Something Higher and Better
Study Guides / The Duty of Self-Denial
Something Higher and Better · Volume 1
The Duty of Self-Denial
A 12-lesson study of Thomas Watson’s The Duty of Self-Denial
By Dave Block
Not sure yet? Try Lesson 1 free.
Who it is for
Adult Sunday schools
Twelve lessons plus a flex week fill one quarter.
Small groups
Each lesson works for one evening of reading, prayer, and discussion.
New readers
No prior Puritan reading needed. The guide walks you through Watson’s language.
What’s inside
- Denying Ourselves: The Call
- Denying Our Reason
- Denying Our Will
- Denying Our Own Righteousness
- Denying Our Self-Conceit
- Denying Our Appetite and Ease
- Denying Our Carnal Policy and Fashions
- Denying Our Passions and Rash Censures
- Denying Our Own Aims
- Denying Our Master Sin
- Denying Our Relations, Estate, and Life
- Denying Ourselves by Grace
Every lesson includes
- Before you meet: the reading from Watson and the big idea
- Search the Scriptures: passages and questions for Bible study
- Talk it over: discussion questions
- Live it out: a personal exercise and steps for the week
- Memory verse and Pray
- Looking ahead to next week’s reading
Participant or leader?
For each class member
Participant Guide
- All 12 lessons with space to write
- Readings, Scripture, and discussion questions
- Memory verses and weekly application
For the teacher
Leader’s Edition
- The complete Participant Guide, page for page
- Goals and a 45-minute plan, with ideas for a 60-minute class
- A one-page background essay for each lesson
- Watson’s references explained
- Teaching notes and suggested answers
- Hard questions your group may raise
- Caring for your group in sensitive moments
- An optional review session for the flex week
Free downloads
Lesson 1 sample + reading editionFree with your email
Quarter planning chartDownload PDF
About the book
Thomas Watson was an English Puritan pastor whose writing is still prized for its plain, warm, and memorable style. In The Duty of Self-Denial he opens Christ’s call in Luke 9:23 and presses it into the mind, the will, the appetites, and every part of life.
This is a companion guide, so it is not tied to any one printed edition. Use any edition you already own, or download our free reading edition, lightly modernized in spelling with Watson’s Scripture wording kept.
Questions
Do we need to buy Watson’s book?
No. The free reading edition gives your class the full text. Once downloaded, it may be printed and shared freely.
What does the church license allow?
For $89, one congregation may print and share PDFs of both editions as often as it needs, for its own people, for as long as it uses the study. See what the license allows.
Do we need a license if we buy print copies?
No. If every participant has a printed guide from Amazon, no license is needed. The license is for churches that want to print or share their own copies.
Can we order in bulk?
Yes. Order as many print copies as you need on Amazon, or buy a PDF church license and print your own.