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Lesson 2
Week 1 Review
Let’s review a bit of our first week.
During our journey we will be uncovering lie based beliefs that have been created or fed by your wounds (holes in your heart). These lies create emotions that drive unhealthy behaviors.
For instance, if you had a parent who was overly critical you might believe that you are never good enough or that God will only love you if you do more, this thought leads you to shame, working for salvation or sadness which leads you to hide your flaws or be overly judgmental with yourself or others and this results in broken relationships, low self-esteem, hiding your sin and other behaviors that are destructive or outside the character you were created to operate in. It’s a vicious cycle.
God has given us processes or instructions in the Bible, like the parable of the fig tree.
Let’s review the process found in the parable of The Fig Tree.
Luke 13:6
Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. 7 Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden. 8 “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention6 and plenty of fertilizer. 9 If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’” Luke 13:6-9NLT
The man = our thoughts
The fig tree = the condition of our lives causing us to judge ourselves as bad
The lack of figs = the lack of fruit(love, peace, patience, etc.) in our lives
Cut it down = A legal response, the law or a judgement of right or wrong in our life that deserve punishment
The Gardner = Our advocate, Jesus
3 years = The time Jesus uses to heal or recover or sanctify us.
“Sir, give one more chance, leave it…” = Jesus saying stop condemning your life, it’s preventing you from healing
Special attention & fertilizer = The processes that allow us to heal given by God.
Acknowledging the TRUTH of your life + the GRACE needed not to judge yourself + the time to process, pray and receive insight from God = HEALING.
GRACE + TRUTH + TIME = HEALING
Here are a few questions for your table. Just a lil reminder. We are not here to counsel each other. Try your hardest not to offer advice, correction or saving someone. Instead, ask questions that help each explore what the other person is trying to say. Help dig, offer grace. Identifying a shared struggle is always helpful, just remember not to draw attention away from the sister talking.
DISCUSSION
What is your biggest obstacle to getting here?
What was the biggest hole in your paper heart represent? (the way my parents treated me, abusive husband, etc)
Have you ever had anyone misuse your story and hurt you?
What is one unhealthy thought you struggle with?
What characteristics or behaviors do you see in yourself that are inconsistent with your identity in Christ? (temper, impatience, unforgiveness, selfishness, fear, etc.)
Do you connect any of your characteristics in yourself with one of the holes in your heart?
Do you have any fears about the work to be done?
Week 2 lesson
As I said last week the healing processes that are explored in Grace and Truth in your Story. We have covered process found in The parable of the fig tree and today we are going to explore the Beatitudes. The 7 recovery or healing steps we will be walking through during this study are based of the Beatitudes and the 12 steps, each biblical concepts of there own.
Before we look at what God is asking of us let’s look at some truth.
Sometimes I think we feel so overwhelmed when we look at our entire story and start to wonder how on earth is God going to use it all. I mean how does God use sexual abuse, unexpected deaths, broken relationship and even church hurt to make a person stronger?
Does it feel like there is a area that seems broken beyond repair in your life? (anger, procrastination, bad relationship, etc.)
Romans 8:1-5
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Our pain and trials are going to make me stronger, more like Christ and I will enjoy sharing in His peace and joy.
He gives us even more good news.
Peter 1:3-5.
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
Or to paraphrase. God has given us everything we need to live like we were designed. By coming to know him… He has given us a great promise…that we are able to share in his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption.
Let’s hold onto that hope today and we study was Jesus is asking us to do.
The Sermon was given to the disciples as well as the Masses during Jesus 2nd year of ministry.
It is found in the book of Matthew, whose audience appears to be jewish christians not yet fully identifying with the nature and character of Jesus. Instead they are living within the Jewish community following the law and tradition.
In the article “Journeying Through the Beatitudes: A Servant’s Character in Christ.
“Matthew addressed Jewish Christians from their perspective in his gospel. He wrote it during a time of great conflict over their identity after the second temple destruction. Even though they accepted Jesus as the Messiah, they still lived within the Jewish community and followed its traditions while different from Israel. The gospel author sought to reframe their new identity within the Christ community aligned to the nature and character of Jesus, King of Israel.
The Ten Commandments, given to Moses on Mount Sinai in the Old Testament Book of Exodus, related a series of "Thou shalt not" phrases, evils one must avoid in daily life on earth.
In contrast, the message of Jesus is one of humility, charity, and brotherly love. He teaches transformation of the inner person. Jesus presents the Beatitudes in a positive sense, virtues in life which will ultimately lead to reward.”
Love becomes the motivation for the Christian instead of fear or punishment.
The Beatitudes describe the ideal heart character for every citizen in the Kingdom of heaven.
It’s a description of the characteristics of Christ, when embraced by us bring happiness. The kind of happiness not dependent on our circumstances.
Each Beatitude describes you as blessed or joyful and ends with a promise.
Matthew 5:1-12 English Standard Version (ESV)
The Sermon on the Mount
5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
The Beatitudes
2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
7 Steps for Spiritual Recovery
Step 1
I am powerless to make healthy decisions and manage life’s difficulties apart of God.
Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Romans 7:7 “I know nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I desire to do what is good, but cannot carry it out.”
AA Step 1 We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
Where areas of your life do feel powerless over?
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Step 2
I believe God loves me and will comfort me as I explore the truth of my poor decisions.
Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Phillipians 2:13 “For it is God who works in you to will and act according to His good purpose.
AA Step 2 Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
*When you realize you have made a poor decision or sin do you feel safe confessing that to God and or someone else? Why?
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Step 3.
I surrender my free will to God and seek to live out His truth and will in the lifestyle of Jesus.
Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth”.
Romans 12:1. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-which is our spiritual act of worship”.
AA Step 3 Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
What areas in your life do you struggle to control?
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Have you accepted Jesus as your savior and been baptized yet?
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Step 4
I will do the work required in the recovery process described by God.
Matthew 5:5 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Lamentation 3:40 “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.”
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”.
James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed”.
James 4:10. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up”.
AA Step 4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
AA Step 5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
AA Step 6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
AA Step 7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
How do you feel when you read Lamentations 3:40 and it tell you that you need to examine your ways?
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What did discipline look like in your household growing up?
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Did you parents model confessing sin or mistakes? How did that effect you?
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Step 5
I will evaluate my relationships and choose peace and mercy.
Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God”.
Matthew 5:23-24 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift as the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be concealed to your brother; then come and offer your gift”.
AA Step 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
AA Step 9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Name one person you need to forgive. Name one person you need to apologize to.
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Would you say your home growing up was full of peace and mercy, please describe.
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Step 6
I will continue to pursue recovering the attributes of God in my life.
Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”.
AA Step 10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
AA Step 11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Describe your current “plan” to keep you centered on God or on tract?
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Step 7
I will share my story of Grace and Truth and the insights God has given me.
Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you”.
Psalm 32 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.
Colossians 3:16. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
2 Cor 1:4. “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give the same comfort God has given us.”
AA Step 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Describe a way you have ministered out of your brokenness in the past.
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Now take a deep breath, whatever your answers were I want you to acknowledge that you are only human, God loves you exactly as you and so do we.