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"You have to know the darkness before you can appreciate light. You were given this life because you were strong enough to live it."
1. The Movie:
In the movie “Suicide the Ripple Effect” Kevin Hines, who at age 19 attempted to take his life by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge, chronicles the impact of his suicide attempt on others and his work as a mental health advocate since that time.
2. Quotes from the Movie:
Close to 800 000 people die due to suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds.
"Eww I can't even look at this!! Do everyone a favour and just kill yourself. Why would her parent keep her?"
"I want to scream, I want to cry, I want to cut, I want to die."
"I can take the pain any longer. Goodbye XO"
"Kevin Hines went to the bridge jump over the guard rail, plumeted 200 feet but survived. "
"God please save me I don't want to die, I made a mistake. I didn't see a future. I found out what is wrong with me, I am bipolar. I really have been fighting for the last 18 years with this disease. Manic depression, psychosis and hallucinations are still there. I just know how to cope with it and beat it. "I know that hope is there. I just keep going, keep moving forward. Well, hope is not an action plan, but it is a start! If you see somebody in pain, please say something. It is all about us pulling together, utilizing the power of our voices. Get the help you need. Today is a day where I do not see the light at the end of the tunnel, I just know it is there.
"You have done good with your second chance. " (About Kevin Kines)
"I want to say thank you, you saved my life. " (Marine)
3. The Bible Scriptures:
This is quite and impactful movie! Kevin jumped from the bridge and survived. Afterwards he became an inspirational speaker. Well there is a big corelation between suicide and dying to self. The one is physical death and the other is dying spiritually to yourself.
18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” 19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.” 20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.” 21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” 23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels
– Ok Hans please read through the passage twice, underlining or making notes on what you believe are the key words and phrases.
- Who is Jesus?
- John the Baptist, Elijah & one of the prophets.
- God’s Messiah – Peter
- Jesus – Tell no one.
- Jesus – Suffer many things, rejected by religeous leaders, killed and rise on the 3rd day.
- Disciple = Deny self, take up cross and follow Jesus.
- Save my life = Lose it
- Loose my life = Save my life
- Gain the whole world = Loose self
- Ashamed of Jesus = Jesus will be ashamed of his
– Write an explanation for verses 23, 24 and 25.
v.23
- I must deny myself of my sinful nature.
- Taking up my cross means that dieing to my sin.
v.24
- If I want to do with my life what I want, I will loose it for eternity.
- If I do what Jesus calls me to do, I will save my life for eternity.
v.25
- What good is it that I am rich have all my needs taken care of, but loose my eternity with God.
28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”
– How do you expect these promises to work out in your life Hans?
- Well Francois if I give up everything for the kingdom I will receive many times in this life and eternal life.
- The kingdom becomes my family all over the world.
- You will have many brothers, sisters, parents and children in the kingdom of God who really care if you spend eternity with them.
These two passages will become very important as you share your life in Christ with others.
Remember this verse:
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit
– Why is this true?
- It is true because I wil gain many more brother, sister, mothers, parents and children as we make disciples.
Remember Hans where they are and think about how you should share them with someone else.
Be sure to spend time in serious prayer each day.
You are God’s son or daughter and he wants you to talk with Him.
4. Close
– It was a great study today Hans?
- Yes thanks Francois.
– Great Hans, will you close us out with prayer.
- Sure.
- Afternoon Father.
- Thanks you for the great day so far.
- You really have to be disciplined in this Lockdown to work from home Lord.
- Father we started with looking at why people commit suicide which is really sad.
- 800 000 People a year Lord, it breaks my heart that those people did not feel loved and cared for.
- It is like Kevin said: “If you see someone in pain, just say something”. God I think we can do better than that by sharing the gospel with them to give them an eternal hope not a fleeting one about their life on earth.
- God I must say your requirements for being a disciple is quite steep: deny myself, take up my cross and follow Jesus.
- Lord coming to think of it; repenting of sin is a blessing in my life because it draws me closer to you and gives me a clear conscience like we saw before. It also stop me from hurting me further and other people.
- Repentance brings healing to my relationship and help me to be close to you.
- Wow, Lord that was a mouthful.
- Oh yes, before I forget the promise to get many more brothers and sister is awesome.
- Amen.
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One thought on “4.1. The Power of Dying – Dying to Self – Deep Convictions”
I guess it all depends on if God is your first love!