Thursday September 5, 2013

Jesus Challenge:

Read the following passages that could sum up the life goal of the Apostle Paul.

2 Corinthians 5:9, Philippians 3:14, Romans 15:20. Acts 20:24.

What do you think Paul’s life goal was?

Take some time to write out your life goal in a short sentence or two. Remember to include all the facets of a good goal from last week. The acronym SMART could help you remember how to formulate a useful goal.

 

Read Ecclesiastes 2:8b-9. John 14:15-27

I wonder how many people in our world of 7 billion people are truly happy or content. I wonder how many of those 7 billion people could sit back and say something like, ’Thank you Lord. I’m satisfied’? I suspect that very few could.

 

There are many statistics that would suggest that people are unhappy, many of whom could be classed as desperately unhappy. The statistics on gambling have already been mentioned. They suggest that millions of people are desperately trying to find a better life. Add to this the number of people viewing or using pornography and you begin to see the sad plight of most of the world. Experts have argued that people who use this medium are not only desperately unhappy but ‘dead’ inside. Apparently they are seeking to deaden the pain they feel. Another indicator of malcontent is the number of marriages and relationships broken through affairs and cheating. Again, it suggests that people are frantically seeking something more to fulfil them.

 

Add to this the growing rate of drug and alcohol use and you quickly begin to see that people are unhappy or discontented with their lives. People are not satisfied. Unfortunately they are seeking fulfilment in a range of areas that cannot satisfy them.

 

Put bluntly, the world is seeking fulfilment in all the wrong places. It’s like being hungry and then looking at your bank account figures and trying to fulfil that hunger for food. No matter how high or low the figures are, you are still going to be hungry. People have a deep inner hunger for God. We are created to be in relationship with God and need to have God in our lives to be truly content. Without God, we can search high and low for satisfaction but we will never truly be content, Only God can fill a God-shaped hole.

 

Solomon had gold and wealth. He had men and women to do his every bidding. He had a harem for his own pleasure. He had it all but found only meaningless and malcontent in that mess of stuff.

 

Jesus gives us the true perspective. He said, ’Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.’ If we want that inner contentment and true satisfaction we must surrender our hearts to Jesus and accept the peace that He alone can offer.

Prayer:

Write down at least one prayer point in each category based on the following verse.

 

’Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.’

John 14:27

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Pray that God would grow the peace of Christ in you and in your fellow believers in your local church. Pray that this peace would draw many others into Christ for salvation. Pray that the peace would be showing itself in selfless commitment to Christ and service of others.

¥ Pray that God would continue to work powerfully through the city of Toowoomba as more and more people come to Christ in faith. Pray for growing unity and oneness across the various churches and denominations.

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

 

Ducksville PC suffers from a lack of peace.

1. What effect does a lack of peace in a congregation have on visiting non believers?

2. What effect does this lack of peace have on believers that are visiting?

3. How can a believer grow in the peace offered by Christ?