The Practice of Obedience/Submission | October 29-November 4, 2023

October 29-November 4, 2023

Conversation Starter- Dinner Conversation

What thoughts and feelings come up when you hear the word obedience? What comes to mind when you think about submission?
 
Previous Week Review

Review the practices from last week’s lesson. Do not skip this step even if people are reluctant to respond as it is vital to talk about how each week’s topic is being practiced during the week. If people did not apply the practice, ask what the obstacles were. Remind your community, “information alone does not bring about transformation, we must put into practice what we learn.”

Group Readings and Discussion

Read the following scriptures together. Pause after each passage to discuss for 2-3 minutes. What does each passage teach us as disciples of Jesus? Do your best to allow different people to share the readings and discussion.

Philippians 2:5-8

Matthew 10:37-39

Mark 8:34-38

Read the following quote by Richard Foster.
“…every discipline has its corresponding freedom. What freedom corresponds to submission? It is the ability to lay down the terrible burden of always needing to get our own way. The obsession to demand that things go the way we want them to go is one of the greatest bondages to human society today. People will spend weeks, months, even years in a perpetual stew because some little thing did not go as they wished…In the discipline of submission we are released to drop the matter, forget it. Frankly, most things in our life are not nearly as important as we think they are.” 

Group discussion:

Ask these questions.

·      How is the practice of obedience and submission taught and modeled by Jesus?

·      What are your thoughts about the Richard Foster quote? Have you experienced “stewing” over something that did not go your own way?

Practice Together:

Read the following passages and discuss what steps of submission/obedience people may take in response to the passage.

Matthew 5:44 “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Matthew 22:21 “…So give back to Ceasar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s”
Matthew 6:25-27 “Do not worry…”

Pray together

Handout: Leader pass out the practice for this week and review it with the group.

Handout: The Practice of Obedience/Submission

October 29-November 4, 2023

Practice this week:

·      Read the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapters 5-7. You may want to break it up and read a chapter a day for three days. At the end of each chapter pause, pray, and ask God if there is something He is asking you to do in response. Take a step of obedience.

·      Take your questions about obedience/submission to someone you trust. Talk through your issues and reflect afterward on what God may have been communicating to you through this trusted friend.

·      Ask God to reveal to you areas of your life where you have not been trusting Him and His way.

Preparation for next week

Come to the community next week ready to share something from your practice this week.