CONFIDENT CHRISTIANITY
(A complete study that I used in Sunday School)
· Name some confident people you have known in your lifetime.
· What makes some Christians more confident than others?
· What are some things that rob Christians of their confidence?
· The words “confident” and “confidence” appear several times in the Bible. They remind us that God wants us to be confident, not in our own strength, but in His.
Psalm 27:1-3 - The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? [2] When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. [3] Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
· Vs. 3 reads this way in the NASB - …in spite of this I shall be confident.”
· What are three things mentioned in verse 1 that help a Christian feel confident. Why do they make us feel confident?
2 Corinthians 5:6-10 – Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: [7] (For we walk by faith, not by sight.) [8] We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. [9] Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. [10] For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
· What do you think it means that we are “absent from the Lord”? How does this make us feel confident?
· Was Paul giving up on life when he said that he was willing to be absent from the body and present with the Lord? Explain.
· What should motivate us to behavior that is acceptable to the Lord, and why?
Acts 28:31 - Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
· What made Paul confident in his preaching? See 1 Corinthians 1:18, 2:1-5
Ephesians 3:12 - In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
· Why are we able to have boldness before God when we pray?
· Why is having access to God such an amazing thing? See Hebrews 4:15-16
Philippians 1:6 - Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
2 Thessalonians 3:4 - And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.
· What was Paul confident about in these verses?
· What made Paul confident?
· How is Philippians 1:6 a comfort when we think of the many spiritual difficulties that we and other Christians face.
Hebrews 3:14 - For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
· Is this verse teaching that we can lose our salvation? Explain.
Hebrews 10:35 - Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
· How will our confidence be rewarded?
1 John 2:28 - And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
· How will abiding in Christ affect our appearance before Christ at His coming?
· Why will it be a shame if we are ashamed at His coming?
1 John 5:14-15 - And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
· What prayer lessons do you see in these verses?
· Why is faith or confidence such a big issue with God when it comes to prayer?
Mark 11:22-24 - And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. [23] For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. [24] Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
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