different the prophets in your life live.

• Metanoia happens internally, fruit happens externally
• Sometimes we say, “You need to repent” – which may have meant “get it together” (a heart bypass)
• Becomes “need to” instead of “want to”
• It is easier to disciple the behavior than it is to address the mind and heart
• Consider things above – instead of considering behavior, consider the kingdom of God
• Metanoia is no technique; it’s an inside-out transformation

1. How have you broken your covenant with God?
2. Are scriptures sufficient for your repentance?
3. Do you agree with the author’s assertions that repentance isn’t something we do in order to return to God, it is our return to Him? Why or Why not?
4. How does fear play a positive role in our repentance?
5. Do your standards for morality reflect a biblical standard or simply a modern one?
6. Why do prophets go after the leaders of a society?
7. How does metanoia differ from the fruit of metanoia? How does this distinction help you repent?

• Old Way: “Treat … younger women as sister, with absolute purity”
• New Way: “…strength to comprehend with all the saint what is the breadth and length and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge”

• Understands that he a citizen of the kingdom of heaven
• Jesus is Lord of the kingdom
• Jesus delivered him into the kingdom through his blood
• His sins placed him in Satan’s domain
• Live gratefully for Jesus rather than self
• Should anticipates the King’s glorious return
• Want no one to perish
• Should no fear man
• Only agenda is God’s agenda

1. What influences have shaped your worldview?
2. How has the world tried to squeeze your mind into its mold?
3. How can you resist – even reverse – this persistent pressure from the world?
4. Why should you “gird the loins of your mind”?
5. When and how did Saul/Paul repent?
6. What is the difference between a fleshly mind and a spiritual mind?
7. At a popular level, what is the difference between WWJD and WWJT?
8. Why are spiritual disciplines more effective after one has experienced the paradigm shift of metanoia?

• Many call press conferences to get there side of the story our first
• Once guilt is found, party than give a “heart-felt” apology – sorrow for getting caught
• Sin is destructive. It ruins relationships, reputation, peace of mind and personal integrity

• Some believe the abundance of tears is repentance
  • Forgiven women (forgiven)
  • Peter, Paul vs Cain (became angry)
  • Esau (wailed loudly)
  • Judas (deeply regretted)
• All three shed tear but not one repented
• Claiming to be a victim doesn’t make one a victim
• Tears can be self-affirming to one with self-pity (can become more sinful)
• Ones mostly likely to enable and least likely to help you

Zeal reject the “whatever…” attitude as it determines to do “Whatever to takes!”
Lack of surrender robs zeal
Completely denying all we are, path to God becomes clear and passionate

1. Does Sandi’s story convict you about an unresolved sin in your life? If so, what should you do?
2. What are some Biblical examples of individuals who exhibit godly sorrow? What are some Biblical examples of groups who exhibit godly sorrow?
3. Consider William Law’s assertion that our “sins are due to the fact that we do not intend to please God in all the actions of our lives.” Is this true for you? How does godly sorrow reverse this condition?
4. Why does sin require confession? Is confession only before God? To whom have you confessed sins besides God?
5. What does a short list indicate?
6. Do you believe Proverbs 28:13? Do you practice it? Why or why not?
7. How does indignation promote repentance? When were you last indignant over sin?
8. How does “fear” promote repentance? How does it work together with “longing” to produce repentance?
9. Has anyone ever marveled at your zeal to repent – why or why not?
10. Are you ready to completely the avenge the wrong caused by sin and self? What next steps will you take?

V9 – why have you despised the word of the lord?
V10 – you have despised me [God]
V12 – You did it secretly
V14 – You have utterly scorned the Lord

• There were many situations and many types of people
  • Rich and poor
  • Healthy and sick
  • Friend and Foe
• No chalk board outline or “Do It Yourself” Manual
• Jesus made sure they didn’t miss in understanding
  • Ask what the parables meant – Luke 8:9
  • Seem to spend more time explaining than the initial interaction lesson
  • Applied lesson to their lives – Mark 10:24-31
• Jesus did not ask anything that He was not doing Himself
• Class was always in session – every waking moment of everyday
  • People are looking for demonstration not explanation
  • Only way to train men is to live by example
  • Not shrinking back or evading our personal responsibility
  • Mere knowledge is not enough
  • Knowledge unapplied to living can become a stumbling stone for further truth
  • Jesus saw to it that they applied the truth in their life
    

• Great Commission
  • Go, baptize and teach
  • Go to the ends of the earth preaching the Gospel - Mark 16:15
  • Not only followed but led others to follow.
• · Pray for workers
  • Mass ripe for harvest – pray for harvesters.
  • God already loves us – we need to pray specifically
  • Only hope for men is to go to them with the gospel of Salvation
  • Won by working faithfully, patiently, painstakingly until they become fruitful Christians

• Giving an explanation will not suffice.
• World must have a demonstration of what to believe – “Follow me, I know the way!”
• We must seek them. We must win them. We must pray for them.
• Practicals
  • Begin with a few
  • Stay together – see us on what they need to become
  • See how the message relates to daily experiences
  • Becomes intimately practical.
• Give them time – they can be with us while we are doing other things
• Arrange special times of:
  • Study the Bible
  • Pray
  • General sharing of deepest burdens and desires
• Expect results from them gradually

• Seldom confess
• Confess only when there is a "big" sin
• Consistently confess sin
• Am open even about temptations

• Race
• Money
• Gender
• Culture
• Distance
• Too busy

• Past hurts
• Bitterness
• Sin - yours, mine or others

• He looked out for the interest of others
• He lived out the message
• He knew what it meant to go to the cross
• He was convinced that he was more alive when he was dead
• He discipleship was a matter of practice
• He had no trouble seeing the mission of Jesus
• He did not run aimlessly but purposeful, selfless, and dedicated servant of Jesus

• They study to become like this
• They are discipled to become like this
• They do whatever it takes

• Three days of fasting and prayer? - Acts 9:9
• After 3 years of personal training? - Galatians 1:11-24
• After a visit to the 3 heaven? - 2 Corinthians 12:1-6

• Give when you are tired
• Pray when you do not want to
• Stand your ground against emotions and thoughts
• Overcome fear and to love in practical, unselfish way

Although is righteousness that is not our own becomes laziness, we show we have the grace of God - Philippians 3:12-16

Despite all that Paul went through and has done - he pressed on
Greek word, dicoko = used in both hunting and foot racing

There is certainly a time to remember what we have done - 2 Thessalonians 2:5
But there is also a time to forget

Paul did not cling to the fact that he planted a lot of churches
He purposely "forgot", so he would not see himself as arriving

Paul was looking forward to the next thing God had in store for him
All who are mature, should think this way

The way to take it higher is to hold on to what you have already grasped and then reach for more

• My upbringing is less than perfect
• I'm different
  
• I need lots of sleep
• I am a young Christian
• I am an old Christian
• I used to be worse

• Primary job is to teach the scriptures
• They need to teach the truth
• False teachers are always out there
  • OT = Jeremiah 8:7-8
  • NT = 2 Peter 2:1
• Are need to arrange biblical themes - Ecclesiastes 12:9-10
• Teacher are primary instructional while preachers are more inspirational
• Teachers must have deep convictions - allow those without is dangerous
• Teachers must be on the cutting edge - teacher not at their best -> teaching becomes effected

1 Peter 3:1-7...

Submission, kindness is a two-way street

Wondering God is not using you more?
Why children are slow to become Christians?
Why don't feel more peace and joy in your house?

Look no further than your marriage!

Questions for wives:

• Do you resort to worldly means to win?
• Do you fight for your rights more than fighting for others?
• Do you show respect for your husband and emphasize his strengths?

Questions for husbands:

• How often you compliment your wife?
• Are you generous in the amount of housework you do?
• Do you respect your wife for her spirituality and other strengths of character?

Questions for both:

• Do you pray together regulary?
• Do your children have a fear of God?
• Are your family devotionals consistent?
• When outsiders visit your home and see your family, are they more likely to want to follow Christ?

Christianity is not an invitation to become a moral person or a program to get us into a reforming society

Christianity begins with an invitation to desire

What do you want me to do for you? - Luke 18:41
Jesus continually took people into their hearts - to their deepest desires

What does Jesus choose to talk about with the women at the well?
Her immorality? No
He speaks to her about thirst - John 4:10
Lets talk about your heart's thirst since the life you've chosen isn't working

All you who are thirsty, come to the waters - Isaiah 55:1-2
Message had gotten lost by the time Jesus' showed up
Jew of the day were practicing soul-killing, lifeless religion of duty and obligation

No wonder Jesus was feared. He came along and started appealing to desire

To the lost - Jesus spoke of finding your way
To the weary - Jesus speaks of rest

Again and again Jesus took them back to their desires
Ask and it will be given to you - Matthew 7:7

What is it that you want? - Would have fallen on deaf ear if his message was unrelateable

Sometimes God seems cruel:

• Unemployed
• Search for spouse

Isn't this the reason we fear to desire in the first place?

Unless we understand our desperate hearts and our tenacity to arrange life as we want it - these events seem cruel

Eden - we had it all but we threw it away by mistrusting God's heart and taking control of what we wanted
Adam and Eve set into motion what we now call addiction

Addiction exists whenever persons are internally compelled to give energy to things that are not their true desires

Addition becomes our idol - we must give it up
Anything can become an idol, even "good" things: work, hobbies, etc

In this world, you will have trouble
But take heart! I have overcome the world - John 16:33

Why aren't we encouraged by this?
We are still committed to arranging our life
We are disappointed that there is not a "7 secrets to a great life"

Desire can not live without hope. Hope in what?
Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed - 1 Peter 1:13
for most Christians, heaven is a backup plan

We try to create heaven here
In our heart we say, "I really could be happy here without God"
God must take away the heaven we create or it will become our hell

Preached by Richard Dixon on 1999-10-03

Matthew 9:12

• God is looking for the person that make need for Him appearant.
• Why do we need to be healed?

Psalms 73:1-17

• They "seem to have no struggles".
• What happens behind closed doors?

10 things that can hurt us:
 

1. Hurt by others	6. Frustration
2. Hurt by yourself	7. Mistake towards another
3. Internal Sin	8. Unresolved Issues
4. Lack of Purpose	9. Not Forgiving Yourself
5. Failure	10. Not Forgiving others

Sometimes we become like rolly pollies. 
(Clam up if someone gets to close)

Causes of Sickness:

Break Down of System

Our spiritual immune system can break down:

1. Time with God isn't exciting...less time spent
2. Dynamic prayer becomes nonexistant
3. Desire to go to Church decreases
4. Becomes critical toward the church, people, even God

• I didn't become a disciple to be here and then fall away
• Sin gives birth to death...maybe slow maybe fast.

You must be prepared:

1 Peter 4:1-11

• Because we are not prepared
• Wolves are all around us.

Ephesians 5:10-18

• Comes when we make excuses.
• Like shotting ourselves in the foot.

Will you let him?

Preached by Curt Simmons on 2002-08-28

Old Testament

1 Samuel 15:1-35

• Rebellion = not obeying = pride (arrogance)
• We can take "being choosen" as pride

• What lead to this?
• They started practicing what other around them were doing
• They had become stiff-necked

• No remedy
• Didn't go all the way
• Worldly and got distracted

• How can we say "God will understand." ?
• Leaders can lead people astray by the live they lead

• House of God being neglected
• How has you offerings to God been?

New Testament

Romans 11:17-21 - You can get arrogant

1 Corinthians 10:1-10 - Do repeat the same misakes of those in the OT

Galatians 6:7-10 - We reap what we sow, do not become weary of doing good

Jude 3-4 - Grace of God is not a license to sin

1 John 4 - Can not love God without loving your brother

2 Timothy 4 - We need to check to see if we have sound doctrine

Hebrew 5 - Teachers can become arrogance

Revelation 2-3 = Churches can loose focus

1. Read and Pray Daily to God
2. We need others in our lives
3. We need meetings of the body
4. Giving to God
5. Complete Openness
6. People are going to heaven or hell
7. Reaching out to others

Consencate yourself

1 Chronicles 29:5

• Who is willing to consecrate himself to God?
  • Kingdom not about men
  • What is stopping you? hurts?
    • Suffering matures us
  1 Corinthians 6:7
  • Have you been wronged?
    • Join the club!
  • God gets justice, not you!

  
  1 Chronicles 29:6-29

  • Where there is consecration (repentance) there brings rejoicing
  • They flat-out worshiped
  • Where was David's heart? with God
    • David thought it was amazing that he could give back what God gave him
  • Has earth become your home?

To know and to be known. It is our deepest ache.
Our bodies are an outward sign of an inward reality

Love makes us to crazy things for love. No union on earth like the consummation of love between a man and woman
Lovers reach for the stars to find words fitting enough to express what the beloved means to them - to a clue to a deeper reality

Becoming one - this is what God is seeking with us
Gender, sexually and marriage server as a lving metaphor
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother ... and the two will become one flesh... I am talking about Christ and the church - Ephesians 5:31-32
The cross is a great mystery - but in context of sacrifing animal - it became clear what they had been doing and what Christ was doing

Bible is the greatest romance ever written
God has given us the highest freedom of all - the freedom to reject him
Love is possible only when it is freely chosen

On that day, Jesus appears and announces himself as the Bridegroom - Matthew 9:15

Jesus makes his proposal: I will prepare a place for you - John 14:2-3
Culture of the day - these very words would be used by a young man to his fiancee
He would return to his father's house and build the additonal room to be the bride suite

We have become betrothed to the Bidegroom
The bride belongs to the bridegroom - John 3:29
We are in the time of waiting for the Bridegroom to return

The whole life of the good Christian is a holy longing - Augustine

• Cinderella rises from from supression to become queen
• The ugly duckling becomes a beautiful swan
• Pinocchio becomes a real boy
• Frog becomes a prince
• Scrooge becomes a good friend to all
• Cowardly lion, Scarecrow, Tinman all get what they are missing

• Zacchaeus the trickster becomes Zaccheaus the honest
• Mary the sinful becomes Mary the faithful
• Paul the self-righteous murder becomes Paul the humble apostle

• Become a member
• Take a course on doctrine
• Faithfully attend the Sunday morning service and small group fellowship
• Complete a course on Christian growth
• Live a life of Christian growth
• Complete a course on evangelism
• Consistently look for opportunities to evangelize
• Complete a course on finances, marriage, and parenting
• Complete a course on leadership
• Complete a course on hermeneutics
• Complete a course on spiritual gifts
• Complete a course on missions
• Complete a course on biblical counseling
• Carry a significant local church ministry load

• They all love the same thing
• They all wanted the same thing
• They were bound together to find it come hell or high water

• Scripture reading becomes I have to read it to understand the gospel for others
• Talking to God suddenly takes on a new purpose - passionate pleas for friends
• Our desire to worship grows as your gratitude grows
• Helps maintain a high standard of purity

1. Jesus' Example - 2 Corinthians 8:9, Luke 9:57-58
   1. Jesus chose to live sacrificially. He gave up heaven itself.
   2. He became poor so the world could be saved.
2. The Need for Sacrificial Living
   1. To meet the physical needs of others. (2 Corinthians 8:13-15; Acts 4:34-37)
      1. Paul wanted those who had plenty to sacrifice for those who were in need.
      2. The first century Christians sacrificed so there would be no needy people among them.
   2. To support full-time workers so the world would be evangelized. (Philippians 4:10-19)
      1. Paul commended the Philippians for the aid they had sent him.
      2. He considered their gifts to him as a sacrifice to God.
   3. There was always a purpose in the Bible for living sacrificially. It was never to sacrifice for the sake of sacrifice alone.

1. In what ways can I choose to live more sacrificially in order to have money to give to meet needs?
   Examples:
   • Cut food budget
   • Limit or eliminate eating out for a time to save for a special contribution
   • Use creativity during dates in order to save money
   • Stop impulse spending (vending machines, fast food, etc.)
2. Am I willing to "become poor" so that others can have the opportunity to become Christians?

• Just witnessed 5,000 people being feed
• They were looking for free food but in reality they had to work at it find it
• The bread they needed was to spend time to know about Jesus - the bread of life
• Are you searching for the right kind of bread?
• The search and hunger for God does not end when we are baptized, it only begins
  

• We need to find God like hidden treasure
• God does not change but our viewpoint changes
• Example - Engagement ring to a couple verse the a jewelery store owner

• Money, worries, wasted time choke out our hunger for him
• During the holidays this becomes a bigger issue

• They asked for a miracle but they had already forgotten about the miracle they just saw - feeding the 5,000
• The work is to believe - it takes work to believe
• NOT working to get salvation but we need to work at our salvation

• to be created
• to be born or produced
• to come into existence

• Must be committed to obeying all his words - John 8:31
• Must have his heart - Galatians 2:20
• We love that he loves
  • God - Matthew 22:37
  • Our brothers - John 13:34-35
  • The lost - Matthew 9:13
  • The kingdom - Matthew 6:33

• Some daring act of evangelism - although He did this almost daily
• Being baptized  - although it is commanded and can never be omitted

• Stepped of the boat, only to sink - Matthew 14:31
• Rebuked for his dullness - Matthew 15:15-16
• Rebuked Jesus and got the rebuke of a lifetime - Matthew 16:22-23
• Fell asleep when Jesus needed him most - Matthew 26:40
• Denied knowing Jesus three times and wept bitterly - Matthew 26:75

• Heroic acts of wisdom - Acts 2:14
• Boldness and courage
• Healings - Acts 5:15-16

• Some apostles did not like his selfish ambition - Matthew 20:24
• Some thought he was prideful describing himself as the beloved disciple of Jesus - John 21:7
• After the resurrection, Peter still seems to have attitudes towards John - John 21:21

• Selfish ambition turned to kingdom ambition
• Fits of rage changed to fits of love
• Factiousness come together into a passion of unity

• Jesus is God in the flesh. He is the unique Son of God: fully God and fully man!
• God came to earth as a man in order that we could come to know him.
  
• If you were an all powerful and invisible God, how would you have tried to communicate your love to your creation?
  
• Illustration: Imagine trying to talk to an ant - How do you communicate with them without terrifying them? Become an ant yourself
  

• All the fullness of God lives in Jesus Christ.
  
• Every aspect of God’s character can be found in Jesus.
  
• Reading through any of the Gospels describing Jesus life and words will give you insight into God’s character and will for your life.
  

• Mark 1:21-22 - Jesus was an amazing teacher whose words were spoken with authority.
• Mark 1:23-28 - Jesus cast out demons, showing that the power of God was present in him.
• Mark 1:29-31 - Jesus met people’s felt needs and healed the sick.
• Mark 1:32-34 - Jesus focused his attention on others and selflessly gave of himself.
• Mark 1:35 - Jesus was dependent upon God in prayer for his strength and direction.
• Mark 1:36-39 - Jesus was consumed with his mission to preach the good news.
• Mark 1:40-42 - Jesus was filled with compassion for all people.
• Mark 10:32-34, 45 - Jesus came to serve, and gave his perfect life as a ransom for sinners. As predicted, he was rejected by his people and crucified - but he rose from the dead three days later.

• Knowing Jesus is not just an intellectual exercise.
  
• The goal of the Christian is to obey his commands and become more and more like him
  • to think like Jesus
  • to act like Jesus
  • to live like Jesus.

• Jesus claimed to be the only way, not a way.
  
• He claimed to be the whole truth and not one truth among many.
  
• He said he was the life, not just a better life.
  
• How important is it that we put our faith, our trust, our obedience in Jesus?
• It is the most important decision of your life - Acts 4:12

• What condition are we all in? We are dead in sins and transgressions.
  
• How much can a dead man do to improve his own condition? What then is the only way we can be saved?
  
• What do you learn about God in his passage? His love? His mercy? His grace?
  
• What is the condition of receiving what God has done on our behalf?
  
• We are saved by grace through faith. Faith is obedient trust in God (James 2:14-18).
  
• Here we trust what God has done in Jesus as the grounds of our salvation and commit our lives fully to him. While we can never do enough good works to save ourselves, what are we saved for?
  
• Saving faith is “worked out” in ways that bring glory to God and attest to a Christ-centered life.
  

• Having shown that Gentiles (non-Jews) are sinners in Romans 1 and Jews are no better off Romans 2, Paul summarizes his argument here.
  
• Is it possible for anyone to be “good enough” to be saved?
• Illustration: a plane goes down half way between Hawaii and California. Everyone must swim for the coast. Can some swim much further than others? But what eventually happens to them all? So with us, no one’s own efforts are enough. All fall short. So how are we saved?
  
• God justifies those who “have faith in Jesus” (v26).
  
• Saving faith is not in ourselves but “in his blood”—that is, in the death of Jesus on our behalf (v25).
  

• When we humbly consider our own sinfulness, it becomes obvious that we are saved because of God’s mercy, not because of righteous things we have done.
  
• Those who have trusted God for salvation, however, will devote themselves to doing his will.
  
• God’s grace is AMAZING! He generously accepts us as a result of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf.
• To enter into this saving relationship with God, we must be washed of our sins and renewed by the Holy Spirit.
  
• We will look more at the conditions of accepting God’s grace in the coming studies.

Ephesians 4:20-24.

• Repentance is turning from an old life to a new one.
  • Negatively, what must be “taken off”?
  • Positively, what is the new attitude to be embraced?
• What is “put on” in place of the “old self”?
• Repentance orients us toward God and the true life and purpose we were created for: to become like him in righteousness and holiness.
• What do you need to “take off” and “put on”?

2 Corinthians 7:8-11.

• What is the difference between “worldly sorrow” and “godly sorrow?”
• What kinds of attitudes characterize godly sorrow?
• Have you previously confused worldly sorrow with true repentance?
• We must consider the destructive consequences of our sin and what our sin cost God, because only godly sorrow leads to repentance and salvation.
• Repentance is above all a matter of heart.

Luke 15:11-32 or Luke 19:1-10

• Examples of heartfelt repentance.
• What kind of fruit did their repentance produce?
• How did they feel after repenting? How did God feel?
• What will repentance look like for you?