LGC - A Life Well-Lived Part 3

A Life Well-Lived (Part 3)

Rhordan Wicks

INTRODUCTION

It is easy to look at someone on the outside and assume that life is going well for them just because they seem put together. However, what is seen in appearance rarely represents what is inside us.

Our journey as Christ’s followers is not about doing the right thing on the outside. God is more interested in our internal world and desires us to be whole to worship and love Him with all our hearts.

As we continue to chew on Psalm 78:72, let’s linger on the psalmist’s description of David’s inner life: that as he led, he did so with integrity of heart. What does that look like?

A life well-lived isn’t built on outward success but on inward growth.

DISCUSSION

Have you ever found yourself putting on a front or pretending everything was fine when, deep down, your inner world was in chaos? How did that impact your relationships or how you saw yourself?
Read Matthew 23:25-26.

a. What do you think is God most interested in within our journey as Christians?

b. In Matthew 23:1-15, Jesus was addressing the Pharisees, the spiritual leaders of Israel. What do you think is the most important attribute as a leader – be it over a community, LifeGroup, household, or workplace?

c. What are some areas on the “inside” of your life that you have neglected to “clean”?
Read Psalm 51. What was David’s response to the Lord after being convicted by the prophet Nathan of committing adultery and murder (refer to 2 Samuel 12)?

a. What is David’s heart posture in the psalm?

b. What does the psalm tell us about
(i) David’s response to sin;
(ii) What God is looking for in His people; and
(iii) Who God is?

c. David would not have been made aware of how he had sinned against God if not for Nathan. Do you have someone like Nathan in your life?
We are shown Paul’s earnest prayer for the church in Ephesians 3:14-19, revealing his desire to see each person’s ‘inner man’ being strengthened.

a. What would happen if we fail to mature in our inner man?

b. How does an individual’s inner growth play a part in the growth of the church as a whole? (Read all of Ephesians 3.)

WHAT WILL YOU DO

Even as we understand that our salvation comes by faith in Jesus and acknowledging Him as our Lord and Saviour, we must recognise that our faith does not stop there. God desires that we be sanctified on the inside so that we can love Him with our whole hearts, and be freed to do His work and love His people.

The preacher shared the following 4 “Ls” to help us build our inner man:

(i) Listen to your heart by practising stillness, journaling and prayer (Ps 139:23-24)
(ii) Liberate your heart by listening to the Holy Spirit declaring who you are to God (Ps 147:3, Gal 5:22-23)
(iii) Lead your heart by meditating on His Word
(iv) Look after your heart by checking in daily and worshipping in corporate gatherings

This week, commit to letting God take you on a journey of wholeness by making space for Him in the following ways:

Stillness
Scribblings (Journaling)
Supplication (Prayer)

MEMORY VERSE

“For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise”. – Psalm 51:16-17

An E1R1 REFLECTION

(From Matthew 20:20-34)

In this passage, Jesus’ disciples experience tension due to their eagerness for positions of importance in His Kingdom. However, Jesus reveals that the ways of the Kingdom are different from the ways of the world: to be great, one must be willing to humble oneself and lay down one’s life. Jesus exemplifies this perfectly by not clinging to His own life, but by laying it down for our sake.

As we interact with people in our spheres of influence, what is our attitude toward those who may not be seen as important or worthy of our time? Will we disregard or silence them in their time of need, just as the crowd did to the two blind men? Or will we choose to stop, listen, and serve them humbly, just as Jesus did?

Let us pray.