life: how to get there from here

8/12/2019 Life: How to Get There From Here

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S tud en t L e ad e rSh i p un i v erS i t y

S t u d y G u i d e S e r i e S

LiFe

Jay Strack

david edwardS

l r l i .


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Life: How to Get There from Here

Copyright 2006 by Student Leadership University

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any

meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any

otherexcept for brief quotation in printed reviews, without the

prior permission of the Publisher.

Published by Nelson Impact, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.,

P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214.

All Scripture quotations are taken from The New King JamesVersion.Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by

permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN 1-4185-0599-4

Printed in the United States of America

06 07 08 09 RRD 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Page design by Crosslin Creative

2743 Douglas Lane, Thompsons Station, Tennessee 37179


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contentS

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

KEY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

1. MYTHS, LIES, AND FABRICATIONS

ABOUT A PURE LIFE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

2. PURITY FROM THE INSIDE OUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

3. BULLETPROOFING YOUR LIFE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

4. SELF-DESTRUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

5. MENTAL FLOSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

6. THE PERSON YOU WANT TO BE WITH . . . . . . . . 83

7. IT MATTERS HOW YOU LIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

8. ITS NEVER WRONG TO DO RIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . 111

NOTES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

ABOUT THE AUTHORS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132


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CHAPTER 1

mythS, LieS, andFaBricationSaBout

a pure LiFekey Scripture

Let no one despise your youth, but be an

example to the believers in word, in conduct,

in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

1 Timothy 4:12

couLd thiS Be you?

James J. Braddock was nicknamed Cinderella Man by a reporter

during his 1935 comeback.1In his first round as a professional box-

er, Braddock emerged a winner. But in time, he started losing

the majority of his fights. When the Great

Depression hit in 1929, unable to makemoney as a boxer, Braddock left the ring

and returned to the docks so he could pro-

vide for his family.

The rough years of the Depression af-

fected the entire country. Many people

were starving, men were being laid off

daily, and families were sending their

children to the homes of relatives in the hopes

they might have a better chance of surviving. When Braddock was

unable to find work, the proud ex-boxer swallowed his pride and ap-

if s bs , ssgs llls b .a b


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plied for relief. He was ashamed to be on welfare, but his wife and

three children needed food.

Finally, in 1934, Braddock got a break. He stepped in as a re-placement boxer and won the fight by knocking out his opponent.

His success as a heavyweight boxer continued from 1937

into 1938.2 During the time he was on assis-

tance, Braddock kept a running tally of

all the money hed been given. Now that

he was able to provide for his family as

a boxer, he went back to the welfare of-

fice and returned the money hed beengiven.3Braddocks thoughts were, They

paid me. I returned it; let them give it to

somebody else because they were good enough to

give it to me. [I was in] a spot where I could pay it back.4

why know it?

F Only 6 percent of all teens believe that there are moral

absolutes.5

F Only 9 percent of self-described born-again teens believe

that moral truth is absolute.6

(trans FYOOZ):to cause to pass from oneto another; transmit

transfuse

There has been so much emphasis put on sexual purity

that we may forget how we actually get there. It begins

with a pure heart.

The Christian does choose a different lifestyle than

the culturea meaningful lifestyle. We have to know

why we believe and stand for purity, or ultimately we

get lost in the crowd culture.Purity is no different than any other goal. It has to

be thought through and broken down into manageable

G s ss f s,b h s l

g .


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steps. In setting any goal, there are four questions to

ask:

1. What do I want to do?

2. Why do I want to do it?

3. When will I get it done?

4. How will I accomplish it?

If you take a group of people and allow them to vote

on which of those four are the most important, you will

get four different answers. What seems like the logicalchoiceyou have to know exactly, specifically what you

want to accomplish and then the others will naturally

follow, right?How seems logicalyou have to know how

to accomplish the goal. But logic and reason do not drive

us to the finish line. It is only when we have a unmistak-

able definition of whywe want to begin a project, try a

hobby, make a friend, or learn something new that we

are able to not only begin it, but also to finish it. Why

drives the whatand howof every goal.

Group diScuSSion

Define whypurity is important to you. Write two to three

sentences about it here:

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Now that you have a strong whyon paper, dwell on

it often, think it, tell it, and focus on it.

Those efforts will give you ownership of this im-

portant quality so that its not your moms idea or the

churchs idea, but your hearts call.


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Casting down arguments and every high thing

that exalts itself against the knowledge of God,

bringing every thought into captivity to the

obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

Popular myths about purity have to be destroyedin your

personal life. Quit arguing with yourself, and stop al-

lowing evil reasoning to rob you of a powerful life. Thisreasoning takes us right to the edge of our convictions

how far can we go and not get caught? How far is too

far? If you play on the edge, you will one day fall off the

edge. Once and for all, accept the whole truth and noth-

ing but the truth.

(in FYOOZ)

:to cause to be permeated with something

(as a principle or quality) that alters usually for the better

infuse

The mind is a powerful motivator. It has the power to

encourage or discourage. It is where the journey to a

devoted heart begins. When the mind is overcome and

taken captive, it lays down all authority of its own and

walks in obedience to Christ. Filling the mind with posi-

tive why is essential, but so is destroying the lies that

stand in our way as obstacles to the goal of a pure life.

mythS, LieS, and FaBricationSaBout a pure LiFe

Myth 1: Purity is only about what I do sexually.

Let no one despise your youth, but be

an example to the believers in word,in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith,

in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12


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Truth: Purity is about example.

Paul speaks to young Timothy, who is probably

close to your age, and says, Just because you are youngdoesnt mean you cant be an example to others.

F To be an example is to be a pattern for others to

follow.

F It is a huge responsibility, one that only

a pure heart can fulfill.

Truth: Purity is about the influ-

ence you can have on others.

Paul tells Timothy to be a posi-

tive influence for purity in both his

speech and in his actions.

When influencing others for

good is an essential daily goal,

then we will be inspired to live a life of purity.

ASK YOURSELF

Ask yourself, Why do I want to live a pure life?

You have to have clear, sure answers before you can be

successful in this area. Because Im supposed to will

leave you powerless. Choose to live far above the culture

standards because it is important to you to do so.

Truth: Purity is about what or who you love.F Who or what holds your affections?

F What type of lifestyle are you drawn to, do you

think about, and do you love?

F The authentic mark of a Christian is a pure love

for people, without regard for selfish gain or love

in return.

d sexs sfl s i?


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Truth: Purity is about attitude.

Attitude may be the one thing holding you back fromliving a pure life. If you allow bitterness, anger, jealousy,

or other negative emotions or thoughts to rule, you can-

not have a pure heart.

What ONE THING(attitude or negative emotion) in yourlife might be keeping you from a pure heart?

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Myth 2: Its too late for me. Ive made too many mis-

takes.

Come now, and let us reason together,

says the LORD, Though your sins are like

scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red like crimson, they

shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18

Truth: This argument is not only a lie, but it calls

God a liar.

To say, Its too late is to speak of Christs death

on the cross as though it didnt happen. He came from

heaven to earth, suffered shame, humiliation, pain, and

rose from the dead, all for one reasonthat you could be

forgiven! This lie discounts the forgiveness of God down

to nothing.


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Truth: You cannot measure the forgiveness and grace

of God by your own ability to forgive.

The Lord tells us, Sit down and lets talk about this.

He offers to remove the stain on your life thats been

marked with a permanent red dye and make it white like

snow. His is a complete, restoring forgiveness.

How does your attitude toward purity influence

the way you forgive others?

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(di FYOOZ):to pour out and permit or cause to spreadfreely; to extend, scatter

diffuse

Myth 3: If I choose to do the purity thing, everything

will be all good all at once.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked;

for whatever a man sows, that he

will also reap. Galatians 6:7

Truth: The depth of Gods mercy and forgive-

ness does not give us permission to keep sin-ning.

God is not mocked, Galatians 6:7 says. In other

words, He will not allow His holiness to become an op-

tion.

Truth: The pure heart accepts responsibility

for previous choices and the resulting conse-

quences.


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A person with a pure heart is willing to make whatever

amends necessary with people. For example, you may

decide to become morally pure once and for all, butF The people you hurt must be asked for forgive-

ness.

F The person you showed the wrong example to

must be talked to.

F The results of your sexual immorality (STDs,

pregnancy, guilt and shame, sinning against a

person) will have to be dealt with.

The good news is that Christ will walk through each

of those situations with you because His grace is more

than sufficient to help you do the right thing and restore

your testimony.

Myth 4: God will give me whatever I want, if I just

stay pure.For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,

and the knowledge of God more than

burnt offerings. Hosea 6:6

Truth: God doesnt owe you anything.

Live for Him because you love Him, because its the

best choice. Otherwise, forget it.

Myth 5: Purity is about the things I dont do.

For the LORDdoes not see as man sees, for

man looks at the outward appearance, but the

Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

Truth: Purity is about the private world, not just

what you dont do outwardly.

The Bible tells us, The LORD

looks on the heart.You might lie to yourself and tell yourself what a great

person you are, but God knows the innermost thoughts

and intents of the heart.


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Which purity myth holds a position of power in your

life?

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Why do you think you have chosen to believe it?

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Purity is about an undying loyalty to Christ and His will.

Think of the soldier fighting for his country even when

he is wounded and tired and his belly is empty. His loy-

alty defies circumstances.

Now that you understand the truth about purity,

be ready to share the forgiveness of God with those

who may be facing the consequences of their choices.

Explain that Gods grace will walk with them through

the consequences and that you will be their friend.

Purity is not just about the body; its about the

whole person, beginning in the private world.

[FuSe BoX]

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private worLd devotionS

MONDAY: See it.Read the surrounding passages or chapter for

the Key Scripture so that you can get an understanding of the

background and context. This helps you to really seethe verse.

TUESDAY: Hear it.Read the daily Key Scripture and/or

surrounding passage out loud, putting your name in, if applicable.

For example, John can do all things through Christ. Thieves have

come to destroyJohn, but Jesus has come thatJohn might have

eternal life.

WEDNESDAY: Write it.Write the verse and then what it says

about:

F Others: Respond, serve, and love as Jesus would.

FMe: Specific attitudes, choices, or habits.

F God:His love, mercy, holiness, peace, joy, etc.

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private worLd JournaL

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private worLd devotionS (Continued)

THURSDAY: Memorize it.Take the verse with youwrite it on a

card or put it in your phone, iPod, or PDA. Go over it throughout

the day so that it begins to livein your heart and mind.

FRIDAY: Pray it.Personalize the verse as you pray for yourself

or for others or in praise to God. To pray is literally to think

about. Try thinking out loud or writing in your PRIVATE WORLD

JOURNAL.

SATURDAY: Share it. Ask the Lord to bring someone to mind or

in your path today who needs good news. Dont be shyjust let it

out! Whether you IM, write, text, tell, or send it, the joy of Gods

Word will flow from your heart into theirs.

prayer requeStS

Date Name Need Answer

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private worLd JournaL

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life: how to get there from here

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