HOW TO TALK TO YOUR SOUL WITH WORD PICTURES
A WORD PICTURE CAN SLIP PAST
THE NATURAL DEFENSES AND CHANGE THE HEART
WHEN DAVID’S HEART COULD NOT SEE,
COULD NOT CHANGE
NATHAN USED A WORD PICTURE
A POOR MAN HAD BUT ONE LITTLE EWE LAMB AND LOVED THAT LAMB
He told David a story of a rich man who took a poor man’s little ewe lamb. David was incensed at the selfishness, the lack of compassion. And then Nathan told him, “Thou art the man.” And David repented. Word pictures have power.
THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE IS A BOOK THAT HELPED ME
BECOME A MORE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR
THE AUTHORS GAVE MANY CONVINCING CASE STUDIES OF HOW
PEOPLE HAD FAILED TO CONVINCE A LOVED ONE TO CHANGE HIS WAYS
BUT THEN, USED A WORD PICTURE –
AND THEIR HEARTS WERE CHANGED
The authors open with a true story of a man who was being unfaithful to his family, who had decided to leave them to be with another woman. No pleading, no arguments, and no tears could stop him. He had made up his mind.
But one day his daughter told him about a dream she had had. She, her mother, and her siblings had been hit broadside by a careless driver, and their injuries were catastrophic. She was lying on the road, bleeding, when she saw the man who hit them. She said, “It was you, Dad.”
Her word picture penetrated his heart. He repented, came home. He changed.
I have been using word pictures ever since I read that book. I used one with my husband Steve when we were flying home from Thailand after adopting Beth, our fifth child. I was already anxious if I could handle this. Steve wasn’t anxious at all. At one point he leaned over to me and said, “Some of the little boys in the orphanage were so cute.”
I thought, He doesn’t understand. I cannot adopt any more children. Immediately I thought. I need a word picture.
I felt the Lord gave me one. I said, “Honey, look out at that airplane wing and imagine I am out there. I’m trying to keep up with you in your Christian walk, but I think I might slip and plummet to my death.”
He looked astonished. He really hadn’t heard me before — but now he did.
The power of a word picture.
PICTURES HAVE POWER. IT’S WHY JESUS USED THEM ALL THE TIME.
This week you’ll listen to a free Keller sermon on this passage (How to Change 1). Next week we’ll listen to one that costs 2.50, but worth every penny. (How to Change 2.) During these two weeks, memorize the passage Keller is on:
To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires
and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds
and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24
What does “the spirit of your mind” mean? Keller says it is our imagination. This is where we come up with word pictures. He give an example of a man being faced with the temptation of eating steak, though his doctor has told him he must not, for his heart is at risk. He could begin to imagine how good the steak would smell, how wonderful it would taste…
Or, he could imagine himself having a heart attack after eating that steak:
This week I want you to find some word pictures to help you face temptation, grief, unforgiveness, and despair in a constructive rather than a destructive way. I want you to be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Where will you find them? Here are three possible sources:
1) In great Christian music — for example, last week we looked at “O Love that Wilt Not Let Me Go” — one of you commented on the line “I dare not close my heart to Thee.” There is a picture here that can change you and cause you to move toward Jesus instead of away. Print off the lyrics to this song or another that moves your heart and tape it up in your shower and start singing.
2) In the psalms – they are filled with word pictures to help us use our imagination — seeking God as the deer seeks water; the Lord riding the wind to come to our help… These help you visualize your relationship to the Lord. In your prayer time, pray the psalms, and linger over the pictures.
3) In pictures I’ve used in the past on this blog to help you visualize danger, or His presence, or His love. If one really spoke to you, print it off and put it on your refrigerator this week to remind you. Here is a possible one — how you break His heart when you run to an idol instead of Him:
Martin French: Hosea, The Broken-Hearted Bridegroom
Sunday/Monday: Icebreaker and Download the Free Sermon:
(It will look like you have to buy it, but when you click on the format, you will see it is free. You can also get it on the free sermon page, but I think it is easier to download this way.)
1. What stood out to you from the above and why?
2. Read the word picture that Nathan gave to David in 2 Samuel 12:1-6. Why do you think it got to David’s heart?
3. Do one of the three exercises (song, psalm, picture) above for word pictures and tell us here what you did.
Bible Study: Monday-Wednesday
Begin memorizing Ephesians 4:22 and say it every day.
As an overview (we will spend more than one week on this) read Ephesians 4:17-32
4. Read Ephesians 4:17-19
A. Note the command in verse 17. What relationship do you see between the mind and the walk?
B. How does verse 18 begin, and what does that do to their relationship with God?
C. Imagine another temptation such as gossip, unforgiveness, or over-eating
1) If you were to engage in one of the above, what lie would you first have to believe — how would you need to be “darkened in your understanding?”
2) Come up with a word picture that would show your alienation from God should you choose to do one of these things
D. What happens to our hearts, according to verse 19, when we walk in our former way of life?
5. Read Ephesians 4:20-24
A. Keller makes a big point about the phrase “the truth is in Jesus.” Make note of this verse.
B. Verse 22 is your memory verse this week. Meditate on it and come up with at least five observations on this verse.
C. Be alert to put verse 23 into practice today. Write down at the end of the day what you did, how you used your imagination to resist temptation.
D. Use your imagination to help you with the “old self” and the “new self,” or the old garment and the new garment.
What is the worst garment you’ve had on — imagine wanting to be rid of it!
And the best?
Cyndi said, “I lift up my arms to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to dress me.”
There are those in Reformed circles that are opposed to using any pictures of Jesus, feeling it breaks the 1st commandment. J. I. Packer’s fourth chapter in Knowing God is an example of this thinking. I do think there are many terrible pictures of Jesus and realize the goal of capturing Him to be unreachable. And yet — I know how much I needed pictures to train my children, and how I am so moved, for example, by Martin French’s drawings (like the one above of The Broken-Hearted Bridegroom). This subject deserves a blog post of its own, and I’ll do it sometime, but I think that if you are worshipping a picture, you are sinning, but if the picture leads you to worship God, it is an icon rather than an idol — and that is a good thing. But feel free to pipe in here with your prayerful and loving thoughts.
6. How do you feel about pictures of Jesus and why?
7. Listen to the Sermon you downloaded above. (Thursday – Friday) and share your notes with us or what stood out to you.
Saturday
8. What’s your take-a-way and why?
1. What stood out to you from the above and why?
Several different things. It is hard to pick just one- there are a few things still simmering! :-) I value word pictures that come to mind, but haven’t thought of putting up pictures around to remind me of Him-His attributes- what a great idea. I am thinking of putting up the airplane picture-I was quickened and convicted when I read Dee’s story. Some more pictures are coming to mind that Dee has used in the past-so good. I also loved Dee’s encouragement to linger over the word pictures in Psalms, in music and in other places in scripture.
I just finished up last week’s lesson, and I wanted to let you know how moved I was at your powerful postings –
Diane, Cyndi, Amy, Charmaine – thank you for your honest sharing.
Diane, it was so encouraging to see you “wrestling on paper” ( or blog-paper) and how you pored over those verses of Scripture, Paul’s prayers, praying them for yourself, and how the lie surfaced and how you defeated it with the truth! We all need to be doing this!
1. What stood out to you from the above and why? The whole idea of talking to my soul with word pictures! One morning last week God presented me with Psalm 18. I have read it every day since but have not been able to understand what specifically He is conveying to me. The thing that stood out the most is that terrifying word picture of God thundering from heaven to my rescue. As I read I remember that He has rescued me in such a way. I was unaware of my danger and He completely removed a powerful enemy from my life. This authority over me was removed and replaced by one favorable to me. It was truly amazing.
So as we look at how word pictures can speak to our souls I realize that He is showing me how to take this picture and the memory of what He has done to cement my faith in Him.
I just jumped on here to print to take for the drive to church–this looks great! I had to say–the strongest word picture I have for Jesus is one I found in Dee’s pictures several months ago–the white horse. Then when He brought before me a real-life version during my mom’s visit, at just the right moment, it has now become a picture I go to often in my mind. I better run–be back later ;)
Elizabeth, The white horse pic was the first one to come to my mind too. And then I thought of the Song of Solomon drawings from the artist/fashion designer in Russia (I think?).
I was excited when I saw Dee’s title and posting because I realized how powerful my imagination is … and when the Holy Spirit has power over that imagination, well … we will see :)
Also, the combination of seeing God’s power and cleaning out my email box (it was full so quit working) alleviated my earlier fears about commitment. I saw that I was on here a year and a half before I left last May, so longer-term commitment doesn’t seem so unrealistic anymore.
Decided that as long as I was on Redeemer’s site, I could just as well download “how to change-2″ and if I download “how-to-change-2,” I could download “how-to-change-3″ and if I download that…. all the way to the 2011-2012 sermon series on Ephesians. (But I will focus on this week first!)
1. What stood out to you from the above and why? What stood out to me was the pictures.. a reminder for me to go to Jesus and ask him to give me word pictures.. The counslers in our church now use material called Caring for the Heart and its all about word pictures.. the counsler prays and you sit there until you either get a word picture, scripture or God tells you something or he may give you a verse and picture or he may give you a song.. he has given me several pictures and songs!
That’s interesting about the Caring for the Heart program, Meg.
2. Read the word picture that Nathan gave to David in 2 Samuel 12:1-6. Why do you think it got to David’s heart?
becasue it was like a daughter to him? If i am correct i think of me as a sheep and God as my shephard and him holding me and tending to me!
3. Do one of the three exercises (song, psalm, picture) above for word pictures and tell us here what you did.
I can relate to all three, like i said above the couslers at our church do this as part of their counsling.. so I have many songs, pictures, and Scripture not neccessarily from Psalms that God has given to me over the years.. a good reminder to keep doing that.. i have drawn away from that but a good reminder to go back when i am having difficulty especially with Lonliness and wanting Comfort. He has given me several pictures of him holding me as a child. One of the songs i remember him giving me was Your Grace still amazes me by Phillips Craig and Dean!
Darn I think that i need to go slower cause i read the question wrong! He is my new answer.. The picture I got was My best friends mom happy and being with Jesus, and the song that he gave me was Trust his heart and the scripture that he gave me was Pro 3:5-6. He gave me all three! He loves me so. I hope this example is ok. I went to the Lord cause I have been hurting about my best friends moms death almost a year ago. I believe that this was one of her favorite verses too!
1. What stood out to you from the above and why?
The title! And the phrase “spirit of your minds.” I’d never thought about that phrase before. I like “imagination” :)
2. Read the word picture that Nathan gave to David in 2 Samuel 12:1-6. Why do you think it got to David’s heart?
Because David had been a shepherd, and he would have been attached to his sheep (not just because he was a good shepherd, but because there wouldn’t have been people to become attached to out in those lonely fields)
3. Do one of the three exercises (song, psalm, picture) above for word pictures and tell us here what you did.
I did the psalm because I wanted to absorb more Scripture, but I also know that music sticks in my brain (the ink in my printer is water soluble so I didn’t hang it in the shower :-) ). A couple weeks ago when the segment of Psalm 125 was posted, I downloaded the other Psalms too. I went to the Psalms of ascent, opened Ps 126 first, quickly scanned it, and thought that might be a good one — mostly because of the sowing with tears part. I scanned a couple of the other psalms and decided to learn Psalm 126. After listening to the music several times, I realized that I didn’t have a good understanding of the meaning of the words. Enter: Google. One of the first search results was the great theologian “wikipedia.” I learned that people may have been sowing tears because they were starving, and they were planting the last seeds they had. That’s about all I learned—next to Spurgeon. http://www.spurgeon.org/treasury/ps126.htm
Oh my! So much in that Psalm that fits me right now. Spurgeon: “Here you may observe that God doth often send succour and deliverance to the godly in the time of their affliction, distress, and adversity; that many times they themselves do doubt of the truth thereof, and think that in very deed they are not delivered, but rather that they have dreamed.” I sometimes still feel as if I am in a dream, and because I experience intense periods of grief (particularly when sorting through “stuff”), I don’t always see that I am/have been delivered.
Spurgeon described the word picture at the end as “a figurative description of that which was literally described in the first three verses.” And for a farm girl at heart (by birth) who pulls weeds for stress relief, the word picture is perfect. To get a harvest, farmers have to plant seeds whether they feel like it or not. Spurgeon wrote: “He leaves his couch to go forth into the frosty air and tread the heavy soil.” THAT is leading me to repentance— I didn’t get out of bed this morning because I was too cold (and have had a hard time forcing myself to get up each day). This word picture is so timely — last week I saw the following and was reminded that some growth takes place “underground” where we can’t see it (that dream referred to in the first verses): http://youtu.be/ZK4LjURtaDw
Never would have guessed that this word picture contains so much — and I just started!
That’s great, Renee. And yes, you are a long termer! Glad you checked that last commitment out.
Renee, I was thinking about putting it in a page protector so it won’t get wet as quickly.
Good idea, Anne. I’m thinking of taping something on my mirror, partly to encourage me to get out of the shower more quickly and dry my hair!
Sounds like another good study week. I too identify with word pictures. That story of the unfaithful father (and the daughter’s dream of him hitting them with a car)hit me with a wham too.
So glad to get all your enthusiastic responses. Looking forward to the week!
1. What stood out to you from the above and why? The communicating in word pictures! I am a horrible communicator with my husband but this does work when I think back about the times I have done it. I realize I need to focus on this more. Your feelings Dee about the adoption of Beth and Steve’s being carefree…That is how I am feeling right now with this little boy..Hubs is all Yeah let’s go we can do this and I am drowning at times! But God is empowering and equipping me.
2. Read the word picture that Nathan gave to David in 2 Samuel 12:1-6. Why do you think it got to David’s heart? Because it was well painted for images in the mind. It was a sad story and of course David would be angered. Then to know it was him! Piercing! Those are so powerful!
3. Do one of the three exercises (song, psalm, picture) above for word pictures and tell us here what you did. Well, I want to print the pic of the broken hearted bridegroom such a great reminder. I can actually really carry images like these in my mind and go back to them as the Spirit moves them to memory. That one above is powerful. This is another reason why I love a good expression through dance. The music, image, and meaning are so powerful to my mind.
Two other pictures. One I will never forget is the one of Job. I think of that one often. I want to write a blog post about it. It is so moving. One day I will. Now that God healed me I can almost visualize the snake loosening his grip because God commanded it.
The other picture is not one here but that full bow of a rainbow God gave me after court about this little boy. Whenever i feel overwhelmed I remember this and that God is the Banner over me and He is pleased with this. His hand is on his little life and I get to be a part of it!
Thanks for describing those three pictures, Angela. And how you carry pictures in your mind. I think that is key, and a gift of a creative person. Luci Shaw used to tell me, “I have pictures in my head.”
I am really hurting right now.. can you ladies pray for me please?
Thanks
Praying for you right now, Meg! (Was done on the computer for the day and then I realized that I forgot to add something for class tomorrow morning. God had other reasons to bring me back here!)
It’s morning, and I hope your pain is dissipating, Meg. Love to you.
praying for you too Meg! Hope it is better!
Thank you for praying! I listened to revive our hearts this morning like i usually do and it was exactly what i needed to hear! God loves me so!
Praise God!!!
Thank you Jesus for the heart full of compassion towards Meg this morning. Oh how He loves, Meg.
Just saw your post. God is good and I appreciate you asking for prayer and thanks be to God for answering it!
a word picture i used with Paul when the kids were very young was this. He is a computer guy and runs reports all days.
imagine after you did your report every morning someone walked in and pushed delete, every hour or so someone walks in and pushes delete….that is my life. i change diaper and it needs done enough, i make a meal..clean the kitchen, do the laundry and by noon….it all has to be done again.
I think this is how we are all felling a little bit when it comes to our spiritual growth and getting rid of our idols:) if feels like I will never be where i want to be.
I have read lots of trent/smalley books and watched videos they did on marriage, its pretty old, we did it 19 years ago:)
Good word picture for a computer guy!
Thank you all for your comforting words and prayers. You don’t know how sweet it is to log in here and know you have sister’s in Christ that love you here.
Funeral is wed. Jan 25th, open casket. Thought he would cremate her as she was so very thin. Been at Dennis’s house alot with family and lots of food…my idol:(
If you go to: osrfh.com and you will see Mary K. Bond, age 66.
Dennis is just bearly holding up but the vistation tues. and the funeral wed. will be so very hard on him. Please keep praying! Love you all, sisters :) Thank you
Love to you , Joyce. I’m thankful she is home. Praying for Dennis.
I just read the obit Joyce, she seems like such a lovely woman. Praying for you, I know these days are especially long, hard, tiring…but know you are so loved.
Joyce, I read it too. That is a beautiful picture of her. I thought her face just radiated Christ. Praying for Dennis.
SOS PRAYER REQUEST — I RECEIVED THIS E-MAIL CONCERNING TAMMI:
I know Tammy Luccioni from Jesup, GA, has been doing a Bible study with you. I just wanted to let you know she has been missing since this morning. She went out to walk her dog around 6 or 6:30, and about a half hour later her ex-husband heard the dog scratching at the door. The dog was home, but no Tammy. Her car, keys, purse, money, cell phone were all at home. The police and GBI are involved. Please pray for her safe return. If there is any information you think could shed light on her state of mind, or any bit of information that could explain her disappearance, please let me know and I can forward it to the authorities.
OH Dee! My heart just sank! I hope she is o.k.!! praying..
oh Dee, praying for dear Tammy–please keep us posted.
praying!!! OH my, how scary!
PRAYING! sent you a msg through contact section a little while ago
Oh my, this sends me chills, Tammy made a sweet comment to me on Facebook this weekend. I am praying now and will continue until I hear. Please keep us posted. Jesus wherever Tammy is please bring her home safely and hide her under your wings.
prayers go out to Tammy!
Oh my Goodness, Tammy loved her little doggie, so much, she would never leave him. Please Lord bring out Tammy back!
Praying Dee!
Will be praying for her safety and return.
Oh my, Prayers for Tammie. Lord, return her safely home. Please keep us posted.
Dear Lord we don’t know where Tammy is or if she is safe. Please help her in her time of need. Thank you for wrapping your strong arms around her and comforting her. Lord please find Tammy for us. We pray in Your Holy Name. Amen.
2. Read the word picture that Nathan gave to David in 2 Samuel 12:1-6. Why do you think it got to David’s heart?
It communicated the story of what was going on in David’s heart in a loving-confrontational way. I think this word picture got past His mind and seared his heart before he realized it was about him and David’s heart was tender so he didn’t reject it. So it readied his heart to hear the truth.
3. Do one of the three exercises (song, psalm, picture) above for word pictures and tell us here what you did.
I went to Hosea 6 and landed on verse 3: “Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” -All my fountains are in you Lord!! (Psalm 87) :-)
I DON’T want to be like this, 4b: “Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears.”
1. What stood out to you from the above and why?
Both the word picture Dee used for Steve, and the one the daughter used, moved me.
I think it’s interesting how a word picture paints a scene for the other person to become a part of—an experience. It evokes emotion, using more senses, which allows deeper understanding. In contrast, when I try to communicate my feelings with just words, all the emotion rests with me and often that deeper understanding isn’t found.
If anyone has time to search the blog and figure out the last time Tammi was on and her state of mind, that might be helpful. Thanks so much.
Dee
Dee–if you mean search your blog, she was last on here jan. 14–praying for Joyce. I don’t have a FB account, so I can’t search anything like her face book page.
The days before that, she wasn’t doing so well–but I believe susan helped her privately via email
That’s helpful. I will check with Susan. Thanks, Elizabeth.
DEE,
I JUST SAW THIS ABOUT TAMMY – MY HEART IS QUAKING WITH FEAR. I WILL GET OFF NOW AND GET ON MY EMAIL – TAMMY AND I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH THROUGH EMAIL AND I WILL CHECK THE LAST TIME SHE EMAILED ME.
This is so sad! Praying for her. I am a FB friend and her last entry was the 19th. It said, in all caps. FORGIVE ALL WHO HAVE WRONGED YOU. MAKE YOUR HEART A SAFE HOUSE OF LOVE!
And on the 17th, Jesus tells me, I know you truly love me when you keep my commandments: Love God. Love your neighbor.
Thanks, Angela. That might be helpful. Doesn’t sound despondent.
Dee, was just going to post something similar, but will email you instead.
will do
ICEBREAKER
1. What stood out to you from the above and why?
The whole idea of using word pictures, imagery, to speak truth to our souls.
The example of the family where the dad was leaving them for another woman, and the daughter telling him her dream, how it was he who had hit them and left them on the road, shows how this picture penetrated his heart like words and arguments could not.
The verse we are to memorize from Ephesians grabbed my attention b/c I’ve been memorizing Colossians 3:5-10 which we also looked at, and Col 3:10 and Eph 4:23 are so similar, and both use that word “renew”, which got “radioactive” for me when I saw it in Colossians, and the literal meaning being “renovate”.
…and have put on the new self who is being renewed (renovated) to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him. (Colossians)
…and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds. (Ephesians) The NIV says it this way, “to be made new in the attitude of your minds.”
I did a little online word studying. The verb anakainoo means “to renew” or “to renovate”. The noun anakainosis, or “renewing”, is related to the verb anakainoo and carries the sense of renovation to a different, rather than a younger, state.
Matthew Henry’s commentary of Ephesians 4:23 said to “use the proper and prescribed means in order to have the mind, which is a spirit, renewed more and more”.
Spirit – “pneuma” – ghost, life, spirit, mind.
Mind – “nous” – the intellect, i.e. mind (divine or human; in thought, feeling, or will); mind, understanding.
Susan — I’m glad to see you. Just e-mailed you about Tammi. Please read the above and tell me if you know anything about her state of mind!
Thinking more about images. God drew me to Him with this. So cool now I think of it. I knew him as early as I can remember. He drew me out to quiet places to pray but did not know Him as Savior. When I took confirmation classes at age 12 I learned about the cross. I was so torn because He was my best friend and I did not think I deserved dying for or did not want to accept my best friend died for me. So I said it was too hard to accept. I went to sleep and had a dream. All these people including me were in barrels going over niagra falls. Everyone crashed to their death at the bottom in line. Then it was my turn to go over…A big bright hand reached out and lifted me up…I heard Him say, I will never leave or forsake you. Did not know that was Scripture at the time but I knew it was Him saying this is right, the cross. I died for you. So I woke up and accepted it.
I have had a few other dreams like that since. Also, He gives me ideas in my head when I seek wisdom. Like how to discipline my kids. I am dumbfounded and cry out to Him and He shows me what to do. Dependence on Him is key. I love how He speaks personally to us like that!
TAMMI HAS BEEN FOUND! THIS FROM HER FRIEND:
Thank you for responding. She was found this morning, had wandered into the sheriff’s office disoriented, did not know who she was, with her blood pressure out of whack. She is at the hospital now being checked out. I will relay any information as it comes. She mentions your site many times and about what it means to her. Thank you for praying.
Thank you, thank you Jesus. Thank you for never letting Tammy out of Your sight. Thank you for letting her be found and that she is okay. Please help the doctors understand what has happened to her. We are so thankful, Lord. We were so afraid for her. Thank you for hearing our prayers, and taking care of our sister, Tammy.
We trust in You You are the Great Physician, we trust YOu to heal Tammy.
Amen and Amen.
SO GOOD TO HEAR, my heart was sick!!!!!!!!!! Thank you Jesus for having her walk into the sheriff’s office-Oh thank you Lord.
Thank you, Lord. (tears of relief)
Thank you Lord… I am so relieved my heart was sick!
Mine too, Meg. Thank you Jesus!
Oh Lord, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! Please make her well.
thank the Lord! That was the most intense two minutes I have spent in my life!
Just reading all this about Tammy now. Praying she is OK. God certainly had his hand on her to take her to the sheriff’s office. Wow! “Be not dismayed whate’er betide. God will take care of you.”
Just saw this http://www.wtoc.com/story/16575349/jesup-police-dept-need-your-help-locating-a-missing-woman
What a praise!! Wonder what happened? Just her health?
Praise God!!!! Lord, be with Tammie and may all the help she need be provided. Send her all kinds of people to surround her with your love, wisdom and help.
Thank you Lord! Thank God for our community of faith!
1. What stood out to you from the above and why?
The first was this: Print off the lyrics to this song or another that moves your heart and tape it up in your shower and start singing.
Now, how am I supposed to keep that piece of paper dry while I’m showering? And how can I read the lyrics without my glasses and with shampoo in my eyes??
Boy, you sure make things tough on us sometimes!
hehehe. Glad for some comic relief right about now!!
Yes — it is good to laugh.
Quick story. When my daughter Sally was young she had a laminated prayer list in her shower. Her room was also our guest room, so guests would often come up and say, “I prayed for Darling today.” (Sally’s aging springer spaniel.)
My sister Bonnie stayed there and came up and said, “I prayed for unsaved relatives today. I think she meant me.”
Dee, smile! God sure has been going after Bonnie! ;-)
Love this Dee! God is so awesome!
Oh now that is good thanks Dee. :)
Dawn, LOL! :-)
Omgoodness, I am practically crying tears of joy, thank you God for the blessing of laughter today! Dawn, you cracked me up! Apparently I obey without question when Dee says to b/c I saw in my mind my Psalm up above the shower covered in plastic. It didn’t occur to me I wouldn’t be able to read it w/o my glasses! Guess I better memorize mine.
Too true! I love it. I too thought about putting plastic on my song, forgetting that I can’t read without glasses. You are a riot, Dawn.
4. Read Ephesians 4:17-19
A. Note the command in verse 17. What relationship do you see between the mind and the walk? It says to no longer live as the gentiles do in the futility of their thinking.
B. How does verse 18 begin, and what does that do to their relationship with God? They are darkened in their understaning.. it affects their relationship with the Lord casue they are living in the darkness.
1. What stood out to you from the above and why? I felt such compassion for my husband when you told of the word picture you gave Steve. It has never occurred to me until now that he may be feeling unable to keep up with me too. I am a leaper and he is slow and sure. I also felt as if the words, “which belongs to your FORMER manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires” jumped off of the page and onto my heart. It’s time to leave the old and walk in the new for me.
I am thrilled with this lesson for I am a visual person. I can see wallpaper up before it’s hung or a dress before I sew it. I also remember a dear friend telling me she was able to overcome temptation to overeat when she imagined the devil looking like a budda, sitting in the corner belly laughing at God.
I am excited to what visual aides God will give me today as I seek Him.
oh my goodness, I know Kim!! im sure that is how paul feels with me all the time!!
Yeah — I can picture your husbands on either wing, holding on for dear life.
Ladies
Just wanted to let u know that I am trying out a young adult group at my church this Wednesday and they are starting a study called r 12 by chip Ingram it’s on Romans 12 do if I go and I like it I will not be doing the blog anymore I am already in the Daniel study so to be doing 3 studies would be too much for me but I will let u know like I said I am going and trying it out to see if I like it! Love you sisters !
oh Meg, we would so miss you! But, I listen to Chip Ingram when I can and his r 12 study sounds really good. I will be praying for God to give you wisdom and peace in your decision–and if it is to leave the blog study, I really hope you’ll check in when you can and let us know how you’re doing.
love & prayers my sister~
Meg,
I also listen to Chip on the radio and have heard messages from this series – it is a really good, practical study in Romans 12. But…I am sad if you leave us, but I would hope you would keep in touch with us and let us know how to pray for you and how you are!
We would miss you — but Chip is wonderful — so if you do it — just check in now and then and say hi! You are loved here.
Blessings to you Meg as you go where God is leading. I haven’t been in this study long, but you will be missed.
Praying for you, Tammy…please get well and come home here with us.
Joyce,
How are you? This must be such a hard time for you! How is Dennis and the rest of the family? Thoughts and prayers are with you! What an awful scare we all had this morning – I keep thinking about Tammy, too….I hope we can hear from her as soon as she is well enough!
4. Read Ephesians 4:17-19
A. Note the command in verse 17. What relationship do you see between the mind and the walk?
The command says “in the name of the Lord” they were to walk the walk if they were of Christ. Anything else would be futile or ineffective in showing their faith. For us, if we are to say we are Christians then we too must walk the walk or others won’t believe us and won’t come to the lord themselves. We are being hypocrites.
B. How does verse 18 begin, and what does that do to their relationship with God?
It speaks of them not having the light, but being in darkness. It separates them from God.
2. Read the word picture that Nathan gave to David in 2 Samuel 12:1-6. Why do you think it got to David’s heart?
The thing that strikes me, is that while David had not confessed his sin to the Lord, but in God’s grace, He sent Nathan to David—evidence that God initiated, He was at work—without that, nothing would have softened David’s heart. A good reminder to me of the power of intercessory prayer—asking the Spirit to start the work in someone. For David’s part, he listened, he let Nathan speak. Nathan used imagery that David could relate to-sheep, and evoked a tender place in David. It was not a direct attack on David that might have led to defensiveness, he used a word picture—allowing David to enter into the scene, the experience, and then feel the conviction himself when he realized how it portrayed himself.
3. Do one of the three exercises (song, psalm, picture) above for word pictures and tell us here what you did.
Bible Study: Monday-Wednesday
I may come back with some new ones, but a few pictures I use often already come to mind—so I want to share those, if that’s OK?
About 10 years ago, I heard a sermon on Abraham and Isaac, entitled “What is your Isaac?”—asking, what are the things God is asking me to give up to Him. I was deeply convicted, and ever since, I have this place pictured in my mind—of an altar, before the Lord. When I feel myself clinging to something—good, bad, big, small—today it was my concern over a package getting to someone in time, other times it’s parenting, health, or relationship issues…but when I feel myself going back to that thing too often in my mind, I say “take it, Lord”, and I picture myself laying it down on that altar. Some things are obviously harder to walk away from, some things I linger on, but it has helped me SO much. I know that when I have given Him something—my reputation, my emotions, my sin…He takes it, He knows what to do with it, and I trust Him.
Another big image for me, is a simple one I’ve shared with my kids too. It came from a quote in an Elisabeth Elliot book, I read in college. Removing myself from “my inner throne…and enthrone Him”…I picture a big gold throne in my heart. When I recognize my actions display that I’ve squeezed myself into His Throne—I’m convicted, humbled, scared at the thought of actually trying to rule my world, and I know I must crawl back down and then enthrone, worship, Him—glorify Him, allow His weightiness to overshadow all my “stuff”.
OK, can’t not mention the white horse! When Dee posted that painting so long ago, I was moved by it instantly. I saw His Power, His Rescue, and His deep, deep, love for me in that painting. Months later, when He brought a lone white horse before me on a field, I was awe-struck—not to be at all corny, but it was like this love-language, just for me!!
:0 sorry so wordy! Now I’m wondering if I mis-understood and should look to Scripture…but time for dinner so I better post now!
I liked how you said that the word picture allowed David to enter into the scene, the experience…
Your Isaac story is powerful. Jennie Dimkoff did something similar as a speaker with Jochebed and Moses — she had the women put their concerns in a basket and send them off, trusting God
Such good illustrations.
Lord, thank You for watching over Tammy. Thank You that she is getting needed medical care. We pray for Your continued provision for her. Protect her as they work to get her b/p under control. Comfort her now with the closeness of Your Spirit and clear her mind. And Lord, thank You for watching over her little dog too, for bringing him safely home.
Wheew!
Wanted to post one of the white horse. http://www.deebrestin.com/2010/04/he-is-coming-to-do-battle-with-the-enemies-of-his-bride/
So thankful that He is doing battle for us!
so glad you posted that Renee!
Love that picture! It reminds me of the image of God coming to my rescue in Psalm 18
4) A. Note the command in verse 17. What relationship do you see between the mind and the walk?
What we think in our minds, is how we act. Our words can say one thing, but “actions speak louder than words”—and reveal what is really in our heart and mind.
The positive inference is that if we fill our minds with real food, God’s Word, we will be “transformed by the renewing of our minds”…and our actions will change as our heart is changed.
B. How does verse 18 begin, and what does that do to their relationship with God?
They are darkened in their minds…they are alienated from God. Their ignorance, their hardened hearts, has separated them from Life.
C. Imagine another temptation such as gossip, unforgiveness, or over-eating
1) If you were to engage in one of the above, what lie would you first have to believe — how would you need to be “darkened in your understanding?”
If I am unforgiving, I have believed the lie that God is not just, that He is not fair—and I have taken matters into my own hands, believing the lie that I know better than Him.
I have also believed the lie that I am better than my offender, that we are not both desperately in need of the same grace, that my offender is worse, and undeserving of grace.
2) Come up with a word picture that would show your alienation from God should you choose to do one of these things
I mentioned above the one of being on the throne in my heart—playing Judge, the self-righteous one. Another one, particularly with unforgiveness, is the Older Son. I picture myself in the background—away from the heart of what’s going on, because I have left my heart, I have left any compassion, I am standing in the cold, dirt road, arms crossed, fuming mad, or sulking. I am replaying in my mind all the ways I was wronged and trying to tell God what He needs to do—why my offender is wrong, why I am justified. He is gracious, but knows my heart is hardened. I fester in that pain for a while until I see I am getting no where. Like tossed in the sea, I just swirl around, grasping at the same old lies to try to save me, I grasp, and the lies sink—they cannot uphold me long enough to save. I’m lost in it, I’m hurting, and I’m alone.
D. What happens to our hearts, according to verse 19, when we walk in our former way of life?
The play-dough hardens. We can’t feel Him, we aren’t mold-able. We become more and more insensitive to the Spirit, and the sin becomes easier and easier…the slippery slope…we are entangled.
I love your play-dough picture too. Every mother can relate!
4. Read Ephesians 4:17-19
A. Note the command in verse 17. What relationship do you see between the mind and the walk?
v. 17 “So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind” (NASB)
I read this in several versions to try to get a better understanding of the verse. The mind and the walk are closely related. The word “futility” means “The quality of having no useful result; uselessness. 2. Lack of importance or purpose; frivolousness.” It sounds to me as if it refers to trying hard to convince myself that something is right, even though I know it is wrong.
B. How does verse 18 begin, and what does that do to their relationship with God?
“being darkened in their understanding” — if I continue to try to convince myself that wrong is right, eventually my perceptions of right and wrong will change and I harden my heart toward God, distance myself from Him
C. Imagine another temptation such as gossip, unforgiveness, or over-eating
1) If you were to engage in one of the above, what lie would you first have to believe — how would you need to be “darkened in your understanding?”
Gossip: I’d have to believe that it is innocent, not harmful, that I’m only telling the truth. I wouldn’t see the harm that is does to the person I am “telling the truth” about — or the harm that it does to my own mind.
2) Come up with a word picture that would show your alienation from God should you choose to do one of these things
This is gross… But I see from the example of David that word pictures are especially powerful if they fit the person’s experience. SO, here goes: I gag very easily. I can gag or become nauseated from smells, visual images, fear, a tongue depressor, etc. (and even thinking about this is bringing on the physical sensations). Because gossip comes from the mouth, my word picture of gossip is vomiting on God and on the person who is the subject of gossip. Sorry for such a disgusting picture; I’ve been thinking about this for awhile, and it hits as it should.
D. What happens to our hearts, according to verse 19, when we walk in our former way of life?
Our hearts become callous/insensitive. “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.” This tells me once we become insensitive to sin, we just want MORE: addicted, falling in deeper, and not knowing the difference.
Graphic word picture! But good — shows it is not a “respectable sin.”
Renee, this part about gossip resonates with me! Oh how easy it is for me to rationalize gossip, as “just telling the truth”…reminds me too of when I am tempted to phrase someone else’s “stuff” as a prayer request to another, as if I am concerned…ick!
1. What stood out to you from the above and why? – I would have to say there were some very good points in Dee’s beginning and the sermon. What stood out for me from Dee was that people relate and understand so much better with pictures. When we were kids all the books read to us had pictures in them. You didn’t need to know how to read to understand what was going on you could tell the story just by what was happening in the pictures. I think that’s why Jesus told so many parables so we could get a better picture and understanding of what he was trying to teach us. So we could live a life that was pleasing to him. From the sermon what jumped out at me was “We are given over to things that become addictions and the more we get they still don’t satisfy.” If we could just realize that Jesus is are all in all, our comforter, our healer, our teacher, our strength, we would be so much better off. We would only have to turn to the One thing that matters for satisfaction which would make our lives so much simpler.
2. Read the word picture that Nathan gave to David in 2 Samuel 12:1-6. Why do you think it got to David’s heart? Because before the picture from Nathan, I don’t think that David thought too much about what he was doing to God by acting the way he was, but when Nathan describe it that way, it became more clear, but yet he still had to be told that it was about him and his actions.
3. Do one of the three exercises (song, psalm, picture) above for word pictures and tell us here what you did. – I had printed out and hung up by my desk at work back when Kyle was in Afghanistan the words to My Soul Finds Rest which comes from Psalm 62. This has so many word pictures in it that it was very helpful to me when I would start getting upset, nervous or anxious I would just read the words everyday and thru out the day to calm my spirit and mind. I still have it hanging there for those times that I need to find the rest in God alone.
Very good on Psalm 62 and the word pictures and Kyle in Afghanistan. So good, Julie.
So good, Julie. Were you referring to My Soul Finds Rest (Psalm 62) by Stuart Townsend and Aaron Keyes? I love that version. I had never heard it before until I looked it up just now on the internet.
That is the way the title of the song is written Diane, but it does not have who wrote it. Our worship pastor played right when I need it and I had my husband print out the words for me. It truly does lift me up when I need it.
Is Kyle your son?
C. Imagine another temptation such as gossip, unforgiveness, or over-eating
1) If you were to engage in one of the above, what lie would you first have to believe — how would you need to be “darkened in your understanding?”
You would have to believe that you can’t live without the thing. You must have it.
2) Come up with a word picture that would show your alienation from God should you choose to do one of these things
Well, I suppose if I were to choose over eating, it would be something from that movie “super-size” me, where the guy only eats from mcdonalds everyday for a month (I think). I’m not sure if that is what you want..is the word picture supposed to be something that takes us “aback?” or is it supposed to be from the above choices of the psalms, the Christian music, or the prior paintings? I’m kind of confused with this. I’m not supposed to like the idol based on the word picture, right?
D. What happens to our hearts, according to verse 19, when we walk in our former way of life?
Our hearts become insensitive, hardened, because we get used to the idol and forget what it is like to not have the thing in our lives. We are numb to outside “forces.”
I don’t know that movie, but I imagine that person got very big.
Word pictures are meant to help you see the reality of something — and keep it in your memory — whether it is something good, such as “His banner over me is love” or something bad, such as the danger of a sin, as you described
5. Read Ephesians 4:20-24
A. Keller makes a big point about the phrase “the truth is in Jesus.” Make note of this verse.
B. Verse 22 is your memory verse this week. Meditate on it and come up with at least five observations on this verse.
1- Someone took the time to give you the knowledge you needed to become new.
2- your former life is in the past.
3- you can change if you follow the teachings.
4- The old life can eat you up
5- The old life is a misleading one; one that is fake.
C. Be alert to put verse 23 into practice today. Write down at the end of the day what you did, how you used your imagination to resist temptation.
I have really been convicted this week, because of my hectic schedule, that I am pushing my family away from me. I am so busy that I don’t have time for them. I keep thinking of this word pictue where I am at the end of my life with no one around me because I thought school, work, etc was more important than them and they left me. I am going to try to do a kind deed for each of the family members today. I am not very good at this imagination thing, so it might be a long day!
:-) Let us know how it goes! I still can’t put it together how a dancer is so left-brained! But you are loveable!
Hope all went well with your day and the blessings you gave to your family.
2. Read the word picture that Nathan gave to David in 2 Samuel 12:1-6. Why do you think it got to David’s heart?
When I look at Psalm 32, which David wrote, he wrote “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me, my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.” This is a man who knew the experience of burying sin, being in denial, covering it up, closing his heart to God. He was miserable. After all David went through with Saul trying to kill him, and how close He was with God during that period of his life, he had to have tried to shut God out, to ignore the inner voice that what he was doing was wrong.
So Nathan comes, and, I like how Elizabeth put it, allowed David to enter into the scene; I think it awakened something in his heart that he had closed off because of his sin. David had always feared God. When he could’ve killed Saul in the cave, he wouldn’t do it; he only cut off a piece of his robe. He would not disobey his God. It spoke to the heart of the shepherd boy David, who had at one time loved and cared for sheep. I think Nathan’s word pictures broke open the dam he had built in his heart, and he humbled himself, and repented.
3. Do one of the three exercises (song, psalm, picture)above for word pictures and tell us here what you did.
I got a headstart on this one about a week ago. My daughter and I use a kids’ devotional called Keys for Kids. On 1/15, the story was called “Unwashed Hands”, and the reading was Psalm 24:1-5. In particular, verses 3-4 say,
“Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?
Who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not life up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.”
The story was about a Sunday school party where the girls were making sandwiches, and the teacher asked one if she had washed her hands before helping to prepare the food. She explained that we need to serve the Lord with “clean hands”, by first “getting rid of the dirt, the sin, in our lives”. When we are hanging on to sin and not repenting of it, or, it made me think of our study, when we are turning to our idols and not to God, and then serving Him, our hands/hearts are dirty.
I thought, even if I do something for someone, but underneath is the idol of I am trying to get approval, then it’s like I’m serving God with an unclean heart (dirty hands). I think of how many times a day I wash my hands and always before handling food. So this handwashing image has stuck with me and how I need to “wash my hands and heart” every time I detect an idol and the sin it produces.
In verse 4, I get the visual image of when I love my idol more than God, I am “lifting up my soul to an idol”. I think of how sacrifices were lifted up on an altar. That’s what I’m doing when I am being an idolater.
This led me to remember a song we sing in church by Chris Tomlin, “Give Us Clean Hands”, and so I am singing it. It is based on Psalm 24.
We bow our hearts, we bend our knees,
Oh Spirit come make us humble
We turn our eyes, from evil things,
Oh Lord we cast down our idols
So give us clean hands
give us pure hearts,
let us not lift our soul to another
Oh give us clean hands
give us pure hearts,
let us not lift our soul to another
Oh God let us be a generation that seeks,
seeks Your face, Oh God of Jacob.
I like the “wash my hands and heart” image Susan–so good
Beautiful, Susan.
My husband sings and plays that song on the guitar. Great song and great reminders. Thanks Susan.
Begin memorizing Ephesians 4:22 and say it every day.
As an overview (we will spend more than one week on this) read Ephesians 4:17-32
4. Read Ephesians 4:17-19
A. Note the command in verse 17. What relationship do you see between the mind and the walk?
We must not continue to live in the lies in our thinking..if we don’t renew our minds by being in the word-embracing His thoughts and making them our thoughts, and replacing our lying thoughts with His thoughts- then our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit will grow dim and we will turn and alienate ourselves from God.
B. How does verse 18 begin, and what does that do to their relationship with God?
The Gentiles are darkened in their understanding and therefore were separated from God.
C. Imagine another temptation such as gossip, unforgiveness, or over-eating
1) If you were to engage in one of the above, what lie would you first have to believe — how would you need to be “darkened in your understanding?”
Gossip-There are many lies with this one but the one I thought of is this: “I will render judgment on this person because I am in control, and I’m better.” It also feeds the comfort lie that I need to do this to feel better about myself.
I would be darkened in my understanding because the truth is that Jesus had every right to go before God and ‘tear me down’ to render justice against me because He is perfect, He is Holy, He is Omnipotent, yet instead of rendering judgment against me, he took my judgment on the cross so that He could be my advocate, and I don’t need to Gossip to feel better about myself because Jesus doesn’t go before God holding my sins against me-I am clothed in His righteousness- He is my bridegroom who delights in me.
2) Come up with a word picture that would show your alienation from God should you choose to do one of these things
I picture a life giving stream that once flowed so beautiful, trickling peaceful, sparkling as the sun danced on it, tasting so sweet, so satisfying passing my lips-quenching my thirst-but then I looked the other way to behold something delightful to my eyes-now the stream is all dried up and nothing is left but dirt and the imprints of my frantic footprints looking for something to drink to satisfy my soul-and I am left with nothing but a thirst that can’t be quenched.
D. What happens to our hearts, according to verse 19, when we walk in our former way of life?
We will lose sensitivity to the Holy Spirit-to God’s presence, and as we turn our face away from Him, slowly we will give ourselves over to our lusts-to our gods.
The stream image is SO powerful Rebecca–really spoke to me. WOW. I was taking it further in my mind–in real life, when a stream dries up for long enough that vegetation grows…it becomes disconnected from the Source which once flowed into it…so much application here!
Elizabeth, I didn’t think about the vegetation-great application!
I like your answer to A., Rebecca, about replacing the lies in our thoughts with the truth of God’s Word. Reminds me of one of our past lessons where we studied how we exchange the truth for a lie. When we dont replace those lies, we grow less sensitive to the Spirit.
Wow very powerful picture!
4. Read Ephesians 4:17-19
A. Note the command in verse 17. What relationship do you see between the mind and the walk?
The command is this: “So I (Paul) tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.”
The relationship between the mind and the walk is this – the unregenerated mind is darkened in its understanding and separated from the life of God. Because of its ignorance of God, and having lost all sensitivity due to having a hard heart, the person “walks” in sensuality and indulges in every kind of impurity, lusting for more and more. It immediately made me think of the passage we studied in 1 John 1:5-6; that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. So the person who is walking in the darkness can have no fellowship with Him.
It also makes me realize that it is unreasonable to expect an unregenerate person to change; they cannot. Trying to quote Bible verses to them to change them is like demanding they read a book in a pitch black room. They can’t see! “Thine eye diffused a quickening ray…” – that’s what they need.
B. How does verse 18 begin, and what does that do to their relationship with God?
“They are darkened in their understanding…” – I think I answered this above. They don’t even know they need a relationship with God; they cannot walk with Him.
wow Susan, I just saw this “Trying to quote Bible verses to them to change them is like demanding they read a book in a pitch black room.” Very powerful reminder to pray for the work of the Spirit in another’s heart, that the Light may be turned on!
Hmm..I was pointing fingers at those unregenerated Gentiles and not thinking about how it applies to me! God has brought me out of that same darkness I was once in, when my thinking was futile and my mind was darkened and had no understanding of God. And I walked in the ways of this world, to be sure.
But still, if I allow my mind to go where it should not, if I am not careful about the TV shows or movies I watch, or the kind of music/lyrics I fill my mind with, or if I pay attention to ungodly advice, the light God has given me can start to grow dim, and I get myself all mixed-up with wrong thinking and wrong attitudes, and it will affect my walk – my outward behavior, words. Wrong thinking must be replaced with God’s truth. I heard a sermon once that sin begins with a thought; we entertain it and play with it awhile, and it grows and grows until we act on that sin.
Thank you for sharing this Susan.. very convicting… I am having trouble not listening to secular music. I have to listen to what my client listens to while in MY car per mom. BUt that is going to be ending soon cause I FOUND A NEW JOB! WOOOO! anyway.. The music is catchy to me cause its what i listened to before i became a Christian. Your post has encouraged me to go on you tube this morning and listen to some worhsip music. thank you. Its also hard casue i met a new friend who is my age and she is just coming back to Christ and she has made some big changes but one of them is not her style in music so when i am over there i try to get her to listen to some Christian music.
You’re right, Meg, we have to be careful. There is some good secular music out there, we just have to be discerning. One thing about me you’d maybe not guess is, I like heavy metal rock. A few years ago before I had my hysterectomy, I bought this healing tape and it had this weird, new-agey peaceful “healing” music that was supposed to get my mind in the right place to think healing-thoughts – well, I hated it! It was like funeral music. When I put on some AC/DC instead, that made me feel revved-up for battle in the operating room!
Meg, I have been wondering about your job situation. This is good news.
Just in case someone else makes the same mistake I did–There is another free Keller sermon called “How to Change” (no 1 or 2 after it), on Galatians. It’s one I have saved on my ipod, we listened to it back in the early Fall…anyway, I just realized “How to Change 1″ is actually different, makes sense–I was wondering why it would not be on our Scripture, but thought just in case anyone else stumbled into it, I’d share that info :)
where do you find it Elizabeth? I went under the free sermons and i cant see to find it :(
Meg–Dee’s link is correct, I just thought it was one of the same name that I already had downloaded (confusing!). Here’s the link to the one Dee is referencing for this week: http://sermons.redeemer.com/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=17502&ParentCat=6
I wanted to alter this a bit as a fuller picture came to mind-more like a video now..:-) I am going a bit overboard, but i love this and see the importance of doing it more often. ;-)
2) Come up with a word picture that would show your alienation from God should you choose to do one of these things
I picture a life giving stream that once flowed so beautiful, trickling peaceful, sparkling as the sun danced on it, tasting so sweet, satisfying passing my lips-quenching my thirst. I turn my face and behold something more delightful gleams in the distance, so I run-I get closer and to my dismay-a mirage! I fall down, the sand falling through my hands as I attempt a drink. I turn around and look- nothing is left of the stream but dirt clutching the imprints of my frantic footprints, and I am left standing in the desert with nothing but a thirst that can’t be quenched.
C. Imagine another temptation such as gossip, unforgiveness, or over-eating
1) If you were to engage in one of the above, what lie would you first have to believe — how would you need to be “darkened in your understanding?” If i chose overeating.. I would be saying that God cant comfort me and be my satisfaction I am choosing food over him.
2) Come up with a word picture that would show your alienation from God should you choose to do one of these things. The picture that is coming up for me is me having my back turned to him and not being able to face him.
D. What happens to our hearts, according to verse 19, when we walk in our former way of life? we are full of Greed.
Some great word pictures above: Clean hands, life-giving streams – so good!
2. Read the word picture that Nathan gave to David in 2 Samuel 12:1-6. Why do you think it got to David’s heart?
This has long been a favorite story of mine. Nathan handled it so beautifully. It touched David’s heart b/c he put himself in the other guy’s shoes and when we do this-I try to do this often, it makes us consider why they do what they did and gives us an opportunity to see the situation from another angle. I always find it easier to forgive or let something go when I see it from another vantage point.
3. Do one of the three exercises (song, psalm, picture) above for word pictures and tell us here what you did. I read in the Psalms until I found verse that spoke to me about Him being my shield from temptation. Now when I want to go look for a snack I see myself with a protective barrier around me that helps me thwart off temptation. As to a picture, one of the most stirring pictures used in the study was the one of the Prodigal son. I no longer see myself as the older brother hiding and angry in the background.
I have that Rembrandt print hanging in my hall and love it. So good that was so pivotal for you! All of Keller’s sermons on that are free.
I hope this isn’t off topic, hopefully helpful–it’s from David Powlison that we watched last week. I was just having one of those “ugh” days and this is helping, or at least convicting me (a little too much, so I thought I’d share)! I found it on Gospel Coalition—it is by Justin Taylor referencing questions from David Powlison’s study ”The Dynamics of Biblical Change”
1. What is my situation? (What was or what will be my situation?)
2. How am I reacting? (or How did I react? How will I be tempted to react?)
3. What is ruling me? (Desires, expectations, fears, beliefs)
4. What are the consequences of my reaction? (Vicious circles)
5. Who is God? What does He say? What resources will He provide to help in my need?
6. How can I turn to God for help? (Hebrews 4:16)
7. How should I respond to the situation in order to honor God?
8. What are the consequences of living in faith and obedience? (Gracious circles)
Qs 1, 4, & 8 capture the “stage” or situation into which God places us providentially, both the varied circumstances that “come at us” (Q 1), and the situational consequences that result from how we respond (Qs 4 & 8).
Qs 2-3 & 6-7 capture the moral divide in human life, the paths of folly and wisdom respectively. Qs 2 & 7 look at horizontal dimension, how we live; Qs 3 & 6 explore vertical dimension, who we live for.
Thanks, Elizabeth. These are helpful questions. I’d like to listen to that study.
Great digging deeper questions.
4. Read Ephesians 4:17-19
A. Note the command in verse 17. What relationship do you see between the mind and the walk? – you have to set your mind on things that are good and pleasing to the Lord and to have nothing to do with the evil things of this world.
B. How does verse 18 begin, and what does that do to their relationship with God? – it starts out saying they refused for so long to deal with God. This does don’t make God happy. It’s putting idols in place of where he should be in your heart so your relationship with him would be nothing.
C. Imagine another temptation such as gossip, unforgiveness, or over-eating
1) If you were to engage in one of the above, what lie would you first have to believe — how would you need to be “darkened in your understanding?” – I have to say it would be unforgiveness as this was something I had to deal with a lot thru and after my divorce. The lie I would have to believe first is what most people say to you, that you have a right to be unforgiving for what he did to you. There’s no way you should forgive him, what he did was terrible and so on….
2) Come up with a word picture that would show your alienation from God should you choose to do one of these things – what I come up with for unforgiveness would be me sitting with headphones on listening to negative talk coming in on how I have the right to be that way, which would not allow for me to hear that still small voice of God telling me to forgive.
Julie — I am loving your heart.
I think forgiving is one of the hardest things to do, but also reveals a heart that wants God more than anything. Your word picture is excellent.
Julie, both your answers to C are really powerful. I can imagine as you said how easy it would be to feel justified to not forgive after a painful divorce. I am so sorry you had to endure such pain. Your word picture speaks to me to–I listened to that same “station” on my headphones for a lot of years!
C. Be alert to put verse 23 into practice today. Write down at the end of the day what you did, how you used your imagination to resist temptation.
So I tried really hard to not just be focused on myself and my own needs with school and work today. I made coffee for my husband, I made breakfast for my young son, I mended a pair of pants for my daughter, and I bought my older son a huge cupcake because he started college for the first time. I know these are very small things, but I tend to forget when I am engrossed in so much in my own life. I tried to focus on them at least a little bit. I will continue to do so.
D. Use your imagination to help you with the “old self” and the “new self,” or the old garment and the new garment.
What is the worst garment you’ve had on — imagine wanting to be rid of it!
I’m thinkin of a piece of clothing that is hot, scratchy, and bulky. Yuck!
Good, Laura. Loving as Jesus loves.
Great word picture — you who have no imagination! :-)
I am trying to find word pictures within Christian music so here goes….
I always sob when I sing “above all.” the chorus kills me:
“crucified, laid behind a stone.
You lived to die, rejected and alone.
Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall and thought of me, above all.”
I just can’t believe anyone could do anything so horrible to another human. Don’t I owe Him some respect? When I overeat, am selfish, yell at my kids, etc. I am forgetting the one who gave everything for ME. I need to keep the word picture of the rose, beautiful and unblemished in my mind so I remember what He did for me and then I will want to be true and faithful for Him. Thank you Jesus. I love you.
The other song is “write your blessed name:”
Write your blessed name, O Lord, upon my heart, there to remain so indelibly engraven, that no prosperity, no adversity, shall ever move me from your love.
To think, if His name was carved into my heart, then i am His forever. Nothing will keep menfrom Him here on this earth.
There you go! You are doing this lesson beautifully!
Laura dancer, YES! This is so good-I knew you could do it! :-) We sang “Above All” a long time ago-even put it on our CD-yet I didn’t really meditate on the word pictures as you have..you just gave me something I didn’t think to meditate on a long time ago-the word picture of the rose-your application was awesome.
5. Read Ephesians 4:20-24
A. Keller makes a big point about the phrase “the truth is in Jesus.” Make note of this verse.
I can’t wait to hear Keller’s insights on this!
B. Verse 22 is your memory verse this week. Meditate on it and come up with at least five observations on this verse.
(NIV) 22: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;”
- “You were taught”-Jesus is God and He had all the attributes of God-I am one with Him. In John 15 Jesus says He calls us friends. He has made everything known to us that He has learned from God. Jesus has equipped me with the Holy Spirit and with His power to put off my old self.
- They had to be ‘taught’ to put off the old self-which means the old self is still there, a slithery beast salivating at my door ready to slither through any crack I leave open! If I am not on guard, he will get through and slowly deceive me into thinking it’s o.k. to not forgive, it is o.k. to gossip, it is o.k. to run to food for comfort. There is a process of transformation I need to go through and part of that is being on guard-being able to discern the attributes of Jesus vs. the attributes of the ‘old self’ and then turning from the old self to Jesus instead.
-I think of the old self’s deceitful desires corrupting me vs. God’s desires making me to be more like Him-more beautiful, more Holy. What a contrast! I think of the fruit of the flesh vs. the fruit of the spirit-the fruit of the flesh is hate, murder, destruction, etc. The fruit of the spirit is, Sacrificial love-looking at one another’s interests as more important than your own-willing to give up yourself for someone else including all your rights. The flesh wants to step on others to obtain her rights and to live in comfort always at the cost of others.
-I am thinking of the old self’s ‘desires’-I am picturing Dee’s whirlpool illustration. These desires when they are of the old self are corrupt and our souls are like whirlpools sucking them in-ravenously and they won’t satisfy they only destroy so the whirlpool gets stronger and bigger. So I am thinking I must use that whirlpool to ravenously take in HIM instead and then He will enable me to put off the old self.
Great word pictures — the slithery beast, the whirlpool — and then the new self.
C. Be alert to put verse 23 into practice today. Write down at the end of the day what you did, how you used your imagination to resist temptation.
I am going to do that today.
D. Use your imagination to help you with the “old self” and the “new self,” or the old garment and the new garment.
What is the worst garment you’ve had on — imagine wanting to be rid of it!
I have a beautiful sweater I can’t wear anymore. I wore it a few weeks ago and it was tighter than usual because I accidentally dried it. It made me itch and scratch so bad I couldn’t wait to get home and take it off. As soon as I got home I rushed upstairs to get it off!
And the best?
I like garments that are comfortable, dependable, and practical, yet make me feel beautiful.
Cyndi said, “I lift up my arms to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to dress me.”
I really LOVED what Cyndi said here. There is so much vulnerability and yielding to God in that short sentence-how powerful!
B. Verse 22 is your memory verse this week. Meditate on it and come up with at least five observations on this verse.
You were taught
former way of life
put off your old self
which is being corrupted by its decietful desires.
Sorry I only found 4 here :(
C. Be alert to put verse 23 into practice today. Write down at the end of the day what you did, how you used your imagination to resist temptation. I am going to be “watchful” about this today!
Hey everyone
I am also having some trouble getting Keller’s sermon. I saw where someone reposted the link it, but it takes me to the same Redeemer page, where it directs me to go to Free Sermons and then I am only able to get the How to Change sermon that is on Galatians-not with a “1″ after the title.
I also can not find it on my Redeemer App on my phone??? Would love some help here bc I would love to listen to it!
Love this study Dee! I was just on my knees this morning crying out for a changed and softened heart. Love the Playdough and hot, itchy, wool coat examples some people mentione because that is a great word picture of how I feel. I will be reminding myself of Eph 4:17-24 for the rest of this week.
Thank you so much for all you give to so many.
Thanks for the help with the sermon in advance!
Kimberly
Kimberly — under SUNDAY MONDAY David posted a link that should take you to the right place. It will look like you have to buy it, but you will see the cost is oo — so just put it in your cart and it will be free. The sermon on the Redeemer ap is from Galatians but has the same title — so use David’s link instead for the Ephesians sermon.
Welcome Kimberly! Glad to have you.
Welcome, Kimberly. Hope you can figure out how the sermon download works. Make sure you click MP3 under the Format box after you set up an account. Keller’s sermons are great. I just downloaded this weeks.
Thank you so much-I am going to listen to it now!
*does anyone know how to change my subscription to this blog so that I don’t get every comment entry in my inbox? I love reading what everyone says but it is taking over my inbox! :) I went to manage my subscriptions but I am afraid if I check the top one that I won’t get the weekly blog from Dee??
Thanks!
I don’t know if you can do anything about it this week, but on next week’s lesson when you make your first comment, don’t check the box that says email me responses to this post and you won’t get any emails.
You could also try a filter in your email program that would put all emails from this blog into its own folder.
we sang this at church last Sunday and the words have been in my head ever since–they seemed so fitting for this week’s study, and vs 4 is filled with word pictures for me:
May the Mind of Christ,My Savior
1. May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and say.
2. May the Word of God dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through His power.
3. May the peace of God, my Father,
Rule my life in everything.
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.
4. May the love of Jesus fill me,
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing
This is victory.
4. C. Imagine another temptation such as gossip, unforgiveness, or over-eating
1) If you were to engage in one of the above, what lie would you first have to believe – how would you need to be “darkened in your understanding”?
When I am tempted to gossip, I think I must be first believing the lie that God doesn’t really love me, because I feel the need to make someone else look small, or foolish, or bad in some way in order to make myself look better. I am also believing the lie that God somehow made a mistake with the other person, that He doesn’t love that person very much.
2) Come up with a word picture that would show your alienation from God should you choose to do one of these things.
I once saw a movie about the life of Jesus (can’t remember which one, the title) but when Peter denied that he even knew Jesus, three times, even cursing; Jesus turns and looks at Peter, and their eyes meet. Jesus’ eyes are not condemning, not “how could you!”, not vengeful. Jesus looks at his friend, and He still loves him. Peter has to look away in shame, in horror at what he has just done. I often picture, in the midst of what I am doing, in this case, gossiping about someone, could I look into the eyes of Jesus and hold His gaze, or would I have to look away in embarrassment and shame; if I am knowingly and willingly sinning, how can I “look Him in the eyes?” The moment I must turn my eyes away from Him, I am breaking my fellowship with Him.
One other example; my mom was visiting me yesterday, and as we talked, I considered sharing some information with her about someone we both knew; something my former Bible study teacher told me about gossip, that “if you share something with someone who is not part of the problem, nor part of the solution, then it is gossip”, popped into my mind – that has always stuck with me. And the verse in Hebrews about seeing to it that no bitter root springs up in you so that it defiles others – I picture the bitter root in me that I have allowed coming out of me and coiling around the person I am with, poisoning them with the same bitterness. I chose to keep my mouth shut.
D. What happens to our hearts, according to verse 19, when we walk in our former way of life?
We lose our sensitivity to hear the Holy Spirit, our hearts become hardened. We begin to indulge our flesh with sin.
5. Read Ephesians 4:20-24.
A. Keller makes a big point about the phrase “the truth is in Jesus”. Make note of this verse.
Haven’t listened to sermon yet. I know Jesus called Himself “the Truth”. I need to be sure that everything I hear about Jesus and that I am taught about Him lines up with the plumb line of truth that is in Jesus.
B. Verse 22 is your memory verse this week. Meditate on it and come up with at least five observations on this verse.
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires” (NIV)
Living the Christian life is like always being in school. It says, “you were taught…” As a new believer, I had to be taught, through the Scriptures, through biblical teaching by pastors, in small groups studies, from older, more mature Christians, how to live in a new way. And the learning never stops, I always need to continue in it.
Paul is telling me to remember my former way of life; not to dredge it all up and feel guilt for the past, which has been forgiven, but to look back and see a clear delineation between the way I used to live and the way I am to live now. Thinking of my former way of life brings up images and memories – it is to be a useful exercise.
My “old self”, or “old man”, was who I was before Christ, the unredeemed person who lived the way I used to. The “old” doesn’t refer to age, but to an old, no longer useful or no longer serving any purpose, way of living.
I am to put off, lay aside, “get it off me”, my old self.
Ths old self IS (present tense) being corrupted by its deceitful desires. The old man still lives, and continues to be corrupted, continues to decay and break down. It makes me think of a decomposing corpse.
The old self/man is the one who believes lies and is deceitful.
C. Be alert to put verse 23 into practice today. Write down at the end of the day what you did, how you used your imagination to resist temptation.
Okay – that’s a tall order – but here goes! This is where the “rubber meets the road” – all of this studying does no good if I do not put it into practice!
Dear God,
Help me today to be made new in the attitude of my mind, to exchange any lies I believe with the truth.
D. Use your imagination to help you with the “old self” and the “new self”, or the old garment and the new garment.
What is the worst garment you’ve had on – imagine wanting to be rid of it!
What I imagine when I read in verse 22 that my old self/man is being corrupted….it makes me think of a rotting, decaying, foul-smelling dead body. That is the old me. I cannot even imagine picking up such a dead body and putting it on my back and carrying it around with me all day. But when I turn again to my old ways, that is exactly what I am doing – embracing a corpse.
Mary Kay looks so peaceful and beautiful at visitation last night. My word picture to help me get through the funeral this morning, is her smiling down at us because she hasn’t been able to smile for at least a year and a half. I know she is with Jesus and her loved ones. Please pray for Dennis and his kids, they are having a hard time of course. Maybe Steve will give Mary Kay a hug in heaven, for us:) Love you all
Praying for you all, Joyce…. I think that’s a beautiful thought – Mary Kay’s lovely smile.
Praying for all of you Joyce, for today and the days to come.
Will continue to pray for all of you to feel the comforting arms of Jesus around you. Great picture Joyce!
2. Read the word picture that Nathan gave to David in 2 Samuel 12:1-6. Why do you think it got to David’s heart?
David was a shepherd as a young boy. He wrote several of the Psalms, including Psalm 23. He sympathizes with sheep and shepherd and poor people.
3. Do one of the three exercises (song, psalm, picture) above for word pictures and tell us here what you did.
Renee linked us to Dee’s earlier blog http://www.deebrestin.com/2010/04/he-is-coming-to-do-battle-with-the-enemies-of-his-bride/ and I found it very intriguing. I turned to Psalm 45 and was struck by the phrase “oil of gladness” because of our discussion last week about the Lord giving us happiness.
“you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;” (Psalm 45:8)
I did an Internet search and discovered Spurgeon’s sermon called “The Oil of Gladness”. It was fascinating perspective on Jesus’ delight to do his Father’s will in spite of walking steadfastly toward the horrific death on the Cross. Jesus delight to do his Father’s will because of his deep fellowship with the Father and his delight in his followers gives us a good example for us. I still have not finished the sermon.
A quote from Spurgeon, “He [Jesus] is anointed [with the oil of joy/gladness]because he is righteous; we are anointed that we may be righteous, and thus in Christ we come into the condition in which it is safe for us to be glad, and possible for joy to dwell in us.” Spurgeon also pointed out one of my favorite passages that also has the phrase “oil of gladness/joy” as it applies to Jesus and to us.
Isaiah 61:1,3
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor; …
THE OIL OF GLADNESS instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.
As a person who tends to be very serious and not see the bright side of things, I find it hopeful that God gives us the oil of gladness as part of our garments that we may wear in spite of troubles all around us. We can have a calm, unworried demeanor because we know Who is in control of the ultimate outcome. (Isaiah 26:3) “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
I know I digress from the main topic but I found this all very helpful.
I love Spurgeon, Diane, and this quote you gave really touched me just now “thus in Christ we come into the condition in which it is safe for us to be glad, and possible for joy to dwell in us.”
Something about that “safe for us to be glad”–really like that part–not sure what all He wants me to see yet–something just resonated– going to linger on that in my bath now ;)
Kimberly — in case you don’t see my note to you above — here is help in finding the sermon:
Kimberly — under SUNDAY MONDAY David posted a link that should take you to the right place. It will look like you have to buy it, but you will see the cost is oo — so just put it in your cart and it will be free. The sermon on the Redeemer ap is from Galatians but has the same title — so use David’s link instead for the Ephesians sermon.
4. A. Note the command in verse 17. What relationship do you see between the mind and the walk?
The command in verse 17 is “you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.” The connection between mind and walk is a direct one. As you think, so you will walk. My husband and I went for a walk this morning. We live in the country. At the end of the short lane from our house, we always discuss which way to walk. It is impossible to in our mind walk “up” the road but actually walk “down” the road. As soon as we begin to walk down the road, the scenery and our conversation are immediately affected. Our minds cannot help but go down the road too. It seems obvious but it helps to realize that sometimes we say we will walk with Christ, but decide to do something that we know is wrong. (I’m thinking especially of something that we do persistently.)We think that it is a little thing (not REALLY a sin, just a weakness) and that Christ will forgive us and love us anyway. But without us necessarily knowing it, we have wandered away from Christ and wonder why we do not feel as close as we did before. It is because we have walked away by turning to our sin as our comfort or security. You cannot have intimacy with Christ and cling to your sin at the same time.
Angela, you are on my mind today. Praying for you and the little boy who is taking refuge under your wings. Was today the day that he was coming to stay full-time? I went on to your blog and your friends blog and read a little bit about your thoughts and about the little boy. God’s blessings upon you.
Praying with you for them, Diane. Thank you for your tenderness to the Spirit.
4 B. How does verse 18 begin, and what does that do to their relationship with God?
18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
They are darkened in their understanding. This is like a black hole. They think they are seeing clearly but they have this gaping blind spot which because they do not understand it, they ignore or try to get rid of. One of the things about black holes in space is that they tend to suck matter in towards them. I am not a scientist but I can see that applying to unbelievers as well as to us. If we do not turn continually toward Christ our blind spot becomes bigger and bigger and ends up devouring us.
4 C. Imagine another temptation such as gossip, unforgiveness, or over-eating.
1) If you were to engage in one of the above, what lie would you first have to believe — how would you need to be “darkened in your understanding?”
I really like the definition that Susan’s Bible teacher gave on gossip, “if you share something with someone who is not part of the problem, nor part of the solution, then it is gossip”. That definition helps me to pinpoint what gossip is in Christian circles as well. I tend not to speak gossip, (I have been trained to hold my tongue in public) but I often think it. What is the lie that I would have to believe to feel justified in my mental gossip? I think it would be that I am justified in my criticism because I am better than them. I think I could do a better job. I would not act as they did in that situation. It is pride or wanting control (perhaps perfectionism), I think, that makes me do this.
2) Come up with a word picture that would show your alienation from God should you choose to do one of these things.
When I mentally demean someone, I am slicing them to pieces in my mind. I cannot think kindly of them thereafter and tend to avoid them or act very coolly toward them, fearing their (imagined) dislike of me or their repeated poor actions. In other words, I am putting them in a box whereby I cannot be their friend. I am making them not worthy of my kindness or friendship.
D. What happens to our hearts, according to verse 19, when we walk in our former way of life?
19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.
When we walk in our former way of life, we become callous and give in to every kind of impurity. If we have a callous, our sensitive skin stops noticing the injury being done to it. In other words, it becomes easier and easier to disobey Jesus and do what is wrong. But we need to have soft skin (or hearts), noticing every slight against our precious Savior, Jesus, so that we quickly repent and do not lose our intimacy with Him.
Diane, Great point about “mental gossip”-hadn’t thought of that. I think we tend to think if it doesn’t come out of our mouths then it is o.k. and we stop paying attention to our thought life-good point.
Diane this is really good – “if you share something with someone who is not part of the problem, nor part of the solution, then it is gossip”. Thanks never thought of it like that before. Going to try and be conscience of it.
5. B. Verse 22 observations: You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
1) You were taught: i.e., “you already know this in your head”
2) (You) put off: requires some action (NASB = “lay aside”)
3) former: something is different now
4) “self”: this is so much more than clothing; “self” refers to someone’s whole identity
5) desires can be deceitful… have to examine their source (old self v. new self) in order to see if desires are from God. I liked the KJV “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.” This reminds me that allowing those conversations with the “old self” in my head can have damaging consequences.
Question: I always used to visualize this verse (or some other similar verses) with worn out clothing, rags, etc. But now when I’m focusing on this verse alone, I’m not seeing anything about clothing ??? Kind of reminds of new wine in old wine-skins passage, as if this verse refers to “new wine” and clothing to “new wineskins.” The reason I found the KJV is because I was looking for clothing/garments in the various versions of the Ephesians passage. I’m wondering if there is something in the Greek that parallels this with clothing (what got me thinking about this was the word picture about old self/new self below that first came into my head)
C. Be alert to put verse 23 into practice today. Write down at the end of the day what you did, how you used your imagination to resist temptation.
Well, the day isn’t over yet (and most of my communication with others today is via email or phone). I started to write an email asking a question. Then I went into explaining why I wanted/needed the information. I realized that I didn’t need to provide the explanation (about a student) unless I was asked. So, I deleted the explanation sentence. Much better habit to develop than telling people more than they need to know.
D. Use your imagination to help you with the “old self” and the “new self,” or the old garment and the new garment. What is the worst garment you’ve had on — imagine wanting to be rid of it!
Last spring, I was sick for quite awhile (about 3 weeks), and during 2 of those weeks, I could barely drag myself out of bed. After a week or two, I couldn’t stand myself. I don’t think I took a shower or bath for at least a week; I stunk and my pajamas stunk (and most likely, I would have been revolting to others even more quickly). After a week, I still didn’t have the energy to do laundry, but I could switch pajamas/clothes. When I just switched pajamas (which I did prior to the week being up), I still didn’t smell very good — but at least the outside was a little better! What I needed even more was to wash my hair and take a shower/bath AND to put on clean clothes.
God needs to “wash” my heart, and He provides the strength for me to put on clean clothes.
And the best? I can’t think of one specific garment right now, but something that is comfortable, fits well, looks good, isn’t too wrinkled and is CLEAN :) I prefer washable to dry clean only :-)
I really like your answer to C, Renee. Something came up for me with a friend today–I needed to decline an invite and was tempted to “explain why”…but I decided not to because in my case, I was trying to defend my standing in her eyes. I heard once something about when we want to give explanations for our reasons, we are often in defense mode, instead, let yes be yes, no be no. It’s hard for me though! ;)
4.A. Note the command in verse 17. What relationship do you see between the mind and the walk?
Their minds are set on worthless things so our minds must be set on Him, His word, His pleasure if we truly belong to Him then will we be able to walk righteously.
B. How does verse 18 begin, and what does that do to their relationship with God?
They can’t understand because they are in the darkness. They can’t fathom how to please Him.
C. Imagine another temptation such as gossip, unforgiveness, or over-eating
1) If you were to engage in one of the above, what lie would you first have to believe — how would you need to be “darkened in your understanding?” To partake in gossip I would have to believe that God doesn’t mind if I tear down people. That it is not really sinful but mostly I would have to ignore the Holy Spirit’s conviction to participate. The same goes for overeating-I would have to believe God doesn’t care, that it is not really sinful and ignore Him. I think I have been darkened in my understanding and I have brushed off His conviction but His light has shone down on me and I cannot ignore Him.
2) Come up with a word picture that would show your alienation from God should you choose to do one of these things
I imagine God frowning with displeasure and Him allowing a dark cloud to come between Him and me to separate us from fellowship.
D. What happens to our hearts, according to verse 19, when we walk in our former way of life?
Since they no longer have any sense of shame, they have become promiscuous. They practice every kind of sexual perversion with a constant desire for more. I particularly like the truth in the last line b/c I know when I get off on my own and walk as I once did I have an insatiable appetite for more and cannot seem to get enough food. It’s like I become someone else.
this is good Kim “I think I have been darkened in my understanding and I have brushed off His conviction but His light has shone down on me and I cannot ignore Him.” So true–we want to tell ourselves He doesn’t really care if we do (blank), but once the Light of conviction comes…!
5. Read Ephesians 4:20-24
A. Keller makes a big point about the phrase “the truth is in Jesus.” Make note of this verse.
V. 20 “But that is not the way you learned Christ!” Keller said that Psychology takes you to verse 19—tells you what’s wrong with you. But we only get past v. 19, through faith, the Gospel tells us what to do with what is wrong with us. He said the translation is—they learned JESUS, the historical Person. They heard Him, and were taught Him. And we are to be like Him.
B. Verse 22 is your memory verse this week. Meditate on it and come up with at least five observations on this verse.
I had memorized this long ago in NIV, but since my church has just changed to ESV, and that’s what Dee used–I’m re-learning, and that’s been so good–makes it new again.
1. I must “put off”—I have to do something. My responsibility is to obey as far as I am able.
2. That “something” I am putting off is feeding a need—it must be replaced.
3. ‘It” belongs to my old life—it doesn’t belong to me anymore, my new identity in Christ.
4. “It” lies to me—offers something it will never give
5. “It” exposes a desire that I have made an idol, an ultimate thing I must have.
D. Use your imagination to help you with the “old self” and the “new self,” or the old garment and the new garment.
What is the worst garment you’ve had on — imagine wanting to be rid of it!
Maybe not the worst, but a bad one—a formal I had made for me in college that did not fit at all! I had brought in a magazine picture of what I wanted—thinking I could look like the girl in the photo. It turned out awful–unflattering, practically falling off me, and I spent the whole evening consumed with insecurity and had an awful time!
The parallel to my old self—it doesn’t fit us. It’s not the “dress” we were created for—it’s an imposter. It looks fine on the hanger, but once it is on, you can’t wait to get it off. It accentuates our worst. Our minds are consumed with trying to fix it, trying to make it work, instead of just getting it off!
OK, this just happened today so I decided to add it. My “all boy” 5 years old rolled down the hill at the park into a mud puddle. He laughed hysterically until I had to laugh, BUT, then he said he felt “SO icky” and could we please go home! His clothes were covered, and he insisted on wearing just his underwear for the drive (a few blocks) home. As we pulled up, he said, “mamma, can we get me ALL clean and then put on my pj’s?” It was only 1pm, but I smiled thinking how he just wanted that ick off and then to get in his favorite cozy attire. I could so relate.
And the best?
Other than MY favorite PJ’s, I’d say my wedding dress. I had designed it exactly as I had always dreamed. It fit perfectly and I felt beautiful—not something I was used to feeling, but that day I did.
Our New Self is designed just for us. It is what we were created for. Our new self shines with beauty because it reflects not who we are, but Who He is, and who He created us to be, in Him.
perfect word picture for putting off and putting on!
Elizabeth, love the way you connected how the dress wasn’t the “dress” you were created for and how it doesn’t fit and you just want to get it off, in contrast to the new self how God designed it to “fit”-I hadn’t thought about that-Great word pictures!
6. How do you feel about pictures of Jesus and why?
Maybe there have been some that bother me, but mostly—I think it’s just evidence of our human-ness, and they can aide us in drawing closer to Him. I tend to need something tangible, even if it is only an image in my mind. I don’t see that as sin, just my limited ability to fully know and comprehend Who He is, because of my humanity. I think if it draws us to Him, and we realize at the same time the impossibility of capturing Who Christ is on paper, it’s OK. I also grew up Catholic, so I’m kind of used to them—and my drawing of Jesus “won” 1st place in elementary school ;)
You grew up Catholic? Wow!
When Dee & Renee mentioned Eugene Peterson’s “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction” , I picked It up. My husband “stole it”, which is OK, he’s a better reader! But today he read me this, on repentance. I thought it was so good:
“Repentance is not an emotion. It is not feeling sorry for your sins. It is a decision. It is deciding that you have been wrong in supposing that you could manage your own life and be your own god; it is deciding that you were wrong in thinking that you had, or could get, the strength, education and training to make it on your own; it is deciding that you have been told a pack of lies about yourself and your neighbors and your world. And it is deciding that God in Jesus Christ is telling you the truth. Repentance is a realization that what God wants from you and what you want from God are not going to be achieved by doing the same old things, thinking the same old thoughts. Repentance is a decision to follow Jesus Christ and become his pilgrim in the path of peace.”
Elizabeth, Loved this-I was going to highlight some of it and ended up highlighting all of it-so good!
Thank your husband for this, please.
This is excellent. Thanks for sharing this.
6. How do you feel about pictures of Jesus and why?
For me it depends on the message of the picture. I have encountered pictures that bother me, and some that move me. I try to focus more on the overall message of what the artist is portraying in pictures and paintings. I do think God has given us an imagination and it isn’t sinful or wrong to paint pictures of Jesus unless we demean him in them. Actually it can be a medium God uses to highlight His attributes, and can also be a way to bring us into worship-depending on the message. I am thinking of many wonderful pictures of Jesus I have seen such as the one in our study of Mary washing his feet. Of Jesus holding a girl in a white robe.
5. C. Be alert to put verse 23 into practice today. Write down at the end of the day what you did, how you used your imagination to resist temptation.
I was mostly at home working today, so I kept my Bible on the kitchen counter and paused several times today to read the verse and to see if I could say it by memory. I said it out loud, and prayed through it. Since I was alone, I didn’t have to worry about outward behavior toward another, however, a big area for me is my thought life, especially brooding over an offense or thinking negative thoughts, for example, about my husband. When I found my mind turning to a wrong attitude, I pictured turning away from my old self, the old reactions and habits. I kept the Christian radio on and tried to listen to the truth to fill my mind with that, and actually heard a couple of encouraging programs related to marriage. I kept remembering what Dee said about how if we walk in the light we know, God will give us more light. When a wrong attitude surfaced, I pictured a dark corner of my basement, and Jesus taking a broom to it and sweeping it out. I reminded myself that “the Master Renovater” is at work in me!
love the basement picture–i don’t have one, but I’ll use my garage…or my kitchen floor at the moment ;) really good word picture Susan!
Susan, Loved this: “I kept remembering what Dee said about how if we walk in the light we know, God will give us more light. When a wrong attitude surfaced, I pictured a dark corner of my basement, and Jesus taking a broom to it and sweeping it out. I reminded myself that “the Master Renovater” is at work in me!” -This is a great word picture.
7. Listen to the Sermon you downloaded above. (Thursday – Friday) and share your notes with us or what stood out to you.
Such a great sermon. I loved how he said Science/Psychology can tell us what is wrong with us—takes us only to Ephesians 4:19. It tells us who we are, but not who we ought to be. Paul, the Bible, the Gospel—continues, it tells you what to do with who you are—it tells us we are to be like Jesus.
To take off something requires an action from me. I am not passive, I am responsible to live in obedience. But there is a need beneath what I have put on—something I am using it to feed, so it must be replaced. If I have been “wearing” unforgiveness, it is feeding my self-righteousness, my desire to be right, to be justified by my own works. It is feeding a desire to put myself above the wrong doer. To take it off, I expose that need in me.
So I must put something in it’s place. I do what He has called me to do, I love, I forgive, as He does.
The renewing comes from Him. Being made new is a continual, progressive process—going on all the time. There is a balance between my responsibility, and His work in me. I am neither totally passive nor totally active, I cooperate with Him in my renewal.
I liked what he said from Elisabeth Elliot—her book on loneliness. She said 1) take your alone-ness (or apply to whatever we are struggling in) and put off self pity. 2) put on obedience—serve Him uniquely out of your situation. 3) pray constantly, asking Him to take it away—give it to Him
I thought about my years of infertility and I wish I had heard this wisdom then. To have put off my self-pity; put on serving Him as I was uniquely fit to do at that time; and pray continually for Him to take the bitter pain away, leaving it at the altar.
I liked the loneliness part too. You are using those painful years now, Elizabeth.
D. What happens to our hearts, according to verse 19, when we walk in our former way of life? – Your mind is so numb to what is right or wrong you don’t even know what you are doing. It’s like you’ve taken to much cold medication and it’s fogged your brain so you aren’t even aware that you are doing something to hurt yourself, someone else or more importantly Jesus.
5. Read Ephesians 4:20-24
A. Keller makes a big point about the phrase “the truth is in Jesus.” Make note of this verse.
B. Verse 22 is your memory verse this week. Meditate on it and come up with at least five observations on this verse. - Ephesians 4:22 – Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything-and I do mean everything-connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life-a God-fashioned life, (Ephesians 4:22 MSG) -
1. We’ve been taught; 2. Gather all the junk in your life; 3. Get rid of the garbage in your life; 4. Learn a new way of life; 5. Make God happy with your new God-fashioned life
C. Be alert to put verse 23 into practice today. Write down at the end of the day what you did, how you used your imagination to resist temptation. – Did not have a good day today, was upset with a call I got from Kyle so will have to keep working on this one.
D. Use your imagination to help you with the “old self” and the “new self,” or the old garment and the new garment. – for me this reminds me of when you go and get your hair cut, you get rid of all bad ends and once done, you all fresh again and feeling good about yourself. So to have a God-fashioned life you need to keep cutting off the old life so the new life will be able to grow out.
What is the worst garment you’ve had on — imagine wanting to be rid of it! – this is going WAY back to the time in grade school with the ugly gym uniform you were made to wear. It did nothing for my self esteem.
And the best? – this for me would be the dress I wore for my recent marriage. It was a time of starting over to begin a new life with a man who loves the Lord like I do.
Love the gym suit story — I’d forgotten that embarrassment. Wonderful. What a thing to do to an adolescent girl — and then make her shower with everyone!
oh Julie, the gym uniform IS a good one! Back in the days before poly-ester was acceptable ;0
6. How do you feel about pictures of Jesus and why?
I think pictures of Jesus are helpful reminders to us of who we are trying to emulate. They remind us of what He did for us, and they give us hope of meeting Him and being cared for by Him. When I first started this blog, almost a year ago, I remember listening to a Keller sermon where he talked about meeting Jesus and He would greet us with a blessing where he kisses us and says how much he loves us. I can’t remember it now but I have the sermon and I remember thinking what a great visual! I’m going to search now……
Laura-dancer, that is a great visual. Would love to hear the sermon if you can find it.
This song has been going around in my head all week its called Amazed by phillips craig and dean. I just wanted to share it! Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMYReIv1ax4
Love it too.
Glad to see you still here!
C. Be alert to put verse 23 into practice today. Write down at the end of the day what you did, how you used your imagination to resist temptation.
Ok, I didnt do so well on this part.. was so frusterated at my clients mom that i called someone to talk about it with… which was wrong cause i was complaining the whole time. :(
D. Use your imagination to help you with the “old self” and the “new self,” or the old garment and the new garment.
What is the worst garment you’ve had on — imagine wanting to be rid of it! The worst garnment i think would be something that itches like a sweater or something or even being “too hot” in the summer time and wanting to take clothes off but cant!
And the best? The best would have to be my pajamas i feel so comfortable in them.. or even sweatpants. I love days when i can just wear sweatpants all day!
Ladies
Just wanted to share about last night!
I went to the young adults group at my chruch and they didnt start the r12 series.. that will be next week but I had a GREAT time.. will defiently be going back.. as to the study they said that there are fill in the blanks and questions that we are going to answer but no homework by the sounds of it… so i think that I will be able to stay! I think…… I will see how it actually goes next week!
Meg, Yeah! Glad to hear that! :-)
Rebecca,
I heard this this morning on Joni and Friends on the radio and I thought of you, and your word picture of the stream – it was Joni singing this from the hymn “Satisfied” –
All my life I had a longing
For a drink from some clear spring,
That I hoped would quench the burning
Of the thirst I felt within
Refrain
Hallelujah! I have found Him
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings,
Through His blood I now am saved.
Susan, Oh my..that is soooooo good. Love this! I am going to google that hymn and look up the whole song. Thanks!! I found a great hymn on a hymn website the other day and couldn’t find the song! I wanted to learn it. It is called “All for Jesus, All for Jesus!”
Here are the words.. I found the piano music, but not the melody line for the lyrics. :(
All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
All my being’s ransomed pow’rs;
All my thoughts and words and doings,
All my days and all my hours.
All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
All my days and all my hours.
All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
All my days and all my hours.
Let my hands perform His bidding;
Let my feet run in His ways;
Let mine eyes see Jesus only;
Let my lips speak forth His praise.
All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
Let my lips speak forth His praise.
All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
Let my lips speak forth His praise.
Worldlings prize their gems of beauty,
Cling to gilded toys of dust;
Boast of wealth, and fame, and pleasure;
Only Jesus will I trust.
All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
Only Jesus will I trust.
All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
Only Jesus will I trust.
Since mine eyes were fixed on Jesus,
I’ve lost sight of all beside—
So enchained my spirit’s vision,
Looking at the Crucified.
All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
Looking at the Crucified.
All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
Looking at the Crucified.
Oh, what wonder! how amazing!
Jesus, glorious King of kings,
Deigns to call me His beloved,
Lets me rest beneath His wings.
All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
Resting now beneath His wings.
All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
Resting now beneath His wings.
Source: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/444#ixzz1kZfq79Ua
Susan, I just found the rest of the lyrics to “Satisfied”!!! IT IS SO GOOD and applicable to our study!! I am going to try to find the song on You Tube when I have time today. I love these lyrics. I have to leave now to take the boys to school..
Here they are:
All my life I had a longing
For a drink from some clear spring,
That I hoped would quench the burning
Of the thirst I felt within.
Hallelujah! I have found Him
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings,
Through His blood I now am saved.
Feeding on the husks around me,
Till my strength was almost gone,
Longed my soul for something better,
Only still to hunger on.
Hallelujah! I have found Him
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings,
Through His blood I now am saved.
Poor I was, and sought for riches,
Something that would satisfy,
But the dust I gathered round me
Only mocked my soul’s sad cry.
Hallelujah! I have found Him
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings,
Through His blood I now am saved.
Well of water, ever springing,
Bread of life so rich and free,
Untold wealth that never faileth,
My Redeemer is to me.
Hallelujah! I have found Him
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings,
Through His blood I now am saved.
Rebecca,
This is the traditional melody, but I noticed there is a more contemporary one on youTube, too. http://youtu.be/X7UR21IO9gw
I’m realizing I have good memories of old hymns!
Renee, you are amazing!!! Thanks!!!! :-) I looked all over for one and couldn’t find it on You Tube.
Rebecca–I’m thinking you are long overdue on giving us a youtube of YOU singing again :)
Great lyrics to this song “Satisfied”, Renee.
Just realized that I should be thanking both Rebecca and Renee for Satisfied. Thanks, Rebecca, for providing the lyrics and thanks, Renee, for providing the musical accompaniment.
Rebecca, did you see the links on the right side of the page (at the link you provided above). I think one of the pdfs has the melody line for the lyrics.
Renee, haha! duh-I was in a hurry and didn’t look. I will have to look now. I was thinking-hmmmm…why don’t they have the melody line? ;)
This is really good, too!
6. How do you feel about pictures of Jesus and why?
I think it is okay to artistically represent Him; I think of how gifted, for example, Michaelangelo was and the works he did. I think we have to be careful, though, to not get too fixated on a picture or an actor portraying Him in a movie so that in our minds it kind of “becomes” Jesus, or we come to depend upon an image of Him for comfort or to help us. I haven’t watched the entire movie Passion of the Christ; I’m just hesitant to see an actor portraying Jesus at the Crucifixion.
Dee asked us this week to find a picture from past blogs that really spoke to you to help visualize His presence or His love.
For me, I keep going back to the one by Martin French of Hosea and Gomer. Gomer is on the auction block, wearing a scarlet red dress, looking down in shame; and Hosea is spreading his white garment over her to cover her. I just love that picture of kanaph, of covering, of protection. When I’m feeling my lowest, when I feel like I’ve failed again and how could God love me again, I think of that picture. Hosea represents Jesus.
Dee also asked us once when Jesus became real to us. Now I think of the difference between knowing about Him, and knowing Him. Knowing about Him is like looking at a painting of Him hanging on the wall; the day I first encountered Jesus is like the day He came alive and stepped down out of the painting and into my world!
Has anyone found the sermon by Keller on the free sermon page? I’ve looked for it but haven’t found it – I would like to listen online instead of downloading it.
5 B. Verse 22 is your memory verse this week. Meditate on it and come up with at least five observations on this verse.
Put off your old self – In the Narnian Chronicles, C.S. Lewis tells of a boy named Eustace who was so self-centered that he became a literal dragon in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. When he finally realizes that he cannot fix himself, he has to submit to Aslan, the Lion (who represents Jesus), to be “undragoned.” Aslan “undresses” him by peeling off his skin with his claws. It hurt terribly but it accomplished the “undragoning”. It is a beautiful story of putting off the old self and putting on the new self. Eustace doesn’t just change outwardly, but inwardly in his attitudes and character.
C. Be alert to put verse 23 into practice today. Write down at the end of the day what you did, how you used your imagination to resist temptation.
This morning in my church Bible study, one of the women was sharing about her heartbreak over her husband who has been suffering with chronic leg infections for four years. She is worn out trying to cheer him on and worried sick about the possibility that he might lose his leg. Oh, how my heart went out to her. She is struggling to trust God when God does not fix things according to the way she planned, a way that makes perfect sense in the world’s way of thinking. She wants him healed and God is not healing. I could identify with her so much. God’s ways so often do not make sense to us. I can see how God is making my heart tender toward her so that I can encourage her and pray for her.
D. Use your imagination to help you with the “old self” and the “new self,” or the old garment and the new garment.
This would be being “undragoned” by God, like Eustace (see above).
What is the worst garment you’ve had on — imagine wanting to be rid of it!
When I was pregnant the first time, my husband was a student and we had very little money. Someone gave me her old clothes from when she was pregnant. I was grateful for them at the time and wore them through three pregnancies. By the end of the third pregnancy, however, I was so sick of them. They had never been fashionable, but they made me look ugly and, of course, FAT. I was never so glad to give clothes away as those.
And the best?
My mother sewed beautiful dresses for me when I was a girl. She lovingly chose fabric with me and fitted each dress several times, fitting my body to a T. I never rightly appreciated how beautiful those dresses were until I was much older, wishing instead that we could afford store-bought dresses. Now I have beautiful memories of some of those dresses still.
Eustace a wonderful word picture for taking off!
oh Diane, the maternity clothes picture just made me laugh! I can imagine you being so gracious and sincerely thankful in receiving but bless you heart, to feel like you did–I can imagine your smile in giving them away!
Oh Diane, thank you for reminding us of Eustace, I can really relate to this visual and yes, it is painful but good to lose those layers especially when it is He who removes them.
Ladies just came on to ask for prayer .. Tonight was my last night with my client as i start a new job monday and i just got rid of my paper route 3 weeks agoo.. I am going through so many changes right now its overwhelming to me! PLease pray thanks!
praying for peace dear Meg~
Dear Jesus, please be near Meg right now, show Her how much you love her and calm her as only you can. We thank you for meeting all her needs. Amen.
Praying for you, Meg…you will do great:)
Praying for Tammy as well.
http://youtu.be/57nuZjAje_A This is Karen Earheart (with the OK Sister’s) singing a different song, but she sang both songs at the funeral, with her guitar. Her and her husband rent from Dennis and live near by him.
http://youtu.be/bLhHYwqpLRA This is one of the songs Dennis and Mary Kay liked and he picked it out for her, sang by Karen
http://youtu.be/Kod3Kx-CN5c Dennis picked this song also, sang by Karen also. She sings like an angel:)
Dee, The OK Sister’s sang at your daughter-in-laws, mother’s store, here at christmas time.
The funeral was beautiful and the sermom was so awesome, by pastor Lawrence Francis, about salvation and heaven. Thank you for all your prayers. Dennis still has alot of family around untill Sunday…he will be all alone, after then. We will be there alot, but this will be so hard for him, as there were so many people coming and going with the caregiver’s and Hospice and the preacher’s and family and friends. This is the part that is the hardest, when people forget. But he can’t because he put her needs first, before his own. Now he doesn’t know what to do with himself. Please keep him in your prayers, thank you.
5. Read Ephesians 4:20-24
B. Verse 22 is your memory verse this week. Meditate on it and come up with at least five observations on this verse.
*If I listen, God will show me right from wrong but I must be a willing participant.
*There should be distinguishing differences in the old life and the new.
*Putting off the old reminds me of removing a coat when I come in from the cold-it’s no longer needed.
*The old life is being corrupted or overtaken by it’s desires-I don’t want to be controlled by desires.
*The desires are full of lies not truth. As a believer I want to be driven by my love for Him not my love for self.
C. Be alert to put verse 23 into practice today. Write down at the end of the day what you did, how you used your imagination to resist temptation.
I really have been pondering the verse about being darkened in your understanding. I was trying desperately to explain to my bi polar mother why she needs to pay a bill she owes and the more she argued the more I saw that her understanding is dark-she does not see it and is not thinking clearly and NOTHING I say has any effect on her. Afterwards I cried in the shower to the Lord b/c I can see how in the past I was darkened and told Him how I fear I will never be good and He kindly reminded me He alone is good and His good covers me. I love it when He speaks directly to me! I felt overwhelmed by His love.
Earlier in the week God gave me that visual of being separated from him by a dark cloud and I used that today to overcome temptation and it really worked! I find that I don’t want anything to separate me from Him.
D. Use your imagination to help you with the “old self” and the “new self,” or the old garment and the new garment.
What is the worst garment you’ve had on — imagine wanting to be rid of it. This is an easy one… my mother made me and I mean she spanked me every morning until I put on a pair of thick ugly green baggy too large wooly scratchy and unstylish pair of snow pants under my dresses to go to school in the winter. The second I sat down in my seat on the bus I ripped them off. There have never been a pair of pants so hated as those. I tried hiding, losing and bawling my way out of wearing those hideous pants until mom finally gave up! Oh Jesus, I pray I will see those pants and feel that itch every time I even think of putting my old self back on. AMEN!
And the best? I had the loveliest wedding gown with dozens of silk buttons down the back the day I married my dreamy guy. I have never felt as beautiful as I did that day.
That’s a very vivid example you gave in D.! It makes me itchy, too!
“Oh Jesus, I pray I will see those pants and feel that itch every time I even think of putting my old self back on. AMEN!”
Kim–I think I use this one too! You described those pants so vividly, I don’t want to wear them either–great reminder of how “unbecoming” our old self is!
http://www.deebrestin.com/2010/04/he-is-coming-to-do-battle-with-the-enemies-of-his-bride/ is my favorite also, Renee. I love to picture him coming for me, his bride, like that:)
My worst garment I can ever remember was in Jr. High and tight skirts were in style. I had a hand me down gray lined, wool, tight, tight, skirt I wore only once! It was so tight, I could hardly walk, because skirts had to be below our knees and it was so hard to hurry to my next class, wearing that awful thing! Yuck!!
My favorite garment was my old fashioned, cream with lace, wedding dress, that I made, when I got married in 1976 to my 3 kid’s dad, when I was 26 years old. I felt so pretty:) He left us after 10 years. I still have the dress. Don’t know why I keep it…maybe because I picture Jesus coming for me in that dress:)
That is a favorite of mine as well. I see a disfigured face (eye)behind him and imagine it as satan but He is blasting through.
I never noticed that eye before!
oh Joyce, these word pictures are so good! The skirt made me laugh (sorry–too funny!) And I love the thought that you still have your wedding dress, and that you made it…and picturing yourself wearing it for Him, this is all so beautiful Joyce.
Listened to the Keller sermon and time has gotten away-oh such a good sermon and so worth the time to listen-such crucial steps in the process of putting off and putting on. :-)
7. Listen to the sermon above and share your notes with us or what stood out to you.
Wow. What a sermon. If I shared my notes, I’d need my own website!
Paul begins by explaining what our lives are like apart from Jesus Christ, and how we slip into idolatry, or giving ourselves over to things. “Having lost all sensitivity, they give themselves over to sensuality to indulge in every kind of impurity with a continual lust for more.” It’s trying to make the futility of our lives not so bad if we do _____.
Keller said, “Thank God Paul doesn’t stop at verse 19″. But that’s where we have to stop apart from faith. Scientific analysis can show you exactly what’s wrong with you, but it cant show you how to change.
As Christians, we can say “I know what a human being ought to be like, he ought to be like Jesus”.
Paul tells us that we are not in verses 17-19 of Ephesians 4 anymore. He lays out a model for change in verses 22-24. “The truth that is in Jesus” means the Jesus who was a real, historical figure who lived in Palestine, who was crucified on a Roman cross, and who rose from the dead 3 days later. What you believe is essential to whether you are a Christian or not. Christianity says because Jesus has done certain things in history, you can be saved – He saves you. The real historical events that Jesus accomplished save you.
The model for change is “putting off” and “putting on”, and in the middle is a bridge, which is “be made new in the attitude of your mind”.
To just say “put off” is saying “don’t do this or that” – it’s legalism. You can’t put things off without putting something in their place.
“Putting on”, without putting-off, creates hypocrisy. This is the “just let go and let God do it; give Him the problem, don’t struggle, don’t strive”. These people wonder why they gave it to God but they’re not getting delivered from it.
The text says YOU “put-off and put-on”, not God. But it does not say for you to make yourself new in the attitude of your mind – that’s God’s responsibility.
Being made new in the attitude of your mind is something that is going on constantly, all the time. Keller gave the example of loneliness from Elisabeth Elliot. Putting off self-pity caused by being alone means to refuse the self-pity, the bitterness. You put-on obedience instead, choosing to use your aloneness to find opportunities to serve God. Meanwhile, you are constantly in prayer, asking God to work in you, to enable you. You meditate on His wisdom, His justice, His love, etc…
The adoption example was powerful. What if God gave us “what we deserved”? All He would have to do is walk out of our lives. We’d be done for. But He doesn’t do that, He comes back and opens His hands to us. Keller says when we meditate on these things, on what God has done for us, how good He has been to me, we are “creating an altar for the renewal of the spirit of our minds”.
We are preaching the truth to ourselves. I loved the example of the jewels on the priest’s breastplate being engraved with the names of the 12 tribes of Israel, and what it means that our names our engraved on His hands – do I allow myself to be blown-away by that?! What difference would it make in my life if I did? That my name is written in heaven? Would I, as Keller said, be tossing and turning over how this person ignored me?
The spirit of your mind is your imagination – the governing influence of your mind, what you vividly grasp. You think about the truth until it becomes more vivid to you than anything else. This really helped me tie-in what is in our lesson this week about using our imaginations, using music, psalms and imagery from Scripture, using artwork and pictures to create a vivid picture in my imagination of the reality of my relationship to Jesus Christ: who He is, how He feels about me, how He is working in my life, what He has done for me.
great notes Susan. I’ve listened twice already and yet you reminded me of much I missed–this is all so good. The bridge part–I liked that too and didn’t get it in my notes, I’m glad you shared this (and if you did have a website I’d be a follower ;)
Great notes.
6. How do you feel about pictures of Jesus and why? To be honest, pictures of Jesus are hard for me.. cause i cant touch him. I have always had a hard time with this. I am a touchy person, love hugs.. etc..
I know what you mean, Meg–I think you’re speaking to the truth that He can’t be captured on paper…but you have grown so much, it is evident in your life you are sensing His presence more and more in your heart
7. Listen to the Sermon you downloaded above. (Thursday – Friday) and share your notes with us or what stood out to you.
Here are my notes
Science cant tell you whats healthy/not healthy
Christianity starts in the understanding there are certain things u need to believe in order to be a Christian
Then he quoted something from Elizabeth Elliot from her book on Lonliness: Take your Lonliness and give it up to God! I really like that!
You cant make yourself new you have to put on new things. Like put off complaining and put on Praise. I have a whole thing of note cards that have put off/ put on and a verse to go with it just got those back out today and am going to start looking at them more often!
This is the one thing that stood out to me: IN CHRIST I FIND FORGIVNESS! AMEN?
7. Listen to the Sermon you downloaded above. (Thursday – Friday) and share your notes with us or what stood out to you.
Powerful sermon. I won’t try to summarize, just highlights that stood out.
This is the key highlight: THINK ABOUT THE TRUTH UNTIL THE TRUTH BECOMES MORE VIVID THAN ANYTHING ELSE. The HOLY Spirit can do that.
Futility as described by Keller is that without following Christ humans are not getting anywhere or accomplishing anything. Paul says in Ephesians 4: 17-19, this leads to sensuality with a continual lust for more; given over to it. They become addictions. I have got to have them but I am not satisfied by them. That is where we have to stop apart from faith.
Jesus is a historical figure. That’s important. If people don’t believe the historicity of Jesus, they have turned Christianity into another religion. Every other religion it doesn’t matter if the founder lived or died or not. They give principles – alms, pilgrimage. Apply the teaching and you are saved. Christianity says there are certain things that happened in history, your sins have been dealt with. Every other religion says, “Save yourself.” Christianity says Jesus saved me. You do not save yourself. If you don’t believe those events, you are not a Christian.
Ephesians 4: 22-24 doesn’t say let God take something off and let God put something on. “You put off and you put on.” On the other hand, it doesn’t say, “you make new in the attitude of your mind.” It says “be made new in the attitude of your mind.” You can’t make yourself new in the attitude of your mind. Putting off means change everything you possibly can change. Putting on means start doing the things God wants you to do. “Being made new in the attitude of your mind” is something you have to seek and ask God to do. God has to make you new. If you are totally passive or totally active you will mess up.
When you say, “what did I do to deserve this?” God says, “You’ve got to be kidding!” God created you. He keeps you alive. You owe him everything. What do you deserve from his hand? Essentially, we complain to God, saying I can and want to live without you. (Wow! This hit me with a wham!) God could say, go ahead and leave. If God gave us what we deserve, he would turn away from us, walk out of our lives. We would be goners. He doesn’t. He opens his hands to us. God has never given us what we deserve.
Jesus says one of the most amazing things. Jesus replies, “Rejoice not, that the demons submit to you. Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” That is a command. The high priest wore a breastplate with gorgeous stones with the names of the tribes of Israel. Your name is engraved over his heart (Hebrews). Every day he takes our name before the Father as our Advocate. When the Father looks at us, he sees a beautiful jewel. Jesus commands not to rejoice in the power over demons. That is nothing compared to the power of the JOY of knowing your true position -The power of knowing who you are. Most of the problems you have are because you are NOT rejoicing that your name is engraved over the heart of Christ. I am accepted in the beloved. I have access to the King of the Universe. I am exalted to his right hand. I am adopted and brought into his family.
so good Diane–”Most of the problems you have are because you are NOT rejoicing that your name is engraved over the heart of Christ.” I imagine Christ’s heart, and my name engraved–un-eraseable, INDELIBLE. If I apply that to every problem, complaint…every time I’m grasping to my idol–this truth brings it all into perspective–what else could possibly carry more weight than my name on His heart?
Diane,
I thought that part of the sermon was really powerful, too – that Jesus said we are to be rejoicing that our names are written in heaven, and that most of our problem is caused by we are not rejoicing. It reminded me of the other Keller sermon we listened to and the example of 16 year old Debbie, who said, “Yeah, but what good is all that (what she had in Christ) if I’m not popular?”
I find myself falling into the same state of mind as Debbie. As in, okay, so my name is written in heaven, but what good is that if I’m still lonely? Or what good is that if my marriage isn’t giving me the intimacy I want? Sometimes I wonder if I have really grasped what it means – my true position. Sometimes I wonder if my heart has fully trusted in it.
I loved that “YOU’ve got to be kidding” too
6. How do you feel about pictures of Jesus and why?
I don’t have a problem with pictures of Jesus. I don’t think they should be front and center in a church, though. But I have also been a bit uncomfortable with pictures of Jesus and Mary with halos. I am sure that they did not appear with halos, and that just seems to negate his humanness which is crucial to our faith.
6. How do you feel about pictures of Jesus and why? I had no opinion until an evangelist who was visiting my Sunday school class had a fit about a picture of Jesus hanging on the classroom wall. He didn’t know the pastor’s wife owned and hung the picture. He practically started preaching about graven images of Christ instead of teaching the class. I have since thought about it many times and asked the Lord if it was alright with Him. I felt no conviction so I consider it fine.
6. How do you feel about pictures of Jesus and why? – I don’t mind seeing pictures of Jesus. He is my heavenly Father and you would have pictures of your earthly family out to look at so why not of Jesus. I know too that there are some who will try to discredit Jesus in todays times and distort or show him doing something not right just like they did in His time, but you need to just be aware of those times and disregard them if they bother you or aren’t the right.
7. Listen to the Sermon you downloaded above. (Thursday – Friday) and share your notes with us or what stood out to you. I’ve got quite a few notes that jumped out at me from the sermon but what hit me the most was “We are given over to things that become addictions and the more we get they still don’t satisfy.” If we could just realize that Jesus is our all in all, our comforter, our healer, our teacher, our strength, we would be so much better off. We would only have to turn to the One thing that matters for satisfaction which would make our lives so much simpler. And also that we have to put off and you put on. You don’t wait for God to put off and put on, you have to change all that is wrong but God has to make your mind renewed. If you think God will do it all or that you can do it all, you will still be messed up. To give your aloneness to God is saying you are giving up you self pity, but by giving it to God you are being obedient. When you meditate on His word you are giving up self pity. We owe God everything for what he has done for us but we still complain of how our lives are. Your imagination is your spirit of your mind. You put off-is something you need to do, you put on-obey and do what he says you need to do. Most of the problems you have is because you are not rejoicing that your name is written in heaven. These were all things that I heard him say in the sermon and really made a point in my heart and mind. God is here to help us, but we need to do our part too.
I was going to tell you all what happen the day I wore that tight gray skirt, but was too embarrased, if David reads it maybe. So, I will add it here at the bottom of this weeks lesson. Back in the 60′s the girls didn’t have self stick sanitary pads, they were held on with an elastic belts around our waist…well that day, I was having my monthly and the front part of the belt that held the pad up, unhooked somehow and I had to walk to the bathroom, all the way through the back of the classroom to the front, with the pad, hanging down, showing a hugh lump on the rear end of me, in the tightest skirt every know to man. I was so embarrased, I must of turned three shades of red. A day I will NEVER forget :-(
Do I dare hit the submit button about this? Yes, I will only because I need a laugh after a horrible week of losing Mary Kay. I’m sorry, if I offended anyone:(
oh Joyce, I can barely type–I laugh only because you said we could–but oh how I just want to hug you too for I can just FEEL that embarrassment (I can over-empathize!). I’m not brave enough to share my own similarly embarrassing moment–but if we meet someday in person, I will ;)
But THIS is the best part of this bond of Christian sisterhood we all share on this blog–we can be so exposed and honest and it only makes us love eachother more!
Horrible sad story! Oh my, JOyce.
I doubt David is reading…
Joyce–I just wanted to come back to this because, even though you said you can laugh now (I can’t in my similar example!)…it sort of stuck with me today and I thought more about how painfully humiliating that must have felt.
But to encourage you too–it is so evident, from my view, how He has used such things to create a woman like you, full of grace and compassion for others. I still remember reading Proverbs 31:8-9 a few weeks ago and immediately thinking of you as an example with Kendra. You’re one of my heros, Joyce–in a non-idol, non-pedestal kind of way ;)
Thank you, Elizabeth….you make me smile:)
“I think that if you are worshipping a picture, you are sinning, but if the picture leads you to worship God, it is an icon rather than an idol — and that is a good thing. But feel free to pipe in here with your prayerful and loving thoughts”.
http://youtu.be/MBNMtPlBD0Y I don’t know what the rest of you feel about this young artist, but I am amazed at her talent and especially love the one of Jesus called “The prince of peace”. I keep a copy of it in my bible and the eye’s of Jesus in that painting, just makes me want to fall to my knees with humility and praise to God. Those eye look right through me.
8. What’s your take-away and why?
I want to take-away from this week the practical application of taking music – especially the rich truths of the classic hymns, imagery from the psalms and Scripture, and other visual pictures to help me to cement truths into my mind, to help me to resist temptation.
I think using a word picture to help me see how I alienate myself from God when I sin and give in to temptation is very helpful. Using pictures to visualize my relationship with God. This has all been very helpful to me.
I want to remember what Keller said about “being renewed in the spirit of your mind” – he pointed out that it doesn’t say to be renewed in your mind, but that the spirit of the mind is the imagination, the governing influence. I must think about the truth, and use music, psalms, and pictures to help make the truth more vivid and real than anything else.
I also was struck by in Ephesians, beginning in verse 17, Paul tells me to no longer live like the Gentiles, like unbelievers. The very fact that he feels it necessary to give this command means that even as a believer, I have the potential to slip back into that futility of thinking. If being a new creation in Christ meant that that danger was removed, Paul wouldn’t feel it necessary to say this. But he warns, he insists, that I don’t live or think like this anymore. This ties into idolatry because, every day, I am “giving myself over” to something. It can be the Lord, or I can run to something else for comfort, for security, for love, for approval. I have to confess that I’ve been slipping into the same trap that Rebecca has described. Most every evening, after my daughter goes to bed, I am left alone, sitting by myself until I go to bed. I have begun to turn to enjoying something special to eat, a sweet, a dessert; to look forward to this. I find that as I give myself over to wanting to eat for comfort, I have a continual lust for more. It’s easy for me to do this b/c weight has never been an issue for me (I guess I have really good metabolism), but I know the fat and sugar aren’t healthy, and high cholesterol and heart disease run in my family.
This week’s study, memorizing this passage in Ephesians 4, learning how to use things to visualize/imagine the truth, and Keller’s sermon which was very practical in the “how to” of my part, and God’s part, of working together to put on and put off and be made new in the attitude of my mind – I want to take all of this with me and use it to grow and change.
Can someone please help find the Keller sermon “How I can Change”?
I have been trying to find it all week, and am unsuccessful. Although I am enjoying the other sermons on this site, the only one I can find is “How the Gospels Change Me”… or something in that order.
Thanks!
Laura Marie, sorry you are having a tough time finding the sermon.
Under Dee’s “Sunday/Monday”, right click the words “Sermon Link”. Then left click “Open in a new tab”. The page opened will be “How to Change – 1″ sermon. On that page, find the Format box. Click the arrow next to it and click “MP3″. Then “Add to Cart”. Then Checkout. (You have to set up an account, if you haven’t yet.) After checking out, and receiving the notification that it is ready. I always Right click on the sermon and download it by “Save As” to a folder in my computer where I know I can find it. The way to download is different depending which Internet system you have, though.
Hope this helps and doesn’t confuse further.
Laura-Marie,
I used the link above from Dee – it is right under “SUNDAY/MONDAY:DOWNLOAD FREE SERMON” – it says “Sermon Link” and it’s underlined. Click on that and it takes you to the Redeemer store. Under format, select MP3, and you will see it is no charge. But you have to continue on as if you are “purchasing” it – but there is no charge. Then it moves into your account under “my mp3s”. From there, you can download it.
Ladies
I think that this is my last time on here for now… I am starting the R12 series by chip ingram and there is reading involved and am doing Daniel with my sunday school class so i really cant do anything else right now. I will probably come on and chime in a bit.. But wont be doing the study.. Sorry :( this is really sad for me but its what The Lord is leading me to do :(
I will miss you. I thought of you when I listened to next week’s sermon! I know you’ll be blessed and you are always welcome back.
Meg–I listened to next week’s sermon today and it’s definitely worth it if you can get to it.
And oh, I do hope you’ll stop in here when you can. But a good face-to-face study is so important–I think it shows SO much growth that you feel comfortable there! Love to you friend~
Will miss you:(
Thanks ladies I am in tears now there are so many changes going on in my life right now this is just one of them I don’t want to leave here but really need face to face interaction. Please pray for my new job that I start on Monday and I plan on still listening to the sermons!
I lOve you ladies!
Love you too, Meg. Check in when you can, be blessed!
Meg,
I will miss you so much! I am sure you are going to “take-off” spiritually through the R12 study, and you will benefit, yes, from face-to-face interaction. Will be praying for you, and for your new job you start Monday!
Love you, Meg!
I love you too Susan!
This is a very brave step, Meg. Hope things go well for you making friends in a face to face Bible study.