Transformation in Christ
Week of 2/19/17
Sunday, Feb. 19 – Pastor Brian continued his sermon series about Heaven this week examining what Heaven will mean. Scripture emphasizes the opulence at a level we cannot conceive. The most amazing aspect of this is that this place is filled with God’s presence … and we are invited in and live there too. Oh my! Yet God cares about where and how we live here and now. This leads us to this week’s study within recovery.
Thursday, Feb. 23 6:30-7:30 HCC Youth Building
In order to build a new life no longer substance reliant, we must learn to live within God’s will and become willing to have God free us from our human defects and shortcomings. This week’s scripture clearly describes the challenge. Are we truly ready for God to remove all such defects? The obvious answer of “yes” is really not all that obvious or easy. If we are fearlessly honest, there are “character defects” that we rather like. Some we may even rely upon with some regularity in our day to day life.
- Question 1: What character defects are tough to give up? Why?
(Colossians 3:1-10)
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
- Question 2: Murder by “character assassination” is pretty common. How do you plead? How is such a shortcoming related to our disease?
An obsession for our particular addiction may indeed be lifted but a permanent reprieve from all character defects is rare and maybe nonexistent.
- Question 3: How can we remain as unaffected as possible from these defects?
- “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.” (AA Step 11)