Character Defects Quiz

Wednesday, November 2nd
Principle 5 - Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life.
Step 6: We are entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. (James 4:10)
Step 7: We humbly asked him to remove all our shortcomings. I John 1:9)

Descriptions of character defects are to help those who are not sure of what they are feeling or how they see others. Do you have any of these?

INTOLERANCE: "Unwillingness, inability or refusal to accept others" opinions, beliefs or behavior".
MINIMIZING: "Making excuses for or making less of my behavior to make myself and others think I am not THAT bad."
PHONINESS: "Deceiving, being insincere, not being genuine - including emotional phoniness, past or present."
SELF – CENTEREDNESS: "Being overly concerned with my own welfare or interests, having little or no concerns for others - what I want is the most important thing !"
ANGER (Excessive and uncontrollable): 'Temper tantrums and rages."
RESENTMENT: "Sulking, vindictiveness (getting even), re-living emotional hurts and pain."
COVETOUSNESS: "Having an unreasonable desire for things we do not have, such as another's possessions, power, wealth or relationships."
DENIAL: 'Refusing to think about, hear about or admit things I did or said."
FALSE PRIDE: "A form of dishonesty, acting, boasting, or pretending to myself and others that I am better than I actually am."
PROCRASTINATION: "Putting off to some future date something I feel I should have done sooner to avoid unpleasant or undesirable consequences."
SELF – PITY: "Feeling sorry for myself, or continually reviewing my miseries, often blaming others for my troubles."
IMPATIENCE: "Annoyance because of delay or opposition.("I want what I want when I want it.!")

Last Class: Bonding with regular attenders creates anticipcation to be intrigued with one another. It's like watching a great movie, but unexpectedly time runs out and the screen pops up with "to be continued"...........
Disappointment emerges, but is quickly replaced with a craving to come back next week for the drama to be unfolded.
Please come..........and bring a friend.

Confessions

Wednesday October 26th

Continuation of .........
· Principle 4 - Openly examine and confess my faults to God, to myself and to another person whom I trust.
· Step 4: We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. (Lamentations 3:40)
Step 5: We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. (James 5:16)

Last meeting; John Rademaker joined us and shared some valuable insights.
It's very exciting to begin a new ministry and participate in the Holy Spirits guidance.
Every week it brings in new people and deep conversation with teachings from Rick Warren.
Can't wait until next Wednesday............................ Please come and bring a friend.

Moral Inventory

Wednesday October 19th
· Principle 4 - Openly examine and confess my faults to God, to myself and to another person whom I trust.
· Step 4: We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. (Lamentations 3:40)
Step 5: We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. (James 5:16)
· Scripture: Lamentations 3:40
“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.”
James 5:16
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
Matthew 5:8
Ø "Happy are the pure in heart.”
Ø “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.”
Ø “You’re blessed when you get your inside world – your mind and heart – put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.”

Giving up control

Wednesday October 12th
· Principle 3 - Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control.
· Step 3: We made a decision to turn our wills and our lives over to the care of God.
· Scripture: Romans 12:1
“Therefore, I urge you, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.”
Matthew 5:5
Ø “Happy are the meek”
Ø “God blesses those who are gentle and lowly.”
Ø “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are – no more, no less.”

In our last meeting we met in the comfy couch room to engage in soul talk. Even though the weather outside was churning our first blizzard, it didn't stop our group from coming to engage in this home group.
As we allow the Spirit to lead our evening, we find an intimacy that allows us to look deep inside and share our struggles and joy's together. We find a renewed strength and hope to continue the journey.

Soul talk

Soul Surfing
The whisper……………. What is it you need?................ Tell me your deepest secrets.
How can we dance with the rhythm of the Spirit with one another?....................................
Let me embrace all of your thoughts, and emotions with gentle warmth. Tell me your losses, and all of your pain. I can sense the sadness of your heart. I can touch the deep recesses of your soul through the windows of your eyes. How can I show you this is the final resting place for you to freeze time and space together. For a moment to remain what seems forever? No clock will tick, no call will interrupt, no distraction will allow this encountering of love that exists. Under a hedge of protection and stillness, the moments turn into hours and the hours turn into an eternity.

A still portrait. Like looking into your own face on a photograph after you’re gone. It reminds you that you once had a soul, a heart, a mind, and a freedom that exposed your identity. Throw yourself into my arms, my cherished. Let all of your worries and pressures be freed. Allow the sweet embrace of your sorrows to be held.. Free from the restrictions of this world. Free yourself to share your inner most mysteries to be finally told in the solitudes of this inner circle.

Tell me…………When did your faith fad away? ………….. Who was it that robbed you of the gift of exsisting? ….……….. What snatched away your hope?
Why did it die at that moment? …………….
Shhhhhhhhhh…………………………..…..let the quietness penetrate.
Allow the love to pierce your heart. Let your tender childlike innocence return. To remain for true love to be received. Not conditional expectation of human demands.

How can you find this place of safety? Once remembered in the secret places of your mind…..seemingly forgotten? Desiring a place where an anxiety and anguish does not remember. Only exhilarating expressions of innocence and laughter. How can I let you savor this hypnotic resting place of soul encountering? Where the fear does not allow you to touch escape anymore. Can you come to me and surrender your sobbing heart. that howls in agony. Can you free yourself into my arms and fly with me into the winds of the Spirit.

Listen…………..like the sound of waves as they quietly roll down onto the soft sand of the night. Feel the glowing in the moonlight of the hours. Stillness is so loud that the silence of the noise is unbearable. Only the whisper of our breath can be heard and the beating of our hearts felt. Weep without shame into my arms and let your tears free your imprisoned heart. Let emotions of the many years past finally be set free. Safety and security are now here. Let go of your inhibitions, let go of the walls of insecurity. . Rest…………peace…………love
Fly like warm breezes over the waters of the ocean. Floating sequentially within the calmness of the rising vapors. Allow your weightless naked body to capture the wave, as you body surf through an endless stream of affection. Dive into the Spirit with a mystical ability to breathe spiritual water like air that brings you life. Surfing and engulfing the passion of soul talk with someone who loves you.
Soul surfing ….where you’d rather live forever… than life itself…… A taste of heaven.

Realize you are not God

Ignorance + power + pride = a deadly mixture

Wednesday October 5th
· Principle 2 – Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me recover.
· Step 2: We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
· Scripture: Philippians 2:13
“For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
Matthew 5:4
Ø "Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
Ø “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
Ø You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.”

Last meeting
It truely is a blessing to meet with people who want to continue the journey of healing. God has blessed us to share, comfort, and love each other along the way. We are friends sharing a common ministry, that bond us to a very deep level. The more we engage with each other, the more time we continue to share together, the stronger the unity of love builds this community……… with Christ at the center.
Please pray about someone you know who needs support and bring them on Wednesday. :-)