June 13, 2016
Phase 2- Assessing the Goods…
In continuing our bird’s eye view of Phase 2 pay particular attention to the following scripture this week found in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (HCSB)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.
Here’s the question, have you burned your old clothes or are have you kept a few trinkets? Is the old gone and the new here? None of us can probably answer this question with a resounding “100%, Yes”, but what we may be able to say that each day it get’s a little better and that we are work in progress. The key word is “in progress”. God already knows our struggles and He in fact definitely knows that each day is a battle in that the enemy will continually try to bring up our past, pulling out our old clothes, find gaps in our fortress and interrupt our stronghold demolition. But, our God has given us dear ones new clothes to wear as HIS new creation. Our new clothes are cabable of tearing down strongholds that have been with us for years.
With God's armor, we are armed to fight back. Our new armor that is filled with truth, hope and light. God’s word. (Ephesians 6:10-19)
As as we grow to understand and live in light of our new identity in Christ and to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, we can experience consistent victory over sin. We will never be sinless, but we will sin less as we grow. Also, as we grow we will come to see more and more of our inward corruption and more and more of God’s holiness, so that we lament our propensity toward sin and long for our new resurrection bodies.
The Merry-Go-Round of Sin (Romans 7:14-20), Steven J. Cole, 2011
The NEW is HERE!
How do you feel when you buy something new for yourself or when you get dressed up? As they say when you are looking clean, how do you feel? Do you have an extra pep in your step? Do you walk with a little more confidence? Do you find yourself catching a quick glance of yourself in the mirror? For ourMillennials (Gen Y- reaching adulthood by year 2000) or Gen Z (Digital or iGeneration- born late 1990’s and early 2000’s) your pep may be to post on Twitter or Instagram (maybe even Facebook) your new you via the infamous “selfie”. In case you didn’t know, they make “selfie sticks” a projection tool you hook onto your phone so that you can get a better angle when you are taking a “self portrait”. LOL!📷
Okay, I’ll jump back to the point (got a little carried away with all of the new tech and definitions!)
So, how do you identify yourself? This is important ladies because while it may seem like a small and uninviting question, the answer to the question is a blazing SOS flame for the enemy to put his foot in the door and to begin to wreak havoc in our mind. Before we know it, there’s another stronghold erected that we thought we had demolished.
Identity Identification
I’ll ask the question differently...when you think about yourself do you:
Define yourself based on who you or others say you are?
Or
Who God says you are?
If you recall in Session 3, The Full Armor, we discussed the Helmet of Salvation. During this segment we learned that the battlefield of the mind exists for many women. It is up to us to remember our core, the truth, which is found in God’s word. The book is alive ladies!
I’ll recap our key points and Actionable Intel, foryour prayer strategy (remember this intel when you pray). Prayer is the “linchpin that holds our armor together”.
Helmet of Salvation
Key Phrases:
LOVE- (Justification)
Past (justification)- we are justified/acquitted because Jesus died for our sins
Present (justification)- in our daily life and everyday experiences we are transformed, our minds are renewed with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Future (glorification)- hope, our eternal destiny
MINDSET- (Identify and Confess the Stronghold(s))- we must have a change of mindset by
controlling our thoughts and not letting them control us;
actively replacing the enemy’s thinking with God’s thinking; and
tearing down our mental strongholds
and through our diligence, we find our…
IDENTITY (Dismantle the Stronghold(s)-Salvation is about our identity. It’s who we are in Christ.
• Actionable Intel
Rescue and Restore
Remember (A Healthy Mind)
Battle Plan
The EquationàIdentity in Christ=Salvation Inheritance=The Helmet of Salvation
What’s my Motivation?
In the first section of Phase 2, Elisa provides a list of scriptural truths (promises of God). As we conclude, we will have a little homework for this week as it relates to God’s promises. We need to get these in our core! Before you begin, think about a common conversation we have with children about choosing to believe the positive rather than the negative. We tell children that the naysayers are few, but that the positive influences are many, yet in these conversations, children typically lean to believe the naysayers rather than the positive. It’s like we must condition ourselves to think about “what’s right with us” versus “what’s wrong with us”. With this as our backdrop for this upcoming week, we are going to create an Identify Identification Chart.
See the directions:
Take piece of paper and on one side place the following at the top: Who do I, or people say I am? On this side answer of the paper the question. On the other side of the paper place at the top: Who does God say I am?
Read the following truths and answer the questions below:
a. Write what each personally means to you (for all or some)?
b. In thinking about your life timeline that you created in Phase 1, do any of the promises listed below stand out for you?
c. Which ones are the hardest for you to accept? Why?
d. Which ones are easiest for you to accept? Why?
Identify Identification Chart
Who do I, or people say I am?
Who does God say I am?
I am not controlled by the sinful nature, but by the Spirit (Romans 8:9)
I have access to God’s wisdom (James 1:5)
I am justified (Romans 5:1)
I am a temple in which God dwells (1 Corinthians 3:16)
I am a child of light (1 Thessalonians 5:5)
I am a princess in God’s kingdom (John 1:12; 1Timothy 6:15)
I cannot be separated from the love of God (Romans 8:35)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm (Ephesians 2:6)
I have been given great and precious promises by God (2 Peter 1:4)
I have been given a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7)
I am chosen by God (Ephesians 1:4-11)
I am God’s child (Romans 8:14-15)
I am Christ’s friend (John 15:14-15)
I am God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10)
I am God’s coworker (2 Corinthians 6:1)
I am chosen and appointed to bear His fruit (John 15:16)
I am not afraid (Isaiah 43:1-3)
I am never alone (Deuteronomy 31:6-8)
I am able to hear God’s voice (John 8:47)
Remember your core. Move Forward…GO!
Closing Thoughts
📷
"You can either stay mad at people for letting you down or you can thank them for getting out of the way of the biggest God-work of your life." Beth Moore
Know that through the Holy Spirit you can:
• do things you couldn't;
• feel things you didn't; and
• know things you wouldn't.
For your praise and worship:
I Believe- M. Sapp
Moving Forward- I. Houghton
Housekeeping:
Chat with you on Tuesday, June 28 as we debrief Phase 2: Assess the Goods via Google Hangout On Air
*Everyone is registered in advance and will receive an email update*
SAVE THE DATE- Living Proof Simulcast 2016: Beth Moore- September 17, 2016 from 10:30 am- 4:30 pm. Join GO! for the simulcast. If you are interested, please email GO! Canton at godsopportunity.canton@gmail.com by June 28th. Stay tuned for more details.
Remember, each day is an opportunity for us to...
Lead, Serve and GO!
Krista
Each day we have an opportunity to be the light and salt God has called us to be to others. Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)