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20514 Man in Mirror

Fri/Sat/Sun—December 8–10•Why Do Men Fall Away? The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. (Matthew 13:20–21) Christian men face situations every day that have potential to challenge their faith. Today’s Scripture describes people who respond to the Gospel with great joy, but they don’t nurture their newfound faith. Maybe they don’t make time for daily disciplines like prayer and Bible study, or other habits that would help them put down deep roots of understanding God’s principles and His ways. So when trouble or persecution comes, they abandon their faith. “Trouble and persecution” come in many forms. Sometimes men endure bondages or addictions. Or they’ve been wounded by some relationship, and they can’t seem to move forward from that. Then sometimes men just neglect their faith. They say, “I’m glad I have Christ in my life, but I also have all these other interests.” And they prioritize those other interests over the habits that would encourage them in the daily expression of their relationship with Jesus. They remind me of people who jump off a pier into the water, and they just drift without paying attention to their surroundings. Eventually they realize they’ve drifted too far from the dock, and they don’t have the energy or the strength to swim back. They didn’t think they would drift away, and so they neglected making the choices that would anchor them and keep them safe.  WEEK Week 9 Consider that description of drifting. Does that image accurately portray the person who doesn’t invest time and energy in the activities that build his faith? Explain your answer. Daily Reading: Hosea 10:1–14:9, Joel 1:1–3:21, Amos 1:1–3:15, Jude 1:1–25, Revelation 1:1–2:17 Psalm 127:1–129:8, Proverbs 29:15–20 FOR YOUR SMALL GROUP December 4–10 In your own words, define what it means to “fall away” from the faith. ■ How can you nurture your relationship with Jesus so you don’t drift away from Him? 48


20514 Man in Mirror
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