Christ Church
Busting the Myths about Church Week 3
Locations & Times
Christ Church Fairgrove Campus
2416 Zion Church Rd, Hickory, NC 28602, USA
Saturday 5:00 PM
Myth 1: It’s okay if I don’t tithe.
Myth 2: Prayer is useless.
Plain Truth: Applying spiritual disciplines is oxygen to the soul and essential for spiritual growth.
Need Prayer?
Submit your prayer request to us. We believe in the power of prayer and diligently pray over each prayer request we receive.
https://christnc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/58/responses/newDonate!
You may wish to support Christ Church financially. You can do so by giving online at the link below.
http://christnc.com/giving/Life Group Lesson for the Week of November 19, 2017
Most of us would say we believe the Bible. But do we live the truth expressed in God’s Word? As we studied last week in the second chapter of the book of James, even the demons believe there is one God “and they tremble in terror” (James 2:19-20). For example, why do we believe myths like ‘it doesn’t really matter if I tithe’ and ‘God already knows my heart so it doesn’t matter if I pray’ – when we are commanded numerous times in Scripture to tithe and pray. We are living a lie if we say we believe one thing and yet refuse to live it out, even when it’s hard. Truth needs to be applied if it is going to make a difference in our lives.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” according to Hebrews 13:8. When we avoid reading the Old Testament because it’s hard to understand and difficult to interpret, we miss out on God’s grace that is all through the Old Covenant. We think, surely Jesus came to do away with the Old Testament, and so dismiss it, except for the parts we like. And yet, Jesus says: “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved” (Matthew 5:17-18).
Hebrews 13:1-21
The writer of Hebrews says to “give honor to marriage and remain faithful to one another in marriage”. Similarly, we are to give honor to the Lord who has called us into a covenant relationship much like marriage (see Ephesians 5:31-32). Making a commitment is hard because by nature we are selfish. But to avoid commitment is to avoid opportunity to be conformed to the image of Christ.
Like being unsatisfied with the ‘wife of your youth’ and lusting after younger women, lusting after wealth and the things of this world is adultery against God. “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you,’” says the writer of Hebrews (v5). We must remember the Lord is a good Husband. He will not leave us or forsake us. And because He remains faithful, Christ-followers must remain faithful. And this includes honoring Him with the tithe.
1. How is tithing – giving back to God your first and best – like giving honor to wedding vows?
Read Malachi 2:13-16. Judah (God’s people) had been unfaithful to the Lord and unfaithful to their marriage vows. These two serious issues are not unrelated. How is faithfulness to your spouse directly paralleled to your faithfulness to God, and vice-versa?
Another myth-buster has to do with our prayer life. Praying is like communicating with your spouse. And enjoying your time with the Lord is like enjoying time with your spouse. No one has an ideal marriage, but we can all imagine what and ideal (healthy and loving) marriage would be like. More than once in Scripture God is likened to a Husband (for example, Isaiah 54:5 and Hosea 2:19). And as a good Husband, the Lord wants to spend time with the one He loves.
2. Knowing Christ personally is special and intimate. Do you see your relationship with the Lord like a healthy and loving marriage?
Seeing Christ in context of deep intimacy can change the way we pray. He actually listens and will not tune us out. Read Psalm 116:1-2. In your experience share how answered prayer has motivated you to pray more.
Both tithing and praying are part of a six-fold covenant that fully devoted followers enjoy here at Christ Church. Tithing and praying are both privileges of knowing the Lord on an intimate level. As Christ-followers we must remember “this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come” (Hebrews 13:14). And like Abraham “was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God” (Hebrews 11:10), we are anticipating the place prepared for us by our Bridegroom. Jesus says, “When everything is ready I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:3).
We must also be aware that as Christ’s beloved, we have an enemy that wants to destroy us (John 10:10, 1 Peter 5:8). The devil wants you to be unfaithful to your spouse and your Lord by not tithing joyfully. The devil wants you to stonewall your spouse and your Lord by refusing to pray. Believing what Jesus said is vital. We must know and live Christ’s words. And the only way to do that is read (study, meditate, and pray) what He actually says in His Word. We must live by the ‘whole counsel of God’ as revealed in Scripture, says John Wesley.
3. Close by reading Matthew 7:24-29 from Eugene Peterson’s The Message. How does the passage of truth convict your heart today?
How will you resolve to commit in the coming year – to your church, to your spouse, to your Lord?
Most of us would say we believe the Bible. But do we live the truth expressed in God’s Word? As we studied last week in the second chapter of the book of James, even the demons believe there is one God “and they tremble in terror” (James 2:19-20). For example, why do we believe myths like ‘it doesn’t really matter if I tithe’ and ‘God already knows my heart so it doesn’t matter if I pray’ – when we are commanded numerous times in Scripture to tithe and pray. We are living a lie if we say we believe one thing and yet refuse to live it out, even when it’s hard. Truth needs to be applied if it is going to make a difference in our lives.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” according to Hebrews 13:8. When we avoid reading the Old Testament because it’s hard to understand and difficult to interpret, we miss out on God’s grace that is all through the Old Covenant. We think, surely Jesus came to do away with the Old Testament, and so dismiss it, except for the parts we like. And yet, Jesus says: “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved” (Matthew 5:17-18).
Hebrews 13:1-21
The writer of Hebrews says to “give honor to marriage and remain faithful to one another in marriage”. Similarly, we are to give honor to the Lord who has called us into a covenant relationship much like marriage (see Ephesians 5:31-32). Making a commitment is hard because by nature we are selfish. But to avoid commitment is to avoid opportunity to be conformed to the image of Christ.
Like being unsatisfied with the ‘wife of your youth’ and lusting after younger women, lusting after wealth and the things of this world is adultery against God. “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you,’” says the writer of Hebrews (v5). We must remember the Lord is a good Husband. He will not leave us or forsake us. And because He remains faithful, Christ-followers must remain faithful. And this includes honoring Him with the tithe.
1. How is tithing – giving back to God your first and best – like giving honor to wedding vows?
Read Malachi 2:13-16. Judah (God’s people) had been unfaithful to the Lord and unfaithful to their marriage vows. These two serious issues are not unrelated. How is faithfulness to your spouse directly paralleled to your faithfulness to God, and vice-versa?
Another myth-buster has to do with our prayer life. Praying is like communicating with your spouse. And enjoying your time with the Lord is like enjoying time with your spouse. No one has an ideal marriage, but we can all imagine what and ideal (healthy and loving) marriage would be like. More than once in Scripture God is likened to a Husband (for example, Isaiah 54:5 and Hosea 2:19). And as a good Husband, the Lord wants to spend time with the one He loves.
2. Knowing Christ personally is special and intimate. Do you see your relationship with the Lord like a healthy and loving marriage?
Seeing Christ in context of deep intimacy can change the way we pray. He actually listens and will not tune us out. Read Psalm 116:1-2. In your experience share how answered prayer has motivated you to pray more.
Both tithing and praying are part of a six-fold covenant that fully devoted followers enjoy here at Christ Church. Tithing and praying are both privileges of knowing the Lord on an intimate level. As Christ-followers we must remember “this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come” (Hebrews 13:14). And like Abraham “was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God” (Hebrews 11:10), we are anticipating the place prepared for us by our Bridegroom. Jesus says, “When everything is ready I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:3).
We must also be aware that as Christ’s beloved, we have an enemy that wants to destroy us (John 10:10, 1 Peter 5:8). The devil wants you to be unfaithful to your spouse and your Lord by not tithing joyfully. The devil wants you to stonewall your spouse and your Lord by refusing to pray. Believing what Jesus said is vital. We must know and live Christ’s words. And the only way to do that is read (study, meditate, and pray) what He actually says in His Word. We must live by the ‘whole counsel of God’ as revealed in Scripture, says John Wesley.
3. Close by reading Matthew 7:24-29 from Eugene Peterson’s The Message. How does the passage of truth convict your heart today?
How will you resolve to commit in the coming year – to your church, to your spouse, to your Lord?