I know Lord, that a person’s life is not his own.  No one is able to plan his own cause.  So correct me Lord, but please be gentle.  (Jeremiah 10:23-24)
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Correction is never pleasant because it means we have gone off course. In our daily lives out in the natural world, we often lose our spiritual focus and make decisions that are not based on Christ-like principles. This does not mean we are ‘bad Christians’ or that we should give up. When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and His sacrifice for our sins we gave our lives to Him. God’s purpose is now our purpose so when we drift from His will we need correction to bring us back to Him.

Think of a time you allowed your desires to dictate your actions. How did it affect other areas of your life?

Describe how God has corrected you in the past when you tried to live your life for your own purposes.

Can an Ethiopian change the color of his skin?  Can a leopard take away its spots? Neither can you start doing good, for you always do evil. (Jeremiah 13:23)

Until we stop trying to overcome the temptation to sin through our own power, we cannot allow God to begin His good work in us. We cannot do this without Him, the more we try the longer we separate ourselves from many of the blessings God has in store for us. We can do good deeds and choose not to sin in big ways, but we cannot control our thought life, or how our spiritual lives effect our natural lives. Only God can truly heal us from the damaging effects of sin, if we let Him.

What areas of your life have you tried to change without success?

Sometimes the biggest change we can make in our lives is letting go of control and letting God work. What areas of your life do you still try to control?

All have sinned, all fall short of God’s glorious standard (Romans 3:23)
It is necessary for us to come to terms with this one important fact. We can never be worthy of God’s love through our own efforts. Even our good deeds are an extension of our own selfishness. If we could become worthy of His love through our works alone, Christ’s intersession and sacrifice would not have been needed. God’s grace IS, unmerited favor. We do not deserve it, but God loves us so much He paid the price of our sins. He did this so we could come into a relationship with Him. We should always strive to reach God’s standard even though it is an unobtainable goal. This is one way we can honor Him, turning to God for support and strength every day.

What do you believe is God’s standard for your life?
Give an example of how you try to live up to this standard.
When you sin, do you repent and draw closer to God?