Click here?to download a printable version of the Daily Bible Study for today.
It?s true, Americans spend a lot of time and money upgrading their stuff. But that?s not all. Americans spend just as much money on trying to upgrade their lives through the ever growing ?self help? industry. In 2009, Forbes Magazine reported that ?Americans spent $11 billion in 2008 on self-improvement books, CDs, seminars, coaching and stress-management programs which equates to 13.6% more than they did back in 2005, according to Marketdata Enterprises?The latest forecast shows that statistic will grow by 6.2% annually through 2012.?
Why are Americans searching? What do they want? In a word, hope. To say it another way, they are searching for the ultimate upgrade. Sadly, it appears they?ve been bamboozled into believing that if they follow the latest trend or new-age thinking, they will satisfy their desire for an upgrade.
Thankfully, Lee issued a ?wake-up? call. Great news?we can stop spending our money on the latest fad or self-help trend and instead spend time upgrading our lives by studying Christ?s teachings and adopting his life precepts as our own.
Undoubtedly, non-believers will struggle with the concept of applying Christ?s thinking to their way of life. Even people that believe in Christ struggle and try to make sense of it all by creating their own version of who Christ was and is. But we implore you, don?t fall asleep, don?t be fooled. These individuals, or perhaps you, may not believe in the miracles of the Bible, or may be leery about taking the Bible literally, but who doesn?t hold Jesus in highest regard? Even critics of Christianity refer to Jesus as a prophet, or at the very least a great teacher and/or life coach.
So where do we start? By upgrading our thinking. We must think like Christ. Lee decided the best way for us to learn how we can begin to think like Christ is to talk about the greatest sermon Jesus ever gave?The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-2, NASB). Here, Jesus presents one contrary life practice after another, but in the end it is, as one psychologist calls it, ?a life blueprint for positive mental health.? Lee guided us through the eight Beatitudes, which Jesus used to launch his talk and lay out the pathway to the ?blessed? or ?happy life?.
We hope after listening to this message and by doing this Bible study, you will be like the disciples, amazed at this teaching (Matthew 7:28, NLT). We pray that you will allow God to transform you into a new person by changing the way you think (Romans 12:2, NLT). We guarantee it will change your life. After all, it?s the pathway to a blessed life!
Spoken Word:
?Wake Up?
?Because I know there is more to this life than meets the eye and love is the heartbeat that keeps me alive. So against the mundane, I open my eyes, to a new way of thinking a new way to shine.
Cause it?s God?s love given through Christ that inspires me to change my thinking, my emotions and desires and trust, beyond what I can hold or unfold, beyond culture and reason, this story is told.?
- CedarCreek Production Team
MONDAY ? Think Poverty, Be Prosperous! What?
Big Point: A surefire way to prosperity is to be deeply aware of your own spiritual poverty and wretchedness.
You will probably never see the title of today?s study on the cover of Forbes magazine. You likely have heard the exact opposite: to be prosperous, you should think like the prosperous or the rich. However, Matthew 5:3 says, ?Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.? Someone poor in spirit honestly acknowledges their own spiritual poverty, wretchedness and need for Christ.
In their book, How People Grow, Dr. Henry Cloud and James Townsend explain that: ?The Greek for ?poor in spirit? indicates a cringing beggar, absolutely dependent on others for survival. It?s not a flattering picture of us. You don?t see people in church greeting each other with??Wow, you?re such a cringing beggar, I?d like for you to mentor me.? Yet, the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who experience their dependency.?
They are blessed and experience prosperity, which means they flourish and thrive despite their bank account balances. This way of thinking will, no doubt, require one to eat a few slices of ?humble pie?, or perhaps the whole thing. Psalm 37:11 supports Matthew 5:3 by saying that ?the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity?.
So is that how you see it? If you want to change your life and find the pathway to the blessed life, upgrade your thinking to the spiritual poverty level!
?To be poor in spirit is not to lack courage, but to acknowledge spiritual bankruptcy. It confesses ones unworthiness before God and utter dependence on Him.?
- Carson, Expositors Bible Commentary
READ and THINK?What does the Bible say?
Today?s scripture focus is Matthew 5:3. What does it mean to be blessed and to be poor in spirit? Read the definition for blessed below for more clarity.
Matthew 5:3 (New American Standard Bible)
?Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.?
Answer:
What does it mean to be blessed?
Each Beatitude begins with the word ?blessed?. The English word ?beatitude? comes from the Greek word ?beatus? (blessed). The word blessed has Greek and Hebrew origins that mean happy and fortunate. It also has Latin origins from which we get the word beautiful. Each beatitude tells us how to be blessed by God. Blessed means more than happiness. It implies the fortunate or enviable state of those who are in God?s Kingdom. The beatitudes do not promise laughter, pleasure or earthly prosperity. Being blessed by God means the experience of hope and joy independent of outward circumstances. To find hope and joy, the deepest form of happiness, follow Jesus no matter what the cost (Life Application Study Bible, comments on Matthew 5:3).
How does Romans 3:23 put us all on the same level as it relates to our sin?
Romans 3:23 (New International Version)
For we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Answer:
?
What does Jesus say self-righteousness leads to in Luke 18:9-14? What did the tax collector do in verse 13 that Jesus thought should be exalted?
Luke 18:9-14 (New Living Translation)
9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 ?Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ?I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don?t cheat, I don?t sin, and I don?t commit adultery. I?m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.? 13 ?But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ?O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.? 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.?
Answer:
?
LIVE?What will you do now?
Have you ever said to yourself ?I am blessed? or ?she or he is blessed?. What was your original definition of blessed? After reading the definition on page two, how does your definition match up? Do you feel you are blessed?
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Have you ever found yourself thinking that you are not as bad as someone else or saying, ?at least I did not do that?? Perhaps you watched the news and heard of someone else?s sin and thought less of them. Why do you suspect that you start to think this way? How can you begin to think differently after reading Romans 3:23 and Luke 18:9-14?
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Did you get a chance to watch Patrick Hickey?s upgrade video this past weekend? One of the primary reasons for Patrick?s upgrade was that he began to understand his need for Christ and that he was spiritually bankrupt. Have you reached that point? In what ways can you live with a ?poor in spirit? attitude?
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PRAY?God, what do you want me to know and do?
Ask God to help you to adopt a thought process that encourages you to believe you are spiritually poor. Ask Him to help you understand your daily need for Him and to be prosperous, blessed and excited about your Kingdom inheritance.
Source: http://livingitout.tv/bible-study/lio-1119-teaching-and-preaching-to-encourage-you/
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