Week 10 – June 17th Reading Assignment & Questions

Please read Chapter 10 – “God’s Answer: Regeneration.” If you have extra time, complete Step 10 in the Workbook (at the back of the book). Key points in this Chapter include:

• To overcome shame you must accept how completely God desires to make changes in your life that will free you from your past.
• Regeneration is nothing less than the impartation of new life.
• We will continue to stumble and fall at times, but the Scriptures clearly instruct us to choose to act in ways that reflect our new lives and values in Christ.
• ‘For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.’ (Rom 5:17)
• ‘And in Him you have been made complete, and he is the head over all rule and authority’ (Col 2:10)
• Summary of the 4 Great doctrines: Because of justification, you are completely forgiven and fully pleasing to God. You know longer have to fear failure. Because of reconciliation, you are totally accepted by God. You know longer have to fear rejection. Because of propitiation, you are deeply loved by God. You no longer have to fear punishment; nor do you have to punish others. Because of regeneration, you have been made brand-new, complete in Christ. You no longer need to experience the pain of shame

Questions that we will discuss this week at Tuesday at 7am and Friday at 6:30am include:

• What does it mean for you to have become a “new creation” in Christ? (2 Cor 5:17)
• Review Eph 4:22-24 ( 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.) – What is the difference between being made new in the attitude of your mind and to put on the new self versus the steady stream of “self-improvement” plans fed to us in the secular world?
• Have you struggled with changing the way you view yourself since becoming a Christian? Have you been successful in changing your “personal outlook?”
• The author asserts that the greatest obstacle to experiencing regeneration is that we don’t look different and sometimes we don’t act much different. – Essentially we only believe what we see. Do you agree? What other obstacles prevent you from accepting this truth in your life?
• How can we communicate the hope found in our regeneration to others? What example does Jesus’ treatment of Zaccheus hold for us?