Chapter 10- Trusting God ( What Ifs)

Chapter 10- Trusting God (What Ifs)

1. Spiritual Diseases- lack eyes of Faith

1. What if- looks to the future and worries about what God will allow. Leads to anxiety.
2. If Only- looks at the past and grumbles about what God has given. Leads to anger
3. How do I trust if these’ diseases’ come over me?

1. I can look at my situation through eyes of faith

1. choose the Lord. p. 159. Make Him my total trust
2. Do not fear
3. Do not trust self p.159. 
4. Jer 17:5-8. Pray this prayer of Jeremiah
5. See Ps 91- The Lord is my total trust. Discuss p. 160. Has God enlarged your picture of Him in the trials of What Ifs? 

1. Take your trust level

1. Ask yourself when trials come, do I judge God by circumstances or judge circumstances in light of God’s character. p.160.
2. Sustaining verse: Is 41:10. What is yours?
3. Verses of strength and a heart fixed on My Lord: ps 141:8. ps. 112:7. p. 160.
4. Discuss p. 161. Do I really trust God?

1. Is He dependable in times of trouble?
2. Can I trust Him? Is my relationship with God solid, that I have such confidence in Him that I believe He is with me in my anxiety even if I don’t have evidence of His presence and power? 
3. Bullet point- CONTENTMENT COMES FROM A PROPER RELATIONSHIP TO GOD NOT FROM A RESPONSE TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

1. Giving Up Anxiety to God

1. Before I can relinquish anxiety, what ifs, I must believe that God understands my problem and will handle it. ( Blessed Controller of my life) p. 161.
2. Can I thank God that He us in Control? p. 161.
3. My trust level must  be greater if I want to experience real contentment. p162. Don’t play catch with God. Give Him your ball ( of anxiety) and leave it in His hands.
4. Willis Carrier’s conclusion of how to handle worries. p163.

1. What’s the worst that can happen?
2. Prepare to accept it if I have to.
3. Calmly proceed to improve on the worst. (act, prepare)

chapter 9: Faith is the Foundation

Chapter 9: Faith the Foundation

1. What is Faith to you?- Heb 11:1 Faith is the assurance hoped for, the conviction o things not seen. p. 142 para 2.
2. assurance- title deed, something we own. We must own faith in our hearts. Faith is not something reasoned after. (meaning?)  I need to throw myself into it-heart, mind and soul. BULLET POINT: IT IS ONE THING TO BELIEVE GOD CAN DO SOMETHING. IT IS QUITE ANOTHER TO PUT MYSELF IN A POSITION OF RELIANT TRUST. 
3. abandoned faith- God desires.
4. important principles p. 143. Bottom of 143. Does it matter what I have faith in??? (God’s Character) 

  A God is Sovereign

1. He assigns my portion .Ps 16:5
2. what He decrees is good for us Eph. 1:11, Romans 8:28.
3. I know that you can do all things;no plan of yours can be thwarted.(Job 42:2)
4. p. 146. BULLET POINT- I can trust Him with my tiniest doubt or with my most heart wrenching fear.

 B. God is Wise- all that happens to us is thought out by an infinitely wise Person and for our good!

1. God is Love-

1. God’s love isn’t real to me until I personalize it in my walk with Him. p. 146. How do I do this???
2. What does it mean to be filled with God? p. 147. Eph 3:17 Christ makes His home in my heart as I trust in Him.
3. understand God’s deep love.
4. experience God’s love (notice your prayers of concern and lifted to Him. He does meet my needs.
5. How do I know His love is for real? p. 147. place your faith in the fact ofg His word and in His promises, not your feelings.

1. Faith in God’s Word

1. God’s Word remains constant. What do you think p. 148?
2. CHOOSE to put my trust in God’s Word and His promises rather than the Caboose(feelings).
3. p. 149 Astounding: Noah and the Ark. We live by feelings especially women.  Let’s talk about panic, impatience, and feelings of frustration. Feelings led= anxious heart.

      Faith living= calm heart.

1. Faith hopes in who God is and what He has promised.
2.   Now define what faith is TO YOU PERSONALLY. Is it walking in darkness holding God’s hand? Pray the faith prayer on page 152.

Chapter 8- Worry is like a Rocking Chair

Chapter 8 - Worry is Like a Rocking Chair- giving you something to do

           BUT not getting you anywhere!

1. Key sentence p123. The beginning  of anxiety is the end of faith.  The opposite is also true. True faith is the end of anxiety.
2. All fret and worry are caused by calculating without God. Have you noticed that ALL thoughts are drained when I worry.-- focusing on worry cuts a channel in my brain where rational thought fades.
3. p.233.question #2.   Definition of worry and anxiety.(see page 127 for Linda’s def)

       worry - to give way to anxiety or unease or allow one’s mind to swell on difficulty or trouble.

       anxiety- a feeling of nervousness or unease about an imminent event or something with uncertain outcome. 

It seems to me the downward spiral begins with worry (allowing my mind to dwell on circumstances and not trusting in God for the outcome of events.) 

1. look at Linda Dillow’s def of anxiety and worry. p.127.  Worry has more to do with perspective than with circumstances. Discuss p. 128 
2. p. 233 #3. What do you think about WAR on worry? ( W=what, A=action, R=relinquishment)
3. Worry is destructive
4. Is anxiety a sin? What are we to do instead of worry? Worry is a faith problem.
5. Read the truths of p. 136.

1. process for not worrying p. 136.
2. begin with a VISUAL AID. ( ANXIETY BOX)

Homework- Make your visual aid and bring to class next week. Please tell us how making the box and maybe beginning the process of giving your “garbage to God” and inhaling His Truth and Peace which will help you to grow in Him. 

Remember- It is not as important what a woman is as to what she’s becoming, for we shall all be what we are now becoming.

Chapter 7 -Your Life Purpose( 2 wks)

Chapter 7- A Faulty Focus: Perhaps the most important chapter- Determining Life’s Purpose---Your life purpose!

1. Women are nearsighted in their life focus. I don’t know why I’m here except to Glorify God.( invest in your day-other people)
2. Aimlessness is common p. 108. ex. when kids were young- car pools ,rushing to get to activities 
3. Or, putting your life on hold = waiting for the right job, right man, a baby.  Bullet point in all of this is- faulty focus makes contentment an impossible dream!  Read the 14 yr. old boy’s poem out loud- p108. Am I myopic or on hold? Do I walk in a fog when it comes to becoming the woman I want to be?
4. What do we senior women get caught up in? How do we lose sight of the bigger picture? Eph 5:15-17. So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these days. Don’t act thoughtlessly but understand what the Lord wants you to do. (How do we discern what the Lord wants us to do? Discuss)
5. question#2 =5 benefits of developing a life purpose- share
6. question#3 - hopeful, motivated discouraged?
7. Would anyone share their life verse. What does ‘life verse” mean?
8. What did you learn from God this week?? Over Christmas break?
9. p 110. What does it mean to live by default? Acting out a script handed to us by others or dictated by circumstances?
10. What do you think about the prayer of Betty p. 111? Can you honestly say that is your prayer?

     

     Next week we will go over pages 114-119 to cement in our minds: MY PURPOSE FOR LIVING. 

1. purpose statement
2. purpose prayer
3. Is my purpose changing or is it stagnant? What do I mean?
4. How do I become the woman I want to be?
5. turn to page 118: 3 steps to work through. Please do these and come back to class with something you can share. Remember, we are  ‘works in progress’. We have to begin somewhere.  Just begin!!!