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| "Let
the little children come to Me, and do not forbid
them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly,
I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom
of God as a little child will by no means enter
it." — Mark 10:14-15 (NKJV) |
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| You've
just "survived" the chaos of another hectic
day. Totally spent, you slump onto the couch, your mind
clamped in the vice-grip of pressing deadlines, stressed
relationships, and piling bills. Right now, life is anything
but simple. |
| As
you slip toward unconsciousness, you hear the brush of
tiny socks on the living room rug, then feel the cushions
beside you sink softly under delicate weight. Slightly
annoyed, you summon the strength to pry open your eyelids
and tilt your head sideways. Your new visitor sits, legs
crossed, staring silently back at you. |
| As
the seconds pass, a miracle occurs. Without a word spoken,
the pressures lift. The vice loosens its jagged grip.
The child's eyes absorb your anxiety, as if calmly putting
everything back in its rightful place. Her simplicity
is contagious. |
| Children
see things differently than we do. Simple. Peaceful.
Humble. And while we spend our time, energy, and resources
on balancing life's stresses and fighting to maintain
the reputation we've built for ourselves, Jesus is gently
calling us back to the heart of a child. |
| In
part one of this two-part study series, let's take a
look at two child-like characteristics that will remind
us of the kind of faith Jesus is looking for. |
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Click
the shovel icon if you ever want
to "dig deeper" into any of the
points below. |
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| 1 |
| Humble
Dependence |
dig
deeper » |
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| "Not
only those things; I reckon everything as complete
loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable,
the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For
his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider
it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain
Christ..." — Phil. 3:8 (TEV) |
| A
child is absolutely dependent upon his parents
to meet his every need. And without ever realizing
it, he takes a step of faith every time he
trusts his parents to come through. Our Heavenly
Father insists that His children (you
and me) carry an identical perspective. |
| What
does this genuine, child-like dependence look
like in the context of relationship with Christ? Click
here for an example from the life of the
Apostle Paul. |
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Action
Step: Make a list of
the major areas of your life — job,
family, friends, relationship with
God, etc. Go down the list and think
about who holds the reigns of that
area, you or God? Pray about what
adjustments need to be made. |
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| 2 |
| A
Teachable Heart |
dig
deeper » |
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"Show
me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You
are the God of my salvation; on You I wait
all the day." — Ps 25:4-5 (NKJV)
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| Consider
the mind of a child. Inquisitive. Curious.
Receptive. Totally unclouded by cynicism. |
| As
the years pass, we often unconsciously exchange
this sense of wonder for a callused, "I've
heard it all before" attitude. We allow
pride, the arch-enemy of child-like faith,
to take root: |
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"Who
does that guy think he is, giving ME
advice?" |
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"I'm
just too busy to spend much time with
God." |
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"I've
heard that sermon a hundred times before." |
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| When
was the last time you just sat down at God's
feet and listened, just to find out what He
might say? Read
more |
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Action
Step: Sit down with
your spouse (or a close friend) and
ask him/her to give you an honest
assessment of how teachable they
think you are. And make sure they
don't gloss over the real issues — this
is for your own good! |
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| • |
THE
MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language. Copyright © 2002
by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. |
| • |
THE
NEW KING JAMES VERSION, Copyright © 1982,
Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. |
| • |
TODAY'S
ENGLISH VERSION, First
Edition. Copyright © 1976, American Bible
Society. Used by permission. |
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 USE
THIS STUDY
within PC Study Bible |
| To
integrate this study into your PC Study Bible Version
4 library: |
| 1 |
Click
on the file below. |
| 2 |
select "Open" or "Run" in
the file download window that appears.
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| 3 |
Follow
the instructions on your screen. |
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| (will
only work with PC Study Bible Version
4) |
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Don't
have PCSB V4?
Try | Buy | Upgrade |
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| The
following resources will help to enhance your
understanding of this topic, and all are available
as add-on modules for PC Study Bible (check
for version compatibility). |
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| 1 |
HUMBLE
DEPENDENCE
A look at genuine, child-like dependence upon the Lord, as
seen in the life of the Apostle Paul. |
| 2 |
A
TEACHABLE HEART
When was the last time you just sat down at God's feet and
listened, just to find out what He might say? |
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Matthew
18:3 |
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Luke
18:16-17 |
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John
3:3-6 |
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| 1 |
Read
Matt. 18:3 and Mark 10:14-15 as a group. What
are your initial impressions of these verses? |
| 2 |
What
are the child-like characteristics that God
is looking for in us? |
| 3 |
Why
is it so difficult to have child-like faith? |
| 4 |
What
are the benefits of this type of faith? |
| 5 |
From
your answers to question 2 (about the characteristics
of a child), go around the group and say the
one that's the hardest for you to model in
your Christian life. |
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Pray
for each person to grow in that specific area. |
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