The Ten Basic Steps: Lesson 4-Stewardship of our Bodies
Objective: To surrender our bodies to Christ, from the heart.
Read: Psalm
51, Galatians 5, Ephesians 5
Memorize: Psalm
139:23-24
2. Individual Parts of the Body
3. Sexual Expression
4. Life Application
Some time ago, my heart grieved as I learned of a respected Christian leader who had fallen into a life of sin. He had obviously not intended to do so, but when the temptation came, he yielded. As a result, his wife, his family, his friends, and fellow Christians suffered heartache. Most tragically, his testimony and witness for the Lord Jesus has suffered untold damage. Many have ridiculed and rejected the cause of Christ because of his sin.
Since
God wants us to live a holy life, the enemy seeks to entrap us in sin
and defeat. One of Satan's methods is to tempt us to misuse our bodies.
But God created our bodies for His glory. By surrendering them to Him, He can use us to further His kingdom and help us grow in our faith.
This study will help you understand the importance of giving control of your body to God. You will also discover danger areas in using your physical self and how to help further the cause of Christ with different parts of your body.
The Spirit and the Body
Read I
Peter 4:1-2 and Hebrews 10:1-10. How did Jesus regard His body?
What does Christ's
sacrifice mean to us? (Hebrews
10:10) Look up the word "sanctified" in a Bible dictionary.
How does this word relate to your stewardship?
What do you learn
about the body of the Christian from Romans
8:8-9 and 12:1?
Express in your
own words the additional reasons given in I
Corinthians 6:19-20 for being a good steward of your body.
How are we to do this? (Galatians 5:16, Romans 12:1, Matthew 26:41)
Individual Parts of the Body
The Tongue.
Why is it so important to be a good steward of the tongue? (James
1:26 and 3:2-6)
Why should you
know concerning its use? (Matthew
12:36) List areas where you misuse your tongue. How has this affected
your life? How should you use your tongue properly? (James
3:9-10, Ephesians 4:24, 29, Proverbs 21:23, Psalm 39:1)
The Heart.
What must we understand about the heart? (Jeremiah
17:9) How can we counteract our natural tendencies? (Psalm
139:23-24)
What condition
of heart does God require? (Psalm
51:17) What kind of heart does God look for and why? (II
Chronicles 16:9, Matthew 5:8, II Thessalonians 3:5, Psalm 15:1-2)
What is the result
of keeping your mind focused on God? (Isaiah
26:3) How can you keep your mind on Him? (Philippians
4:6-7, Deuteronomy 11:18)
The Hands.
What does God think about the work of your hands? (Proverbs
12:14, 24) How did the apostles feel about the importance of what
their hands had done? (Acts
20:34-35 and I Thessalonians 4:11-12)
How can we use
our hands to glorify God? (Proverbs
31:20, Ephesians 5:28, Deuteronomy 15:10-11, Ecclesiastes 9:10)
The Feet.
Contrast the feet of those who do evil with those who do good. (Isaiah
52:7, 59:7, Romans 3:15, Psalm 119:101,105; 56:13)
How do Romans
10:15 and Ephesians 6:15 relate to evangelism?
The Eyes.
What is the importance of the eyes (Matthew
6:22-23) Describe what this means to you? What sins can we commit
with our eyes? (Proverbs
21:4, 27:20, Jeremiah 22:17, Matthew 5:28, I John 2:16)
What privilege
did the apostles have? (I
John 1:1-3) How can we avoid temptation? (Psalm
19:8, 119:37, 121:1-2, 123:1)
The Ears.
Write down ways we can misuse hearing. (Proverbs 21:13 II Timothy 4:3-4) What can listening to God give us? (Romans 10:17, John 5:24) How can you apply James 1:19-22 to your daily life? Give specific examples.
Sexual Expression
Compare the sexual
sins in I
Corinthians 6:9-10,13-18 with marriage in I
Corinthians 7:1-8.
God considered
David a man after His own heart, yet what was David's greatest sin?
(II
Samuel 11:2-5; 14-17; 26-27)
What is God's stern
judgment against misusers and abusers of sex? (I
Corinthians 6:9-10) Why is it especially tragic if a Christian becomes
involved in the misuse of sex? (I
Corinthians 6:15-18)
How serious is
sexual lust, according to Christ? (Matthew
5:28)
How can the application
of the following verses enable you to overcome sexual lust? (Philippians
4:8, Psalm 119:9, 11; I Corinthians 10:13; Romans 6:11-13; I Thessalonians
4:3-5)
List the things in your life that tempt you to have impure thoughts. How can you apply these verses to each?
Life Application
How does stewardship
of each individual part of the body affect each part?
How could it affect
the body as a whole?
How would you apply I Thessalonians 5:22 to the following: The use of your tongue; desires of your heart; control of your mind; work of your hands; where you go; what you see; what you hear; your conduct with members of the opposite sex?
 |
 |