Dealing With Procrastination. RCCG House Fellowship Manual

OPENING PRAYER: Father, please help me not to be procrastinating.

PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE: Leaders should ask members why believers or Christians can’t go extra mile for spiritual growth.

MEMORY VERSE: “And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. ” – Acts 24:25

BIBLE TEXT: Acts 24:22-25, Acts 26:28 (KJV)

Acts 24:22-25:
22 And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter.

23 And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him.

24 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.

25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

Acts 26:28:
28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

LESSON INTRODUCTION:

“Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Proverb 27:1. explains the fact that time is of the essence in all decisions of life.
Procrastination is willfully delaying a required action until a future time. It means to defer, to postpone until tomorrow, what should have been done, a day before tomorrow. It is an enemy of success. We trust the Lord to deal with this vice in our lives in Jesus’ Name.

LEADER’S DIARY.

A. LESSON AIM: To admonish Christians to constantly stop the habit of procrastination.

B. TEACHING OBJECTIVES: At the end of the lesson, members should be able to:
i. Not delay what they ought to do.
ii. Know that procrastination is a delay to success.

C. TEXT REVIEW: ACTS 24:22-25, ACTS 26:28.
i. Is a bad habit that can destroy life.
ii. If you find yourself in this habit of procrastination, make an amendment.

D. TEACHING METHOD: Use interactive/ discussion method.

E. TIME MANAGEMENT: Share the teaching time using the suggested time schedule.

LESSON OUTLINES:

CAUSES OF PROCRASTINATION

1. Excuses – I need time to think, let me relax a little and start later.
2. Personal Convenience – Acts 24:25.
3. Laziness – Proverbs 26:13-16
4. Slothful – Proverbs 12:24
5. Environmental Distractions – Ecclesiastes 11:4
6. Pleasure and worldly entanglements – Genesis 19:16, Matthew 19:22
7. The erroneous belief of “working better under pressure”

EFFECTS OF PROCRASTINATION

1. Promising yourself that you will start tomorrow might be soothing and harmless while taking the pressure off temporarily, but the consequences can be disastrous, to say the least. Some effects of procrastination include:
2. Loss of trust from peers and colleagues due to missed deadlines
3. Constant anxiety and being caught off-guard
4. Guilty conscience due to incessant failure
5. Missed opportunities
6. Strained relationships
7. Failure due to lack of preparation
8. Shoddy jobs and incomplete outputs.
9. Self-confidence erosion.
10. Lost time and unnecessary delay.
11. Lost souls if we procrastinate in witnessing Jeremiah 8:20.

DEALING WITH PROCRASTINATION

1. Proper planning and constant reminder Luke 14:28
2. Set priorities right Ecclesiastes 3:1
3. Recognise that success never comes without discipline and diligence Pro 22:29
4. Avoid distractions by applying self-discipline in legitimate pleasures like eating, gisting, visits, TV, movies etc.
5. Get disciplined with the use of mobile phones. Studies reveal that people spend an averagely 5 hours daily on social media.
6. Always remember we don’t control tomorrow.
7. Work on one goal at a time
8. Start small and be specific
9. Join an accountability group where goals are followed-up and checked for accuracy and completion.
10. Find suitably-qualified mentors who can call you to questions on life assignments.

ACTIVITY: Discuss why believers always find themselves in the Act of “Procrastination”?

SUMMARY: Procrastination is a bad habit, you can stop it with the help of God.

CONCLUSION: Rosie O’Neil once said, “Procrastination is the arrogant assumption that God owns you another chance to do tomorrow, what He gave you the chance to do today.” Do it today, do it now. Just do it.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Father help me to be diligent.
2. Let the spirit of procrastination leave my life.
3. Every opportunity I have missed, I regain now.

GOLDEN DIET FOR THE WEEK:

MONDAY: Proverbs 22:29 Be diligent.

TUESDAY: Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember thy creator now

WEDNESDAY: Study Ecclesiastes 9:10

THURSDAY: Meditate on Proverbs 4:25

FRIDAY: Fast and pray against distractions and do a 12-hour social media fast

SATURDAY: Witness to 1 person today.

SUNDAY: Appreciate God.

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.

Action Point
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