1

HOW MUCH DO I NEED?

B I B L E 4 - 3

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WORSHIP

L Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, C have mercy and hear us.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen  

3

Worship - 2

C . I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the

HOLY SPIRIT AND BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen

4

Worship - 3

L Show us your mercy, O Lord, C and grant us your salvation. L Clothe your ministers with righteousness. C Let your people sing with joy. L Give peace, O Lord, in all the world; C for only in you can we live in safety. L Lord, keep this nation under your care, C and guide us in the way of justice and truth. L Let your way be known upon earth; C your saving health among all nations. L Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten, C nor the hope of the poor be taken away. L Create in us clean hearts, O God, C and sustain us with your Holy Spirit.   L The Lord be with you. C And also with you.

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Worship - 4

L We give thanks to you, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have this day so graciously

protected us. We beg you to forgive us all our sins and the wrong which

we have done. By your great mercy defend us from all the perils and dangers of this night. Into your hands we commend our bodies and souls, and all that is ours.

Let your holy angels have charge of us, that the wicked one have no power over us.

C Amen L Let us bless the Lord. C Thanks be to God. L The + Lord bless us, defend us from all evil, and bring us to

everlasting life. C Amen

6

Experience

Budget Building

Work in dyads or triads – using handout

Develop a realistic budget for your family of 4

Will you need more income?

What bills need to be paid first and always?

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Discussion & reflection:

Matthew 10: 5-10 Read and Highlight:

Hilary of Arles (401-449) “They are warned to avoid the way of the Gentiles… because they were to avoid the works and lifestyle of the unenlightened Gentiles.”

What behaviors of unbelievers are Christians supposed to avoid?

8

Discussion & reflection:

Can we separate the behaviors of Christians from non believers?

What is unique about Christian behavior?

We can all be kind and generous.

We can all sacrifice for others.

Only Christians do all this in order to love of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

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Discussion & reflection:

Acts 4: 32 Read and Highlight:

Basil (329-379) “The Christian ought to regard all the things that are given him for his use, not as his to hold as his own or to lay up; and, giving careful heed to all things as the Lord’s, not to overlook any of the things that being thrown aside and disregarded...”

What would be the advantages and disadvantages of living in such a community?

Sadly, we are so dead in our sin already, that living with nothing or even with everything would be very difficult.

Sooner or later we would begin to accumulate for ourselves, whether it is possessions or privileges on the basis that we need to protect ourselves (as if there were no God!).

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Discussion & reflection:

1 Corinthians 13: 3 Read and Highlight: Ambrosiaster (c. 366-384) “Love is the very head of religion, and

someone who has no head is dead.”

The difficulty with the word “love” is that it means so many different things. Love can mean tough love.

Love in a letter can mean “sincerely” or “respectfully.”

Love can mean what I want it to mean regardless of your feelings.

And love can refer to the presence of the Holy Spirit in us, changing our relationships towards something/some One holy.

This is the only real kind of love.

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Discussion & reflection:

How much do you need to love this way? How much can you love this way?

When I was a child I thought I knew what love was. Then I married and learned a new level of love. Then my children were born and I learned yet a deeper level of

love. Then I learned to love my enemies, even when my enemies were

part of my church, even when the enemy was my own body.

Only now am I learning to love Jesus.

Loving my wife, my children, my friends, the poor, my enemies is learning how to love Jesus.

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Discussion & reflection:

Hebrews 10: 34 Read and Highlight: Chrysostom (354-407) “Knowing then these things, let us be

patient when we suffer evil and forthright in offering kindness. This is all the stronger if we think lightly of wealth and honor. He that has stripped himself of those affections is of all people most generous and wealthier even than he who wears purple.”

What do I/we need? We need to return evil with love, holy love, life giving love,

suffering love. More than things, more than abilities, more than anything

else, I/we need to give love away.

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Discussion & reflection:

Love is not a possession but a process that starts when we give it away.

God initiated love by loving us before we were born, giving us Jesus, giving us the Holy Spirit.

Breathe in, breath out. Breathing in is breathing in the love of God. Breathing out is letting all the pain of the day go. Breathing in is the forgiveness of God. Breathing out is letting His love flow through us.

We have been breathing in His love all of our lives.

Sooner or later we need to breath love back out.

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Questions 4.3

Will you need more income?

What bills need to be paid first and always?

What behaviors of unbelievers are Christians supposed to avoid?

Can we separate the behaviors of Christians from non believers?

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Questions 4.3

What is unique about Christian behavior?

What would be the advantages and disadvantages of living in such a community?

How much do you need to love this way? How much can you love this way?

What do I/we need?