The Wheel: A General Presentation (Session 14)

By: Emery Nester

Purpose: This session begins a new part of the Lifestyle Discipleship material that will provide a metaphor of the Spirit-filled
Christian life. The Wheel, with its six parts, will help you remember the critical areas of focus in your walk with God.

Objectives

1. The disciple will be able to draw the Wheel and label the six parts.

2. The disciple will understand the relationship of the parts of the Wheel and how they relate to his or her walk with God.

3. The disciple will understand the four means of demonstrating obedience, with Christ being central in the entire process.

Scripture Memory

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live
because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galations 2:20

Agenda

1. Interact on devotion and prayer time.

2. Discuss the Wheel.

3. Discuss the worksheet.

The Wheel illustration is a helpful way to remember basic truths about the Spirit-filled life. It is a Christ-centered life. The Holy
Spirit focuses your attention on Christ and empowers you to live a life of obedience to Him. God’s word and prayer build
you up in a relationship with Christ so He can live through you and reach others through fellowship and witnessing. Without
drawing attention to Himself, the Holy Spirit shapes each activity into an avenue of spiritual blessing.

Copyright ©1968 The Navigators, re-printed with permission from The Navigators, all rights reserved.

Worksheet

1. There are six parts of the Wheel. Look up the following verses and write in your own words the meaning of each of the
parts.

A. Christ the center — 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20

B. The Obedient Christian — Romans 12:1; John 14:21
C. The Word — Joshua 1:8; 2 Timothy 3:16
D. Prayer — Philippians 4:6-7; John 15:7
E. Fellowship — Hebrews 10:24-25; Matthew 18:20
F. Witnessing — Matthew 4:19; Romans 1:16
I. The Wheel has been used as an illustration of the Christian life for more than 50 years. It illustrates the functions
necessary to produce a life of obedience and faithfulness which are important if I am to practice spirituality (walk in the
Spirit) efficiently.

A. The Word is the basic spoke upon which the Wheel is resting. The Word makes the difference between mediocrity
and productivity in life. It is as basic as eating is to physical life, 1 Peter 2:2.

B. Prayer is the second vertical spoke. It is the means of communication with the Father that which together with the
Word makes our fellowship with Him complete. Prayer for the Christian is as basic asbreathing is to our physical life,
and it should be just as natural.

C. Fellowship is the third spoke and the first horizontal spoke considered. Fellowship is restorative. It is refreshing to
get together with other believers. Hebrews 10:25 says I am not to give up meeting together with other believers.
Fellowship is as basic to my Christian life as sleep is to my physical life.

D. Witnessing is the final spoke, and one that is horizontal. It is one of the ways we share the Gospel and ourselves
with others. Witnessing is as basic to the Christian as exercise is to our physical life. Without it we will become listless,
and very self-centered, Philemon 6.

II. The Wheel is an illustration of the life of obedience for the Christian. It is endless and it illustrates the dynamics of the
life.

A. Christ is the hub—the very center.

B. The weight of a wheel is borne at the hub.

C. The driving power comes from the hub.

D. The spokes are the instruments through which the driving power is conveyed from the hub to the outer rim. Only with
spokes properly balanced can one be an obedient Christian in action, experiencing spirituality and the abundant
life. John 10:10

E. A wheel is a circle—an endless line. Our life in Jesus is eternal and endless life, John 3:36a. When a wheel is
moving, the spokes fade away and only the hub is seen. Do people see our spokes (our activities for Christ)? Or do
they see Christ?