A Sunday School Lesson On Attitude

Here is a Sunday school lesson or Bible study on attitude.

The Attitude of Christ

Philippians 2:5-7 “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

What kind of attitude or “mind” did Jesus have? Even though He is God (Phil 2:6) He was “found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8) and we know that the Bible teaches, whoever humbles themselves, God will exalt (Matt 23:12) and here it is said of Jesus, “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:9-11). God will not exalt you if you’re already exalting yourself. If you’re doing that, you’re in danger of being humbled by God (Matt 23:12). Remember, Jesus humbled Himself more than we’ll ever have too and it was for our sake (2nd Cor 5:21).

What does it mean that even “though he was in the form of God?”

How do we exalt ourselves before others?

How often do we intentionally humble ourselves before others?

The Choice of Attitude

Philippians 2:14-15 “Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”

We are not free to choose our birthday, our place of birth, or our parents but we are free to choose our attitudes. Just like love is a choice more than it is a feeling, attitude is determined by what we choose to put into our mind. Solomon wrote that “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Prov 17:22) so why not choose joy? Joy is a choice and when one chooses to be joyful, they choose to be “lights in [a] world” that sits in darkness. No one may even know they’re in darkness until the light proves otherwise. Light always overcomes darkness (John 1:5) so may your light do the same to “a crooked and twisted generation.”

Do you agree that having a good attitude is a choice?

Are we helpless genetic victims of our parental gene pool?

Can too much light hurt someone’s eyes, especially if they’ve been sitting in the dark?

The Mind and Attitude

Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Maybe you’ve heard this; “You’re not who you think you are…who you think, you are!” That seems to be true. Perception can become reality but if you dwell on those things from above, then your mind will be more “from above” than from below. You can choose an attitude of gratitude or be left to your own default settings which are set in the flesh. That makes it hard to dwell on things that are good. Paul said we should “practice these things” and not just think about them. Good teachers know that hand’s on is often the best learning tool for students. It’s not exactly a replacement theory but it is a replacement of the things of the world with the things that are lovely, pure, just, honorable, and true.

What can help us to dwell on the things Paul mentioned in Philippians 4:8-9?

How can we “practice these things?”

Why is it sometimes difficult to dwell on things that are good?

The Renewed Mind

Colossians 3:9-10 “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices. And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”

At one time, we were absolutely DOA; dead on arrival. We were dead in our sins (Eph 2:1) from the wages we had earned from them (Rom 6:23) but when we’re born again, we received a new mind because we’re a new creation in Christ and a new creation requires a new mind of Paul wrote about in 2nd Corinthians 5:17 that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” This means there’ll be new desires, a new lifestyle, some new changes, and a new mind, more like Christ (1st Cor 2:16). If not, examine yourself to see if you’re in the faith (2nd Cor 13:5). This new mind should be practicing new things, and so Paul reminds us, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil 2:3-4). The Christian should “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Rom 12:2) and then try to transform the world.

What old things have you stopped doing since being saved?

What new things have you started doing since being saved?

Was this change fast, slow, or still happening?

What does being “conformed to this world” mean?

Conclusion

I urge you in your study to look at all of the Bible verses and read them aloud in the class so that you can get the most out of this lesson on attitude. Attitude doesn’t just happen; it must be pursued because any choice means we must make an effort to choose. If we don’t, then our carnal mind will choose for us and that’s not going to turn out well. If you’ve never reached a point in your life where you turned away from and have forsaken your sins (called repentance) and then put your trust in the Savior, then you’re attitude has little chance of changing. God can change the human heart and turn it whichever way He pleases (Prov 21:1) but God will only give His grace to the humble because He’s opposed to the proud (James 4:6). I pray that’s not you.

Can we change our attitude permanently without God?

Is our attitude a choice? If so, in what way?

What has changed in your understanding about attitude from this study?

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.