In April of 22, my bible study group went through Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst, learning how to handle our raw and real emotions. It offered practical advice on how to resolve conflict in relationships, how to be honest- but kind, and managing our tendencies to stuff or explode.
I just went back on my notes and realized that this same bible study chose The Struggle is Real in August of 22. It helped me understand that surrendering to Christ may feel heavy and hard to you, and if so, there’s fear at work in your soul. When we resist surrender, we aren’t willing to trust our Lord. It might be because you have a rebellious part of your heart that wants to be in charge, independent of God. Or it might be because you are scared of God and what it will mean to commit to Him. When we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, we also hand our burdens to Him. When we give Him everything , that includes our fears, our concerns, and our pain. We give up the confusion. We give up the worry. We give up the suffocating pressure to get it all right.
In January of 23, we studies Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen. It helped me realize my thought patterns were out of control and needed a healthier, God-centered approach. Me trying to dictate exactly how my life turns out hasn’t altered God’s plan, but just created different pathways to his final outcome.
Also in March, our bible study group went through Seamless by Angie Smith which was an incredible way to understand the basics of the bible. She was able to tie together the promises of God and link the old testament to new.
Our next study was Armor of God, which was a very helpful reminder that spiritual warfare is real and we need to be on guard and relying on Jesus to stand in the way of the enemy. The enemy had me trapped with fear, worrying about what could happen rather than focusing on abudant blessings being poured out daily.
In October of 23, we worked through Good Boundaries and Goodbyes by Lysa TerKeurst and found the most growth than any other study. She was able to align the bible with appropriate emotional access someone has to you. She taught us how to create boundaries in a loving manner and prepared us to say goodbye to unhealthy relationships.