THE
CHURCH OF PENTECOST – 2017 BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE
WEEK 12 – SUNDAY
MORNING, MARCH 19, 2017.
TOPIC:
THE CHRISTIAN’S DEVOTIONAL LIFE
Main Text: Mark
1:35–38
Memory Verse: Very
early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and
went off to a solitary place, where he prayed -
Mark 1:35
Introduction
The practice of daily
personal devotions is one of the most important spiritual disciplines a
Christian must cultivate. Daily devotions or quiet time is the discipline of
seeking the Lord daily through His word (Bible Reading, Meditation, and
Memorization of Scriptures) and prayer. During personal devotions, God speaks
to us, prunes, refreshes, renews, strengthens and clothes us with virtue that
enables us to serve in His kingdom. Jesus Christ, our perfect model, often
withdrew to solitary places to commune with God.
Questions for Discussion
1. What did Jesus do in
the morning as recorded in Mark 1:35?
2. Why did Jesus leave
the house for a solitary place? Verse 35
3. Why were the
disciples looking for Jesus? Verses 35-37
4. ‘Everyone is looking
for you.’ How can this statement be a hindrance to consistent personal
devotions as a Christian? Verse 37
5. How would you
emulate the example of Christ in dealing with hindrances to consistent and
effective personal devotions?
Conclusion
Early in the morning,
Jesus rose up, left His comfort zone, and located a place with minimal
distractions for prayer and meditation. Though it is not mentioned that Jesus
read scripture in His devotions, it could be inferred that He meditated on the
word of God. Aware of the pressures of daily life, Jesus devised a strategy
that dealt with the expected hindrances to His personal devotional time with
God. Rising up early meant that He could observe His devotions and still have
ample time for His daily assignments. Also, by leaving the house for a solitary
place, He was sure to avoid distractions from family, friends and help seekers.
Jesus’ example shows that we cannot stride by chance into a life of consistent
and effective personal devotions with God. Following His example in this regard
requires intentional planning, sacrifice and discipline.
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THE CHURCH OF
PENTECOST – 2017 HOME CELL OUTLINE
WEEK
12 – SUNDAY EVENING, MARCH 19, 2017.
TOPIC: CALLING THE
FAMILY TOGETHER (FAMILY DEVOTIONS)
Main Texts: Acts
10:24–33; Luke 11:1– 2
Memory Verse: …
Lord teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples -
Luke 11: 1b
Introduction
Devotion is loyalty to
a person or enthusiasm for an activity. In the Christian life, devotions could
be time set by a person or family where they seek the face of the Lord in
prayer, reading of the Word and fellowship. It is one of the means by which
Christians show their love and loyalty to God by spending time with Him on a
daily consistent basis. Jesus was committed to having personal devotions with
God and He sometimes did it with the disciples. One day after His prayer, the
disciples asked that He taught them how to pray. From the account in Acts,
Cornelius called together his family to hear the Word of the Lord from Peter.
On that occasion, the family and friends who were gathered received the baptism
of the Holy Spirit. This shows the importance of family devotions.
Questions for Discussion
1. What is family
devotion? 128
2. Discuss the benefits
of family devotions. Luke 11:1; Acts 10:44
3. What did Cornelius
do to receive Peter? Acts 10:24
4. What major
activities go into a family devotion? Luke 11:1; Acts 10:34-38
5. How would you setup an
effective family devotion?
Conclusion
Family devotions is a
consistent time set by families, friends or dependents in a household for
prayer, worship, fellowship and sharing God’s word. The disciples of Jesus
requested to be taught to pray when they observed Him praying. This means
people can learn Christian disciplines like prayer, Bible study and preaching
that enhance spirituality during family devotions. Though devotions could be
held at any convenient time, early morning devotions before family members go
out to engage in the activities of the day is the best. As seen in the example
of Cornelius’ household, devotions could involve an opportunity for people to
respond to the message, confess Christ or even receive the Holy Spirit baptism.
Effective family devotions should not be limited to routine methods of prayer
and short exhortations but a real encounter with the Holy Spirit.
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READ
THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR GUIDE
Week
12 (Sunday 19th to Saturday 25th March, 2017)
- Sunday: 1 Samuel 4-7
- Monday: 1 Samuel 8-10
- Tuesday: 1 Samuel 11-13
- Wednesday: 1 Samuel 14-15
- Thursday: 1 Samuel 16-17
- Friday: 1 Samuel 18-20
- Saturday: 1 Samuel 21-24
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