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!
1.A time when the Lord has helped me overcome something-specifically as it relates to a false spirit or lie of the Enemy that had gotten a foothold in my life-would be my anger. Due to my past abusive relationship with my ex-boyfriend I just have not been able to control my anger and its reflecting my marriage and my parenting as a mom. He has helped me overcome that relationship and got me out of it which is a great blessing. Currently, I am still working on my anger problems, but with the Lords help I am getting to be more at peace.
2. The truth of God’s pursuing love for me silences my fears because His love is perfect and drives out my fear. He loves us first so when I am living with my fear, anxiety and other negative feelings I don’t really get a grasp of the loved God has for me. I get to rest in the assurance of peace and comfort, what I have always wanted for my life.
3. I think God’s commands are synonymous with loving Him because if we love Him then that means we trust in Him. Also, when we love someone we want to obey them and do what they ask of us John just reiterates how much God loves us, and as His child we are to love Him, and obey/carry out His commands.
1. Describe a time when the Lord helped you overcome something.
Growing up in a Christian home was a blessing; however, my personal walk with the Lord was not where it should have been as a late teen and young adult. A failed marriage and some bad lifestyle choices caused me much shame. After many years of bad choices (but praying parents), I surrendered to God and returned to church fellowship and daily time with Him. However, I still felt unworthy to participate in ministry. How could He possibly want to use a sinner like me? Through His Word, the Holy Spirit’s revealing of my testimony and how it could encourage others, and faithful Christian friends, I was finally able to overcome those feelings of shame and unworthiness.
2. How does the truth of God’s pursuing love for you silence your biggest fears?
When I am afraid or anxious, I live in that moment of stress but look to the what if’s of the future. But, if I remember… 1) God loved me before I even entered this world and has a plan for me that will only end in good if I follow Him and trust Him. 2) The God I know, love, and serve already knows the answer to all of my what if’s. He is sovereign and He holds all things together (Colossians 1:17 ESV). 3) No matter what it is or might be… the things we encounter in this world are only temporary. My hope is in the eternity He has promised. How can I be overtaken with fear if I focus on these truths and so many others? If I am concentrating on the positive, the negative becomes smaller and insignificant.
3. Why do you think obeying God’s commands is synonymous with loving Him?
If I love Him, don’t I want to honor Him and please Him? If I truly recognize the all-consuming love He has for me and how He has shown it by redeeming me through His Son, how can I not trust Him to know what’s best for me? I should want to show Him I love and trust Him by accepting and believing (and doing!) what He tells me is good for me.
1. There have been many things in my life the Lord has helped me overcome. One thing that immediately comes to mind is my early college years. I was devastated by a broken relationship, my grades were falling, and I felt completely overwhelmed. I lived near the beach, and I just walked out onto the beach one day, got on my knees, and gave it all to God. My burden was almost immediately lifted, and I began to be able to prioritize and focus on school. Everything else eventually fell into place.
2. The truth of God’s love gives me hope-greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.
3. Obeying God’s commands shows respect for Him, and an appreciation of the love he gives me.
1. The Lord has helped me to overcome my fears at various times in my life. Through prayer and reading His Word during difficult times, I will eventually get a sense of peace. Peace that doesn’t make sense. Peace that can be nothing but His Peace flowing through me.
2. I have been pursuing a better understanding of God’s love for me this summer. It was actually one of my summer goals in Bible study (I love when God ties all of the little seemingly random thoughts and events of my life into something with purpose.) 🙂 I am learning what His Love looks like, and through this study I have learned how I can “know” that I have His Love and show that I love him.
3. Obedience is just a natural reflection of our love. I think over the years, I have been obedient out of fear, and out of my desire to be a pleaser and a perfectionist. Now I am learning what it is like to obey out of love, to obey to demonstrate my love for Him. Wow~I just had an epiphany – obedience is much more fulfilling when I choose to obey to demonstrate my love, rather than choosing to obey out of fear of being punished. I need to think about this some more. 🙂
After my husband died suddenly at the age of 54, I struggled to accept the loss and make it through the grief alone. Eventually, I hit a very dark place and prayed for help and guidance. Little by little, my life improved and support systems were revealed to me. In the process, I reconnected with my faith. With God present in my daily life, a calmness rolled over me.
It’s been fifteen years since the devastating loss. Each day begins and ends with a quiet time with God, thanking Him for his ongoing love and guidance. I ask Him to help me show my love for Him by obeying his commandments and loving others. His love inspired me to write a book about the loss of my husband. I wasn’t sure I wanted to share such a personal story with others. Now that my story’s helping others through loss, I’m glad I listened to God and He helped me overcome my fears. Listening and obeying God’s commandments shows my love for Him and for others.