REAL CHANGE // TRADEMARK CHURCH

THE QUINTESSENTIAL GENTLEMAN The Holy Spirit is always willing and able to fill us, help us, and empower us, but as we mentioned previously, he is also the quintessential gentleman. In order to receive all the goodness he has for us, we must first yield to him. Everything we have said about the Holy Spirit begins with first yielding to him. Now, we don't have to have a Damascus Road experience like the Apostle Paul did, but hopefully we also aren't persecuting and murdering Christians in our spare time either! The story of Paul in Acts 9 is a prime example of how the Holy Spirit transformed a proud religious man into a powerful evangelist practically overnight, who eventually wrote more words in the New Testament than anyone, save Luke. In Paul's encounter with God—which is similar to that of the patriarch Jacob in Genesis 32—God changed his name and God changed his character. But because the Holy Spirit had been sent after Jesus's ascension to heaven, Paul had an added bonus that was not readily available to Jacob—the power of the Holy Spirit. This change would not have happened had Paul not yielded to the Holy Spirit. If you think about it, Paul could have decided to walk away, with the potential consequence of remaining blind the rest of his life. Aren't we all glad he didn't do that? YIELDING TO GOD So what does It mean to yield to God? To yield to God, to yield control to him, is quite similar to following the direction of a roadway yield sign. Assume that you are going in a certain direction, and you reach a place in the road where it would be beneficial to slow down and let the semi-truck pass you, rather than smashing into the side of the truck! You move aside and let the truck continue first, avoiding a most certain disaster. Only remember, the Holy Spirit is not like the semi-truck but is the quintessential gentleman who also yields to your decision. If you choose to yield to him, he will kindly take control and lead you well. If you do not yield to him, he will choose to yield right-of-way to you, allowing you the opportunity to retain control and continue driving in whatever direction you have chosen to take. Of course, there is a downside to maintaining control and not yielding to his lead. You can choose your way for God for you, or you can yield to God's way for you. Generally, choosing your own way for God for you tends to be a waste of time. In Romans 6:13, the NIV translators used the word “offer” to help us understand the action the Lord desires that we take in reference to him: Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.—Romans 6:13 Other translations have used the word “present” or “yield.” The Greek word behind all of this is the verb paristemi, which literally means to “stand by.” In context, the action we are taking in reference to God is to stand by—or move aside—and allow the presence of God to be in control of our lives, our situation. It's kind of like the song, “Jesus, take the wheel,” from a few years back. Not to be cliché, of course, but it does demonstrate the truth in this verse. Generally speaking, do you tend to yield control to the Holy Spirit on the daily? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you if there is an area of your life where you may have resisted releasing control to him. 

WHAT ABOUT THAT GIFT When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, the Bible mentions that “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:4). Just a few verses later, we witness Peter—who just a few weeks earlier was afraid to tell a little girl that he was a friend of Jesus—addressing a crowd of thousands. We know it was thousands, because 3,000 of them were saved that day. (It wasn't everybody in the crowd who were saved, but only “those who accepted his message.”) There are many spiritual gifts associated with the Holy Spirit that are listed in the New Testament. Spiritual gifts shouldn't be confused with the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, etc.). Rather, a spiritual gift is a special supernatural ability that God gives to each of his children, so that together we can advance his purposes in this world. Of course, any gift given by God will be beneficial in the context of the fruit of the Spirit and always used in a way that honors the other person. Let's put it this way: How you say what you say is just as important as what you say, and how you do what you do is just as important as what you do. For example, if it seems right to pray for someone for healing, it would be appropriate to ask their permission first. We mentioned earlier that it's common today for people to be turned off by the packaging that the Holy Spirit is brought to them in, which is understandable! But people can also be turned off by one gift—the gift of tongues. Of all the gifts listed in the New Testament, none is as controversial as this one. There are two separate mentions of tongues in 1 Corinthians. The first is in 1 Corinthians 12:28, where Paul talks about “different kinds of tongues.” The phrase “different kinds” generally means there's more than one kind, just like this same verse mentions “gifts (plural) of healing.” Not everybody has all of those gifts. Some people have some kind, and some another. It is critically important to always find out what the Word says. Don't take somebody else's word for it. Paul encourages us in First Corinthians 14 to “earnestly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.” And he goes on to prefer prophecy over tongues, as “anyone who speaks in tongues edifies himself, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.” In this passage, Paul is not condemning tongues, but if he had to pick between the two, he would pick prophecy. In fact, Paul brings clarity in the same chapter, beginning with the mention in verse two that anyone who speaks in tongues does not speak to people but to God. He continues by challenging the reader in verses 14–15 to pray two different ways—in the Spirit, which edifies your spirit, and with understanding, which edifies your mind. Both are important. In praying both ways, you feed both your soul and your spirit man. Later, in verse 18, he brags a little that he “speaks in tongues more than all of you.” But he also explains that its highest and best use is edifying the person who is using the gift—commonly called a private prayer language. Many people have been taught to avoid that gift, but why would we avoid a gift just because someone has told us to avoid it? You don't need to avoid something God has given you, even if you don't fully understand it. Never treat any of God's gifts as a repulsive experience. If God gives it, it is good. At the same time, Paul challenges us not to focus on just one gift. When we are free to look beyond confusing packaging and consider the greatest gift that Jesus freely gives to normal, everyday believers—the gift of the Holy Spirit—we find that when we have the power of his presence both in us and on us, we will be able to have victory over the enemy where we haven't had victory and empowered to be his ambassadors to a hopeless and dying world. In Ephesians 3:16–19, for what purposes did Paul pray for the Ephesians to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit? What was the purpose for being filled with the power & the Spirit of God in Micah 3:8? For what purpose in Acts 1:8 did Jesus express to the disciples to wait to be baptized in the Holy Spirit? Rewrite 2 Timothy 1:7 in your own words. 

THE HOLY SPIRIT EMPOWERS USJesus had quite a lot to say about the importance of the Holy Spirit in everyday life, giving clear instructions to the disciples in John 16. We'll paraphrase the verses here, but we invite you to study this chapter in the Word more in-depth on your own. Check out what Jesus essentially said: “I have to go away, but I'm sending the Holy Spirit. Don't worry! He is good for you. If I don't go, The Advocate won't be able to come to you. And when he comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own, he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify Me, because it is from Me that he will receive what he will make known to you.” (John 16:7–14, NIV paraphrased) Remember yesterday we mentioned that Jesus only said what he heard the Father saying. In this passage, Jesus is telling the disciples that the baton is being passed from Jesus to the Holy Spirit. One of his last instructions to his disciples before he ascended to heaven can be found in Luke 24:49: “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Jesus said this after his resurrection. To be clear, his disciples believed in him as Messiah by this point. They knew this in their hearts, and they were some of the privileged few who were able to touch his hands and feet and speak to him face- to-face. Yet it is easy to see how important it was to Jesus to give clear direction to the disciples, so that they didn't run off trying to save—(more likely destroy!)—the world in their own strength. If that had happened, we would have seen all sorts of chaos in the book of Acts. I am convinced that there would have been a ton more ears chopped off than just the one we know about at the Mt. of Olives before the Crucifixion. (Bless Peter's heart; he meant well, right?). So, why was it so important to Jesus that they wait? Because Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to equip the believers with power and authority to be effective in fulfilling the Great Commission, to be supernaturally empowered to build the Kingdom of God on this earth. We then see Jesus deliver on his promise to his disciples in John 20:22 when he walks through a wall and breathes on them, saying “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Are you surprised now that Jesus breathed on them? Do you recognize what is happening here? The apostles believed, and they received the Holy Spirit in them for them. Very soon after that, Jesus promises in Acts 1:5 to these same apostles that they will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Let's be clear! He had already breathed on them, and now He's promising to them a second, separate encounter: “...in a few days you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5b). He then made the promise more clear in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” He gives them a reason to wait. This wasn't about salvation but a supernatural boldness that we could never have in our own strength. Then he ascended. He left town. He left the earth. And the disciples are left for the rest of that chapter fumbling around, wondering what to do next. So what they decided to do was to pick another apostle to replace Judas, (but at least they prayed about it first!). When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost in Acts 2, the power displayed in the moment created quite a stir! The Day of Pentecost was a unique day that mirrored a certain day described in the Old Testament when Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the Book of the Law written on tablets of stone. If you recall, the people had already rebelled against God, a cloud descended with loud noise and fire, and 3,000 people died because of their rebellion. In the same way, on the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit also descended with loud sound and fire, only this time God wrote his law on our hearts, and 3,000 people were saved. It's pretty cool how God reached back in history and symbolically redeemed a sad story, isn't it? After Pentecost, from that point forward, we then witness the apostles now preaching boldly! All the disciples who were in hiding are now empowered, preaching and baptizing people everywhere, and subsequently becoming martyrs for Christ. Jesus wanted his disciples to wait, because he knew that in order for them to make a difference and bring his light to the world, they would need something supernatural, something beyond their understanding to empower them, to be on them. And we need this same power of the Holy Spirit on us to pull off this same commission. The problem with a lot of teaching on the Holy Spirit is that it has—more often than not—come across as, “I've got something you don't have.” The root of that attitude is pride. When you get more of God in your life, and then you respond in pride to others, you don't have more of God in your life! In fact, pride has done a great job of bringing disunity to the Body of Christ. When you get more of God in your life, the opposite happens. You are empowered to pray more, to serve more, to humble yourself more, to love more sacrificially. You can say it this way: Being filled with the Holy Spirit does not make me better than you; it makes me better than me. 

THE HOLY SPIRIT EMPOWERED JESUS At the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, he stood in the synagogue on a certain day, opened the scroll to that day's reading, Isaiah 61:1–2, and read this aloud: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”—Luke 4:18–18 Just prior to this scene, Jesus had been baptized by John the Baptist, where the Spirit rested on him (see Luke 3:22), then Luke 4:1 describes that he was “full of the Holy Spirit” as he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days of prayer and fasting, which is where he was also tempted by the devil. So in the span of just a few verses, the Holy Spirit is described as being both on Jesus and in Jesus. There is a difference between the two! The idea of Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit was in the context of being led by the Spirit into the wilderness, fasting, praying, and overcoming the temptations that the devil threw at him. In this context, we see the Holy Spirit empowering Jesus from within to overcome. In essence, the Holy Spirit is in Jesus for Jesus. Luke 4:14 then mentions that after the testing “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.” The power was released after the testing. His time of testing proved that he wasn't going to use the power of the Spirit foolishly or flagrantly. Jesus had all access to the power of the Spirit, but not once in his life did he use it childishly or selfishly. This is the definition of gentleness. (See Galatians 5:22–23). Then in verse 18, Jesus practically announces the beginning of his ministry, while reminding them obliquely (by quoting the prophet Isaiah), that the Holy Spirit is on him for healing others and setting them free. What this is saying is that the Holy Spirit is on Jesus for others. So we see in Luke 4 that the Holy Spirit is in Jesus for Jesus and on Jesus for others. Remember, Jesus was completely obedient to the Father. He reminded his disciples that he only did what he saw the Father doing, (see John 5:19), and he only said what he heard the Father saying (see John 12:49). Though fully man, he was also fully God and filled with the Holy Spirit, able to conquer the enemy, heal the sick, raise the dead, and set the captives free because of the Holy Spirit who rested on him. He spelled all this out before he did one miracle. He gave credit to the power of the Holy Spirit who was on him. He lived his life in deference to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. There is so much more we could say about the Holy Spirit—who is represented in both the Old and New Testaments in various ways such as water, oil, and fire. You can spend the rest of your life getting to know this Person of the Trinity and never reach the end of it! What have your past experiences with the Holy Spirit been like? What have your past experiences with others who have approached you about the Holy Spirit been like? If the Holy Spirit just brought to mind any negative thoughts or feelings about others, take a moment to choose to forgive and release them. Please don't let others' perceptions of God limit your approach to him! Instead, pray and ask him to show you who he really is. Do you have any fear associated with allowing the Holy Spirit to fill you, to lead you, to even take control of your daily life? If so, ask Holy Spirit where the root of that might be. 

WHEN GOD EXHALES One thing that really helps us understand the Holy Spirit is Jesus' own words, and one of the first times he refers to the Holy Spirit is here: If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?— Luke 11:13 (NASB) The Greek definition of “Holy Spirit” in this verse means “holy” and “Spirit.”That really helps, doesn't it? Right, but if you dig a little deeper into the meaning behind the word “Spirit”—which is pneuma—it is quite complex. In the Greek (Strong's G4154) sometimes Holy Spirit is referenced to emphasize his personality and character (“holy”), and sometimes to emphasize his work and power (“Spirit of Truth”). Drilling down a little further, you discover a description of him as “a movement of air, a gentle blast of wind, the wind itself, the breath of nostrils.” If you put all that together, you could say the Holy Spirit is the presence of God as he exhales. Check out Genesis 2:7, when we observe God exhaling for the first time: Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.—Genesis 2:7 Now let's be clear. This isn't the first time that something powerful came out of God's mouth. He created the entire universe simply by speaking. His words have immeasurable creative power, and just as a breath escapes your mouth when you speak, the breath of God—the Spirit of God—was present from the beginning of Creation. But our focus in this moment is directly on what happened when God simply breathed without uttering a sound: “man became a living being.” Life is created when God exhales. That is a definition of the character of the Holy Spirit: the breath of life. He brings life to us. If you knew his name, as it is literally translated, you would no longer run away from what you think is something like your weird relative. The enemy would like for you to think the Holy Spirit is weird, but that's really a lie. The Holy Spirit is life to us. And we receive his life, his presence, and his power when we choose. Why “when we choose”? Because the Holy Spirit is also the quintessential gentleman. He does not go where he is not invited. 

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM Most every family has at least one awkward relative—the one you might avoid making eye contact with at big family gatherings. Maybe you haven't seen them in awhile, and your relationship with them was awkward to begin with. Now you feel stuck in a conversation with someone you're related to, but you honestly barely know. On top of that, you've heard nothing but disconcerting things about their character from your other relatives: He's kind of weird. You never know what she's going to do or say. He comes and goes—sometimes he's here, yet other times we expect him to come but he doesn't show up. It's not that she lives outside the box; I'm just not sure she even knows what a box is! This relative can be unpredictable, so you really might not know how to handle that relationship. Similarly, many people feel that way about Holy Spirit, or The Holy Spirit. Think about it! What God has a name that isn't really a name? his name—“the Holy Spirit”—begins with an article (“the”), then a strongly descriptive adjective that seems eternally unattainable (“Holy”), then a noun that seems much more descriptive than definitive (“Spirit”). There's nothing concrete in his name. To make matters worse, there are a lot of stereotypes and bad definitions floating around about the Holy Spirit, and very little of it—or maybe even none of it—seems like normal, everyday life to you. Let's face it! If you open your Bible and read through the Book of Acts, there's some pretty crazy things in there, right? We may feel like it's okay that Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, and set the captives free, but that was Jesus! He's the Son of God! You may be thinking, “Of course he can do that, but don't ask me to do any of that stuff. That's just beyond me. That's supernatural. That's not normal. Besides, people will think I'm weird.” But what feels normal to you is based on how you were raised—whether that was some type of Protestant, Catholic, some version or Pentecostal or Charismatic, or you just weren't raised in any kind of Christian home. Whatever your background is, that's what feels normal to you. However, we don't want to grow stronger in our normalcy, right? We don't want to strengthen a bias towards any particular tradition or upbringing; we simply want to find out what the Bible says. So what does the Bible say? Paul asked the disciples at Ephesus if they received the Holy Spirit when they believed, and they replied, “No! We haven't even heard that there was such thing!” It's common today for people to reject the packaging that the Holy Spirit is brought to them in. “Holy Spirit” is the best attempt for translators to introduce people to him. The first mention of the Holy Spirit—Spirit of God—is in Genesis 1:2, which says this: Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.—Genesis 1:2 The Hebrew phrase for “Spirit of God” in this verse is ruach Elohim. This name, Elohim, is complicated and Bible scholars aren't quick to box in a definition, as it points to a singular God with three distinct persons, and implications of power and strength. This is where we get the concept of the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The term, ruach, means “breath” or “wind,” so when we put these two terms together, ruach Elohim—“Spirit of God”—roughly means something like “the breath or wind of powerful, strong, almighty Three-in-One.” Breath of God. This powerful wind was just hovering over the waters. That's probably enough to think about for today. Check this verse out, and invite the Holy Spirit to bring understanding to your mind and heart about who he is, versus who you grew up thinking he is: But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin. —Micah 3:8 

 First John 1:7 says that if we repent, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. But sometimes people can feel that they aren't forgiven even after they have confessed and repented of a sin many times. If you are feeling this way, it may be because you need to cast off a demonic spirit associated with the sin. Over time, unrepented sin will allow the enemy to gain a foothold, which feels like a “hook” lodged in your soul. When you are least prepared, you will experience a tug on that hook that makes you feel unworthy and defeated. Those feelings are lies! When you repent of that sin, not only has the blood of Jesus covered it, but the enemy also no longer has a right to that foothold in your soul. It is important to understand that as a son or daughter of God, you have the power and authority to tell the enemy to get out by casting him off in the name of Jesus and removing the hook. This will destroy the demonic hold in that area and release you to experience the complete peace of God's forgiveness. After the hook is removed, ask the Lord to heal the wound and fill the space with his presence—the Holy Spirit—Who brings peace and power. Don't be afraid to do this, because God has given you the authority in Christ over sin and any dark spirit. The Holy Spirit is with you, and God promises to never leave or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:8). As an example, consider the following prayers for the release of the bondage of, or continual struggle with, the sin of lying: Confess & Repent: “Dear God, I am sorry for giving ground to lying. I repent of this sin and of the destruction and lack of trust caused by this sin. I choose to be an honest person and truthful with all of my words.” Renounce: “I now cast off every lying spirit. Satan, you have been a liar from the beginning, and you are the father of lies. You have no more legal right in my life. In the Name of Jesus, I break all ties with every lying spirit that has dominated my life. I break every hold that these spirits have had on my life. I cancel every agreement I have made with you. I command you to remove your foothold from my life and leave me now.” Receive: “I release the presence, peace and power of the Holy Spirit in my life, and Lord, I ask You to give me wisdom and strength to overcome darkness and stand on Your truth every day, in the Name of Jesus and by his blood I pray, Amen.” Commit this verse to memory: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”—2 Corinthians 10:4–5, (NKJV) Take a moment to write down any destructive words that have been spoken over you. 

THE BREAKDOWN For rock climbers, a foothold is a stepping place to climb up the side of a mountain. For the enemy, it is a base for advancing his destruction of God's plans in our lives. A foothold gives him control over an area of our soul, and we allow him to take hold of it when we give in to temptation. Over time, as we give in over and over to a particular temptation, Satan's control in that area will grow. Proverbs 5:22 says, “An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him.” A foothold can ultimately become a stronghold—an enemy fortress—in our soul. Strongholds are highly dangerous to our spiritual condition and must be torn down. Areas of bondage that can become footholds in our lives can look like anger, rage, abuse, lust, alcoholism, drugs, profanity, lying, or many other things. Footholds can get lodged in our souls early in life, particularly if a certain sin was part of our environment. For example, if rage was often in your home, rage might feel like a natural way for you to respond. Areas of bondage can also be the result of the generational sin of our parents or grandparents. Jesus says in John 8:34, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin.” HOW TO BREAK OUT OF BONDAGE “Perhaps God will change those people's hearts, and they will believe the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil's trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.”—2 Timothy 2:25–26 As Christians, God has given us the power to overcome the attacks of the enemy and areas of oppression in our lives. To be free of bondage, we need to repent of sin and cast off the powers of darkness. Repentance Often, people believe that just the admission of sin clears their conscience and frees them from any consequence or responsibility. While admitting a sin is part of repentance, it is not full repentance. Repentance not only means admitting your sin, but it includes turning away from the sin and choosing to no longer continue in it. Titus 2:11–12 tells us that through God's grace and salvation, we can say ‘no' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and live self-controlled, upright and godly lives. Read 2 Corinthians 7:10. What might be missing in a person who struggles with turning from sin? Read Romans 2:4. What else leads us to repentance? Write Romans 13:12. If you find yourself in a cycle of sin, don't give up hope! God desires to empower you to break the cycle. Ask him to give you godly sorrow that leads to repentance, and meditate on his goodness and his kindness. Invite Jesus to fill you with his presence—His Holy Spirit—and to set you free. Remember, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (Psalm 37:23–24). 

PREPARE FOR BATTLE“You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”—1 Peter 2:9 Being useful in the Kingdom is the greatest honor of our lives, but it comes at a price. When we begin to walk in our purpose, we will get the attention of the enemy. We should anticipate his attacks and take them as a sign of encouragement. We are a threat to his plan to keep the world in darkness. Hold on to this truth: you belong to God, and the enemy cannot change that. No one can snatch you out of God's hand, (see John 10:28), but we still need to prepare for war with the enemy. We need to study our opponent's tactics. The enemy knows that the best way to combat our spiritual growth and Kingdom purpose is to trap us in sin. Satan will try to derail us with temptation, making something that is harmful to us seem very appealing. When we are tempted, our character is tested through desires in our soul and body. “And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, ‘God is tempting me.' God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.”—James 1:13 It is important to understand that God never tempts us! Satan and his demons are the tempters. Unlike God, Satan cannot be everywhere at the same time. The Bible says that when he fell from heaven, he took one third of the angels with him. (See Revelation 12:4). So, though Satan can't be everywhere, demons are his servants, and he has sent them out on a mission to destroy our lives. They are always looking for an opportunity to trap us in temptation. Satan has been tempting mankind since he tempted Eve in the Garden. Even Jesus was tempted by the devil. (See Matthew 4:1). Jesus, our High Priest, “understands our weakness, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Also, because “He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world,” (1 John 4:4), we can stand against temptation. Read James 4:7. What happens when we choose to resist the devil's temptations? Write 1 Corinthians 10:13 and commit this verse to memory. What will God do for you when a temptation seems unbearable? Jesus gives us insight into how we can withstand temptation. In the Garden of Gethsemane, before he was arrested and crucified, Jesus told his disciples, “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” (Matthew 26:41). Wise parents of teenagers know the value of simply talking to their children. A strong, open relationship between parents and children provides protection. In the same way, when we keep the dialogue open with God, that open line of communication keeps us safe and aware. Can you see the active role you play in your own deliverance from evil? You have the ability to choose and the available power through the Holy Spirit to withstand the enemy. You can choose to succumb to Satan's pressure and give him a foothold in your life (Ephesians 4:27), or you can choose to release control to the presence of God and therefore be empowered to defeat the enemy. 

HONOR IN ACTION, PART 2 Renewing our minds by the Word of God requires us to use Scripture to combat the lies of the enemy. Write the truth from Scripture that will dismantle the enemy's lies: LIES OF THE ENEMY You are fearful. There is no hope. You're going to die. Something bad is going to happen. God can't hear you. Nothing will ever change. 3. Surrender our wills. TRUTH FROM SCRIPTURE 2 Timothy 1:7 Jeremiah 29:11 Psalm 118:17 Psalm 91:10 Psalm 34:17 Isaiah 43:18–19 “Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” —Romans 12:2 The body carries out sin, and the mind controls the body, but the will controls the mind. As we surrender our will to God, his perfect will becomes the motivation of our lives. In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us to pray this way: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” Instead of coming to God with our agenda, we begin approaching prayer from this perspective: “Father, I want what You want. Have Your way.” Come to him with an open and willing heart. If we are biased toward a specific answer to our prayer, God's voice will be difficult to discern. Write Luke 22:42 When we pray like this and surrender our will, we are able to honor God with every part of our lives. In this way, we become honorable and useful to the Lord. He will stir up purpose within us and empower us to fulfill our God-given destiny and expand the Kingdom of Heaven. 

HONOR IN ACTION, PART 1 There are three steps we can take to become vessels of honor: offer our bodies, renew our minds, and surrender our wills. 1. Offer our bodies. “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice— the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.”—Romans 12:1 The body is the place where sin operates. We might sin by saying something with our mouths, looking at something with our eyes, or touching something with our hands. In Job 31:1, a righteous man says, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman.” When we are intentional with our bodies, we are able to make conscious decisions to avoid sin. We will make great progress toward becoming a vessel of honor if we are willing to say each day, “Here I am Lord; clean me up. Take each member of my body and the things I have done and wash me. Take my appetites, my addictions, my habits, my tongue, and my attitudes, and consecrate them—change them into your thoughts, your words, your attitudes, and your actions.” Underline the first word of each command in the following verses: Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.—2 Timothy 2:22 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace.—Romans 6:12–14 2. Renew our minds. “Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”—Romans 12:2 Though sin functions in the body, the mind controls the body. Sin actually begins in the mind, in the ideas we choose to think about. “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”—2 Corinthians 10:3–5 In this passage, we see that spiritual warfare is an essential component of the Christian life. Many Christians love God but have no clue how to fight the enemy. If you want to have victory over the enemy's attacks on your life, it is important to get equipped for battle, because the devil is scheming to destroy you. Write 1 Peter 5:8 One of the ways we fight the enemy is by demolishing arguments and pretensions— false ideas that the enemy plants in your mind that are contrary to God's thoughts. A lot of the ideas we've subscribed to, even about God, are simply wrong because they are contrary to Scripture. Don't listen to the voice of the enemy; listen to the Word of God. For example, when the Bible says, “By his wounds you are healed” (Isaiah 53:5), believe it! Warfare is exchanging the report of the world for the report of the Lord. Peace can reign and rule in ours hearts when we align our thoughts with the truth of God's Word. Here is the main question when it comes to spiritual warfare: Can the enemy get you to believe him? We must take thoughts captive and compare them to what the Bible says is true. Minimize your exposure to worldly thinking in entertainment, media, and unfortunately (or especially) even in the academic world, and saturate yourself with the Word of God. When you turn off the programming of the world, the voice of God will become clearer to you. 

PERSONAL INTEGRITY “In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.”—2 Timothy 2:20–21 In this passage, the Apostle Paul uses household items as an analogy to describe believers and our ability to be useful to God by serving him and fulfilling our destiny. We see that some items are inexpensive and ordinary, but others are honorable, used for special occasions. In the Master's hand, these are utensils that accomplish great things. Every person is at a different place in his or her walk with Christ. No two stories are the same, and no one starts out as silver or gold; it is a process. If you're unsatisfied with where you are in the process, God is eager to take you to the next level. He is the One who prepares us, refines us, and makes us honorable. Though you may not feel very special or honorable at the moment, God sees you this way. You are not defined or limited by your past. He says in his Word that he makes all things brand new, (see 2 Corinthians 5:17), and he can use every circumstance and situation in your life to transform you into a vessel of honor, if you let him! Write Revelation 21:5 Ask Yourself: Am I satisfied with where I am in my relationship with God? How do I want my life to be different? At times, we may look at another person and assume from outward appearances that their spiritual walk is strong. While they may appear holy and righteous, looks can be deceiving. We can't tell from the outside what is going on inside a person's heart. It's similar to looking at dishes in a dishwasher—sometimes you can't tell if they have been washed. Even if you inspect them closely and they look clean, they may still be covered in germs. You wouldn't want to eat on a dirty plate, no matter how clean it looks on the surface! In the same way, the Holy Spirit knows when there is something in our lives keeping us from being fit for his use. In his kindness and his perfect timing, he will show us those things and patiently redirect us, because he loves us. Will you let him reveal those areas to you? He wants to bring you to a new level of personal integrity, and he will do a miracle in your life, if you will allow him. What areas of your life might need to be confronted and cleaned up by the Holy Spirit? Write them out below as a way of surrendering them to the Lord. When we talked about Spiritual Order in Session Four, we discussed justification and sanctification. Remember, justification is an event that takes place when we are saved. When Jesus becomes our Savior, at that very moment every sin, every mistake of our past, is wiped clean. God removes the junk of yesterday, just as if we had never sinned. Sanctification, however, is not an event; it's a process of transformation— a journey through which God molds and transforms our character. As he transforms us, God also takes us to new stages of faith, continually making us more like him. He sets us free from habitual sin, purifies our hearts, and empowers us to fulfill the Kingdom purpose for which he created us. There are four stages of Christianity that people generally flow through:  Unbelievers become believers.  Believers become disciples who begin to grow.  Disciples become leaders who find their purpose in life.  Leaders become servants.  Which stage do you most comfortably identify with right now? It may surprise you to discover that the highest level of our journey as believers is servanthood, a concept that is very counterintuitive to the world's way of thinking. However, our greatest goal as Christians is to fulfill the purpose for which God created us, which includes humbly laying down our lives, supporting and encouraging others as they discover God's purpose for their own lives. This requires a deep level of both humility and confidence—of knowing that you don't have to take center stage and of understanding that choosing a position of servanthood does not diminish your standing as a son or daughter of God, of royalty. Let's look again at 2 Timothy 2:21: “If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.” Here, the word “Master” is the Greek word “despotes,” which refers to a person who is a ruler with absolute power and authority over others. We often think of God as a Friend, a Savior, and a Protector, and he is those things—but he is also Lord. That means he calls the shots! And we are called to serve at the pleasure of our King. Reflect on Matthew 20:26 and ask the Holy Spirit to show you one or two ways he is calling you to serve him and others. 

LIFE DECLARATIONS Read these words aloud, and receive the truth from God's Word:  I am blessed with God's supernatural wisdom, and I have clear direction for my life.  I am blessed with creativity, courage, ability, and abundance.  I am blessed with a strong will, self control, and self discipline.  I am blessed with great family, good friends, and good health.  I am blessed with faith, favor, and fulfillment.  I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion, and divine protection.  I am blessed with an obedient heart and with a positive outlook on life.  I declare that any curse that has ever been spoken over me, any negative evil word that has ever come against me, is broken right now in Jesus' name.  I am blessed wherever I go.  Everything I put my hands to is going to prosper and succeed.  I am blessed! 

BREAKING THE CURSE Sometimes, entire families are characterized by certain words. “They're just a bunch of losers. None of them even finished school.” “They've always been that way—they say even her grandmother had a bad temper.” Sin can be passed from generation to generation, and so can the consequences. (See Exodus 20:5). If your family has generational sin in any form, the good news is that you can be freed from it! You can be the first generation in your family to walk in freedom and begin a flow of God's loving-kindness and blessing to a thousand generations after you. (See Exodus 20:6). Ask God to reveal to you those words that should never have been spoken to you. Write down any words of death and cursing that have been spoken to you by others. Write down any words of death and cursing that you have spoken to yourself. Write down any words of death and cursing that you have spoken to others. THE VOICE OF VICTORY If you have been on the receiving end of destructive words, there is good news: You can truly be healed and set free from the effects of those words. Below are four steps to walking in freedom from harmful words that have been spoken over you. Pray through these steps as you begin to identify any lies you have believed. 1. Confess Healing starts with admitting we were wrong. We must first acknowledge that we have believed something that is not true and have agreed with the lies of the enemy. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”—1 John 1:9 2. Repent To repent means to change direction. When we repent, we choose to turn around and go the opposite way of our previous path. Stop your agreement with the enemy in its tracks and set your mind on a new course of thinking. If anyone has hurt you by reinforcing these lies in your life, forgive them and release them to the Lord. “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”—Acts 3:19 When we confess our sins and reject the enemy's lies, we realign ourselves with God's truth. Armed with confidence in his Word, we can take authority over the enemy and remove the effects of his lies from our lives. 3. Cast off We must refuse to let the enemy continue to use destructive words or events against us. With the authority of the Name of Jesus, command the enemy to leave. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” —James 4:7 4. Bless and Fill Once the enemy has been removed, fill the place he held with truth and promises found in Scripture. Speak life over yourself by declaring an accurate view of how God sees you. Pray and invite Jesus to fill you with the Holy Spirit. “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”—Ephesians 2:10 

HOW TO TAME THE TONGUE We need God's empowering presence to change the way we speak, but know this: Change is possible. Because we were made in God's image, we were meant to speak words of life that build up, bring healing, and offer encouragement. Let's take a look at a few principles that will help us use words that advance the kingdom of life. 1. Guard your heart. Jesus says in Matthew 12:34, “Whatever is in your heart determines what you say.” The words of our mouth reflect our inner condition. If we desire to control our tongue, we need to control the junk that bombards our ears and saturates our souls. Remember, “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart” (Matthew 12:35). It's the old “garbage in, garbage out” principle. Write Psalm 51:10 as a prayer. Some of us grew up in homes where everyone was critical, where belittling remarks were part of the daily routine and yelling was the main form of communication. If you were raised in that kind of environment, you may have already decided to do things differently. But you may still get very discouraged after you lash out at someone, wishing you had not acted that way. Because you saw verbal attacks modeled when you were young, you react the same way. This is a vicious cycle that may lead to something called generational sin. Generational sin is passed down from person to person in a family until it is recognized and broken. One of the ways to break the cycle is to put a filter on our minds and protect ourselves from the venomous effects of careless and evil speech. 2. Gauge your tongue. A gauge is a tool used to measure or determine the maximum amount of something. If we had a gauge on our tongues, we would know when to stop speaking. Colossians 3:8 says, “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” We must decide that we aren't going to say the things we used to say. We need to make the decision today, and then manage our decision daily. Rewrite Psalm 141:3 as a personal prayer. Read Proverbs 10:19. What happens when we talk too much? What do sensible people do? 3. Garnish your speech. A garnish is an extra element served with a meal to make the dish even more appetizing. What would it be like if we decided that before we let anything out of our mouths, we would garnish it to make it more palatable to others? Write Ephesians 4:29. Do your best to commit this verse to memory. At times, we may need to say things that are challenging or even difficult for the listener to hear. When it comes to what we say and how we say it, we choose daily that our words will not cross the line from speaking the truth in love to speaking words of destruction. Even bad news can be delivered in a life-giving way, and discipline can be given in a way that truly benefits the one being corrected. We don't avoid saying hard things altogether, but we practice finding ways to have tough conversations in ways that will bless and encourage the other person. Sometimes, the best thing to say is nothing at all. There were plenty of times that Jesus held his tongue, even when he endured absolute brutality. In fact, although he never committed a sin, the Bible says that Jesus learned obedience by the things he suffered. (See Hebrews 5:8). The Word also says, “When being reviled and insulted, he did not revile or insult in return” (1 Peter 2:23, AMP). WISE WORDS The Proverbs are full of teaching regarding how we should use our tongues. Read the following Scriptures and write the instruction given. Proverbs 4:24 Proverbs 15:1 Proverbs 16:13 Proverbs 16:28 

CONTROL ISSUES In the Garden of Eden, Satan used the power of the spoken word to entice Eve. Unintentionally, when she and Adam had a conversation about Satan's idea, she advanced the kingdom of death through her spoken words. God said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it'; cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life” (Genesis 3:17, NASB). Satan didn't bring death to Eve by biting her and releasing poisonous venom or by wrapping his coils around her and squeezing the life out of her. He simply talked her to death. She then proceeded to talk Adam to death by discussing the evil idea. Can you see how important it is to control our words? Controlling what we say requires us to tame that part of ourselves that contains the power of life and death: our tongues. Read the statements below and consider the effect these words can have on someone's life: “We all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.”—James 3:2 Some of our greatest hurts and heartaches come from what people have said to us. Conversely, some of our greatest memories center on positive things that people have said to us, like the phrase, “I love you.” Those are wonderful words to hear, but for some of us, they are hard to say, even to those we love. Our words can either tear others down or build them up. Think of all the conversations you have in a given day. Do the words that come out of your mouth reflect what you say you believe in your heart? As Christians, our words and actions should reflect our love for God. If they don't, it's important to discover where our hearts and our words are not matching up. Jesus' brother, James, makes the argument that if you say you are a Christian and that you love God, but your attitude and actions reflect something different, you may fall into the category of the deceived. James 3:2 reminds us that we can control ourselves in every way if we can control our tongues. Read the statements below and consider the effect these words of life or words of death can have on someone's life: WORDS OF LIFE I love you. You're such a blessing! You look great. You're hired. You're my best friend. I'm giving you a raise. I see potential in you. You're so smart. You make me happy. You'll do great. You did your best. I forgive you. I do! WORDS OF DEATH I hate you. I wish you had never been born. You've gained weight. You're fired. You were a mistake. You'll never amount to anything. You're so lazy. You're stupid. You're selfish. You're a waste. It's all your fault. I never should have married you. I want a divorce. TONGUE-TIED The book of James goes on to talk about the power of the tongue, our spoken words. In chapter three, James tells us that the tongue can defile the whole body, and he uses three vivid images to help us see his point:  A Bit: The tongue is petite, weighing only about two ounces, but it is powerful. Like the small piece of metal used to steer horses, the tongue can control the direction of our lives. (See James 3:3).  A Rudder: Although ships are typically large and driven by strong winds, they are steered by this very small blade. Too often we focus on the big things and forget that this one little issue of the tongue could determine the direction of our lives. The tongue can control us, or we can use it to control our destiny. (See James 3:4).  A Spark: A spark, though caused by a quick strike, can set off a wildfire. In the same way, what we say might be curt but can be consuming. Some of the most hurtful things that we have said or that have been said to us were sharp one- liners—or even just one word. The one who said them may quickly forget these abrupt, rude statements, but the impact has a lasting effect on the person who receives them. (See James 3:5).  Thousands of acres of forest can be destroyed by a fire that hundreds of firefighters cannot extinguish. Similarly, the tongue can cause destruction beyond belief. While at times words can be petty and seemingly insignificant, they can also be poisonous. Careless words often cause great harm. Imagine a scene with a child who is struggling to read, while a frustrated and worried parent hears the child twist the words day after day. Finally, after losing all patience, the parent screams, “What's wrong with you? You can't read!” Those words could easily make the child feel stupid and give up trying altogether. Thoughtless words can have a lasting effect that could change the course of a person's life and cause widespread destruction. Read James 3:7–8 and rewrite verse 8 in your own words. 

THE POWER OF GOD'S WORDS “By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.”—Hebrews 11:3 With words, God spoke the entire universe into being, and with words, he communicates to us. Through the Bible, with its thousands of words, God reveals himself to us. John 1:1 says that Jesus is the actual living, breathing Word of God. Words and language were his idea, and his words are literally life to us. Because God created man in his image, our words also have power. Since Jesus is our example in everything, and we are to follow in his steps, let's look at a few verses that demonstrate the power of his words. In the following verses, note what happened when Jesus spoke. Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. —Matthew 8:26 “All right, go!” Jesus commanded them. So the demons came out of the men... —Matthew 8:32 When he said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out.”— John 11:43–44 (ESV) As you can see in these verses, the spoken Word of God can bring healing, peace, deliverance, and life! TWO KINGDOMS Isaiah 14 recounts the fall of Satan. Verses 12–14 say, “How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God's stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High'” (NKJV). Through the power of Satan's spoken words of rebellion, the kingdom of darkness was established. And he actually spoke the first words of rebellion in his heart. Satan and his demons continue to speak words of rebellion to our minds. If we don't understand this truth, we will be his advocate in hurting others and ourselves with the words we speak. Every time we open our mouths to talk, we either advance the kingdom of life or the kingdom of death. When we were saved, we weren't taken directly to heaven because we are Jesus' body—His hands, feet, heart, and mouth designed to reach the lost and make a difference in this world. But we can't advance the Kingdom of Heaven on our own. Knowing we would need help in accurately representing Jesus to the world, God set us up for tremendous success by sending us the Holy Spirit. Jesus told his disciples it would be to their advantage if he left and went back to heaven. (See John 16:7). Though Jesus was fully God, he was also fully human—He could only be in one place at a time while he walked around in a human body. In John 16:13, Jesus said, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own initiative, but whatever he hears, he will speak; and he will disclose to you what is to come” (John 16:13, NASB). In other words, through the Holy Spirit, God will give us all the guidance we will ever need, including what to say. We can be filled with the Holy Spirit and have him as our personal guide through life, no matter where we are on the earth. Ask Yourself: Am I intentional to use my words to promote the Kingdom of God and to minister to others? 

Death & life are in the power of the tongue.”—Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV) The words we speak are a spiritual gauge, showing how much of our soul we have surrendered to God. If we have allowed our minds to be renewed by the Word, our conversation can't help but reflect what we have learned. If, on the other hand, we are hesitant to release our old habits and beliefs, our words will betray us and reveal our true spiritual condition. If our souls are not in submission to God and we haven't surrendered everything to him, our tongues will be the first to sell us out. Write Luke 6:45. Reflect on conversations you have had with others over the past week, and ask the Lord to show you what is stored in your heart. Ask him to show you what he wants you to do with it. Write it down. Read Matthew 12:34–45. What does Jesus say about the relationship between our hearts and what we say? Ask Yourself: What do my day-to-day conversations say about my spiritual condition? Do my words reflect that God lives inside of me? Jesus tells us that a life consumed with the cares and treasures of the world will lead to fruitless talk that will bring judgment upon us. On the other hand, a life surrendered to God and filled with the Holy Spirit will produce speech full of grace, mercy, love, and power. 

THE UNFORGIVENESS TRAP We experience an offense when what we think is right and fair has been violated. The enemy uses offense to hold us captive and keep us from moving forward in the freedom that God has for us. The word offense comes from the Greek word “scandalon,” which means “the bait.” In Old Testament times, when someone wanted to trap an animal, they would cover a pit with branches and place a piece of flesh (scandalon) on top of the branches to lure the animal into the trap. In a similar way, Satan uses offense as bait to lure us into a trap of unforgiveness and bondage. By holding on to offense, we think we are trapping the person who hurt us, but in reality, we are the ones who are ensnared. Below is a list of five common snares that the enemy uses to lure us into unforgiveness. Even Jesus suffered these offenses. Jesus, who was fully God, was also fully man and was tempted in every way that we are today. No matter what we face, he has been there—and he has overcome. When we are... Betrayed – by a best friend who lied, a spouse who didn't stay forever, a confidant who broke our trust Falsely Accused – misunderstood, the subject of gossip and slander Rejected – by a spouse, friend, trusted authority, or even a church Abused – emotionally, physically, verbally, or sexually Humiliated – haunted by an embarrassing moment, ashamed, disgraced Remember Jesus was... Betrayed – by Judas, a trusted friend and one of his disciples Falsely Accused – wrongly indicted in several courts Rejected – by Peter, one of his disciples and closest companions Abused – beaten, tortured, cursed, and crucified on a cross Humiliated – crucified and disgraced in a public setting To get a better understanding of why Jesus had to suffer the way he did, check out Hebrews 2:17–18 in The Message translation: “That's why he had to enter into every detail of human life. Then, when he came before God as high priest to get rid of the people's sins, he would have already experienced it all himself—all the pain, all the testing—and would be able to help where help was needed.” It was important for Jesus to experience all of these offenses in a human body so that he could understand every struggle we would encounter and overcome every temptation that we face. When we come to him with our hurts, he can honestly reply, “I understand. I went through that, too.” Not only is Jesus now able to empathize with our pain, but because he went through these trials, he was also able to set an example for how we should respond when we suffer at the hands of others. At his death, Jesus asked the Father to forgive the very ones who cursed him, who nailed his hands and feet to the cross, saying, “They don't know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). In reality, they knew exactly what they were doing: killing a man they hated and making sure he felt every ounce of their malice. Jesus knew his oppressors were blinded by hatred, but he chose to view their actions from a heavenly perspective. Offenses will undoubtedly come, but when we arm ourselves with the same thoughts as Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can overcome. Earlier in this study, we mentioned that the word grace literally means the free and unmerited favor of God—given, not earned! It is power to accomplish anything he has called us to do, including forgiving others—even the most vile, despicable, unforgivable people you could imagine—regardless of the choices they have made. The more you ask for and receive forgiveness, the more the presence of God moves freely in your life. The more you have the presence of God in your life, the more able you are to forgive others. What does grace mean to you?  A powerful prayer in our relationships is to ask that God allow us to see others through the eyes of Jesus. If we begin to see others as he sees them, we will find ourselves loving people the way Jesus did, regardless of what they do or don't do to us. 

CHOOSING FORGIVENESS  Forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling, and it is a choice we make daily. We prefer to wait until we feel like forgiving, but if our lives are dictated by our feelings, we will always live according to the reality of this world. God is inviting you into a new reality. If we dare to believe God and choose first to forgive, our feelings will follow our decision. Then, instead of merely reacting to what happens to us, we can choose to live in the Tree of Life. Remember: Choices lead, feelings follow. FORGIVEN PEOPLE FORGIVE PEOPLE We forgive others in response to the great forgiveness Jesus has shown us. Isaiah 1:18–19 speaks prophetically that our sins were scarlet, and Jesus made them white as snow; they were crimson, and he made them as wool. That Scripture ends with, “if you obey me.” Forgiveness is not a suggestion, but a requirement from our loving Father for our benefit. Forgiven people forgive people. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”—Ephesians 4:31–32 Romans 5:6 says that while we were still sinners, Jesus gave his life for us. When it comes to understanding forgiveness, this is critical: It is impossible to forgive others of their offenses until we receive forgiveness for ourselves. If we struggle with forgiveness, chances are we have not fully grasped what God has done for us. We have been given total forgiveness for past, present and future sin. It is not that God forgets our sins, but that he chooses to remember our sin no more. He chooses to never mention our sin again—ever. Why does he do this? Because God desperately wants to be in relationship with us. Write a personalized prayer of thankfulness based on Isaiah 43:25. Meditate on Isaiah 53:3–5. Write down what you sense God is saying to you through this passage. In verse 4 of this passage, it is important to understand that not only did Jesus take your sins to the Cross, he also took everyone else's sins—the things that you did and the things that were done to you. Forgiveness, or lack of it, determines how you will grow spiritually. Has there ever been a time when you felt overlooked by others? How do you react when others get their way and you don't? Have you ever felt like God has overlooked you, maybe even in favor of someone else? Be honest! How do you handle it at work when others get promoted before you? 

REASONS WE MAY STRUGGLE TO FORGIVE, PART 2 2. We don't think it's fair. The second reason we don't offer forgiveness to those who have hurt us is that it does not seem fair to let them off the hook. We reason in our minds that they don't deserve forgiveness. But God doesn't use “fairness” logic, and he doesn't hand out forgiveness based on merit. Thank goodness for that, because none of us deserves forgiveness! Read Matthew 18:21–35 Through this parable, Jesus explains the profound and undeserved forgiveness we receive as believers. The first man owed the king millions of dollars, but when he begged for mercy, the king canceled his debt. As sinners, we too owed a great debt that we could not pay. But God showed us great mercy and, by the blood of Jesus, paid our debt in full. We have been forgiven much. The second man owed the first man a debt of a few thousand dollars. While this is not an insignificant amount of money, the first man was forgiven a much greater debt. In light of the incredible mercy he was shown by the king, he should have readily shown mercy to the second man as well. Since we have also been forgiven so very much, we should extend what we have received to others. Jesus takes this very seriously, saying that God will not forgive us if we do not forgive others. The forgiven must forgive! What happened to the wicked servant at the end of the parable? According to this passage, what does the Lord say will happen to us when we don't forgive? What does it mean to forgive from the heart? In Matthew 18:22, Jesus told Peter that he needed to forgive “seventy times seven.” He did not simply mean 490 times; the number seven represents completion, and the multiplication represents continually. Jesus was alluding to the idea that forgiveness is something we practice all day, every day! Ask Yourself: In light of all the sin for which I have been forgiven, can I release those who have wronged me? Would I trade my forgiveness from God for the right to hold someone accountable for his or her offense toward me? 3. We don't think we can do it. The third reason we don't forgive is that we don't think we have the power and strength to do so, but this is a lie from the enemy. We must recognize and silence the voice of our adversary. In our own strength we may not be strong enough to forgive the great wrongs done against us, but we can't walk through this Christian life in our own strength. Instead, we are empowered by the supernatural strength of God. Reflect on 2 Corinthians 12:9 and write down its significance to you in light of the idea of forgiveness towards others. In this passage, Paul is saying that something incredible happens in the midst of his struggles—the power of Christ is at work! Forgiveness does not turn us into doormats. On the contrary, forgiveness makes us victorious. 

REASONS WE MAY STRUGGLE TO FORGIVE, PART 1 One of the major barriers to freedom is an inability to forgive and to ask for forgiveness. Unforgiveness holds us in bondage and keeps us from living in the Tree of Life. So why is it so hard to forgive others? Here are a few possible reasons. 1. We have a wrong idea of forgiveness. The first reason we don't forgive others easily is that we have an incorrect definition of forgiveness. To truly understand what it means to forgive someone, we need to start by learning what forgiveness is not. Forgiveness is not a conditional contract. Real forgiveness is unconditional. It's not forgiveness if you say or think, “I will forgive you if you never do it again” or “if you do this first.” No. That is nothing more than a negotiation, a trade. When Jesus was on the cross, he didn't say, “Father, forgive them if...” He said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Forgiveness is not minimizing the seriousness of the offense. Offering forgiveness to someone who has wronged you is not saying, “It's not a big deal,” or, “It didn't really hurt.” What was done or said was not right, and harm never reflects the Father's heart for you; God's perfect will is to protect you and nurture you. When you choose to forgive, you choose not to hang on to the offense because it robs you of freedom. Forgiveness is not forgetting what happened. Sometimes we think in order to forgive someone, we must forget what has happened. “Forgive and forget” is a cliché that holds no truth. The reality is we may never forget what has happened to us. But, God wants to do something extraordinary in our lives. He wants to bring healing to our hearts so that we can remember these past experiences without reliving the pain associated with them. God wants to show you how he can make all things new. Forgiveness is not retaliation. A great example of this principle is the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. (See Genesis 37–50). His own family sold him into slavery, then Potiphar's wife told everyone he tried to rape her (when she was really the one trying to molest him). He ended up in prison for something he was innocent of. Joseph could have become a bitter person, but he didn't, and he never tried to retaliate against anyone who hurt him. In fact, he responded to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Gen. 50:20). Forgiveness is not trust.Again, Pastor Rick has some wise words on this topic: When somebody hurts you, you may think, “Well, if I forgive them, then I have to trust them. I have to let them back in.” For example, maybe you're a woman whose husband abused you. I've been in these homes. Abuse is real. If you're being abused, then to you I say, “Run for cover.” I'm also not saying you can never trust again, because certainly people make comebacks. I see it often. But I'm not talking about trust. You can forgive them and maybe trust them later, or maybe not. But forgiveness applies either way. Trust has to be rebuilt; trust has to be earned. Forgiveness is built on grace and is unconditional. You don't do it because they deserve it. You do it because it's what God has done for you. (Be Real, p. 97). Forgiveness is not reconciliation. We often make reconciliation a caveat for our forgiveness, saying, “When they apologize, I will forgive them.” In doing so, we actually become a hostage to the very one who has wronged us because it leaves our freedom up to another person. Letting go of offense does not mean that you must reconcile with the person. Romans 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” God understands that there are times when reconciliation may not be the best choice. If the offender is not ready to reconcile, it will only cause further pain and disappointment when you are exposed to the same circumstances. In such situations, rely on the Holy Spirit to lead you. Begin by allowing the miracle of forgiveness to happen in you.  Reconciliation is a two–way street. If you've forgiven someone and desire to restore the relationship, use wisdom throughout the process. The door to reconciliation may be open if you see the following in the other person:  Repentance: Turning away from wrong actions and going in the opposite direction.  Restitution: Making things right if possible.  Rebuilding Trust: Proving themselves consistent in words and actions. As you ponder these ideas, invite God to show you any area in your thinking that  needs to be realigned with his.  Invite the Holy Spirit to walk with you through your memories, your experiences, and your past and present relationships to determine where any unforgiveness remains in your heart towards anyone. Journal about what he reveals to you. 

LIVING AN UNOFFENDED LIFE So how do we keep our hearts pure and unoffended? Consider these three simple ideas: 1. Acknowledge your own imperfection. What about the people you have hurt in the past? They might need to forgive you! We will also never have to forgive others for more than God has forgiven us, regardless of the seriousness of the offense. Why? Because the hurt caused by any person towards you is limited by your exposure to or interactions with that person. This idea is certainly not an effort to minimize the pain you feel, but there is not a day that goes by that God doesn't have something to forgive you for. Ecclesiastes 7:20 says, “Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.” When you remember that others need to forgive you, it helps give you courage to forgive others for the wrongs they have done against you. Write Romans 3:23What does Matthew 10:8 have to do with forgiveness? 2. Receive God's love for you. This will give us the capacity to love people. If we continually struggle to love people, it may be because we have not fully received God's love for us. Meditate for a few minutes on 1 John 4:10 and write down any thoughts that come to mind. 3. Focus on the real enemy. People are not our enemy—the devil is. Jesus made a choice to see his crucifiers as unknowing participants in Satan's agenda of darkness. If it is true that hurting people hurt people, then those guilty of hurting you have their own stories of pain, as well. A healthy approach from God's perspective is to love people and hate the devil. What does it mean in 1 Peter 5:8 to be “alert and of sober mind”? How can you do that, practically speaking, in your daily life? 

UNFORGIVENESS AND OFFENSE “He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.”—Ephesians 1:7 We face the realities of hurt and offense every day, because we live in a fallen world. The words and deeds of others can wound us to the core in indescribable ways. Things like neglect, abuse, violence, betrayal, and cruel remarks can cause bitterness and resentment to infiltrate our hearts, and we, perhaps even unintentionally, begin harboring unforgiveness. Check out what Pastor Rick said about this: Sometimes the people who love us the most are the people who hurt us the most. They offend us over and over again. I believe God knows that the closer we get to one another, the more likely we are to hurt one another, because we all have problems and weaknesses. So he commands us to forgive one another. I'm convinced the Lord says this so clearly because he knows what happens to a soul when there's no room for forgiveness. You get trapped, bound up by unforgiveness, and that grows into what the Bible calls the root of bitterness. But God wants us to be honest and open with one another, to be real with one another, and to practice forgiveness. He wants us to experience freedom, not the chains of anxiety and roots of bitterness that bind us when we don't forgive. God's Word says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). Notice what this is actually saying: If means it's not automatic; we have to let him. “The Son sets you free” means Jesus does it, not us. And, “you will be free indeed” means totally and completely free! God sets us free because he knows otherwise we will become ensnared in our sins and infected with bitterness from wounds inflicted by others. He sets us free so that we can fully experience the authentic life for which he created us. He can't stand to see his people in chains, trapped without room for his Spirit to work. (Be Real, Because Fake is Exhausting, pp. 93–94). An unforgiven offense is like an arrow dipped in poison. The offense slashes through our defenses and hurts us in the moment, but the aftermath of unforgiveness is like a poison that remains long after the event takes place. It seeps into our lives, tainting our thoughts and clouding our vision. If left unchecked, it will eventually penetrate our hearts and paralyze our ability to live, to love, and to be loved. Harboring unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting another person to die. It tortures you, not the other person. We think we're giving it back to the other person, but we're only torturing ourselves. On the other hand, forgiveness releases you from that torture. When you decide to forgive someone, you start growing. (Be Real, p. 105). Write Proverbs 18:19 Offense is the bait that the enemy uses to lure us into bondage. When we become offended, we become unyielding. Think about a city surrounded by walls. The walls' purpose is to protect the city. We use this same thinking to protect ourselves, placing walls around our hearts. People may have hurt us once, but we will not allow them to do it again. But what works for a city of stone does not necessarily work in the same way for a heart of flesh and blood. Walls may keep out the bad stuff, but they also keep out the good. With walls around our hearts, we not only protect ourselves from pain and rejection, but also from experiencing love and life-giving relationships. We think it is up to us to protect our hearts, but the truth is that God never meant for this to be our responsibility. It is his. Ask Yourself: Is there anyone who, when you think of them, it brings unpleasant thoughts to mind? Explain. Be honest! If any name or face came to mind while you pondered this question, you may be harboring unforgiveness towards them. At every stage in life, we can admit that we need freedom in some area. It's actually easier to see areas where we get stuck in sin, but then overlook where we get trapped in unforgiveness! Read Hebrews 12:15. What does the word “bitterness” mean? What happens when you allow the “root of bitterness” to grow in your heart? 

GETTING PAST THE PAST Yesterday we talked about unhealthy ways to deal with our past, so what is the best way to face it? We need to look to the Word and agree with God's perspective on our past. God says when we ask Jesus into our hearts, our old life vanishes and we become a new person. Ponder this: You may know that you are a new person in your head, but is it your reality? Does this truth feel true to you? “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”—2 Corinthians 5:17 The Apostle Paul, who penned this verse, had a terrible past of persecuting and killing Christians. However, he understood this truth, and it allowed him to accept the grace of God and move forward in freedom. “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” —1 Timothy 1:13–15 To let our past die, we must change our way of thinking. The old way of thinking doesn't line up with God's Word, so it doesn't produce life. When we accept what the Bible says and renew our minds with the truth, we—like Paul—can walk in freedom. In order to walk in freedom from our past, we need to start making different choices, based on a new, biblical understanding of who we are. 1. stop trying to earn forgiveness. Most people don't understand the gospel. They think that if they work hard to be good more days than they are bad, they get to go to heaven. That's not true. Jesus has already paid the debt for our sin. Forgiveness is received, not earned. If we think we have to earn forgiveness from God, we will make others earn forgiveness from us. Here is the gospel: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”—Ephesians 2:8–9 2. Receive God's forgiveness by faith. Rather than trying to earn forgiveness, simply receive God's forgiveness by faith. It will free your heart and allow you to forgive others. 3. Defeat every lie with the truth. It would be great if, once we had received forgiveness, we never thought about our past again. But the enemy will continue to bring up our past every day, waiting for weak moments to whisper our failures to us. We have to resist him every time he accuses us, which happens every day. Remember, he is the accuser of Christians and the “father of lies” (Revelation 12:10). We defeat him by knowing and speaking the truth. Write 1 Corinthians 1:30–31 in your own words. Read Romans 8:28 out loud. Now make that same verse a personal prayer. It may sound something like this: “Thank you, God, that in all things You work for my good, because You know I love You, and You have called me according to Your purpose.” God never said that forgiveness would be easy. In fact, following the instructions in his Word takes courage and strength, but they will lead us into pathways of righteousness where we can live again, free from the ghosts of our past. No more guilt, no more hiding, no more shame. Free. It takes faith to believe that these words are true, but when you do, they will change your life. When you trust that God's Word is true, and you believe that you have been made new and that he can make you whole again, life as you know it will never be the same. As you begin to see yourself the way God sees you, you will begin to see others differently. You'll find yourself with open hands, releasing offenses, and receiving abundant life. You will be living in the Tree of Life. 

I SURRENDER ALL There are many areas of our lives that we need to surrender to God. These include plans, goals, pleasures, ambitions, hurts, the future, the past, selfishness, ego, sin, pride, physical appearance, lust, anger, fear, and health. We must also surrender unforgiveness, because holding on to an offense is essentially saying that we have a right to withhold grace from someone. This type of pride is an idol that will create a wedge between God and us. Surrendering does not mean we no longer have goals or ambitions. On the contrary, God is the One who puts desires in our hearts. When we surrender everything to him, we will find that his path to the fulfillment of those desires is better than we could have imagined on our own. Ask Yourself: Have I surrendered my past, present, and future to God? Do I trust that his way is better than my own? Getting past your past may be the biggest obstacle you face. Every time you seem to be making progress, that old movie reel of the mistakes you made—whether on accident or on purpose—begins to play in your mind. Peace and freedom slip away as your past rises up to remind you of your failure. Maybe you even believe that forgiveness is for other people but not for you, because you have done too many horrible things, and you think it's just too late for you. You may be surprised to know that these feelings are common for many believers. The enemy loves to remind us of our mistakes, because guilt and shame keep us stuck, unable to move forward into the future that God has planned for us. We feel we have to repent for our past over and over again, as we are continually bombarded by painful memories that we are powerless to change. These thoughts come solely from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Ask Yourself: Am I constantly reminding myself of past failures? Does the sin of my past continue to bother me, even though I have asked God to forgive me?  When our past rears its ugly head, there are three ways we usually respond: 1. We try to bury it. Have you ever heard the phrase, “You've got to bury the past”? Well, the fact is, you can't. It will find its way to the surface at some point. We hear that time heals all wounds, but that is also untrue. Only the Holy Spirit can heal, and hiding the past never works. Proverbs 28:13 says, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” The Bible also says that confessing our sins and praying for one another actually helps us find healing and wholeness. (See James 5). 2. We beat ourselves up. Some of us live in the land of regret. We dwell on the “if only” scenarios from our past. But “if only” is a trap. We cannot change the past and the enemy even uses this fact to torment us. King David deeply understood this type of grief. He committed adultery with his own soldier's wife and then had the soldier killed when she became pregnant with his child. When the prophet Nathan confronted David, he repented and cried out to God. Here's what he said: “My guilt overwhelms me—it is a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins. I am bent over and racked with pain. All day long I walk around filled with grief. A raging fever burns within me, and my health is broken. I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart.”—Psalm 38:4–8 In this passage, David demonstrates that unwillingness to forgive ourselves can even cause physical pain in addition to emotional pain. 3. We blame others. This tactic has been used since Adam and Eve. When God asked Adam why he disobeyed, Adam blamed Eve. Eve's response was to blame the serpent. (See Genesis 3:12–13). We must take responsibility for our actions, then repent and move forward. 

A LIFE OF SURRENDER “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 The word “surrender” brings to mind many pictures, like somebody waving a white flag or a troop of outnumbered soldiers with their hands raised. We typically associate surrender with defeat. However, when it comes to life with Christ, the exact opposite is true. It's the act of giving up control to him that is actually the beginning of our freedom. A life of surrender requires trust, and that trust is developed in the context of relationship. Would you allow a stranger to care for your children or watch over your home while you were on vacation? Of course not. Trust is earned, so until you have an understanding of a person's character, it isn't possible to trust him or her with something of value. In order to surrender our lives to God, we must believe that he is good and trustworthy. This is often easier said than done, because of the pain and resulting disappointment we carry from past experiences with others or even churches. This can lead us to doubt and wonder if we can ever trust anyone ever again, but there is hope! We can begin to trust Jesus when we understand what he did for us. He left heaven and came to earth. He felt hunger, hurt, and rejection. He was beaten and crucified, and three days later rose from the grave. He did all this so he could prove his love, earn our trust, and be in relationship with us. Write Psalm 119:68 as a prayer in your own words. If you want to get to know God better, you will need to do what you would do when getting to know a friend: spend time with him. This doesn't have to look a certain way. The key is to invite him into your life. The Lord will reveal himself to you as you do things that feed your spirit, like soaking in the Word, seeking him in prayer, and building relationships with like-minded friends. According to James 4:8, what does it take to get close to God? What does it take to get him closer to you? “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”—Isaiah 55:9 Sometimes, God's way of doing things doesn't make sense to us. His way of thinking is much different—and much greater—than ours. Even if we don't understand, we set ourselves up for success when we make the choice to trust and obey him. Picture this: You're going on a road trip to see the Grand Canyon, and you plan to drive your car—but you don't have a smartphone, map, or compass. Your best friend not only has all of these items, but also knows every pothole, gas station, and restaurant along the way. Wouldn't you want him to come along? What if he has a single condition for joining you: to be in the driver's seat? There's the dilemma. It's hard to hand over the steering wheel, because it involves giving up control. However, as a believer, the only way you can live the abundant life that God has for you is to fully surrender your life to him and adopt his way of doing things. Ask Yourself: What areas of my life have I not surrendered to God? Am I having a hard time trusting him with those areas? 

THE BODY In Genesis 2:7, we learn that God formed our bodies from the earth. The body acts as a temporary house or shell that contains our soul and spirit. In the Old Testament, the presence of God was housed in the inner sanctuary of the temple called the Holy of Holies. At the death of Jesus, the veil of the temple was torn and the presence of God moved out of the structure and into the hearts of all believers. First Corinthians 6:19 confirms that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Just as we would not shatter the windows and destroy the furniture in the church, we should not do anything to intentionally harm our bodies; they are special, designed by God and given to us in order to carry out the plans he has for us on this earth. Our bodies have appetites, both healthy and unhealthy. God's Word warns us to be careful of anything that leads to our flesh getting whatever it wants. (See Galatians 6:8). It is common for people to want to know how far they can sin and still enjoy the benefits of God's blessing, but the snare with sin is that it never satisfies. James 1:14 explains that we are tempted when we are “lured and enticed by our own desires.” We may give into the desire because we crave satisfaction, and though we may find gratification in the moment, the craving soon returns with increased intensity. This cycle repeats itself over and over until we break it by the power of the Holy Spirit. Ask yourself: Are my actions driven by my cravings? Read 1 Corinthians 6:12, and fill in the blanks: “‘I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is . ‘I have the right to do anything'—but I .” Another real consequence of sin is the ripple effect. A healthy filter for every choice we are faced with is this: How will this action affect those around me? It is important to remember daily how the consequences of our own sin affect our spouses, our family and our friends. Listen to the heart of our Father as you read 1 Corinthians 8:9 from The Message Bible: “But God does care when you use your freedom carelessly in a way that leads a fellow believer still vulnerable to those old associations to be thrown off track.”—1 Corinthians 8:9, Message As you reflect on this verse, ask the Holy Spirit to show you areas in your life or your relationships where your words or actions have caused another to stumble or be offended. 

THE SOUL The soul is one of God's most beautiful creations. It enables us to experience relationships and appreciate the beauty of our surroundings. We have been made in the image of God with the capacity to think, reason, and express emotions. God could have programmed us to do and be whatever he wanted, but instead he gave us the ability to choose. Our souls are made up of three parts:  The mind, which thinks and reasons  The will, which makes choices  The emotions, which believe, feel, and remember  Identify which of the three parts of the soul each of the following verses addresses: Proverbs 2:10  Psalm 119:167  Psalm 139:14  According to Joshua 24:15, what choice did Joshua make?  What tends to occupy your thoughts most of the time?  Ask yourself:  Are my thoughts driven by my emotions?  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you clarify what specific emotions or kinds of emotions tend to drive or dominate your thoughts. Write down what you see, sense, or feel. 

THE SPIRIT Did you know that you are a spiritual being having a temporary physical experience on earth, rather than a physical being having a temporary spiritual experience? God's plan is that our spirits become the strongest part of our three-part design and be the “command center” of who we are and what we do. “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”—Colossians 2:13–14 The blood of Jesus was the price God paid so that we could be reconciled to him and have the friendship with God that Adam once enjoyed. (See 2 Corinthians 5:18). The moment we are saved, we are made alive in Christ, forever redeemed and made righteous before the Father. Along with the gift of eternal life, we receive the Holy Spirit and immediately are able to be in relationship with God. In short, the cross of Christ bridges the chasm of death and gives us a way to have fellowship, communication, and access to the Tree of Life. At the point of salvation your spirit and the Spirit of Christ are united and become one. Write 1 Corinthians 6:17 Ask yourself: How does knowing that my spirit is redeemed and in right standing with the Father change the way I see myself? Now that we are one with Christ, we are able to understand spiritual truth and discern right from wrong. We can adjust our lives to hear God's voice. Like tuning a dial to a radio station, sometimes there may be static in the airwaves (distraction, confusion, fear, etc.), but if we continue to seek the Lord and his way of living, we will rise above the static and tune in to the broadcast of truth. Read 1 Corinthians 2:14, and describe why the world cannot accept the things that come from God. 

SPIRITUAL ORDER “Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.”—1 Thessalonians 5:23 To live daily in the Tree of Life, it helps to know that God designed you with three distinct parts, and it helps to embrace the principles of spiritual order. Understanding spiritual order will help us get rid of the sin in our lives and walk in holiness and freedom. As believers, we long to live lives of fellowship with God. While this is our desire, life in fellowship with God does not come naturally for us. Since the fall in the Garden, mankind has battled a sin nature that wars against our desire to be holy. The Apostle Paul said that there is an internal struggle that goes on between the desire to do right and the natural tendency to do wrong. Read Romans 7:21–23 out loud. Then pray through Romans 12:1–2, making it an opportunity for a conversation between you and God. Write down anything you feel like God is saying to you through this Scripture. God created us with three distinct parts:  A spirit that must be redeemed  A soul that must be restored  A body that must surrender  At the moment of salvation, our spirit is made alive in Christ and immediately put into right standing with God. (See Romans 3:24, 5:1). The Bible calls this event justification: “just-as-if I had never sinned.” However, the soul and body will require time and effort to be conformed to the image of Christ. (See Ephesians 4:12–13). This gradual process is called sanctification. God desires that we be transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which happens more and more as we learn to discern God's voice in our lives and choose to be led by his Spirit. Read 2 Corinthians 3:16–18 two or three times. Invite the Holy Spirit to lead you in understanding these verses, and write down anything that comes to mind as you read through them. Take your time. What does the word “glory” mean in this passage? In Galatians 4:19, Paul portrays sanctification as a process. How long this process takes depends on our willingness to engage with the Word of God, accept it as absolute truth in our lives, and apply it to all of our circumstances. 

HOW TO LIVE IN THE TREE OF LIFE, PART 2 Transformation starts happening when we know in our hearts what the Word of God says about our lives. Unfortunately, our worldview and past experiences often shape our version of truth. We cannot simply make the Bible line up with what we think is true, but we can decide to align our beliefs with the truth of the Bible. In order to do this, we must consume the Word. Allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our internal truth will change our external responses. Check this verse out: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing, and perfect will.”—Romans 12:2 The pattern of this world will lead to death, but God's will leads to life. Second Corinthians 10:5 reminds us that every thought should be examined for godly accuracy. If a thought does not line up with what the Bible says, we must capture it and make it give up and obey Christ. This will become a way of life as we practice putting the truth found in God's Word ahead of our feelings and beliefs. In other words, don't just read the Bible, let it read you. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:23–24 to let the Holy Spirit renew our thoughts and our attitudes, and to put on our new self that has been created in the very likeness of God in righteousness and holiness. These are choices we must intentionally make. It is our choice to let him renew our thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs in his Word, and it is our choice to put on holiness and righteousness. But if we do choose this, we will begin to experience true Tree of Life living! Read Philippians 4:4–9 and ask the Holy Spirit to show you a practical way he renews your mind. And let him renew your mind even now, as you meditate on this passage of Scripture! 

HOW TO LIVE IN THE TREE OF LIFE Now that we know it is possible to be free from bondage in our thinking, our actions, and our relationships with God and others, let's take a look at some powerful truths that can help us set a strong foundation to build a life that is both abundant and free. In order to move out of the shadow of Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil thinking and into the light of Tree of Life living, we must know who Jesus is and who we are because of him. To help us understand this, we need to “be transformed by the renewing of [our minds]” (see Romans 12:1–3). Let's look at a few truths that will help us live in the Tree of Life. We must remember that relationship with the Father is essential to living in the Tree of Life. In order to enjoy this right relationship with God, we must receive his extravagant love for us. Romans 5:8 says that God expressed his great love for us in this way: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Before we looked for God, he made a way for us to be in relationship with him. He made the first move. Because of the finished work of the cross, we are declared righteous before God. Romans 5:1 says: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Many of us have been serving God out of duty or fear—much like a servant. A servant has an obligation to do what is expected. He is required to be faithful or suffer consequences. A son, on the other hand, serves because he is a part of the family. A son is faithful because of the love he has for his father. And now, due to the sacrifice of Jesus, God sees us as sons and daughters. Read Galatians 4:7 and 2 Corinthians 6:18. What does God say about your identity? Ask yourself: Do I live my life as a son or as a servant? Recognize the two environments where you can live: the Tree of Life or the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Knowing that you can choose a Tree of Life response and attitude in every circumstance is crucial to walking in freedom. It is a daily choice to respond with life and godliness. Throughout the Bible, God compares the fruit of godly decisions with the fruit of ungodly decisions. It is clearly God's desire that we live a life that produces godly fruit. We can only do this by choosing to live God's way: in the Tree of Life. In Matthew 11, Jesus compares his way of living to that of religious Pharisees. The Pharisees were legalistic and self-righteous. Their approach to God was by strictly keeping all Jewish laws. Read Matthew 11:28–30, and describe below Jesus' response to the heavy burden that comes from trying to keep the law. Read Deuteronomy 30:19. Moses challenged the Israelites to determine what path they would follow. One path led to life, and the other led to death. He encouraged them, “Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” Ask the Lord to empower you to make life-giving decisions every day. When faced with difficult decisions or situations, take a moment to pause, examine your motives, and ask him for wisdom. Though retraining the way we think and respond takes time, we learn and grow in both our successes and our failures. Remember that God loves you, and he is for you. Grace was his idea. Ask yourself: Do my daily responses and decisions bring life to others? In what tree do I generally live most of the time? 

THE FRUIT OF LIVING IN THE TREE OF LIFE, PART 2 3. Innocence is a conduit of God's power. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”—Luke 4:18–19 Jesus said this directly after his great temptation by Satan in the desert. He came out full of the Holy Spirit and power to begin his public ministry. This Scripture says God anointed Jesus to preach good news. What does it mean to be “anointed” to do something? It means to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit and abide in Jesus, we become free from the works of darkness in our lives. We become vessels of honor useful to God. Innocence keeps our minds and hearts pure, helping us continually recognize our need for God. An attitude of dependence on God is fertile ground for the anointing of the Holy Spirit. As we seek God and submit our lives to him, he empowers and equips us for every good work. (See 2 Timothy 3:17). Jesus said in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Innocence and power always produce the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit. Read Acts 10:38, keeping in mind that as we are adopted children of God, that essentially makes us Jesus' brothers and sisters! Spend a moment thanking him for anointing you with the same Holy Spirit, then pray through this verse with your city in mind. 4. Innocence results in freedom. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1). This is the mystery of godliness: we will sin and fall, but if we sin with the Tree of Life as our perspective, we can easily receive forgiveness and get back up. How quickly we get back up depends on the degree of understanding we have in our hearts of the completeness of God's forgiveness. What does Psalm 37:23–24 say happens when the godly stumble? When we approach life with an innocent spirit, it changes the way we live and think about every part of our lives. If we attend church in the Tree of Life, we will love everything about it. We will love the pastor, the people, and the worship, because we are focused on the reason we go to church in the first place. On the other hand, thinking in terms of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil will result in ideas like, “These songs are too long and too loud,” “The preaching is too simple,” “The children are too noisy,” or “No one talked to me.” Approaching life with innocence allows us to see the good things in front of us instead of picking every person, church, or situation apart. Innocence sets us free! Relationships change in the innocence of the Tree of Life. We no longer hold people to impossible standards; we are quick to extend forgiveness and slow to take offense. Instead of looking for people to meet our needs, we look for ways to serve others. Because we live for Jesus and his Kingdom, people are no longer able to “take advantage” of us. This is true freedom. Reading the Bible, praying, and serving others should be sources of life, security, strength, and delight to us. These things should never be religious duties that must be checked off a to-do list. In the innocence of the Tree of Life, we realize these tasks are done out of relationship, not responsibility. Falling in love with Jesus turns the idea of duty into devotion, and it is a beautiful and wonderful thing. Prayer will be powerful, and reading the Bible will refresh our spirits when we're living in the Tree of Life. We no longer experience guilt-ridden sessions of plowing through twenty chapters of the Bible a day, motivated by the works-driven belief, “that's what Christians do.” Religion says, “Do it or suffer!” Relationship says, “Do it and live!” Ask yourself: Do I feel completely innocent before God? What would it be like to have true fellowship with God? “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”—Romans 8:1–2 

1. The Tree of Life results in Fellowship With God. Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.—John 17:3 According to Vine's Bible Dictionary, “know” in this verse is the Greek word ginosko, which means “to recognize, to understand, or to understand completely.” It indicates a relationship. The only way to experience abundant life is by truly knowing the living God. He asked us to love him, but we can do that only after receiving his lavish display of love for us through accepting the gift of the sacrifice of Jesus. “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (1 John 4:9–10). The Bible reminds us in 1 John 4:19 that the only reason we have any love at all is because he first loved us. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world to die on a cross, making a way for us to be in relationship with him and have eternal life. The cross represents more than a sacrificial death. It is a promise, a blood covenant that God made with his Son so that we could have confidence that he would never change his mind about his relationship with us. (See Hebrews 6:17–18). In the Old Testament, God made covenants with man, and man always broke them. This time, God sealed the covenant with the blood of his Son, Jesus, so that nothing can separate us from his love. 2. Fellowship with God results in innocence— not the other way around. Adam and Eve “realized they were naked” (Genesis 3:7). Similarly, as we spend time walking with God, listening to his voice, talking to him, obeying him, worshipping him, and enjoying him, we will notice a transformation taking place on the inside. We will become naked in a sense—transparent and unashamed before him. Prior to Genesis 3:7, Adam and Eve's “nakedness” speaks to their innocence.They were unaware of any reason to hide anything from God. They had no sin- consciousness. Think of little kids running around with no clothes on after a bath.  Absolutely no shame! Childlike innocence is an amazing virtue. Adam and Eve's nakedness was part of the innocence and simplicity of their lives. Before they sinned, they had nothing to be ashamed of. This is the same idea Jesus was referring to when he said we have to be like little children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. (See Matthew 19:14). Little children are not technically innocent; they just don't have any hesitation about them. They are not weighed down by guilt, shame, or burdens. 1 Corinthians 14:20 says, “Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.” God wants us to be mature in our thinking, but for the Kingdom of God to work powerfully in you, you must foster a childlike spirit. Childlikeness may look to some like naiveté or simplemindedness, but it is actually a Biblical way to live. Jesus says we should be as shrewd as a snake and as innocent as a dove. (See Matthew 10:16). That's a mysterious and rare combination for the world we live in! Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:27 that “God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise.” Dare to be misunderstood in your pursuit of a relationship with God, because only the pure in heart will see him. Simple innocence is born out of a friendship with God. It happens when we rest in God. We abide in his favor and presence so that when someone offends us, we can respond with kindness instead of anger. As we are transformed into the image of God, we become less and less affected by the negativity of the world. If we truly live with an innocent spirit, the enemy has no ammunition. If we sin, we know how to receive forgiveness, and if someone offends us, we know how to forgive. Read Matthew 5:39–44 and Luke 6:27–36. In these passages, Jesus tells us how to live as a child of God in innocence and freedom. Using the Scriptures as a reference, describe what living in innocence looks like. 

We have studied how each of the two trees in the Garden of Eden represent a way of living. We have explored how the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and its deadly fruit lead to shame and victimization. This week, we will look at living in the Tree of Life and its ability to set us free from incorrect thoughts about God and ourselves. If you have weak muscles that you haven't been using correctly, you might start a weight-training program to grow in strength and skill. As followers of Jesus, we grow deeper in our faith and closer in our relationships with God and others when we feed ourselves spiritually on God's Word and retrain our thought processes to line up with Biblical truth. Just like weight lifters need a spotter to help encourage, challenge, and assist them when the weight is heavy, we need partnership and support in the faith-building process. This curriculum is designed for your leaders and fellow group members to help you learn how to truly live in freedom. As you progress through this study, you will be able to use Tree of Life thinking as a framework for the way you approach every situation you encounter. Remember that God's commands were never meant to be burdensome. In fact, as you grow close to him and learn to hear his voice, you will find his heart for you. His divine plan was made for your sake—not for his. He simply wants to protect you from very real danger, and he desires your success. Exercise: Take a moment to get very quiet. Turn off your cell phone if you need to. If you just can't get quiet—for whatever reason, it doesn't matter—stop this exercise and wait until you're in a time of day when it is truly quiet. When you get to a quiet place, turn to Matthew 11:28–30. Read these three verses through once or twice, then write them down as a personalized prayer to God. Here's an example of how you could start it: God, I come to you right now. It's the end of the day, and though this verse says it, I really am tired. Your word promises in Matthew 28 that you will give us rest if we come to you. So, I ask You to give me rest right now, and I receive the rest You have for me...” And on it goes. Occasionally in this study, we will invite you to take a moment to breathe, to create room to hear God's voice, to have a conversation with him. We all get busy! But it's important to spend time every day with the One who created you, the One who knows you best, the One who loves you most. 

THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL PRODUCES VICTIMIZATION Just as the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil produces shame in our lives, it also makes us susceptible to victimization. Victimization is a natural response to our sin. Eve responded, “The devil made me do it,” and Adam responded, “The woman You gave me made me do it.” Victimization blames others, displacing responsibility. When we place blame, we excuse our internal condition or difficult outward circumstances by focusing on the actions of others. We say things like:  “If my husband would just treat me right, I wouldn't be so unhappy and manipulative.”  “If my family were less argumentative, I wouldn't be so irritable.”  “If everybody would just live like they are supposed to, everything would  work right.”  The Results of Victimization  We notice others' sins, but not our own.  We excuse and condemn ourselves, saying, “I've always been this way. I'll never change. I'll never be good enough.”  We feel rejected.  Whether we victimize ourselves by blaming others or by excusing and condemning ourselves, we are powerless to change. This is why victimization is so deadly.  With victimization and shame, we're either the Pharisee or the woman caught in adultery. (See John 8:1–11). We respond by saying either, “You're not good enough,” or “I'm not good enough,” basing our relationships with God and others on behavior and merit. However, this is not the perspective God wants us to have! This is Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil thinking, and it keeps us from changing and connecting with God. It's a trap of the enemy devised to keep us from changing, to keep us forever stuck in the world of blame and self-condemnation.  We must get to a point where, no matter what happens, we take responsibility for our own lives. We begin moving in freedom when we no longer blame anyone else for the quality of our relationship with God. The fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil lacks the power to transform the heart. It can provide facts and information, but it is powerless to give you life. Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow Me, you won't have to walk in the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”—John 8:12 Are there any areas of your life—perhaps with your parents or other people in your past, in your marriage, at work, with friends, or even at church—where you feel or have felt victimized or have taken on a “victim mentality”? Take a moment to ask the Holy Spirit to give you his perspective regarding any situation that you just described or considered. 

THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL PRODUCES SHAME [Adam] replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That's why I ate It.”—Genesis 3:10–13 The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil robs us of innocence. Imagine this situation to see how this process might happen: A young teenage boy has always been a delight to his parents— bright-eyed, enthusiastic, and curious, with no hesitation about him. But his mother begins to notice a change in him. He is becoming serious and angry, coming home with droopy shoulders and his head hung. The sparkle has left his eyes. He barely speaks to his parents and goes straight to his room. One day, she sees him quickly close a browser tab on his phone when he notices her come in the room. She begins to understand what has happened: Her bright, lively son now has darkness in him. His innocence has been polluted; he is no longer a little boy. Knowledge of the evil in porn sites advanced the kingdom of darkness in his life. All the things he saw online were real and true. The issue is that he didn't need to know. Now that he has allowed that darkness inside, he is filled with shame, and he can't relate to his parents like before. It's not that his parents have distanced themselves from him, but that his sin has caused him to pull away from them in shame. He is no longer innocent. Shame causes us to separate ourselves from God, creating an environment where we can't operate in the freedom Christ has for us. Shame is a veil that comes between us and God, covering us completely, even our eyes, so that we can see only dimly who and where God is. God said to Adam and Eve, “Who told you that you were naked?” His tone was probably like that of the teenage boy's mother, filled with great sadness. “Who told you about those sites? You really shouldn't know that.” God doesn't want us to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, because it builds barriers like shame between him and us. Those barriers break his heart, because he wants to be close to us. Shame causes us to do all sorts of things that keep us from connecting with God. Shame makes us want to hide. Prior to eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve were both naked and were not ashamed. (See Genesis 2:25). Afterwards, they came up with the idea of sewing fig leaves together to cover themselves, and then they tried to hide from God's presence in the trees of the garden. The Results of Shame  Covering up with religion and focusing on doing good things  Lying, deception, false pride  Making promises we can't keep  Getting our self-worth from the things we do  Inability to come to a place of honesty with God, because we believe we have no true value  Focusing on our sin instead of on our Savior  Why is shame so deadly? Because it strips us of the power to change. It keeps us from receiving the provision God made for our sin through the blood of Jesus. There is a difference between guilt and shame. Guilt is about what we have done, but shame is about who we are. With guilt, we can always get a fresh start. With shame, we are caught in a noose, because the problem stays with us. In fact, with shame, we are the problem. Freedom from shame begins with seeing ourselves the way God sees us. Ask yourself: Have you ever been overcome by shame? What steps can you take to remove the barrier of shame from your life? 

TRUTHS ABOUT THE FRUIT OF THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OFGOOD AND EVIL, PART 2 Adam and Eve didn't immediately die physically when they ate from the Tree of Knowledge, but their spiritual death was immediate. Through Adam's disobedience, death entered the entire human race; subsequently, we are all born spiritually dead in need of resurrection. The good news is that, because we have eternal life through Jesus, we have access to the Tree of Life. When we receive Jesus, we receive the Tree of Life inside of us, and if we pursue Life himself in our desire for godliness, we will become truly like him. By the way, every reference to a “good tree” in the Old Testament is a metaphor of Christ. 3. The fruit is consumed. The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.—Genesis 3:6 (NLT) “Eating” is not just about putting food in your mouth. It literally means to “consume” or “ingest.” Ideas are ingested in our minds, and then sin is conceived. How did the first sin come about? Eve talked to Adam about it. Through a conversation, they consumed the idea and began to process it. This progression tells us that sin does not begin with an act; it begins in our minds. It is important to be very careful about the things we ingest, because they can have a lasting effect on our lives. For instance, watching certain movies or television shows might expose you to images that could trouble you for the rest of your life. Likewise, spending time studying certain ideologies has the potential to pollute your mind and lead you to ruin and despair. Just as a parent should take extra care to guide what their children are exposed to, we should take the same caution with what we let ourselves be exposed to. 4. The fruit causes separation. The man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.—Genesis 3:8 (NASB) Again, remember that it was man who hid from God, not the other way around. It is common to think that when Adam and Eve sinned, God turned his back on them because his holiness and righteousness could not stand to be in the presence of sinful man. But the Bible says that when Adam and Eve sinned, their eyes were opened, they covered up, and then they hid from God, because they were ashamed and afraid of his reaction. By their actions, Adam and Eve demonstrated that they misjudged how God would respond to their sin. He wasn't watching from behind a tree, waiting for them to fail so he could judge them. No, God searched for them as he walked through the garden, calling out, “Where are you?” Why? Because he loved them. In the same way, God is not sitting around just waiting for us to fail, either. Instead, we must understand at a heart level that God is love. (See 1 John 4:8), and that “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). When we see his heart for us, we will run to him when we sin, instead of running away and hiding from him. From Romans 8:38–39, name all the things that cannot separate us from the love of God. 

TRUTHS ABOUT THE FRUIT OF THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL 1. The fruit is knowledge of good and evil. People commonly refer to this fruit as an apple, but it's not. The fruit of this tree is exactly what the Bible says: knowledge (information, data, ideas, worldview, thought patterns)—and more specifically the knowledge of good and evil. God didn't say it's wrong to have knowledge. In fact, God said to Israel through Hosea the prophet, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6, NKJV). So, the issue isn't necessarily knowledge; rather, it's the motive behind its acquisition. It is important to understand why we desire knowledge! Is it to gain God's wisdom and understanding, or is it to somehow exalt ourselves? God was basically saying to Adam and Eve, “If you change your way of thinking, it will create separation between us. If you change your worldview, you won't be able to understand Me and relate to Me.” Satan says, “Nah, it won't hurt you to think like that.” We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.—1 Corinthians 8:1 According to Colossians 2:3, what do we find hidden in Jesus? From the beginning, people have wanted to be wise, which actually pleases God. In 1 Kings, God appeared to King Solomon in a dream and said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” Solomon asked for one thing: wisdom to govern the nation of Israel and the ability to discern good from evil. In 1 Kings 3:10–13, how did God respond to Solomon's request? Wisdom from God is very different from the world's wisdom. We can tell the difference between the two by observing characteristics of each: Wisdom from God is pure, peace-loving, gentle at all times, willing to yield to others, full of mercy and good deeds, showing no partiality, and always sincere.—James 3:17 In contrast, wisdom from the world is jealous, selfish, earthly, nonspiritual, and motivated by evil. (See James 3:15–16). When do we need God's wisdom? All the time! We are constantly faced with decisions, and even the smallest ones can be made with wisdom from God. Using God's wisdom draws us closer to him, whereas worldly wisdom leads us to sin, which alienates us from him. James 1:5 says, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” What generally motivates your pursuit of knowledge? In what areas of your own life do you struggle with jealousy or selfishness? 2. The fruit is deadly. The Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”—Genesis 2:16–17 Consuming fruit from the Tree of Knowledge—consuming knowledge in your pursuit of godliness—is deadly. Satan didn't tempt Eve with blatant rebellion. He said, “Go ahead and eat this fruit. It will make you like God.” Satan tempted Eve with her desire to become like God. We also fall into the same trap; we would rather gain knowledge to try to control our own lives than trust God to take care of us. The desire to know is often in direct opposition to the desire to trust. Why were Adam and Eve driven from the Garden of Eden? (See Genesis 3:22–24). 

JESUS RESTORED OUR RIGHT TO FREEDOM As fully man and fully God, Jesus was completely obedient to the Father and therefore was sinless, even to giving his life on the Cross. He therefore revoked the transfer of control to Satan, returning the control to...YOU. So, “Why are people still in bondage?” You might ask, and that's a great question! Because Jesus gave his life to redeem us, we have the freedom to choose to live through the power of the Holy Spirit. God cannot force us to choose obedience to his will. If he demanded our obedience or allegiance in that way, we would be in exactly the same place we were before: in bondage. Slaves. Jesus, therefore, restored our right to experience freedom to choose righteousness. He then left the execution of the eviction of squatters in our lives to his body—the Body of Christ. You and me. We are able to accomplish this both by right and by power. Again, we have the right to do so because we operate under God's authority. We operate under God's authority because he has adopted us as his sons and daughters. We have the power to do so because dominion has been transferred back to the children of God. We have the right to do it as adopted sons and daughters of God, and we are able to carry out the task, because we are empowered by the Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent to us. Describe what 1 John 5:19 means to you. SEPARATION AND THE FIRST SIN The Lord God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil... but the Lord God warned [Adam], “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” —Genesis 2:9, 16–17 Read Genesis 3:1–8 and notice who is doing what. In verses 7 and 8, what did Adam and Eve do? In Genesis 3:9, what was God's response to Adam and Eve's actions? Don't miss this part: Adam and Eve hid, and God came looking for them. The Bible says God is seeking after sinful man (for example, Luke 19:10). God is in love with sinful man and sent his Son, Jesus, to rescue people. (See John 3:16, for example). Ask yourself: Are there things in my past that have caused me to want to hide from God? Read James 4:8 and 2 Chronicles 15:2. What do these passages teach us about our relationship with God? Adam and Eve sinned by eating the fruit of the tree that was forbidden to them. This fruit was not just any fruit—it was knowledge of good and evil. They mistakenly thought that this fruit would make them like God. Learning the truth about this fruit will help us avoid making this mistake. Ask yourself: Have I used knowledge of God as a basis of my relationship? 

THE TREE OF LIFE VS. THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”—Genesis 2:16–17 The Tree of Life can truly be a way of life. To find out how, let's go back to the beginning: Genesis chapter 1, where God as Creator and Ruler demonstrates his authority and dominion. That means he has the power and the right to make decisions and act on them, and he is in control of the world. Simply put, the buck stops with God! The second story in the Bible tells about Adam and Eve, the first sin, and the two trees in the Garden of Eden. It's the second story for a reason: Everything else in the Bible hinges on it. From it we learn that people must choose every day between either living according to the Tree of Life or the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, whether we realize we're doing it or not. WHY DID GOD MAKE TWO TREES? Without the choice to make the wrong decision, there's no reward in making the right one. Many people want freedom by having the wrong decision removed, instead of having the freedom to choose what is life-giving. However, there is no freedom in not having a choice; there is only freedom when we're taught to make the right choice. Here are a few differences between the two trees: Tree of Life Freedom, Grace, Eternal life, God is good, God is forgiving Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil Bondage, The Law, leads to death, God is only a judge, we are condemned The Law of First Order. When we study Scripture, it's very helpful to find the first place a subject is mentioned. In our journey to walk freely in communion with God, we need to find out why we may be separated from God and why we may be in bondage. The first place in the Bible where separation from God is mentioned is in Genesis 3. The first people God created made a bad choice that caused this separation. And when they made this bad choice, sin and death entered the world, bringing death to all people, “because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12). Prior to Genesis 3, Adam and Eve had relationship with God and enjoyed his presence. The Word tells us God made these two humans in his image, and he then gave Adam dominion over everything he had created. (See Genesis 1:26, 28). The word “dominion” literally means to dominate or rule over something. God basically said to Adam, “You're in charge now.” This authority that God gave Adam was based on the relationship that he established with him. Without that relationship, Adam would not have had God's authority to rule. So, when Adam and Eve sinned, they forfeited this authority. It's similar to being hired for a job. Every job has conditions of employment. First off, you must be hired. Then you must show up and do the work, if you want to get paid. The conditions of Adam's work were not performance-based, however, but relational. Adam simply could not rule without God granting him authority, and he couldn't have God's authority without being in relationship with him. Adam didn't fully realize the consequences of his choices at the time—and seldom do we—but when he sinned, he spiritually died, and he transferred control of the planet to the person he submitted himself to—in this case, Satan. At the same time, it was through deception and rebellion that Satan stole the authority and dominion that God had transferred to Adam. The Bible tells us that Satan's desire was to exalt his throne above the stars of God. (See Isaiah 14:13). Until the fall of man, Satan lacked the authority to set up rulership. So, when Satan tricked Adam and Eve, they then transferred authority to rule over to him. Adam was still responsible for his actions, though, because he disobeyed God. Jesus confirmed the transfer of dominion from Adam to Satan when, in John 12:31, he called Satan “the ruler of this world.” Having stolen control of creation by deceit, you can think of Satan as a freeloader, or a squatter who takes on rights that were not intended to be his. And after the fall of man, there was no one around who had authority and dominion to kick Satan off the throne, until Jesus arrived. Why? God had given to Adam, a man, the authority to rule the world; therefore, it would have to be a man, Jesus, who ultimately restored the right to rule back to mankind. Paul explains the human side of it in Romans 6:16: Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? Therefore, every person from Adam to Jesus was subject to Satan because of sin, so when Jesus came along, he truly was the real—and the only possible—game-changer. As fully God, he was in a relationship of unity with the Father, hearing his Father's heart in every situation and every moment. As fully man, he chose obedience every time, never exerting his own will or exalting himself, but always only doing what he saw the Father doing and only saying what he heard the Father saying. (See John 5:19–20 and John 12:49). Reflecting on the fruit found in the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which tree do you think or feel you generally operate out of? 

ACTIVATE WHAT IS WRITTEN There may be times when we are actively studying the Word, learning its truth, and getting excited about it, but what would it be like if we began putting what the Bible says into practice every day? We would begin to see the truth of the Word at work in our lives. The promises of God are fulfilled when we walk in obedience to his Word. Read James 1:22. According to this verse, how can we deceive ourselves? James 1:23–25 (NLT) holds the key to the promise of God's power at work: For if you listen to the Word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. Discipline yourself to make your daily time in the Word sacred, and don't let anything interrupt your time. It might help to get up a few minutes earlier, before others begin making demands on your day. Regardless, whenever it is that you can consistently schedule a quiet moment, find one verse that resonates with you, say it out loud, think about it all day long, put it into practice, and see what happens. Meditation will turn into revelation, and revelation will activate your faith. When your faith is activated, things change! 

WAYS TO MEDITATE ON GOD'S WORD There are many ways to meditate on God's Word. The following are three simple practices. Try them over the course of the semester, and journal about your experiences: 1. Speak God's Word out loud. Find declarations in Scripture that you can speak out loud to strengthen your spirit. Saying Scripture out loud effectively reminds your soul of what is true, and when the Word comes out of your mouth, it builds your faith. Memorize truth and promises from the Word so that you can speak specific Scripture over specific situations. For example, use a verse like 1 John 4:4 when you are battling the enemy: Greater is he who is in me than he who is in the world. If the passage is not in first person, make it personal. For example, you could read Luke 10:19 like this: God has given me “authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm me.” When your circumstances appear overwhelming, remind yourself, out loud, of the truth. In Appendix B, you will find Scriptures to help you in situations you may face. Write the following verses in first person, making them personal to you. Then say them out loud. 2. Think about the Word day and night. If you spend very little time tuned into God, the world may often seem more real to you than God and his truth, because you are spending much more time in the world. But when you tune into God as you're moving through the day, you begin walking with Jesus continually. In fact, when we pray, “Thy Kingdom come” in the Lord's Prayer, we are asking God to bring his Kingdom into our present circumstances, whether we're at home, at work, or at the grocery store. The sacred world invades the secular world, and it changes everything around you, as well as inside of you. It's a great day when that happens! 3. Make meditation practical. When it comes to meditation, frequency is key. It's not how much content you meditate on; it's how often you meditate. Reading through the Bible three times a year may be a great goal, but it will be meaningless if you aren't taking time to allow specific truth to sink into your heart. Find a nugget and chew on it throughout the day. Choose a verse and study it. Recite it to yourself. Talk about it with your friends. Write it down in a journal. Post it on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror. It may be more beneficial to read one verse several times a day than reading straight through for 30 minutes. In Proverbs 3:1–4 below, underline what we need to do with God's words. My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. Read Psalm 119:97–100 and list the benefits of meditating on God's Word. 

The Revealed WordOne of the most incredible stories of the Bible is the account of young Mary and her visit with the angel Gabriel who tells her she is about to become the mother of the Savior of the world. You can find the details in Luke 1:26–38. Mary's initial response to the angel was to question how she could bear a child as a virgin. In verse 37, Gabriel says, “Nothing is impossible with God.” The word “nothing” in Greek is two words: “no rhema.” Rhema is the Greek word for “word,” and it means “revealed word.” So, in essence it says, “no revealed Word of God is without the power to accomplish it.” Think about that. God has given us the written Word of God to consume—a gift that is up to us to open. The written Word becomes the revealed Word when we “meditate on it day and night” (Joshua 1:8; Ps. 1:2). To meditate on something essentially means to get deep into it, to chew the cud, to mull over it awhile. While you are thinking about what a passage means, it is also a great opportunity to be in conversation with God about that passage. When you pray, “God, show me what I might be missing while I read this passage,” you are humbly approaching our gentle and patient Father, asking him to show you things. He will gladly do it. Jesus promised to actively communicate with us through Scripture: But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.—John 16:13 The apostle Paul prays a similar thing: I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.—Ephesians 1:17 Whether it's a verse that you have been familiar with for a long time or one you just stumbled upon yesterday, you can receive a revelation from the Lord that will change your life forever. Then, when you go back to that passage later, you no longer view it the way you did before. More importantly, you remember how it has changed you. You may have experienced the rhema Word of God while listening to a sermon: It seemed like the words leapt from the speaker's mouth and landed right in your heart. You may have also experienced rhema while reading your Bible: The words jumped off the page and spoke directly to the battle you were facing. That's the Word at work! When it becomes revelation to you, no word God speaks will be void of the power for its fulfillment. Look at Mary's response to the angel's news in Luke 1:38: “I am the Lord's servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Again the word “word” in this passage is the word “rhema.” When the Word became revelation to Mary, she believed. She had settled in her heart ahead of time that anything God would speak to her would be true. So when the rhema Word came from Gabriel, she was prepared to obey. Pastor Rick reminds us of the importance of this: Pray for it. Pray for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. Ask God to guide you through his Holy Spirit. Ask him to speak to you through his Word and to open your eyes as you go through your day. If you pray this consistently, you can expect to grow in discernment.” Can you remember a time when you experienced the rhema Word of God, when a passage of Scripture just came alive for you, or made sense in a whole new way? Have you settled in your heart that once you hear God speak, you will obey? 

SPIRIT AND LIFE As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.—Isaiah 55:10–11 The Word is literally Spirit and life. If you try to understand the Bible with only your mind, it will be dry and without power. Studying the Word is important, but if we don't include the Spirit of God in the process, the words we read will be exactly that—just words on a page. If your experience with the Bible has been unexciting up to this point, rest assured you are not alone. Like trying to read a novel without the correct prescription glasses, many of us are trying to read the Bible without the one thing that will help us see. We need the Spirit of God for the Word to come alive! Take a moment to invite the Spirit of God to bring understanding to your heart as you read the following. But I have a greater witness than John—my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish. And they prove that he sent me. And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me—the one he sent to you. You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!—John 5:36–39 In the New Testament, Pharisees often questioned the legitimacy of Jesus' claim to be the Son of God. The Pharisees were religious scholars who knew the Scriptures better than anyone at that time. They could even recite the first five books of the Old Testament from memory! But in this passage, Jesus points out that there is more to knowing God than intellectually knowing the Scriptures. He confronts the Pharisees with, “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!” You are missing the big picture if you're only reading the Word to get a thought for the day. The Bible can come alive, introduce you to the true character of Jesus, and genuinely change your life. Ask Yourself: How do I generally approach reading the Bible—out of duty or out of desire to know God? Describe what makes you think that. As you journal, invite the Holy Spirit every time to help you understand what you read, because he is the One who leads us into all truth. 

THE WORD BECAME FLESH   Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. —Joshua 1:8 Imagine if someone offered you a special gift that would guarantee you direction, prosperity, and success. A gift that would give you the ability to rise above any circumstance and stand against any enemy. A gift that would keep you from sin, destruction, and despair. Wouldn't you be eager to receive this gift? Well, you can! Through the gift of God's Word, we have access to all of that power. When we read his Word and apply it to our lives, we will see him fulfill the promises contained in its pages. When we regularly meditate on God's Word, our old way of thinking begins to be replaced with God's way of thinking. When we choose to grant him permission to change us from the inside out, over time our thoughts become his thoughts, and our ways become his ways. Before reading John 1:1–5 a few times, pray and ask God to show you something you may or may not have noticed before. Then write down your observations here. In verse 14 of this same chapter, the Word says this: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” It is clear from this passage that Jesus—the “Word became flesh”—was present at the world's beginning, and he is the Word. In Jesus, the Word was manifested in human form, and through the Word, we have Jesus manifested on written pages. So, the more of the Word that is in you, the more you know the Word—Jesus. And the more you know the Word, the more you understand the character of the Author of that Word—also Jesus. So the Word of God in you plus the living, breathing presence of God in you equals the power to overcome everything the world is throwing at you. If Jesus appeared to you in the flesh right now and someone around you was sick or depressed, you probably wouldn't have any trouble believing that Jesus could heal them and set them free. The same power that is in Jesus is in the Word. The Word of God is powerful! When we receive that truth, the Word works with power in our lives. On the other hand, if at some point we feel the Word has lost its power, it's not because the Word has changed. It's because we've stopped inviting the presence of God to speak to us through the Word. If you want to fall in love with Jesus, then seek him in the Word and make consuming the Word a priority in your daily life. And as you consume the Word, you give the Holy Spirit room to breathe life into your soul and change you from the inside out. Write John 6:63 The word Spirit is “pneuma” in the Greek, and it means “the presence or breath of God.” The Bible is not just a collection of words in a book that you can study to improve your life; instead, it is a powerful body of truth—the very breath of God— that has the ability to bring about its own fulfillment. 

HOW TO ACTIVATE GOD'S WORD IN YOUR LIFE 1. Make God's Word a priority. I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.—Exodus 16:4 The daily manna was their quota. Enough for that day. And just as God provided daily manna for the Israelites, we need to let the Word feed our spirit every day. We will always make time for the things that are important to us. Just as our bodies need food for fuel, our spirits need the Word. As you spend time reading your Bible each day, it will bring you life. Physically you can't survive on one meal a week, and the Word of God is the same way. You need to eat it every day. Jesus even taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” He's talking about physical provision, yes, but also spiritual nourishment. Right now, whatever your season of life, however old you are, make a commitment to get in the Word every day. God gives us from the Bible each day what we need for that day. But we have to be willing to receive what he has for us. We have to be willing to give him some time and read his Scriptures, even if it's only a few minutes every day. Christians who aren't in the Word of God every day become emotionally driven, led by their feelings. They become like a person on a sailboat. Wherever the wind blows, that's where they're headed. On the other hand, a person who is led by faith, who stays in the Word, is like a person on a steamboat. Wherever the Captain says we're going, that's where we're going. 2. Believe what you read. Choose to believe that the Word is true! God says that it is impossible to please him without faith. When you put your trust in God's Word, you will see your faith and confidence grow as you read it! Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word about Christ.—Romans 10:17 3. Meditate on Scripture. Don't just do a daily reading and put the Word away. Instead, spend some time thinking about it. Psalm 1:2 says “the righteous man delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night.” In other words, it is a good idea to get the nutrients out of it and swallow it—then, recall it again and chew on it some more. Chew on it all day long, and you'll be mindful of it and able to do what it says. Consistently recalling truth to mind paves the way for rhema or revelation to take place and puts faith into motion. We'll explain a little later what “rhema” means, but for now, choose a verse or two from Scripture—you choose!—write it down, and think about it throughout the day. Write down anything that comes to mind that you think or feel is relevant for your life in this moment. If you don't know where to start, try one of these!  Psalm 27:1  Philippians 4:19 

Once we become a Christ-follower, it's common to approach God in one of two ways. We either try to earn God's approval by doing stuff, or we simply receive the gift that we have been made the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ. We either serve him because we feel we have to do it or because we are excited that we get to do it. There are a lot of reasons why we work to earn God's approval. One of those reasons is that we think God is mad at us, so we think we need to prove to him that we're worth loving. But you can't earn God's approval. You can't earn his love. If you could earn it, then there would be no need for the word “grace” in the Bible. The word grace literally means “the free and unmerited favor of God.” If you were earning God's approval, then you would be receiving his approval through the price you pay for it—the stuff you're doing. But look at what the Bible says about this: But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.—Ephesians 2:4–5 This verse says that God has great love for us. For all of us. Me. And you. It also says he is rich in mercy. Mercy is when you get compassion and forgiveness from someone, when you know what you really deserve is punishment. And finally, it says you have been saved by grace—a free gift, unmerited favor. You didn't deserve it, but he gives it to you anyway, because he loves you that much. We learned earlier in this study that he is Creator. Today, he wants you to know that he loves us. He loves me, and he loves you. What is God like? God loves us! He is love. Ask God to show you today how much he loves you. At the end of the day, write down in your journal what you sensed he showed you. 

Often we can't hear or see God's design clearly because there are too many voices competing for our attention. It's not because he's not speaking. It's that we can't hear because of the voices all around us. These other voices may be hobbies, finances, our kids, our marriage, our job, or just plain old boredom. The voice of God is not loud. In fact, God's plans are often revealed in a still, small voice, not even as loud as a whisper. The voice of God is not loud. Sometimes in order to hear God, it's a matter of timing. Pastor Rick tells this story of years ago when he was able to speak at LSU's chapel the day before a game: I walked out on the field before anyone was on it. No one was in the stadium. It had room enough for 95,000 to sit there, but it was just me. I was looking around, waiting for my chaplain friend, Ken, to meet me. Two guys came out on the opposite side of the stadium and were talking about whether the grass on the field was ready for the game. I was far away from them but could hear everything they were saying. I wondered if it was due to the acoustics there. The next day, the stadium was packed with 95,000 people, screaming loudly. My friend tried to tell me something during an intense part of the game, and I couldn't hear it. Why? Too many voices. (From Be Real, Because Fake is Exhausting, pp. 130–131, ©2014, Baker Publishing. Used by permission). So how do you eliminate distracting voices? One suggestion is to consistently open up God's Word in the morning. If you want wisdom, read Proverbs. For more of a heart after him, read the book of Psalms. If you don't know how to study the Word, meet with someone who does. Get involved with a small group that teaches the Word of God. If you don't buy into fasting from food, at least fast from media every now and then. Turn off the computer and TV and take a break from reading blogs, magazines, and newspapers. Get alone with God somewhere for a couple of days. One directional idea from him can totally destroy what the devil has built for years in your life. We can't hear God's voice when we allow distractions. We can hear his voice, but only if we're tuned in. DISCERNING GOD'S VOICE We have established that God's voice comes to us like a whisper, and that when we humble ourselves before him—quieting down to give him room to breathe into our lives—we can hear him more clearly! The truth is that God speaks to us all the time, but sometimes we don't hear what he is saying for many reasons. We often just don't want to listen to him, because we think we know what's best without his input. There may be some pride in that thought process, which we will get to eventually. Other times, we may be afraid of what he might say, because we've been taught somewhere that we should be afraid of him, that he is mad at us. We will also cover the subject of fear later on. Both of these issues, however, cloud our understanding of what God's voice sounds like. Have you ever been to a coffee shop to meet a friend, but before they arrived, you heard a new band playing that you really liked? How did you find out more about that band? Maybe you used an app to identify the band or genre, and within minutes you had them on your favorite playlist. If you were really interested in them, maybe you Googled the band to learn a little more about the musicians. And the more you tune into the sound of your new favorite band, the more you discern what you like about the genre that particular band fits into. Then, you begin discovering similar bands, and before you know it, you've got dozens of songs and several new bands to listen to. All because you tuned your ear to something you liked in the coffee shop that day. Sometimes we struggle to hear what God has to say because we haven't trained our ears to tune in. Tuning the ears of your heart to discerning God's voice can be likened to the song discovery process. There are many Bible verses that help us discern God's voice, and the foundation of understanding God's character and nature, and therefore his voice, can be found in Scripture—the Word of God—the Bible. Check this out: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. —2 Timothy 3:16-17 The word “God-breathed,” comes from the Greek word theopneustos, which quite literally means “God's breath.” If you are ever unclear whether what you are sensing is the voice of God whispering into your life, stop and ask the question, “Is what I'm hearing consistent with Scripture?” And the more you know the Word of God, the more easily you will be able to discern the whisper. For example, Galatians 5:22–23 says this: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. If the voice that gently whispers to you is consistent with the fruit of the Spirit, what you're hearing is from God! And if it causes you to love others well, creates more joy in your life, and encourages you to be kind towards others, it is consistent with God's character! Simply put, the voice of God will never contradict the Word of God or the character and nature of God as he has revealed himself in his Word. 

How do you know if what you're hearing is from God or somewhere else? We'll spend some time over the next few weeks covering a few key ideas about discerning the voice of God in your life, but right now we're going to look at an interesting story in the Old Testament. In 1 Kings 19, the prophet Elijah ran for his life from wicked Queen Jezebel. It's easy to understand why he would be afraid! You would be, too, if an evil queen was screaming, “Off with your head!” In short, Elijah had just proven to Israel that God is mightier than Jezebel's false prophets. Elijah was simply obeying God and was now suffering the consequence of his obedience. Sometimes the world won't want to be friends with you—even when you have the best of intentions—if you choose rightly to obey God. So Elijah ran 40 days until he reached Mt. Horeb, where he desperately prayed and waited to hear from God. First Kings 19:11–13 says this: Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper....“What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah didn't hear God in the earthquake, the wind, or the fire. He heard God's voice in a gentle whisper. God doesn't physically shake us to get our attention, blow us over with his power, or burn us up in the heat of the moment. No, he waits until we quiet our hearts before him, shutting out the noise and the clutter of life. He waits until we set everything in life aside, so we can spend a quiet moment with him. His voice comes like a gentle whisper. You just have to be quiet enough to hear it. We'll continue to dive into God's character throughout this series, but for now take a moment to pray through the following verse, and if you need him to demonstrate his safety and protection to you today, tell him! And take time to listen for his response. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.—Psalm 18:2