Lent Series

Lent ’11 Series – Steps to Christian Maturity

March 13^th: (Lent 1) - What does God want from your life?

Reading:        Hebrews 5:11-6:3, 6:9-12

1. What is the difference between those drinking milk and those eating solid food?
2. Take an honest look at yourself; on that spectrum between milk and meat, where would you place yourself? Why?
3. Look at the list of “elementary teachings about Christ” (6:1-2). How many of these seven areas could you explain to a Christian friend, and how many could you explain to a non-believer?
4. Lent is an opportunity to examine our spiritual lives and make a new commitment to growth… How are you actively ensuring spiritual growth this Easter season?

March 20th: (Lent 2) - Who's really in control?

Reading:       Colossians 3:1-17

1. How do you set your hearts on the things above?
2. How do you set your minds on the things above?
3. vs. 5-11 speaks about the things you must remove from your life to follow Christ. Make a list of all the areas of life listed in these verses. What are the areas you most struggle withg? How can you "put to death" (vs. 5) these areas?
4. vs. 12-16 are the areas you must allow to rule your lives. Make a list of these areas. How can you increasingly allow these to be more prevalent in your life?
5. What does it mean to "do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus." (vs. 17)?

March 27th: (Lent 3) - How do we grow?

Reading:     Luke 8:4-15

1. Which soil type is most like your spiritual life?
2. Soil preparation is vital to growth. How do we prepare the soil of our lives so that the seeds germinate and grow strong?
3. What are the barriers we erect which hinders God's Word taking deep root in our lives?
4. How can we remove these barriers to ensure an amazing yield for Christ?

April 3rd: (Lent 4) - More fertilizer please!

Reading:     Hebrews 10:19-25

1. What does it mean to "draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith?" (vs. 22)
2. Can you think of times in your lives when you were "near to God"? What happened? Was there anything which sparked that nearness? Did it fade - why?
3. What is the "hope your profess?" (vs. 23). How can you "Hold unswervingly" to it? Can you explain that hope to others? (see 1 Peter 3:15)
4. How can you "spur one another on toward love and good deeds?" (vs. 24). What practical way can you achieve that today? Do it! What happened?

April 10th: (Lent 5) - A full body workout

Reading:     Matthew 7:15-27

1. You can recognise the tree (us) by the fruit it bears. What spiritual fruit do you bear? (vs. 17)
2. How are you putting into practice the Word of God? (vs. 24). What have you been learning lately? How has that changed your life?

April 17th: (Lent 6) - Practice makes perfect

Reading:     Luke 9:1-6; 10:1-9, 17-21

1. How prepared were the twelve or seventy-two before Jesus sent them out on a missions trip?
2. What "power and authority" has Christ given us? (vs. 9:1)
3. What does it mean to "preach the kingdom?" (vs. 9:2)
4. Why did Jesus tell them to "take nothing?" (vs 9:3)
5. How prepared do we need to be before engaging in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) and Great Commandment (Matt. 22:37-40)? How prepared does God think we need to be?
6. What were the results of the disciples trust? (10:18-21)
7. Have you ever trusted Christ like those disciples? What happened?

April 24th (Lent 7 / Easter Sunday) - A Guide to Spiritual Maturity

Reading:      James 1:2-8

1. Have you ever "considered it pure joy when you face trials?" Why / Why not? (vs. 2)
2. How would you define "perseverence"? How do you know when you have it?
3. How would you define a "mature and complete" Christian? (vs. 4)
4. How close to that definition are you?
5. What do you do with your doubts? (vs. 6)

Course Reflection:

1. How focussed are you on the goal of Spiritual Maturity? How important does God want it to be in your life? How important is it in your life?
2. Have you put anything new in place during Lent which has helped you grow in maturity?
3. What might you do to grow further?