Courage to Stand for God
One of the early Christian martyrs was an elderly man named Polycarp. He was arrested and freely admitted that he was a Christian. He was given plenty of opportunities to save his own life, but he refused each offer because the condition for being spared was to deny Christ. He told his persecutors, "Eighty and six years have I served him, and he hath done me no wrong; how then can I blaspheme my king who saved me?"
Polycarp stood up for the Lord, even though it cost him his life. Many others have done the same. We are blessed to live in a land of religious freedom, but we face challenges in which we are called on stand up for God.
This four-session Study Theme focuses on the lives of several Old Testament persons who modeled courage, some hesitantly at first and others with a marvelous faith. These examples can give believers of all maturity levels a foundation for forming and solidifying the courage it takes to live for God.
The first lesson, "Demonstrating Spiritual Leadership," is based on the story of Deborah in judge 4-5. The second lesson, "Opposing False Beliefs," is based on the story of Gideon in Judge 6. The third lesson, "Refusing to Compromise," is based on the story of Shadrach, Meshrach, and Abednego in Daniel 3. The fourth lesson, "Acting Decisively," is based on the story of Esther.
This study is designed to help you---
- take a stand for God and thereby encourage fellow Christians to do the same (Mar. 7)
- live in loyalty to the one true God and challenge false gods off today (Mar. 14)
- gain boldness to live for God without compromise (Mar. 21)
- recognize and act upon God-given opportunity to fulfill His will for your life, whatever the cost (Mar. 28)
-Martyr of Polycarp
0 comments:
Post a Comment