What does it means to judge a book by its cover? Share a time you have done this and discovered you were wrong.

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1 Stories Week Four: Annie Lobert Main Idea: We re are closing our 2019 Stories Series. For the last three weeks we ve had the opportunity to hear people s stories and how God has moved in their lives. Annie shared her story and her heart for those that are lost regardless of their lifestyle and/or the way they may look on the outside. Opening discussion: What does it means to judge a book by its cover? Share a time you have done this and discovered you were wrong. Read Genesis 3:1-4, Ezekiel 28:12-14, 2 Corinthians 4:4, and John 8:44 1. People's beliefs concerning Satan range from the silly to the abstract from a little red guy with horns who sits on your shoulder urging you to sin, to an expression used to describe the personification of evil. What does Scripture say about who Satan truly is? a. The Bible gives us a clear portrait of who Satan is and how he affects our lives. Put simply, the Bible defines Satan as an angelic being who fell from his position in heaven due to sin and is now completely opposed to God, doing all in his power to thwart God's purposes. b. Even though he was cast out of heaven, he still seeks to elevate his throne above God. He counterfeits all that God does, hoping to gain the worship of the world and encourage opposition to God's kingdom. c. Satan is the ultimate source behind every false cult and world religion. Satan will do anything and everything in his power to oppose God and those who follow God.

2 d. Satan is the god of this world. His work is to deceive, and he has blinded those who don t believe in Christ. The allure of money, power, and pleasure blinds people to the light of Christ s Good News. Those who reject Christ and prefer their own pursuits have unknowingly made Satan their god. e. Disguised as a shrewd serpent, Satan came to tempt Eve. At one time, Satan had been a glorious angel. But in pride, he rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven. f. As a created being, Satan has definite limitations. Although he is trying to tempt everyone away from God, he will not be the final victor. In Genesis 3:14-15, God promises that Satan will be crushed by one of the woman s offspring, the Messiah. Read: 2 Corinthians 4:6, Revelations 12:10, 1 John 1:9 and Romans 3: Guilt, in and of itself, is not a bad thing; it s a fact of our fallen existence. However, when it comes to feeling guilty, we must distinguish between false guilt and true guilt. It is normal to have feelings of guilt when we do something wrong this is true guilt. On the other hand, it is also possible to be innocent of something yet feel guilty about it this is false guilt. Share some examples of false guilt. What are some ways we can avoid it? a. The major difference between false guilt and true guilt is their respective origins. False guilt has at least two possible points of origin: ourselves and the devil. One of the names of the devil in Scripture is the accuser (Revelation 12:10). It is a fitting name, as he can and does accuse us to our own minds and consciences. Satan will bring to mind our most horrible sins and cause us to focus on them rather than on God s forgiveness. b. The cure for true guilt is not just a commitment to do better. No, getting rid of true guilt requires godly sorrow leading to repentance. Once the sin has been repented of, the result is a rejoicing in the grace of God. c. False guilt can result in depression and spiritual paralysis. Someone suffering from false guilt may feel that God has given up on him and despair of ever being sanctified. d. False guilt tends to be very me-centered, rather than God-centered. The tendency is to think we ll never be good enough and focus on our shortcomings. e. The cure for false guilt is the gospel. If you re a Christian, start by

3 confessing any known sin. The promise of God in 1 John 4:10 is for believers: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. f. Remember that, once a sin has been forgiven, it s forgiven for good. God separates our sin from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). g. Focus on the grace of God. God s grace is free, it s based on Christ s work on your behalf, and it s greater than your sin (Romans 5:20). Meditate on Romans 8:1, There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Preach the gospel to yourself every day, spending time in passages such as Romans 3: h. Meditate on the cross and all it means to you; never think of your sin without also remembering the cross and the grace of God displayed in it. Read: Romans 3:23-24, Ephesians 2:8 3. Most people feel they haven t committed any horrible sins. Why do we tend to minimize little sins and overate big sins? a. Some sins seem bigger than others because their obvious consequences are much more serious. Murder, for example, seems to us to be worse than hatred, and adultery seems worse than pride or lust. But this does not mean that because we only commit lesser sins we deserve eternal life. b. All sin makes us sinners, and all sin cuts us off from our holy God. All sin, therefore, leads to death (because it disqualifies us from living with God), regardless of how great or small it seems. Don t minimize little sins or overrate big sins. They all separate us from God, but they all can be forgiven. c. We become Christians through God s unmerited grace, not as the result of any effort, ability, intelligent choice, or act of service on our part. d. However, out of gratitude for this free gift, we will seek to help and serve others with kindness, love, and gentleness, and not merely to please ourselves. e. While no action or work we do can help us obtain salvation, God s intention is that our salvation will result in acts of service. f. We are not saved merely for our own benefit but to serve Christ and build up the church.

4 Read John 7:24, Matthew 7:3-5. Romans 2:1 and James 4:6 4. We are commanded not to pronounce eternal judgement on others in regard their salvation. However, we are told to use discernment and judge righteously. Doing this can be difficult. How can we rightly judge others? a. Christians are often accused of judging or intolerance when they speak out against sin. But opposing sin is not wrong. Holding aloft the standard of righteousness naturally defines unrighteousness and draws the slings and arrows of those who choose sin over godliness. i. We are to gently confront erring brothers or sisters in Christ ii. We are to speak the truth in love to everyone and treat all with the same grace God showed us b. Whenever we find ourselves feeling justifiably angry about someone s sin, we should be careful. We need to speak out against sin, but we must do so in a spirit of humility. c. Often the sins we notice most clearly in others are the ones that have taken root in us. If we look closely at ourselves, we may find that we are committing the same sins in more socially acceptable forms. For example, a person who gossips may be very critical of others who gossip about him or her. Read: Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:10, John 3:16 and 13:15 5. At Real Life we tell people that God s crazy about them. However, our feelings and emotions can lead us to believe that God can t love people like us. What can we do when we don t feel love for or loved by God? a. First, an important question: have you trusted the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation? If so, the enmity between you and your Creator is gone, and you have entered a secure and loving relationship with God. If you haven t turned your life over to Him, talk to your group leader or a pastor. b. Feelings come and go, and you may not always feel love for God. Hearts tend to grow cold, and even the most on-fire Christians can struggle with maintaining their love and service to God. The church in Ephesus had to be reprimanded by Christ: You have forsaken the love you had at first (Revelation 2:4). A lack of feelings of love, however, does not mean the relationship has ended. God does not change; His love is constant.

5 c. As cliché as it may sound, don t give up. Know that God loves you and desires for you to have an abundant and peaceful life within the parameters of His will. d. God is a loving, compassionate Father who looks upon you in great love. (2 Corinthians 1:3) describes God as the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. He loves you and desires to help you through this trying time of feeling disconnected from Him. e. God will continue to love you dearly! I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:17 19). Next Steps: Throughout this entire series we ve been challenged to find our strength in Jesus and stay committed to Him in our walk. Reflect upon your walk this week and make sure you are doing the following: 1. Praying a. Spend some quality time with God. Get to know Him more. To know Him is to love Him. Ask God to increase your desire for Him. Ask Him to fill you with His Spirit and rekindle your appreciation of His character. b. Continue submitting to the Holy Spirit and confess to God that you cannot overcome these struggles on your own none of us can. c. When we ask for His helping hand, He always hears us! Psalm 18:6 says, In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. 2. Reading Scripture a. During the times when you feel nothing toward God, it helps to read His Word to remember how He feels about you. Dig into Scripture as much as possible while dealing with these feelings of disinterest. God s Word is truly a lamp to my feet and a light for my path (Psalm 119:105). b. Try reading a psalm a day. The book of Psalms is very encouraging and has many prayers that you might really identify with, given your current situation. It is in the Word that

6 God reveals Himself and His will for you. 3. Seek Christian counseling a. This is especially important if you are angry or upset with God for some reason. It is difficult to feel love for someone while you are angry at him. b. If there is an anger problem, how long have you felt this way? Can you attribute your feelings to a specific situation? Does anything help relieve your feelings or temporarily change your perception? c. Biblical counseling can help you work through specific issues. Through the healing process, guided by a pastor or other counselor, you should be able to let go of the anger and hurt, and your perception of God should changed for the better. 4. Find a godly mentor a. Surely, there is someone you know who loves the Lord and whose Christian joy is evident. Ask this person to meet with you regularly. b. Spend time together, study the Bible together, and pray together. Ask questions about your mentor s spiritual walk and how you can love the Lord more. This friend can encourage you on your journey. 5. Plug into church a. God intends for the Christian life to be lived corporately. That s why He calls the church the body of Christ (Romans 12:5). There are many opportunities to serve the Lord through your church and many people who can exhort, support, and encourage you. Reading Plan Sunday 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 Monday Romans 3:19-26 Tuesday Ephesians 2:6-10 Wednesday Romans 3:23-26 Thursday Matthew 7:3-5 Friday 1 John 4:7-12 Saturday 1 John 1:9-10