Suggestion to the teacher: personally review each of the twelve lessons prior to this class. From each lesson write down two or three core points that you personally find meaningful. Consider why each point is meaningful to you. Be ready to share your "why" with the class.
Begin this class by asking your students to share the points that they find meaningful. Be patient as you encourage them to share. Remember: their learning increases when they share. When they share a point, they are much more likely to retain that lesson. Sharing increases the personal influence of the shared point.
Use your points and your "whys" when it is necessary to begin a discussion. Remember, the less you say the more successful this class session is.
Look back through each of the twelve lessons. Remember: the objective is to learn. Learning occurs (1) when we gain new information, (2) we discover new insights, or (3) we gain new understandings. The objective of Christian learning is to change our thinking and our hearts by advancing our spiritual maturity. When our thoughts and emotions change, our behavior changes.
As you look back over the lessons, consider the things you now know and understand that you did not know prior to this study. Consider new insights and understandings that you gained. As you consider each lesson, write down two understandings about surrendering your life as a servant. Why did those understandings touch your mind and heart?
Lesson one: Surrendering to Jesus
Lesson two: Surrendering Begins With Repentance
Lesson three: What Is Repentance?
Lesson four: Why Do People Refuse To Repent?
Lesson five: Surrendering Life (Part 1)
Lesson six: Surrendering Life (Part 2)
Lesson seven: Surrendering to Holiness
Lesson eight: Surrendering to Purpose
Lesson nine: Surrendering to Long-Term Commitment
Lesson ten: Surrendering to Grace
Lesson eleven: Surrendering to Godly Behavior
Lesson twelve: Surrendering to Eternity
How have this quarter's lessons helped you understand each Christian must surrender to God?
How have this quarter's lessons matured your concepts of surrendering your life to God?
A synopsis for the teacher of the quarter's material.
Lesson one: Christian surrender to Jesus begins by confessing to yourself that you cannot "fix" you. The key to your being spiritually alive as God's mature man or woman is not "trying harder." The key is being a person who trusts Jesus. The Christian trusts Jesus to do what Jesus promised to do. The Christian trusts God to do what God promised to do. Obedience comes from gratitude. Obedience is not an attempt to obligate God.
Lesson two: Repentance is the personal language and action of surrender. I repent for me; no one else can repent for me. Each person needs to repent continually because each person sins continually. Repentance is essential to salvation. A failure or refusal to repent makes any religious expression meaningless--even baptism.
Lesson three: Satan uses the Christian's ignorance of repentance to choke spiritual life out of him or her. Ignorance of repentance strangles Christians as individuals and as congregations. Repentance changes behavior and transforms individuals and congregations. When we do not understand repentance, Satan creates ungodliness. When we understand repentance and repent, God creates godliness. The power of repentance to change a person is seen in the transformation of the prodigal son. The person who repents (1) comes to himself, (2) honestly evaluates himself, (3) makes difficult decisions, (4) confesses, (5) asks for forgiveness, and (6) takes action.
Lesson four: People resist repentance because repentance requires change. The most predictable, certain element of life is change. The most resisted reality in life is change. The foundation of spiritual existence is change. Many earnestly desire to fashion salvation into a system of rules and regulations. We deceive ourselves if we think that we will be saved by learning the rules and obeying them. Rules can be followed without changing. However, we cannot repent without committing to changing self. Four common reasons for refusing to repent: (1) we love what we have; (2) we are filled with a sense of our goodness; (3) we love evil; (4) we fail to see God's work in Jesus.
Lesson five: Being filled with Christ is based on what Jesus Christ does for me, not on what I do for Jesus Christ. When I surrender life to Jesus and God, I turn loose of "me." My significance is not based on my church credentials or religious accomplishments. My significance is based on Jesus' freedom to use all of my life for God's purposes. The Christian chooses to be crucified with Christ so that "I" will not longer exist. Spiritually what I do or have done is nothing. What Jesus did and does for me is everything.
Lesson six: The New Testament concept of sacrifice is based on the sacrificial worship in Old Testament Judaism. In the New Testament's use of that concept, we are the sacrifice. A basic distinction is this: Judaism's sacrifices [animals] were killed to honor God; we, Christianity's sacrifices, live to honor God. Each day we climb up on God's altar to give that day of life in sacrifice to God. We do not reduce the sacrifice to a list of "acceptable spiritual acts." Instead, we dedicate life [every aspect of it!] to God as we go about life's business living for God's purposes.
Lesson seven: The basic concept of "holy" is setting something aside for a dedicated, specific purpose. We surrender to holiness by setting aside our lives for God's use and purposes. Holiness is both a state of existence and a commitment to action. Spiritual holiness is evidenced by two equally important matters: (a) the absence of evil thought, desire, and behavior; (b) the presence of godly thought, desire, and behavior. God's part in making us holy is forgiveness [cleansing us with Jesus' blood]. Our part in being holy is developing a life that is consistent with God's cleansing. Because we realize the terrible price God paid for our holiness, our commitment to holiness is sober and serious.
Lesson eight: Accepting salvation in Jesus Christ includes surrendering yourself to God's purposes. The single most important consideration in a Christian's decisions and choices is this: what are God's purposes? The single most important question in a Christian's decision and choices is this: how will this serve God's purposes? To serve God's purposes, we must allow God to teach us His values, priorities, and objectives. Those values, priorities, and objectives must become our own.
Lesson nine: In Christ, the Christian surrenders to a long-term commitment. His or her expectations are not based on the desire for immediate gratification or on instant, measurable results. Because we belong to God, we commit ourselves to rescue mission. We gently restore those who fall. We help the struggling with their burdens. We serve; we do not take credit for the efforts of others. We support and encourage those who teach for God. We understand and function on the principle of the harvest. We do good. We refuse to let weariness defeat us.
Lesson ten: The more we mature spiritually, the more we understand that our salvation is completely dependent on God's goodness. Trusting God's grace runs counter to everything honored and valued in our culture: (a) the work ethic; (b) the power and merit of earnings; and (c) the value of the individual. Our culture urges people to focus on "me," "my worth," "what I deserve," and "my value as a person." Our culture seeks to destroy feelings of inferiority by replacing them with convictions of superiority. Feelings in inferiority destroy the person. Feelings of superiority destroy other people. God wants Christians to depend on Him--totally. His power is most effective in us when we realize our complete dependence on Him.
Lesson eleven: God always seeks our best interest. What God wants in our conduct is always best for us. The final result of godly behavior always will achieve our eternal best interests. This is not the standard for measuring the acceptability of a specific godly behavior: "does it make us feel good." Godly behavior is truthful. It refuses to allow anger to live within the person. It is committed to honest work. It helps those in need and encourages everyone. It will not resist the efforts of the Holy Spirit. It destroys emotions that oppose God and hurt people. It replaces them with kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness. To behave in this manner serves God's purposes and opens our lives to His benefits.
Lesson twelve: Many physical considerations of life in this culture have the appearance of extreme importance. Among them is physical comfort. Our tendency as American Christians is to consider physical life real and permanent and to consider spiritual life as uncertain and questionable. When each of us enters the eternal, important considerations in the physical realm will be immediately insignificant. The value of the eternal in every dimension will make every consideration in the physical realm garbage. Christians have no grasp of the honor God confers on them. They have no grasp of the joy and glory they shall receive. As we become increasingly spiritual in our values and outlook, we know that we do not belong to this physical realm. As strangers, we are in transition on our way home.
Link to Student Guide
Quarter 3, Lesson 13