Read Acts 9:1-31
Ask about Saul: Who can summarize the story of Saul?…Saul swore to wipe out the Christian Church after Jesus was crucified. He had received a letter from the high priest to arrest any followers of Jesus in Damascus.
Ask about Saul’s characteristics: What qualities/characteristics did Saul have?…He was motivated , goal-driven, hard-hearted, firm in his beliefs/values, and a merciless persecutor.
Talk about Saul’s life: His life was soon flipped soon after a blinding light suddenly struck him down (Acts 9:4-6). Jesus redirected and flipped Saul’s life completely upside down. He had then become aware of the horrible things that he had done (persecuting people, living selfishly, etc). He was told to pursue a new life: devoted to God. For 3 days he was blinded and ate neither food nor drink. Jesus basically told Saul to shift gears and take a new approach on life, especially with his skills and strengths. Jesus then commanded Saul to deliver the gospel to the Gentiles.
Talk about Saul’s character transformation: There was a transformation that took place with Saul…Scales fell off of Saul’s eyes and then he could see again. He was then baptized into the Christian faith. Saul’s name was changed to Paul. Instead of using his abilities in leadership and boldness to persecute, argue and lead others to join him, he was directed by God to share the word of God to people that he had hated previously. He then led many people to the Lord and then kept a reputation as a great disciple of God.
Ask about what a disciple is: What is a disciple of God?…One who humbles himself before God, pushes himself to the limits, and understands their strengths and their weaknesses.
Talk about what we must know as a disciple: As a disciple of God, we must know what we are good at and what we skills need to strengthen.
You must analyze your faith: When you get in a time of thinking/praying/meditation, it is always good to ask yourself questions, especially about your stance in your faith and how you can improve.
Do an exercise: Regarding the Fruit of the Spirit (Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, and Self-Control), what are my strengths and what are my weaknesses?
Examples:
- You are a peaceful person and you are amazing at solving disputes between people. Go forth and use it to praise God.
- You are extremely impatient and always wish to have a conclusion to a complicated situation now. Therefore, notice it, practice doing things step by step and celebrating small achievements.
Read Titus 1:6-9… These qualities would also describe a fully-devoted Christ follower
Ask about the scripture: Do these qualities describe you? What do I need to work on? How am I going to work on this?
Talk about our relationship with God: We must constantly analyze our relationship with God. Using the types of questions that are derived from scripture is the ideal way to go about it.
Talk about strengths and weaknesses: Besides the spiritual aspects of a disciple, what are some other strengths and weaknesses that you may have?
Analyzation activity: I challenge you to write down 10 strengths and 10 weaknesses that you may have. As for your strengths, write an arrow and then how you use that for the Lord (Ex. I can easily speak to others about my faith). As for your weaknesses, write them down, use an arrow, and then write down whether it is possible to redirect that weakness in a way where it could give glory to God (Do things now. Take action).
Conclusion from activity: There is usually a way to channel/redirect our strengths and weaknesses in a way that can give glory and honor to God. With awareness and practice, both our strengths and weaknesses can help us to have a stronger relationship with God and have a tighter-knit community in fellowship.
References:
Bible Study Tools. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.biblestudytools.com/
NIV Life Application Study Bible. (2011). Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament. (2004). Colorado Springs, Colorado: International Bible Society.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament. (2004). Colorado Springs, Colorado: International Bible Society.
Unger, M. F. (1976) Unger’s bible dictionary. Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.