4. LIVE OUT YOUR TEACHING

4.1. Take heed to yourself first and then to the doctrine

1 Timothy 4:16 "Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you."

	Being right in your personal life makes your teaching visible for others to comprehend and emulate.
	Never let your instruction of others be more important than cultivation of your own spiritual life. Keep open your channel of communication with the Lord. Form regular times to release your spirit to worship in the Holy Spirit.
	Apply the teaching you are about to give, to your own life. Live it then speak it out. If your life is not right, your correct teaching will not have the desired impact.
	Pay attention to the need to surrender your heart, mind, soul and body to the Lord's control. This is primary to living an overcoming life (Cf Galatians 2:20).
	Acknowledge that you are not your own, that you are bought with a price, not with mere silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ Jesus (1 Peter 1:18-19). Think of it, you have been made free to serve. Jesus your Lord came to serve you, and gave His lifeblood as a ransom for you (Mark 10:45). You are no longer a slave to world-conformity, you are free to be loyal to your Lord and Saviour.

4.2. Take heed to yield yourself as a sacrifice, to be fruitful you cannot live to yourself

John 12:24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain."

	Do you really wish to be fruitful? Then you must follow your Lord and become a corn of wheat falling into the ground and dying. The sacrifice of yourself will then bring forth much fruit.
	Take heed - to be yielding you must not of course yield any part of yourself to unrighteousness. But it is very important to positively yield to righteousness and so become a living demonstration of eternal life.
	Pay attention to the reasonable necessity to present your body as a living sacrifice, set apart as the Lord's temple in which He rules. Do you respond to His amazing love with love's devotion and committed service ( Romans 12:1).
	Learn to fully yield yourself to the Holy Spirit who lives in you. He alone can fashion the beauty of Christ in you. Submit in your innermost being to a drenching with the Spirit of Christ, and the outward exposure will accurately portray Christ.
	"Continue" (epimene) means "stay" or "remain". You are to stay in the Word by living it, and remain in the Word by accurately teaching it. This will produce a blessed twofold result; you will be saved from the trap of false teachers, and those who hear you, from deceptive error, and keep them progressing in the walk of faith.

	As a leader are you so occupied in presenting God's Word to other people that you forget to apply it to yourself?
	How much time do you spend in the Word just to edify yourself?
	How do you keep open your channel of communication with the Lord?
	What do you believe is the key to an overcoming life?
	How do you know when following general views and opinions that it could be disloyalty to the Lord?
	What do you think you must do to ensure fruitfulness in the Lord's service?
	What guides you when it is a question of to "yield or not to yield "?
	Is it easier to be a dead sacrifice than a living sacrifice?
	How can there be a greater exposure of the beauty of Jesus appearing in your life?
	What change will have to take place for you to stay in the Word by living it, and remaining in the Word by accurately teaching the Word?