This sample lesson is from the Abundant Life course and is offered in partnership with SEAN UK and with permission of SEAN International. This course can also be obtained from SEAN UK. For further details see www.sean.uk.net
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Welcome to this sample lesson from the course: “Abundant Life”. The course contains teaching on how to live as a Christian. It is used in many parts of the world to help new believers grow in their faith. It is also used as a refresher course for those who have been Christians for some time.
The Method
The course uses a very simple method. It is specially aimed at ordinary people with a basic school education but is useful for all types of people. All our GOLD Project courses are designed to help you learn by means of:
Home Study plus Group Meetings and Practical Application
Home Study
This course is made up of 18 lessons. You will need to complete each lesson on your own at home. These lessons require you to read and interact with the course material as well as with your Bible. They are deliberately repetitive to help you remember what you learn.
To get the maximum benefit it is important that you use the course in the way it was intended:
1. Read each numbered section.
2. Write the correct answers to the questions in the spaces provided or tick the correct answers where there is a choice.
3. After you have completed each answer, check that your answer corresponds with the answers given at the end of this Student Workbook.
4. Proceed to the next section.
Abundant Life
There are Bible verses in the lessons for memorising. These are clearly indicated. We have used the New International Version of the Bible throughout this course. If you use a different version, you will find that the course does not match your Bible.
At the end of each lesson, we encourage you to spend some time in reflection on how what you have learnt applies to you in the situation where God has placed you. If you have any difficulties talk them over with your Group Leader.
Group Meeting
After each lesson, you will have a group meeting. The group meetings give the opportunity for you to clarify ideas and to share your own thoughts and to listen to the ideas of others. The process of learning from the Bible in a group is an essential part of the programme. It is here that you are able to think through areas of application and to pray and support each other in your studies.
The aim of this method is that:
1. you can check frequently that you have understood the material presented;
2. you are stimulated to active thinking;
3. you reinforce what you learn and are better able to remember it.
4. you are able to learn with others and be guided by your Group Leader.
Practical Application
During each group meeting, you will discuss what practical application task you will try and complete before you next meet. You will have an opportunity to review the practical application each time you meet.'
Additional instructions are provided in these boxes. Please pause to read them thoroughly. Now it’s time to get started!
Lesson 4 Obedience
We have now studied two key aspects which must be found in the life of a child of God:
1. REPENTENCE and
2. FAITH
In this lesson we will study a third aspect:
3. OBEDIENCE
1. Read the following Bible Verse:
“…Christ died and returned to life so that he migh be the Lord…” (Romans 14:9)
This verse teaches us that Jesus died and rose again not only to be our Saviour but also to be our L___________
2. Learn and memorise the words that you read in the previous question, along with the reference, using the spaces below for this:
“________________ _______________ and ______________ to ________ so that he might be _________________ __________________
(______________________ ______:______)
Abundant Life
3. At the time when this was written, the word “Lord” meant master; a person who had total authority over one. So this verse means that we should obey him.
a. when we feel like it
b. at all times.
c. sometimes.
4. Jesus once said:
"If you love me, keep my commands.” (John 14:15)
So, if Christ is our Lord we will ________________ his commands.
5. Christ himself said:
"No one can serve TWO masters." (Matthew 6:24)
We must serve and obey Christ and him alone. He must be given first place in our lives.
a) Who should be the believer’s only Lord and Master?
b) Who then should be your only Lord and Master?
Now we shall see that we must obey the Lord Jesus Christ in three areas of our life: THOUGHT, WORD, and DEED.
Christ, the Lord of our Thoughts
6. Obeying and pleasing the Lord Jesus is not like pleasing other people.
People can only see the outside of our lives, so they must judge by that.
However, the Bible says about the Lord:
"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. " (Hebrews 4:13)
Look carefully at the cartoon below.
The woman in the picture is deceiving the man by thinking one thing but saying something quite different.
Why is it impossible to deceive the Lord in this way?
Abundant Life
7. The “eyes” of the Lord look into the most secret part of our soul and see everything that is there.
So which of the following are true?
a. God sees our inner thoughts.
b. God knows why I do everything.
c. God knows the desires of my heart.
d. God cannot see what I do because he is so busy with all the other things in the world.
e. Everything is open to the eyes of God.
8. One of the men God’s Spirit moved to write several books of the Bible was named Paul. In one place Paul wrote:
“...we take captive every THOUGHT to make it OBEDIENT to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)
We can see from these words that we must learn to obey and please Christ in all of our _____________________________.
9. In another place Paul wrote:
“...be transformed by the renewing of your MIND....” (Romans 12:2)
To be transformed means to be changed and, according to this verse, this change must start with our way of THINKING.
That is what is meant when it says that our must be renewed.
10. Paul also tells us how to change our way of THINKING and make our thoughts OBEDIENT to Christ in the following words:
“...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy –think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)
If we really do begin to fill our minds with these things it will change our way of thinking.
So which of the following thoughts will have to go? Tick below those thoughts that we must not harbour in our mind.
a. Untrue and unkind thoughts about a friend.
b. Thoughts about how I can deceive someone.
c. Dirty thoughts.
d. Thoughts of the greatness and love of God.
e. Thoughts about how I can help my neighbour in need.
There is an old saying: “You can’t keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” Satan will often tempt you by putting wrong thoughts into your mind, but with God’s help you can keep them from staying there. The “birds” can be kept from building a nest.
11. However, never make the mistake of believing that you can change your way of thinking entirely on your own.
Remember that Jesus is your Saviour and that he alone can save you from all your sins, including your sinful
Abundant Life
12. a) If Jesus is our Lord, what must we do? O_______ him. If you can’t remember, look back to No.4
b) Up to now we have been studying just one of the areas of our life in which we must obey Jesus Christ as Lord, that is the area of our
But Christ should also be the Lord of our words.
Christ, the Lord of our Words
13. When a believer’s mind and thoughts are changed, their way of talking will be changed as well. Jesus said:
“For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
(Matthew 12:34)
Therefore, if we obey the Lord Jesus in our thought-life, the things which come out of our mouth will also change. That is, our w___________ will also change.
Lesson 5 (Sample)
14. To obey Jesus in what we say, we must make sure that we only use good, clean words. Bad language should not come out of a Christian’s mouth.
Sometimes a new Christian finds it very hard to break the habit of swearing or lying. But the Bible says:
“Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should NOT be.” (James 3:10) a. Only clean words.
b. Bad language.
c. A mixture of clean and foul language.
15. In what area of our lives should we obey Christ as Lord?
The ___________________ that come out of our mouths.
Abundant Life
16. Following are six examples of the use of words. Some of them are good uses, some are wrong. Look at these examples carefully.
a) Match the words in the list below with these pictures. Put the letter of the picture in the space provided.
1) Words used to encourage others. Picture _______
2) Words used to praise God. Picture _______
3) Words used to gossip. Picture _______
4) Words used to talk about Jesus. Picture _______
5) Words used to lie. Picture _______
6) Words used to curse. Picture _______
5 (Sample)
b) In which three pictures are people using their words in the right way, and so obeying Jesus as their Lord?
17. a) If Jesus is our Lord, what should we be doing?
b) What are the two areas of our life, that we have looked at so far, in which we should be obeying the Lord Jesus Christ?
But Christ should also be the Lord of our deeds.
Christ, the Lord of our Deeds
18. Go over the verse and reference you memorised, using No.1 and No.2 of this lesson as a guide.
19. Yes, Christ died and returned to life in order to be Lord. But, calling Jesus “Lord” is more than a matter of words. Jesus was referring to people who thought that way when he said:
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’, and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46) It is no good calling Jesus “Lord”, if we do not actually ________ what he says.
20. We must put our words into practice by DOING what the Lord says. He expects us to be obedient to him in (Tick one)
a. words only.
b. thoughts only.
c. the things we DO, as well as thoughts and words.
Abundant Life
21. When we studied the idea of true repentance we saw that a real change of mind and attitude results in a changed life. We begin to DO what the Lord tells us. We are to obey the Lord in our thoughts and our words as well as by what is right.
22. Larry feels that Jesus wants him to help his elderly neighbour, a widow, who urgently needs someone to help fix her broken window.
a) In which of the pictures does Larry think of helping? _____
b) In which picture does he talk about doing it? _____
c) In which picture does he actually DO the good deed? _____
23. Of course, from time to time, you will sin by thought, word and deed. When this happens make sure you confess it to the Lord and turn away from it immediately. Then you can be sure that this sin will be f______________.
24. There are three areas of our life in which we should obey Christ as Lord.
What are they?
25. This is the key to a changed life. It is the Abundant Life that the Lord promises us if we obey him in these three ways. Therefore we must not only believe in Jesus as our Saviour, but also obey him as our _____________________________.
Ask the Lord to help you obey him in your thoughts, words and deeds. Give yourself to him afresh now so that he will truly be your Lord and Master.
Now do the Lesson Review at the back of the book
Answers to Lessons
Lesson 4
1. Lord
3. b.
4. obey
5. a) Christ b) Christ
6. Because there is nothing that can be hidden from God, or, because God sees everything (similar words)
7. a. b. c. e.
8. thoughts
9. mind
10. a. b. c.
11. thoughts
12. a) Obey b) thoughts
13. words
14. a.
15. words
16. a) 1) A 2) D 3) B 4) E 5) C 6) F b) A, D, E.
17. a) Obeying him b) Our thoughts/our words
19. do
20. c.
21. doing
22. a) A b) B c) C
23. forgiven
24. Our thoughts/ Our words/Our deeds
25. Lord
Lesson 4: Review
1. If Christ is truly your Lord, what must you do?
2. In which three areas of your life should you do this?
3. Write out the verse you memorised in this lesson, with its reference:
Reference: .
Whatever your educational level or knowledge of the Christian faith, we have courses that can enable you to grow in your faith.
As a group you can choose the level at which you want to study. We will train your group leader how the courses work.
All our courses combine:
✔ Home Study: using carefully designed workbooks
✔ Group Meetings: with a trained facilitator
✔ Application: Activities and opportunities to practice what you are learning
Level 1 Courses
For those who are new to the Christian faith and want an easily accessible form of study.
Level 2 Courses
For those who want to learn what it is to follow Jesus through an in-depth study of his life and ministry.
Level 3 Courses
For those who want to take the study of the Bible further and engage with its meaning for today.
