In this near-final session of our year-long study of A Catechism of Christian Faith and Doctrine for The Global Methodist Church (and the companion volume Profoundly Christian, Distinctly Methodist), Rev. Ron McDougald leads an open, practical discussion of Question 75: How shall we hold on to such a blessing?
The catechism answer: We must respond wholly to the will of God so that sin will lose its power over us; and the world, the flesh, and the devil are put under our feet.
This session explores what that daily, wholehearted response actually looks like—choosing life, holding fast, turning around when we drift, and living in the cycle of victorious trust rather than resentment or distraction.
Key Scriptures & Themes Explored
- Deuteronomy 30:19–20 – “Choose life… listen to his voice and hold fast to him.”
- Joshua 24:15 – “Choose this day whom you will serve… as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
- Daily choice, surrender, and the reality that sanctification does not exempt us from trials, mistakes, or the pull of sin.
- Repentance as metaninoia—literally turning around—and the “just keep swimming” posture of perseverance (with a Finding Nemo illustration).
- Capturing every thought (2 Corinthians 10:5) and practical “tools” for resisting temptation before it takes root.
- Psalm 37 – The cycle of victorious living: trust, delight, commit, rest/be still. Avoiding obsession with the wicked, resentment, and the news cycle that distracts from God.
- Responsibility for adult children: we model, pray, and open the door; we cannot control their choices. Prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace at work beyond our influence.
- Proverbs 3:5–8 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding.
- The cost of discipleship: Matthew 8:18–22 and Mark 8:34–38 (deny yourself, take up your cross).
- Romans 12:1–2 – Present your bodies as a living sacrifice; be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
- Romans 16:20 – The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
- James 4:8 – Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
- “Be perfect” (Matthew 5:48) as telos—God’s complete, end-to-end plan of salvation worked out in real lives.
Personal stories, honest wrestling with failure, family dynamics, and the slow work of grace make this a rich, real-life exploration of holding on to the blessing of sanctification.
Resources
- A Catechism of Christian Faith and Doctrine for The Global Methodist Church
- Profoundly Christian, Distinctly Methodist (pp. 191–195)
- Related Seedbed resource: Christian Faith and Doctrine: An Annotated Catechism for the Global Methodist Church by David A. deSilva
Join Us
Mount Pleasant Methodist Church (Global Methodist Church)
13802 Mt Pleasant Rd, Vancleave, MS
Website: https://mtpleasantgmc.org/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MtPleasantGMC
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Led by Rev. Ron McDougald
If this study encourages you, please like, subscribe, and share. Comment below with how you are choosing to “hold fast” this week. We welcome you to join us in person or online as we finish this journey through the catechism.
