The 3 biggest reasons people fail to change are:   

1.  They don’t really see the need to change.  The change is imposed on them based on the expectations, or  perceived expectations, of others (externally).

2. Lack of CLEAR, SPECIFIC and MEASURABLE goals.

3.  Little or no SUPPORT (training, backup) and ACCOUNTABILITY in reaching those goals.

Important Note: This article was designed to fit in the last third of the three thirds meeting. Usually called “Multiplication” or “Look Ahead”. These exercises can be completed after the group has first done a self-discovery Bible study on the passage. It is not to be used as a teaching medium but instead as a memory reinforcement for what they have already discovered for themselves.

The Five "P"s in the template of how Jesus wanted us to pray.

Does a piano know its own full potential? Can it write and play a master piece by itself?? Does a piano know fully what the other instruments around it are capable of? Does a piano know how to work best with the other instruments around it? I don’t think so. So why do we think that we know what is best for ourselves and others? Why do we set limits on what we can and cannot do?

Only a master artist can use a piano to its full potential; only God knows what your true potential is and can use all of you! Don’t set yourself up for a fall; let Him take total control of your life.

People frequently assert that the Bible has undergone corruption over time. Copied and re-copied. How can we be sure it says what it is supposed to say? Well, check this out! 

The Coffee Beans Video (by permission), locally without tracking.

The video's original source may have less buffering.

https://arkencounter.com/blog/2018/03/22/can-we-trust-new-testament-manuscripts/

Have a look at this picture. Can you read this sentence? ... Give it a try; after all, it is only simple English. 

Ok maybe that image was too small and a bit blurred, I apologise.  Try this one instead it is much easier.  (Come back here after you have had a look at it.) 

Don’t feel too bad if you can’t get it all. This is old English, and there have been four very major changes to our language since it was last used in 1066 AD.

As followers of Christ, how much do we focus on his direct teachings? How much do we actually apply them to our everyday lives? Here is a list of some common simple commands that we can start to apply:

For (approximately) the first twenty-four years, I had heard 1248 sermons, attended 1248 home Bible studies, and sung (badly) about 3744 hymns, but how many people had I introduced to the Lord?

How much over those 24 years had I thought just about my needs and not about anyone else’s salvation and growth, let alone being a part of growing the Kingdom here on Earth?

Of all those years of knowledge and studies, how much of it did I actually obey and put into daily practice? Not much at all, really, when I think honestly about it!

How about you? What is your track record?

This is a little exercise that my friend Dave K. added to our Blind Spot Test ice breaker. (Like the Blind Spot test it can be used for ice breaking evangelism or discipleship.)

Someone put a black dot in the middle of a white A4 piece of paper and held it up. Dave was then asked to tell them what he saw. He replied “a dot?”.

In this practical world, what does it really mean to make Jesus your Lord today?  It is always a good idea to get a potential new Christian to count the cost before they commit to a lifetime commitment to Jesus Christ.  It is especially good to explain to someone with a "high church" history what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus. (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, etc.) 

Remember to let them decide what their main life activities are and how big a slice of pie to give to each one!