Matthew 6: ¹⁶When you go without eating, don't try to look gloomy as those show-offs do when they go without eating. I can assure you that they already have their reward. ¹⁷Instead, comb your hair and wash your face. ¹⁸Then others won't know that you are going without eating. But your Father sees what is done in private, and he will reward you.
    ¹⁹Don't store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. ²⁰Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them. ²¹Your heart will always be where your treasure is. (CEV)
1. What makes it so important for us to be secretive when we go without something for God?

Matthew 4: ²After Jesus had gone without eating for forty days and nights, he was very hungry. (CEV)
2. How does the example of Jesus denying Himself food help us to control our desires?

Mark 2: ¹⁹Jesus answered: The friends of a bridegroom don't go without eating while he is still with them. ²⁰But the time will come when he will be taken from them. Then they will go without eating. (CEV)
3. Why didn't the disciples go without eating while Jesus was still on earth with them?

Matthew 16: ²⁴Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. ²⁵If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find it. ²⁶What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What would you give to get back your soul? (CEV)
4. When should we stop doing some things we like to do to make sure our priorities are right?

Romans 8: ⁵People who are ruled by their desires think only of themselves. Everyone who is ruled by the Holy Spirit thinks about spiritual things. ⁶If our minds are ruled by our desires, we will die. But if our minds are ruled by the Spirit, we will have life and peace. ⁷Our desires fight against God, because they do not and cannot obey God's laws. ⁸If we follow our desires, we cannot please God.
    ⁹You are no longer ruled by your desires, but by God's Spirit, who lives in you. People who don't have the Spirit of Christ in them don't belong to him. ¹⁰But Christ lives in you. So you are alive because God has accepted you, even though your bodies must die because of your sins. ¹¹Yet God raised Jesus to life! God's Spirit now lives in you, and he will raise you to life by his Spirit. ¹²My dear friends, we must not live to satisfy our desires. ¹³If you do, you will die. But you will live, if by the help of God's Spirit you say "No" to your desires. (CEV)
5. Describe how you have to work at disciplining your desires for things that your body enjoys.

Please study the above references and then add your observations and applications:
Observations                                                             Applications
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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