Oct. 10, 2021

Abundant Work Life

 Primary Text: Colossians 3:23-24                October 9 & 10, 2021

 Previous Teaching:  Abundant Love Life

 1)  Love One Another

 1 John 4:7-8:  Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  

 DQ 1) What is love?  How does American culture define love?

DQ 2) What are the characteristics of God that reveal His inherent

            nature of love?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

 2)  The Most Love

 Luke 7:47-50:  Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much.  But he who has been forgiven little loves little."  Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."  The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." 

 DQ 3) How does Scripture define love?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

 3)  No Greater Love

 John 15:12-13:  My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 

 DQ 4) Is God calling you to “lay down your life” to love someone 

           else?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

This Week’s Teaching

 1)  God Ordained

 Genesis 1:31:  God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day. 

 Genesis 2:15:  The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 

 DQ 1) Why do you suppose God created the world and 

            humankind?

DQ 2) Why did God create work for humans?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

 2)  The Curse

 Genesis 3:17-19:  To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.  It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.  By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." 

           DQ 3) How do we see the effects of “the curse” in all types of

                    work today?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

 3)  Created for Good Works

 Ephesians 2:10:  For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

 Ecclesiastes 3:9-13:  What does the worker gain from his toil?...  I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.  That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the gift of God. 

 DQ 4) How does God redeem the curse in the lives of Christians?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

 4)  Idleness

 2 Thessalonians 3:11-13:  We hear that some among you are idle.  They are not busy; they are busybodies.  Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.  And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. 

 Proverbs 31:27:  She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 

DQ 5) How does “idleness” lead to sinfulness?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

 5)  Sincerity 

 Colossians 3:23-24:  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 

 DQ 6) What does it mean to work “with all your heart”?

DQ 7) How does your work glorify God?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________