BOLDNESS and COURAGE
Boldness (Gk. “parrhesia”, “tharreo”, “tolmao”) – showing a readiness to
take risks or face danger; daring; fearless; confident – Webster’s New World
Dictionary.
Courage (Gk. “tharreo”)
– the attitude of facing and dealing with anything recognized as dangerous,
difficult, or painful, instead of withdrawing from it; the quality of being
fearless or brave; confident – Webster’s New World Dictionary.
2 Tim. 1:7 God
did not give us a spirit (frame of mind
or disposition) of what?
Instead, what kind of spirit did God give us?
[“power” is from the Greek word “dunamis”,
meaning “physical and/or moral capability and strength.].
[Fear within exaggerates the causes of fear without. The Spirit of
power (moral strength or boldness) is the spirit of man indwelt by the Spirit
of God imparting courage; this courage casts out fear from ourselves, and
should stimulate us to witness to others.].
Knowing
this, how will it affect you, and why?
Heb. 13:5, 6 What
won’t God do?
Why
should we not be afraid?
Are
you ever afraid to witness (to share your
faith) even though God is with you?
Should you? Why?
If
you are fearful, what do you think you need to do to change this, and when do
you plan to start?
2 Cor.
[“hope” – the new covenant, which includes
heaven, Col. 1:5; 3:6; Lk. 22:20; Heb.
When
you witness or hear someone speak against Christianity, do you boldly speak out
for what you know the Bible teaches?
Why? Give
an example.
1 Thes. 2:2 Amid
what, were Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy able to speak boldly the gospel of God
to the Thessalonian Christians?
If while witnessing you experience mistreatment (opposition) from campus authorities, students, or even your family, would you stop or would you continue witnessing with boldness, and why?
Prov. 28:1 Who
is bold as a lion?
When told to do something by your employer, family or friends that is a sin (i.e., lying, cheating, stealing, etc.) do you give in or are you going to be like the lion that doesn’t fear anyone, and say “no” even if it means losing your job or relationship with your family or friends, and why?
Has it ever happen to you? If so, how did or will you respond, and why?
Jn.
What should we do, and why?
[Christ overcame the prince of this world (Satan) and disarmed him
(Col. 2:15; Eph. 4:8) through His (Christ’s) death and resurrection. Because
Satan’s kingdom, this world, has been overcome by Christ, through our union
with Christ, we Christians, can be victorious too over
Satan’s kingdom. This fact should cause us to be courageous and live obediently
instead of as a slave to sin (Rom.
Does knowing that Christ overcame the world, motivate you in any way? If so, how?
Josh. 1:9; Matt. 28:20 What
did God command Joshua?
Joshua was not to tremble or be dismayed, why?
Do you ever forget that God is with you wherever you go, and as a result you tremble (fear) or are discouraged, and why?
Eph. 6:19, 20 Paul not only asked the
Ephesian Christians to pray in general for all saints (vs. 18), but specifically to pray for what?
When proclaiming the gospel, do you speak it
boldly? Why?
Have
or do you ever ask others to pray for boldness for yourself, or have you prayed
for boldness for others to evangelize?
Prov.
Has your fear of the
Lord (by respecting God through hating
evil, Prov.
Why do you think this would be the case?
1 Jn.
[“perfected in love” – mature in his love for others].
[There is no fear of the Judgment Seat of Christ if we’ve been loving
people in this life. Fear involves thoughts of being punished (losing rewards)
at the Judgment Seat of Christ for Christians.].
[Since love seeks the highest good of another, fear, which is shrinking
from another, cannot be part of love.].
Is being bold an expression of love? If so, how?
Eph.
[This boldness, here, is talking about the access that we have now to
God because of Christ’s death on the cross for our sins. We now have the
freedom to approach the Father in confidence since we have found favor with
Him. We can and should approach God without restraint, telling Him all our
troubles and asking Him to help us in all our needs.].
How do you feel about this, and why?
Acts 14:3 Why
were Paul and Barnabas able to speak boldly in Iconium?
Why
do you think it’s important to rely upon the Lord for boldness, and are you?
Phil.
How?
[Paul’s main purpose in living was to glorify Christ. Christ was the
essence of his life, yet he was not sure whether he would experience release or
martyrdom for his faith. He was certain of one thing though, that he wanted
Christ to be exalted in his body either way.].
Do you want Christ to be exalted in your body? If so, what do you plan on doing?
And how will that motivate you to be bold?
Acts
Does
one need to be Spirit-filled/controlled to speak the word of God with boldness? Why?
But
why would it be important to be filled/controlled by
the Holy Spirit?
Judges 7:7-23 How
did Gideon show his courage?
What
would you have done if you were Gideon, and why?
Neh. 6:10-13 Even
while someone was coming to kill Nehemiah, what did he refuse to do?
Why
(Num.
[If Nehemiah, not being a priest, entered the temple, he would have desecrated it and brought himself under God’s judgment. He would disobey God to try to gain safety from his enemies there.].
Would/will you violate God’s law in order to save your life? Why?
Esther 4:8, 16; 5:1, 2; 7:3-6 What did Queen Esther do that took courage?
Would
you risk your life by violating a civil rule that could possibly bring death in
order to save someone? Why?
Jn.
Are
you willing to be courageous, even if it means dying for Christ? Why?
Rom.
Are you ashamed of sharing the gospel? Why?