!
Adjusting!Your!Life!to!God!
As#I#was#out#for#a#walk#this#afternoon#on#my#pilgrimage#to#find#coffee,#I#saw#the#wonders#of#God’s#creation#
literally#at#my#feet.#Leaves#of#golden#brown#and#yellow,#all#following#their#preprogrammed#nature#to#fall#
from#the#trees.#Imagine,#that#from#the#thousands#of#varieties#of#trees#and#the#trillions#if#not#more,#leaves#
around#the#planet#that#falls#from#their#trees#that#this#is#part#of#God’s#design.#God#designs#these#leaves#for#
change.#Every#fall,#they#drop#from#their#tree.#Imagine#what#would#happen#if#these#leaves#refused#to#fall#
from#the#tree?#The#tree#would#certainly#die#and#there#would#be#no#new#life.#Dropping#leaves#from#a#tree#
takes#a#major#adjustment.#And#think#of#how#God#has#uniquely#created#us#also#for#change.#We#are#designed#
for#change.#And#if#we#fail#to#change,#we#too#will#become#stagnant#and#die.#In#this#week’s#study,#we#look#at#
how#change#is#good,#change#is#necessary,#and#if#we#are#to#do#the#will#of#God,#it’s#not#optional.#But#like#
leaves#that#fall#from#the#tree,#change#and#adjustments#in#our#lives#brings#new#life.#
#
Memory!Verse!for!the!week:!
“So$no$one$can$become$my$disciple$without$giving$up$everything$for$me.”$[Luke#14:33]$
!
Adjustments!Are!Necessary!
Every#time#God#spoke#to#the#people#in#the#Scriptures#about#something#He#wanted#to#do#through#them,#
major#adjustments#were#required.#You#may#be#saying,#“but#I’m#comfortable#where#I#am.#Can’t#I#just#stay#
where#I#am#and#also#do#what#God#wants#me#to#do#from#the#comfort#of#my#[home,#job,#ministry,#life]?”#The#
answer#is#a#resounding#NO!#You!can’t!stay!where!you!are!and!go!with!God!#
#
Read#through#the#following#stories,#and#then#answer#these#two#questions:##
#
• What#changes#did#God#require#to#work#through#those#mentioned#in#these#examples?#
• What#was#the#end#result#of#submitting#to#the#adjustments#each#individual#had#to#make?#
• Gen#12:1Y8,#1#Sam#16:1Y13,#Johan#1:1Y2;#3:1Y2;#4:1Y11;#Acts#9:1Y19#
#
Kinds!of!Adjustments!
Maybe#you’re#thinking,#“God#won’t#really#ask#me#to#make#changes,#or#they#will#be#so#small#that#it#will#be#
easy,#after#all#‘God$never$gives$us$more$than$we$can$handle’.”#Truth#is,#God#will#ask#you#to#make#changes#
(see#this#week’s#memory#verse)#to#join#Him,#and#God#will#always#give#you#more#than#you#can#handle#(that#
is#a#misquotation#of#Scripture),#so#that#you#may#come#to#know#Him#and#experience#Him#deeper#through#
complete#dependence#upon#Him.#
#
You#can#expect#God#to#ask#you#to#make#adjustments#in#the#following#areas:#
• In#your#circumstances#–#job,#home,#finances#
• In#your#relationships#–#family,#friends,#business#associates#
•
•
•
In#your#thinking#–#prejudices,#methods,#your#potential,#about#your#past#
In#your#commitments#–#to#family,#church,#job,#plans,#traditions#
In#your#beliefs#–#about#God,#His#purposes,#His#ways,#your#relationship#with#Him,#your#doctrinal#
beliefs.#
#
Obedience!is!Costly!
You#cannot#know#and#do#God’s#will#without#pay#the#price#of#adjustment#and#obedience.#When#we#say#that#
Christ#is#Lord,#we#give#Him#permission#to#change#anything#in#our#lives#He#wishes?#After#all,#it’s#not#our#
life.#We#are#bought#with#a#price#and#it#is#no#longer#we#who#live,#but#Christ#who#lives#within#us#(Gal#2:20).#
And#in#making#this#profession#of#Jesus#as#LORD,#He#is#LORD#over#EVERYTHING#from#our#actions#to#our#
thought#life.#What#will#obedience#cost#us?#Nothing#that#God#will#not#adequately#supply#the#materials#and#
resources#needed#to#obey.#But,#obedience#requires#total#dependence#on#God#to#work#through#you.#
#
Read$John$15:5,$1$Corinthians$15:10,$and$Galatians$2:20$
#
• What#do#these#passages#say#about#what#we#can#do#vs.#what#God#can#do?#
• If#you#are#called#to#a#God#sized#assignment#today,#what#resource/asset#do#you#have#that#will#most#
likely#determine#the#outcome?#
#
#
This!Week!
• Write#in#your#journal#this#week.#Process#through#writing,#what#kinds#of#adjustments#God#is#asking#
you#to#make#right#now#to#join#Him#in#his#work?#What#are#some#fears#you#have#of#making#these#
adjustments?#How#have#you#seen#God#at#work#through#others#in#a#way#that#encourages#you#to#take#
a#step#today?#
Adjusting You Life to God
You must make major adjustments
in your life.
! !
!
!
!
!
!
!“Seek!the!Kingdom!of!God!above!all!else,!and!live!righteously,!and!
He!will!give!you!everything!you!need.”!!
MATTHEW'6:33'
We cannot take people to places spiritually where we have not gone
ourselves. If we want to see our children go deep in their walk with God,
then we must go there first.
Weekly Goal For Kids:
To communicate that we must change our ways to God’s ways. If we want to have a relationship with Him, we must
understand that He has better plans than we could ever imagine.
Weekly Goal For Parents:!
To know that our children learn mostly from watching us. We must be willing to adjust our lives to God’s will if we desire
for our children to follow God’s will for their lives.
Adjusting to God’s Work
God is at work all around us. He will inevitably invite us to join Him in what He is doing. But it requires individual family
members, and the family as a whole, to make significant adjustments. We cannot remain where we are, doing the same
things we have always done and still go with Him. It requires us to get up and go from our comfort zones.
For many believers, this is a crucial decision. It is well and good to believe that God can change our world. It is quite
another to make adjustments in our personal lives so God changes the world through us. There are two primary forms
of adjustment that must be made if God is to involve us in His work. The first one is for our children and the second one
is for us, the parents.
Children: The world in which we live teaches our children to be self-centered. We must teach our children what truly
matters in life and what does not. We don’t want to raise children who greedily grasp temporal pleasures while missing
God’s will. Discovering how to embrace God’s will is best learned in the home in which we grow up. As you raise your
children, be continually watching for ways to help them make the necessary adjustments to fully participate in God’s
activity around them.
Parents: If we are willing to continually make whatever adjustments are necessary to be a part of God’s activity around
us, then our children may be inspired to do so as well. To be an outstanding parent making adjustments is a
prerequisite. That’s partly because when we begin having children, we do not have all the wisdom or experience we
need; we have to learn on the job. If we are open to His leading, God will guide us to make whatever adjustments are
necessary. On the backside of this sheet, there are some key areas to evaluate and adjust if you are not already doing
them.
!
Lesson From the Classroom:
Teaching Truth: I must be willing to make changes in my
life to follow God’s plan.
Self Evaluation-Adjustment
Prioritizing Our Devotional Time:
Memory Verse: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all
else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything
you need.” -Matthew 6:33
When God gives us children, He also gave us an amazing
responsibility. Jesus understood this truth. Though Jesus
was not a parent, His Father entrusted twelve disciples to
Him. Consequently, Jesus prayed, “I sanctify Myself for
them, so they also may be sanctified by truth” (John 17:19).
Having been given the responsibility for others, Jesus knew
He could not be careless about His walk with the Heavenly
Father. We must also recognize that we cannot take people
to places spiritually where we have not gone ourselves. If
we want to see our children go deep in their walk with God,
then we must go there first.
Outline of Experiencing God Ch. 8:
Adjusting Our Schedules:
Teaching Passage: 2 Kings 5:1-16
Life Application: When I understand God’s truth and
what He is saying to me, I must be willing to change my
attitudes and actions to follow His plan.
LESSON 8 OVERVIEW: Adjusting Your Life to God
Adjustments Are Necessary
•
When God speaks to me to reveal what He is about to do,
that revelation is my invitation to adjust my life to Him
•
Adjustments prepare me for obedience
•
I cannot stay where I am and go with God
•
No one can sum up all God is able to accomplish through one
solitary life that is wholly yielded, adjusted, and obedient to
Him!
Kinds of Adjustments
•
God is interested in my absolute surrender to Him as Lord.
•
I adjust to a Person.
•
Adjustments are well worth the reward of experiencing God.
•
The God who calls me is also the One who will enable me to
do His will.
Obedience Is Costly, Part I
•
Obedience is costly to me and to those around me.
•
I cannot know and do the will of God without paying the price
of adjustment and obedience.
•
I must adjust my plans and program to what God is doing.
Obedience is Costly, Part 2
•
My obedience is costly to those around me.
•
I can trust God to care for my family.
•
Don’t deny others the opportunity to sacrifice for their Lord.
•
I need to trust Christ to communicate with His people.
•
Lord, whatever You may ask of me today or in the future, my
answer is yes!
Total Dependence on God
•
Obedience requires total dependence on God to work through
me.
•
It never works. He works!
•
The key is my relationship with a Person.
•
He will do more through me in days and weeks than I could
ever accomplish in years of labor. Waiting on Him is always
worth the wait.
•
I must believe that what He has led me to pray, He Himself
will bring to pass.
•
My church needs to be a praying church!
!
There are parents who insist that having children will not
dramatically change their schedules. They tend to stay
fixated on their own lives and hobbies. These adults fail to
understand that when they become patents, they assumed
the commitments to make any adjustments necessary to
be involved with God’s activity in their children’s lives.
Be attentive to your child’s needs. One day, you might
sense your child needs your attention so you schedule
lunch with her. Or you take your son along on a trip. Or you
adjust your schedule to attend a child’s band concert. Allow
God to show you what adjustments you should make so you
don’t miss God’s activity in your home.
Adjusting Our Finances
Where you put your money reveals what is important to you.
At times parents make the mistake of donating money to
their church and other charities without letting their
children participate in the process. Our children need to
learn that money is not something to be greedily hoarded
but instead generously invested in God’s kingdom. When
appropriate, children should participate in such decisions
related to family finances.
Leading Our Family at Home:
Take time this week to talk with your children. Refresh
yourselves with what they are interested in. Sports,
activities, cartoons, etc. Start looking to see how you can
adjust your mentality to see the world from your child’s
perspective and how you can spiritually lead them with their
interest. Pray and act in a way that is honoring to
Deuteronomy 6:6-7:
“And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these
commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again
and again to your children. Talk about them when you are
at home and when you are on the road, when you are going
to bed and when you are getting up.”