Singing Let the word of Christ dwell in

Singing

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Col. 3: 16) Singing Lesson 5 Teaching One Another How to Endure With One Heart, With One Voice, Hal Hammons

Teach Us How to Endure • Our faith is constantly tested; God promises we will be able to endure (1 Corinthians 10: 13). • The tests produce endurance for the next test (Jas. 1: 3), not relief from the current one. • Past successes can encourage us to persevere (Heb. 10: 32 -36) – It’d be tragic to abandon our life of faith just when we are on the brink of receiving everything we have hoped for.

Teach Us How to Endure • What is the greatest strain on your faith? What do you do to endure when it seems almost unbearable?

Teach Us How to Endure About the hymn • Sun Of My Soul – Writer: John Keble. – Composer: Peter Ritter (? ) – Arranged by William H. Monk. • What is another hymn that has a similar theme?

Teach Us How to Endure About the lyrics • Sun of my soul, Thou Savior dear, It is not night if Thou be near; O may no earthborn cloud arise To hide Thee from Thy servant’s eyes. – Jesus provides spiritual sunlight, providing warmth, cheer, direction and vitality. – Any “cloud” that separates us from Him comes from the earth, not from heaven.

Teach Us How to Endure About the lyrics • What are some other songs that use day/night imagery to depict our relationship with Jesus in this life? • What other songs describe death as sleep? – Is this a scriptural image? Scriptures?

Teach Us How to Endure Even More • Passing a test of our faith only leads to more tests; life itself is a trial. – We survive, not by “riding the storm out, ” but by trusting in Jesus during the storm. • We should pray for some measure of peace (1 Tim. 2: 2), but we will never get as much as we want (2 Tim. 3: 12). • Our hope is in a heavenly future, not a better earthly one.

Teach Us How to Endure Even More • What is the worst thing you have seen happen to a Christian? How did it impact his or her faith? • Is your life easier or harder in the Lord than it was five years ago? Ten years? Twenty? Has your attitude toward hardship changed over time?

Teach Us How to Endure Even More About the hymn • Are You Weighed Down? – Writer: Craig Roberts. – Composer: Richard Morrison. • What is another hymn that has a similar theme?

Teach Us How to Endure Even More About the lyrics • For in the midst are gathered two: All-present God is there with you. – God is with His people at all times, no matter how large or small the group. – What comfort can be gained from the company of faithful brethren upon whom we can lean in times of trial? – Describe the blessings of serving an “almighty, ” “allpresent, ” and “all-knowing” God.

Teach Us How to Endure Even More About the music • Some congregations include a song prior to a public prayer being offered. – Singing the same “song about prayer” in the same context repeatedly can take attention away from prayer instead of emphasizing it. – Other songs can encourage a contemplative mood conducive to prayer, including these thoughts from “Are You Weighed Down? ”

Teach Us How to Endure Even More • We are commanded to think of others as being more important than ourselves, and of others’ interests before our own (Phil. 2: 3 -4). – Not conditional or situational: We are to be mindful of others regardless of our own personal state. – Seeking opportunities to serve others in their difficult circumstances is a good way of getting our mind off our own problems, and perhaps putting them in proper perspective. – By helping others endure hardship, we may accidentally find a way to work through our own.