Volume IThe Basics

CHANGESA Bible Study for Christians Making Major

Work and Lifestyle Transitions.

By Marietta Cleckley

and Rosemary Horner

All scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

© Marietta Cleckley and Rosemary Horner

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem or transcribed in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying/ recording or otherwise without the written permission of the authors.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We especially wish to acknowledge the following people:

Maceo and Rosalie Hemmingway for providing the opportunity to teach from this workbook.

We would also like to give our gratitude to Rhunette Ferguson, Virginia Parker and the Hemmingways for their editorial comments.

And thanks to you Ray for your cover design.

Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………... 1

Does God Care? ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2 – 3

Is Knowing God a Priority? …………………………………………………………………………… 4 – 5

God Has Something Special For Me To Do! …………………………………………………… 6

David ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6 – 7

Moses ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8

Joshua ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9 – 10

Rahab ……………………………………………………………………………………..………… 11 – 12

Jesus ……………………………………………………………………….……………………….. 13 – 14

Keys to Knowing God’s Will …………………………………………………………………………………….. 15 – 16

What Does God Say About Success? ……………………………………………………………………….. 18 – 23

Special Helps For Life Changes ………………………………………………………………………………… 24

When You Have Doubts and Fears ………………………………………………………………………….. 25

For Encouragement ………………………………………………………………………………………………... 26

Five Keys To Knowing God’s Will …………………………………………………………………………..... 27

About the Authors …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 28

Table of Contents

As we began writing this guide, we asked ourselves one basic question: Who would be interested in the title, “Changes?” What would this person want to achieve by reading such a guide? Our conclusion was that Christians are probably just as frustrated and/or confused as everyone else is on the subject of making work or lifestyle changes. However, because they are Christians, they want to know something of God’s perspective on the topic. Furthermore, they probably believe, as we do that the benefits of Bible study for someone going through a major change is threefold:

The Bible will give us strength when we are weak The Bible will instruct us in what we are to do The Bible provides us with swords to fight off doubts and despair

The Bible itself stresses the importance of reading and studying Scripture: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to god may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

While we do not profess to be theologians, we have through our own Christian experiences and struggles discovered some truths as the Holy Spirit has led us to examine ideas and research various issues. We have attempted to present a sound and biblically authentic view of what it means to go through work or lifestyle transition as a Christian.

This will not be a theoretical discussion, but a “workstudy” for you. We encourage you to read and meditate on the Scriptures. Read each passage in more than one translation; The New International Version (NIV), The New American Standard are good choices. (We have used the New Revised Standard Version). Do not stop at the verses we have identified. Get a good reference Bible and study the ideas and topics that seem to create in you a thirst to know more. Let the Holy Spirit minister to your heart as you experience growth and the development of new ideas. It is our desire that the time you spend with this guide be an appointment with a living God who cares, and literally died so that He could be with you in a very personal way.

To God be the glory!

Marietta & Rosie

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INTRODUCTION

To examine work and lifestyle changes from a Christian perspective, there are certain basic issues that we must address and come to terms with. The first is “Do I really believe that God is concerned about everything I do?” Have I settled in my own mind that all aspects of my life are important to Him and do I know how important? If we are to truly seek the Lord on any issue, we must first have faith in His unfailing love.

Read each passage below to gain a better understanding of God’s concern for you. What does each passage suggest about the depth of God’s care?

Psalm 103:2-6________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 John 4:9-10________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Romans 8:32________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Psalm 84:11________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

John 15:14-16________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Psalm 139:1-16________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DOES GOD CARE?

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Yes, God does care! He is concerned with everything that happens to you. There is no limit to His love and concern. You can always move ahead in confidence knowing that He is always working for your good. In fact, if He loved you enough to give up His only Son for your salvation, how can you doubt that He is always working for you in all situations?

List some ways that God shows His concern for your good. Keep adding to this list as you work through your career or lifestyle change.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Quite simply, if you are to discover and follow God’s plan for your life, You must make knowing Him a priority. Perhaps no other factor is more important for your confidence and motivation than knowing that you have the right relationship with God. Because He cares, God wants an everyday, all-the-time relationship with us. As we pursue any major life change, we need it! If we have not put Him first, all that follows will be frustrations and disappointments.

Let’s look at some Scriptures that bring this fact home. What does each passage suggest about making Him a priority?

Psalm 127:1________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Deuteronomy 11:1-9________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Psalm 34:15________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2 Timothy 2:15________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

IS KNOWING GOD A PRIORITY?

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If you make knowing Him a priority, what assurances do the passages below provide as you work through a job, career or lifestyle change?

Psalm 23:6________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Psalm 34:8-10________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Isaiah 48:17-18________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Matthew 6:32-34________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Carefully review your daily routine and honestly decide if you have made knowing Him a priority. What are your major obstacles? Write them below.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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When many of us read a statement like this, our response is “Who me?” All of us have a special purpose; a “destiny” if you will. Now, do not let the word “destiny’ throw you off. We are using it simply to show that our lives belong to God. He has created us with meaning and purpose. As Christians we are people of “destiny.” What is this special “destiny?” It may not be to be great or wise or rich; Your destiny may be properly raising the six children that God has entrusted to you; it may be loving the “unlovable”; It may be visiting the sick or encouraging others. Whatever our “destiny” is, one thing is sure: If we are following God’s plan, in obedience to Him, we will experience His joy, satisfaction, confidence and assurance.

Before continuing with discerning God’s special purpose for your life, let’s look at some Biblical accounts of others and their special destinies.

DAVID

As a young boy, David’s destiny was revealed to him.

What was that destiny? Read 1 Samuel 16:1-13________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

While Biblical accounts do not give David’s exact age, it is generally accepted that he was a very young boy. So young that his father did not consider him old enough to present to Samuel as a possible candidate for the throne and too young to go into battle for his people.

How old was David when his destiny was fulfilled?

Read 2 Samuel 5:1-4________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How many times was David anointed? Read 1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Samuel 2:4; and 2 Samuel 5:1-4________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

GOD HAS SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR ME TO DO!

6If you are not familiar with the story of David, study the sections between 1 Samuel 16 and 2 Samuel 5. What were some of David’s experiences as he waited to fulfill his destiny? Write some of them below.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Although David’s destiny was revealed to him early in his life, the situations he found himself in might have caused him to doubt that destiny. He had to wait years to realize this promise. During those years, David had to wait patiently for the fulfillment of God’s promise. So, if you are feeling pressure to succeed and achieve instant results, remember David’s patience and his never-ending faith in a God who cares.

7MOSES

Moses’ destiny was to lead his people out of Egypt to Canaan. Unlike David, his special purpose was not revealed to him at an early age. He was, nevertheless, still being prepared.

Read the following verses and list the steps (stages) in Moses’ preparation for his area of destiny.

Exodus 2:1-10________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Exodus 2:11-15________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Exodus 3:1-10________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Moses was 40 years old when he ran away. He spent 40 years as a shepherd in the desert, and another 40 leading his people to Canaan. He had a great destiny of deliverance, but it took 120 years to complete. Moses could not even begin to see how all the incidences in his life were perfect training for the task the Lord had in mind for him.

Are you going through changes now that you think you might be in preparation for a greater purpose? How are you being prepared?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8JOSHUAAnother person of “destiny”

The book of Joshua is the sixth book of the Bible. Most of us think that Joshua came onto the scene after Moses’ death. Of course, Joshua’s destiny was to bring his people to Canaan and help them settle in the “promised land.”

Read the verses below. Notice when we first come across this great man of God in Scripture. What was he involved in?

Exodus 17:9-13________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Exodus 24:13-14________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Joshua was there in the beginning of the wilderness experience. He had been around working in the area of his destiny for nearly 40 years before he finally saw God’s plan for his life.

No doubt Joshua experienced frustrations as he waited for God to reveal Himself. If Joshua was like we are, we can imagine him asking: “How long are we going to be in this desert anyway?” He probably had no idea what God had in mind for him!

9Now, read the 13th and 14th chapter of Numbers. How did Joshua wait on the Lord? What are some of Joshua’s attitudes that you think are important for someone going through a work or lifestyle change?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Something to think about

How often do we listen to “bad reports” from family and friends and allow them to influence us?

What’s true about Joshua’s struggle that is also true of ours is that if we stay “around God” we will be ready when our times of “destiny” come around. Using Joshua as an example, we are to remain firm in our faith; never failing to see the God above us instead of the mountains in front of us.

10REHAB

We cannot leave this subject without mentioning another person who had something very special to do with God.

Read about Rahab in Joshua 2:1-24 and Joshua 6:17-25

Who was she?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What did she do?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now read Matthew 1:1-5. Who did Rahab become?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Note Rahab’s listing in Hebrews 11:31 as a woman of faith!

Talk about God having a special plan for someone’s life! Do you think Rahab would have ever imagined being an earthly ancestor of our Savior? God’s work is not limited by human failures and sins. He works through ordinary people. This life speaks so loudly to those who would say: “I’ve made too many mistakes. Would God show grace and mercy to even me? Can God use even me?

Yes, He will! He is longing to reveal his plan for your life. And yes, God does have something special for you to do!!!

11Are there things in your past that you feel could hinder your success in the future? Do you now regret mistakes that you have made in the past? Have you surrendered your past to God and accepted his forgiveness? Remembering Romans 8:28-31, use the space below to write some of those things from your past that you are not quite proud of. Then, write a short prayer entrusting your mistakes to a living God who cares and has already incorporated your mistakes into His plan for you.

Some mistakes from my past________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My Prayer________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12Now there are probably many of us who are part of the “who me” crowd. These people see themselves as nothing special, and ask; “how do I know what my “destiny” is?” They are not sure that God has something special for them to do! While we will deal with discovering God’s will in more detail later on, it should be noted here that often those inner longings that won’t go away may be clues. The word “destiny” for many of you might seem too grand, too big. But, consider this: How many times have you heard yourself saying, “I’ve always wanted to …”? Well, this very well may be your area of “destiny.” While God does reveal himself to us in various ways, those feelings that gnaw at you, those special desires that you carry around on the inside may be from God. Your task is to discern if those inner longing are God-Ordained. Are they indeed part of God’s plan for your life? Hopefully, after going through our chapter on discovering God’s will, how to do this will be clearer.

Now, write down some of your inner longings.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

JESUS

Let’s now take a look at the best example of someone with a “destiny” – Jesus!! What do these verses tell you about Jesus’ “destiny?”

Galatians 4:4________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mark 1:15________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

13Even God had a Special time. Galatians 4:4 says “But when the fulness of time had come, God sent His Son…”

Even The Setting Was Right for Christ To Come. The Roman Empire was known for their well-drained and paved roads. These roads were usually patrolled by the military. This was a time of peace backed by military power. Greek was the common language. The religion of the non-Hebrew world at the time was impersonal and allowed for immorality, people had lost faith in ancient gods. So, when the Gospel came, they were more receptive.

The Hebrews were spread out in the Roman empire and had many synagogues but still believed in one God. The good news was that this was a good time for the Gospel. Because there was such good road access, the Good News could be taught in all the synagogues. Since the common language was Greek, this made it easy for the message to be understood by both Hebrews and non-Hebrews alike. It was the right time!

What do you think is the area of your “destiny?” What special thing do you have to do with God?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Have you met your “destiny” or are you still searching?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you think you could have more than one “destiny?”________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

One of the most exciting aspects of the Christian experience is that God is never finished with us. He is always using us if we let Him. He is always moving us to higher levels of development. As you consider a new job or career, don’t shy away from or ignore those ideas that tug at you; those inner longings that won’t go away. God may be waiting for you!!!!!

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If any of you are like us, you have probably felt at some time that discerning the will of god was pretty much a guessing game. We have asked ourselves many times, “How do we know what God Wants?” To begin your own personal study on discovering God’s plan for your life, it is helpful to know what the Bible says about God’s Will. Listed below are some verses we have discovered on the subject. Read each and write what you think God is saying about His will for you.

1 Thessalonians 4:13________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 Thessalonians 5:18________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 Peter 2:15________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Psalm 40:8________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It seems that God is more concerned with who I am as a person in Christ, rather than what I am in this world. There is no direction here on where to work, where to live, or what kind of job to have. Does this mean that God doesn’t care about these things? (You know the answer to that one!) Yes, He cares about everything. But, to be in God’s will we must be in Christ. The inner person must be renewed and made whole so that the outer person can be more of what God intended him to be.

We have over the years discovered that there are five (5) key elements that tend to fall into place when we are following God’s leading. All five seem to work together and point in one direction or another. One element alone cannot be used to make a decision.

Keys To Knowing God’s Will

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1 – Scripture

First of all, ask: “Does it go against Scripture?” “Is there a verse, story, or incident that relates to the decision I am making?” As you meditate on god’s word, do you find any truths or revelations? Somethings are spelled out quite clearly. We know how God feels about them! Other issues are not so clear and to decide if we are in line with Scripture, we must be familiar with the essence of God’s ways. To do this, you must know your Bible and the Holy Spirit.

2 – Circumstances

How are things working out? Is there some obstacle or some open door that you didn’t expect? As you list obstacles and pray over them, do solutions come? Are the circumstances of the situation falling into place? God does work in our circumstances, opening and closing windows of opportunities. He is in control of all that happens to us.

3 – Promptings of the Holy Spirit

As you read and study the Scriptures, what do your inner feelings seem to be telling you? What do you have peace about? As you pray that God’s will be done, what does your inner being tell you? As we allow the Holy Spirit to minister to us, we will become convicted of our thoughts and attitudes.

4 – Heart’s Desire

If you have made knowing God a priority, many things will become clearer as we pursue Him; we will be either convicted or we will be encouraged when we think of the things on our hearts. Our heart’s desires begin to fall in line with His desires for us.

5 – People

Seek the advice of other believers who know you, whose opinions you value, and who have also made knowing God a priority. Find out what other Christians who know you well have to say. It is important that you carefully select the individuals with whom you will share your intimate thoughts and ideas. God can use anyone to speak to us, however, God still expects us to be wise in our choice of counsel. There are very few instances in Scripture where God spoke to His people through a fool!

5 Keys To Determine If You Are In God’s Will

16To discern if you are in God’s will on a particular issue, or to decide if a longing is God ordained for you, evaluate all five areas. Are they all pointing in the same direction? Too often, we make decisions based only on one area: Our own heart’s desires (“That’s what I really want!”);Promptings of the Holy Spirit (“The Lord has told me, I’m sure of it.”); or other people (“Everyone says I’d really be good at this.”). We must be careful not to rely on any one item completely. Instead, take all five together and try to establish a balanced view. God will confirm your decisions as you prayerfully work through each of the five areas.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Note: See “Special Helps” section for worksheet on Keys to Knowing God’s Will.

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When the world looks at success, things such as prosperity, possessions, and the power to manipulate and control others are considered. You are thought of as successful if you have money, fame or prestige. You’ve heard, “Successful people enjoy the good life.” These successful people it is believed are financially and emotionally secure. As we know, God’s view of success is quite different. It cannot be measured by a bank account.

According to Joshua 1:7,8 – What are some of god’s prerequisites for us to experience success?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does God promise if we pursue Him?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For the purpose of this study, success is being defined as the accomplishment of goals that are God-Ordained. It starts with a right relationship with God. Real success is based on confidence in God. We can say we are successful when we can enjoy the challenges we meet in reaching goals as we pursue God’s plan for our lives. If we look at the life of our Lord and Savior, we can see that He was the most successful person on earth. He had true success but, He owned nothing; never used His power for His own benefit; and at the end found himself betrayed by close friends. Yet, we consider Him successful because He did fulfill God’s plan for His life. Jesus’ life shows us that we can’t always judge our success by our circumstances. As we go forth in the will of God, allowing our life to reflect the values of Jesus, we will experience true success.

Reaching true success does require three things:

1. A comprehension of God’s word2. A commitment to do God’s will3. A confidence in the ways of God

What Does God Say About Success?

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“Indeed the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword…”

Hebrews 4:12

What does it mean to comprehend God’s word? Understanding what the words mean is only the first step. We must then ask ourselves “What does God mean?” That is, we must be able to interpret the Word. This of course requires Holy Spirit discernment. We must meditate on the Word and think about it. Then, to gain a full appreciation for the Word, we must ask ourselves how the Scripture applies to our life. We must work the implications into our patterns of behavior and allow God’s Word to have authority over our patterns of behavior.

What does each Scripture below suggest to you about the importance of understanding God’s Word? In other words, as we pursue success, why is it important to comprehend God’s Word?

Psalm 119:11________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Psalm 119:130________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ephesians 6:16,17________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2 Peter 1:19-21________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. A Comprehension of God’s

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“…loving the Lord your God and serving him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Deuteronomy 11:13

A commitment involves having a direction. It points to a belief, an idea, or a principle that we have developed through our association with a living Lord. It means following and moving with Jesus and the Holy Spirit as our guide. Being committed involves a dedication to the things of God; never letting go; always striving to improve our relationship. Also, included is discipline; that is, reorganizing our lives in response to our commitment. Lastly, being committed causes us to recognize a duty and calls for obedience to the commandments of God.

Read the Scriptures below. What does each suggest about the importance of our commitment as we seek the Lord’s direction?

Psalm 37:5________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Galatians 6:9________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 Timothy 4:7,8________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 Timothy 6:11,12________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. A Commitment To Do God’s Will

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“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are

Called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

This aspect of success sees difficulties, but also sees the possibilities based on faith. With this attitude, there are no resentments or bitterness; but, knowing that we are in God’s will allows us to go on in confidence, assured that God will complete His plan for our lives. There is a peace we have that only God can give in difficult times.

The Book of Nehemiah records the history of the Israelites’ third return to Jerusalem after captivity. The walls that surrounded the city were in shambles and no one was rebuilding them. Nehemiah was one of the returning exiles. God put the desire to rebuild the walls in his heart, giving him a vision for the work.

Read Nehemiah 1:4-11. What was the first thing Nehemiah did when confronted with the problem of rebuilding the walls?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 11, Nehemiah felt free to pray for success in this venture. Because this task was God-ordained, he was confident to request success for God’s work. Can you pray with the confidence of Nehemiah? Can you say that the success you seek is to accomplish God’s will for your life?

3. A Confidence In The Ways of God:

21Read Nehemiah 2:11-20

In verses 11-15, what did Nehemiah do before he presented the task to the Israelites who were to do the work?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Why do you think Nehemiah took so much care to research before presenting the plan to the Israelites?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Why do you think it is important that we do this before sharing major life changes with our loved ones?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How will this impact our success?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 19, what did he face as he tried to do God’s will?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In verse 20, because he was doing God’s will, what was he confident of?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

22In summary, based on our reading in Nehemiah, how does one who has composure in the ways of God respond to trouble?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does 2 Chronicles 20:15 say God’s answer to our worldly pressures should be when we are in His will?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do the three verses below say to you about having faith in God’s ability to sustain us?

Psalm 27:13________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Psalm 40:1-5________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Psalm 41:1,2________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What does God say about success? We hope this chapter has helped you to see that for many of us, the first step in answering this question is to rid our minds of the world’s view. We must focus our attention on who we are in Christ and what His goals and plans are for our lives. Most of us right now are basing our success on our jobs, our positions in life, and the things we have. It will take

courage to reject the world’s view of success. However, if we are to experience true, rewarding, and fulfilling success, we must make a commitment to be more like Jesus. A commitment in which we make knowing God a priority, believing, He cares and recognizing that He does have something special for us to do.

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Special Helps for Life Changers

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In the “fullness of time” Moses was due to deliver his people. The “burning bush” is the scene where Moses gets his marching orders from God. It is a clear directive to deliver his people. Yet, Moses doubts his ability to do the mission.

Read Exodus 3:1-22, 4:1-17

List the objections Moses gives and the reply God give him to assure him that he was equipped for the task?

OBJECTIONS ASSURANCES____________________________________ ____________________________________

____________________________________ ____________________________________

____________________________________ ____________________________________

____________________________________ ____________________________________

Some of Moses’ objections were fears, anxieties and insecurities. What are some of your objections to doing something that may be a clear directive?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Can you related to any of the assurances give to Moses?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

When You Have Doubts and Fears

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The following scriptures are offered to encourage you when you feel like you want to quit. Look up each passage and write it down. Memorize a different scripture each day. Refer to them frequently as the need arises. There is nothing like the pure word to lift and inspire.

Deuteronomy 28:1-11

Psalm 34:4,5

Psalm 36:7-9

Psalm 46:10

Psalm 48:1

Psalm 55:22,23

Psalm 56:3,4

Psalm 57:2

FOR ENCOURAGEMENT

Psalm 84:11

2 Timothy 1:7

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Scripture2 Tim. 3:16-17

Circumstances

Promptings of The Holy Spirit

Heart’s Desires

People

When (not if) God answers clearly, I will act on His answer!

Signature ________________________________

FIVE KEYS TO KNOWING GOD’S WILLI am seeking direction on __________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

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MARIETTA CLECKLEY

Marietta is a Training Specialist and Educator. She has a varied background in education, banking and consulting. She is an expert in decision making and planning strategies.

She earned her Master of Science Degree from Long Island University and Her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Hofstra University.

She has first hand experience in job/career and related life style changes. She gives thanks to God for His grace, mercy and salvation in sustaining her through these challenges. She resides with her daughter, Vicky in Freeport, NY.

ROSEMARY CALHOUN-HORNER

Rosemary has functioned as a motivational consultant to a multitude of people making life-style and career changes. She is a Professional Speaker, Trainer, Facilitator, Community Health Educator and Storyteller.

She was born in Newark, NJ in 1950 and born again in 1979 at a Christian camp called Peniel.

Rosie is a graduate of the College of Saint Elizabeth and the University of Massachusetts. She is married to the award-winning artist, Raymond Horner, Jr. and resides in Irvington, NJ.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

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