Lessons 9 & 10 click here
Lesson 9 - How To Benefit From Problems
Most of us would like quick solutions to our problems, but God wants to make sure that all of His discplines for character development in us are accomplished before He removes the problems. Remember, "whom the Lord loves, he disciplines...". God uses the pressure of problems to motivate us to a greater level of spiritual maturity. Remember this, "...that all things work together for our good..." - for our spiritual growth and maturity. We may become part-time Christians, setting aside certain blocks of time for our progressing, study and growth, but God is on it full time. Everything in life, God uses to help you grow. When you got saved, God took possession of your life, your will, your development. Even when you quit trying, He doesn't. He is using every resource, every situation and event, every association to teach you, develop you, or complete something in you. Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; Benefits: 1. Receiving more grace from God - We receive God's grace through humility. James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Experiencing conflicts we cannot solve will break pride and give us grace. 2. Self-examination - When a major conflict arises, we have the most effective motivation to search the inner motives, actions, words, and attitudes of our hearts. 3. New insights in scripture - Scripture is made more meaningful as we experience a situation the scripture applies to. This is experiential learning. Psalms 119:71 [It is] good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. One of the first responses that we should have to our conflicts is to read the scriptures and find new meaning for ourselves in our present situation. Ask God to reveal new principles which we can apply to our particular problem. Reading biograhies in the scriptures and visualizing the persons' circumstances in light of what we are experiencing also helps us to internalize scripture. 1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 4. The unifying of the family - When the family begins pulling apart, God often allows a member to have a problem which he cannot resolve. It is God's intention to use this problem as a motivating factor to bring the entire family together to work out a solution. Crises can be a turning point for the family or church. 5. The uniting of the church family - As the church becomes concerned about a problem which threatens one of its members, the others will be drawn together. Perhaps special prayer will be called for and special teaching can be brought forth to help each one rid themselves of potential problems or dangers and hindrances to prayer.
Lesson 10 - How To Determine The Root Causes Of Conflicts
1. Does the conflict reveal that I have wanted to be the "boss" of my life? The essence os sin lies in our refusing to make God the center of our lives. We look to Him as a helper on whom we can call when we get into trouble. Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with [their] lips; but their heart is far from me. Our decisions are based on natural inclinations. They seem logical and right to us, but are contrary to the principles of scripture. A major indication of trying to be our own boss is resisting the autority God has placed over us. Action to take: Check your relationship with God. Are you saved? He cannot be your Savior without being your Lord. Confess your stubborn will to Him, and dedicate yourself fully to His will and the authority of His Word. Demonstrate your dedication to God by doing that thing or those things you know God wants you to do but you have been unwilling to do them. Thank God for the problems He uses to show us what happens when we try to take charge. 2. Does the conflict reveal that I have an attitude of pride? How can we detect pride? Pride reacts when we are corrected. It accepts praise for things over which we have no control. It does not admit mistakes, but excuses them. It resents limitations God has given us. It decides to get along without those who do not agree with us.It refuses to seek counsel from others. A proud person focuses not on what has been done for him, but on what he thinks should have been done for him. Proverbs 13:10 Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom. Action to take: Ask forgiveness for pride. This willhumble you and give you more grace. Thank those who have been used of God to improve us. A spirit of gratefulness will displace a spirit of pride. 3. Does the conflict reveat that God is not the primary delight of my life? When we do not make God the center of our lives, we diminish the potential joy and fulfillment He has planned for us. Whatever we put before Him becomes an idol to us, and we tend to build our lives around them. Even the things He gives us can become idols to us if we value them too greatly. When we grasp too tightly to them, He allows disappointments and problems to come in order top motivate us to transfer our affections back to Him. Psalms 27:4 One [thing] have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. Action to take: Be sure to dedicate all that you have to God. It then becomes His property. Use every pleasure and enjoymentof your possessions as a reminder to thankGod for His provision. If we find ourselves desiring something, we should pray for it. How do you respond when a special delight is taken away? Do you feel a sense of loss? Realize that God feels that way when you neglect Him. 4. Is the conflict a direct or indirect result of moral impurity? If we excuse any moral impurity in our lives, God will not only raise up conflicts against us, but will also not hear us when we pray. 2 Samuel 7:14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: Psalms 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: God requires the most thorough purity. Moral impurity decreases the sensitivity ofour minds, wills, and emotions. Many parents are grieved by the problems in their families, but do not realize that when they have impure thoughts, words, or actions, they are bound (by Satan) and are unaable to provide the the spiritual protection for those under their care. Action to take: Have you learned to hate evil? We learn to hate evil by understanding the far-reaching consequences of it. We must remove from our homes, and our lives, all sensual books, magazines, music, or any other things we have provided for the fulfillment of our lower nature. ( see Acts 19:19-20.) We must completely repent. Repentance means to agree with God about sin. It is not just confessing our sin but turning away from our sin and giving God complete control of our lives. Walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. His Spirit fills our souls as we consciously allow Him to control our minds, wills, and emotions. His Spirit becomes strong in us as we become aware of and obedient to all His promptings. Develop the disciplines of prayer, fasting, memorization, and meditation. When we fast, we increase our sensitivity to the promptings of God's Spirit, and when we build Scripture into our lives, we are able to resist the devil (using the Sword of the Spirit). 5. Does the conflict reveal that I have neglected past warnings of the Holy Spirit? When God speaks about something and we don't listen and repond, we will often come into conflict with others about the matter. Action to take: Don't grieve the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to remind you of anything that you once felt convicted about but are still doing. Purpose in your heart not to defile yourself by doing that which you know grieves the Spirit of God. Also, go back and do those things that God has been prompting you to do. 1 Samuel 15:22 "...Behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifice,..." Ask God and those whom you have offended to forgive you for not being obedient to the Holy Spirit's promptings. 6. Have I complicated the problem by being disloyal? Gossip is sharing detrimental information with those who are not part of the problem or part of the solution. Slander is telling the truth with a design to hurt. Proverbs 16:28 A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends. Action to take: Confess any disloyalty to the person to whom you were disloyal. Let them know that God has convicted your heart. (Better for them to hear it from you than from others.) 7. Does the conflict indicate that there are more people involved than I realized? Problems are often more far-reaching and complicated than we imagined. Action to take: List those who are directly or indirectly affected or involved in the conflict. Then contact each one and seek forgiveness. Ask for counsel concerning your blind spots (areas that you may not see about yourself). And show genuine appreciation for their input. 8. Does the conflict reveal the lack of a servant's heart? One who has a servant's heart becomes excited about making someone else successful. When we serve others, we are giving them what they need without expecting anything in return. A true servant goes the extra mile. He does it for the Lord's approval, not man's. Then, he experiences joy. Romans 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Only as we repay evil with good will the bitterness we develop leave our lives. By doing this, we are making an investment in another person's life. Action to take: Give God all your human affections. If we don't, we begin to parcel them out to those individuals and objects that bring pleasure to us, and then we serve them as long as they continue to please us. Whenever such self-serving is tested, we are quick to change our affections. Thus relationships are damaged. Dedicate yourself to be a channel of God's love to those whom He wants to love through you (even though YOU may not love that person). Ask God to teach you how to express His love to others. Be open to receive His instruction and change some thing in your own life. God can give you creative insights on how to express His love through words, actions, and attitudes. Purpose to thank God for whatever reponses come from those whom you are serving. Sometimes it may not be pleasant. expect some testing of your sincerety or motives. 9. Is God using this conflict as a pressure to lead me to greater godliness? God may be stirring things up just to bring you to a greater level of maturity. A strong indication of spiritual maturity is the ability to demonstate the love of God to those who mistreat us. Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. If we fail to see the hand of God working through others for our ultimate improvement, we will become bitter and resentful toward them. Action to take: When others criticize you, realize that God has allowed itd to happen in order to put you in a special "classroom" in order to induce you to greater discipline. Humbly and sincerely ask your critics for their insights as to how you can resolve those areas in your life that need improvement. (Who knows? You might learn something. Too often, your friends tell you what you want to hear. Your enemies will tell you the truth about you (sometimes). All of us can use some improvement, whatever the source may be that affects the improvement. 10. Does the conflict reveal a bitter spirit in me? A bitter spirit is often an indication that our true motive was to get rather than to give. We may say that our bitterness has been caused by hurt feelings, but the incident has probably just revealed the bitterness that was already inside us. Action to take: See how God is working through the one toward whom you are bitter. He actually intends to benefit your life and build His character in you through it. Clear up any part of the conflict for which you may be responsible. What may seem like 10% wrong in your eyes may be 90% in the eyes of the one whom you offended. Only as you clear all the guilt will you be able to forgive and get rid of the bitterness. Ask them to forgive you for your bitter spirit and for not giving them the love you owe them. Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another:...
Study Guide For "What The Bible Is All About"
by Henrietta Mears
Chapter 9 - Understanding 1 Samuel
1. Who was the first King of Israel? ___________ What kind of king was he? ___________________________________________________ 2. What is the meaning of Samuel’s name? ______________________ 3. What kind of man was Samuel? _______________________________ 4. What character flaw do we see in Eli? ______________________ 5. In a battle with the Philistines, what was taken from Israel and what did it mean to them? __________________________________ 6. The Ark of God was a poor substitute for ___________________. 7. Samuel was the last of the ___________, the first of the Prophets, and the founder of the __________________. 8. What three things brought revival? __________________, _____________________, ____________________________. 9. Why did Israel want a king? _________________________________ 10. Why did God not want them to have a king? ___________________ __________________________________________________________________ 11. At first, Saul was humble. Then he became ___________ and __________________. 12. The only reason God would ever reject any soul is ____________. 13. In what ways did Saul fail? __________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ 14. What did God say when Samuel mourned over Saul? ______________ ____________________________________________________________________ 15. David’s trials in his youth prepared him for __________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 16. What caused Saul to fall? _________________, ___________, & _______________