CourageouS

living
B I B L E S T U D Y

Michael Catt

Stephen Kendrick
As Developed with

Alex Kendrick

Nic Allen
PRE-RELEASE SAMPLER B&H Publishing Group Nashville, TN

Resources Available May 2011

Courageous Living Bible Study
Leader kit (item 005371695) Member book (item 005422891)
www.lifeway.com

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PRE-RELEASE SAMPLER
NOT FOR RESALE

Published by LifeWay Press Copyright 2011 Sherwood Baptist Church. All Rights Reserved. 2010 Sherwood Pictures Ministry. All Rights Reserved.

9781415871195 Dewey Decimal Classication: 248.642 Subject Heading: Courage\Men\Leadership\Family Life Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Printed in the United States of America Study themes: Courageous calling, Courageous priorities, Courageous legacy, Courageous faith

READ

CourageouS
CALL

SESSION 1

Do you know the name Rafael Peralta? Garry Morrison certainly does. Morrison is the father of Corporal Adam Morrison of the United States Marine Corps. On November 15, 2004, a member of his sons unitRafael Peraltasaved his sons life and every Marine in that room. Their unit had been cleansing Fallujah, Iraq, of terrorists house by house for seven days straight. That morning they entered a home and cleared the front rooms only to nd a locked door on the left side. Sergeant Peralta opened the door to be met with gunre from three terrorists with AK-47s. Peralta, alive but severely injured and lying on the oor in the doorway, noticed a grenade rolling into toward him. He grabbed the grenade and tucked it under his abdomen. When it exploded, he died but the rest of his troop survived. Peralta was a 25-year-old Mexican immigrant who enlisted in the Marines the day he received his green card. Leaving his parents for Iraq, he signed up to serve on the front lines. His bedroom at home contained three items on its walls: a copy of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Peraltas certicate of graduation from boot camp. His heroic act was foreshadowed by a note he wrote his younger brother with these words, Be proud of me, bro. and be proud of being an American. Those who know of Rafael Peralta can indeed be proud.1 It takes courage to enlist. It takes courage to sign up for frontline duty in an ongoing war. It takes courage to risk your life and to voluntarily end your life for others and the perseverance of the mission. On the military battleeld, freedom is at stake. On the spiritual battleeld, our families are at stake and in danger of becoming casualties unless we answer the call to stand and ght.

my

It takes COURAGE to ght for

FAMILY.

Sergeant Peralta
April 7, 1979November 15, 2004

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Watch

MOVIE CLIP
View Clip #1 Carjacking (2:56), from the small-group DVD, and then use the discussion to start your study.

Danger and fear are words often associated with the word courageous. It takes courage to respond to a threatening situation. According to one popular description,

SUMMARY

COURAGE is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.2
What scared or scares you most about the life stages of your children? If you dont have kids, what makes you the most nervous about the possibility of one day being a parent?

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In this scene, Nathan pulls into a service station and pumps gas as normally as anyone would. Deciding to clean the muck from his windshield, he steps away from the pump for just a second when a couple of gang members steal his car. The action begins because Nathan has no intention of parting with his truck. At the end of the scene, you realize that he is much more concerned with the trucks contents than the truck itself.

Before you realized Nathans objective, did you nd yourself agreeing with his actions, or did you consider his giving up to be the better choice? How did you feel when you realized what Nathan was ghting for?

Describe the most dangerous situation in which you ever found yourself. Would you react the same way now as you did then? Or, looking back, do you wish you had responded differently? Was your safety all that was at stake, or was someone else involved?

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Would you call Nathans actions courageous and heroic?

OPEN DISCUSSION
As a group, do some basic introductions. Refresh everyone on the names and ages of your kids.

Do you think that he was afraid during the situation? What was his greatest concern?

Its not unusual to be fearful about important people and important responsibilities. Yet a better way is available on the path of life and parenting. 14 15

Study

Moses was gone, and Joshua was the newly appointed leader of Gods people. Under the leadership of Moses, he led a victorious battle against the Amalekites and attended to Moses throughout his life. Along with 11 others, Joshua spied the land of Canaan (Num. 13). Only he and Caleb came back with a favorable outlook toward the impending conquer. He was lled with the spirit and commissioned for service. His name means The Lord is salvation and corresponds with the New Testament name Jesus.

What did God promise Joshua in this passage?

What did God require of Joshua in this passage?

Note the number of times God instructed Joshua to be strong and courageous. Why might Joshua have been afraid?

Joshua 1:1-9
1 2 3 4 After the death of Moses the LORDs servant, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, who had served Moses: Moses My servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites. I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses. Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great Euphrates Riverall the land of the Hittitesand west to the Mediterranean Sea. No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance. Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. Havent I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

How would you compare our lives as believers today to the lives of the Israelites under the leadership of Joshua in Joshua 1?

Read Deuteronomy 31:23.

What about Gods commission in Joshuas life before the death of Moses would have been familiar to him concerning the word of God he received after Moses death?

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Give examples of modern-day commissions. Do we have a parallel for Christian leadership today? for fathers or mothers?

Specically, what have you as a man been commissioned by God to do?

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Read Joshua 1:16-18.

How did the response of the people toward Joshua conrm Gods call in his life?

LIVE
Everyone
We are a people who value measurements in most areas of life. We get grades as children and seek merit raises as adults. We have weight-loss goals and savings plans. Measurements are useful tools. Consider your personal commitment to Gods Word. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being completely committed and 1 being walking far from God, rate yourself in the following areas and answer, Why did you give yourself that rating? Courage to Follow Gods Word 4 5 6 7 8

What did the people promise to do? How did the requirements of God in Joshuas leadership translate to the lives of the people?

Compare Joshua 1:7-8 with Joshua 1:16-18. What connections do you see?

1 Why?

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First, God commanded Joshua to be obedient to the book of the Law and to the Word of God. Then the people who were under Joshuas care committed to the same.

1 Why?

Obedience to Gods Word 4 5 6 7

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1 Why?

Scripture Meditation 4 5 6 7

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As men and women of faith,

the commitment of the people God entrusts to us will only be as strong as our own. This is true of other
believers we lead and disciple. It is also true for the children we are charged to raise.

1 Why?

Success as a Christ Follower 4 5 6 7 8

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Summary
We can all stand to improve in areas of biblical knowledge and godly obedience. Regardless of how you measure Christian success, it all comes down to answering Gods call to lead and serve, to represent Him well with our lives. Acknowledging where we are is key to knowing where we are going and understanding the steps and tools it will take to get us there.

Threats for a 12-year-old boy might be bullies or peer pressure. If you have a daughter who is 16, she might face issues of body image and a sexually pervasive culture. Even a toddler or infant faces threats. Identify some of the ones you think of in this space.

Write three steps you will take this week to improve those areas of your walk.

Many godly parents have already been where you have yet to go. You can benet from their wisdom and friendship. What perspective do these parents bring for you? How do they encourage you?

1 2 3
Consider how God wants you to sacrice your life for the life of your family.
Consider how He wants you to be a hero in your home. Consider the threats that war at the doors of your childrens hearts and lives every day. Sometimes they can be physical threats (yellow grenades and carjacks), but more often, they are spiritual ones. Take time to pray for courage to address in a godly way each of the threats to your children. Pray for each child as he or she faces these challenges. Intentionally spend more time with your children, learning about their day-to-day routine. Option: Spend a day volunteering and observing at school in order to have a good sense of your kids day. Pray for the wisdom and boldness to step up and be the dad you need to beto serve, lead, and protect your family. God is calling men and women to courageously follow Christ and His Word. He is calling us to ght for our faith and for our families.

Dads and Moms

It is time to answer the call.

1. Oliver North, Hero in Fallujah: Marine Laid Himself on Top of Grenade to Save Rest of Squad. [online] 16 December 2004 [cited 5 January 2011]. Available from the Internet: http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=6062 2.Ambrose Redmoon Quotes [online] 1999-2010 [cited 5 January 2011]. Available from the Internet: http://thinkexist.com/quotes/ambrose_redmoon/

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