SUNDAY EVENING, AUGUST 23, 2015.
WEEK 34
DEVELOPING PATIENCE
Smile Awhile (focus on
fellowship-10 mins):
Lead cell members to mention their favourite
character in the Bible.
Into His Presence (focus on
worship – 10 mins):
Lead the cell members in a time of adoration to
God as led by the Holy Spirit. Let the cell members mention one reason each for
praising and collectively worshiping God.
Digging Deeper (focus on
the WORD – 40 mins):
Topic: PATIENCE
Main Text: Job 1:13-20
Memory Verse: Proverbs 14:29 A patient man has great understanding,
but a quick-tempered man displays folly.
Introduction
Patience or longsuffering is a virtue that is
part of the fruit that the Spirit manifests in the believer. The believer has a
responsibility to bear this virtue. Patience is defined as the capacity to
endure or suffer pain, trouble or adversity with calmness and composure. It also
connotes bearing with others their faults and limitations. Patience as taught
in scripture is not the apathetic state of being, that accepts all evil in a
depressed and passive way. Rather it is a product of our faith in God. Bible kind
of Patience is a product of our faith in God. It is grounded in a conviction of
the goodness of God and His ability to deliver us from adversity. Patience
keeps us trusting and smiling even in difficult times. In our main text, we
read about Job, who for no fault of his was tested to the limit of human
endurance, yet kept his faith in God. In the face of loss, mockery and scorn from
family and friends, Job could say “I know my redeemer liveth” (Job 19:25). In
the final analysis Job’s patience was vindicated.
Discussion Questions
1. What is Patience?
2. Who caused Job’s calamities? Job 1:12
3. Name some of Job’s adversities. Job 1:13-20.
4. What was Job’s response in the face of his
troubles? Job 1:21
5. How do you react when you fall into some
adversity (sickness, unemployment, bereavement)?
6. How can we cultivate the virtue of Patience?
Conclusion
The Bible teaches us to cultivate the virtue of
Patience. A patient man has great understanding (Prov. 14:29), … a patient man calms a quarrel, Prov. 15:18.
Better a patient man than a warrior… Prov. 16:32. As a character trait, this
virtue has to be deliberately grown and nurtured in cooperation with the
indwelling Holy Spirit. In our fast-paced world, people tend to be rash and reckless
in taking decisions and we want quick-fix solutions to our problems and
troubles. The patient man is able to wait on God in confident understanding
that God is able and willing to intervene in our situation in his own time.
Stand with Me (focus on praying for members’
needs – 10 mins):
Members to pray for one another in turn for specific
needs, especially those who have lost their relatives.
Making Jesus Known (focus on evangelism – 10 mins):
Lead members to pray for the community, nation
and also all mission fields that the glory of God would be seen. Also pray that
the patience of God would reach all the unreached nations in the world.
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