This week's Bible study is adapted from the YOU! curriculum.
Bible Passages: John 12:23-25,27; 13:21-22,25-26,37-38
Discussion Question: How can placing an emphasis on this world rather than Christ lead to problems?
Food for Thought:
At one time or another, many of us have been told to get our priorities in line. Those offering such sage advice could be addressing work, family or other personal issues, but as Christians we know that our priority should always be to serve Christ, not the world. What happens when we misplace our priorities and find ourselves focusing on worldly rather than eternal matters? Problems ensue. Such was the case for the center fielder of the Miami Marlins and 2009 Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year, Chris Coghlan.
When Coghlan was 15, he lost his father to a car accident. To deal with his pain, he spent hours at the baseball field so that he wouldn't have to go home to his grieving, hurting family. The next year, he started drinking. Without his dad to direct him, Chris did what he wanted: played baseball and drank. Through his rise in the minor leagues, Chris did what he wanted: played baseball and drank. It wasn't until Chris, at his first big league camp, threw a wild curve ball while hung over from a drunken night before that he was forced to stop doing what he wanted. His coach sent him packing. Coghlan was on his way back to the minors.
Through that experience he met a man who was going through his own rehabilitation. One day while the man was reading his Bible, he told Chris about what Jesus had done in his life and then shared the Gospel. Chris remembers that he was struck that he wanted and needed Christ in his life. He was tired of chasing temporary satisfactions and filling the void in his life with earthly things like baseball and alcohol. He accepted Jesus in his life and now lives not for the temporary but the eternal. He knows that his father would be "more proud that I accepted Christ into my heart than anything that could have done to make him proud on the baseball field. He would be most proud that I am living for a righteous and holy God." Sounds like somebody got his priorities in line. Have you?
The YOU! curriculum, intentionally focused on urban and multicultural believers, is biblically-based with culturally relevant lessons to help people connect, grow, serve and ultimately be engaged in impacting the world for God. This flexible quarterly resource offers weekly Bible study for leaders and learners, devotionals and teaching plans as well as articles on hot topics and missions. For more information, visit LifeWay.com/YOU.
Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool.
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