G.R.O.W. Spring Schedule
2015
January 13th- Prioritization: Ephesians 5:1-21
January 20th- Caring For Yourself: 1 Timothy 4: 7-8; 5:23 (GROW= 1 Timothy 6: 20-21)
January 27th- Craft* Faith Journal
February 3rd- Ways to Intentionally Build Intimacy with God (GROW= James 4:8)
February 10th- 28 verses to Pray over your relationships
February 17th- Isaac and Rebekah- Match Made in Heaven: Genesis 24
February 24th- Craft* Monogram Bag
March 3rd- Introducing James “Here’s your mission should you choose to accept it”
James 1: 26-27 Listening and Doing
March 10th- SPRING BREAK
March 17th- “A Little Less Talk, Lots More Action” Faith and Deeds
James 2:14-26
March 24th- Submit Yourselves to God “How bad do you want what you want?” Pride Comes before the fall.
March 31st- Craft*
April 7th- Taking Action (TBA)
April 14th- Taking Action (TBA)
April 21st- Taking Action (TBA)
April 28th- (End Study) Tea
Prioritization
“Be very careful, then, how you live- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16
Prepare your schedule
Who are schedule makers?
Day planners?
Phone calendars?
Menu makers?
What are some advantages and disadvantages to these things?
As you get older, life gets more complicated. Demands on your time and attention continue to mount, and there’s never enough time or energy in a day to get to everything. Do you find yourself longing for a simple life? When all is said and done, the focus of your life should be to love God and love others. Do the things that fill your heart, life and schedule reflect those priorities? By discovering and focusing your energy on what God considers most important, you begin to find clarity and purpose for each day of your life.
Paul wrote this letter to the new believers in Ephesus while in prison in Rome. He wanted them to think of themselves not as people that were once involved in idol worship, illicit sex and foolish philosophies but rather people in Christ. People with a radically new identity. Our nation is not that far removed from Ephesus, how do we change?
Read Ephesians 5:1-21
5:1 - How can I imitate God?
Just as a child learns to model the behavior of a parent, believers imitate God when they allow his character to flow through their daily lives. The primary way to imitate our heavenly Father is to follow a pattern of love in all that we do or say.
5:11 - Fruitless deeds of darkness
Light and dark are familiar but vivid metaphors for good and evil. Unbelievers live in futility, no more able to do genuine good than a dark cave can produce light. Even if they do what seems to be good, they cannot earn favor with God.
5:18 - How can I be filled with the Spirit
While the Holy Spirit lives in every Christian, Christians are not always filled with the Spirit - living continually under the influence and control of the Spirit. When Christians choose out of love to yield completely to the Lord, obey His commands and asking the Holy Spirit to direct their lives, this filling occurs. This should be an on going experience, not something that happens only once.
5: 20 - Can we honestly give thanks for everything?
Giving thanks is an act of worship, recognizing that despite difficult circumstances we may face from time to time, God’s love and concern are unfailing.
5:21 - Should we constantly give in to others?
In this verse, to submit means to yield in love to another person. Yet there are definite limits involved. Submission should not lead to wrong doing or questionable behavior. Rather, when we submit by putting our own interests aside, we should see increased unity in the body of Christ and the strengthening of other believers.
Caring for Yourself
“Stop drinking only water and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.” 1 Timothy 5:23
Paul was like a father to his protege, Timothy. And one of the things that concerned him most was that he look after himself. With safe drinking water difficult to find, Paul urged the young pastor to drink some wine to keep himself in decent shape. He didn’t think that caring for our physical bodies was a waste of time or a vanity. On the contrary, maintaining our physical health is an important part of maintaining our spiritual health. Paul wanted to see Timothy flourish, and in flourishing, to serve others more effectively.
1 Timothy 4: 7-8
Proverbs 3: 7-8
Proverbs 31: 17
1 Corinthians 6: 19-20
How would you rate your job at taking care of yourself? Does your love of rest or fitness hold you back from anything God wants you to do? What is the relationship between physical and spiritual health? What are some resources we have to help with this area in our lives?
Websites?
Exercises?
Diets?
Devotionals?
GROW= 1 Timothy 6: 20-21
Replace “Timothy” with your name.
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