Download The Right Exercise!

1 Timothy 4:1-11
“The Right Exercise!”
Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:1-11
Memory Verse: “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things…”
1 Timothy 4:8a
Lesson Focus: Growing spiritually means focusing on the right thing, God’s Word.
Activities and Crafts: Coloring Page, Word Search
Craft for 1st & 2nd Graders: Spiritual Exercise Book: Have the kids color and cut out each page
along dark lines. Have them assemble the book and staple. On the last page have them cut out
the page along the dark lines and cut out the arrow. Attach the arrow to the page with a brad.
Introduction: Ask the kids; “Have you ever known someone who was nice and then became
mean? What changed in their lives? What made them mean? Why did they change?
Ask the Kids: “Do you remember the parable that Jesus told of the seeds that fell on the
ground. Jesus tells us in Luke 8 that a man went out to plant his seed. He said there were four
groups:
1. Seed that fell by the wayside and got trampled down by feet and the birds ate it.
2. Seed that fell between rocks and could not grow because the rocks did not allow it
to get enough water.
3. Seed that fell among weeds and it got choked out because the weeds took over and
crowded it out.
4. Seed that fell on good ground and grew and yielded good fruit.
The seed was the Word of God and it only grew once when it fell on the good soil. We
are the soil and when we hear the Word of God we either hear it and receive it and let it
change us….or we are like one of the other 3, where God’s Word does not take root.
There is never a time in our lives when we don’t continually keep feeding on the Word
of God. There is never a time when we stop growing.
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Bible Lesson:
1 Timothy 4:1-3
√ How does someone become a Christian?
√ What does the Bible mean when it says the “latter times?”
(This is the time since Christ returning to heaven until His 2nd return.
We are in the latter days now.)
√ What is going to happen in the “latter times?” (People will depart from the
faith.)
√ What will they believe in?
a. Deceiving spirits
b. Doctrines of demons
c. Speaking lies
d. Hypocritical
e. Their conscience is seared.
Illustration: Bring in an Iron. Take the time to burn a piece of fabric and bring it in to
show the kids. Show the kids an iron and ask them if they know what it is? Tell them
that an iron is used to press the wrinkles out of fabric. But if you leave the iron on too
long it will actually burn the fabric.
What this verse is saying is that when we get too close to the world our
conscience gets “seared” or burned. We become hardened on the inside
and things do not bother us. For example – we watch a lot of killing on
TV then we are not moved when others are hurting. We listen to music
with bad words – then we don’t care when we use those same bad
words. Our conscience has become seared. Bad things do not affect us
anymore.
When people depart from the faith very often it happens slowly. They start drifting
away gradually until they do not believe any more.
People also start making up their own rules about what it means to be a Christian.
Instead of always looking unto Jesus, they will make up rules about eating and say that
you have to do these things to be saved. The only way we are saved is through Jesus.
These people that Timothy is teaching in Ephesus are making up their own rules. They
are “adding” to the truth of God’s word and saying that people should not eat certain
foods and should not marry to be a Christian.
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√ What is the result of “searing.” (You don’t follow God’s Word)
Make up new rules like: Do not marry or rules about foods
1 Timothy 4:4-5
√ What does God want us to be thankful for?
All foods that He has given to us
√ What does Paul say in 1 Timothy 4:4 is good? (every creature)
We need to understand that our God is the creator of all things. He has given us
all thing to enjoy and to be thankful for.
1. Genesis 1:31; “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.”
2. Mark 7:19,20; “Jesus said that all food was not the thing that made a man
unclean on the inside. It was what was in the heart that made a man
unclean.
√ What does Paul say we are to do with God’s creation that He has given to us?
1. Be thankful
2. Be Prayerful
Jesus while He was on earth always prayed and gave thanks for the food that
they ate. (Mark 6:41; 8:6; 14:22, 23; Luke 24:30.)
Having a thankful heart is always important to God.
√ Why do we pray before we eat?
√ What other things should we pray for and be thankful for?
Food, music, the Word of God, fun, friends, families, ability to run, and
play sports, etc….
1 Timothy 4:6 – The “right” Nourishment!
Paul tells Timothy if he teaches the truths of the Word and follows what Paul has taught
him, then:
1. His people will be “nourished” in the words of faith
2. His people will be “nourished” in the correct doctrine Reject the “junk food.”
Spiritual food is very important to our lives. We do not grow and become more
like Jesus without it. We need to have a “Bible diet” to grow.
1 Timothy 4:7 – The “wrong” Nourishment!
Paul tells Timothy to reject stories that are untrue.
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Paul tells Timothy to exercise yourself toward godliness.
√ What is exercise?
√ Is it always fun?
√ How do we exercise ourselves in spiritual matters?
1 Timothy 4:8-11 – The “right” Kind of Exercise!
When we exercise we make our bodies stronger and healthier. So there is a
profit is exercising out bodies.
However, when we exercise our spiritual life it is good for us in many ways.
√ What is the result of “spiritual” exercises? What do we gain?
When we exercise our Spiritual life we become more like Jesus. We gain
“godliness.” That means to be more like God. Godliness is an active
obedience and comes from a love for Jesus. Godliness is not something
that we just do when we come to church. Godliness is who we are all
week long. It is a longing to be more and more and more like Jesus.
At the end of 1 Timothy 3:16, Paul told us what the “mystery” of
godliness looks like. It looks like Jesus. Look at what Jesus did for us and
how He showed us to live a godly life.
1. Jesus left heaven and came in the flesh
2. The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus and worked through Him
while he was on the earth.
3. The Angels watched and wondered
4. He taught all people
5. He love the world and died for the world
6. He was raised from the grave and sits at the right hand of God.
√ How do we exercise our spiritual life?
1. Prayer
2. Reading the Bible and studying the Bible
3. Corporate Worship
4. Encouragement from other believers
5. Our own Worship
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Our godliness begins with the Word of God (1 Timothy 4:6). We
need to feed on it regularly and often. We cannot leave it for
Church and the weekends.
√ How much time should we be giving to “working out” spiritually?
√ How much time does a professional athlete give to staying
competitive in his sport?
√ What does 1 Timothy 4:8 say that we gain when we become more
“godly?”
1. We gain promises for this life
2. We gain promises for Heaven
We are not just saved for heaven. We are saved to have a life with God
right now on earth.
Conclusion:
1. Jesus is the only way to be saved; we cannot add anything else to our
salvation.
2. We need to exercise our “spiritual lives” through feeding on God’s Word.
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