Lesson 7 Study Guide CC204 SoulCare Foundations IV: Community Where SoulCare Happens The Sacred Journey: Where Control is Lost, Where Good Dreams Shatter, Where God s Agenda Looks (and Feels) Bad Updated 2015 2015 Our Daily Bread Ministries. All Rights Reserved.
Objectives In this lesson, we discuss how being honest about life s journeys can help us to be prepared for meaningful spiritual friendship. When you complete this lesson, The Sacred Journey: Where Control is Lost, Where Good Dreams Shatter, Where God s Agenda Looks (and Feels) Bad, you should be able to: Discuss the qualifications of a spiritual friend. Evaluate your own ability to see life realistically. Make three observations of the spiritual formation journey that will prepare you to be a better spiritual friend. CC204 Course Study Guide 2015 Our Daily Bread Ministries. All Rights Reserved. Lesson 7 2
Discussion Questions Why is it biblical to believe that life doesn t get any easier but it does get richer? What s a more important qualification for spiritual friendship than training and ability? Why is it important to spiritual friendship that we admit how discouraging and faith-squelching life can sometimes be? Why do pretenders have false hope? To what extent do you need to move from the community of pretenders to the community of the broken? Dr. Crabb makes three observations about the spiritual journey: 1. It s not governed by the law of linearity, but by the law of liberty. 2. Lesser dreams (even good ones) must shatter to awaken our appetite for greater dreams. 3. To say that God is in control means that He is moving all things towards an end point that we don t always properly value or even like. How does spiritual friendship help a person work through this process? CC204 Course Study Guide 2015 Our Daily Bread Ministries. All Rights Reserved. Lesson 7 11
Quiz 1. Why do people tend to wish for the law of linearity? A. It allows them to be in control. B. It allows them to draw closer to God. C. It allows them to be better spiritual friends. D. It allows for greater personal spiritual growth. 2. Which of the following best describes what Dr. Crabb means when he says, Life doesn t really get easier? A. As a Christian, you will never experience material blessings in this life. B. We will never be able to draw much nearer to God than wherever we are at right now. C. We will never really be able to experience deep joy in this life. D. Difficult things will continue to happen, relationships won t always work very well, and people will continue to feel inadequate, insecure etc. 3. When we say God is in control, what is it necessary that we understand? A. That His control guarantees our comfort B. That He is controlling a divine agenda that we might not always like C. That His control does not guarantee spiritual formation D. All of the above 4. What does Dr. Crabb say happens when we pretend life is better than it is? A. We come closer to experiencing Eden. B. We will be better spiritual friends, because we will be positive people that others want to be around. C. We become a people of false hope, believing that life will work out when we start doing things right. D. None of the above 5. What does Dr. Crabb say God s purposes are? A. To draw us into a deeper relationship with Him B. To remove the difficulties we experience here on earth C. To make sure sin does not go unpunished difficulties people experience are usually a result of sin D. To perfect our thoughts and behavior while we are here on earth 6. Which of the following must happen in order to arouse a greater appetite for God? A. You must attempt to be more spiritual than your closest spiritual friends. B. You must sometimes pretend everything is fine, when really, it s not. C. You must further your biblical education. D. Legitimately good dreams must sometimes shatter. CC204 Course Study Guide 2015 Our Daily Bread Ministries. All Rights Reserved. Lesson 7 12
7. What does Dr. Crabb say is our true home? A. Eden B. Fellowship with God C. A good SoulCare relationship D. Whichever place on this earth we feel most comfortable 8. What implications does the law of liberty have for spiritual friends? A. A spiritual friend has the opportunity to help someone find ways to fix his/her problems. B. A spiritual friend does not help someone figure out how to make life work better. C. Spiritual friends have the freedom to tell each other that the difficulties they are experiencing are likely a result of sin. D. A spiritual friend should help someone feel at liberty to act as he/she pleases at any given moment. 9. What qualifies someone to be a spiritual friend? A. Love for others B. Being filled with the Spirit C. Being in love with Jesus D. All of the above 10. Right living before God guarantees comfortable living from God. A. True B. False Answers: 1. A 2. D 3. B 4. C 5. A 6. D 7. B 8. B 9. D 10. B CC204 Course Study Guide 2015 Our Daily Bread Ministries. All Rights Reserved. Lesson 7 13