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May 25 – CF Community Center
May 18 - Grundy Center
June 1 - CF Sanctuary
Teaching Summary
In John 12:24, Jesus uses a very common illustration from nature to describe what is about to happen to him – he will be crucified, dead and buried ... only to be resurrected in such a way that his life grows and expands and produces a "huge crop!" At the same time, Jesus is describing the kind of dying we need to undergo in order to live His way in this world. After looking at several different passages of Scripture, the idea of dying to our self was unpacked ...We learned that dying to ourself does not look like hating ourself, or living a miserable life, or having no personality, but it has more to do with how we answer these kinds of questions: Are we willing to die to the idea that we are the center of the universe? Are we willing to die to our own pride? Our need to be right? Our desire to always have things go our way? At its core, dying to ourself means giving up the prayer, "My will be done ..." for the prayer, "Thy will be done ..." Using the softball story as an example, Alice unpacked the rewards that Jesus promises for those who die to themselves ... a "crop" of joy, freedom, community and impact for Jesus.
Scripture Focus -
John 12:24-25
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal.
John 12:24-25 (The Message)
Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.
Matthew 16:24-25 (New Living Bible)
Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any of you want to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life.
Questions for small group discussion or personal reflection & journaling…
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Alice used the following quote from CS Lewis to pinpoint the main issue Jesus was addressing in the Scriptures cited above: "The moment you have a self at all, there is a possibility of putting yourself first - wanting to be the center – wanting to be God." What are your initial reactions to this quote. Do you think it is true? Do you see it played out in your life? In the lives of others?
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David Benner stated, "In each of us there lives a two-year-old with clenched fists, gritted teeth and defiance blazing in his or her eyes. The motto of this two-year-old part of us is ‘my way or no way!’ and the prayer is "My name be hallowed, my kingdom come, my will be done ..." Alice then shared some very ordinary circumstances in her life and others in which this two-year-old shows up.
Are there instances in your own life when this part of you seems to show up? Be honest. Don’t judge yourself or each other ... just share stories from your real life.
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If dying to yourself means trading in the prayer, "My will be done ..." for the prayer, "Thy will be done ..." why is this so hard for us? Why is this hard for you? Do you struggle to believe God’s will for you is good? Do you struggle to believe He is watching out for you? Do you have a stubborn personality and find you always want to be in control? Is pride a huge issue for you?
What is your biggest hurdle is when it comes to dying to yourself and trusting God to manage your life.
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CS Lewis said these two things about dying to ourselves:
"When He [God] talks of their losing their selves, He only means abandoning the clamor of self-will; once they have done that, He really gives them back their personality, and boasts that when they are wholly His they will be more themselves than ever."
"Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look out for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in."
What do you think of what Lewis says? Do you believe it? How have you seen this principle play itself out in your own life?
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Go online and watch the video of the softball story Alice shared during her teaching.
Softball Story :: Touching Them All
What you think about this story? How does it illustrate the "dying to live" principle Jesus was talking about?
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At the end of her teaching, Alice shared how God answered her prayer, "Where do I need to die?" by pointing out to her that she needed to pray for her neighbors rather than be angry at them over their barking dogs. She then asked these questions: Where might God be asking you to die to yourself? In your marriage? Family? Neighborhood? Workplace? Friendship? Are you hanging on to a grudge or some bitterness that you need to die to? What about fear? Or pride? Anger? Resentment? Some addiction?
Try This -
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Watch your behavior and attitudes this week – keep an eye out for your inner two-year-old and take notes on circumstances that tend to bring him or her out of hiding. What do you see? Where do you tend to demand your own way? Where and when do you find yourself being self-focused?
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Practice "dying to yourself" in small ways during the week — let someone cut in front of you in traffic, allow others to select the TVshow you will watch, bypass seconds on a meal just to practice not giving in to your appetite, release control in your household for a bit ... stop barking at your kids about cleaning their rooms, don’t try to get everyone to do things "your way," cheer for other people’s kids on the soccer team ... Pay attention to what is going on in your heart during these experiences. If this is hard; if it feels a bit like "dying," don’t be surprised. Remember Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane before He went to the cross ... praying "Thy will be done" was hard, even for him.
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Practice the "breath prayer," "Thy will be done .... Thy will be done ... Thy will be done ..." as you go through your week. Pray it when you have moments of silence or waiting. Pray it when you are in conversation with others. Pray it when you are having moments of wanting your own way. Let this prayer sink deep down into your soul ... until it becomes a way of life.
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Pray the dangerous prayer Alice suggested at the very end of her teaching ... "God, where do you want me to die?" And watch for His answer.
Prayer for the week…
God, Your Word tells us that unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces much fruit. Teach me about this principle in my own life. Help me to learn what it means to die to myself, to my need to pretend I’m You, to control and manipulate others, to demand my own way. Teach me to trust You with my life, and then to turn away from myself; to love You, and to love others. Show me what kind of crop You want to produce in my life when I die to myself and live for You. Amen.
Additional Resources
Read Desiring God’s Will: Aligning our hearts with the heart of God, by David Benner
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