Axis 2.0 (Student Booklet)
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DISCIPLESHIP PROGRAM AXIS 2.0 HEALTHY SPIRITUAL HABITS AXIS 2.0 HEALTHY SPIRITUAL HABITS LESSON 1 ~ INTRODUCTION THE PURPOSE OF THIS CLASS “... that you may become mature Christians and may fulfill God's will for you." Colossians 4:12 (Ph) This class will... • Equip you with the SKILLS you need to begin these practices. • Explain the TOOLS you need to continue these practices. • Help you to COMMIT to the practices necessary for spiritual maturity. CLASS OUTLINE Session One: Introduction Spiritual maturity Fruit of the Spirit Understanding Discipleship 7 Commitments of A Disciple Session Two: The Commitments The Commitment to Bible Study The Commitment to Personal Devotion Session Three: The Commitments The Commitment to Prayer The Commitment to Fasting The Commitment to Praise Session Four: The Commitments and Maintenance The Commitment to Giving The Commitment to Fellowship How to Start and Maintain Good Habits Spiritual Maturity is BECOMING LIKE CHRIST. (Ephesians 4:12-13) Romans 8:29; Galatians 5:22-23 TWO APPROACHES TO SPIRITUALLY MATURE CHRISTIAN LIVING… • Negative (____________________) "trying not to do wrong" – resisting • Positive ( ) "bearing fruit" _____________________ Page | 2 The First Pentecostal Church of Jackson WALKING IN THE SPIRIT: (Galatians 5:16-26) A. Two Conflicting Forces: (vs. 16-18) If we try to live for God purely through our own human effort, we will fail. Our only way to freedom from our evil desires is through the empowering of the __________________ _________________________ B. The Works of the Flesh: (vs. 19-21) C. The Fruit of the Spirit: (vs. 22-23) A person who exhibits the Fruit of the Spirit fulfills the law far better than a person who merely observes rituals without love. D. Belonging to Christ: (vs. 24-26) We must learn how to ______________________ the flesh. We must learn how to WALK IN THE SPIRIT. E. For fruit to grow, it must have an environment conducive to growth. We must ________________ in Christ. We must let His words live in us. John 15:4-8 FACTS ABOUT SPIRITUAL MATURITY: 1. It is not AUTOMATIC. (Hebrews 5:12-13) 2. It is a ________________________ (2 Peter 3:18) 3. It takes DISCIPLINE. (1 Timothy 4:7) 4. It takes being SPIRIT LED (Walking in the Holy Ghost). (Romans 8:14) UNDERSTANDING DISCIPLESHIP 1. Mature believers are called _________________________ 2. I cannot be a disciple without being disciplined. 3. The more disciplined I become the more God can use me. .0 4. The mark of a disciple is . (Luke 14:27) 2 ______________ - ______________________ 5. How often am I to do this? DAILY (Luke 9:23) Axis The First Pentecostal Church of Jackson Page | 3 6. What is involved in "cross bearing"? WHATEVER IT TAKES to give Christ first place in my life! 7. The Holy Spirit helps us. (I Corinthians 2:10-12) HOW CAN I BECOME A DISCIPLE? Develop DISCIPLINED PRACTICES. (Colossians 3:9-10) A disciple puts off his old ways, behaviors, habits and practices. He changes to new ways, behaviors and practices which lead to continual renewal and spiritual growth into the image of Christ. A disciple engages in practices that lead him to becoming more and more Christ-like. THE 7 PRACTICES OF DISCIPLESHIP 1. BIBLE STUDY (John 8:31-32) 2. PERSONAL DEVOTION (James 1:25) 3. PRAYER (John 15:7-8; Matthew 6:6) 4. FASTING (Matthew 6:17-18) 5. PRAISE (1 Peter 2:9) 6. GIVING (Luke 14:33; Deuteronomy 14:23) 7. FELLOWSHIP (John 13:34-35) DEFINITION OF A PRACTICE: A practice is a habitual act or action. It is a continual, often unconscious inclination to do a certain activity acquired through frequent repetition. It is the repeated performance of an activity to perfect a skill -- or in this case Christian character and spiritual maturity. To benefit from a practice, you must EMBRACE IT Page | 4 The First Pentecostal Church of Jackson LESSON 2 ~ THE COMMITMENTS (Part 1) THE COMMITMENT TO BIBLE STUDY II Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17 IMPROVE YOUR HEARING (Romans 10:17): 1. Be ready and eager to hear God. (Luke 8:8; Psalm 119:103) 2. Deal with _______________________ that prevent hearing God. (Luke 8:11-15; Luke 8:18) 3. ___________________ any sin in your life. (James 1:21) 4. Take notes on what you hear. Consider keeping a spiritual notebook. (Hebrews 2:1) 5. ____________ on what you hear! (James 1:22; James 1:25; Revelation 1:3) How often should I read God's Word? _______________ (Deuteronomy 17:19; Acts 17:11) Reading approximately 15 minutes a day, you can read through the Bible once a year. RULES FOR BIBLE STUDY (2 Timothy 2:15) Don’t look for hidden meanings. Don’t read verse by verse. Don’t jump to __________________________. Don’t read the Bible as a ___________________. BENEFITS OF MEMORIZING SCRIPTURE (Proverbs 7:2-3) 1. It helps me resist _________________________. (Psalm 119:11) 2. It helps me make wise DECISIONS. (Psalm 119:105) 3. It strengthens me when I'm under ________________. (Psalm 119:49) 4. It comforts me when I'm SAD (Jeremiah 15:16) .0 5. It helps me witness to UNBELIEVERS. (1 Peter 3:15) 2 Axis The First Pentecostal Church of Jackson Page | 5 WHY MEDITATE ON SCRIPTURE? (Psalm 1:2-3) Meditation is FOCUSED THINKING about a Bible verse in order to discover how I can apply its truth to my own life. This takes solitude - getting rid of distractions - turning off the noise. 1. It is the key to BECOMING LIKE CHRIST (Prov 4:23; Rom 12:2; 1 Cor 3:18) 2. It is the key to ANSWERED ___________________. (John 15:7) 3. It is the key to SUCCESSFUL ___________________. (Joshua 1:8; James 1:22; Matt 5:19) HOW TO APPLY SCRIPTURE 1st ask: What did the verse mean to the original hearers? 2nd ask: What is the verse's underlying timeless principle? 3rd ask: Where or how could I practice that principle? Most applications will focus on one of three relationships: 1) with God, 2) with myself, 3) with other people THE COMMITMENT TO PERSONAL DEVOTION THE IMPORTANCE OF DAILY TIME WITH GOD 1. We were CREATED to have fellowship with God. (Genesis 1:27, 2:7, 3:8; Revelation 3:20) 2. Jesus DIED to make a relationship with Him possible. (1 Corinthians 1:9) 3. Personal time in prayer was Jesus’ SOURCE OF STRENGTH. (Mark 1:35, Luke 22:39, 5:16) 4. Every person who has been effective in SERVICE for God developed this habit. 5. You cannot be a HEALTHY Christian without it! (Matthew 4:4; Job 23:12; Psalm 119:9) THE PURPOSE OF DAILY TIME WITH GOD 1. To give DEVOTION to God. (Psalm 29:2; 2 Chronicles 31:21) God deserves our devotion! (Revelation 4:11) God desires our devotion! (John 4:23) 2. To get _______________________________ from God. (Psalm 25:4) 3. To gain DELIGHT in God. (Psalm 37:4; Psalm 16:11) 4. To grow MORE like God. (2 Peter 1:4; Acts 4:13) Page | 6 The First Pentecostal Church of Jackson HOW TO BEGIN YOUR DAILY DEVOTION 1. Select a specific __________________. How long should I pray? Guidelines: - Start with a set amount of time and let it grow. - Don't watch the clock! - Emphasize quality, not quantity! 2. Choose a special PLACE. (Luke 22:39) 3. Gather the RESOURCES you will need. (Bible, notebook and pen, other aids) 4. Begin with the right _________________________. Reverence (Ps 46:10); Expectancy (Ps 119:18); Obedience (Matt 6:33) 5. Follow a SIMPLE plan. "FIFTEEN MINUTES WITH GOD" 1. RELAX. (1 Minute) Be still and quiet! 2. READ SCRIPTURE. (4 Minutes) Begin reading where you left off the day before. 3. REFLECT ON THE SCRIPTURE. (4 Minutes) 4. RECORD WHAT GOD SAID. (2 Minutes) 5. REQUEST. (4 Minutes) "PRAYER" = Praise Repent Ask Yield Evangelize Repeat praise HOW TO OVERCOME PROBLEMS IN YOUR TIME WITH GOD 1. The Problem of Discipline - Use self-control 2. The Problem of Distractions - Keep your mind from wandering 3. The Problem of Dryness - Never judge your time with God by feelings 4. The Problem of Diligence - Be consistent .0 2 Axis The First Pentecostal Church of Jackson Page | 7 LESSON 3 ~ The Commitments (Part 2) MY COMMITMENT TO PRAYER James 5:16; Colossians 4:2 I. Approach Prayer with the right Attitude. (Matthew 6:5-8) • Be ______________________. (vs. 5) • Don’t try to impress God. • Don’t try to impress others. • Be ________________________. (vs. 6) • Be ______________________________. (vs. 7-8) II. Use the Model Jesus gave us. (Matthew 6:9-15)…THE 7 PARTS OF PRAYER 1. PRAISE: I begin by expressing _________________ to God. (v. 9) Two Kinds of Praise: • "ADORATION" - Praising God for who He is. • "THANKSGIVING"- Praising God for what He has done. How to Praise God (Psalm 100:4): a. As you read your Bible, make a list of God's CHARACTER QUALITIES that you discover and then review them when you pray. (See Appendix 3 / Prayer Guide #1) b. Remind yourself and affirm the PROMISES God has made that are contained in the meaning of His names. (See Appendix 3 / Prayer Guide #2) c. Make a list of all the BLESSINGS that you are thankful for and review them when you pray. (See Appendix 3 / Prayer Guide #3) 2. PURPOSE: I commit myself to doing ______________ _____________. (v. 10); Romans 12:2 3. PROVISION: I ask God to _______________________ my daily needs. (v. 11) Philippians 4:19; Romans 8:32; James 4:2 Write down your requests, with a promise you are claiming from the Bible, and expect an answer! (See Appendix 3 / Prayer Guide #4) Philippians 4:6 4.