I have loved reading all your comments about what stands out about meno to each of you. How lovely and loving that God embraces us and we get to abide in Him! Thank you for continuing to share and study with us!
If you have any questions about how this study works, we’ve answered most of them here.
Catching up? That’s okay! We’ll leave the videos up, so you can take your time.
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Session 4
Okay, now onto the video! We’ve posted the questions to answer in the comments and your study assignment for the week below.
Questions to answer in the comments:
- Describe a time when the Lord helped you overcome something. (page 107)
- How does the truth of God’s pursuing love for you silence your biggest fears? (page 116)
- Why do you think obeying God’s commands is synonymous with loving Him?
This week, complete Session 5: Experiencing the Word. I look forward to reading your comments and meeting back here next week!
I have struggled with anger since I’ve been a child. Now that I’m a grandmother, I have realized just how much this sin has cost me in relationships with my family and others whom I’ve encountered throughout my life. My prayer has been that God would turn this anger into love-indeed the kind of love that we cannot conjure up of ourselves, which in truth comes only from the Lord. This 1 John kind of beautiful love has been flooding my heart lately in answer to my prayers. The joy which accompanies this love is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Family relationships that have been broken are being slowly opened. There is no longer any fear in my heart that I will be hurt or betrayed by choosing to love these family members. God has healed my heart and thus has driven out fear.
Looking at a believer’s relationship with God, I don’t think you truly can be living in love and not be living in God and having God dwell in you. Like an algebra formula, one variable can’t exist without the other being present as well. (See my own testimony above) Achieving love, the agape kind of love, through obedience to God brings enduring joy to a believer’s life.
Thanks to each of you for your testimonies and heartfelt comments.
Vicki , John’s the pro with firsthand knowledge about how temper can meld into passionate love for God and others. I struggle with this much more often as a mother of an 18-yr-old son and a husband who are every bit as opinionated and strong-willed as I am. Thanks for admitting this. I needed to lay it out, too! I’l pray for you, Vicki. Please pray for me. I don’t want resentment to build up in our family at such a critical time in our lives when we could witness to so many through our gospel singing and daily lives. Love comes easily for me with everyone else; I want my family to get more of it.
Thank you, Becky for your admission and sweet words. You can be sure that you and your family will be on my prayer list. Be comforted to remember that we have an Advocate in Jesus, faithful to cleanse and to forgive. He can turn anger into mighty 1 John kind of love. God’s Blessings,
Vickie
Thank you, Vicki! Already enjoying positive results!
1. There have been a couple of times that God has helped me overcome something. One time I was not fully aware that it was Him, and one time I was. My husband and I battled infertility and miscarriages. Although our struggle was not as long as others, it was HARD. I doubted God, was angry with Him, and I questioned Him. But, He brought us through it, and we have two beautiful girls who are wonderful gifts worth every minute of the struggle. I didn’t have the relationship with God then that I do now, so I didn’t realize until later that He was there, the whole time. I also have had issues with fear that would keep me awake at night and would grip me tightly. God helped me overcome that as well.
2. God’s pursuing love has helped me to better handle my fear. I know He is always there, with His arms firmly wrapped around me, whenever I need Him. Every now and then fear resurfaces, but I am better equipped to deal with it with His help.
3. I think that when you love someone, one of the ways you show that love is through respecting them. You have to respect God’s authority in your life and know that He knows what is best for you. His commands are there for a reason, and we need to follow them.
God helped me overcome my lack of trust in Him. He placed me a position that all I had was Him. My marriage was in shambles, at the request of my husband I had moved out. My health was in shambles I moved out the day after I was released from the hospital, I was contagious so I couldn’t be around my church family or my support system. God’s pursuing love for me kept me from losing my mind. God begin to speak to my heart about trusting Him, His love removed my fears and doubts, this allowed me to forgive my husband. God restored my marriage and my health. I love God and obey commandment. His commandments are for my protection and obedience to them gives me peace . When I walk in the light I have fellowship with Him.
Praise God! Just like trying situations give us patience, falling apart in our brokenness makes us actually rely on God in a way we never could otherwise.
The Lord nudged me to step out of my comfort zone and join a women’s Bible Study at my church several years ago. I get extremely nervous around people, consequently this was a huge leap for me. I have been blessed in so many ways after joining this lovely group of ladies and am very thankful to God for the push He gave me!
I like what Hannah said, that God’s love helps us examine our fears with new eyes. I try to remember to look at people and situations from God’s perspective – why not also look at my own fears from His point of view?
The more we love God and long for a deeper relationship with Him, the more we strive to obey His commands on a daily basis, not just on Sundays.
On page 109, we were asked the difference between being in the world and being of the world. I am not sure I completely understand the difference. Can anyone explain?
I hope this helps. Jesus was born in this world but was not of this world. He is and was God in the flesh. He came from above and returned there. John 8:23. When we accept Jesus as our personal savior, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13-14. We are in this world, physical but our spirit has been reborn and is eternal and is not of this world.
Yes, that does help. Thank you!
Thx for sharing. This is the kind of fear I was talking about. I had such a gripping fear, to share anything..online or w/ anyone.
For question two, pursuing God’s truth helped me overcome a fear of Sunday school, not the Sunday school we had as children, but the adult classes. I couldn’t share anything, I was so nervous. Some Sundays I would try to muster up enough courage, get to church and then walk right by the classroom doorway and go find something else to do until church started. This was seventeen years ago, seems like yesterday, but in time, walking with God, trusting, I find myself in a Women’s Sunday school class where I do experience fellowship. This comes from God and I am very thankful.
One of the biggest things God has helped me overcome this year has been my lifelong struggle with jealousy. I wanted to agree with Him that His portion for me really was enough, but I was believeing so many lies that kept me trapped in jealousy and discontent. In an instant, He turned my jealousy inside out and freed me to be who He made me! You can read more about it here:
http://hannahkallio.org/2015/02/26/jealousy/
I don’t feel like His love silences my fears, it turns them inside out and exposes them for the lies that they are. His love helps me pick up my fear, turn it over, and examine it with new eyes. When
I do, it loses it’s power. Once you can see both, the counterfeit (fear) just isn’t as compelling as the real thing.
I love what Monica said about agreeing with God’s heart. You can’t truly love God, and doubt His heart toward you. Obedience is one way of agreeing with God that He really does have our best interest in mind, whether we understand His instructions or not. It’s also a way to bring Him delight. When you fall in love, you want to learn everything you can about how to please your lover. I think of obeying God that way too.
I love this Hannah! Thanks for sharing. I remember hearing a teaching on jealousy by using the acronym JAW..(Jealousy, Anger, Worry) It said if your experiencing any of these, it’s taking a BITE out of your delight. We can always tell by the “JAW”. Thought it was a good reminder. Thanks again for this testimony. 🙂
“Delight yourself in the Lord & He’ll give you the desires of your heart.”
So glad it blessed you! Thanks for letting me know!
Thanks for referring me to that post! Very much what I have felt, and a good reminder to look at other’s lives in a godly way, not a toxic one!
1 – I used to struggle a lot with worry and fear, especially pertaining to my kids. But, I have prayed about it and know worry is a sin. I really feel like God has helped me toward overcoming this since I’ve been consciously turning it over to Him.
2 – I tend to doubt the gospel – really struggle with faith at times and that can get me down and cause me doubt more. Knowing God is actively pursuing me with His love helps me reign my doubts in and turn them over to Him to destroy. I love picturing Him running after me and showering me with His love.
3 – I’ve heard it said that obedience is God’s love language and I think that is so true. It’s how we as His children show love to others – we obey His commands to serve, give, forgive, etc. It’s all wrapped up and goes back to LOVE.
I am a big worrier and never really thought of worry as a sin, but when you worry, you are not trusting God. Another aha moment for me!
Throughout my study of the Sermon on the Mount with Jen Wilkin, I was also convicted that worry is a sin. I have always known it as a very unhealthy habit, but since this spring have been consciously making a practice to avoid slipping into that trap. When it comes to my students, friends, family, and the world itself, Satan is not going to control even a tiny bit of my life by keeping me awake at night or taking my eyes off Jesus.
1) The Lord helped me overcome my fear of speaking in front of more than just a few. Also the lies the enemy will try to condemn me with. I love that verse this week “Perfect love casts out fear.” Im learning God pours His perfect love in my imperfect ❤️& that His love & fear cannot coexist. When I feel a spirit of fear, the enemy is trying to torment me & I’m usually in a spiritual battle. This tells me to get on my knees & fight that enemy. To tell that spirit of fear to go back to hell where it came from. Satan will try his best to water down our testimonies & trust in God if we let him. Our fear/worries are a red flag to the enemy we’re not trusting God & our shield of faith is down. But praise God, He has overcome the world.” And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith.”
2)His pursuing love silences my biggest fears as I learn to abide in Him, allowing his power & bondage breaking Word to abide in me & just simply to remain in His steadfast love. The verse that also jumped out to me this week was 1John 3:20 “For if our ❤️condemn us God is greater than our ❤️& knoweth all things.” I think my own ❤️is my own worst enemy @times. If I get beat up its usually by myself cause my own ❤️knows me & can do it so well. But this verse says..GOD IS GREATER! He has the last & final word. Anything that’s a lie of the enemy, God is able to expose that part. So grateful that He doesn’t ever condemn us but loves us & knows how to open up our hearts like no one else can. He knows it all, not just in part. God wants to do something deep in our hearts but the enemy wants to condemn us & we’re so quick to agree w/ him. We forget the Lord wants us to know in the deepest inner heart of our being, Who He is & How great His love toward us. He knows there’s certain places of freedom we can’t get to on our own. That’s when we just have to let Him take us there. Jesus will take us there if we let Him.
3)I think it’s synonomous cause it’s agreeing with His heart. God wants to share His love & passions w/ us. It takes abiding in Him & listening for our wishes to become His wishes. Our heart starts linking up w/ His heart. I think it’s the perfecting love we learn in 1John 4:13-17. Remaining is crucial to life in Him.
Monica I love the part when you said there are places of freedom we can’t get to on our own and we just have to let God take us there. That is so true and I want to be at that place in my life where I will ask God to take me there. Also 1 John 3:20 jumped out at me too. I am so thankful that God is greater than our hearts. Where would we be if we had to trust our own hearts? We would be living in condemnation all the time.
Thanks Mama! I loved yours too. Hope my comment on fear didn’t come across hateful lol. When I reread it I was like
1. God has helped me overcome so many things in life; fears, lies, you name it. When I was single, I was having an affair with a married man and constantly lying to myself that “there are many kinds of love in the world, and this love is not wrong.” God helped me (even though I was not walking in the faith) to realize that there is a concrete definition of love and the lie I was telling was no where near it. After it all fell apart I found myself at church on Sunday and the pastor actually repeated the exact words I had used in my lie and confronted them with the Truth. I knew God was speaking directly to me and had provided a place for me to find a new life.
2. One of my fears stems from me not being able to understand all of God’s plan and how He will sort everything out in Heaven. Like how there are people I love in my family who at this point, would not get into Heaven and I grieve over that. But God promises no more tears in Heaven. God’s love has pursued me so that I can find relief of fear knowing God didn’t put this plan in motion without knowing the outcome. His motives are from LOVE, He wont do anything unjust or unloving or out of character. He will take care of Heaven ~ and specifically He will take care of me in Heaven as His child.
3. I think it ties into the Biblical truth that faith without works is dead ~ so love without obedience is dead. We know that obedience is how Christ demonstrated His great love for us; so if we are to be Christ-like, we need to demonstrate our love through obedience, too. But, like we were taught, it is not burdensome. The more we discover the depth of God’s love for us, the more we are motivated to respond to that love in obedience. It just starts to come naturally.