The Power of Jesus Christ in Our Lives Every Day
Open talk in Gospel LibraryIdeas for Opening the Lesson
- Begin the lesson by asking the class to share experiences where they have felt the power of Jesus Christ in their lives.
- Share a personal story about a time when you have experienced the power of Jesus Christ in your life.
- Start by reading a scripture about the power of Jesus Christ and ask class members to share their thoughts.
Topics
Experiencing the Power of Jesus Christ in Difficult Times
Elder Costa shares experiences of individuals who have suffered great losses and faced impossible challenges, yet through faith in Jesus Christ, they have found the strength to endure. This faith and the power of Jesus Christ in their lives have enabled them to overcome their trials.
What gives them the power to go through hard things? What gives an extra layer of strength to go on when everything seems lost? I have found that the source of that strength is faith in Jesus Christ as we intentionally seek to come unto Him each and every day.
- How have you experienced the power of Jesus Christ in your life during difficult times?
- What does it mean to you to intentionally seek to come unto Christ each day?
- How has your faith in Jesus Christ given you strength in times of trial?
- Can you share an experience where you have seen someone else draw strength from their faith in Jesus Christ?
- What can we do to strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ?
Coming to Jesus Christ to Fix Our Lives
Elder Costa teaches that we don't need to be perfect to come to Jesus Christ. Instead, we come to Him because we are flawed, and through Him, we can be perfected. Faith in Jesus Christ gives us the energy to begin the journey towards Him.
We don’t come to Jesus because we are perfect. We come to Him because we are flawed and in Him we can “be perfected.”
- How can we better understand the concept of coming to Jesus Christ to fix our lives?
- Why is it important to recognize that we don't need to be perfect to come to Jesus Christ?
- What are some ways we can actively seek to come unto Christ in our daily lives?
- How has your understanding of this principle affected your relationship with Jesus Christ?
- In what ways has coming to Jesus Christ helped you overcome your flaws?
Keeping Covenants: Transformational, Not Transactional
Elder Costa explains that keeping covenants is not a transaction with God but a transformational process. Through our covenants, we receive the sanctifying and strengthening power of Jesus Christ, which allows us to become new people and overcome the impossible.
Our covenants are not merely transactional; they are transformational. Through my covenants I receive sanctifying, strengthening power of Jesus Christ, which allows me to become a new person, to forgive what seems unforgivable, to overcome the impossible.
- How can understanding that covenants are transformational, not transactional, change our perspective on keeping them?
- In what ways have you experienced the transformational power of keeping covenants?
- How have the covenants you have made with God transformed your life?
- What are some ways we can better remember and keep our covenants?
- Why is it important to understand that keeping covenants is not a guarantee against trials, but a source of strength and sanctification?
Remembering Jesus Christ in Our Daily Lives
Elder Costa shares his personal practice of starting each day with prayer and scripture study to remember Jesus Christ. He suggests that intentionally remembering Christ throughout the day can give us the energy to keep our covenants and feel the influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives.
When I “remember Him,” I feel a desire to change, to repent. I find the source of energy to keep my covenants, and I feel the influence of the Holy Ghost in my life “and keep his commandments which he has given [me]; that [I] may always have his Spirit.”
- What are some ways you intentionally remember Jesus Christ throughout your day?
- How has remembering Jesus Christ influenced your daily decisions and actions?
- What changes have you noticed in your life as you have made an effort to remember Jesus Christ more often?
- How can we better incorporate remembering Jesus Christ into our daily routines?
- Why is it important to remember Jesus Christ in our lives?
Exercising Faith in Jesus Christ During Storms of Life
Elder Costa uses the New Testament story of Jesus calming the storm to illustrate the power of faith in Jesus Christ. He suggests that faith in Christ gives us peace to withstand the storms of life, knowing that we will not perish because He is with us.
Faith in Jesus Christ is the feeling of peace to withstand the storm, knowing that we will not perish because He is in the ship with us.
- How can we cultivate the kind of faith that brings peace in the midst of life's storms?
- How has your faith in Jesus Christ helped you withstand the storms of your life?
- What does it mean to you to know that Jesus Christ is in the ship with us during the storms of life?
- Can you share an experience where your faith in Christ has given you peace during a difficult time?
- What are some practical ways to exercise faith in Christ during challenging times?
Additional Discussion Questions
- How can we better apply the teachings from this talk in our daily lives?
- In what ways can we help others come unto Christ and experience His power in their lives?
- How can we strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ during peaceful times as well as during storms?
- What are some specific ways we can remember Jesus Christ more often throughout our day?
- How has your understanding of the transformational nature of covenants changed after this talk?
- What steps can we take to make our coming unto Christ more intentional?
- How can we help others who are struggling to feel the power of Jesus Christ in their lives?
- What are some ways we can better live the principles taught in this talk?
- In what ways can we use the power of Jesus Christ to help others in their trials?
- How can we better recognize the power of Jesus Christ in our lives every day?
