a review: the prelude to

Transcription

1 a review: the prelude to

2 13 We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. 14 But the people s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. 15 Yes, even today when they read Moses writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand. 16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord who is the Spirit makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:13-18 THE BIG IDEA We are hopeful and expectant that God is using and will continue to use His church to help set captives free all over the world during our present-day human trafficking epidemic. The question is, are we ready to be used? How do we position ourselves to be advocates for others? At Facing Freedom, we'll discuss this with a panel of everyday women, spanning every generation from students to grandmothers. We, as women, have many different stories. We have different joys, struggles, pains, and reasons to celebrate. This interactive evening will be spent exploring common themes among our differences. You'll have a say in what we discuss as we both laugh and get to the heart of what we need to find freedom from in order to fight for the freedom of others. God didn t promise us a [safe/risk-free/easily controlled/etc] life. He promised us a FREE life. Galatians 5:1 says, It is for freedom that Christ set us free. If we can live in freedom, then we can trust that God has our back. -Christine Caine [Christ] came to make us dangerous to the kingdom of darkness and to make a difference in our generation; to be light in the midst of darkness; to bring His hope, His faith, His mercy, His justice and His love to a lost and a broken world. He has called us to live a life of faith and a life of risk. -Christine Caine THE BIG QUESTION How do we position ourselves to live such lives, full of faith and freedom, ready to reach those in bondage; those lost in any generation?

3 THE FIRST STEP Before we can be an advocate for change/freedom/hope/faith in the lives of others, we must acknowledge our own bondage in our own lives. We must be self-aware. It s often easier to see another victim and their own bondage than what holds us captive to our own sin- would you agree? THE TOPICS Control Insecurity People Pleasing Comparison Envy Judgmental/Critical Spirit Worry/Fear/Anxiety Purpose/Identity Crisis Disbelief [in God's goodness/plan] Distrust [of God or other people] Loneliness Victimization of Self PANEL MEMBERS: Pray for courage to be transparent. Pray for God to grant clarity in uncovering your own struggles of which you may not even be fully aware. THE DISCUSSION Where do you see the temptation to control? What does control look like? Sound like? THE APPLICATION DBS = Discovery Bible Study: What does this scripture say about God? What does this scripture say about humanity? How would my life be different if I took this to heart? For every topic we have time to discuss, we want to circle back around to 2 Corinthians and ask how our lives would be different if we viewed our weaknesses through the lens of the freedom that is in the Spirit.

4 Panel Preparation & Questions Fear is one of the deadliest weapons in the enemy s arsenal. Satan manifests it in our lives in ways that we often don t detect. Unrecognizable or even easily dismissed, if left unaddressed, these expressions of fear have the power to take us down and out. Fear sabotages and derails our ability to live in the power and freedom God has made possible, by His grace, through the redeeming power of His Son s death and resurrection. God s word is clear about commanding Christians to not fear or be afraid. Recognizing how powerful the stronghold God reminds us 365 times in His Word to FEAR NOT. He deliberately repeats this command in direct proportion to our need to hear and believe it. Tonight this panel will unpack these subtle expressions of fear in our lives and then look to God s Word for what it says about Him, what is says about human nature, and what happens when we seek to repent and apply the truth of His Word in our lives. Foundational Scripture For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord who is the Spirit makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, The New Living Translation Expression #1 Insecurity Insecurity refers to a profound sense of self-doubt a deep feeling of uncertainty about our basic worth and our place in the world. Insecurity is associated with chronic selfconsciousness, along with a chronic lack of confidence in us and anxiety about our relationships. The insecure woman lives in constant fear of rejection and a deep uncertainty about whether her own feelings and desires are legitimate or not. Complete this sentence I am the most insecure when Who wants to share about an insecurity found in situations? Who wants to share about insecurity found in relationships?

5 How does your insecurity affect those around you? Wrap up: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your entire mind and love your neighbor as yourself. Matt 22:37, 39 Love God and love others. Insecurity must be countered with love.. Expression #2 Worry When we worry, we give way to anxiety or unease. We allow our minds to dwell on difficulty or troubles. Worry can cause us to brood and fret. What keeps you up at night? Explain. Nancy I know you mentioned worry for you was a byproduct of something very tragic that happened in your life. What impact does your worry have on those around you? Wrap-up: Quite simply, worry is a lack of faith. Scripture teaches us that without faith it is impossible to please God. And it is also very clear about why we should not worry: If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don t fuss about what s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them ~ Matt 6:25-34 Replace worry with faith. Expression #3 Control It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people. Henri Nouwen There is a sense of power that comes with being in control. We hold things under a tight reign and assume all the responsibility. There is often a feeling of being right and a confidence that no one could do it better. What is the one area of your life you seek to have the most control over?

6 Tracie - What s the hardest thing you ever had to let go of? Lina - What happens to those around you when you are in High Control mode? Wrap-up: The irony of our control issues is that the power we seek in our controlling tendencies is actually realized when we discover the power of God s work through us as we place our trust and faith in his ability rather than our own. We must learn to replace control with trust. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. ~Proverbs 3:5,6 Expression #4 People Pleasing A People Pleaser is a person who believes that they are less-than most others on the planet and have the need to hide these beliefs from all whom they come in contact with. They will do almost anything to keep others in the dark about what is going on within. Dishonesty, deception and lies are the primary tools used by a People Pleaser. Within the context of an intimate relationship, a People Pleaser will frequently paint illusions that depict what they believe their partner wants to see all the while never disclosing who and what they really are. A person afflicted with this "disease to please" will typically tell more lies over the course of a lifetime than those with other mental illnesses. What is the most extreme thing you ever did to make someone happy? Chrissy how does pleasing others show up in your life? How does disappointing others make you feel? What would be the one thing you wish you heard more often when you were growing up? Wrap-up: When we put our worth at the discretion of others we forfeit what God calls us to be and His desire that we reflect His image. When we seek the approval of others we basically communicate what God did for us is not enough. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. ~Galatians 1:10 To fight the urge to people please, we must see ourselves the way God sees us. Expression #5 Comparisons Everything about us is measured from the day we are born. Our birth announcement proudly declares our height and weight. Our routine pediatric appointments measure

7 our growth percentile, our athletic ability is gauged against our peers, and our academic prowess is measured by quarterly report cards. And it doesn t end there. SAT scores, college entrance exams, salaries, job titles, neighborhoods, social status, and family dynamics it s all weighed and measured. Our American culture begs us to compare and conform from the time we are born. Comparison triggers the fear that I don t measure up; I am not enough. The fear of not measuring up robs us of seeing the value in our influence, and it keeps us on a perpetual quest to be better than others. Where do you most often compare yourself to others or their situations? Melanie unpack where comparison shows up in your daily life. Corrine - what s the one thing that you believe if you could do it better than others it would truly change your life? Wrap-up: Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don t be impressed with yourself. Don t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life. ~Galatians 6:4-5 We must replace comparisons with a focus on where we are and know that where we are is exactly where God intends for us to be. (But not where he intends to leave us!) Expression #6 Jealousy and Envy Jealousy is the irrational fear of losing something or some one or some thing valuable to you with an emphasis on losing it to someone else. We all fear losing things sacred to us, especially those we love, but that fear turns to jealousy because of this key phrase to someone else. Our fears become irrationally jealous when we fixate on the person to whom we could lose. Jealousy keeps us on a perpetual quest for the attention, affection, and affirmation of others. We re constantly comparing ourselves to others, and if someone has something we lack. Envy, on the other hand causes us to strategize about how to get what we don t have, but desperately want. It causes us to covet. Do you find yourself wrestling more with jealousy or envy? Tami - Cindy- Does your jealousy or envy center more on people or things? Give an example. How have or do these feelings impact your behavior and relationships? Wrap-up: For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. ~James 3:16

8 A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. ~Proverbs 14:30 The antidote to jealousy and envy is to replace them with affirmation and celebration. Expression #7 Judgment Self-righteousness Whenever we begin to feel better about ourselves than others we open the door to a judgmental and a self-righteous attitude. We are quick to hold court and pass a verdict based on what we think we know about people or situations. As our need to be better than grows it causes us to identify what we believe makes others less than. We let a high and mighty spirit steal a sense of reality and distort the truth about others and ourselves. If you are humble, nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are. Mother Teresa What person, place, or thing flips your critical switch? Lina How does this play out with you? Did you ever discover your right was actually wrong? Wrap-up: Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, when there is the log in your own eye? 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. Matt 7:1-5 Replace judgment and self-righteousness with forgiveness and compassion.