Lesson 8
SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP
Disciplined Leaders
TEACHING AIM: Communicate believers are to exercise self-discipline to train for godliness.
WHY STUDY THIS LESSON: Spiritual leaders model hard work and discipline (in the manner of soldiers, athletes, and farmers) while training for godliness, which has benefits both in this life and eternity.
DESIRED OUTCOME: To exercise self-discipline to engage in the spiritual practices of Bible reading, studying, hearing, memorizing, and meditating.
Background Passage: 1 Timothy 4
Focal Passage: 1 Timothy 4:6-10
- Spiritual leaders are to point out false doctrine and uphold sound teaching (vv. 6-7a).
- Spiritual leaders are to train for godliness because it is beneficial for the present and eternity (vv. 7b-8).
- Spiritual leaders are to labor and strive for the gospel (vv. 9-10).
Memory Verses: But have nothing to do with irreverent and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness, for the training of the body has a limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come (1 Tim. 4:7-8).
PREPARING TO TEACH
“Be all that you can be.” Recruits in the 1980s and 90s discovered that accepting the Army’s challenge required hard work and discipline. Spiritual leaders are to strive to be the best they can be for the glory of God and the good of those they influence. Believers are to lead in pursuing spiritual, physical, and emotional health, and that requires hard work and self-discipline.
Read 1 Timothy 4 in your Bible, focusing on 1 Timothy 4:6-10. Journal about the challenges and encouragements this passage offers you as a spiritual leader. Study Lesson 8 in your Venture In: Spiritual Leadership Travelogue, recording your answers to every bolded question.
Write Self-Discipline on index cards, one for each participant. Place a card and writing instrument on every chair in your meeting space before adults arrive.
Pray God will motivate adults to exercise self-discipline to nourish themselves in His Word.
TEACHING SUGGESTIONS
Self-Discipline Required
As adults arrive, request they consider the word on the cards in their chairs and record initial thoughts and feelings about self-discipline. (Request they keep the card handy; they’ll need it later in the session.)
Analyze how some people regard self-discipline and why. Encourage the group to define self-discipline. Read the Travelogue definition (p. 79): choosing productive behavior even when you feel otherwise.
Ask: Do you think self-discipline is essential for spiritual leaders? Explain your reasoning.
Guide the group to explore how the concept of self-discipline is a spiritual paradox. Discuss: Describe how self-discipline is really Spirit-discipline (Travelogue, p. 80). Ask someone to read the Travelogue paragraph (p. 80) beginning: To develop spiritual self-discipline….
State the apostle Paul emphasized that spiritual leaders must model hard work and Spirit-empowered self-discipline while training for godliness. Read 1 Timothy 4:6-10. Explain you will provide a brief overview of the passage and then the group will work through the Travelogue to determine specific applications.
Paul had left Timothy in Ephesus to combat false teachers who were disturbing the church with wrong doctrines (1 Tim. 1:3-4). As a good servant of Christ Jesus, Timothy was to point out those falsehoods to the people under his care, making certain he was nourished by God’s Word so he could discern error and promote true godliness. Timothy was human, like all spiritual leaders are, and had to be reminded to be careful not to substitute irreverent and silly myths for genuine training. Human nature always wants to take the easy way—drink this shake, take that supplement, use this fat-burning belt massager—and drop four sizes in a month. That’s not going to happen. Nor does spiritual transformation occur with a few easy steps—it requires life-long, consistent, self-disciplined training.
Teacher Help
This study note from the HCSB Study Bible (p. 2088) sheds light on 1 Timothy 4:10: The statement that Jesus is the Savior of everyone, especially of those who believe may seem to teach universalism, the belief that every person will eventually go to heaven regardless of whether or not they accept Christ. But the rest of Scripture clearly denies this idea. The Greek word translated here as “especially” expresses the sense of “particularly.” The point is not that Jesus saves everybody and then saves believers even more. Rather, Jesus is the Savior for all—all who believe. Further, “everyone” pictures the trans-national scope of the gospel. Thus Christ is the “Savior” of people from every race and nation.
Personal Training
Invite a volunteer to read 1 Timothy 4:8. Analyze whether Paul was saying spiritual leaders should neglect physical training to focus on spiritual matters. Ask: Why is physical fitness important for a Christian leader? (Travelogue, p. 82).
Ask adults to state why they agree or disagree with the Travelogue (p. 81) statement: Your need for disciplined spiritual training is far greater than your need for physical training.
Assert: There is not one thing in your life that will not get better when you exercise in godliness. Request adults identify the two areas of life Paul said benefit from training in godliness. Evaluate the difference spiritual training can make in adults’ present circumstances. Identify from the Travelogue (p. 82) three ways spiritual training has eternal results.
The Foundation for Spiritual Training
Ask: What is just as essential for physical health as exercise? What kind of self-discipline must we employ to maintain a healthy diet? Healthy nourishment isn’t just about eating good foods, it’s about limiting or eliminating what is not beneficial or is harmful to our bodies.
Request adults glean from 1 Timothy 4:6 the nutritional diet for spiritual training. Inquire: Why is the Bible foundational for spiritual training? (Travelogue, p. 83). What kind of self-discipline must we exercise to gain nourishment from the Bible? What might we need to limit or eliminate from our lives in order to be nourished by the words of the faith?
Explore what it means to be an active learner of the Bible. Declare we must learn what God’s Word says and then do what it says.
Getting a Grip
Challenge adults to hold up their Bibles with only two or three fingers (encourage them to try to not use their thumbs). Draw attention to the hand illustration on Travelogue page 84. State: If we’re going to get a grip on the Bible, interacting with it regularly and implementing it consistently, we must exercise the self-discipline to engage in all five spiritual practices of reading, studying, hearing, memorizing, and meditating on God’s Word.
Ask: When does self-discipline become a negative chain that binds us instead of a healthy habit that empowers us? (When it becomes legalistically driven rather than compelled by grace and a loving relationship with Jesus.)
Teacher Tip/Option
If your LIFE Group engaged in the JourneyOn Foundations study of Spiritual Practices, remind them they studied Bible reading and study in VentureIn (Chapters 2 & 8) and Bible memorization and meditation in VentureUp (Chapters 1 & 7). Invite volunteers to share how they have been engaging in those spiritual practices since that study and how that has resulted in spiritual transformation.
Read the Bible
Refer to the first finger on the hand illustration and read the Travelogue (p. 84) statement: As a leader, you must develop the discipline of regular Bible reading—with a goal of daily reading. Ask: How does this call for self-discipline without legalism?
Determine some barriers to regular Bible reading. Invite volunteers to share how they have sought to overcome those barriers and incorporate regular Bible reading into their lives. Ask: How has a daily time of reading the Word influenced your relationship with Christ? How has it impacted your leadership influence on others?
Study the Bible
Refer to the second finger on the hand illustration and state we must also engage in Bible study. Evaluate the difference between Bible reading and Bible study. Discuss: How can you benefit from group Bible study? (Travelogue, p. 85).
Hear the Bible
Discuss: Describe ways hearing and responding to preaching is essential for spiritual growth (Travelogue, p. 86). Why does hearing and responding to Bible preaching require self-discipline?
Memorize the Bible
Hold up your pointer finger and ask how we use that finger to emphasize and direct. Declare memorizing Scripture is a great way to emphasize God’s truths in our hearts and keep us going in the right direction. Read Psalm 119:11.
Ask: What keeps you from memorizing Scripture? (Travelogue, p. 87).
Relate and apply the following Scripture memory strategies:
1. Write the verse(s). Note 1 Timothy 4:7-8 are this lesson’s memory verses. Encourage adults to write those verses on the flip side of their “self-discipline” index cards.
2. Read the verse aloud numerous times. Request adults read 1 Timothy 4:7-8 to the people sitting on either side of them.
3. Read the verse, emphasizing a different word each time. Lead adults to read 1 Timothy 4:7-8 in unison emphasizing the words “train” and “training.” Read it again, emphasizing “godliness” and one more time emphasizing “life.”
4. Review the verse often. Encourage adults to put this index card someplace visible so they can review it during their day.
5. Find a memory partner. Refer to the Travelogue, page 86.
Invite volunteers to share other strategies that help them memorize Scripture.
Meditate on the Bible
Evaluate why the Travelogue writer put Bible meditation on the thumb of the hand illustration (see the first paragraph under this section on page 87).
Consider reasons Christians are leery of meditation. Contrast eastern religion meditation with biblical meditation. Rather than emptying our minds, biblical meditation focuses on filling our minds with Scripture, internalizing and personalizing God’s truths so He can transform our thinking and behavior.
Relay some strategies for meditating:
1. Invite the Holy Spirit to fill your mind and heart with God’s truth.
2. Read the passage slowly several times—silently, in a whisper, and full voice. Emphasize a specific word each time you read it. Journal what that word means in the context of the passage.
3. Pray that passage to the Lord.
4. Write a paraphrase of the passage.
5. Imagine an illustration or create an artistic expression of the passage.
Read 1 Timothy 4:6. Emphasize the point of Bible reading, studying, hearing, memorizing, and meditating isn’t just to gain Scriptural information, it’s to obediently follow its teachings so we can experience spiritual transformation.
Put Some Effort into It
Ask: How can we have time to do anything else if we engage in all five spiritual practices of Bible reading, studying, hearing, memorizing, and meditating? State we may not engage in every practice every day, and some of it we engage in as we go throughout our day, but the fact remains that being nourished by God’s Word requires self-disciplined effort. Invite someone to read 1 Timothy 4:10.
Relate the meaning of the terms labor and strive. Ask: Why is spiritual growth, particularly for leaders, so hard? (Travelogue, p. 88). Why put this much effort into spiritual training? State we are willing to labor and strive for anything that is a priority. When spiritual transformation—becoming more like Jesus so His personality and deeds flow out of us where we live, work, and play—becomes our priority, we will be willing to exercise the self-discipline to labor and strive to train for godliness.
Conclusion
Read from the Travelogue (p. 88): While spiritual growth is hard, it’s not a hopeless task. God is on your side. He wants you to grow much more than you want to grow. God is your ally and friend; your encourager and strength.
Request adults silently complete: In what area are you now struggling to grow spiritually? Write a hope-filled prayer to God asking for His help (Travelogue, p. 88). Voice a closing prayer.
Follow Through
1. Contact group participants and encourage them to continue memorizing and meditating on 1 Timothy 4:7-8.
2. Recruit a “memory verse” leader to promote Scripture memory in your LIFE Group. He/she could lead a review time at the beginning of each session and pair up interested people with memory accountability partners.
1