Jan. 12, 2025

A New Adventure

January 11 & 12, 2025

Primary Text:  Matthew 4:18              

Last Teaching:  A New Day Dawning

1)  New Every Morning

Lamentations 3:22-23:  Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

2)  A New Day Dawning

Isaiah 60:1-3 (CEV):  "Jerusalem, stand up!  Shine!  Your new day is dawning.  The glory of the LORD shines brightly on you."  The earth and its people are covered with darkness, but the glory of the Lord is shining upon you.  Nations and kings will come to the light of your dawning day.

3)  The Bright Morning Star

Revelation 22:12–17:  “Behold, I am coming soon!  My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”… “ I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”  The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”  And let him who hears say, “Come!”

This Week’s Teaching:

1)  Follow Me

Matthew 4:18–22:  As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.  They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”  At once they left their nets and followed him.  Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John.  They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets.  Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

DQ 1) What were the ramifications of the decisions of the disciples to follow Jesus?_____________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

2)  A Servant of the Gospel

Ephesians 3:7–11:  I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.  Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.  His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

DQ 2) Describe your personal adventure with Christ.  In what ways has God gifted you and used you to His glory?______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

3)  The Message of the Cross

1 Corinthians 1:18, 22-25:  For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God….  Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

DQ 3) What was the essence of the ‘new adventure’ of the disciples?

DQ 4) What is the essence of the ‘new adventure’ for every believer?______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

4)  The Greatest Adventure

Philippians 3:7–11:  But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.  I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

DQ 5) When Paul said he had lost all things (Phil 3:8), to what was he referring?

DQ 6) By following Christ, what did Paul gain that replaced the things he lost?

DQ 7) What have you sacrificed in your walk with Christ?  What have you gained?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________