She's Got Issues- Intro

Sunday School: “She’s Got Issues”  by Nicole Unice                                             January 11, 2015

Introduction

Is being a Christian supposed to change me?

Coffee demo: adding may change the look or taste, but it’s still the same thing

            -2 Cor 5:17- Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

            -Eph 4:24; Col 3:9-10

What is it that makes us different? We can all probably name people who are not Christians and just as nice (if not nicer) than we are.

“…the disparity between what I said I believed about the Christian life and what I was living became clear to me.” “There was no dramatic issue lurking, I wasn’t hiding a secret life or stormy past. I knew my issues—my ordinary, run-of-the-mill, American woman issues—wouldn’t kill me or land me on Dr. Phil.” (xiii)

“We may say otherwise and we may know better, but we will live out what we truly believe.” –Beth Moore

“I can’t really handle ordinary life with a constant peace or a lasting joy. I do ok loving when it’s easy. I don’t love much when it’s hard.” (1-2)

“same old problems since middle school.”

            -when the Bible study group found out I was going to do this study with you, everyone of them was thrilled and commented on how they wish they had learned this stuff sooner.

-tired of the ordinary-tired of pretending-tired of struggling

-ordinary issues are often overlooked because they are so mundane, yet they become powerful when grouped together and we don’t recognize it.

“Being a Christian isn’t just about going to heaven. It’s about a power that transforms your whole life. Your thoughts. Your behaviors. Your relationships. Your love.” (7)

Read p7 about Peter.

[WATCH INTRO VIDEO]

There are three symptoms in your life that demonstrate you have issues:

1)      Blindness-

-shrugging off reality or justifying our behavior

Mt. 23:24-26- read p9

Do you tend to shrug off your actions, reactions, behavior, tendencies by blaming your circumstances, your personality, pms, other people??

2)      lack of compassion

-compassion means “to suffer with” and if we are suffering with our own stuff, it’s almost impossible to offer ourselves to others.

-The Lord is compassionate!! We need to be as well!

-Jesus’ compassion is followed by action- if we can’t, then we’ve got issues.

3)      convoluted conflict- it’s a part of life, and can be good (Pr 27:17).

But our issues make it difficult- we tend to go to extremes, avoid it or come out swinging

The book boils down all the various issues we may struggle with into 6 major issues:

1)      Control

2)      Insecurity

3)      Comparison

4)      Fear

5)      Anger

6)      Unforgiveness

We all have issues we deal with. Maybe yours is different than mine.

Even if you think you may not deal with one of these issues, pay attention because learning about them will help you be more loving/compassionate to other who do deal with them.

Nicole says she struggles most with control and anger. I’d say my biggest struggle is comparison, but be open-minded. I would have never said I struggle with anger, but was surprised as we did the study how much I actually do. WHICH ONE OF THESE ISSUES DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH THE MOST CONSISTENTLY? CAN YOU SHARE AN EXAMPLE OF WHEN IT APPEARED RECENTLY? HOW HAVE YOU SEEN THESE ISSUES HINDER YOUR RELATIONSHIP(S), EVEN WITH GOD?

What is the point of Christianity? Heaven?

            -wordless book doesn’t stop at yellow, what’s the green represent?

            -read underlines on p22

Before we dig into this study, there are three truths that you need to know.

1)      We are all crazy/messed up.

-be honest with where you need to change.

-look at David (24-25)

2)      You can’t change yourself.

-if you could, you’d already have done so.

-but we  feel like our issues are not important enough to bother God for

-read 25-26 underlined

3)      God can change you.

-maybe not the way you think it should (or in the time you think it should)

-“God can, and will, help you deal with your issues. If you let him.” (27)

-you have to be ready to surrender

It’s hard, but it’s worth it.

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We are studying the book She's Got Issues by Nicole Unice with the teen girls in Sunday School. These are my notes from the book. Just about none of it is my words-it's almost all quotes and paraphrases. I would recommend you read the book!!