Monday, April 14, 2008

Lies Women Believe Book Study-Assignment 2


Assignment 2
Reading:Read Chapter One on pages 27-41.
Questions:This week's questions are taken from The Companion Guide for Lies Women Believe on pages 13-22. I am only choosing a few questions from the first week. I encourage you to purchase this companion guide if you'd like more questions to help you in your study of this book.
1. "The young woman whose story begins on page 21 said she had 'given up hope' that she could ever be completely free from the moral habit that had kept her in bondage for years. Is there any area of your life where you have given up hope that you can ever be free?" (pgs. 14-15) **This question is very personal. Please feel free to not answer this in your blog post. However, please do answer it in your own personal study time.** Yes, there is an area in my life where I sometimes feel that I will never be free, overeating. Whenever I get upset, hurt, or depressed, I eat. It feels like I am stuffing the pain way down deep inside. This week is a great example of that. Friday, it will be two years since my momma passed away. I will never forget walking down the hallway into her room, and finding her dead. I have really been stuffing down the memories, and pain recently.
2. "Satan knows that you will be more vulnerable to deception if you are not regularly meditating on God's Word. What 'good' things keep you away from consistent study of the Word?" (pg. 16) Sometimes the computer can keep me away from consistent study time.
3. "Make a list of primary sources of input you have coming into your life (e.g., movies, books, certain friends, a counselor)." (pg. 17) Books,Computer, My sister, My husband.
4. "How careful are you about evaluating that input and seeking to discern Truth from error?..." (pg. 17) I am very careful about evaluating that input, and seeking to discern truth from error.
5. "From pages 37-40 in Lies Women Believe, what are the four steps that take us from initial deception to bondage?" (pg. 18) We listen to the lie, dwell on the lie, believe the lie, and act on the lie.
6. "As long as we live in this world, we cannot completely isolate ourselves so that we never hear any lies. What is the difference between 'hearing' and 'listening to' lies?" (pg. 19) When you hear something, you can choose to forget it right away, or to remember it. Listening means fully paying attention, soaking it all up.
7. "Read Philippians 4:8-9. Why is it so important to be selective about the input we allow to come into our minds and to consciously choose to expose ourselves and listen to the Truth?" (pg. 19) Because we can quickly move from hearing to listening to dwelling to believing to acting on the lies.
8. "Review the list you made on Day Three of sources of input that you are allowing to come into your life. Is there anything on that list that is exposing you unnecessarily to deception?" (pg. 19) **Refer to Question #3 above.** Yes, the computer can sometimes expose me to deception.
9. "What are the three steps that will help us move from spiritual bondage to freedom?" (pg. 19) Identify the area of bondage or sinful behavior,Identify the lies at the root of that bondage or behavior,Replace the lies with the truth.
10. "A popular theme in our culture is that there are no absolutes. 'All truth is good. Whatever truth works for you is good for you, and what works for me is good for me.' While on the surface that appears very tolerant, where does this kind of thinking ultimately lead?" (pg. 21) This kind of thinking ultimately leads us to being deceived, falling for lies.
11. "Read together Acts 17:10-12. What did the people in Berea do in order to discern the Truth? How can we avoid being deceived, and become more discerning about the input we receive?" (pg. 22) The people in Berea examined the scriptures to discern the truth. We should follow their example, and examine the scriptures to discern the truth. Our Memory Work :
"'Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" - John 8:32 (NIV)
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free..." - Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

7 comments:

Mindy said...

Hi there. Glad to see you are doing this study with us all.
Blessings!
Mindy

twinklemom said...

God bless you dear Sister and good morning!

I'm just very very impressed by the conviction about the importance of being careful about listening as you reminded,"listening is actively paying full attention".

It's a mindful reminder of how sometimes just having the t.v. on for 'white noise' can be a distraction in the making.

Sharon Brumfield said...

I too have had a problem with overeating in emotional situations. I am trying to give this area to God. I really do want it to be over with. I try and think about God while I am eating. Sometimes I even talk to Him while I am eating.
THe other thing that has really stuck in my mind lately is the fact that I know he gloats when I eat what i don't need to. He knows it makes me upset and that makes him happy. Do I want to make him happy-NO! God knows my heart in this area. He honors a heart that wants to please Him.

Anonymous said...

Denise,
I too have also struggled with eating when I'm stressed, emotional or bored. This is something that I have worked on (and still do) and God has helped me have more success in this area. Right now, I am currently working on trying to eat healthier and get back to the way I was eating before I got pregnant. I was eating smaller amounts more often and I was exercising. I was losing weight and I know I was getting healthier. So that is what I am working on right now. I have to really watch my sweets. I love sweets! Me AND my family are trying to eat more raw veggies and fresh fruit also.

Thanks for being so honest. This was a great chapter and we are getting ready for a ride as we begin to expose these different lies.

Take care,
Karen
www.homesteadblogger.com/tagblog

Anonymous said...

I have enjoyed reading the posts and comments today. I'm not going to do a wrap-up just yet as I know that not everyone has done their post yet. I do want to pitch an idea out to you. I'd like to do a prayer post for those of us specifically in this Bible study group. As I read your posts today, I felt that we needed to do some praying for one another. So there are two options as to how we could do this. I could post prayer requests once a week on Mondays or Tuesdays. The post could be public or private. If it is private, I will allow only the Bible study group participants to access the post. Let me know what you think. If you can get back to me sometime tonight or during the daytime tomorrow and it's something you'd like to do, I can try and get the post up tomorrow night sometime. Let me know by either posting a comment on my blog or sending me an email. My email address is on my blog.

Hope you've had a wonderful day!
Karen
www.homesteadblogger.com/tagblog

Anonymous said...

As I was checking out how to do a private post, I would not be able to do it like I was hoping. So if we do the prayer requests privately, I will need to do it via email. I will send out an email to each of the group participants with the prayer requests in it. We can then email each other with prayer and/or encouragement. Let me know what you think.

Take care,
Karen
www.homesteadblogger.com/tagblog

Gina ~ Peace, Love, and Homeschool said...

I just love your heart, Denise! In the past I have struggled in the area you struggle with. I'm doing much better now but I still have the consequences of my 'stuffings'. I would love to give you a real life hug one day. I'm posting late because I just now did Assignment 2 and I'm hoping to have 3 done some time tomorrow. I'll be back by to read your 3rd assignment as well. I just love this study! Hugs and blessings to you sweetie!