BS2 - "Good for Nothing"

Christ For Real

Total Devotion '14 - '15

Hi TDers! Life is short and it is fragile. If we want to make the most of it, we must know the purpose for our lives and we must have the capability to fulfill that purpose. As we saw in Genesis 1:26, God created us in His image to highlight His glory and His amazing nature. In this Bible study, we will delve into how that happens and what that looks like in our lives. To refresh yourselfon the message, you can access Robert's message on or (under Messages).

  1. There is no higher calling or purpose than to reflect the glory of the infinite God. Outside of this purpose, man may accomplish things that impact his generation or even a few generations. But man in God’s image was meant to testify to infinite worth andinfinite beauty. Charles Price writes, “Man, not just by what he says, but by what he is, was designed to be a revelation of God.”
  1. What are some qualities of God you can infer from the way that mankind has been made? What are some ways that God has been revealed in the lives of the people you know (personally or historically)?
  1. If someone studied your thoughts and actions for a week expecting to discover what God is like, what might they conclude about God?
  1. In the message, Robert quotes a commentator who compares “living according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:5) to the tram that operates on the contact principle, rather than the motor car that operates on the storage principle. In a couple sentences, explain the differences between those two principles.

Then, read the following passages and meditate on what it would look like for you to practically walk according to the Spirit and in constant contact with the Spirit. Prepare to share with your small group one or two things you plan to do to strengthen your reliance on God. If you are not a believer, what do you think about what these passages say about people who are disconnected to God?

  1. Romans 8:3-8 -
  1. John 15:4-5 -
  1. Hebrews 13:20-21 –
  1. Ephesians 6:16-18 -
  1. “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). Does it ever feel unfair to you that we’re called to follow Christ’s example? I mean He not only was perfect, but He was also fully God right? How hard could it have been for Him to walk this earth?
  1. Read Hebrews 5:7-8. Does it seem like Jesus was self-sufficient or dependent during His time on earth? Think of some specific moments in the gospels that the author of Hebrews might have been thinking of when writing these words.
  1. What would it look like for you to follow Christ’s example as described in Hebrews 5:7-8?
  1. Charles Price ends his second chapter with a beautiful promise that will be true in every Christian’s life: “If Jesus could say, “Apart from me you can do nothing, the apostle Paul later wrote, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13). By “everything” he does not mean he can jump over the moon, but that all God has planned and intends for him is possible in the strength of Jesus Christ. Outside of Christ, nothing is inevitable. At the end of time, we will stand before God with empty hands. In Christ, nothing is impossible. At the end of time, we will stand full of gratitude for all that God has chosen to do.”
  1. Read 2 Corinthians 3:18. Allow yourself to dream a little bit. Imagine that the Lord has granted you 60 more years of life and that each step of the way He has transformed you more and more into His likeness as you beheld His glory. What amazing, almost unbelievable things do you think He would have accomplished through your long life?(It may help to humbly consider the gifts and passions that He’s already implanted in you now.)
  1. Are there any areas of obedience or any steps of faith in your life that you’ve put on hold or written off because you’ve deemed them too hard, unrealistic, or impossible?