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To know God is to love God. (He is that good!) To love God is to trust God. To trust God is to obey God. Therefore, let us introduce you to God.
In the beginning, God laid the foundation of the world with precision and in an awesome display of His immeasurable power, to His glory.
PSALM 8:1
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
READ GENESIS 1:1–2:3
HEBREWS 1:10
You Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
1. Who is the central character introduced in the creation narrative? Who is ultimately inspiring the writer to write? What does this tell us about our Creator’s desire for us to know Him?
REVELATION 4:11
Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created
2. What can be known about God in observing this opening scene?
POINT OF INTEREST: Blurring the distinction between the Creator and the creation lends to all kinds of problems, as He alone is worthy of our worship.
ROMANS 1:25
They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
3. How is the creation described in Genesis 1:2?
4. Through what means does God bring light to the darkness, bring order to what is disordered and fill what is empty?
HEBREWS 11:3
By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
5. Where is God in relation to what He governs?
ACTS 17:26–27
And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us.
6. What is the result when God speaks (vv. 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 29)? How might this affect our confidence in God to deliver on His promises or His ability to carry them out?
7. What adjective is used to describe all that proceeds from God (vv. 4, 10, 12, 18, 25, 31)?
8. God is creating with rhythm. He is ordering time, space and matter. He orders work and rest. What work is done between evening and morning each day? What is done on the seventh day?
MARK 2:27
And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
9. How does God create mankind distinct from the rest of His creation (v. 26)? In a world that is searching for identity, what does this tell us about who we are?
POINT OF INTEREST: In a world that is confused about gender, we see God create male and female equal but distinct, of the same kind but different.
PSALM 8:3–6
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of manthat you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lowert han the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet.
10. Verse 28 is referred to as the cultural mandate. In a world that is searching for purpose, what has God revealed as our purpose?
11. The mandate gives authority (responsibility) to steward God’s creation. As image bearers, who’s character are we to emulate in the stewardship of the creation? How does naming suggest authority?
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
JOHN 1:1–3
Day Two
THE CREATION: A DIFFERENT VANTAGE POINT
Under God’s authority, we find human flourishing. The Genesis 2 account helps us see the sixth day of creation from a different vantage point. We see His care, presence, provision, protection and direction.
READ GENESIS 2:4–25
1. Describe the initial degree of fruitfulness of the land (vv. 5–6).
2. What does God do (vv. 7–9)?
3. How is the abundance of provision that sustains life described (vv. 9–14)?
4. How can we make sense of the presence of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in a world that is described as “very good”?
5. According to Genesis 2:15, why did God place Adam in the garden?
6. Who is responsible for what in producing fruitfulness in the garden?
7. What direction does God give to Adam as He places him in the garden (v. 16)? Is this to hinder and harm him or preserve and protect him?
8. Why is it not good for Adam to be alone? (Hint: See God’s purpose in Genesis 1:28.)
9. How does God form Eve? For what purpose?
10. Imagine and describe a world without shame.
11. In reflecting on the garden paradise, do you believe God wants us to experience enjoyment and pleasure?
POINT OF INTEREST: In verse 4 a personal name is given to the Creator: “Yahweh” (translated “the LORD”). This is the covenantal name of God (explaining the nature of the relationship of God with His people) and also sets Him apart as self-sufficient, self-sustaining and the Creator of all things.
Day Three
MARRIAGE – GOD’S IDEA
RE-READ GENESIS 2:18–25
1. According to Genesis 2:24, what two actions are to happen when a man and a woman marry? How does this fit into man’s purpose of Genesis 1:28?
2. Whose idea is marriage? With all the confusion in the culture over the definition of marriage, who does God ordain marriage between (in terms of male and female)? How does this fit into the purposes of Genesis 1:28?
3. If God instituted marriage, then what does this imply about God’s authority to govern marriage?
4. Whose idea is sex (“you shall become one flesh”)? In what context is sex to be enjoyed? How does this fit into man’s purpose of Genesis 1:28?
5. If God created sex, then what does this imply about God’s authority to govern sex?
GLIMPSE OF THE GOSPEL: God brings forth Adam’s bride from his wounded side. Adam awakens in celebration to claim her as his own in the most intimate of all human relationships without shame. This foreshadows the bride of Christ, the church, who is brought forth from the wounds of Christ. He too awakens in celebration to claim her as His own in the most intimate of all relationships without shame.
READ MATTHEW 19:1–9
6. When the Pharisees question Jesus about the lawfulness of divorce, where in Scripture does He point to (vv. 4–6)? What instruction does He give them (v. 6)?
7. What reason does Jesus give for Moses’ instruction in regulating divorce?
8. What sin does Jesus say a person commits when divorcing and marrying another?
9. What exception is given?
POINT OF INTEREST: Pastors and theologians disagree over the exact meaning of this “exception clause.” Regardless of where one lands on this question, what is undeniably clear throughout the Scriptures is that reconciliation is possible through the gospel. Those experiencing adultery, abuse, abandonment or toxicity in their marriage are encouraged to engage the church to shepherd them through the hurt, pain and next steps (1 Corinthians 6:1–8).
11. What instruction does Paul give to married believers?
POINT OF INTEREST: Divorce is either sinful or the result of sin. Sin separates. Those who continue in sin cause separation. Divorce is often making legal what has already happened relationally (covenentally).
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSE
GENESIS 2:24
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Day Four
THE FALL: THE ORIGINS OF SIN AND SUFFERING
JOHN 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
READ GENESIS 3:1–24
1. What do we learn about the serpent in verse 1? Why might we suspect that this is more than a mere snake?
REVELATION 20:2
And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
2. What does the serpent challenge (v. 1)? The enemy baits the woman, drawing her in by making an overstatement. How does he overstate or twist what God had said?
3. What does the woman’s attempt to clarify reveal about her belief/understanding of God’s command to Adam? What is different?
4. Hearing the uncertainty in her voice, the serpent seizes his opportunity and he plants the seed of deception. What lie does he sew in Eve’s heart?
5. What is the serpent suggesting to the woman about the character and nature of God (v. 5)?
6. What reasoning does the woman use when she ingests the lie and makes the decision to eat the fruit in verse 6? What does she not consider in her decision?
POINT OF INTEREST: Temptation wouldn’t be tempting if it didn’t look good. Satan makes something evil look good. The anatomy of temptation involves real personal evil (Satan and demons) enticing the flesh through the world.
7. Using the above point, list the elements of temptation in this story:
– Real evil:
– Enticing the flesh: – Manipulating God’s creation:
8. Where is Adam during this exchange (v 6)? Instead of following God’s instruction, what does Adam do (v. 17)?
9. What do Adam and Eve exchange the goodness and glory of God for?
ROMANS 1:25
They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
10. How did they attempt to remedy their own nakedness (v. 7)? Did it work (v. 10)?
11. Where does this leave the man and his wife in relationship with God (v. 8)? Why (v. 10)?
12. As a result of their disobedience, how will pain and suffering be evident in their lives?
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSE
ROMANS 5:12
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.
Day Five
THE REMEDY FOR INSANITY
RE-READ GENESIS 3:8–24
1. We tend to avoid God and His word when we are in sin. God however, pursues that which He loves. In his pursuit of the man and the woman, does he appear to be panicked?
2. What question does God ask the man initially (v. 9)?
3. How does the man’s response reveal something has gone terribly wrong? (Compare to Genesis 2:25.)
4. What two follow up questions does God ask the man?
5. How does Adam respond to these two questions? What is the story he tells (the context of his rebellion)? Are there any inaccuracies in his account? Does he take responsibility for his part (v. 12)? Where does God turn next (v. 13)?
6. What question does God ask the woman?
7. How does Eve respond? What story does she tell? Are there any inaccuracies in her account? Does she confess her part? Where does God turn next?
8. Who does God curse in verse 14?
9. What cosmic conflict is described in verse 15? What is known about her offspring?
GLIMPSE OF THE GOSPEL: Verse 15 is considered by scholars as the protoevangelium or “first gospel.” Some consider it the first prophecy of the coming Messiah, fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
10. What meaning is behind Adam’s naming his wife Eve (v. 20)? What does God say in verse 15 that might lead Adam to give her such a name? Would that suggest belief or unbelief in the “first gospel”?
11. What is the covering that God provides for Adam and Eve? Why do you think He chose this covering?
GLIMPSE OF THE GOSPEL: Animal skins require the shedding of blood. This foreshadows the Old Testament sacrificial system for the atonement of sin through the shedding of innocent blood. Jesus became the perfect, sinless sacrifice to take away the sins of the world.
ROMANS
5:12
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
ANOTHER WAY?
READ GENESIS 4:1–7
1. Compare and contrast the two brothers’ work.
2. What offerings did each bring?
3. What did God have regard for (v. 4)? What did he not have regard for?
POINT OF INTEREST: Did you notice how God saw both the offering and the person’s heart/motivations behind their chosen offering?
HEBREWS 11:4
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.
4. How does Cain respond to the rejection of the works of his own hands?
5. How does God encourage Cain to come to Him a different way (repent)?
6. How is Cain’s response to God’s questioning different from Adam’s (Genesis 3:12)?
GLIMPSE OF THE GOSPEL: The invitation to acceptance could be heard with a religious lens to try harder or a gospel lens to repent of the works of our own hands and trust in Christ’s perfect sacrifice.
7. What is Cain’s response to the Lord’s discipline (v. 12-13)? Who is Cain still most concerned about?
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSE
HEBREWS 12:11
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
POINT OF INTEREST: Dead religion consists of man’s vain attempts to appease God through the works of his own hands. Christianity is turning from our dead works and trusting in the finished work of Christ.
8. Looking at verses 15-16, how was the Lord gracious to Cain, despite Cain’s continued rebellion and self-interest?
Day Seven
MENTORSHIP DISCUSSION PREP
1. Day one introduces us to a creation that was initially empty, dark and disordered. To what degree do these describe your life? If they don’t, what words would describe your life?
2. We were also introduced to our Creator who, by His word, brought order, life and light to His creation. Do you believe that He is doing this among us? Why or why not?
3. We believe evidence of God’s love, pursuit of and plan for you is why you are sitting under God’s word in this study. How is your heart responding to that pursuit? Are you listening and receiving or rejecting?
4. According to the creation account, a thriving human being is to live in a loving, dependent relationship with his Creator. In what ways have you looked to the creation rather than the Creator (for care, direction, protection, provision, power, satisfaction, comfort, security, stability, hope, happiness, purpose, identity, meaning and value)?
JEREMIAH 2:13
“For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”
5. Describe your current suffering. How are you responding?
6. God created us to be in loving relationships with Himself and others. Describe your close community and friends. Do you reach out to others when you need help? Why or why not? Where do they point you for hope?
7. In what ways do you disregard God’s voice and follow another voice in pursuit of your own desires?
8. What are the “fig leaves” in your life ways you have tried to remedy the problem of sin with external solutions (religious activity, performance, possessions, power, personality, people, posterity, positions, etc.)?
9. How have you attempted to justify yourself (value, worth, etc.) before God and others?
I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
10. Our self-reliant attempts to manage our sin or to control others’ sin reveals that we believe we are powerful enough to fix the problem. Understanding the magnitude of the problem helps us to see it is beyond us. Have you admitted that you are powerless and defeated apart from Christ? Do your actions reflect this? How so?
GALATIANS 2:21
BIBLICAL TRUTH FROM WEEK 1
Man, in relationship to his Creator, has fallen from a place of dignity, humility and dependence to a state of depravity, pride and rebellion. This has led to unfathomable suffering. Any attempts on our own to redeem ourselves are futile, only increasing the problem of independence and self-sufficiency. Any perceived success leads only to empty vanity. Apart from Christ, we admitted we are powerless to overcome sin (ours and others), and our attempts to control it only increase our chaos.
EPHESIANS 2:1–3
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
11. As we examine our lives through the lens of scripture it helps us to see what is most true. In light of what we have covered this week, what prayer would you like to offer to God about where you are at?
WEEK TWO
The Remedy: The Gospel
Day One
THE LAW
The law helps us to see where we are operating outside of God’s intended design. Though God is moral, moralism (mere outward obedience to the law) is not a remedy for sin. The law cannot heal nor does it provide the means of grace for us to be reconciled to God.
READ DEUTERONOMY 5:1–22
These verses contain the Ten Commandments that God gave Moses at Mount Sinai. Man, apart from God’s grace, will relate to God’s law by either rebelling against it or attempting to adhere to it through his own efforts. Both approaches miss the grace of God needed to be reconciled to Him, as each attempts to remedy the problem of sin independent of God.
ROMANS 3:20
For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
1. According to Romans 3:20, what comes through the law? Will any fallen human be able to have right standing before God by merely trying to obey the law?
READ MATTHEW 5:17–48
2. According to verse 17, why did Christ come? What does this mean for us?
GLIMPSE OF THE GOSPEL: Jesus engages a misunderstanding and misapplication of the law by giving a more robust understanding of the law. In doing so, He orients us around Himself as the one who fulfills the righteous requirement of the law. At the same time, He is calling His people to a greater righteousness than that of the Pharisees (outward righteousness).
MATTHEW 23:27
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.”
3. In verse 27 of Matthew 5, Jesus quotes the law. Verse 28 reveals the spirit behind the Law. Looking at the last word of verse 28, what does Jesus address?
4. Complete the following chart based on Matthew 5:21-43. First, observe what Jesus says. Then honestly evaluate your own heart and circle the verdict in column 4. Finally, what application is Jesus asking of you? MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING
I do not nullify the grace of God, for if justification were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
Day Two
THE EXTENT OF GOD’S JUSTICE AND MAN’S SIN
READ GENESIS 6:5–22
1. What was the state of the world and the condition of man’s heart (v. 5)?
2. What was God’s heart toward this condition (v. 6)?
3. According to the narrative of Noah and the flood, what is God’s good and righteous judgment against sin (vv. 7, 13, 17)?
POINT OF INTEREST: God is holy and just. God is right to punish sin.
4. Why does God preserve Noah’s life (v.9)?
By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.”
5. How is Noah’s faith demonstrated?
6. How does the reality of hell demonstrate the holiness and justice of God and how He views sin (Matthew 13:47–50; 25:31–46)?
7. What does the cross of Christ communicate about the justice of God and how far He is willing to go in order to eradicate evil (sin) and injustice as well as preserve His people? HEBREWS 11:7
MATTHEW 7:13
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.”
READ ROMANS 1:18–2:3
8. How does mankind “by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (vv. 21–23)?
9. What does this produce (vv. 29–31)?
10. In response to their actions, how does God carry out His wrath? What does He give them over to (vv. 24, 26, 28)?
11. Romans 2:1–3 addresses the self-righteous. How does God respond to the attitude that says, “Thank you that I am not like them” (Luke 18:9–14)?
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSES
ROMANS 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
ROMANS 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
GLIMPSE OF THE GOSPEL: The law can bring justice outwardly but only the gospel can reconcile our hearts to His.
Day Three
PROPHECY – THE SUFFERING SERVANT
The Old Testament is filled with shadows, types, promises and prophecies of the coming Redeemer (Jesus). It helps us to recognize what will be true of Him, that we might recognize Him in His coming.
PHILIPPIANS 2:8–9
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.
READ ISAIAH 52:13–53:12
POINT OF INTEREST: The idea behind “so shall he sprinkle many nations” looks forward to the cleansing made available through Jesus’ atoning work.
FOR FURTHER STUDY: Ministry of sprinkling Exodus 29:21; Leviticus 4:1–21; 14:7; 16:14–19; Hebrews 9:13–14, 19–22; 10:19–22; 12:22–24; 1 Peter 1:2.
1. Why might it have been difficult to put your hope in Christ based on appearance alone (verses 52:14 and 53:2)?
2. What was it like to be in His shoes (v. 53:3)?
3. Why was He wounded and crushed (v. 53:5)?
4. How did Jesus respond to those who hated Him (v. 53:7)?
1 PETER 2:23
When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
5. Though He was crucified between two criminals and buried in a rich man’s tomb, what was true about Jesus (v 53:9)?
MATTHEW 27:38
Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.
6. What was God’s will for the servant (v. 53:10)?
7. After God’s will was fulfilled, what would the suffering servant see (v. 10–11)?
8. How is this possible if the suffering servant is killed?
POINT OF INTEREST: Isaiah wrote this prophecy approximately 700 years before the suffering servant entered the world.
READ ISAIAH 54–55
9. According to chapter 54, what hope might the good news of the gospel bring to someone suffering physically, specifically those struggling with infertility (vv. 1–3) or the loss of a spouse (vv. 4–6)?
PSALM 68:5–6
Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
10. In light of the hope that this good news brings, what is the invitation in chapter 55?
JOHN 4:13–14
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
HOPE – LIGHT COMES INTO THE WORLD
READ JOHN 1:1–18
The Word became flesh. Jesus brings light to the darkness, order to our disordered hearts and lives and fills us with the life of Christ.
In what ways does this text sound familiar? See Genesis 1:1.
1.
2. Who is the Word (vv. 1, 14)?
3. Where was He during creation (v. 2)?
4. What was done “through Him” (v. 3)?
5. What is “in Him” (v. 4)?
6. What is “the life” (v. 4)?
7. Where can we find hope in our darkness?
8. To whom does the true light give the right to become children of God (v. 12)?
9. On what basis does the true Light give the right to become children of God (v. 13)?
JOHN 3:5
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
10. How can we know God?
11. What invitation does Jesus give in verses 39 and 43?
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSE
JOHN 3:8
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.
Day Five
MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT
EXODUS 34:6–7
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
READ JOHN 8:3-12
1. Who is brought to Jesus? Why was she brought to Him? What did they want from Him?
2. How must she have felt?
3. According to the law, what penalty is she facing (v. 5)?
4. What does Jesus do when He bends down (v. 6)?
EXODUS 31:18
And He gave to Moses, when He had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.
5. How does Jesus disqualify those who may be tempted to bring judgment against the woman (v. 7)?
6. How is Jesus uniquely qualified to bring judgment or extend mercy?
ROMANS 9:15
For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
7. What does Jesus not do in verse 11?
8. In extending mercy, what does Jesus command her to do?
9. In verse 12, who does Jesus claim to be?
10. How does the story of the woman caught in adultery point to this?
Who will have the light of life (v. 12)?
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSE
JOHN 3:17
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Day Six
TO AN UNKNOWN GOD
READ ACTS 17:16–34
Paul’s spirit is troubled because of the idols represented in the beautiful architecture around the city of Athens. These were symbolic of the heart of the people who were worshiping demons rather than God. Because there were so many false gods being portrayed, Paul found himself compelled to reveal the known God to those who did not know Him (and were giving honor to an altar of “the unknown god”). The philosophers called him a babbler—someone who picks at various ideas without understanding them and with no real message.
1 CORINTHIANS 1:18
For the word of the cross is folly for those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1. Does it appear the people were sincerely interested in the gospel or merely just into learning about it?
2 TIMOTHY 3:7
Always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
2. In verse 28, Paul engages the culture, quoting their own poets. Rather than arguing with them, he says that if what they are saying is true, what else must be true? What should not be worshiped?
3. In what three ways does Paul’s audience respond?
4. The vague pluralistic spirituality that existed in Athens (Acts 17) resulted in the Athenians devoting themselves to empty religious activities serving imaginary “gods.” Is it wise to choose your own conception of God? What is the danger?
5. Many times we operate in the moment out of our feelings and patterns established over time rather than what we know or believe deeply to be true. This highlights a gap between our brain and our heart, so to speak. The way we react spontaneously to statements about God and ourselves can tell us where we might be misaligned in our view of the Creator and the way He created us. If we are out of alignment foundationally, the ripple effect can become noticeable. Consider taking this evaluation called “The Concept of God.” Each of the questions will ask you to complete a simple sentence. Don’t attempt to write the correct answer. Simply write the first thing that comes to your mind. Later on when you meet with your Mentor, you will begin to see where you may be operating out of a misconception of God and yourself.
See Appendix B for the Concept of God Chart
Day Seven
MENTORSHIP DISCUSSION PREP
1. If your heart wants to follow God’s perfect law but it ends up disobeying God, how heavy does this feel to you?
2. Judgment and hell are unpleasant realities we tend to avoid and dismiss. How do these realities add weight to our sin? How does this help us see the love of God in what Jesus suffered for us? What is happening in your heart?
3. In what ways do you suppress the truth or live in denial? See Romans 1:18.
4. How do you relate to the law? In your sinful nature, are you fairly moral with a tendency to look down on others who are not as good or do you tend to disregard it?
Where are you on the spectrum of law and grace? (Circle the dots where you tend to naturally operate.)
My righteousness comes from obeying the law. (I tend toward legalism)
Jesus paid it all so sin isn’t a big deal. (I tend toward mercy and grace)
ROMANS 7:18
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.
5. If the antidote to unrighteousness is not self-righteousness, what is it?
MATTHEW 5:17
Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
6. What about Christ and the gospel did you find beautiful this week?
7. In the past, to what or whom did you look to satisfy your thirst (Isaiah 55:1–2)? In what or in whom did you place your trust?
EXTRA OPPORTUNITY: Many times we operate in the moment out of our feelings and patterns established over time rather than what we know or believe deeply to be true. This highlights a gap between our brain and our heart, so to speak. The way we react spontaneously to statements about God and ourselves can tell us where we might be misaligned in our view of the Creator and the way He created us. If we are out of alignment foundationally, the ripple effect can become noticeable. Consider taking this evaluation called “The Concept of God.” Each of the questions will ask you to complete a simple sentence. Don’t attempt to write the correct answer. Simply write the first thing that comes to your mind. Working with your Mentor, you will begin to see where you may be operating out of a misconception of God and yourself.
(See Appendix B for the Concept of God Chart)
8. Scripture is clear: We must make a decision about our belief in Jesus. What is our reality if we do nothing and ignore the call of God?
JOHN 3:18
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
9. How have you responded to the invitation to trust in the suffering servant, the one who has come so that the world might be saved through Him?
MATTHEW 11:28
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
10. In Acts 17:22–23, Paul says the men of Athens are very religious. Their habits and priorities (whether in the religious centers or in the marketplace) point to what they worship and live for. What do the practices of your life reveal about what you worship and serve?
DEUTERONOMY 5:7–9
You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God.
BIBLICAL TRUTH FROM WEEK 2: God lovingly intervened in our chaos and provided a remedy for the insanity of sin and the way back into fellowship with Him. We believe that by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, we can be redeemed.
EPHESIANS 2:4–9
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
WEEK THREE
The Response: Faith and Repentance
Day One
FAITH IS ACTIVE
True belief (faith) in the kindness of God toward us in Christ despite our sin (grace) leads us to repentance, submission, worship, obedience and gratitude.
READ JAMES 2:14–26
1. What is the essential question in verse 14? What practical example is given in verses 15 and 16?
2. How does verse 17 describe faith that does not change how we live?
3. The Bible seems to be calling into question the faith of those who say they believe but that belief has not translated into how they live. What should saving faith produce (not as a basis of salvation but the result of it)?
4. Can works alone save you?
EPHESIANS 2:8–9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
5. What example is given of the type of belief that does not save (v. 19)?
6. How is Abraham counted as righteous (v. 23)? What action was the result (v. 21)?
POINT OF INTEREST: Read Genesis 22:1-14 for a fuller understanding of what James is referencing here.
7. What two other things does verse 26 compare to “faith apart from works”?
8. What do you learn about the relationship between faith and works in this passage?
ROMANS 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Day Two
FEAR
OF THE LORD
PROVERBS 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
READ ISAIAH 6:1–13
1. How does verse 1 describe the Lord?
2. What posture do the seraphim (angels) exhibit in the Lord’s presence?
3. What are the angels singing to one another? Whom are they worshiping? Define holy.
POINT OF INTEREST: The ESV Study Bible note on Isaiah 6:3 says “his glory” is a “technical term for God’s manifest presence with his covenant people.”
4. Describe Isaiah’s experience in the presence of the Lord (v. 4).
5. What does Isaiah realize about himself in the presence of the holiness and glory of God (v.5)?
Humility is the proper estimate of oneself. CHARLES SPURGEON
6. How does the Lord extend grace in response to Isaiah’s humility (v. 7)?
1 PETER 5:5
Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
7. What can we understand about God’s character and nature from this text?
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSE
EXODUS 34:6–7
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
Day Three
GOD’S LOVE
Jesus came to save sinners.
READ JOHN 3:16–21
1. What did God give so that we might have eternal life (v. 16)? What was the cost of that gift?
2. What in God’s nature and character motivated Him to give us this gift (v. 16)?
3. What would have happened without Jesus’ coming (v. 16)?
4. For what purpose was Jesus sent into the world (v. 17)?
1 JOHN 5:1
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.
POINT OF INTEREST: The Greek translation here suggests that true belief in Jesus Christ results from being born of God. Without spiritual rebirth, one cannot truly believe. In this verse, “believes” is present tense and “has been born” is perfect tense. The use of the perfect tense suggests that the action in the past affects the present. Being born of God is the foundation and cause of believing in Christ. Believing is the effect or result of being born of God. One does not believe unless he or she has been “born again.”
5. What is true about those who believe in Christ? What is true of those who actively reject Christ?
6. According to verses 19–20, how will unbelievers continue to live?
7. How will true believers respond to the light?
1 JOHN 4:9
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
Day Four
REPENTANCE
JOEL 2:12–13
“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
READ LUKE 15
1. Who draws near to hear Jesus? Who stands on the outside grumbling (vv. 1-2)?
2. What are the scribes and Pharisees accusing Jesus of doing? How is the accusation of the self-righteous good news for sinners?
3. The parable continues for three sections. What occurs following repentance in each of the three sections?
4. Focusing on the third section, how many sons are we introduced to?
5. What is noteworthy about the younger son’s words to his father? Is he more interested in relationship with the father or his stuff?
6. What does the younger son do with his inheritance?
7. What are the consequences of his rebellion (vv. 14–16)?
PHILIPPIANS 3:19
Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
8. What do you think the phrase, “he came to himself,” means?
9. How does he see himself differently as reflected in his speech?
10. How does his father receive him?
11. What does he receive from his father?
POINT OF INTEREST: The robe provides a covering for his filth and shame. The ring signifies that he belongs to his family, and his shoes symbolize that he is a son, not a slave.
12. Whose blood is shed?
GLIMPSE OF THE GOSPEL: In reading the parable of the prodigal son, we sometimes overlook the cost of the celebration the life of the fattened calf. The shed blood of an innocent calf reminds us that our reconciliation with God comes at a price: the precious, innocent Lamb of God. This calf symbolizes the sufficiency of Christ as a portion for many. The older son (the self-righteous) does not seem to value the prized calf in the same way “you never gave me a goat” but speaks of it without regard for the treasure it is (as with Christ).
13. The older brother represents the self-righteous those who believe they “need no repentance.” Where does the older brother end up during the celebration? How does the father respond to his older son’s anger?
14. How does the older brother justify himself?
Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
15. Is the older brother more interested in a relationship with his father or his father’s stuff?
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSE
2 CORINTHIANS 7:10
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
Day Five
JESUS PROMISES THE HOLY SPIRIT
EZEKIEL 36:25–27
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
READ JOHN 14:15–31
1. What is the evidence of our love for Christ (v. 15)?
2. If we are powerless to do this apart from Him, how does God help the believer do these things (v. 16)?
3. Where does this Spirit dwell (v. 17)?
4. What does God promise His disciples (v. 18)?
5. Since Christ is alive, what is true for those in Christ?
6. What does “the Spirit of truth” allow us to know?
1 CORINTHIANS 2:12–13
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
7. How will Christ manifest Himself to those who love Him but not to the world (v. 23)?
8. Christ acknowledges these things while He is still with His disciples. Whom does He identify as the Helper to make them alive in Christ (v. 26)?
9. What event does Christ hint at in the last verses? Who commands this to happen?
ACTS 2:38
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Day Six
A NEW COVENANT
POINT OF INTEREST: A covenant in ancient times was a common way in which families or communities extended their blood relationships or permanent alliances to one another. It was a useful tactic that provided strength and resources, but it also meant treating each other like family—as you would a blood relative. It’s a promise that supersedes the other party holding up their end of the bargain. In other words, a covenant is an unconditional arrangement where all parties agree to support one another and pursue reconciliation, regardless of fairness or circumstances. A biblical covenant is one in which God is also a party, and His promise to never leave or forsake His people (Deuteronomy 31:6) assures us that special covenantal relationships with God are permanent—never to be broken.
JEREMIAH 31:31–33
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
READ 2 CORINTHIANS 3:1–4:6
CHAPTER 3
1. What is the “letter from Christ” in verses 2-3? Who wrote it? Where and on what did they write it?
2. God makes us competent to be ministers of what (v. 6)?
3. Compare and contrast how Paul describes the old and new covenants.
4. According to verse 14, who is the only one who can bring us out from under the old covenant?
5. What remains over the hearts of those who are under the old covenant?
6. What is true about those who behold the Lord with unveiled faces?
CHAPTER
4
7. Having received this ministry, what do we not do (v. 1)? What do we do (v. 2)?
8. What is true about those to whom the gospel is veiled?
9. According to verse 5, what do we proclaim? What do we not proclaim?
10. If God can shine light out of darkness, what hope does this bring to His ability to illuminate unbelieving hearts to the gospel?
1 CORINTHIANS 11:25
In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
Day Seven
MENTORSHIP DISCUSSION PREP
1. If you have received the gift of faith, how has that led to a heartfelt desire to be obedient to God?
2. Describe any experiences where God’s presence and power humbled you.
3. Describe how the reality of God’s love has affected your life.
4. What of God’s character have you come to know as you have walked with Him?
5. To whom or to what do you point for your justification? Or to put it another way, how do you attempt to justify yourself to others?
6. What is your attitude toward God?
7. What is your view of mankind?
8. Define repentance. What has been your response to the call to repent? Why?
MATTHEW 3:8
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
9. What evidence of spiritual rebirth do you see in your life?
10. Have you responded to the gospel in faith by repenting of your sins and trusting in the finished work of Christ? Have you accepted His invitation to follow Him, forsaking all others? If yes, describe the process. If no, why?
2 CORINTHIANS 5:15
He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
ROMANS 12:1
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
BIBLICAL TRUTH FROM WEEK 3: Through the Holy Spirit’s illumination of our desperate and helpless condition before God and the hope that comes through the gospel of Jesus Christ, we step out in faith and repent as an act of worship and obedience, surrendering our will and entrusting our lives to Christ’s care and control. We are reborn spiritually and rescued from the domain of darkness and brought into the kingdom of light, where we now live as a part of Christ’s ever advancing kingdom.
11. Scripture gives us a lens to see where we stand before God. We cannot have right standing through our works. We can only have right standing surrendered to Christ. What honest prayer do you need to offer up to God?
Godly Repentance Worldly Sorrow
VERTICAL
FOCUSED ON GOD & OTHERS
SPIRITUAL WILLING ACTIVE
HOPEFUL
GRATEFUL
PERSEVERING
HUMBLE
HORIZONTAL
FOCUSED ON SELF EMOTIONAL DEMANDING PASSIVE HOPELESS
BEGRUDGING
TEMPORARY
PRIDEFUL
WEEK FOUR
The Result: Justification, Adoption and Sanctification
Day One
GOSPEL TRUTHS
READ ROMANS 8
1. What is true about those who are in Christ (v. 1)? Why (v. 2)? How (v. 3)? For what purpose (v. 4)?
2. How is this evident in the lives of those in Christ (v. 4)?
GALATIANS 5:22–23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
3. Where do those in Christ set their minds? What does this lead to (vv. 5–6)?
POINT OF INTEREST: Being conformed to the image of Christ (v. 29) is a process called sanctification. Sanctification has two parts (mortification) putting to death those things that rob us of our affections for Christ and hinder our reflection of Him (v. 14), and (vivification) filling ourselves with those things that stir our affections for Christ and enable us to reflect Him (vv. 5–6).
4. How do we know if we belong to God (v. 9)?
5. What is the result of this (v. 11)?
6. If you live by the Spirit, what will you do and what will be the result (v. 13)?
GALATIANS 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
7. What does Romans 8:14 reveal about our identity?
POINT OF INTEREST: Adoption is an act of God, bringing us into His family. His relationship to us is now one of a loving father.
8. How is this adoption confirmed by the Spirit (v. 16)?
9. If we are children of God, what is also true about us (v. 17)?
10. What future glory do we await in our present suffering? How does this present sufferingvcompare to our future glory (vv. 18–19)?
POINT OF INTEREST: Verse 23 says part of this future glory is the redemption of our bodies, which means resurrection from the dead and the transformation of those alive in Christ in glorious bodies, reigning and living with Him forever, serving Him and giving Him unending praise and glory. Reference 1 Corinthians 15.
11. What help do we have in our suffering (v. 26)?
12. What is true about those who love God and are called according to His purposes (v. 28)? Does this include suffering? What is the “good” God is doing in verse 29?
13. What sort of “things” are we promised victory over (vv. 35–37)?
14. What can separate us from the love of Christ (vv. 38–39)?
THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH
READ REVELATION 21–22
CHAPTER 21
1. What does John (the author) see in verses 1–2?
2. What declaration is made in verse 3?
3. What will God do in verse 4?
4. What does the person sitting on the throne say in verse 5?
5. What promises does He give in verses 6–7?
6. Who or what is present or absent in the new heavens and new earth?
7. What warning is given to those who reject the gift of life and cling to their former identities (v. 8)?
8. Summarize the description of the new Jerusalem (21:9–22:5)? What makes her radiant (v. 11)?
1 PETER 3:8
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
READ 1 PETER 1:3–9
9. According to verse 3, to what have we been born again? Through what?
10. Describe the inheritance mentioned in verse 4. What do these words mean? Through whom is the inheritance kept?
11. What allows us to rejoice during trials?
12. What is the evidence that these are yours by faith?
POINT OF INTEREST: After reminding and rooting his audience in the truths of the gospel, Peter calls them to action (v. 13) as obedient children (v. 14) in the pursuit of holiness (v. 15). Now that weare rooted in gospel truths, we will focus on incorporating gospel pursuits.
Day Three
THE WAR WITHIN
READ ROMANS 7:4-25
1. What have we died to and been released from?
2. How do we now serve (v. 6)?
3. What results from living under the law as a sinner (v. 11)?
4. Is the law the problem (vv. 12-14)? If not, what is?
5. How does Paul describe the battle within him (v. 15)?
6. What does Paul know about himself (v. 18)?
7. How does Paul separate the essence of who he is and the sin in him (v. 20)? What then should he war against? What is his reality (v. 21)?
8. What two things are operating in him at the same time (vv. 22–23)?
9. What conclusion does Paul come to (v. 24)? What is his answer to the question (v. 25)?
Day Four
A NEW HEART
READ MATTHEW 15:1–20
1. The scribes and Pharisees established man made rules and said it was sin if people did not uphold them. What tradition do they condemn Jesus and His disciples for failing to follow in verse 2?
2. How does Jesus point out the hypocrisy of the scribes and the Pharisees (vv. 3–6)? What have they elevated above the command of God?
3. How does Isaiah define a hypocrite (vv. 8–9)?
4. Is Jesus teaching that the problem is internal or external (v. 10)?
5. Who does this offend (v. 12)? Why do you think this is offensive to them?
6. What does Jesus suggest about this group of people (vv. 13–14)?
7. What defiles a person? Where does this come from (v. 18)?
EZEKIEL 36:25–27
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
8. What is the bad fruit which proceeds from our hearts (v. 19)?
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING PSALM
PSALM 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
THE NEW LIFE
READ EPHESIANS 4:17–5:2
1. What does Paul instruct in verse 17? Why (vv. 17–21)?
2. What does this text suggest we “put off” and “put on” (vv. 22–24)? How is each described?
ROMANS 6:19
I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
3. According to verse 25, what should we put away? What should we do instead?
POINT OF INTEREST: Regeneration, according to Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, is “an act of God in which he implants new spiritual life to us.”
4. Verse 31 tells us to put away all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander and malice. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal those whom you may be angry or bitter toward. Briefly state why.
5. How does verse 26 say we should handle anger? Why (v. 27)?
6. If we have been given a new life it means we have been given a new nature that should radically change how we live. What example does verse 28 give?
ROMANS 6:1-2
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
7. What is God’s remedy for our anger and bitterness toward others (vv. 31–32)?
8. How does this allow us to live as Ephesians 5:1–2 describes?
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSE
ROMANS 8:13
For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
JUSTIFIED BY FAITH! PERFECTED BY LAW?
Justification, according to Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology , is “an instantaneous legal act of God in which he thinks of our sins as forgiven and Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us, and declares us to be righteous in his sight.”
READ GALATIANS 2:15–3:3
1. In verse 16, Paul assures his audience that “no one” will be justified “by the works of the law.” What do you think it means to try to be justified by the works of the law?
2. How can we have right standing with God (v. 16)?
3. What is Paul dead to, according to verse 19? What is he free to do?
ROMANS 7:4
Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God
4. In verse 20, Paul explains how he found that freedom. How did this affect the way he lived?
MARK 8:35
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
5. What does justification through the law do (v. 21)?
6. Why does Paul rebuke the church in Galatia in chapter 3:1–3?
7. What does he remind them?
8. How does Paul suggest we will be “perfected” (sanctified and glorified) (v. 3)?
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSE
PHILIPPIANS 2:13
For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Day Seven
MENTORSHIP DISCUSSION PREP
1. How do you tend to view suffering in your life? How might the precious truths of Romans 8 shape your views? How might God redeem your specific suffering for His glory and your good?
2. Paul rebuked the church in Galatia for trying to perfect themselves through human effort alone (works). How have you tried to overcome sin by trying harder instead of seeking God and trusting the Spirit’s work in you (grace)? How specifically does this look in your life?
3. Where have you excused or placed blame for your ungodly thoughts, behaviors and emotions (examples: family upbringing, suffering and loss, a diagnosis, “the devil made me do it”, blaming others)?
4. If God’s good goal for our lives is to conform us to the image of His Son, is this now your goal? How will you work towards this goal?
5. What reservations do you have about examining your own heart?
PSALM 139:23–24
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
6. What “grievous ways” has God revealed to you (ways your sin has grieved the heart of God)?
7. Instead of presenting your members for unrighteousness (Romans 6:13), how might you use the same effort, enthusiasm and creativity in presenting yourself to God as an instrument of righteousness?
8. What evidences of the Spirit of God do you see working in you?
9. A changed heart means we move from an attitude of begrudging submission to an honest desire to engage the war going on in our hearts. Where are you as you head into assessments?
OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS, YOU WILL BE WORKING TO COMPLETE YOUR ASSESSMENTS
10. In your own words, what do each of these gospel truths mean for you personally?
11. Describe what you envision in the new heavens and new earth? What is present or absent there that your heart longs for?
12. What are your thoughts, concerns, and fears about completing your assessments?
If not ready, why?
What time will you set aside to do them? When will you meet with your mentor to go over them (this may take longer than your previous meetings)?
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSES AS YOU FILL OUT YOUR INVENTORIES:
1 CORINTHIANS 15:3–4
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
BIBLICAL TRUTH FROM WEEK 4: As children of God, armed with the Holy Spirit and standing firm in the gospel, we engage in the spiritual battle over the reign and rule of our hearts. God set us apart for holiness, and we look to put to death the areas of our lives that keep us from reflecting Jesus Christ to a dark and dying world. We first examine the fruit in our lives (or moral symptoms). As we move through the assessment process, we will uncover the roots (pride and idolatry) of any ungodly fruit that drive our ungodly thoughts, actions and emotions.
15. Going into assessments, what prayer would you like to offer to God?
16. (Optional) Biblical lament includes getting honest with God about our suffering while being reminded of His presence, truth and promises. What difficulty do you need to get honest about? In your free time, write a psalm to God. Be sure to include truths that speak to your difficulty.
Note: Psalms often start with heartfelt angst, even questioning God about the trouble the psalmist is facing (see Psalm 13). God often meets the psalmists in the difficulty, reminding them of what is also true that helps them transcend the difficulty.
WEEK FIVE Assessment Prep
Preparing for Assessments
Take time to complete this section prior to beginning assessments.
WEEK 5: PRE-ASSESSMENTS
During this preparation phase you will work through the “Assessment Prep” section and share the answers to questions with your mentor.
Over the next few weeks, we will examine the current state of our hearts. We will seek truth through the redemptive lens of the gospel as we move through the assessment process and uncover the roots of our sin.
The following guide takes you through the process of completing an assessment. We recommend that you read the entire guide to familiarize yourself with the process and the materials. We hope it is helpful and useful to you.
Our hope is that, through the assessment process, our hearts would come in line with God’s heart. This happens as our hearts are reconciled to His through repentance of sin and lives empowered by Him. This all falls under what God calls us to as His children in pursuing holiness. Happiness is found through the pursuit of holiness, as sin taints everything.
TIMELINE FOR COMPLETING THE ASSESSMENTS
We have broken the assessments down over a three week period. The first time you work through the process you may find it overwhelming, but focus on the major convictions that hinder your love for God and others.
Below is the suggested order to follow when completing your assessments. It is recommended that you not only set aside time to complete the assessment forms, but schedule two-to-three hour blocks each week with your mentor to share your assessments.
WEEK SIX
Trauma and Suffering Assessment Form
Anger and Resentments Assessment Form
After you complete these assessments, meet with your mentor and share/pray through them.
WEEK SEVEN
Sexual Immorality Assessment Form
Guilt and Shame Assessment Form
After you complete these assessments, meet with your mentor and share/pray through them.
WEEK EIGHT
Fear Assessment Form
Grief Assessment Form
After you complete these assessments, meet with your mentor and share/pray through them.
UTILIZING YOUR MENTOR AND COMMUNITY
Your mentor is your primary support through the assessment process. Let your mentor know when you are doing your assessment so they can be in prayer for you. Call them if you have any questions or difficulties.
Feel free to invite your community, group leaders, family members and friends to pray for you during this season. It is helpful and encouraging to your heart to remember you are not alone. Inviting others into this battle for your healing is such a blessing to extend to them.
Use the space below to write out the names of those you will invite to pray for you during this season.
MAKE COPIES
You may need additional copies of the assessment sheets beyond what we provide. It would be wise to go ahead and make additional copies if you think you might need them.
SET ASIDE AND GUARD THE TIME
Use the chart below to schedule times to complete each assessment.
ASSESSMENTS PREPARE SHARE
TRAUMA AND SUFFERING
ANGER AND RESENTMENTS
SEXUAL IMMORALITY
GUILT AND SHAME
FEAR
GRIEF AND LOSS
Prepare
You must be diligent to set apart time with the Lord to pray and write. The enemy will try to steal the time, so you must guard it.
Share
Set aside time to share your assessments with your mentor. Schedule 2-3 hours each week to cover 2 assessment topics per meeting.
CREATE A FRUITFUL ENVIRONMENT
How you work best
You may prefer to write in a separate notebook, on your computer or on the sheets provided.
Where you work best
You may prefer to do the work early in the morning or late at night. You may prefer to work outside, in your yard, in a coffee shop or at your kitchen table. Create an environment conducive to meeting with the Lord.
BALANCING YOUR ASSESSMENT
If we understand the nature of our hearts apart from Christ, we should not be surprised how dark they can be. It is like looking into the bottom of a dark well. We will have to look up for light.
ROMANS 7:18
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
We do not balance our assessments in the traditional sense of listing our good moral behavior against our bad, but we do want to balance our assessments with gospel truths as we enegage the battle.
We are in a battle. Hiding in the darkness is the enemy’s domain. It’s time to bring sin into the light for healing.
1 JOHN 1:5–7
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
What are the benefits of living in the light?
What can we conclude about living in darkness?
STEP 5 BIBLICAL TRUTH
Under the covering of God’s grace, we step out in faith, leaving behind our old, self-protective ways of covering sin and hiding from God. We prayerfully come into the light, confessing our sins before God and to one another so that we may be healed.
You will have to be careful in not getting derailed in sharing assessments with your mentor. It is easy to get bogged down. After sharing, pray the prayer that correlates to that assessment item and move on.
COME TO THE LIGHT EXPECTANTLY
How free do you want to be? Honesty and thoroughness are key to assessments. You must be honest with yourself and God if you have any hope of being honest with others. This is no time for denial or a superficial glancing over.
JEREMIAH 6:14
“‘They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.’”
As we pursue holiness, we must do so from a firm foundation of who we are in Christ and all that He has done and promised. We must remember what is of first importance.
MATTHEW 15:18-19
But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.
The heart is the wellspring of our lives (Prov. 4:23). From it comes ungodly thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Although we can be influenced by our environment (nurture) or our biology (nature), we are ultimately responsible for the fruit that emanates from our hearts. To deny responsibility is to live with a passive heart. In order to grow spiritually, we must take responsibility for what flows from our hearts. Before entering assessments, the concept of the active heart is important to understand.
For example, Eve was influenced by the serpent (the fertile ground of her sin), but she was still responsible for eating the fruit. Adam was influenced by the voice of his wife (Genesis 3:17), but he was still responsible for what came out of his heart (eating the fruit).
The context or fertile ground often makes our sin understandable, but it does not justify it or make it right. These influences can be biological, relational, cultural or spiritual. God has compassion for us amidst the ungodly influences in our lives, while at the same time speaking truth to what is coming out of our hearts (with comfort and even correction when out of step with His heart). By God’s grace and in His timing, we will overcome all the influences in Christ. We will bring Him glory through lives changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Living with a passive heart will keep us stuck because we believe we can’t live fruitful lives unless others and our circumstances change. The Bible teaches us that we can have the fruit of joy (Gal. 5:22) and contentment (Phil. 4:12) even in difficulty through our relationship with Him.
Assessments will help us to see what our responsibility is and what it is not. The enemy is a master of confusing responsibility. Again, we are not responsible for these influences (our lot in life). We are, however, responsible for how we respond to them.
ARE THESE ACTIVE OR PASSIVE HEART STATEMENTS?
Circle the one that applies
ACTIVE PASSIVE
You make me so angry (feel so guilty, etc.)!
ACTIVE PASSIVE
You gave me fertile ground to get angry, but the anger came from my heart.
ACTIVE PASSIVE The devil made me do it!
ACTIVE PASSIVE The serpent deceived me, and I ate. (Genesis 3:13)
ACTIVE PASSIVE
The woman whom you gave to me, she gave me the fruit and I ate. (Genesis 3:12)
ACTIVE PASSIVE I am grumpy or difficult because I am hungry (hangry) or tired.
ACTIVE PASSIVE I drink because I am anxious. I sin because I am bipolar.
ACTIVE PASSIVE
My anxiety is fertile ground for my choosing to drink.
ACTIVE PASSIVE
My current sinful patterns are because of what I experienced as a child.
Living with a passive heart communicates that we are not responsible for our hearts and keeps us stuck. We will never grow until we take responsiblity as that is a part repentance.
One way we can tell whether we are living passive heartedly is to evaluate what we are focused on changing. Would you say you have been primarily concerned with changing others and your circumstances or being changed by the gospel? Try listing some things you would like to change in the space below.
In what ways can you see yourself living with a passive heart?
RETHINKING YOUR STORY
In John 5:2-9, we learn the story of a man who encounters healing in Jesus. What is his story? Where has he been seeking healing?
How would you summarize your story before meeting Jesus? What were you pursuing, thinking everything would be okay if achieved?
How has your life changed after encountering Jesus? What now defines your life?
GOSPEL TRUTHS
Read Ephesians chapters 1-3 and note gospel truths Ephesians 1:
If you are human, there are likely times you are tempted wih self-pity or “poor me.” What is the story you tell yourself and others about your life? Does it result in self-pity or does it lead you to seek and rely on Him?
When we are stuck in self-pity, what are we not considering?
How might these truths influence how you tell your story?
Through the assessment process we will learn to apply the richness that the gospel offers.
Ephesians 2:
Verses 1-10 describe the testimony of every believer. What worldly direction were you following before being made alive in Christ? What were your flesh patterns?
What changed according to this verse? How?
For what purpose?
Ephesians 3:
This is the only message worth living for, and the only message that will bring true peace to the world. The message acknowledges our sinfulness and His redemptive love.
Fallen Man
Three Circles: Who’s on the throne?
Christian Walking by the Flesh
Christian Walking by the Spirit
Repentance
Fear/Lust
Chaos
• Self-Centered/Selfish
• Self-Seeking (Fear)
• Self-Reliant (Power)
• Obsessed with Control, Others, Circumstances
• Spiritual–Alive to sin, dead to God
Chaos
Deeds of the Flesh
Galatians 5:19–21
Order
Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22–23
• God-Centered Servant
• God-Pleasing (Faith)
• Dependent on my Creator
• Surrendered to God’s Sovereignty
At any time we are living out of one of these circles.
The first circle represents us in our lostness. We don’t know God; born into sin we sit on the throne of our own lives seeking the world to satifsfy our desires. We live by a self-centered fear to meet our own needs. We attempt to control others, outcomes, and circumstances. This leads to chaos and a lack of fruitfulness.
GALATIANS 5:19–21
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 1
The second circle represents a Christian that is walking by the flesh. There is some circumstace that has presented itself in which we distrust God and attempt to take back control. This again leads to chaos and a lack of fruitfulness.
GALATIANS 5:16–18
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
2 3
The third circle represents a life of faith surrendered to God. We trust in the goodness and plan of God for our lives. We trust He is in control, so we don’t have to be. This leads to faithfulness.
GALATIANS 5:22–23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
The Pattern for Completing an Assessment
ASSESSMENT IS
Learning to examine our hearts, guided by the Holy Spirit
Understanding our problems biblically
ASSESSMENT IS NOT
An attempt to document every sin
Seeing how the gospel can be applied specifically
A one-time event A definition of who I am
Your goal is not to write a perfect assessment of every sin you have ever committed, but to discover dysfunctional (sinful) patterns of relating to God, self and others. We want to be free of the things that rob us of our affections for Christ and hinder our ability to live for His kingdom purposes. Through this process we want you to learn how to examine your heart. You can always add to your assessment later.
It is important that we root ourselves in the gospel as we examine the darkness of our hearts. We begin by standing in the truths of the gospel what Christ has accomplished, what He is accomplishing and what He promises to accomplish. We ask the Holy Spirit to reveal those areas that hinder us from properly relating to God and others as ambassadors in a lost and dying world. We spend time writing what He reveals in our assessment. We must continually remember the gospel, believe the gospel and stand in the gospel so that the enemy does not cause us to stumble.
As we examine the truths about our hearts, why is it important to remember and believe the gospel?
WEEK SIX
Trauma and Suffering Anger and Resentments
Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.
Trauma and Suffering Assessment
Trauma, abuse, neglect and abandonment often provide the “fertile ground” for our dysfunctional patterns of relating to God, self and others.
Suffering with chronic health conditions, diagnoses, enduring impacts of bodily abnormalities, and physical consequences/damage due to an accident are also opportunities that can lead to seeing God and our relationships differently. These variations of suffering should also be considered as you approach the following Scriptures and assessment.
Trauma, according to the American Psychological Association, is an emotional response to a terrible event that hinders a person’s ability to move forward in a healthy way. Trauma can happen through a single event or through sustained exposure overtime.
Abuse can be understood as the misuse of anything. God created all things for His glory, and misuse of His creation is a type of abuse and ultimately sinful. All sin is abusive, and sin against others is undeserved. There is, however, a type of abuse that moves beyond what might be considered normative in the Christian life. This type of abuse often includes intent to harm and can characterize a relationship of oppression. This type of abuse is particularly horrific and, in keeping with God’s heart for the oppressed, the church must be a redemptive instrument in intervening and protecting the abused. As with any sin, we cannot overcome its efforts independent of God, but He has provided the way to overcome sin through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Neglect is defined as a failure to care properly for someone. Abandonment can lead to neglect.
GOSPEL TRUTH
Before getting started on the assessment, take some time to read the following verses. In the space below, summarize the truths about suffering and the character and promises of God toward the hurt person.
DEUTERONOMY 26:7
MICAH 7:7-10
PSALM 10:17–18
JOHN 10:10
PSALM 9:7–10
PSALM 12:5
PSALM 103: 4
JOEL 2:25–27
PSALM 71:20–24
Trauma and Suffering Assessment Instructions
MICAH 7:8
Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.
GOSPEL PURSUIT
Using “The Pattern for Completing an Assessment,” prayerfully consider the areas you may have been harmed in your life. We are not looking for every hurt, but the areas in which you are still wounded. Pretending not to be hurt is not healing.
THE ASSESSMENT FORM
Source (Who or What)
List the people, institutions or events that may have caused harm to you.
The Story (What Happened)
Explain what happened to you. Be specific. Some may prefer writing narrative while others may prefer bullet points.
Type of Trauma/Suffering/Neglect/Abuse
RESIDUAL EFFECTS
Fruit
Circle if Shame, Resentment, Fear/Anxiety, Guilt or Grief are currently present in your life. Add the situation to the corresponding assessment sheets. For example, if you have an uncle listed for physical abuse that has resulted in shame, add it also it to your Guilt and Shame assessment on week 7.
SPIRITUAL SATANIC RITUAL ABUSE, OCCULT RITUAL ABUSE, CULTS, CHURCH
TRAUMA AND SUFFERING ASSESSMENT FORM
The Source
Who/What?
The Story
What happened?
The Type of Trauma/Suffering/Neglect/Abuse
Circle all that apply.
Physical Spiritual Emotional
Verbal Relational Sexual
The Fruit
Circle all that apply.
Shame Guilt Grief/Loss
Fear/Anxiety Resentment
The Impact
My Response Attempts to Cope
TRAUMA AND SUFFERING ASSESSMENT FORM
STOP. Complete the following only with your mentor.
Regarding Guilt: I renounce the lie that I am responsible for somone else’s sin.
Exact Nature of My Wrongs
(Circle all that apply.)
Notes:
Self-centered Frightened
Inconsiderate Dishonest
Self-seeking
Other:
Prayer for Abuse
To be prayed with your mentor
Read through, understand, and agree with each prayer prior to praying with your mentor, so you can pray from the heart and not with empty words.
Heavenly Father,
I thank You that You are the God who sees. I thank You that when (name the abuser) (name the abuse), You saw. I thank You that when no one else heard my cries, You did. You sent Your Son to this world to rescue me and give me life. Jesus, You know well my pain, as You Yourself suffered much at the hands of sinners. I pray that You might teach me through your Spirit to love as You love. Thank You for rescuing me from the dominion of darkness, bringing me with You into eternity. I thank You that we are no longer victims, but more than conquerors through the cross. In Christ, I am redeemed. I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, that you would heal any emotional, spiritual, mental, relational or physical damage done as a result of this abuse in my life as well as any others affected, for Your glory and Your name’s sake. Help me not to focus on how I have been treated by people but on the riches of your grace toward me. Show me how to be an instrument of your redeeming love in this situation. (Pray for this person.)
In Jesus’ name, amen.
MICAH 7:8
Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.
ELEMENTS OF THIS PRAYER
Acknowledge that God sees, knows and cares about your specific situation
Thank Him that He provides a way out
Acknowledge that Christ understands, as He Himself suffered and ask the Spirit to teach you to love as He loves
Thank Him that we are no longer enslaved to the darkness and that we will spend eternity with Him
Ask Him to help you focus on the riches you have been given eternally rather than those that have been taken in this life
Pray for wisdom in being an instrument of His redeeming love in this situation
Pray for the person
Acknowledge we are more than conquerors in Christ and, therefore, no longer victims
Pray for healing
Prayer for Trauma
To be prayed with your mentor
Heavenly Father,
I thank You that You are the God who redeems all things. You truly know my past, my inescapable reality. It wasn’t over, though it seemed all was lost. Memories of the trauma of (name the trauma) haunt me in the still of the night and are often triggered in broad daylight. I attempt to cope by suppressing it all. It left me shellshocked and numb. Trusting often seems so far away but Your love pursues me. We stand here now on the other side together. I have been given new life by the King. Your Son lives, and so do I. The scars I carry are markers of all You have carried me through. At times they are still tender, but You are near and intimately aware. Your voice gently calls me to the deepest part of my heart at the dawning of each new day. You say, “My child, trust me and let go” of unfruitful patterns of coping. You call me away from living a life of avoidance and call me into presence with You and others. The fact that Your Son lives is a demonstration that in You I will overcome all things. My harmless triggers are no longer things to be avoided but opportunities to press in and commune with You. You desire to replace these former associations with redeemed memories of small victories with You. Help me not to follow my own will just because it is familiar. Help me not to return to the empty ways I seek my own comfort. Help me to know, hear and trust Your voice. Thank You that You are rescuing me from it all, freeing me from the power of sin and bringing me healing and freedom in Christ.
Help me...heal me....in Jesus’ name!
ELEMENTS OF THIS PRAYER
Thank God for providing redemption of all things in Christ
Acknowledge any unfruitful ways of coping
Affirm that He is bigger than our triggers and can be trusted as we lay down new pathways, replacing their former associations with new memories of victories in Him
Name the experience and it’s effects on your life
Affirm what God is calling us away from and what He is calling us to
Ask for help and healing
A Redemptive View of Abuse and Suffering
Abuse is the misuse of anything. God created all things for His glory, and misuse of His creation is abuse and ultimately sinful. All sin is abuse, and sin against others is undeserved. On our own, we cannot overcome the effects of sin, but He has provided a way to overcome sin and its effects through the gospel of Jesus Christ. God has the power to redeem all forms of abuse and suffering. In Christ, through the Spirit, we will display His supremacy and victory over evil as we arise over sin, shame and even death.
WASHING IN THE WORD
After praying through the Trauma and Abuse Assessment you can use these truths to be encouraged in the battle.
1 PETER 2:19–25
This scripture explains that Jesus suffered abuse righteously and left us an example of how to respond to abuse.
PSALM 56:1–11
This scripture illustrates God’s heart for the abused. He has not forgotten them He has heard their cries. The cross of Christ doesn’t just justify sinners it also vindicates victims.
LIFE-GIVING TRUTHS
Jesus suffered abuse. He was neglected, betrayed, humiliated, stripped naked, beaten and killed. This demonstrates three life-giving truths.
He understands. He deeply understands what you have gone through and what you are feeling because He experienced it. He knows your pain.
The abuse does not define you.
Your abuse does not justify your sin. It may give fertile ground for your sin but your response comes from your heart. Jesus did not respond to His abuse in sin or vengeance; He “(entrusted) himself to him who judges justly.” The more Christ reigns and rules in your heart, the more Christ-like your response will be.
God will vindicate you and bring justice. For all those who do not repent, the wrath of God remains and there will be justice.
See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.
Anger and Resentments Assessment
To understand resentment, we must first understand anger. Anger is an emotional response to a perceived wrong that demands justice. A resentment is a “root of bitterness” that takes hold in our hearts when we fail to entrust offenses to the LORD. They make us unfruitful, sucking nutrients (energy) that could be used productively. Resentments also defile others. They can be displayed in acting toward someone in a way we shouldn’t or not acting in a way toward someone that we should. We tend to replay in our minds the situations in which we have been treated unjustly.
GOSPEL TRUTH
Before getting started on the assessment, take some time to read the following verses. In the space below, summarize the character and promises of God toward our anger.
MATTHEW 5:21–22
HEBREWS 12:15
LUKE 6:35–36
JAMES 1:19–20
ROMANS 12:19
PSALM 4:4
JOHN 5:30
Anger and Resentments Assessment Instructions
HEBREWS 12:15
See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.
GOSPEL PURSUIT
Using “The Pattern for Completing an Assessment,” prayerfully consider areas of unresolved anger toward yourself, God or others. We are not looking to record every resentment you have ever had, but those resentments that currently hinder your love of God and others. Denial is not resolution.
It may be helpful to get a piece of paper and brainstorm, asking God to call to mind those people who, if they walked into the room, you might have resentment toward. It may be something someone did or failed to do. It may also be a situation, institution or even an idea you resent.
PEOPLE
God/Jesus
Clergy/Pastors
Step Parents/Grandparents
Step Siblings
Extended family
In-laws
Adopted/Foster family
Husbands/Wives
Boyfriends/Girlfriends
Babysitters
Playmates
Childhood friends
Family friends
Middle school/High school friends
College classmates (fraternity/sorority)
Current friends
Teachers/Counselors/Principals/Coaches
Employers
Co-workers
Creditors
Police/Probation/Parole officers
Judges/Lawyers
Church members
Cult members
Gang members
Sports team members
Acquaintances/Neighbors
Politicians/Civic leaders
Counselors/Therapists/Psychiatrists
Doctors/Nurses/Aides
INSTITUTIONS
Religion/Church
Marriage/Family
Recovery programs
Treatment centers
Judicial/Correctional
Government
Education
Mental Health
Corporations
SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES
Authority
Confession
Repentance
Heaven/Hell
Election
Predestination
Law
Sin
Sickness/Death
Restitution
Divorce/Separation
Reconciliation
THE ASSESSMENT FORM
WHO OR WHAT
List those whom you are resentful toward.
THE STORY (WHAT HAPPENED)
Explain why you are resentful and list the specific action done to you. Some will prefer writing narrative while others may prefer bullet points.
THE IMPACT
Describe the impact of this resentment on your life and your relationships (fruitful or unfruitful).
WHAT PART OF SELF WAS HURT OR THREATENED
(or what was I seeking to satisfy.) There are three major categories:
Social Security
Sexual
You may view these three major categories as a threat at the time the incident occurred or a threat to a future hope (ambitions). In other words, you could be resentful toward someone who intruded in a current, personal relationship or threatened a future hope or ambition for that relationship.
SOCIAL
Did this threaten my relationships, specifically in these two areas?
Self-esteem
Did this in some way threaten my sense of worth, value, confidence, identity, etc.? It could be how I see myself or how others see me.
Personal Relationships
Did this threaten my sense of belonging or the relationships I value? Did this affect the way I relate to others?
SECURITY
Did this threaten or hurt my sense of security in one of two areas?
Materially
Did this threaten or hurt me financially or materially?
Emotionally
Did this threaten or hurt me emotionally?
SEXUAL
Did this threaten or hurt my sexual relations or sexuality?
AMBITIONS
Did this threaten my future hopes and plans?
Again, rather than a current threat, ambitions recognize that we often become resentful because our plans for the future (hope) have been interfered with (my ideals socially, materially, emotionally, sexually). Examples: “I never thought I would be divorced.” “I was hoping to marry her.”
ANGER AND RESENTMENTS ASSESSMENT FORM
Who or What?
What or who are you resentful toward?
The Story
What happened? Explain why you are resentful and list the specific action done to you.
The Impact
Describe the impact of this resentment on your life and your relationships (fruitful or unfruitful).
What Part of Self was Hurt or Threatened?
(Circle all that apply.)
ANGER AND RESENTMENTS ASSESSMENT FORM
STOP. Complete the following only with your mentor.
Exact Nature of My Wrongs
(Circle all that apply.)
Notes:
Self-centered Self-seeking
Frightened Dishonest
Inconsiderate Other:
Prayer for Resentments toward Others
To be prayed with your mentor
Heavenly Father,
I acknowledge (person’s name) is not exempt from the fall and the effects of sin. Though I don’t like the symptoms of this spiritual disease or how it has affected me, he/she, like me, is a sinner too. I confess that I have stood in judgment of (person’s name) for (the cause). Forgive me, Father, for allowing bitterness and resentment to reside in my heart, preventing my ability to be an instrument of Your redeeming love. As You, Father, have extended Your grace to me through Jesus Christ, I ask the Holy Spirit to enable me to reflect Christ in this situation. Today I, as an unrighteous judge, turn this offense over to You, my righteous judge and king. I trust in Your will and Your plan and choose to live in the freedom You have promised. How may I be an ambassador of Your love, peace and truth in this situation? I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that You would, for Your name’s sake and glory, heal any damage done as a result of this offense in my life, as well as any others who may have been affected. (Finish prayer by praying for this person according to their needs.)
In Jesus’ name, amen.
ROMANS 12:21
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
ELEMENTS OF THIS PRAYER
Humble yourself as a fellow sinner
Ask for forgiveness for harboring bitterness
Turn the offense over to God
Confess specific resentment
Ask the Holy Spirit for help in being Christ-like
Ask for wisdom on how to best steward this relationship for His kingdom purposes
Pray for healing
Pray for this person
Prayer for Resentments toward Self
To be prayed with your mentor
Heavenly Father,
Forgive me for the ways I have attempted to find righteousness apart from the work of Your Son. By standing outside myself, elevating myself and judging myself for my actions, emotions and behavior and, therefore, “hating myself,” I have attempted to deal with my shortcomings according to the law rather than Your grace. I tend to punish myself when I break my standards, seeking some sense of justification. In doing so, I try to deal with my sin independent of You and remain in self-imposed bondage. I have placed myself above You as judge. Today I come humbly before You that I might come under the waterfall of Your grace. Thank you for Your Son, Jesus, and the freedom that grace brings!
In Jesus’ name, amen.
GALATIANS 2:21
I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
ELEMENTS OF THIS PRAYER
Ask for forgiveness for attempting to find righteousness apart from Christ
Acknowledge the self-imposed bondage you have created in attempting to deal with your sin apart from Christ
Confess your attempt to deal with your shortcomings according to the law rather than grace
Repent of your punishment and judgment of yourself in an attempt to seek justification
Ask to stand under His grace and the freedom He brings
Give thanks for Jesus
Prayer for Resentments toward God
To be prayed with your mentor
Heavenly Father,
I confess my resentment toward You for (the cause). I ask Your forgiveness for my pride, standing in judgment of a good, perfect, just and holy God who can see the eternal perspective, while I can only see what is right before me. Help me, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, to trust You and remember that Your plans are to bless me and not to harm me, to give me hope and a future.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
JOB 40:1–2
And the LORD said to Job: “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.”
ELEMENTS OF THIS PRAYER
Confess specific resentment
Humbly acknowledge you do not know as God knows
Give thanks for the assurance God provides His children
Ask for forgiveness for standing in judgment
Repent of not trusting God and His eternal perspective
A Redemptive View of Anger
Anger is an emotional response to a perceived wrong that demands justice. Not all anger is sinful it can be the appropriate response to injustice. Unrighteous anger is rooted in man’s attempts to meet his own idolatrous desires. Righteous anger is aligned with the Spirit and flows from the heart of God in love for that which He cares about, spurring us on to gospel-centered action to eradicate evil and injustice.
WASHING IN THE WORD
After praying through the Resentments Assessment you can use these truths to be encouraged in the battle.
ROMANS 12:19–21
We don’t have to take revenge, not because God doesn’t care about justice, but because God says He will bring perfect justice.
ROMANS 2:1–5
God is righteous in His judgments. In our judgement of others, we often condemn ourselves because we are guilty of the same things, if even only at the heart level.
LIFE-GIVING TRUTHS
Jesus got angry. However, His anger was never selfish and always reflected God’s heart.
MARK 3:1–6
We see Jesus angered in the synagogue, grieved at the hardness of men’s hearts. This was motivated by a love for His people and anger toward sin. Notice His anger moves Him to act in accordance with God’s redemptive purposes.
MARK 11:15–19
Jesus clears the temple in response to the use of His Father’s house by the money changers for selfish gain. Out of love for His Father and zeal for His Father’s house, He responds with a righteous anger. Notice this was not a reaction to a personal attack but rather a response to an offense against His Father (sin).
God is reconciling the world through His son. No sin will go unpunished. Those who have hurt us will either receive the same grace and mercy we have received through the cross, or they will be judged and spend eternity in torment. Maybe the knowledge of this coming judgment will free you to act as an ambassador of Christ to those who have hurt you.
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
WEEK SEVEN
Sex, Guilt and Shame
Sexual Immorality Assessment
Sexual immorality is any sexual act that occurs outside of God’s intended design for sex between one man and one woman within the marriage covenant. Beyond sexual acts, God looks deeper to the desires and motivations of the heart.
GOSPEL TRUTH
Before getting started on the assessment, take some time to read the following verses. In the space below, summarize the character and promises of God toward our sexual sin.
GENESIS 1:22
JOEL 2:25
GENESIS 2:24-25
MICAH 7:18–20
1 JOHN 3:2–3
1 CORINTHIANS 6:9–11
1 CORINTHIANS 6:14–20
1 THESSALONIANS 4:1-8
Sexual Immorality Assessment Instructions
1 CORINTHIANS 6:18–20
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
JOEL 2:25
I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.
GOSPEL PURSUIT
Using “The Pattern for Completing an Assessment,” prayerfully consider areas of sexual immorality. As a subset of guilt and shame, we are looking for those activities that grieve God’s heart and burden us. How have you participated in sex outside of God’s intended design? Feel free to add to the list.
ACTIONS
Premarital sex
Adultery
Promiscuity
Lust
Fantasizing
Pornography
Prostitution
Sexual abuse/Rape/Date rape
Phone/Cyber sex
Sexual enticement
Self sex/Masturbation
ORIENTATION
Homosexuality
Bisexuality
Polyamory
Pedophilia
Beastiality
THE ASSESSMENT FORM
WHO OR WHAT
Who or what have I engaged sexually outside of God’s intended design?
THE STORY (WHAT HAPPENED?)
Write what happened.
THE IMPACT
Describe the impact this sin has had on your life and the lives of others.
WHAT PART OF “SELF” WAS HURT OR THREATENED?
Remember: A good desire becomes a lust when we are willing to sin to get it.
KEY QUESTIONS
Prayerfully consider which of these desires you were attempting to satisfy when you engaged in this activity. Examples: “I wanted him to like me” (social ambition) or “If I could be with that girl then I must be important” (self-esteem, treating women like trophies).
SOCIAL
Self-esteem
Was I driven by a desire to build my self-esteem, self-confidence, value or self-worth?
Personal Relationships
Was I seeking acceptance, status or belonging? Or was I responding to rejection?
SECURITY
Was I seeking security in one of these two areas?
Materially
Was this driven by my desire for material security (money, a place to stay, a nice dinner)?
Emotionally
Was this driven by my desire for emotional security (love, peace)?
SEXUAL
Was I seeking to satisfy my God-given desire for sex/pleasure outside of His design?
AMBITIONS
Did this threaten my future hopes and plans?
SEXUAL IMMORALITY ASSESSMENT FORM
Who or What?
The Story
What happened?
The Impact
What Part of Self was Hurt or Threatened?
(Circle all that apply.)
Self Esteem
Material Security
Personal Relationships
Emotional Security
Sexual Ambitions
SEXUAL IMMORALITY ASSESSMENT FORM
STOP. Complete the following only with your mentor.
Exact Nature of My Wrongs
(Circle all that apply.)
Notes:
Self-centered
Frightened
Inconsiderate
Self-seeking
Dishonest
Other:
Prayer For Sexual Immorality
To be prayed with your mentor
Heavenly Father,
I realize that sex is sacred. It is a beautiful picture of oneness reserved exclusively for one man and one woman within the context of the marriage covenant. Sex is a gift from You, intended to glorify You. It is the mingling of souls. Lord, I confess today that I have sinned and operated outside of Your intended design for this holy endeavor by (name immorality). Father, forgive me. I have given intimate parts of myself to another. Lord, I long to glorify You. I ask that You would restore to me a right view of sex. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, that You would, for Your name’s sake and by Your power, heal the damage done as a result of this situation in my life as well as any others affected. I pray You would break any spiritual ties related to this sin. I trust in the redemptive work of Christ and His covering for my shame. I pray that You would remove or help me take captive the images and emotions tied to these events and help me not to fantasize or take pride in those things which grieve Your heart. Through the cross of Christ, I am made clean.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
ELEMENTS OF THIS PRAYER
Acknowledge the sacred beauty and gift that sex is within it’s intended design
Acknowledge the spiritual reality that takes place when two people join together
In Jesus’ name, pray for healing
In Jesus’ name, pray for the breaking of soul ties
Confess sin specifically
Ask for forgiveness
Express your desire to bring glory to Him
Express trust in His work in you
Ask for help in taking your thoughts captive, making them obedient to the will of Christ, and for the removal of images and emotions related to the event
Pray for a restored view of sex
Acknowledge having been cleansed
A Redemptive View of Sex
Sex is a beautiful and sacred gift given to us by God. It is to be worshipful, but not worshiped. It is to be enjoyed and celebrated within the marriage covenant as a reflection of the gospel and our union with Christ. Any sexual act that occurs outside of God’s intended design is sexual immorality. Beyond action alone, God looks deeper to the desires and motivations of the heart. Only through the gospel will God align our hearts with His purposes for this beautiful and sacred gift.
WASHING IN THE WORD
After praying through the Sexual Immorality Assessment you can use these truths to be encouraged in the battle.
1 JOHN 3:3, PSALM 51:7
When Christ died on the cross, He not only took our sin but also our shame. In Him we are clean, pure, innocent and white as snow.
LIFE-GIVING TRUTHS
Sex is a good gift from God, and He created sex to be pleasurable and enjoyable. When you sin sexually, you feel guilt and shame. Because sin taints everything it touches, your mind will begin to attach the feeling of guilt and shame to sex itself, and you may begin to believe that sex is dirty or shameful. This is a lie. It is only the sin that is shameful. No matter how much you have sinned, He can cleanse you of that shame and redeem you to enjoy His gifts.
Guilt and Shame Assessment
Guilt can be both a state and/or a feeling that occurs when we have violated a law or moral standard. We can feel guilty and not be guilty (false guilt) or we may be guilty and not feel guilty. A relevant question is, “In whose eyes are we guilty?”
Shame is the intense feeling of being unclean, defiled and dirty. Closely related to guilt, it may result from the exposure of one’s own sin and depravity or from sin committed against one’s dignity. Shame is deeply rooted in identity (“I am worthless”; “I am dirty”).
We should include on our assessments where guilt and shame still hinder us, often things we are reluctant to discuss.
GOSPEL TRUTH
Before getting started on the assessment take some time to read the following verses. In the space below, summarize the character and promises of God toward our guilt and shame.
GENESIS 3:10
PSALM 34:22
PSALM 34:15–18
PSALM 51:7-8
PSALM 51:17
HEBREWS 4:15–16
1 JOHN 1:7-9
ROMANS 8:1
Guilt and Shame Assessment Instructions
GALATIANS 2:21
I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
GOSPEL PURSUIT
Using “The Pattern for Completing an Assessment,” prayerfully consider areas of unresolved guilt and shame. We are not looking to record every sin you committed or sin committed against you, but those that burden you or need to be reconciled with God. Denial is not resolution.
Anything or anyone I put first over God (idolatry)
Cheating
Complaining
Controlling
Coveting (to have disconent with God’s provision in your life)
Character defects
Critical
Disordered eating
Dishonesty, lying, unauthentic
Divorce (biblical or otherwise)
Jealousy
Fear/Anxiety
Gambling
Gossiping
Lust (You can lust for things other than sex.)
Misleading others
Neglect
Occult practices
Promiscuity
Rebelliousness
Self harm
Self-righteousness
Selfishness
Sexual sin (broken out separately on the sexual assessment)
Slandering
Slothful (not just sitting on the couch, but neglecting the important areas of life)
Stealing (from family, stores, the government, companies, church, friends)
Quarrelsome
Ungodly thoughts, actions, emotions
Unfaithfulness (to God and others)
SHAME
Dirty feeling
Unclean
Defiled
Deep desire to hide
Inability to connect
Unworthy
Alienated
Damaged
Unlovable
Infected
Weakness/Disabilities
THE ASSESSMENT FORM
WHO WAS HURT?
List those affected.
THE STORY
Specifically, what caused the shame or guilt? List the action you did or was done to you. Some will prefer writing narrative while others may prefer bullet points.
THE IMPACT
Describe the impact of this guilt and shame on your life.
IN WHOSE EYES?
Whose standards were violated?
God
Self Others
False guilt is when we feel guilt and have done nothing wrong in God’s eyes.
WHAT PART OF “SELF” WAS HURT OR THREATENED
Remember: A good desire becomes lust when we are willing to sin to get it.
SOCIAL
Self-esteem
Was I seeking love, value, worth, identity from others (lust) or was my sense of identity, worth, value, esteem threatened by others (fear)?
Personal Relationships
Was I seeking belonging (lust) or was there a perceived threat to my personal relationships (fear)?
SECURITY
Was I seeking security in one of these two areas:
Materially
Was I seeking material security (lust) or was there a perceived threat to my material security (fear)?
Emotionally
Was I seeking emotional security (lust) or was this a perceived threat to my sense of emotional security or peace (fear)?
SEXUAL
Was there a perceived threat to my sexual desires or sexuality (fear) or was I seeking sexual satisfaction (lust)?
AMBITIONS
Did this threaten my future plans for what I was seeking in any one of these areas?
GUILT AND SHAME ASSESSMENT FORM
Who was hurt?
What do you feel guilt or shame about?
The
Story
What happened?
The
Impact
In Whose Eyes?
Whose standards were violated?
What Part of Self was Hurt or Threatened?
(Circle all that apply.)
GUILT AND SHAME ASSESSMENT FORM
STOP. Complete the following only with your mentor.
Exact Nature of My Wrongs
(Circle all that apply.)
Notes:
Self-centered
Frightened
Inconsiderate
Self-seeking
Dishonest
Other:
Prayer for Guilt and Shame
(as a Result of Our Sin)
To be prayed with your mentor
Heavenly Father,
Today I confess that my attempts to deal with my guilt and shame by covering with the works of my hands and hiding in darkness have failed. Today I come before Your throne and ask for Your forgiveness for (name the sin). I thank You that when I come naked before You, hiding nothing, and trust solely in the sufficiency of Christ, I receive the covering of Your grace. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that, by Your power, You would heal the damage done in my life as a result of this situation, as well as any other lives affected, and lead me to faithful reconciliation in this situation.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
HEBREWS 10:22
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
GALATIANS 2:21
I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
ELEMENTS
Confess any attempts to deal with guilt and shame apart from the cross of Christ
Acknowledge receiving His grace and express gratitude for the sufficiency of Christ’s payment
Ask what needs to be done to reconcile the situation
Confess sin and ask for forgiveness
Pray for healing and restoration for those affected
Thank Him
When you receive God’s forgiveness but fail to forgive yourself, you kick God off the throne and place yourself in higher authority. In essence, you count the cross as nothing. Repent and accept Christ’s forgiveness. Walk in freedom. Jesus’ blood is sufficient.
Prayer for Shame (as a Result of Another’s Sin)
To be prayed with your mentor
Heavenly Father,
Today I confess that my attempts to deal with my shame by covering it with the works of my hands and hiding in darkness have failed. Because I now trust in the cleansing work of the cross of our Lord, Jesus Christ, I now step out of the darkness and into the light. Though (person’s name) may have (the cause), there is nothing that the resurrecting power of Jesus cannot overcome. Through the cross of Christ, I am made clean. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that, by Your power, You would heal the damage done in my life as a result of this situation, as well as any other lives affected.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
ELEMENTS OF THIS PRAYER
Acknowledge insufficiency in attempting to deal with shame apart from the cross of Christ
Bring to light the specific sin by naming the person and what they did
Acknowledge that there is no sin that the resurrecting power of Christ cannot overcome
Pray for healing for those affected
Acknowledge having been made clean
A Redemptive View of Guilt and Shame
Guilt can be both a state and/or a feeling that occurs when we have violated a law or moral standard. We can feel guilty and not be guilty (false guilt) or we may be guilty and not feel guilty. False guilt occurs when someone besides God is lord of our lives and their judgments matter more than His. Not feeling guilt when we are guilty is a sign of a hardened heart. Only the gospel can reconcile a heart of injustice. Life through the Spirit brings conviction when we operate outside of God’s intended design.
Shame is the intense feeling of being unclean, defiled and dirty. Closely related to guilt, it may result from the exposure of one’s own sin and depravity or from sin committed against one’s dignity. Shame is deeply rooted in identity (“I am worthless; I am dirty”). The gospel of Jesus Christ gives us a new identity and a covering for our shame. Even though we may sin or be sinned against, shame no longer rules our lives because our identity is found in Jesus Christ.
LIFE GIVING TRUTHS
After praying through the Guilt and Shame Assessment you can use these truths to be encouraged in the battle.
Shame has to do with being defiled. This happens when there has been violation of God given dignity as image bearers or exposures of one’s depravity. The good news of the gospel is that when God adopted you into His family and kingdom, He gave you a new name. He gave you dignity of Christ by calling you His daughter or son. The cross of Christ forgives sinners and cleanses victims. We now have an eternal diginity bestowed upon us by the King.
WASHING IN THE WORD
HEBREWS 4:15–16
This scripture emphasizes the truth that we have been made clean and holy through Christ. We no longer have to let shame keep us from approaching God. He knew our dirtiness before we did and still decided to save us. Jesus has willingly taken all the punishment that we deserve so that we may approach our Father’s throne.
ROMANS 8:1
We are guilty when we sin. However, conviction of the Holy Spirit leads to repentence and life while condemnation leads to hiding and pretending. Because there is no condemnation in Christ, we can approach His throne of grace knowing He is merciful and forgiving.
WEEK EIGHT
Fear, Grief and Loss
For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
Fear Assessment
Fear is an emotional response to a perceived threat or danger.
GOSPEL TRUTH
Before getting started on the assessment, take some time to read the following verses. In the space below, summarize the character and promises of God toward our fears.
ISAIAH 41:10
PSALM 91:1–8
PSALM 91:9–16
MATTHEW 6:25–33
JOSHUA 1:9
PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7
PSALM 56:3–4
Fear Assessment Instructions
ISIAIAH 41:13
For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
GOSPEL PURSUIT
Using “The Pattern for Completing an Assessment,” prayerfully consider if the fears below are part of your life. Feel free to add to the list.
Fear of God’s plan for my life
Fear of man
Fear of losing a loved one
Fear of abandonment
Fear of intimacy/relationships
Fear of rejection/loneliness
Fear of authority (parents, teachers, police, boss, etc.)
Fear of unemployment, creditors, financial ruin
Fear of sobriety/relapse
Fear of being found out
Fear of people different from me
Fear of conflict/confrontation
Fear of success/failure
Fear of getting old/body image
Fear of losing control
Fear of illness/germs
Fear of pain/death
Fear of change
Fear of the unknown/future
Fear of not having enough
THE ASSESSMENT FORM
WHO OR WHAT
List who or what you are afraid of.
THE STORY
What is the story behind this fear?
THE IMPACT
Describe the effect of this fear on your life. How do you react to fear verbally, physically and emotionally?
FEAR ASSESSMENT FORM
Who or What?
The Story
What happened?
The Impact
Describe the impact of this (fruitful or unfruitful).
FEAR ASSESSMENT FORM
STOP. Complete the following only with your mentor.
To Whom Am I Looking for Provision?
(Circle one)
God Self Others
What Do I Fear Losing that I Treasure?
Where Am I Seeking to Find My Security?
(Circle one)
Earthly Treasure Heavenly Treasure:
Notes:
Prayer for Fear
To be prayed with your mentor
Heavenly Father,
Forgive me for walking in the fear of (name of fear). I pray that You would help me to trust You more. I acknowledge that when I fear, I can’t walk in love. I realize that self-preservation is at the root of my fears. In my pride, I attempt to control my world and fail to trust in Your ability to preserve my life. I forget that You are a good God and are fully in control. Therefore, today, I turn these fears over to You. I trust that You will meet all my needs as You promise, not always how I want. I trust that the ups and downs of life have purpose and that through it all, You, Lord, never change. Thank You that You are always with me! Where I have lived under the curse of fear, I pray You would allow me the blessing of faith that comes through grace.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
ELEMENTS OF THIS PRAYER
Ask for forgiveness
Ask for help in trusting Him
Confess fear
Acknowledge your inability to walk in love when in fear
Acknowledge root of fears Turn fears over to Him
Place your trust in Him and His goodness Thank Him for always being with you
Pray for blessings of faith where you have walked under the curse of fear
A Redemptive View of Fear
Fear is an emotional response to a perceived threat or danger. Spiritually, healthy fear is the fear of the Lord. To fear the Lord is to worship Him alone and He is the source of all we need. Outside of the gospel, we live our lives out of a self-centered fear that seeks to meet our own perceived needs. As the Spirit reveals this foolishness, we come under the compassion and care of our loving Father. He knows best in providing, protecting and directing our lives according to His plan and purpose, for His glory and our good.
WASHING IN THE WORD
After praying through the Fear Assessment you can use these truths to be encouraged in the battle.
1 PETER 3:6
The command not to fear doesn’t mean that there are not frightful things. God acknowledges the reality of frightening circumstances. However, we can trust that the love of God is more powerful than any danger we face.
PHILIPPIANS 4:4–7
If we believe that God will give us everything we need, then what do we have to be afraid of?
1 JOHN 4:7–21
The gospel of Jesus Christ removes the curse of sin and the wrath of God and allows us to approach His throne with confidence. Knowing His love for us frees us from self-protection and allows us to sacrificially lay our lives down for others to know His love. When we walk in fear, we cannot walk in love.
LIFE-GIVING TRUTHS
Our fears are often very revealing. We fear not having the things we lust for or covet. The things we lust for are idols. We are called to repent of idolatry. The things we lust for may not be bad in and of themselves, but we should hold them with an open hand, trusting that God will meet our needs according to His kingdom.
Pride is often at the root of our fears. Rather than allowing God to decide what is good for us, we say in our hearts, “This is what’s good for me.” Then when that perceived good thing is threatened, we become fearful.
God is sovereign. God is good. God is love, so His actions always display love. God loves His children. As God’s children, we know that our Father is mightier than any enemy. All others are small in comparison to Him.
“Fear not” is the most repeated command in the Bible. Not being afraid has little to do with the facts of your circumstances and everything to do with understanding the character of God. Though frightening circumstances are a reality, He is our loving, all-powerful Father who delights in caring for and protecting His children. He supplies all our needs and knows them before we ask. When we find ourselves in fear, we can instead put our thoughts on the faithfulness of God.
Grief Assessment
Grief is the deep sorrow over the loss of someone or something we love. This includes people, relationships, safety, security, identity, possessions, affections and desires.
Grief is a natural response to loss and is not sinful. Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus. We should grieve loss fully and in relationship with God. However, dealing with grief independent from God leaves us to cope rather than overcome, which leads to sinful patterns of dealing with loss.
GOSPEL TRUTH
Before getting started on the assessment, take some time to read the following verses. In the space below, summarize the truth about grief and the character and promises of God toward those who are grieving.
ISAIAH 53:3
JOHN 11:34–36
LUKE 19:41–42
REVELATION 21:4
GENESIS 6:6
PSALM 34:18
MATTHEW 5:4
Grief Assessment Instructions
JOHN 16:33
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
GOSPEL TRUTH
Grief can be very painful and often comes with a myriad of emotions and difficult decisions. Everyone reacts to and handles suffering in different ways, but there are truths to remember and tools/expectations to help you navigate through this season.
You are not alone. God is near. He will be very present to walk with you through this loss. Resist temptation to isolate. Don’t avoid the painful reality of your loss by turning to quick fixes instead of entrusting yourself to God. Don’t use biblical truths to avoid heartfelt cries to the Lord (“God uses all things for our good”). Do not neglect being a good steward of your body, mind and spirit. Milestones may be difficult (anniversaries, birthdays, weddings, vacations).
PSALM 34:18
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
GOSPEL PURSUIT
Using “The Pattern for Completing an Assessment,” prayerfully consider areas of unresolved grief. Feel free to add to the list.
Death of a loved one
Divorce
Disability
Infertility
Illness/Injury
Loss of relationship
Loss of job
Extended singleness
Loss of possession(s)
Loss of identity (homosexuality, Mormonism, etc.)
Loss of community
Wayward child
Difficulties in marriage
Grief over own sin or consequences
THE ASSESSMENT FORM
WHO OR WHAT
Who or what have you lost?
THE STORY
There are many pieces and dimensions that you will miss about the person or thing you are mourning. For example, when you lose a spouse, you also lose a best friend, your favorite cook, your biggest fan, their laughter, the one you celebrate with, future dreams, etc. What will you miss most? Write out thoughts, desires, questions and complaints you have in regard to your pain.
THE IMPACT
Describe the impact of this loss on your life. Where have you gone for help and hope? In what ways have you attempted to “fix” things, cope or self-protect?
WHAT TEMPTATIONS HAVE COME OUT OF MY SUFFERING?
TOWARD GOD
Was I seeking security in one of these two areas?
Doubt
I have been tempted to doubt in God’s character as it’s revealed in scripture. (God is not good. If He were good, then I wouldn’t be hurting the way I am.)
Anger
I have been tempted to blame God for what has happened. (If He is sovereign, then He could have prevented this suffering.)
TOWARD OTHERS
Envy
I have been tempted to be envious and jealous of others who have not gone through the same suffering. (I envy those who have been blessed in the way that I want to be blessed.)
Anger
I have been tempted to be angry with others. (I am angry when others let me down, say the wrong thing or forget about my pain.)
TOWARD MYSELF
Self-pity
I have been tempted to feel sorry for myself and have feelings of despair. (Everyone always abandons me. I must be unworthy. I’m hopeless.
Isolation
I have been tempted to isolate myself instead of reach out to others. (I am all alone.)
Guilt
I have been tempted to put blame on myself for something that was out of my control. (If I had been living a more selfless and obedient lifestyle, God would have given me children.)
FEAR/ANXIETY
In my pain and suffering, I have become fearful and anxious about various things in my life, such as finances, companionship, safety, etc.
DENIAL
I know there are things I need to think about and emotions I should feel to truly move toward healing, but I’d rather be numb and not think about it.
GRIEF ASSESSMENT FORM
Who or What?
The Story
What happened?
The Impact
What Temptations Have Come Out of My Suffering?
(Circle all that apply)
GRIEF ASSESSMENT FORM
STOP. Complete the following only with your mentor.
Exact Nature of My Wrongs, Faults Mistakes
(Circle all that apply)
Self-centered Self-seeking Frightened
Notes:
Dishonest Inconsiderate
Other:
Prayer for Grief
To be prayed with your mentor
Father,
I thank You that You are a God who hears my cries and wipes away my tears. My heart is weary and often wants to give in to despair. Give me strength and grace to believe the truth of Your character and Your Word. Give me faith to trust that although difficult now, this momentary affliction is incomparable to the glory that will be revealed. Forgive me for the times I want my pain to disappear more than I want to draw near to You, even when I know You are the only one who can comfort me. I know You are the only one who can heal my broken heart and bind up my wounds. Jesus, I trust You with my heart and my life because I believe in Your great love for me. Will You meet me here and walk me through this process of healing as I begin to let (name of loss) go? Help me keep my eyes on You and Your eternal promises. (Pray and lament as you need to).
In Jesus’ name, amen.
ELEMENTS OF THIS PRAYER
Admit sorrow, hurt, grief and pain
Confess your tendency to seek comfort from the world rather than Him
Thank Him for His presence
Acknowledge the Holy Spirit’s ability to bring comfort
Trust Him with your broken heart
Ask for healing
Ask for help
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
A Redemptive View of Grief
Grief is a natural response to loss and is not sinful. When we grieve we can do so knowing that we stand in the loving arms of God the Father. Grief in this context is always hopeful because we know that God is making all things new. Grief outside of the gospel leaves us to cope through self-generated means and with false hope or no hope at all. Grief can become complicated when we idolize what we lost.
WASHING IN THE WORD
After praying through the Grief Assessment you can use these truths to be encouraged in the battle.
PSALM 10:1; 22:1
Though resentment against God is a sin, there is a way to confess your feelings of anger and frustration to God in an honest and humble manner. Even the psalmists were honest with God about feelings of anger, frustration, confusion and abandonment.
MATTHEW 5:4; PSALM 34:18
God is always close to us in our suffering. He promises to heal and restore. We must grieve our loss and allow God to enter into and heal those wounds.
JOEL 2:25
The Lord promises not only to heal but to restore what has been lost.
LIFE-GIVING TRUTHS
These verses illustrate the hope of the gospel amid our loss. We can confess and cry out to God in our suffering, and He comforts us and promises to restore all that has been lost. There is nothing earthly that we will be able to hold onto eternally, and there is nothing eternal that we can lose in Christ. It is secure. Dealing with loss through sinful ways always brings captivity, but God provides a way of dealing with loss that brings freedom.
BIBLICAL TRUTH FROM WEEK 4: As children of God, armed with the Holy Spirit and standing firm in the gospel, we engage in the spiritual battle over the reign and rule of our hearts. God set us apart for holiness, and we look to put to death those areas of our lives that keep us from reflecting Jesus Christ to a dark and dying world. We first examine the fruit in our lives (or moral symptoms). As we move through the assessment process, we will uncover the roots (pride and idolatry) of any ungodly fruit that drive our ungodly thoughts, actions and emotions. The forms help us examine the “fruit” of our thoughts, actions and beliefs. There are six forms: Abuse, Resentments, Guilt & Shame, Sexual Immorality, Fears and Grief.
BIBLICAL TRUTH FROM WEEK 5: In attempting to live independent of God, we have developed dysfunctional (sinful) patterns of coping. After careful examination, we have begun to see the demonic roots of our slavery to these sinful patterns. We desire freedom.
BIBLICAL TRUTH FROM WEEK 6: In attempting to live independent of God, we have developed dysfunctional patterns of coping. After careful examination, we have begun to see the demonic roots of our slavery to these sinful patters. We desire freedom.
BIBLICAL TRUTH FROM WEEK 7: We renounce our former ways, offer ourselves to God and under the waterfall of His grace, ask Him to deliver and heal us by the authority of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. We also pray for blessing and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to live life according to His kingdom purposes.
WEEK NINE
The New Heart
CAUSES OF QUARRELS AND FIGHTING
READ JAMES 4:1–10
1. What is at the heart of fighting and quarreling?
2. What does our unrighteous anger reveal?
JAMES 1:20 The anger of men does not produce the righteousness of God.
3. What does James suggest is part of the problem at the end of verse 2?
4. According to verse 3, what is at the heart of their prayers?
5. According to verse 4, how does God view our attempts to satisfy our desires through the world rather than Him? Is our biggest problem horizontal or vertical?
6. What hope do we find in verse 6? Contrast the way God relates to the humble and the proud.
7. The devil can tempt us with destructive anger to be used as a tool for his purposes. What are we instructed to do in verse 7–8?
8. In light of God’s grace, what are we instructed to do in verses 9–10?
9. Contrast the outcome of the humble against that of the proud (self-exalting).
REMINDER: The anatomy of temptation involves real personal evil (Satan and demons) enticing the flesh through the world. We must resist evil and not come into agreement with it.
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSE
JAMES 3:17
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
Day Two
HOW THE BATTLE IS FOUGHT
READ EPHESIANS 6:10–20
1. What are we instructed to do (v. 11)? For what purpose?
2. The passage states that we are engaged in spiritual warfare (v. 12). What supernatural power are we up against?
3. The imagery of this passage describes a soldier dressed for battle. Why is it important for believers to put on the full armor of God as we engage in daily warfare? (v. 13)
COLOSSIANS 2:15
He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
4. What makes up the armor of God in verses 14–17? How might each piece of armor help us stand firm?
Recognize the Enemy’s Lies. Piece of Armor Spiritual Resource Help for Standing Firm
5. Verses 18–20 offer instruction on prayer. When, how, and for whom do we pray? Belt Truth
OFFERING OURSELVES AS LIVING SACRIFICES
READ ROMANS 11:33–12:8
1. How did Paul respond to the revelation of God’s wisdom and knowledge in bringing about our redemption in Christ? (v. 33)
2. Compare verse 34 with 1 Corinthians 2:16. What additional insight do you get by reading both passages together?
3. Compare Romans verse 35 with Job 41:11. What additional insight to you get by reading both passages together?
4. Chapter 12 begins with an appeal based on gospel truths. What is the basis of Paul’s appeal? What was he exhorting believers to do?
5. In verse 1, how is the connection between the use of our bodies and our spiritual reality described?
6. What does Paul tell us not to do in verse 2? What does he tell us to do? Why?
7. In offering ourselves to God, we are to be used as instruments for His redemptive purposes. Describe how God intends us to function according to verses 3–8.
JESUS’ EXAMPLE IN ASKING
READ MATTHEW 6:6–13
1. What danger are we told to guard ourselves against in verse 5 regarding our prayer life? What are the benefits of a secret prayer life?
2. What danger are we told to guard ourselves in verse 7 regarding our prayer life?
3. To whom does Jesus have us pray in verse 9? Where is He located? What are we to ask of Him?
4. What does Jesus tell us to daily ask for in verse 11? If we are submitted to the kingdom, for what purpose are we asking?
5. What does Jesus tell us to daily ask for in verse 12? What expectation does Christ say is part of that request?
MATTHEW 6:14–15
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
6. What does Jesus tell us to daily ask for in verse 13?
READ MATTHEW 7:7–11
7. What are the conditions to these promises?
8. Who is inviting us to ask, seek, and knock?
JOHN 4:10
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
9. How does verse 11 shift your focus on viewing God as a good father?
Day Five
JESUS’ AUTHORITY
MATTHEW 7:28–29
And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority and not as their scribes.
Authority is the power or right to give orders, make decisions and enforce obedience.
READ MATTHEW 8:1–10:1
1. Who approaches Jesus in Matthew 8:1–4? How does he approach Him? What happens? Over what does Jesus demonstrate His authority? What does this reveal about what God is doing spiritually through the kingdom?
2. Who approaches Jesus in Matthew 8:5–13? How does he approach Him? What is the context? What happens? What does this reveal about what God is doing spiritually through the kingdom?
3. How and over what does Jesus demonstrate His authority in verses 14–17? In verses 23–27? In verses 28–34?
4. Jesus is demonstrating who He is and that He alone is worthy of our following. What is the cost of following Jesus according to verses 18–22?
5. In Matthew 9:1–8, Jesus shows His authority to heal a paralyzed man. Why does Jesus say he is doing this physical healing (v. 6)?
6. Who did Jesus come for (vv. 12–13)?
7. Describe the scene when Jesus heals two blind men. What is God doing spiritually through the kingdom that correlates?
8. What does Jesus then say to do in 9:37 and 10:1?
GOD IS JEALOUS FOR OUR HEARTS
READ LUKE 18:18–30
1. How did Jesus respond to the rich man? How did Jesus reveal the truth about who He is (v. 19)?
2. How does Jesus use the law (v. 20)?
3. What is Jesus addressing in the rich ruler’s heart in terms of what he loves most or worships?
MATTHEW 6:21
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
4. Why do you think it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God?
5. With whom is this impossible? Where then can we find hope (v. 27)?
6. How did Jesus highlight the First and Second Commandments and the first part of the Great Commandment (vv. 29–30)?
REVELATION 3:17
You say, I am rich. I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
7. What is the cost of following Jesus? What is the relative value of giving up things in this life for the sake of the kingdom?
Day Seven
MENTORSHIP DISCUSSION PREP
(OPTIONAL: MAY DISCUSS ON WEEK 10 INSTEAD)
1. Internal ruling desires lead to fights and quarrels. What desires tend to rule your heart and trigger unrighteous anger?
2. How do you usually deal with conflict?
3. How we use bodies is a reflection of what we worship. If someone wants to observe your daily routine and corresponding practices, what would they conclude you worship or serve?
4. We tend to worship/fear that which we believe has what our hearts desire. What desires are you trying to satisfy and where are you seeking to satisfy them?
5. Where do you tend to seek value, worth and significance?
GALATIANS 6:14
But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
6. We all have an innate desire to belong and be included in something bigger than ourselves (community). Historically where have you fought to belong? What was required of you to belong?
7. We tend to form community around shared values, interests and loves. What bonds the community in which you feel most connected? What is attractive about those relationships?
8. To what degree has seeking to meet your own material needs motivated your work?
PHILIPPIANS 4:19–20
My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
9. In the story of the rich young ruler we see that his wealth hindered his obedience to follow Christ. What hinders your obedience to Christ?
10. When we withhold lordship (authority) from Christ in any area of our lives, whom do we give that lordship to by default? Who then do we serve?
11. Jesus taught us how to pray. In your own words, how did Jesus teach us to pray?
BIBLICAL TRUTH FROM WEEK 6: In attempting to live independent of God, we have developed dysfunctional (sinful) patterns of coping. After careful examination, we have begun to see the demonic roots of our slavery to these sinful patterns. We desire freedom.
12. What defects of character do you most identify with (see assessment guide). Are you ready to have God remove all of those?
BIBLICAL
TRUTH FROM WEEK 7: We renounce our former ways, offer ourselves to God and, under the waterfall of His grace, ask Him to deliver and heal us by the authority of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. We also pray for blessing and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to live life according to His Kingdom purposes.
13. Personally ask Him to remove them.
MATTHEW 7:9–11
Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
MARK 11:23–24
Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea,” and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
What you just completed may be combined with the following week and discussed with your Mentor then. For this week’s mentor meeting: Continue on to the next section and read through the information you will go over with your mentor.
Connecting Fruit to Roots
Peace
Goodness
Gentleness
Kindness
Joy Love
Self - Control
Fruit of the Spirit Kingdom of Heaven Spirit
Patience
Faithfulness
Deeds of the Flesh
Lust
Anger
Dysfunction
Addiction
Control
Produces
Fruit
Fear/Anxiety
Depression
Disorders
Desires
World Flesh
SPIRITUAL DYNAMICS
There are two kingdoms in conflict. There is a cosmic battle between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. There are those who have willfully pledged their allegiance to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and those who have refused to submit to His authority and therefore have in fact given themselves to the enemy in going their own way. Our hearts are rooted (given to) one of these two kingdoms at all times.
Seeing the spiritual dynamics beneath the bad fruit in our lives awakens us to the reality of with whom we are in agreement. The enemy tempts our flesh to be given to the world. Jesus invites us into the kingdom of heaven where by the Spirit we can live fruitful lives. It comes down to obeying Him or gratifying our flesh. If we repent of the fruit but fail to renounce the roots, we will continue to bear bad fruit.
GENESIS 3:15
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
Heart Rooted in Desires
Exact Nature of My Wrongs
We admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Next we will re-examine our assessments from a different angle and discover the truth behind the exact nature of our wrongs. We will do this by completing the final parts of each assessment. It is one thing to acknowledge the bad fruit in our lives. It is another to see the exact nature of our wrongs and what that fruit is rooted in.
Consider the following in completing the assessments with your mentor.
Selfish/Self-centered
Does this stem from how this affected me (self-centered), or is it more out of a concern for the individual in their relationship with the Lord (God-centered)?
Hint: What part of “self” was threatened or seeking satisfaction? Does this emanate from a selfish or servant heart?
Self-seeking
Am I more concerned with getting something I want or am I seeking to please God? Is it about not getting the esteem (respect, worth, love) I want, the relationships I want, the security I want, the pleasure or comfort I want or the future I want?
Frightened
Is this birthed out of unbelief and distrust (unhealthy fear) of God, leading me to attempt to meet my own needs, or is this birthed out of a faith working through love, leading us to obey God?
Dishonest
Dishonesty is rooted in lies. We can easily believe the lies of the enemy and be deceived. Are we believing that these desires should be filled by the world and sinful people, rather than by our perfect, all-powerful, loving Creator? Am I believing a lie or walking in truth? How am I being deceived?
Inconsiderate
Have I only considered myself, or have I really sought to understand the other person? Am I compassionate toward their story? Have I considered that they too are in need of God’s grace? Have I considered how God could use this for His kingdom purposes?
If you circle one of these words, you will likely circle them all. This is because together they describe the flesh (selfish, self-centered, self-seeking, frightened, dishonest and inconsiderate). We either respond out of our flesh or by the Spirit, evidenced by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, fruitfulness and self-control.
The fertile ground of our stories makes our responses understandable, but it doesn’t make them right. If it doesn’t reflect Christ, it is a character defect.
Being Rooted in God’s Kingdom
Let’s look at the parts of self that were hurt or threatened and shift our thinking to how God abundantly satisfies our desires through faith in Him.
Self-Esteem
God has given us a good desire for dignity, worth and value. However, because of sin, we have fallen to a state of depravity. Rather than encouraging self-esteem, we need to be redeemed. Attempts to find worth and value apart from the cross of Jesus Christ are temporary, but God’s plan for redeeming a people for Himself is eternal. Our worth comes from God.
Personal Relationships
God created us to live relationally with Him and others. We have a God-given desire to belong. In our fallen state, we try to control and define our relationships. By faith we are never alone: God Himself is with us. He adopts us into His family.
Material Security
In reading Matthew 6:19–34, we realize that God is good, He is in control and He knows what we need materially. However, He warns us not to lay up treasures on earth because they are easily threatened and do not last. Instead of worrying about those things, we should seek first His eternal kingdom and righteousness. He will provide for us according to His goodness and kingdom purposes, in His timing and in His way.
Emotional Security
In the perfect garden paradise of Eden before the Fall, there was shalom, or peace. We have a God-given desire for peace. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are given peace with God. We rest behind the mighty fortress of Jesus, where no person or circumstance can rob us of our peace with Him. Even if the waves of despair and destruction come crashing in, the Lord is our refuge. We will not be moved because He cannot be shaken.
Sexual Relations/Sexuality
There is a God-given desire for pleasure, including sex. God is a God of pleasure and He gave us senses to enjoy His creation; however, we enjoy it within the boundaries He established. God created sex to be celebrated and enjoyed between a husband and wife within the covenant of marriage. Outside of that, it becomes destructive.
Ambitions
Ambitions come out of a God-given desire for hope. We tend to put our hope in things of the world. But God is our hope: He overcame the world, Satan, sin and death. We will be raised with Christ and never experience death again. God demonstrated this miraculous, resurrecting power in Christ on the cross. Our future is secure in Christ and we should place our hope in Him alone. Healing comes as we turn from seeking these God-given desires of this world. (Psalm 37:4)
Expose Roots
JAMES 4:1–10
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us?” But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Renouncing Sinful Patterns
PSALM 51:12
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. In attempting to live independent of God, we have developed dysfunctional patterns of coping. After careful examination, we have begun to see the demonic roots of our slavery to these sinful patterns. We desire freedom.
Character defects are self-generated patterns of coping with a sinful world independent of God. The development of these patterns are understandable, even if they are not right. We are to resist the devil and submit to God (James 4:7). As we come under His authority, we renounce our former ways and the lies undergirding them, and we pray for deliverance from evil.
Scan the following list and read the ones that stand out to you as you continue to investigate potential sinful patterns that have been a part of your character.
CHARACTER DEFECT DEFINITIONS
ABUSE
To treat wrongly or harmfully.
ADDICTION
The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or involved in something.
ADULTERY
Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a partner other than the lawful spouse.
ANGER
Strong feeling of displeasure or hostility.
ANXIETY
A state of apprehension, uncertainty and fear resulting from the anticipation of a realistic or fantasized threatening event or situation, often impairing physical and psychological functioning.
AVOIDANT
A pattern of behavior that avoids difficulty, which could be intimacy, social settings and responsibility.
BIGOTRY
Hatred of people who are different from me in a clearly definable way, such as race, gender, or political affiliation.
BUSYNESS/OVER-SCHEDULING
Planning too many activities so that I do not have time to think about my life.
CO-DEPENDENCY
Depending on people to fulfill my desires.
CONDEMNATION
Strong displeasure or judgment.
COVETING
Having a desire for another’s possessions, power, wealth or relationships.
CRITICAL
Judging, blaming, finding fault with someone or something.
DEATH/SUICIDE
Enticement to take one’s own life or fantasizing about death.
DEFEATED
Believing there is no hope of victory.
DEFENSIVE
Not open to being challenged/questioned/criticized, self-protective.
DISASSOCIATION
Self-protective strategy of detaching from pain and at times reality, even self.
DENIAL
Self-protecting strategy behavior that keeps us from honestly facing the truth, leading to a false system of beliefs.
DECEITFUL
Lying, cheating or stealing; not upright in my dealings with people.
DEPRESSION
The condition of being without hope.
DETACHMENT
To remove from association (from self, others, emotions, etc.).
DOUBT
To be undecided or skeptical.
ENABLEMENT
Allowing someone to continue in disobedience without consequence.
ENTITLEMENT
Deserving of rights or benefits.
ENVY
Wishing to have something someone else has, disliking someone who has more than I do.
FEAR
A feeling which occurs in the face of something threatening.
GLUTTONY
Excess in any area, particularly in eating or drinking.
GOSSIPING
Idle talk, not always true, about other people and their affairs.
GRANDIOSE
Having or showing too great an opinion of my own importance.
GREED
Wanting more than my fair share or what I need.
GUILT
Remorseful awareness of having done something wrong.
HATE
A feeling of intense anger or bitterness, extreme dislike toward someone; a feeling of intense ill will toward another.
HOARDING
Saving money or things in excess; storing up more than could reasonably be used.
IMPATIENCE
Annoyance because of delay or opposition.
IMPULSIVITY
A problem with emotional or behavioral self-control.
INDECISION
Lacking the ability to make decisions in a timely manner.
IRRESPONSIBLE
Characteristically careless with responsibility.
INTOLERANCE
Unwilling to allow others to have opinions or beliefs that are different from mine.
JEALOUSY
Dislike or fear of rivals; anxious or suspicious watchfulness.
HYPER-VIGILANCE
Excessive pre-occcupation with assessing potential threats around you.
LAZINESS
Dislike of work; unwillingness to work or be active.
LEGALISM
Strict adherence to rules of conduct without regard to the principles behind them; dependence on my behavior for my sense of self-worth.
LICENTIOUS
Lacking moral discipline or ignoring legal restraint.
LUST
Strong desire; unhealthy appetite especially in the area of sexual indlugences.
LYING
Not telling the truth; exaggerating; boasting.
MANIA
An excessively elevated sense of enthusiasm, interest or desire; a craze.
MINIMIZING
Making excuses for or making less of my behavior to make myself and others think I am not “that bad.”
OBSESSION
Consuming focus on a particular thought, action or person which you have difficulty escaping.
OPPRESSION
The act of subjugating by cruelty, force, etc. or the state of being subjugated in this way.
PEOPLE PLEASING
Doing activities based upon the positive reactions of people around me; making myself feel better by getting the approval of someone else.
PERFECTIONISM
Working to arrange my life so that everything and everyone in it is faultless according to my standards.
PESSIMISM
Always thinking on the bad side of a situation; refusing to see good in anything that happens; not looking at things from God’s point of view.
PETTINESS
Focusing on the small, meaningless things in my life; giving those things more importance than they deserve.
PHONINESS
Deceiving, being insincere; not being genuine; also includes emotional phoniness.
PRIDE
Too high opinion of myself; high opinion of my own worth or possessions.
PROCRASTINATION
Putting off something I should have done sooner to avoid unpleasant or undesirable consequences.
QUARRELSOME
Too quick to find fault; fond of fighting and disputing.
RACISM
Prejudice, discrimination or antagonism against people on the basis of their racial or ethnic group.
RESENTMENT
Unresolved anger; ill will; bitternesss.
SARCASM
A sneering or cutting remark; act of making fun of someone; harsh or bitter irony.
SELF-PITY
To feel sorry for myself, to live in regret of my past actions; continually reviewing my miseries, often blaming others for my troubles.
SELF-CENTEREDNESS
Being overly concerned with my own welfare or interests, having little or no concern for others, what I want is the most important thing.
SELFISHNESS
Caring too much for myself and too little for those around me.
SHAME
A painful emotion caused by a strong sense of uncleaness, embarrassment, unworthiness or disgrace.
SUICIDAL IDEATION
Obsession with ending one’s own life as a means of rescue.
UNDISCIPLINED
Untrained; lack of order, lack of self control; disobedient, impulsive.
UNGROUNDED OPTIMISM
Elevated reality detached from actual difficult realities.
VULGARITY
Immoral speech, actions or thinking about things that are unhealthy or immoral; making a practice of dwelling on these thoughts for pleasure or comfort.
Renouncing Lies and Vows
RENOUNCE
Formally declare one’s abandonment of a claim, right, or possession.
We have now seen the demonic influence from which our sinful patterns of coping arise. It is now time to renounce these former patterns of relating to God, self and others. Remember we are taking inventory of our hearts and becoming willing to rid ourselves of those items not useful in reflecting Christ. When Step 6 talks about being willing to have God remove all these defects of character, we are talking about being willing to totally surrender to His Lordship so we do not give the enemy a foothold. We need to renounce these patterns as well as the underlying lies we believe and vows we have made.
CHARACTER DEFECTS, SHORTCOMINGS
As we have said, character defects are self- generated meaning they are rooted in self rather than trust in God. There are often weeds in our gardens that look like flowers. They require energy that could go toward gospel fruitfulness and give a foothold to the enemy.
What unfruitful patterns of coping or character defects have surfaced during the assessments? List the ones you believe the Lord has been calling your attention to.
Do you desire freedom from these patterns? Are you ready to renounce or come out of agreement with them and ask God to remove them?
Lies from the enemy feed these unfruitful coping strategies. Often the focus of these lies is on self rather than on Him. For example: “I am unlovable” instead of “God is love”.
What specific lies are you in agreement with when operating in these dysfunctional patterns? List the lies.
Do you desire freedom from these lies? Are you ready to renounce these lies and come out of agreement with them?
Examples of lies and their corresponding truths: Lie Truth
• If I hadn’t desired love, then I wouldn’t have been abused.
• I need to look out for myself because no one else is going to.
• Evil took advantage of what is precious in God’s sight. It is not my fault. The desire to be loved is a good, God-given desire that He wants to satisfy. It is normal for people to ask why when they suffer (John 9:1-2). See John 9:3 for Jesus’ answer.
• God is a refuge. Only God can protect and defend me. Ultimately, living a life of self-protection, I create a greater mess.
• Nobody wants me because I am messed up and unlovable.
• The Creator of the universe chose me before the foundations of the earth. He loves and cherishes me.
VOWS
Vows are often focused on what I am going to do or not do (rooted in self). They are about self protection (ex. “I will never…” or “I will always…). We must renounce these vows and look to Christ for strength to follow God’s voice into whatever good plans He has for us.
What vows have you made that may be hindering you from following God’s voice? Are you willing to renounce the self-generated vows and look to Christ instead?
Are you willing to renounce these self-generated vows and look to Christ instead?
Examples of vows and their corresponding truths: Vow Truth
• I will never let anyone close to me so I won’t get hurt.
• I will never allow myself to be put in a shameful situation again.
• I will not desire anything. I will just be “neutral” and without opinions.
• I can trust God to protect me. His love frees me to love others, even if I get hurt.
• “Those who look to the Lord are radiant and their faces will never be put to shame” (Psalm 34:5).
• “A hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12). The Lord gives good gifts, and we can trust Him with our desires. We lack no good thing in Him (Psalm 34).
REPLANT IN TRUTH
REPLANT
Not only do we need to uproot from seeking to have our desires fulfilled through a corrupt world, we need to replant in the riches of the kingdom, by the Spirit. Living under the authority of Jesus allows us to live contently in a world that is dissatisfying. This shift nourishes our souls and brings about fruitfulness.
UNDERLYING DESIRES
In these patterns and practices we are often seeking some God-given desire to be satisfied.
What desires have you been seeking to fulfill? (Examples: Love, worth, value, significance, peace, control, safety, comfort, pleasure, stability, to be heard, validation, justification, compassion, hope, a future, power, justice, desirability, goodness, to be understood).
How has the world betrayed you and failed to satisfy your desires?
How does the Kingdom satisfy these desires?
SUMMARY (IN PREPARATION TO BE PRAYED OVER)
Summarize what you just processed into the following lists in preparation to be prayed over with your Mentor GOOD GOD-GIVEN DESIRES I HAVE TRIED TO SATISFY IN THE WORLD
Prayers of Repentance and Healing
Knowledge into the inner workings of our hearts and even the spiritual dynamics at work do not change us. We must pray to the One who has the power to bring about change. Following the pattern found in Jesus’ teaching on how to pray, we pray from a posture of submission and ask him to deliver us.
We renounce our former ways, offering ourselves to God, and under His grace, ask Him to deliver and heal us by the authority of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. We also pray for blessing and empowerment of the Holy Spirit to live lives pleasing to Him.
This is a time to come before the Lord, lay our lives at His feet and ask that He bring freedom, healing and blessing. We must start by offering our lives completely to Him, to be useful according to His will and His kingdom purposes. We renounce lies, break vows and pray that He would deliver us from sinful patterns of relating to Him, ourselves, the creation and one another. This time of prayer should be for mental, emotional, spiritual, relational and even physical healing.
TO BE PRAYED BY PARTICIPANTS
Prayer to Come Under His Authority
Heavenly Father, I now see how I have lived in agreement with the ways of the world and for my kingdom, my name and my will. I now renounce those ways and offer myself completely to You to be utilized for Your kingdom plan and purposes.”
Prayer to Renounce Specific Lies (to be prayed over each lie)
Heavenly Father, please forgive me for believing the lie _________. I renounce that lie and come into agreement with the truth that
Prayer to Break Vows (To Be Prayed Over Each Vow)
Loving Father, in my distress, I have vowed to/to never _________. In doing so, I have alienated myself from You and sought to keep myself from harm. In doing so, I have placed myself under the devil’s authority and given him a foothold. I now break that vow by Christ’s authority and come to You as my protector. I trust You will give me the grace to overcome all that the enemy brings.
Prayer to Renounce Specific Patterns (to be prayed over each character defect)
Loving Father, please forgive me for the self-generated patterns of coping and seeking to satisfy my desires through the world rather than through your Kingdom. I renounce the pattern of (name character defect) in Jesus’ name.
TO BE PRAYED BY YOUR MENTOR
You should understand the prayer and be praying in agreement with your mentor as they pray over you.
Heavenly Father, for Your name’s sake and according to your love and mercy, we ask that you would deliver (participant’s name) from any demonic influence that is tempting him/her to (name practice/character defect) so that he/she may freely serve You and Your kingdom. Lord, we ask You to fill those places previously occupied by the enemy with the Holy Spirit and bless them in the name of Jesus Christ.
MARK 11:23–24
“Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
MATTHEW 7:9–11
“Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
LUKE 10:19
Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.
WEEK TEN
Reconciliation and Faithful Action
Day One
DEALING WITH OUR OWN HEARTS FIRST
MATTHEW 7:3
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
READ EZEKIEL 14:1–8
1. The elders of Israel come before the prophet Ezekiel seeking wisdom (v. 1). What does the Lord want to talk to them about first (vv. 2–4)?
2. According to verse 5, why does God want to talk to the elders about these things?
3. We worship what sits uppermost in our affections. When we live for and worship something other than God it is called idolatry. How does the Lord instruct us to deal with our idols?
4. What is God most concerned about?
5. Consider the imagery. Will we see rightly if there is a stumbling block of inequity (idolatry) obstructing our vision? What do you think we will tend to focus on?
6. How then does idolatry cloud our judgment?
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSE
MATTHEW 7:5
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION
READ 2 CORINTHIANS 5:11–21
1. We tend to fear that which we believe has what we need. Knowing that, what fear drives Paul and his companions?
2. Why does Paul talk about the fact that he has clean motives and a pure heart?
1 SAMUEL 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.
3. What motivation compels them (v. 14)?
4. How does the text explain their apparent lack of self-concern?
JOHN 12:25
Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
5. We tend to make judgments about people based on outward appearance. How are we no longer to regard people?
6. How does God describe those who are in Christ according to verse 17? What is significant about these words?
REVELATION 21:5
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
7. According to verse 18, what is also true about those who are in Christ? What is our ministry?
8. With what message have we been entrusted (v. 19)? For whom are we messengers (v. 20)? What does the message contain (v. 20)?
JOEL 2:12–13
“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
9. What does it mean to be an ambassador?
MOTIVATION OF LOVE
READ 1 CORINTHIANS 13
1. Verses 1–3 list a number of ways we may be gifted spiritually. If we exercise these gifts without love, what does it amount to?
2. What is love? What is it not? What does it do? What does it not do (vv. 4–7)?
3. What will never end? What will end?
4. As we mature, what will we give up?
2 CORINTHIANS 5:15
He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
5. How does Paul describe our ability to see in verse 12? What does this verse promise?
6. Which of the three attributes in verse 13 is the greatest? In what sense is it the greatest?
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSE
1 JOHN 4:19
We love because he first loved us.
Day Four
WALK IN LOVE
READ EPHESIANS 5:1–14
1. What instruction does verse 1 give? How is a child’s imitation of his or her parents an example of how we should imitate God?
2. How does Christ’s example show us how to love one another (v. 2)?
3. What does this not include according to verse 3? What gospel identity do we find with these commands?
4. What does Paul say has no place among the saints? What should be there instead (v. 4)?
5. What is true of those who are not changed by the gospel and continue to live out of their sinful nature (v. 5)?
6. What “empty words” do you suppose Paul is warning the church about (v. 6)?
7. What warning does Paul give the church in verse 7?
8 . How does Paul remind the Ephesians of what God has done through the gospel to lead them away from disobedience towards fruitfulness (v. 8)?
MATTHEW 7:21
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
9. How does Paul say we should interact with those who justify these practices (v. 11)?
Five GO AND BE RECONCILED
READ MATTHEW 5:23–26
1. What should we do if we remember someone has something against us?
2. What is the order of priority in these verses?
3. Is there a sense of urgency?
4. What does this say about God’s desire for unity within the church?
5. When we keep “short accounts,” it means we deal with our debts to others (offenses) in a timely manner. Why do you think God calls believers to keep short accounts (v. 25)?
COLOSSIANS 1:10
So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him; bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.
READ NUMBERS 5:5–7
6. What general principles does this text teach us when we realize our sin against another?
7. Though our sins affect others, who are we breaking faith with?
READ LUKE 15:18–19
8. What posture does the younger son assume as he approached the father?
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSES
LUKE 15:18–19
“I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.’”
MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION – EXAMPLE FROM THE SCRIPTURES
READ PHILEMON AND WATCH THIS VIDEO:
1. List elements of this letter that stand out to you.
2. What would you implement in your own communications toward reconciliation?
3. How does Paul approach Philemon? Based on his authority, could he have approached him differently (v. 8–9)?
4. Who is the minister of reconciliation in this letter? Who is the offending party? Who is the offended party? What evidence of God’s grace would be necessary if these two parties are to be truly reconciled and unified in their hearts?
Day Seven
MENTORSHIP DISCUSSION PREP
MATTHEW 7:12
So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
1. How does fear prevent you from loving others like Christ?
Give specific examples from your own life (confronting difficult situations, evangelism, etc.).
1 JOHN 4:18
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
2. Have you ever used your knowledge and intellect as a source of pride to beat people down rather than build them up? Give examples.
1 CORINTHIANS 8:1
“Knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.
3. Describe times when your own idolatry has distorted your judgment in acting according to God’s will.
4. In Matthew 5:23, the Lord teaches the importance of being reconciled prior to offering our gifts. Describe situations in which you offended someone with whom you need to be reconciled.
5. Are there people or institutions who you are unwilling to confess to and make restitution? Be specific.
ROMANS 12:18
If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
NUMBERS
5:5–7
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, when a man or woman commits any of the sins that people commit by breaking faith with the LORD, and that person realizes his guilt, he shall confess his sin that he has committed. And he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong.”
BIBLICAL TRUTH FROM WEEKS 8 & 9: Relationships break down because of sin. If there were no sin in the world, relationships would work harmoniously, evidenced by love and unity. Division among God’s people provides opportunities to identify sin and purify the body. The gospel of Jesus Christ brings about justice in a way that the law cannot, by inwardly reconciling the very heart of injustice to God. As those forgiven by God, we can humbly approach those affected by our sin and make amends. This change of heart brings glory to God by demonstrating the power of the gospel and reflecting His heart in bringing justice through His reconciled people.
In addition to the section you just completed, and Mentor Prep from the prior week, you will also discuss the following section with your mentor this week. Please read over the next six pages as you prepare to meet with your mentor.
Faithful Action
JAMES 2:26
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
The fullness of life is found in Jesus Christ. As we behold Him, we want to become like Him. We will want to live as He lives and do what He does. Galatians 5:6 tells us, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” For each person, faith must express itself in action flowing from a regenerate heart that loves Jesus. These are not works to earn God’s love but rather are expressions in response to God’s love.
LOVING GOD (VERTICAL)
Enjoying God and practicing spiritual disciplines so we might know Him and the power of His resurrection
Expressions of gratitude — enjoying His gifts and entering into His ministry and church
Stoking the flames of gospel-motivated worship — expressions of loving Him with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength both individually and corporately
Obedience to His statutes — learning, doing and sharing with others
Continued mortification of sin — putting to death these things that rob us of our affections for Him
LOVING OTHERS AND SELF (HORIZONTAL)
Making disciples for Christ
Reflecting the heart of God and mind of Christ in our city and to the ends of the earth
Gospel-empowered ministry and mission
Gospel-saturated community
Seeking reconciliation when we sin or are sinned against
Taking care of your body, the temple of God
Asking your Father in heaven for what you need
Additionally, your Mentor should help you develop a plan for how you will intentionally continue to maintain these healthy practices after Steps concludes.
Seeking Reconciliation
The work of reconciliation displays God as a just God who cares and is intent on bringing justice to the oppressed. We arrive at this justice through the reconciliation of our hearts to His through the gospel of grace, which cures what the law cannot. The gospel actually transforms the hearts from which injustice flows.
The light of Christ shines into our hearts. It exposes darkness while providing hope of restoration through the reconciling work of Jesus Christ. He Himself demonstrates the power and possibility of overcoming sin, suffering and death. For those of us who are forgiven by God and are now living as His ambassadors, this process allows us to bring light and hope to a dark world from a God who is reconciling all things. We are to use all of our energy and resources to glorify His name. It is an opportunity to testify to the character of God as being both just and merciful in confessing our wrongs with a sincere desire to make things right. Restitution is often a forgotten component of repentance. A repentant heart in light of God’s grace is willing to forsake worldly costs because of the promise of Christ for all eternity.
WILLINGNESS AND WISDOM
We need to be willing to make amends but use wisdom in making them. For example, it might not be wise to make direct amends in dangerous situations. It might not be wise to look up every person you have ever had a sexual experience with and invite them to coffee. It might not be wise to meet with a married person of the opposite sex without their spouse. You might use wisdom and sensitivity in the words you choose and consider your audience in acknowledging your wrongs. It might not be wise to confess sinful thoughts or attitudes to someone who is unaware that you thought of them in that way. It might not be wise to force an amends before a person is willing to receive it. Remember, we are led by the Holy Spirit. He will impress on you who to approach, when to approach and may even bring some unexpected opportunities to make peace.
The exception, “except when to do so would injure them or others” is often used as a cover up for unwillingness. For example, we should not use this as an excuse to not confess adultery, claiming it would hurt the other party too much. Confession allows true healing to occur rather than covering up the sin that disrupts fellowship. As long as secrets abide, we cannot have true fellowship. In not confessing adultery, a marriage is based in deceit. In confessing situations which include sexual sin, please spare the other person the specific details of sexual sin as that may make healing unnecessarily difficult.
TEMPLATE FOR RECONCILIATION
Peacemaker Ministries suggests the “7 A’s of Confession,” which we altered slightly:
Address those affected
Avoid excusing your wrongs or being overly dramatic in an attempt to invoke pity
Admit specific attitudes and actions
Acknowledge the hurt and express regret for harm caused
Accept the consequences and be willing to make restitution
Accompanied by altered attitudes and actions
Ask for forgiveness
Example: “I am grateful that God has granted me this opportunity to speak with you today. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. God has been doing amazing things in my heart. He has both provided me hope and also exposed the depths of my sin. In light of this, I deeply regret how my sinful attitudes and actions have affected you. I am here to ask for your forgiveness. (Explain how you wronged this person.) I regret the harm I have caused you. I know I can’t heal the wounds I have caused, but I serve a God who can. Will you forgive me? What can I do to make it right?”
Often times we already know what we need to do to make it right. If we owe someone money, we may be prepared to pay them with interest. Sometimes we are not in a position to make full restitution at that point but can give something and make arrangements for future payments.
For those of us who have used religion, the Bible or God as a cover up, it is wise to acknowledge that up front.
CAUTION
We can only go as far as God allows us. If making it right is contrary to the will of God in your life, you may not sin against Him to make amends to someone.
BIBLICAL TRUTH FROM WEEKS 8 & 9
Relationships break down because of sin. If there was no sin in the world, relationships would work harmoniously, evidenced by love and unity. Division among God’s people provides opportunities to identify sin and purify the body. The gospel of Jesus Christ brings about justice in a way that the law cannot by inwardly reconciling the very heart of injustice to God. As those forgiven by God, we can humbly approach those affected by our sin and make amends. This change of heart brings glory to God by demonstrating the power of the gospel and reflecting His heart in bringing justice through His reconciled people.
EXAMPLES
RELATIONAL
In rebellion to God’s created order we have lived for ourselves and in doing so have used people for our selfish desires. Now reconciled to God, we desire to make amends for harm done through our selfish ambitions.
LEGAL
At times this self-seeking has led us not only to rebel against God, but to break laws intended to uphold and safeguard our society. At times this may mean making amends and possibly restitution for harm done.
PROFESSIONAL
We may not have been faithful to the responsibilities entrusted to us professionally.
FINANCIAL
There may be monetary compensation required to make things right with another party.
RELIGIOUS/SPIRITUAL
We may need to confess and ask for forgiveness for misleading someone spiritually.
LIVING
A person may not be willing to hear from us, in which case we must demonstrate the gospel’s altering effects in our lives by living faithfully and responsibly.
From your assessment, write those names you feel God would have you reconcile. Seek wisdom from your mentor before pursuing those people.
Seeking Reconciliation Through Confronting and Forgiving
LUKE 17:1–4
And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
When we see someone playing in the street, it would be unloving not to help them out of the street. When we see others in a destructive pattern, it is loving to try and help lead them to Christ. This is especially true in the body of Christ where love, unity and pursuit of holiness should be characteristic. The Bible gives us a process to walk through when we have a brother or sister stuck in a pattern of sin.
When confronting someone in sin, it should always be motivated by love. It is as if you are offering a gift, desiring to be helpful. We must remove ourselves from the equation as we are there to pursuade them to be reconciled to the goodness and mercy of God. We have already entrusted the offense to God and we are on an errand for God, not seeking anything for ourselves. We are there to offer eager forgiveness to those who ask and help formulate a plan of restoration, if needed.
MATTHEW 18:15–20
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.
ADDITIONAL BIBLICAL TRUTH FROM WEEKS 8 & 9
As ambassadors of Christ, we are to be instruments of grace as we confront those who sin against us. We hand our offenses over to God and extend eager forgiveness to those who ask for it. And in this way, fellowship with God and among His people is preserved.
Make a list of the people you believe might be well served by confronting an on-going pattern of sin, in hopes of seeing them reconciled to God.
WEEK ELEVEN
Forgiveness
GOSPEL-CENTERED COMMUNITY BRINGS UNITY
READ MATTHEW 18:1–20
1. We see conflict among the disciples in verse 1. What are they arguing over?
2. How does Jesus intervene in an effort to resolve the conflict (v. 2–3)?
JAMES 3:16
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
3. How does the example of becoming like children give the disciples insight into how they must enter the kingdom of heaven? What virtue is the basis for greatness in the kingdom of heaven (v. 4)?
MATTHEW 5:3
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4. According to verses 5 and 10, how should Christ’s covenant community respond to those seeking help and direction in their weaknesses? What characteristic of God’s heart is exemplified?
5. What awaits those who mislead or take advantage of others in their weakness? How do these verses show us God’s heart of justice?
6. If the church is meant to receive but not mislead, where are we to lead broken people?
MATTHEW 19:14
But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.
7. Rather than despising these “little ones,” what are we to do if they go astray (vv. 10–14)? What do we see about God’s heart?
8. Our pursuits reveal the things we love. How does the covenant community’s pursuit of a straying sheep reveal God’s heart? What does a church’s lack of pursuit indicate?
9. What takes place when the sheep that strays is found?
10. What processes of loving correction does Jesus outline when addressing a brother or sister who sins against you (vv. 15–16)?
11. What role do other believers serve in this process (v. 16)?
12. If the person does not listen, even to the church, what steps should the church take to discipline him or her?
13. What authority has been given to the church (v. 18)?
Day Two FORGIVENESS
READ MATTHEW 18:21–35
1 . Peter apparently believes he is being very gracious in the question he asks Jesus (v. 21). How does Jesus respond to Peter?
2. How much does the first servant owe to his master? What would that equate to today? What does the law require?
3. What does the first servant offer to do? Is it realistic (v. 26)?
4. How does his master respond (v. 27)?
5. What does the first servant do to the second servant (v. 28)?
6. How does that compare to what the first servant owed the master?
7. What does the second servant offer to do (v. 29)?
8. How does the first servant respond? What does this reveal about his heart (v. 30)?
9. How do the fellow servants or witnesses respond (v. 31)?
10. How does the master deal with the first servant (v. 34)?
11. What lesson is Jesus teaching (v. 35)?
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSES
MATTHEW 6:14–15
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Day Three
MORE ON CONFRONTING AND FORGIVING
READ LUKE 17:1–10
1. How likely is it that you will encounter “temptations to sin” when sinned against (v. 1)?
2. How do Jesus’ words in verse 2 remind us of God’s justice?
3. What are you instructed to do if your brother sins according to verse 3? If he repents, what are you commanded to do?
POINT OF INTEREST: There are two aspects to forgiveness. We are always commanded to forgive from the heart by entrusting offenses to the Lord vertically. For the relationship to be reconciled, a person must recognize and confess their sin so that horizontal forgiveness is granted.
4. Jesus tells the disciples that obedience in forgiving requires faith only the size of a mustard seed. If faith is not the issue, what is the issue?
5. Jesus tells the story of the servant coming in from the field to support His point (vv. 7–10). How do you think he felt at the end of a long day plowing in the fields?
6. What is the servant not asked to do? What is he asked to do?
7. Is his obedience predicated on feeling like it?
8. How much does Jesus’ command to forgive have to do with how we feel?
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSES
LEVITICUS 19:17–18
You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
CONFRONTING – EXAMPLE FROM SCRIPTURE
READ 2 SAMUEL 11
1. Summarize the story of David and Bathsheba.
READ 2 SAMUEL 12
2. Who does the Lord send to confront David (v. 1)?
3. What story does Nathan tell David to help him see the injustice of his actions (vv. 1–4)?
4. How does David respond to the injustice? What did the man in the story deserve? What restitution was required?
5. How does the Lord see David’s injustice (v. 7–10)?
6. What generational effects will come from this (vv. 10–12)?
7. David’s sin was in private; will the consequences be seen by others (v. 12)?
LUKE 12:2
Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be made known.
Day Five
AMBASSADORS APPEALING TO THE LOST
We have been entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, imploring those straying or lost to be reconciled to God and pointing them to the cross where they can receive God’s grace.
Purpose: The book of Jonah shows us God’s compassion for the world He created and cares so deeply about. He challenges us as His ambassadors to see if our character reflects His.
Setting: Nineveh is the Assyrian capital city. The Assyrians were enemies of the Israelites and were known for their cruelty.
READ JONAH 1–4
1. What does God ask of Jonah?
2. What is Jonah’s response? Where is Jonah fleeing in his disobedience?
PSALM 139:7
Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?
3. Research the direction and distance of Tarshish and Nineveh from Jonahs’ hometown Gath-hepher (near Nazareth.) What did you find?
4. How does God intervene?
5. What is evident from Jonah’s prayer while inside the fish?
6. What does God ask of Jonah at the beginning of chapter 3? Does His request sound familiar?
7. How does Jonah respond?
8. How do the people of Nineveh respond? How does God respond to them?
9. We might expect the story to end after chapter 3. Whom does God continue to engage in chapter 4?
10. What is Jonah’s response to God’s mercy on the people of Nineveh?
11. What do we learn about God’s heart toward the Ninevites?
EXODUS 34:6–7
The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
12. What does God’s pursuit of Jonah’s heart say about God’s desire for the hearts of His people?
UNITY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST
READ EPHESIANS 4:1–16
1. What is Paul calling the church in Ephesus to pursue (v. 1)?
2. How do verses 2–3 describe this “walk”?
3. How does Paul, in his repetitive use of “one,” remind us of what unifies believers in Christ?
4. What is true for every believer according to verse 7?
5. What specific roles does Christ give for the equipping of the saints (v. 11)?
6. What are gifts meant to equip the saints to do (v. 12)? Until when (v. 13)? Why (v. 14)?
7. How does verse 15 describe the mature man?
8. What does a functional church body require? What is the result?
Day Seven
MENTORSHIP DISCUSSION PREP
1. As people confess sin to us and ask for forgiveness, we are should be eager to extend it. Our willingness to forgive is evidence that Christ’s forgiveness has transformed our own hearts and that it is our desire that they be reconciled to God. Prayerfully consider and list those whom you might have difficulty forgiving and why?
LUKE 15:7
Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
2. Are there brothers or sisters in Christ who may have sinned against you and continue to walk in significant, unrepentant sin? If so, develop a plan with your mentor to be an agent of reconciliation.
GALATIANS 6:1
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
3. Now that bitterness, fear and shame no longer rule you, are there those outside the body who may have hurt you and need to be offered peace with God through the blood of Christ?
4. Where are you stuck? Prepare to discuss with your group anyone with whom you are unwilling to make amends, forgive, confront or share the gospel. Why are you unwilling?
5. Are there any fears you have in making amends, forgiving, confronting someone’s sin or sharing the hope of the gospel? Why are you afraid? How does God speak to our fear?
6. Are there any relationships that you believe are beyond repair? Why? Spend time in prayer, specifically for those situations.
7. Are there any other questions or issues you are facing?
BIBLICAL TRUTH FROM WEEKS 8 & 9: As ambassadors of Christ, we are to be instruments of grace when we confront those who sin against us. We hand offenses over to God and extend eager forgiveness to those who ask for it. In this way, fellowship with God and amongst His people are preserved.
WEEK TWELVE
Be a Disciple
Day One
ENDURANCE IN OUR DIFFICULTIES
MATTHEW 24:10, 12–13
And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another…. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
READ HEBREWS 12:1–16
1. What are we to actively lay aside (v. 1)? Why? How?
2. The preceding chapter serves to help us see “a cloud of witnesses” exemplify faith while enduring suffering. Who is the example they followed (v. 2)?
3. What did Jesus do in despising shame? What motivates Him (v. 2)?
4 What reality do we still struggle with in verse 4?
JAMES 1:2–4
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5. What is true about the one the Lord disciplines (v. 6)? For what purpose (v. 10)?
6. What is true about discipline (v. 11)?
7. In light of this, what are we called to and why (vv. 12–13)?
8. What should we strive toward according to verse 14?
9. What are we called to in verses 15 and 16?
Day Two
TRIALS, TESTING AND TEMPTATION
READ JAMES 1:1-21
1. Who is James addressing in verse 1? What is their situation?
2. How does James say we should consider trials in our life (v. 2)?
3. God uses trials to test. In what sense does He test (v. 3)?
4. What is the purpose of this testing and what is the result?
1 PETER 1:7
So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
5. If we lack wisdom when undergoing trials what are we instructed to do? Why?
6. How should we view living for worldly wealth and perishing enjoyments (vv. 10–11)?
7. What man will be blessed going through these trials? What will they receive (v. 12)?
8. In trials we are tempted. Who should we not blame when tempted (v. 13)? Who is responsible when we sin?
HEBREWS 10:36
For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
9. Temptation comes from influence of the enemy and is based on lies. How are we instructed in verse 16?
10. The world around us, our feeling, and the cloak of the Deceiver changes. But what is true of God?
Day Three
THE SURPASSING WORTH OF KNOWING CHRIST
READ PHILIPPIANS 3:2–21
1. What warning does Paul give in verse 2?
2. How does he describe the true circumcision (v. 3)?
3. Where do those who are not of the true circumcision derive their confidence? What do they point to for their righteousness (v. 4)?
4. What reasons could Paul give for having confidence in the flesh (self-confidence)?
5. What does he count those things? What does he count everything (v. 7–8)?
Why? 6. What is of infinite worth (v. 8)?
7. For what is Paul willing to forsake all his gain in this world (vv. 8–9)?
8. How does Paul view suffering and hardship (v. 10)?
9. What is he seeking to attain (v. 11)?
10. Summarize Paul’s words in verses 12–16.
11. What warning does Paul give in verses 17–21? Who or what are they serving and what is the corresponding result?
MATTHEW 7:21–23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Day Four
TRAINING AND DISCIPLINES
D.A. CARSON HAS SAID:
“People do not drift towards holiness. Apart from grace driven effort, people do not gravitate towards godliness, prayer, obedience to scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift towards compromise and call it tolerance; we drift towards disobedience and call it freedom; we drift towards superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch towards prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide towards godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.”
READ 1 CORINTHIANS 9:24–27
1. What do these verses compare our lives to? What instructions are we given (v. 24)?
2. What is true of athlete’s in general? Why (v. 25)?
3. Compare and contrast the prize we seek in our Christian walk versus that in a competitive race (v. 25).
4. How do these verses instruct us to run?
5. What happens if you stop working out and caring for your body physically? How does this physical example provide you insight into practicing spiritual disciplines?
6. According to verse 27, what may happen if you are not in “good shape” spiritually?
READ MATTHEW 6:1–18
7. What warning does Jesus give in verse 1, regarding acts of righteousness (some of which are spiritual disciplines)?
8. What do the hypocrites do? Why do they do it? What is their reward?
What should we do? What will be our reward (vv. 2-4)?
10. When you fast, what should you not do? What should you do? (vv. 17-18)
MATTHEW 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Day Five
FILLING A THIRSTY SOUL
READ PSALM 63
1. Where is David when he writes this song? How does verse 1 describe this land?
2. According to verse 1, where does David turn during these difficult circumstances to quench his thirst? How would you describe this pursuit? What does this reveal about his heart?
DEUTERONOMY 8:2
And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.
3. How does David’s orientation in difficulty demonstrate worship?
4. How confident is David that he will be satisfied and praise God?
5. Who is the source of his confidence (v. 2)? Why?
6. What does David consider better than life (v. 3)?
7. What does David believe he will find in his pursuits (v. 5)?
DEUTERONOMY 8:3
And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
8. When will David’s soul be satisfied (v. 6)? Why (v. 7)?
ROMANS 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
9. What is David’s soul doing as God upholds him (v. 8)?
10. As one who is serving the kingdom, what happens to those who oppose David and seek to destroy his life?
READ EPHESIANS 5:15–21
11. The preceding section is a wake-up call to the family of God to walk in love by not participating in unfruitful deeds of darkness but instead live as fruitful children of light. How does verse 15 call us to live? Why (v. 16)?
12. What pursuits provide more pleasing fruit to the Lord and for your life?
(vv. 19–21)
POINT OF INTEREST: A lifestyle of gospel-centered worship is a life of joyful obedience in response to the immeasurable riches of His grace toward us in Christ.
Day Six
THE SOILS
READ LUKE 8:4–15
1. Who is Jesus’ audience for this parable?
2. After reading verse 10, does it appear Jesus intended for everyone in the crowd to understand His message?
3. Which soil has the ability to receive God’s word in a way that leads to a fruitful life?
4. Looking at verses 5–8, describe each of the four types of ground on which the seed falls.
How does Jesus explain the situation of the seed falling along the path? What does this represent? What is the result?
7. How does Jesus explain the situation of the seed falling among the rocks? What does this represent? What is the result?
8. How does Jesus explain the situation of the seed falling among the thorns? What does this represent? What is the result?
9. How does Jesus explain the situation of the seed falling on good soil? What does this represent? What is the result?
GENESIS 1:28
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Day Seven
MENTORSHIP DISCUSSION PREP
2 TIMOTHY 4:7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
1. What sin or weight do you need to lay aside in order to run the race well?
2. What trials are you currently facing in your life? What ways are you tempted to shortcut God’s purposes of sanctification while under trial?
3. What fruit would you expect in your life when you are walking by the Spirit? How does this express itself in your life with the people and circumstances you encounter (family, coworkers, children, prayer life, etc.)?
4. What practices will need to remain in your life after this study is over to maintain spiritual health and continued growth?
5. With which ground (from Luke 8:5-8) do you most identify? Do you typically disregard God’s call to obedience, do you become discouraged, are you distracted or does it shape you?
6. If you were to utilize all that Christ has entrusted to you for His Kingdom purposes, what would change?
MATTHEW 25:23
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
7. When you are thirsting in the wilderness, where does your soul turn for satisfaction? What does this reveal about your heart? Does this lead to fruitfulness in difficulty?
JEREMIAH 17:7-8
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.
8. On what do you tend to obsess, fantasize, meditate or dwell?
Be specific. What is the result (fear, lust, anger, anxiety, depression, worship, praise, joy, etc.)?
9. What stirs your affections for Christ?
10. Being undisciplined leads to laziness or apathy. How are you disciplined in daily engaging spiritual disciplines? If you are undisciplined, why?
PROVERBS 24:30–31
I passed by the field of a sluggard by the vineyard of a man lacking sense and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
11. What does a disciplined life look like specifically for you?
12. What is your goal and motivation in living a disciplined life?
PSALM 63:1
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
13. Are there things you need to say no to in order to say yes to the Lord? How does keeping Him first in your heart affect how you relate to your spouse, work, family, friends, food, sex, etc.?
BIBLICAL TRUTH FROM WEEK 12: We continue in the fear of the Lord, putting to death those things that rob our affections for Christ while persevering in loving, joyful obedience to Him. When we are out of step with the Spirit, we quickly return to the Lord with a heart of repentance as He trains us in godliness and grows us spiritually.
PHILIPPIANS 3:10
That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.
BIBLICAL TRUTH FROM WEEK 12: Since He is our ultimate joy, peace and pleasure, we seek to know Him and fill ourselves with those things that stir our affections for Him. We practice spiritual disciplines so that our hearts, prone to wander, might stay in rhythm with His.
WEEK THIRTEEN
Make Disciples
THE
GREAT COMMISSION EPHESIANS 5:18
READ MATTHEW 28:16–20
1. We previously looked at the commissioning of the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6). Why do you think this passage in Matthew 28:16–20 is referred to as the “Great Commission”?
2. Who told the disciples go to Galilee? Looking back at verse 10, what hope motivates them to go there?
MATTHEW 28:10
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
3. How do they respond to His appearance (v. 17)?
4. What gospel truth does Jesus convey about himself when He appears to the disciples after His resurrection (v. 18)? What does that mean regarding the resources at His disposal? What implication does that have for us as his disciples as he sends us out?
5. With what gospel imperative does Christ instruct His disciples? What verbs does he use in commissioning them to do this work?
6. Jesus says to make disciples by teaching them to obey all His commands. How is this different from just teaching them all His commands?
7. Jesus is not just comforting them with words but is demonstrating His authority, even over death. Why might this be important as He sends them into the world (v. 20)?
READ GENESIS 12:1–3
8. How do the verses in Matthew 28 echo God’s call of Abram?
How does
10. For what purpose is Abram blessed and raised up according to verse 2? Who is Abram’s blessing to bless according to verse 3?
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSE
EPHESIANS 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Day Two
THE CHURCH IS BORN
READ LUKE 24:36–53 AND ACTS 1:1–12.
The book of Acts continues Luke’s gospel account and records the events surrounding the birth of the first century church.
1. What does Jesus open the disciples’ minds to understand at the conclusion of Luke?
2. What does Jesus say should be proclaimed and to whom?
1 JOHN 1:4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
3. How does God empower His people to carry out His mission (Acts 1:8)?
4. Verse 8 serves as an outline for the book of Acts. What does Jesus want His disciples to do with this power?
5. What question do the angels ask those looking into the clouds?
6. What truth do these messengers bring?
7. Why do the disciples travel to Jerusalem?
8. What follows their obedience (see chapter 2)?
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSE
ACTS 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Day Three
PREDESTINED TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY
READ EPHESIANS 1:3–14
1. What has God done for those in Christ (v. 3)? Why (v. 4)? When did he choose us (v. 4)?
2. Whom should we praise? What word does Paul use that expresses his affections for Christ (v. 6)? What has He done (v. 5)?
3. What do we have in Him? According to what (v. 7)?
4. What was God’s purpose in making His will known (v. 10)?
5. What have we obtained? According to what? Why (v. 11-12)?
6. Whom did we receive as a seal, guaranteeing our inheritance (vv. 13–14)?
Day Four
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
ROMANS 12:4
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function.
For the body of Christ to function properly, the individual members must be exercising their gifts as God arranges His people for His purposes.
READ 1 CORINTHIANS 12:4–31
1. Complete the following:
2. For what purpose are these gifts given (v. 7)?
3. Verses 8–10 give a non-comprehensive list of the gifts. What point is Paul trying to make (v. 11)?
4. What metaphor does Paul introduce in verse 12, to help us to see how these variety of gifts are to function with one another?
5. When we elevate particular gifts, it can keep those who have different gifts from feeling valued or like they belong. What is the danger of us belonging to bodies that only value certain gifts (v. 17)? 6. How does God unite these different backgrounds (v. 13)?
7. It would seem that Paul is suggesting that no one in the body of Christ should be neglected. What does he suggest (v. 22–26)?
8. Perhaps the ranking of activities and related gifts is according or potential impact and visibility but all gifts are necessary to function properly. What gifts appear here that were not included earlier in the chapter?
9. What is the more excellent way Paul speaks of in verse 31? (see 1 Corinthians 13:1–13)?
1 CORINTHIANS 13:2
And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
READ MATTHEW 25:14–30
10. What is the point of the parable told by Jesus?
POWER AND PERSECUTION
READ ACTS 5:12–33
1. Why did the Sadducees have the apostles arrested (v. 17)?
2. What happens while the apostles are in prison? What are they instructed to say?
3. What is the apostles’ response?
4. What do the officers find when they went to bring the apostles before the council?
5. Why did the apostles disobey the council (v. 29)? What is their message (vv. 31–32)?
1 PETER 3:14–16
But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
6. How did the council respond to the truth according to Acts 5:33?
MEDITATE ON THE FOLLOWING VERSES
LUKE 21: 12–15
But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.
INVITATION INTO THE VINEYARDS
READ MATTHEW 20:1–18
1. Who is the kingdom of heaven compared to in this parable?
2. Who typically would you say are selected first in hiring day laborers?
3. How is the activity of those in the marketplace described in verse 3 and 6?
4. On what basis do these later workers agree to work?
5. What do you think is the significance of the marketplace verses the vineyard?
MATTHEW 6:19–20
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
6. When those who came last are given a full days wage, what do you think their attitude is in receiving it?
7. What does that reflect about the character of the master?
8. What is the attitude of those who came first when they received what they had agreed to? Why?
9. What does this reveal about their belief in terms of why they were invited into the vineyard?
10. How does this help to explain verse 16?
Day Seven
MENTORSHIP DISCUSSION PREP
1. How has God blessed you so that you might be a blessing to others?
2. How has God gifted you both naturally and supernaturally with spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit? How will you use those gifts to serve and build up the body of Christ? Be specific.
3. How will you use the testimony of God’s grace in your life to persuade others toward Christ?
REVELATION 12:11
“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”
4. Where has God placed you to serve? How do you think others would describe your heart in serving?
5. God has called us to make disciples. How will you take what you have learned through this discipleship process to make disciples for Christ?
6. Acts 17 tells us that God places us at the exact time and place where He wants us. How are you living missionally within your community?
7. How will you continue to practice all that you have learned through this process? Who will keep you accountable?
8. With what attitude will you engage/re-engage the world around you? How might pride hinder your effectiveness?
9. The book of Joshua recounts the Lord’s powerful deliverance of the Israelites into the Promised Land. As they step out in faith, He holds back the raging waters of the Jordan River so they might cross to safety. The Israelites are then instructed to pick up stones from the riverbed to remind them of the Lord’s faithfulness. As you have stepped out in faith and walked through this process, how has God demonstrated His faithfulness?
MATTHEW 5:14–16
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
EPHESIANS 3:8–10
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
BIBLICAL TRUTH FROM WEEK 13: Before the foundations of the earth, God chose us, the church, to live as instruments of His grace to a lost and dying world, bearing witness to His wisdom and power through the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is our joy-filled worship to make much of His name. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we bring a comprehensive gospel demonstrated by our deeds and proclaimed by our words with the goal of glorifying God through making disciples for Jesus Christ. In this way, we embody Christ, being His hands and feet here on earth.
Appendices
Appendix A
THRIVE FOR RECOVERY
Here are some additional points to consider when applying what you’re hearing about Thrive to the pathway of recovery.
We are all in recovery. Gospel ministry is directed toward anyone seeking help in overcoming the otherwise enslaving interplay of sin and suffering. Thrive is for anyone pursuing redemption from this sin and suffering. Another word for this journey of ups and downs on the road of life is sanctification . If you were to chart out anyone’s spiritual journey, you might find a chart that looks something like the below example. We are overall moving up and to the right, but we face stumbling blocks, plateaus, and victories along life’s journey. While not smooth, these opportunities can lead us to worship God in our responses.
PROGRESSIVE SANCTIFICATION
Recovery cannot be reduced to a program. God’s redeeming work is not confined to a program. To reduce God’s deliverance to a program is sectarian and borders on cultish. This sort of thinking leads people to fear leaving programs. There are those who are being delivered from the bondage of sin in Christ and those who remain in their sin. So we are either enslaved or in Christ. In Christ, we can go anywhere He calls us! We graduate from programs into faithful service.
Sobriety is a by-product. Sobriety is not the goal, but a by-product. Reconciliation with God is the goal. Only the gospel can reconcile us to God. As our hearts are reconciled to His, it changes how we relate to everything.
Heaven! [Finally fully sanctified]
My Holiness
My Lifetime Read Romans 6!
REDEEMED TRUTHS FROM THE TRADITIONAL 12 STEPS RECOVERY PROGRAM
STEP 1: We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors, that our lives had become unmanageable.
REDEEMED TRUTH FROM STEP 1: Man, in relationship to his Creator, has fallen from a place of dignity, humility and dependence to a state of depravity, pride and rebellion. This has led to unfathomable suffering. Any attempts on our own to redeem ourselves are futile, only increasing the problem of independence and self-sufficiency. Any perceived success leads only to empty vanity. Apart from Christ, we admitted we are powerless to overcome sin (ours and others) and our attempts to control it only increase our chaos.
STEP 2: We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
REDEEMED TRUTH FROM STEP 2: God lovingly intervened into our chaos and provided a remedy for the insanity of sin and the way back into fellowship with Him. We believe that by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, we can be redeemed.
STEP 3: We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as you understand him.
REDEEMED TRUTH FROM STEP 3: Through the Holy Spirit’s illumination of our desperate and helpless condition before God and the hope that comes through the gospel of Jesus Christ, we step out in faith and repent as an act of worship and obedience, surrendering our will and entrusting our lives to Christ’s care and control. We are reborn spiritually and rescued from the domain of darkness and brought into the kingdom of light, where we now live as a part of Christ’s ever advancing kingdom.
STEP 4: We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
REDEEMED TRUTH FROM STEP 4: As children of God, armed with the Holy Spirit and standing firm in the gospel, we engage in the spiritual battle over the reign and rule of our hearts. God set us apart for holiness, and we look to put to death the areas of our lives that keep us from reflecting Jesus Christ to a dark and dying world. We first examine the fruit in our lives (or moral symptoms). As we move through the assessment process, we will uncover the roots (pride and idolatry) of any ungodly fruit that drive our ungodly thoughts, actions and emotions.
STEP 5: We admitted before God, ourselves and another human being, the exact nature of our wrongs.
REDEEMED TRUTH FROM STEP 5: Under the covering of God’s grace, we step out in faith, leaving behind our old, self-protective ways of covering sin and hiding from God. We prayerfully come into the light, confessing our sins before God and to one another so that we may be healed.
STEP 6: We are entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
REDEEMED TRUTH FROM STEPS 6 : In attempting to live independent of God, we have developed dysfunctional (sinful) patterns of coping. After careful examination, we have begun to see the demonic roots of our slavery to these sinful patterns. We desire freedom.
STEP 7: We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
REDEEMED TRUTH FROM STEPS 7: We renounce our former ways, offer ourselves to God and, under the waterfall of His grace, ask Him to deliver and heal us by the authority of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. We also pray for blessing and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to live life according to His kingdom purposes.
STEP 8: We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
STEP 9: We made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
REDEEMED TRUTH FROM STEPS 8 & 9: Relationships break down because of sin. If there were no sin in the world, relationships would work harmoniously, evidenced by love and unity. Division among God’s people provides opportunities to identify sin and purify the body. The gospel of Jesus Christ brings about justice in a way that the law cannot by inwardly reconciling the very heart of injustice to God. As those forgiven by God, we can humbly approach those affected by our sin and make amends. This change of heart brings glory to God by demonstrating the power of the gospel and reflecting His heart in bringing justice through His reconciled people.
ADDITIONAL TRUTH FROM STEPS 8 & 9: As ambassadors of Christ, we are to be instruments of grace when we confront those who sin against us. We hand offenses over to God and extend eager forgiveness to those who ask for it. In this way fellowship, with God and amongst His people, is preserved.
STEP 10: We continued to take personal assessment and, when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
REDEEMED TRUTH FROM STEP 10 : We continue in the fear of the Lord, putting to death those things that rob our affections for Christ while persevering in loving, joyful obedience to Him. When we are out of step with the Spirit, we quickly return to the Lord with a heart of repentance as He trains us in godliness and grows us spiritually.
STEP 11 : We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for the knowledge of His will and the power to carry that out.
REDEEMED TRUTH FROM STEP 11: Since He is our ultimate joy, peace and pleasure, we seek to know Him and fill ourselves with those things that stir our affections for Him. We practice spiritual disciplines so that our hearts, prone to wander, might stay in rhythm with His
STEP 12: Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we try to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
REDEEMED TRUTH FROM STEPS 12: Before the foundations of the earth, God chose us, the church, to live as instruments of His grace to a lost and dying world, bearing witness to His wisdom and power through the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is our joy-filled worship to make much of His name. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we bring a comprehensive gospel demonstrated by our deeds and proclaimed by our words with the goal of glorifying God through making disciples for Jesus Christ. In this way, we embody Christ, being His hands and feet here on earth.
Appendix B
CONCEPT OF GOD WORKSHEET
INSTRUCTIONS:
• Read the following statements and write down your initial thoughts.
• We are looking for true feelings about God, not the theologically correct answers.
• Your first thought is probably your most honest response.
PROMPTS:
1. When I think about God, I feel
2. Sometimes I wish God would
3. What frustrates me most about God is
4. Sometimes I get angry with God when
5. The one thing I would change in my relationship with God is
6. The one thing I would change about myself to please God is
7. The secret thought about God that I struggle with is
8. The one question about God that I would like to have answered is
9. One person who reminds me of God is
10. The one thing I have the most trouble trusting God with is
12. When I think about God’s commands, I 13. One thing I’m afraid God will do is
14. In my relationship with God, I’m always sure that He will
15. The one thing I depend on God for is
Appendix C
THE
INSANITY
CYCLE OF SIN DISEASED SPIRITUALITY
SPIRITU AL ILLNESS
(Irritablility, Restlessness, Disconte ntment, No P eace)
Resolutions
A ddiction
Desire for Relief
Remorse
Injuries (Pain)
Temptation
Think/O bsess
The Lie
Ac tion
De at h
Spree
SPIRITU AL ILLNESS
(Irritablility, Restlessness, Disconte ntment, No P eace) ROMANS 5:12
Resolutions
GOSPEL
Remorse
2 CORINTHIANS 7:10
Ch rist
2 CORINTHIANS 4:6
PSALM 51:4,10,17 EZEKIEL 36:26
Injuries (Pain)
De at h
Spree LUKE 15:13-14
Ac tion
A ddiction ROMANS 1:24, 26, 28
Desire for Relief GALATIANS 5:19-21
Temptation
1 CORINTHIANS 10:13-14
Think/Obsess ROMANS 8:5-6
The Lie ROMANS 1:25
Appendix D
THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
ATTENTIVE
God hears and responds to the needs of His Children.
COMPASSIONATE
God cares for His children and acts on their behalf.
CREATOR
God made everything. He is uncreated.
DELIVERER
God rescues and saves His children.
ETERNAL
God is not limited by time; He exists outside of time.
FAITHFUL
God always keeps His promises.
GENEROUS
God gives what is best and beyond what is deserved.
GLORIOUS
God displays His greatness and worth.
GOOD
God is what is best and gives what is best. He is incapable of doing harm.
HOLY
God is perfect, pure and without sin.
IMMUTABLE/UNCHANGING
God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.
INCOMPREHENSIBLE
God is beyond our understanding. We can comprehend Him in part but not in whole.
INFINITE
God has no limits in His person or on His power.
JEALOUS
God will not share His glory with another. All glory rightfully belongs to Him.
JUST
God is fair in all His actions and judgments. He cannot over-punish or under-punish.
LOVING
God feels and displays infinite, unconditional affection toward His children. His love for them does not depend on their worth, response or merit.
MERCIFUL
God does not give His children the punishment they deserve.
OMNIPOTENT/ALMIGHTY
God holds all power. Nothing is too hard for God. What He wills He can accomplish.
OMNIPRESENT
God is fully present everywhere.
OMNISCIENT
God knows everything, past, present and future–all potential and real outcomes, all things micro and macro.
PATIENT/LONG-SUFFERING
God is untiring and bears with His children.
PROVIDER
God meets the needs of His children.
REFUGE
God is a place of safety and protection for His children.
RIGHTEOUS
God is always good and right.
SELF-EXISTENT
God depends on nothing and no one to give Him life or existence.
SELF-SUFFICIENT
God is not vulnerable. He has no needs.
SOVEREIGN
God does everything according to His plan and pleasure. He controls all things.
TRANSCENDENT
God is not like humans. He is infinitely higher in being and action.
TRUTHFUL
Whatever God speaks or does is truth and reality.
WORTHY
God deserves all glory and honor and praise.
WRATHFUL
God hates all unrighteousness.
WISE
God knows what is best and acts accordingly. He cannot choose wrongly.
