Book Study - Assignment 2 Discussion

Karen over at the T.A.G blog is hosting this book study/discussion on Nancy Leigh Demoss's book Lies Women Believe And The Truth That Sets Them Free. Please feel free to come join in if you'd like! http://www.homesteadblogger.com/tagblog

I guess before I answer some of the discussion questions that Karen gave us for Ch. 1, I wanted to ask if anyone else has felt a sort of spiritual attack this week? Every time I sit down to work on this study ... something goes wrong ... child cries, child gets injured, melt down argument between the children ... phone calls about a relative that just died ... it just feels never ending and today has been about the worst! Trust me, NO schoolwork has been accomplished in weeks. I honestly do "feel" overwhelmed and defeated. I know rationally that how I "feel" has nothing to do with it ... we truly are not defeated! Christ Rules and he has conquered death and the enemy on our behalf ...

But today I had to ask "Lord WHY all these emotions? ... Why did you make us this way???" Now, I know that any of you who know me IRL are laughing at that because ... like yeah ... imagine me without all my emotions ... funny, ha? And still that is part of what I brought before the Lord today. And then I prayed about how selfish I sound ...

I did manage to finish reading and studying chapter 1 and even answered some of Karen's discussion questions (praise you, Lord, for small miracles!)
If you think of us this week, please pray that I will make my time with God and study of His Word a real priority ... we will now have a visitation and a funeral near the end of the week, so I'm tempted to try cram all the weeks stuff into just Tues and Wed. I know that won't work, and on weeks like these I need to let go of certain things ... Help me Lord! So now that I've rambled and ask for prayers here are some of my answers (Questions are taken from The Companion Guide for Lies Women Believe, pages 13-22):


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?

Hmmm, there is always something happening here, homeschooling, dishes, laundry, boob-boobs & owies to kiss(just did that as I was typing), meals to make, grocery shopping, my hobbies like card making, scrapbooking, reading, blogging ... I think this list could get really long, but it comes down to putting God first, if He is first in my life, He'll get my time each day. But trust me that is much easier to type or say than to actually do ... but I keep trying. And one of the great things about our Great God is that each time I mess it up and let my time with Him end up on the back burner, He reminds me and He always takes me back.


5. From pages 37- 40 in Lies Women Believe, what are the four steps that take us from initial deception to bondage?

1 - Listening to the lie.
2 - Dwelling on the lie.
3 - Believing the lie.
4 - Then acting on the lie, because what we believe comes out in our behaviors.



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

Because what we input into our minds, is what we tend to think on and dwell on and eventually act on. We make the time for what is most important to us.




9. What are the three steps that will help us move from spiritual bondage to freedom?

First, identify the area(s) of bondage or sinful behavior
Second, identify the lies that are at the root of that bondage or sinful behavior
Third, replace the lies with Truth, God's 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)

SIN!



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?

The people in Berea searched the scriptures daily to see if what Paul and Silas were teaching them was true. I believe I need to do more of this ... just because I hear something from a pastor or read something by a well published author, does not make it truth. It becomes easier to just trust that what they are telling is truth, thzt might be easier than but we grow much more in the Lord when we search for our selves.


Great big thanks to Karen for hosting this study ... the timing for this in my life is such a God thing! And its a blessing to read everyone else's post at their blogs. May God bless your week!