Commitment : Developing Deeper Devotion to Christ

by Bill Hybels with Kevin and Sherry Harney

• ISBN13: 9780310265955
• ISBN10: 0310265959
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-08-01
• Publisher: Zondervan

Summary

What does it mean to be truly committed to Christ?Jesus' answer to that question forms perhaps the greatest sermon ever delivered. In Commitment, you'll revisit the Sermon on the Mount to discover practical ways for assessing your present level of commitment and setting goals for its growth.You'll find out what the Master expects from those who follow Him and what rewards await them. You'll also learn how to sidestep common barriers to commitment and draw closer to Christ than you've ever thought possible. As you explore the themes of Jesus' famous sermon and apply them to your own relationship with God, you'll discover the confidence that comes from being fully committed to Christ.Interactions-a powerful and challenging tool for building deep relationships between you and your group members, and you and God. Interactions is far more than another group Bible study. It's a cutting-edge series designed to help small group participants develop into fully devoted followers of Christ.

Table of Contents

Interactions	p. 7
Introduction: Developing Deeper Devotion to Christ	p. 9
Hang On for Heaven	p. 11
Developing a Heart of Faith	p. 17
Fixing Broken Relationships	p. 23
Looking, Lusting, or Loving?	p. 29
An Audience of One	p. 37
Why Worry?	p. 43
Leader's Notes	p. 51
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Commitment
Copyright © 1996 by Willow Creek Association
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
ISBN-10: 0-310-26595-9
ISBN-13: 978-0-310-26595-5
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International
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HANGON
FORHEAVEN
T H E B I G P I C T U R E
Have you ever heard someone use the expression, “I thought
I’d died and gone to heaven?” A business woman from Chicago
goes on a business trip to Phoenix in February. She is looking
forward to getting there so she can get some sun between
business meetings. Her single room is unavailable so they
have to upgrade her to a luxury suite with a sun-drenched balcony
overlooking the pool. The next day her meetings are
canceled and she is free to spend the whole day relaxing. She
phones a friend and says, “I feel like I’ve died and gone to
heaven.”
After a round of golf, a guy in a bar “tips a few” and begins to
tell about his putt on the eighteenth green. He recounts how
he hit his ball with a perfect stroke, how it took two huge
breaks, going up a hill and then down and finally rolled straight
into the heart of the cup. He finishes by saying, “I won a tendollar
bet and I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.”
A fan at a Bulls’ basketball game gets to take a shot from half
court. He’s told, “If you make this shot, we’ll give you a million
bucks.” He makes it! When he tells that story, he probably
says “and when that ball went through the hoop, I
thought I’d died and gone to heaven.”
When we use that expression, we’re trying to explain an
experience that resulted in a euphoria that goes beyond
description. Sometimes I want to ask people, “Do you know
where that expression originated? Do you know the origin of
the concept of heaven?” It was not from Greek mythology or
Persian fantasy. It’s not a Shakespearean concept. It is not simply
an invention of the English language to express great joy. I
think a lot of people use the expression and don’t even realize
that the concept of heaven is uniquely biblical. It comes right
out of the teachings of Jesus. And brace yourselves. Jesus
taught about heaven and made it sound as real as earth. He
really believed in such a place and spent a lot of time and energy
convincing other people that heaven was real.
A W I D E A N G L E V I E W
1. Describe your image of heaven when you were a
child.
What is your image of heaven now?
A B I B L I C A L P O R T R A I T
2. How do you feel when you hear the statement,
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of
righteousness . . .”? Blessed means “truly happy.” How
can the persecuted be truly happy?
What kind of persecution do you think Jesus was talking
about?
3. Jesus assures His followers that the persecutions and
sufferings of this life can’t compare with the rewards
and joys of heaven. How does the hope of heaven
impact the way you live your life today?
S H A R P E N I N G T H E F O C U S
4. Jesus gives His followers a sobering and tough piece of
information when He tells them that they will pay a
price for following Him. In light of the world we live
in, how are followers of Christ persecuted today?
Read Snapshot “Moral Irritations”
MORAL IRRITATIONS
One reason Christ followers will take hits in this world is because they unwittingly become moral irritations
to family, friends and colleagues when they follow Christ diligently. It’s like the gangly fourth
grade girl in my elementary school. Her name was Ardith. We froze her out of our social circle for the
simple reason that her grades broke the curve for the rest of us who weren’t as diligent with our studies.
She would get an “A” on a test and mess up the curve for all the rest of us. We just wanted to say, “Hey, Ardith,
would you chill out a little bit on the grades thing? You’re making the rest of us look really bad.” She was becoming an
academic irritation to the rest of us. This very dynamic often unfolds in the relational network of Christ followers who
are just trying to do their best in leading God-honoring lives. However, like Ardith, we can become an irritation when
our lives look different than the lives of those who don’t follow Christ.
5. In what ways might fully committed followers of
Christ be a moral irritation in today’s world?
• In the marketplace
• In their homes
• In friendships with seekers
• In school settings
How have you experienced this in your life?
Read Snapshot “Stand Firm and Smile”
6. What can you do to stand firm even when persecution
comes?
STAND FIRM AND SMILE
What is a Christ follower to do when persecution comes? Jesus gives us some answers in this passage.
When you follow Christ and model His value system, you’re on a collision course with people.
He says to do two things. First, stand firm. Don’t run scared. Don’t cave in. Don’t shrink back. Stand
firm. Second, smile on the inside. Even though you are taking a beating on the outside, smile on the
inside. Actually, His phrase is “Rejoice and be glad.” Smile on the inside, knowing why you are smiling.
It’s not because it feels good to be beat up. It’s because you know that Christ is going to make it worthwhile some
day in heaven. Heaven will make our battle scars on earth worth it many times over. Stand firm and smile, knowing that
“great is your reward in heaven.”
Read Snapshot “What If?”
What are some outward signs that a Christ follower is smiling
on the inside?
7. How do you think you would respond to a life-threatening,
full-scale persecution of Christians?
What can you do to prepare yourself to be able to stand for
Jesus and hang on for heaven no matter what the cost?
WHAT IF?
Have you ever been on a flight and heard a flight attendant use the phrase “In the unlikely event of a
water landing, your seat cushion can be used as a flotation device”? I heard that on a flight from
Atlanta to Chicago. Think about it. There is not a great chance of ever needing a flotation device on a
flight between those two inland cities.
However, there is another “What if” situation we should all be ready for. I want to ask, “

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Excerpted from Commitment: Developing Deeper Devotion to Christ by Bill Hybels, Hybels
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.