ES RI SE 2
THE JESUS LIFESTYLE
NICKY GUMBEL
THE JESUS LIFESTYLE SERIES 2 NICKY GUMBEL
Published in North America by Alpha North America 2275 Half Day Road, Suite 185, Deerfield, IL 60015 © 2009 by Alpha International The Jesus Lifestyle Series 2 by Nicky Gumbel All rights reserved in North America. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. First printed by Alpha North America in 2009 Printed in the United States of America Scripture in this publication is from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV), Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Design by James Vincent ISBN 978-1-934564-62-2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Printing/Year 17 16 15 14
CONTENTS page
.01 .02 .03 .04 .05 .06
how to live and act with
integrity
05
how to respond to
difficult people
15
how to handle
conflict
25
how to become a generous
giver
35
how to
pray (and fast) like Jesus
45
how to handle
ambition
57
Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’
Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.
But I tell you, do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by
Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No,’ anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
MATTHEW 5:33-37
p.04
TALK
.01
how to live and act with
integrity
Many people struggle with integrity. Lying is considered acceptable, resulting in a breakdown of trust in society. Why is integrity so important? Integrity is the key to: • Strong personal relationships (Exodus 18:16-18, The Message) • Long-term success (Proverbs 11:3) • Good leadership (Proverbs 20:28, The Message) • Pleasing God (1 Chronicles 29:17).
p.05
THE JESUS LIFESTYLE
LIVE A CONSISTENT LIFE WITHOUT COMPARTMENTS –INTEGRITY OF LIFE
Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’
MATTHEW 5:33
But I tell you, do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.
Jesus confronts the corrupt system of oath-taking and reminds us that God sees the whole of our lives. • Avoid the “titanic” mistake - God should be at the center of our lives
• Apply the “front page” test
- s uccess begins with personal integrity
- t he truth will always be disclosed LUKE 8:17
MATTHEW 5:34-36
p.06
-e very aspect of our lives—work, home, church, and social life—should be integrated with our faith in God
NOTES
how to live and act with integrity
.01
p.07
THE JESUS LIFESTYLE
SPEAK THE TRUTH WITHOUT DECEPTION – INTEGRITY OF WORDS
Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No;’ anything beyond this comes from the evil one. MATTHEW 5:37 If you always tell the truth, you don’t have to remember what you said. Mark Twain Jesus said
I am . . . the truth. JOHN 14:6
The followers of Jesus should be those who speak the truth. • Expect to be believed - Christians should not need to take an oath; we should always tell the truth
p.08
- we should give what we owe—taxes, bills, and rent—and keep our word • Speak the truth in love EPHESIANS 4:15 - we should not be rude; always gracious - sometimes we do have to confront, but only in love
NOTES
how to live and act with integrity
.01
p.09
THE JESUS LIFESTYLE
CULTIVATE A PURE HEART WITHOUT FAKING IT – INTEGRITY OF HEART
‘Teacher,’ [the Pharisees] said, ‘we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are.’ MATTHEW 22:16
Treat everyone the same regardless of who they are. David shepherded them with integrity of heart.
PSALM 78:72
True integrity is when our lives, our words, and our hearts are all in alignment. Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.
p.010
Be REAL by: • Repenting - keep short accounts with God • Enjoying God’s favor - God offers forgiveness, no matter what we have done • Aiming high - aim to live life with integrity at all times, always striving for the best • Living by the Spirit - we need the help of the Spirit; we need new hearts
how to live and act with integrity
.01
The challenge is to live with our whole lives surrendered to the lordship of Christ.
NOTES
When Jesus is Lord of our beliefs, opinions, ambitions, standards, values, and lifestyle, then we are integrated Christians. Then integrity marks our life. Only when he is Lord do we become whole. John Stott
p.011
THE JESUS LIFESTYLE
1. Have you had any recent
experience of dishonesty in others? How did it make you feel?
2. What opportunities have
you had recently to show integrity?
3. Jesus said, “Simply let
your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’” (Matthew 5:37). If you were to follow this teaching, what difference would it make in your everyday life?
4. What are some of the
challenges to integrity faced by Christians in our society today? How could these obstacles be overcome?
p.012
5. Jesus sets the bar very
high in this area. He is “a man of integrity and . . . teach[es] the way of God in accordance with the truth.” Jesus isn’t “swayed by men” (Matthew 22:16). Why do you think this is? How can we try to achieve a level of integrity that is closer to Jesus’?
6. In our Christian
communities how can we help each other to live with integrity and be role models for others?
NOTES
how to live and act with integrity
.01
p.013
The Jesus Lifestyle Series Two is a resource designed for
use in a small group setting, and is accompanied by this guest manual. The DVD contains six talks given by Nicky Gumbel at Holy Trinity Brompton that are based on Jesus’ radical teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, and suggests ways in which we can apply this teaching to our own lives. How to live and act with integrity: Nicky examines the importance of our “yes” being “yes” and our “no,” “no.” He reminds us that true integrity is when our lives, words and hearts are totally aligned. (42:58 mins)
How to respond to difficult people: Using Jesus’ teaching as a framework, Nicky challenges us to go against the grain of society and respond to those who hurt us with an attitude of radical love. (39:22 mins) How to handle conflict: As demonstrated by Jesus, Nicky outlines five practical ways to love our enemies. He explains the need for Christians to focus on right relationships and to forgive as we have been forgiven. (36:52 mins)
How to become a generous giver: What does the Bible say about giving? Nicky addresses this question and explains why our motive for giving should always be to glorify God (36:59 mins) How to pray (and fast) like Jesus: Nicky explores the benefits of both prayer and fasting, and emphasizes the importance of these activities in our relationship with God. (34:24 mins) How to handle ambition: Nicky looks at our attitude towards money and ambition in the context of Jesus’ teaching. He shows how we can use our ambitions to invest in the kingdom of God. (38:12 mins)
NICKY GUMBEL is the pioneer of Alpha. He studied law at Cambridge and theology at Oxford, practiced as a lawyer, and is now Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton church in London. He is the author of many bestselling books about the Christian faith including Questions of Life, Searching Issues, A Life Worth Living, The Heart of Revival, Why Jesus?, Why Christmas? and 30 Days. RELIGION / Biblical Studies Jesus, the Gospels & Acts ISBN 978-1-934564-62-2 ISBN: 978-1934564622 25324
© Alpha International 2009
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