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CREED STUDY

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The Creed Study

As a Nobleman I belong wholly to Jesus Christ, who gives my noble identity. I commit to depending on Him, enjoying Him, and submitting to His greater purposes in every area of my life. I will strive to abide daily in the Lord and His Word. I will seek out and entrust myself to godly men through every season of life.

I will reflect my new noble identity through a holy life. I may fall in this journey but I will not stay down. I commit to not lying and to coming clean immediately if I realize I’ve done so. I commit to resisting the lure of passivity and to living courageously - doing what is right despite my fear or lack of desire.

I will provide vision, direction and leadership for my family, putting their needs above my own and staying emotionally engaged and physically available to them. I will love my wife as Christ loves the Church. I will pursue her heart and receive her strengths and weaknesses until parted by death. I will raise my children in imitation of my heavenly Father as I love, protect and disciple them.

I will faithfully serve the Body of Christ. As a spiritual patriarch, I will assume responsibility for the souls God puts in my path, praying for them and making known to them the Gospel of Life. I will seek out older mentors and younger men to mentor, helping them raise up more generations of spiritual patriarchs. I will lead by serving, and will seek the honor of God and those around me rather than my own. I am a Nobleman, and in Christ alone I stand. I am a Nobleman, and by His grace I will help advance God’s Kingdom into all the world.

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Day 1 “As a Nobleman I belong wholly to Jesus Christ, who gives my Noble identity.” Verses on Noble identity Isaiah 61:10 John 1:12 John 10:28 2 Corinthians 5:21 What does it mean to be a child of God? What does it mean to live as a child of God? What are some ways you could actively live out of your Noble identity in the above verses, instead of trying to earn a Noble identity?

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Day 2

“I commit to depending on Him, enjoying Him, and submitting to His greater purposes in every area of my life.” Verses on depending on God 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 2 Corinthians 12:9-11 Why do you think depending on God often seems so counterintuitive? Verses on enjoying God Psalm 43:3-4 Habakkuk 3:17-19 Do you feel like you enjoy God? If not, you’ve likely got something twisted in how you view Him and yourself. Ask God to reveal any misconceptions and to increase your enjoyment of Him.

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Verses on submitting to God Note: We don’t submit to gain a noble identity, but because of our new noble identity! John 12:24-27 Titus 2:11-14 What does it look like to live a life fully surrendered to God? Is there an area of your life right now that God would say you’re not surrendering to Him?

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Day 3 “I will strive to abide daily in the Lord and His Word. Verses on Abiding Daily Psalm 27:4-8 John 15:1-11 Philippians 3:7-11 Revelation 2:4 What things tend to keep you from abiding in the Lord and His Word? Are you willing to give them up to know Him better? Pray God would give you a greater hunger for Himself. Make a Five-Year Plan for Mastering the Word

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Day 4 “I will seek out and entrust myself to godly men through every season of life.” Note: Your life will be full of changes. Though long-distance friends are irreplaceable, it’s essential to also have local friends wherever you live. Take the risk to develop new, local friends through every season of life. Verses on Entrusting yourself to godly men 1 Samuel 18:3-4 Proverbs 13:20 Proverbs 17:17 Proverbs 18:24 Proverbs 27:6 Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Who are some good friends with whom you can actively pursue going deeper? Is there someone who God is bringing to mind who you could bless by extending a deeper friendship?

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Day 5 “I will reflect my new noble identity through a holy life.” Verses on holiness Job 31:1 Psalm 101:2-4 Ephesians 5:3 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7 1 Timothy 4:12 1 Peter 1:14-19 What does a pure and holy life look like in your daily life? What motivates you to live a holy life? Pray that you will grow in a love for what is righteous and a hatred for what is impure

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Day 6 “I may fall in this journey but I will not stay down.” Verses on Not Staying Down Job 13:15 Psalm 37:23-24 Psalm 130:1 Psalm 145:14 Proverbs 24:16 1 John 1:9 1 John 3:20 What does “not staying down” look like in your life? What are some things that will help you actively get up after a fall?

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Day 7 “I commit to not lying and to coming clean immediately if I realize I’ve done so.” Note: Deception is a close relative to lying. Just because you don’t technically tell a lie does not mean you haven’t deceived someone. Also, saying you’ll do something and not keeping your word is in essence lying. Verses on Not Lying Leviticus 19:11 Psalm 15:4b Ecclesiastes 5:5-6 Matthew 5:37 Acts 5:1-11 2 Corinthians 1:17 In what ways can you actively pursue not lying in your daily life? Are there any lies or deceptions that come to mind that God would have you come clean about?

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Day 8 “I commit to resisting the lure of passivity and to living courageously - doing what is right despite my fear or lack of desire.” Verses on Resisting Passivity 1 Samuel 10:22-26 Luke 16:10-12 Hebrews 3:7, 15, 4:7 James 4:17 What does it mean to resist passivity? What are some areas of your life you are prone to passivity? What steps can you take to resist passivity in these areas?

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Verses on Courage Joshua 1:9 1 Samuel 17:48 1 Corinthians 16:13 2 Timothy 1:7 What does it mean to live courageously? What is an area in your life right now that God would have you act with greater courage? How would you imagine things changing if you did?

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Day 9 “I will provide vision, direction and leadership for my family…” Verses on Vision Genesis 12:2-3 Proverbs 29:18 Verses on Direction Deuteronomy 11:18-21 Psalm 143:8 What is the vision and direction you want to lead your family in? Verses on Leadership Psalm 78:70-72 1 Timothy 3:2-5 What does it look like for you to lead courageously in your family, present or future?

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Day 10 “…putting their needs above my own and staying emotionally engaged and physically available to them.” Verses on Placing Their Needs Above Your Own Philippians 2:3-8 1 Timothy 5:8 Verses on Emotionally Engaged Psalm 103:13 Luke 15:20-24 Genesis 16:13

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Verses on Physically Available Proverbs 18:1 Proverbs 27:8 Zechariah 11:17 Knowing who you are now, what are some ways you might find yourself being emotionally and physically absent from your family in the future? How can you prevent those problems?

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Day 11 “I will love my wife as Christ loves the Church. I will pursue her heart and receive her strengths and weaknesses until parted by death.” Verses on Loving Your Wife, pursuing her and receiving her. Note: the Greek word for “receive” in Romans 15:7 is “Proslambano”. It means to welcome, to draw to oneself, to grant access to one’s heart. This is an easy thing to do when things are going well. However, we can only extend this kind of love when we are offended and disappointed by considering the way that God has likewise received us in Christ. Proverbs 15:1 Mark 10:2-9 Romans 15:7 Galatians 5:15 Ephesians 5:25-33 1 Peter 3:7

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Day 12 “I will raise my children in imitation of my heavenly Father as I love, protect and disciple them.” Verses on Loving, Protecting & Discipling Your Children Psalm 103:10-14 Proverbs 14:26 Proverbs 22:6 Malachi 4:6 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a Ephesians 6:4 Hebrews 12:6-11 What are some of the ways that you have seen God the Father love, protect and disciple you?

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Day 13 “I will faithfully serve the Body of Christ.” Verses on Serving the Body of Christ 1 Corinthians 12 Ephesians 4:1-16 1 Peter 4:7-11 It can be very easy to live as though we have no need of other Believers. This is especially true of whom those we don’t particularly like and are different than us. Who is someone in the Body who gets on your nerves? Ask God to show you how you need them and what steps you could take toward inviting them into your life.

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Day 14 “As a spiritual patriarch, I will assume responsibility for the souls God puts in my path, praying for them and making known to them the Gospel of Life.” Verses on Being a Spiritual Patriarch, Sharing the Gospel 1 Samuel 12:23 Psalm 145:4 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 1 Thessalonians 2:8 1 Peter 3:15 Ask God to bring to mind 2 people with whom you could be sharing your life and the Gospel.

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Day 15 “I will seek out older mentors and younger men to mentor, helping them raise up more generations of spiritual patriarchs.” Verses on Mentors Proverbs 15:22 Luke 6:40 1 Corinthians 4:15 Is there a man whom you deeply respect that you would like to emulate? Why not initiate lunch or a phone conversation with him this week and learn from him?

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Verses on Mentoring 1 Corinthians 11:1 2 Timothy 2:2 2 Timothy 3:10-14 Is there someone in your life right now who you could begin discipling? What would be a next step you could take toward them this week?

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Day 16 “I will lead by serving…” Note: We often want to serve in ways that we enjoy or that bring us glory. Though God will sometimes allow you to serve in ways that you enjoy, He also will often present you with opportunities to serve that are undesirable and inconvenient. Be open to these! Verses on Serving Ezekiel 34:1-16 Mark 9:33-35 Mark 10:35-45 Luke 11:46 Luke 17:10 Jot down your gifts, talents and resources. How can you use these to serve the Body? Is there a need in your fellowship right now that you could meet that is inconvenient and undesirable to you? Ask God if He might want you to help meet that need and how.

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Day 17 “…and will seek the honor of God and those around me rather than my own.” Verses on God’s Honor Psalm 115:1 Isaiah 42:8 Acts 12:22-23 1 Corinthians 6:20 How can you give honor and glory to God in your daily life? Verses on Other’s Honor 1 Samuel 18:1-5 Matthew 7:12 2 Corinthians 4:5 How can you seek the honor of others who are in your life right now? How would they be able to see it lived out in you?

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Day 18 “I am a Nobleman, and in Christ alone I stand.” Verses on Standing in Christ Psalm 62:1-2 Jeremiah 9:23,24 Jeremiah 17:5-8 Matthew 11:28-30 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Philippians 3:3 Colossians 1:9-14 Ask God to reveal to you the things you are trusting in other than Him

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Day 19 “I am a Nobleman, and by His grace I will help advance God’s Kingdom into all the world.” Verses on Advancing God’s Kingdom Isaiah 60:1-3 Isaiah 61:1-4 Matthew 24:14 Matthew 28:18-20 Acts 1:8 Revelation 7:9-12 Ask God to use you to advance His Kingdom into all the world!

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BE A MAN… IMPACT THE WORLD!

Are you truly a man of influence?

Do you struggle stepping up to lead?

Do you lack deep, authentic relationships with other men?

Has fear defined you more than courage?

Do you have the confidence and skill to lead other men?

Is anyone following you?

Are you plagued by your struggle with impurity and shame?

Do you lack peace and intimacy with God?

Are you enough? These are questions that haunt every man. Deep down in every man’s soul is a longing to change the world. And the world is in desperate need of men who have what it takes to change the course of history. Yet for most guys, the world is changing them more than they are changing the world.

The Noblemen program was designed to address these longings. As part of this program, every man memorizes The Noblemen Creed and strives to live by it. This 19-day Bible Study digs into the biblical background of the Creed, and highlights God’s amazing plan for men.

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