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Questions for Today - an
addition to The Holy Club and the Test for Self-Examination
by
Nicole Brindle
Do you know about John Wesley’s Holy Club, or perhaps the test
for self examination found in the Orders and Regulations for
Soldiers? If you frequent ArmyBarmy you may have read a blog
about them early last month. Below I have copied those
questions down for a refresher. They are a useful resource for
accountability and discipline and something I have found
personally helpful.
Because I am an ArmyBarmy frequenter I did come across said
blog and I got inspired to make a little addition. The Holy
Club questions were written over 200 years ago and the test
for self examination I have included, (though some amendments
have been made since), were published over 50 years ago, and
there are just some things in today’s society that weren’t
issues then.
Read through the first two sets of questions- then go on to
the third. You might even want to print this page off and use
it in your rations and/or accountability groups.
These questions are from John Wesley’s Holy Club which
originated out of a spiritual accountability group he started
when a student at Oxford:
1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression
that I am better really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told me in
confidence?
4. Can I be trusted?
5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
7. Did the Bible live in me today?
8. Do I give it time to speak to me every day?
9. Am I enjoying prayer?
10. When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?
11. Do I pray about the money I spend?
12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
13. Do I disobey God in anything?
14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience
is uneasy?
15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or
distrustful?
17. How do I spend my spare time?
18. Am I proud?
19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially
as the Pharisee who despised the publican?
20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize,
hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing
about it?
21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
22. Is Christ real to me?
And the following questions can be found in the Orders and
Regulations for Soldiers 1950:
1. Am I habitually guilty of any known sin? Do I practice or
allow myself in any thought, word or deed which I know to be
wrong?
2. Am I the master of my bodily appetites so as to have no
condemnation? Do I allow myself in any indulgence that hurts
my holiness, growth, obedience, or usefulness?
3. Are my thoughts and feelings such that I wouldn't be
ashamed to hear them published before God?
4. Does the influence of the world cause me to act, or feel or
say things that do not show the love of God?
5. Am I doing all in my power for the salvation of sinners?
6. Am I fulfilling the vows and promises I have made before
God in the past?
7. Does what I do as a Christian match what I say about being
a Christian?
8. Am I conscious of any pride in my life?
9. Do I conform to the fashions and customs of this world or
do I show that I despise them?
10. Am I in danger of being carried away with worldly desires
to be rich or admired?
I don’t have a cool name like Holy Club or Test for
Self-Examination for this set of questions, but have a read
through them. These are not necessarily meant to be read
everyday – just something to think about:
1. How is my integrity on the computer? Am I spending more
time online then I am in fellowship with the Lord and with
others? Do I clear history so others don’t see what sites I
have visited?
2. Are my tattoo’s or piercing’s pleasing to the LORD? What
are my motives for getting them?
3. Am I sponsoring a child?
4. Are my networking applications (iphone, twitter, facebook,
blogs, myspace) causing myself or others to sin in word,
action, thought or deed?
5. Would I let Jesus listen to all the songs on my iPod?.
6. Are my tweets evangelistic or prophetic or do they cause
for gossip, self pity or for pride.
7. Am I tithing more then 10%?
8. Do I watch inappropriate youtube videos?
9. Do I skip past sex scenes or other inappropriate scenes in
movies, or do I allow the ways of the world to influence me?
10. Do I put effort in buying Fair-Trade products or do I go
for convenience too often?
11. Do my clothing labels read “Made in _____”? (<- insert
poor nation here)
12. Do I love who I see in the mirror? (or for some, do I love
who I see in the mirror too much?)
13. Do I drive when I should walk, bike or take transit?
14. Is there anyone whom I hold a grudge towards or bitterness
against?
15. Am I sleeping too much or too little?
16. Am I eating too much or too little?
17. Has modern technology taken over how much time I spend in
the Word?
18. Do I pray for my enemies?
19. Am I divorced?
20. Do I spend more time watching TV then I do in the Word?
21. Do the purchases I make on Credit Card honor the Lord?
22. Do I use email communication to replace human contact when
applicable?
23. If Jesus had a mobile and all the text messages you sent
also got sent to Him, would you still text as you do?
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