Tracing Our Life's Journey
Genesis 12:1-4Paul J. Bucknell
Note: 'Seminar Exercises & Discussions engage more attention and thought about these issues through group discussion and exercises. This is the last of five sections that compose one longer article on Tracing Our Life Journey. (This is part of a larger ADT training series, Renewing Our Lives and Minstries Through God's Word, –Renewing your spiritual life and ministries through improving the quality of your time in God's Word. Click to see the full 3-day schedule of this Renewal ADT series.)
The Call | Spiritual Experiences | Life Detours | Building Faith | Seminar Exercises
Seminar Exercises
Summary: God has called us on a journey of faith. He will be with us to bless us, but we must remember to follow His leading. There is nothing worse than a person who goes ahead of the leader thinking he knows where to go and only gets lost, causing trouble to the whole group. Abraham took a long time to get where God wanted him. May Abraham’s account help us be more determined to closely follow the Lord in obedience, resulting in more blessings for all!
 Seminar Exercise: A Look at Our Spiritual Lives
Develop a personal life chart mapping out purpose in life, chief failures and significant events. Where has He led you already? What does God have next for you? Where will your journey lead? How will you find out these things?
1) Abraham had his ups and downs in life. Trace your own life’s major spiritual experiences. Map a personal life chart like above. Include chief failures and significant events, etc. Write you name on the chart below. We will look at only the last ten years. (Below is a sample).
• Mark key times of spiritual growth and obedience in your life with a triangle.
• Mark with an X any significant struggles and doubts that kept you down.
• Draw a line graph to connect the points like above.
2) What has the Lord asked you to ‘leave?’ You need to be ready to sacrifice all of your own desires, dreams, comforts and loved ones. Meditate on Romans 12:1-2 along with Genesis 22. Picture yourself on the altar as a living sacrifice. Tell the Lord that you are willing to give up these things that His grace and goodness might more effectively spread to the world through your lives.
Seminar Discussion
#1) Share how the Lord has led you in the past. For what purpose did He make you? What does He want of you now?
#2) Describe one past faith struggle that you went through and remember growing from.
#3) List a spiritual battle that you have or are now experiencing. Identify what the actual temptation was. How was your faith tested? Did you endure through the testing? What was God trying to teach you (James 1:2-6)?
#4) Share a time when you have grown bored, burned out, or just ‘performed’ the Christian life without real sincerity. How did you get into that state? How did you get out of it? How does this article suggest you revive your heart for God?
#5) Name and pray for at least one area you need to grow in. Be specific.
In communion with God
In moral integrity
Clarity of vision
Obedience & faith
Relationship with spouse
#6) What might the Lord have for you next? How will you better discover what He has for your life? What changes might you need to make to be able to better listen to Him? Next =>
The Call | 3 Spiritual Experiences | 3 Life Detours | Building Faith | Seminar Exercises
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