Week 4 Day 6-Experiences


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DAY 6EXPERIENCES (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. 8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.

    On this final lesson of being involved as a member of the church, we look at perhaps one of the most comforting passages in the Scriptures, found in 2 Corinthians chapter 1. In your own Bible, it is affirming to circle all of the times the word “comfort” is used in this passage.
    Some of the experiences you may have gone through to help you be involved in the ministry may have been positive, educational, even inspirational. One of my favorite truisms in life is this:
      Good judgment comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgment.
    Whether your experience has been good, bad, or neutral, God can use it for His glory. Romans 8:28 says that “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
    The passage from 2 Corinthians goes on to say that the experience Paul went through was instructional to “make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.”
    Think back through your life and see how God has brought you through the good and bad to make all things work together for good. If you have not seen the final product yet, remember that Christ promised that some revelations will not be made known in this life, but in the one to come.
    Today’s assignment is in writing your personal salvation testimony. This may be familiar territory, or it may be new. Our goal is to get involved in the lives of others to help your experiences show them through your testimony how they too can be saved.
    The following pages are for you to take out of the notebook and share with the class, so be discreet and discerning on how much information you wish to share.
    First, write down a brief but helpful story of how God has brought you to where you are today. Begin with a description of how your life was before you were saved. The Bible says that every one of us were born in a fallen nature and state, separated from God. None of us were born “saved” or with no need for redemption and forgiveness by Christ. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
    Even those who were raised in a godly home and never knew a time when they did not know about God, even they must come to saving relationship with God. God the Father only has children and does not have spiritual grandchildren, so just because your parents were Christians, that does not mean you are by nature or nurture automatically a Christian. John 1:12-13 says it this way:
12 But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
    The writer is speaking about being spiritually born again (see also John 3). We cannot save ourselves and our spiritual life comes not simply because we “believe” in God, but we also have to “receive” Him into our lives.
   Second, as you pray and reflect on your “B.C.” (Before Christ) days, ask God to reveal what were some things that made you realize that you were in need of salvation. This is what I call a “life need”. Some examples include a fear of death, the loss of a loved one, an overwhelming sense of sin and need of forgiveness, a trauma in your life, a reflection of Christ in someone else’s life that may you want to have what they have, a spiritual or emotional worship service, Vacation Bible School, someone came and shared the plan of salvation.
    It may not have been a negative event but perhaps a positive appreciation of the goodness of God that led you to salvation. Romans 2:4 says, “God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance.” This too is a “life need” to respond to the goodness and mercy of God.
    Third, write down what your “life need” was that drove you to Christ. Your experience should include some Biblical input of how Christ changed you. Remember, the goal of 2 Corinthians 1 is to use the comfort that comforted you to help in comforting others, and in this case, lead others to a salvation relation with Christ.
    You may need the assistance of a Christian friend, or an online Bible study help to find verses that helped you come to salvation with Christ. My favorite resources is found at “blueletterbible.org”, but others use “biblehub.com”,  “biblegateway.com” or “biblestudytools.com”.
    Last, write down how Christ has met your life need. If you were afraid of death, tell how the Bible and Christ help you overcome that fear and trust Him for your eternal life.
    Your story at first may be short, but please fill in all four sections and remember to find some verses that have been meaningful to you or that you find in your search for this assignment that accurately describe what you have experienced.
    As you have seen in this class, the Bible is a vital part of our message and it even stats that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” Elsewhere it says that “the Word of God is powerful as a two-edged sword.” Therefore, your story, combined with His Story, can help others receive Christ as a part of their story.



Part 1: My life before Christ


Part 2: My life need that led me to Christ


Part 3: My realization on how Christ met my life need



Part 4: How my life is different since my salvation

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