Deception Prevention
Lesson 3: The Truth about You
Day One:
1.What do these verses assume about how we view ourselves?
Matthew 22:39
Romans 12:3
Philippians 2:4
1 Peter 5:6
2.What did Jesus mean when He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” in Matthew 5:3?
3.What did Jesus mean when He said, “Blessed are those who mourn” in Matthew 5:4?
4.What does Jesus say is the key to living life to the fullest in Mark 8:35?What will happen if you just focus on your own selfish concerns?Rewrite this verse in your own words, and then, personalize it.
Day Two:
1.Because man is naturally prideful, who does he usually think is right (see Prov. 21:2)?What are some of the excuses you have heard for justifying wrong behavior?
2.What is the source of all sinful behavior according to Jesus in Mark 7:20–23?Is anyone ever responsible for another’s sin (see Ezek. 18:20)?
3.How do you know that a believer is able to have victory over her sin(see Rom. 6:5–11)?In what area of your life have you been excusing a sinful attitude or habit because of your circumstances, the way you were raised, or the way another person treated you?
4.God has not left us on our own in our struggles.What provision has he made for us(see John 14:16–17)? What does Galatians 5:22–23 say He will produce in our lives?
Day Three:
1.As Americans, we have been endowed with certain inalienable rights.We all tend to expect others to respect our rights.How do you expect to be treated by family and friends?How do you respond when you are mistreated?
2.From Psalm 37:1–11, list the contrasting responses of one who demands her rights and one who yields her rights to God.
3.What phrases in the following verses describe yielding your rights to God?
Proverbs 3:5–6
Mark 8:34
1 Peter 4:19
4.How does yielding your rights affect your ability to love others the way God loves (see Luke 6:27–35)? How does God command that we love others?
5.Love like this is only possible for those who are born of God (1 John 4:7–8).It is sacrificial love that the world does not know.Are you willing to be God’s instrument of love to those around you? What do you need to change to love as God loves you?
Day Four:
1.God has created much in His world that is beautiful.The world’s standard of beauty for a woman is external.What does God say is more valuable than physical beauty and fitness?
Proverbs 31:30
1 Timothy 4:8
1 Peter 3:3–4
2.In 1 Timothy 2:9–10, Paul gave women guidelines for their appearance in order to avoid being a distraction in the church.What were they to wear?What were they not to wear? What was causing the distraction?
3.Use each of these words in a sentence that defines a godly woman’s appearance.
Appropriate
Modest
Discrete
4.How does the time and effort you put into your physical appearance compare with the time and effort you invest in developing your beautiful,inner self?What will you do this week to increase your investment toward godliness?
Day Five:
1.Read 1 Peter 4:1–3.How are the world’s desires fulfilled according to 1 Peter 4:3?How does this change when a person becomes a Christian?
2.According to Matthew 6:31–33, what do we need to live physically and who supplies our needs?What is man’s greatest need spiritually (see Luke 13:4–5)?What is the difference between a need and a desire?
3.How do our unfulfilled desires get us in trouble according to James 4:1–2?How are we to handle our desires?What is that one nagging thing you desire so much that without it you can’t be happy?If only I had .
4.Why would God not grant His child’s request according to James 4:3?What does James say to do when we do not get what we pray for (see James 4:7–10)?
5.If God has not given you something you legitimately long for, what should you conclude (see Prov. 3:5; Pss. 23:1; 84:11; Phil. 4:19)?
Carolyn McGuireSpring 2005