Follow Me Bible Study {Week 2} Be Transformed

Hello Treasures and welcome to Week 2 of the Follow Me Bible Study series with Satisfaction Through Christ.

This week’s Focus

Be transformed.

 

This week’s Scripture Memory

John 15:5 – Vine and Branches Wallpaper

This week in a daily break down

I will share what stood out to me the most from each day (There is a lot of good points throughout the days, from what I have read but I will only share one.  I hope that you will join us on this bible study and share with us what stood out to you, ask questions and/or leave comments.

Day One – United with Christ

What a blessing to be united with Christ, united with a purpose.  We get to unite with Christ and continue the work of God the Father, the work to further the kingdom of God.  United to share and fill earth with God’s love; with joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

~~ “If you’re a Christian, Jesus Christ lives in you and is with you. Moreover, you live in Jesus and are with Him.  That’s what He meant in John 15:4 when He told His disciples to “remain in me, and I will remain in you.”  BY DAVID PLATT, page 42

==TO BE A CHRISTIAN IS TO EXPERIENCE UNITY WITH CHRIST==

Day Two – Jesus  Changes  Everything

Oh boy, Oh boy, does Jesus change everything.  When we truly unite with Christ, we will be changed and transformed.

~~ “First, when we’re united with Christ, He begins to transform our thoughts.  He changes the way we perceive and process information so that, over time, we’re able to think more and more like Him.  Paul wrote about this transformation in 1 Corinthians 2:”

1 Corinthians 2:12-14 (VOICE)

12 You must know that we have not received the spirit of this rebellious and broken world but the Spirit that comes from God, so that we may experience and comprehend the gifts that come from God. 13 We do not speak of these gifts of God in words shaped by human wisdom; we speak in words crafted by the Spirit because our collective judgment on spiritual matters is accessible to those who have the Spirit. 14 But a person who denies spiritual realities will not accept the things that come through the Spirit of God; they all sound like foolishness to him. He is incapable of grasping them because they are disseminated, discerned, and valued by the Spirit.

Question

Read 1 Corinthians 2:16 (AMP)

16 For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.

What does it mean when it says “we have the mind of Christ”?

I like the Amplified Version of this scripture.  It says we do hold the thoughts, feelings and purposes of Christ heart! This truth is enough to change us. If we really mediate on this, we will forever be changed. Think about it, we have the mind of Christ and hold thoughts and feelings and purposed of HIS heart! That is life changing. Join me on this life changing study.

David Platt goes onto say that Paul also wrote about the benefits of this transformation.  I love these cartoons from Joyful 'toons and I think this one depicts this well.

==THIS IS AN IMPORTANT BENEFIT OF CHOOSING TO FOLLOW HIM==

Day Three – From Internal to External

There are several sections for each day in the book.

On Day three, my favorite section was JESUS TRANSFORMS OUR RELATIONSHIPS. (This is big for me)

Here is what David Platt has to say,

~~ “As our transformation continues to progress from internal to external,  Jesus impacts more than our individual actions. He also transforms our relationships with others.  Specifically, He gives us the ability to love others as He loves them: (See John 15:12-15)

In this same section He goes on to say,

~~ “As we abide in Christ and Christ abides in us, He transforms our ability to love and relate with others. He enables us to love our neighbors as ourselves (See Matt. 22:39).  As a result, Christians should be distinguishable from the rest of the world because our relationships with one another and with those who still need Christ:

Question

In what ways do you express sacrificial love for those who still need Christ?

 

==YOUR WILL, YOUR RELATIONSHIPS, EVEN YOUR ENTIRE PURPOSE FOR LIVING IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN AS YOU ABIDE IN JESUS AND AS HE ABIDES IN YOU==

Day Four – Abide in God’s Word

This was full of some wisdom for me. There were a few questions discussed on this day.
David Platt talks about believing the scriptures and believing through the consequences.

~~ "So part of what it means to remain in Jesus is to spend regular time reading the bible, which is His Word.  But we know from James that even the demons have an intellectual awareness of what God has revealed in His Word--and shudder (see Jas. 2:19),
Therefore, Jesus makes it clear that obedience is also part of the equation: 
John 15:9-10
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Now remain in my love.  If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. (emphasis added), David Platt (page 53)
 

Questions

What part do we play when it comes to remaining in Christ?  What choices do we need to make in order to remain in Him? What actions do we need to take?

 

==BEAR THE FRUIT OF THIS WORD IN THE WORLD, EVEN IF THAT MEANS LOSING EVERYTHING ELSE==

Day Five – Personal Disciple-Making Plan:  Fill Your Mind with Truth
This one had me in tears for personal reasons but good stuff. Great questions to think about and advice on how to plan for filling our minds with truth.

~~ "As you consider a plan for reading, memorizing, and learning God's Word, don't forget that we do these things as disciples not for information's sake but for transformation's sake.  Once again, the words of James are helpful:  "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says" (Jas. 1:22)

As believers in Jesus, we're followers of Jesus , which means that we not only hear the truth of Christ;  we apply the truth of Christ.  Our goal as disciples is never just to believe God's Word;  our goal is to obey God's Word."  David Platt, (page 61)

Question

Are you satisfied or unsatisfied with your current plan for reading God's Word? Why?

No, No, No!!! I am not satisfied with my current reading plan for God's Word. I crave God's Word but it is hard for me to stick to a reading plan for some reason, so I usually just read random scriptures.  After reading this, I am following a reading plan and sticking to it and intentionally filling up my mind with God's Word, God's truth.

==THEREFORE, AS YOU PLAN TO FILL YOUR MIND WITH TRUTH, ALSO PURPOSE TO FOLLOW THE ONE WHO IS TRUTH ==

Thank you for reading. I pray you were blessed.  This book has my attention. Please make sure  to stop by Satisfaction Through Christ’s to read  Christie's discussion on the this week’s reading and also check back with us every Wednesday for the next 4 weeks for the rest of this study.

God bless you and if you have any prayer requests please leave me a comment or send me an email and we will lift up your needs in Jesus name.