Spiritual Success 2010 (Jan – Mar)

Pastor Elwart — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:44:22 +0000

Spiritual Success (2009 Sept – Dec Schedule)

Pastor Elwart — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:37:33 +0000

Audio

Spiritual Success for Adults

Pastor Elwart — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:38:54 +0000

In Joshua 1:9, God promises to His people, “You will have success” if you keep My Word (click here for a sermon on this passage). Are you looking for success in life? What is success to you? Is it a high-paying job? Is it popularity among your peers? Is it a clean bill of health?

Many people think that God’s promise of success is a guarantee of health and prosperity. But Paul is a good example of a faithful man of God who did not receive health and prosperity (from an earthly perspective). Paul says in 1 Cor 12:23-27, I was imprisoned, ”beaten times without number, often in danger of death. ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. ²⁶ I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; ²⁷ I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.”

That doesn’t sound like success at all. But Paul, much like Jesus Christ, did not live a cozy, comfortable, or even popular life. Just as Paul would experience later, Jesus received scorn, reproach, beatings, and all sorts of other dangers. And yet the Scriptures tell us that no one has lived a more successful life in the eyes of God than Jesus Christ. He did what He came to do. He came to die for sinners.

So when we think of success from God’s perspective we should think of doing what God desires for us (in other words, the will of the Father). Jesus repeated that phrase several times while He was here on the earth. In John 6:38, He says, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (see also John 4:34). God’s goal for us is the same goal that He had for Christ: that we do what He desires. So it makes sense that spiritual succes is simply doing God’s will. When God promises success, He promises grace for us to do what He desires. That is true spiritual success.

With that in mind, our plan during the Sunday School hour is to instruct believers regarding the whole counsel of God, so that they are equipped to do the work of the ministry (Eph 4:11-12). This purposeful discipleship process will take about 5 years to complete, and it is broken down into 5 major categories.

The first category that we will study is called “The Fundamentals of Christianity.” We will be working through topics like Membership, Evangelism basics, Life as a believer, and making wise choices.

The second category is called, “Biblical Overview,” where we will learn how to study the Bible and also look at each book of the Bible from a bird’s eye view.

The third category is called, “Correlating God’s Truth,” where we will systematically study through the doctrines of Scripture as well as the history of the local church.

The fourth category is called, “Christian Life,” where we will get a better understanding of how to be a godly parent, how to be develop spiritual disciplines, and how to live within the body of Christ, among other topics.

The last category is called, “Christian Growth,” where we discuss topics like Missions, Spreading the Gospel, and Defending the Faith.

Click here for a current schedule

Click here for completed lessons

Click here for a full schedule

We hope that you will join us as we do our part to cultivate growth in godliness.

Spiritual Success 2010 (Jan – Mar)

Spiritual Success (2009 Sept – Dec Schedule)

Spiritual Success for Adults

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