RCCG House Fellowship Leader Manual 29 December 2024, Lesson 17 - Topic: Why Does Evil Exist?

RCCG House Fellowship Leader Manual 29 December 2024, Lesson 17 – Topic: Why Does Evil Exist?

RCCG House Fellowship Leader Manual 29 December 2024, Lesson 17 Topic: Why Does Evil Exist?

TOPIC: Why Does Evil Exist? (Thanksgiving) (Scroll down for RCCG House Fellowship 29 December 2024 Anthem)

PRAYER POINTS: Father, please separate from the evil works of the devil, please give me the grace to cling to You and refrain from evil of this present world and refuse to be a captive of the devil.

PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE: Leader to remind members on the need for believers to stand out.

MEMORY VERSE: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” – Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV)

BIBLE TEXT: Jeremiah 17:5-10 (KJV)

5 Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.

6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

LESSON INTRODUCTION: Genesis 2:16-17 reveals that God gave man freewill do choose what he/she will do. God wants us to choose to love Him, worship, obey and please Him so that our relationship with him will be consensual and not forced on us. John 3:16. God created us in His image so that we can think and act like Him. Evil is that which is morally wrong or sinful which is every act of disobedience to God’s words in the bible which is the template for the life of every man. It can also be defined as the absence of good.

TEXT REVIEW: Jeremiah 17:5-10

God expects us to put our trust in Him alone, dependence on man will lead to failure and disappointment.
God is not pleased with anyone who put His trust in man (world).
Man will turn your heart away from God.
Every man that places His trust in God will be blessed in all his doings.
The heart of man conceives evil and does wicked things.
God knows our heart and will reward everyone according to the state of his heart.

LESSON OUTLINES ONE: EVIL STARTS FROM YOUR THOUGHT – Genesis 37:20

Matthew 15:19 tells us that evil thoughts start from our heart. When the devil succeeds in planting evil thoughts in the hearts of men, he manipulates them to turn these thoughts to plans and to execute them. A man behaves and talks based on the thoughts of his heart, so if his thoughts are evil, his words and actions will be evil. Proverbs 23:7

Genesis 37:20. The brothers of Joseph conceived the plan to kill/sell him in their hearts before they executed their evil plot.
2 Samuel 11:1-17. David conceived in his heart to sleep with Beersheba, wife of Uriah and when she told him she was pregnant also conceived the plan to get him killed in battle
Acts 5:1-10. Ananias and Saphira conceived in their hearts to keep part of the proceeds of the sale of their land but lie to the Apostles that they brought the total amount of the proceeds 2 Kings 5:20-27. Gehazi conceived in his heart to collect by deception the gifts Prophet Elisha rejected from Naaman and this brought leprosy upon him.

2. CHANGE YOUR STONY HEART.

The devil entices man with evil by appealing to his flesh, his eyes and his ego. John 2:16-19. In Genesis 3:6, Eve was deceived by the devil because the forbidden fruit appealed to her eyes and her heart believed the devil’s deception it will her wise Genesis 3:6. Her heart was manipulated by the devil, she was deceived and she rebelled against God. Jeremiah 17:9. Evil is first nurtured before it is committed Matthew 15:19 but God can take charge of our hearts if we respond to His request to hand our hearts over to Him. Proverbs 23:26. Below are some of the ways to change our hearts:

Ask God to Change your Heart. Deuteronomy 30:6 (NLT). When you invite Him, He will step in, take over and make you love and obey Him. Psalm 33:15 (NLT). Psalm 51:10.
Ask God to Cleanse Your Heart. Psalm 51:10. David asked God to cleans his heart and empty it of evil. When you ask the Lord, He will do same for you. John 14:13-14
Ask God to renew your Heart. Romans 12:1-2. God can help you renew of your heart and to write His laws in your heart to transform your ways from evil to good. Hebrews 10:16, James 1:21
Ask God to incline your Heart to Him. 1 Kings 8:58, Psalm 42:1. When are heart is inclined to Him, we will walk with Him in holiness. Jeremiah 24:7.
Ask God to give you a heart of obedience. 2 Chronicles 30:12, Ezekiel 36:26. A heart of flesh makes you obey God’s words and instruction without struggle.
Ask God to Strengthen Your Heart. 2 Chronicles 16:9a, Psalm 73:26 He strengthens your heart to resist the devil’s manipulation.
Seek the Lord. Deuteronomy 4:29, 2 Chronicles 15:15. Seek the Lord with your whole heart, He will teach your daily His ways

SUMMARY: Believers are to know that evil will continue to exist in the world because satan the author of evil is the god of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 until the second coming of our Lord Jesus, when he will be bound and cast into the bottomless pit Revelation 20:1-3.

CONCLUSION: The good news is that God is willing to take over our hearts so that we will not fall prey to the antics of the devil to become his captives. Ezekiel 36:26. Every one that accepts God’s invitation to submit their heart to the Lord will overcome the devil and his evil works. Romans 12:21. God is standing at the door of your heart knocking, when you open the door, He will come in, drive away every evil thought, take over and begin to direct you daily Revelation 3:20.

PRAYER POINTS:

Father, I thank You for providing a way of escape for me from the evil of this world.
Father, I present my heart to You, please come in and purge my heart of every form of evil
Father, please let my heart love Your word and store Your word
Father, please let Your word mould and guard my heart from evil.
Father please your word transform me daily, let my ways please You
Father strengthen my heart daily to with and evil temptations
Father help me to seek to know You more daily

GOLDEN DIET FOR THE WEEK

MONDAY: God expects us to put our trust in Him alone.

TUESDAY: Dependence on man will lead to failure and disappointment.

WEDNESDAY: God is not pleased with anyone who put His trust in man.

THURSDAY: Man will turn your heart away from God.

FRIDAY: Trust in God will result in blessings in all our doings.

SATURDAY: The heart of man conceives evil and does wicked things.

SUNDAY: God knows our heart and will reward everyone according to the state of his heart.

HOUSE FELLOWSHIP ANTHEM

1 I love this family Of God,
So closely knitted into one,
They have taken me into their arms
And ‘am so glad to be
A part of this great family

2 I bless this family of God,
So greatly prospered by the Lord,
They have taken me into their arms
And ‘am so glad to be
A part of this great family

3 I know this family of God,
So deeply rooted in the word,
They have taken me into their arms
And ‘am so glad to be
A part of this great family

4 I see this family of God,
So highly lifted above all,
They have taken me into their arms
And ‘am so glad to be
A part of this great family

5 Come and join this family of God,
So highly favoured by the Lord,
They have taken me into their arms
And ‘am so glad to be
A part of this great family

SUGGESTED TIME SCHEDULE
10 minutes for Opening Prayer, Praise and Worship
10 minutes for Testimonies
15 minutes for Bible Discussion
15 minutes for General Prayers
10 minutes for Questions & Answers
5 minutes for Welcoming New Members
10 minutes for Announcements, Offering, House Fellowship Anthem & Closing Prayers.
Total – 60 Minutes (1 Hour)

AUTHOR:
Pastor E.A. Adeboye.
The General Overseer of, The Redeemed Christian Church Of God

Open Heavens 2024 Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

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