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IT TAKES ALL KINDS. . .WHAT KIND ARE
YOU?
© 1994. John Creamer. All rights reserved.
I. OPENING TIME
QUESTIONS: Have any of you been in a bad storm? * Have any of you ever weathered a personal storm? * Have you ever known someone who said they were stressed-out ?
How would you describe them? Do you know someone who is rarely bothered when they encounter difficult
circumstances? An oft-occurring term used today is anxiety attack. What does this term
describe? What are some other terms that are generally associated with stress and
anxiety? (Burn-out, etc.) What are some of the factors and/or environments that produce stress
and anxiety in peoples' lives? What are some of the by-products and side-effects of stress and anxiety? What are some of the ways we try to cope with stress and anxiety? Often, we tell ourselves we "I need to take some time off...take
a vacation...", so we do...only to realize the stress and anxiety
is sometimes still there. Webster's defines stress in this context as "...a factor
that induces bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in causing disease..."!
...stressed-out is a recent entry in the latest dictionary,
defined as "...suffering from high levels of physical or especially
psychological stress..." ...anxiety is "...a painful or fearful uneasiness of mind
usually over an impending or anticipated event...a strong concern or desire
mixed with doubt and fear." Does a person's spiritual condition have any bearing on stress and/or
anxiety in their life? Does the Bible say when a person commits their life to God through Jesus
Christ that person will never experience a stressful situation again? The first lesson in this three part series identified the three Scriptural
categories of people; unspiritual, spiritual, and worldly. The second
lesson clarified how a person "gets to" the spiritual classification
through pruning, discipline and trust in God. This lesson will address
the issue of how to stay in the spiritual category once we encounter the
tough issues in life that produce stress and anxiety. SCRIPTURE: (Is there something wrong with us spiritually if we
find ourselves in a Jeremiah... (Lamentations 3:1-20 NIV) I am the man who has seen affliction by
the rod of his wrath. {2} He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness
rather than light; {3} indeed, he has turned his hand against me again
and again, all day long. {4} He has made my skin and my flesh grow old
and has broken my bones. {5} He has besieged me and surrounded me with
bitterness and hardship. {6} He has made me dwell in darkness like those
long dead. {7} He has walled me in so I cannot escape; he has weighed
me down with chains. {8} Even when I call out or cry for help, he shuts
out my prayer. {9} He has barred my way with blocks of stone; he has made
my paths crooked. {10} Like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in hiding,
{11} he dragged me from the path and mangled me and left me without help.
{12} He drew his bow and made me the target for his arrows. {13} He pierced
my heart with arrows from his quiver. {14} I became the laughingstock
of all my people; they mock me in song all day long. {15} He has filled
me with bitter herbs and sated me with gall. {16} He has broken my teeth
with gravel; he has trampled me in the dust. {17} I have been deprived
of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. {18} So I say, "My
splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the LORD." {19} I
remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.
{20} I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Reading quickly through these verses, can you identify some things that
might have caused stress in Jeremiah's life? The psalmist... (Psalms 42:5-6 NIV) Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed
within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior
and {6} my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember
you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon--from Mount Mizar. (Psalms 42:11 NIV) Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed
within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior
and my God. (Psalms 43:5 NIV) Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed
within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior
and my God. How does David describe his own condition? Does it appear David is in a stressful situation? The Apostle Paul... (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NIV) We are hard pressed on every side, but not
crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; {9} persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed. Paul describes his situations in this letter to the Christians in Corinth;
"...hard pressed on every side...perplexed...persecuted...struck
down..." Does this sound like a stressful environment? Jesus... (Matthew 26:37-38 NIV) He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along
with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. {38} Then he said
to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow
to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." (Luke 22:44 NIV) And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and
his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Matthew described Jesus at Gethsemane: "...he began to be sorrowful
and troubled." Jesus described himself in the same instance to Peter,
James and John: "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point
of death..." Luke, a physician by training, described Jesus' condition;
"And being in anguish...his sweat was like drops of blood falling
to the ground..." Does it appear this impending event was causing Jesus uneasiness of mind,
inducing bodily and mental tension? If Jeremiah, David, Paul, and Jesus found themselves in stressful
environments, do you think we should get down on ourselves if one day
we find ourself in the middle of a tough situation? ...Of course not!
That's the good news...we're not spiritually deficient. But! What DO we
do? Let's go back to the men above to see how they handled their situations. Jeremiah... (Lamentations 3:21-26 NIV) Yet this I call to mind and therefore I
have hope: {22} Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail. {23} They are new every morning; great
is your faithfulness. {24} I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him." {25} The LORD is good to those whose
hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; {26} it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD. In verse 21, Jeremiah said "Yet this I call to mind and therefore
I have hope:" Looking ahead to verses 22-26, what did he call to
mind that gave him hope? (Jeremiah's focus was not on his circumstances
which would have destroyed him; his focus was above his circumstances...on
the Lord's great love for him. He knew the Lord was good to, would rescue,
those who hoped in Him.) When we are in the middle of stressful circumstances, do we focus on
our troubles, or is our hope based on God's compassions, faithfulness
and great love for us? The psalmist... (Psalms 42:5-6, 10-11 NIV) Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so
disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and {6} my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will
remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon--from
Mount Mizar. {10} My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying
to me all day long, "Where is your God?" {11} Why are you downcast,
O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will
yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (Psalms 43:5 NIV) Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed
within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior
and my God. David is right in the middle of his stressful situation, yet each
time he assesses his personal condition, what does he remind himself that
he will do? (Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my savior
and my God.) When we evaluate our stressful situations and find "My soul is downcast
within me", do we focus on being depressed, or do we make a conscious
determination of our will...our desire, that we will still put our hope
in God, to praise him as our Savior and our God? Paul... (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NIV) We are hard pressed on every side, but not
crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; {9} persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:16-17 NIV) Therefore we do not lose heart. Though
outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by
day. {17} For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an
eternal glory that far outweighs them all. Each time Paul gives the bad news of his circumstances in verses 8 &
9, he names a corresponding defensive position. What limitation did he
place on hard pressed on every side? ...on perplexed? ...on persecuted?
...on struck down? Verses 16-18 tell us how Paul was able to impose these limitations on
his trials and maintain his perspective. Like Jeremiah, what did Paul
focus on instead of his stressful environment? (Being renewed inwardly,
focusing on the spiritual and the eternal, not the physical and the temporal.) Jesus... (Matthew 26:39 NIV) Going a little farther, he fell with his face
to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it
is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as
you will." (Matthew 26:42 NIV) He went away a second time and prayed, "My
Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink
it, may your will be done." What did Jesus do in his moment of stress? (Pray.) What was the greatest concern of his prayer? (God's will to be done.) Even when we can't see an end to our stress and anxiety, do we still
trust God enough to pray, "Yet not as I will, but as you will."? BOTTOM LINE: Having stress and anxiety is not wrong; how we respond to it indicates
how well grounded and prepared we are spiritually. When we encounter the
anxiety and stress-producing circumstances, the proper Scriptural response
is to look above the circumstances and put our hope in God. CLOSE WITH PRAYER. TABLES (Small groups. If the group does not divide into small
groups, simply continue from OPENING TIME.) QUESTION: What is the most severe storm (weather) you ever experienced? (Matthew 7:24-27 NIV) "Therefore everyone
who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise
man who built his house on the rock. {25} The rain came down, the streams
rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall,
because it had its foundation on the rock. {26} But everyone who hears
these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish
man who built his house on sand. {27} The rain came down, the streams
rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with
a great crash." What two types of people are described in these verses? (One who hears
and follows the words of Christ and one who hears but does not follow
Christ.) Is the one who hears and follows the words of Christ promised exemption
from difficulties...which of the two experience a stressful situation?
(Both do.) What is the difference between the two? (Though both experience the storms
of life, the difference is that one hears but does not follow God's word
and is blown away; the other who hears and practices God's word is the
wiser man whose life is not decimated by the difficulties. Same stress...different
response to it.) Jesus said that if we hear his words and put them into practice when
stress and anxiety hit us like the storms of life, we will weather these
storms like a house built on a solid rock foundation. Specifically, what
does He teach us in His Word that we are supposed to put into practice
when the storms hit us? (Philippians 4:6 NIV) Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
What does this verse tell us we should not do? What does this verse tell us to do instead of worrying about things in
our life? This verse tells us how to present our requests to God. Why should we
do so with thanksgiving? How is thanksgiving a demonstration of faith? (We acknowledge God's ability
and power to help us handle anything in our life when we thank Him in
advance for doing so.) Some people think this means they can pray about their difficulties and
walk away from their responsibility to deal with them; this verse does
not say that. It simply gives the mindset we should have as we deal with
them. Skip ahead a few verses to verse 13; how much are we to do? (Everything.)
What will God do? (Give us the strength to deal with everything.) (Philippians 4:7 NIV) And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. This verse talks about the after-effects of following verse 6. What does
it say? How many people do you know who need some peace in their life? What do you think peace that transcends all understanding means? How would you describe a person whose heart was guarded with peace? (Emotionally
stable...not on an emotional roller-coaster.) How would you describe someone whose mind is guarded with peace? (Mentally
relaxed, not consumed with worry.) What is the term we use for the opposite of hearts and minds guarded
with peace? (Stressed-out!) Which do you think most people would want? Which do you want? (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV) Be joyful always; {17} pray continually;
{18} give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you
in Christ Jesus. What do these verses tell us? How many circumstances are addressed in this verse? (All circumstances.
Anyone can thank God in good circumstances. Thanking Him even when times
are tough demonstrates to Him our complete trust in Him.) Notice that we are to be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks
in all circumstances, rather than waiting to call on God just when times
get tough. Do you have any friends or acquaintances who only call you
when they need you or your help? How does that one-way need affect the
relationship? (See also (Ephesians 5:20 NIV) always giving thanks
to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.) (Psalms 112:1-9 NIV) Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears
the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands. {2} His children will
be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
{3} Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures
forever. {4} Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious
and compassionate and righteous man. {5} Good will come to him who is
generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. {6}
Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.
{7} He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting
in the LORD. {8} His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end
he will look in triumph on his foes. {9} He has scattered abroad his gifts
to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted
high in honor. What do verses 1 and 7 say the source and object of this person's faith
is? (Verse 1 says the source is God's commands; verse 7 says the object
is the Lord. This is consistent with Jesus' words, "...everyone who
hears these words of mine and puts them into practice..." It is not
simply a matter of believing in God; it involves seeking out His Word
and then doing what it says...before, during, and after tough times.)
According to verses 4, 6,7, and 8, how does this person respond to adversity? Would you like for this to describe you in adversity? (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV) "But blessed is the man who trusts in the
LORD, whose confidence is in him. {8} He will be like a tree planted by
the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when
heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of
drought and never fails to bear fruit." What does verse 7 say is the object of this person's trust and confidence? What impact does worry and fear have on this person according to verse
8? BOTTOM LINE: What does the Bible say we are to do when we encounter the storms of
life? Are you willing to do that the next time you encounter a storm? Are you as concerned about maintaining your relationship with God regardless
of your circumstances being good or bad? CLOSE WITH PRAYER.
SCRIPTURE: ROMANS 10:17. According to this verse, where does faith "come from"? Have you ever heard someone say, "I just don't have much faith!"?
In light of this verse, what could we surmise about the person? This verse is very clear about the source of faith. Do you think people in general are as clear about faith's source? How do you think some might answer this question: "Where does a
person's faith 'come from'?" Do you think some people might not believe this verse? Do you think some might say, "I believe this verse is true, but
there is more to it than that!"? Do you believe this verse is true? Do you think the verse is incomplete? ** NOTE TO THE LEADER: You can ask the questions above rhetorically for now; hopefully, by the end of the lesson you will allow scripture to answer the question...the verse is true, and complete. Most basic truths, like this one, are simple, short, and complete. As someone once said, we often stumble over the simplicity of truths such as this. ASK THE GROUP THESE QUESTIONS: If your faith was compared to an automobile, what kind of car would you
have? Which of the following best describes your faith? 1) Riding a roller coaster, 2) Driving a bumper car, 3) Driving too fast on a winding mountain road, 4) Getting stuck in the mud, 5) Just good enough to get me there, 6) Showroom only. . . not designed for transportation, 7) Like a bulldozer, 8) Needs a tune-up, 9) The only way to travel, or 10) Other. If we could choose what kind of faith we could have as easily as we determine
our mode of transportation, what kind of faith would you want? Why are the opening questions about stress, anxiety, and fear followed
by the analogies of faith to different modes of transportation? Because
the Bible describes the life God wants for us in terms of a mode of transportation,
not simply a destination. The Bible often refers to our life as walking down a path. Fear, anxiety,
and stress are compared to the rough places along dark road. How does
faith, which the Bible says comes from hearing the Word (Jesus) play a
role in this journey? ISAIAH 42:16. (We looked at this verse in GETTING BETTER, the
lesson on power over sin. This verse is so descriptive of a journey with
God by faith, that using it again was appropriate.) God says we have an obstacle to travel in this verse. What is it? (We
are blind.) What five things does He say He will do for us in our journey with Him? 1) Lead us by ways we have not known. 2) Guide us along unfamiliar paths. 3) Keep our path lighted. 4) Make the rough places smooth. 5) Will not leave or forsake us. How does Jesus fit into this journey down a dark path of life? JOHN 8:12. How does Jesus describe himself? What did Jesus say will happen to those who follow Him? Suppose someone told you to follow them. Would your faith or trust in
them play a role in your response to them? As we choose to follow Jesus Christ, based on the faith we have in Him that comes from knowing Him through the Word, what could we expect from our journey? (Never walk in darkness,
but have the light of life.) Our first verse, Romans 10:17 said faith comes from hearing the message
heard through the Word of Christ. John 1:14 says the Word became flesh and lived among us. . . that
is Jesus. Psalm 119:105 says "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a
light for my path." BOTTOM LINE: What does all this mean about living (walking) by faith? 1) Faith comes from hearing the message of Jesus Christ. . . the Word. 2) The Word is the light for our path, the illumination we need
to walk through life. The more we know the Word (best learned by
reading God's written Word), the more our faith becomes like a
well-tuned vehicle that we learn to trust in and rely on more and more
in our journey with God. How would you describe your journey with God today based on the condition
of your faith? If your faith comes from how much you hear (read) the Word, what condition
should you expect your faith to be in? CLOSE WITH PRAYER. |