May 04, 2025

Grow Up!

Submission

Primary Text:  James 4:6-8            

Last Teaching:  Grow Up! – Respect

1)  Proper Respect

1 Corinthians 13:4-5:  Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  

1 Peter 2:16-17:  Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.  Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

2)  Respect God 

Exodus 20:1-8:  And God spoke all these words:…  “You shall have no other gods before me.  You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form….  You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God….  Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”

3)  Respect Your Neighbor

Exodus 20:12-17:  “Honor your father and your mother….  You shall not murder.  You shall not commit adultery.  You shall not steal.  You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.  You shall not covet… anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

This Week’s Teaching:

1)  Family Submission

Ephesians 5:21-25, 33:  Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord….  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her….  However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Exodus 20:12:  Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

DQ 1) Why is mutual submission within each family healthy for families and society? 

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2)  Submit to God

Romans 8:6-8:  The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God.  It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.  Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. 

James 4:6-8:  But he gives us more grace.  That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you.

DQ 2) What does it mean to submit to God?
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3)  Submit to Leadership 

Hebrews 13:17:  Obey your leaders and submit to their authority.  They keep watch over you as men who must give an account.  Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

1 Peter 5:5:  Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older.  All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

DQ 3) Why is submission to leaders important?

DQ 4) When is it justified to refuse to submit to a leader?
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4)  Submission to Authorities

Romans 13:1-2:  Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.  The authorities that exist have been established by God.  Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

1 Peter 2:13-15:  Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.  For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 

DQ 5) How does submission to authorities demonstrate love for God and people?

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