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Lies Young Women Believe Companion Guide: Sample Chapter

Table of Contents:

Week One: The Landscape of Lies ........9

DAY ONE : Blazing Lies ..................................................10

DAY TWO : The Origin of Lies ......................................14

DAY THREE : The Power of Lies ....................................19

DAY FOUR : The Power of Truth ..................................22

Week Two: Lies about God ......................27

DAY ONE : God Is Not Enough .....................................28

DAY TWO : God Is Not Really Involved in My Life.......32

DAY THREE : God Should Fix My Problems .................36

DAY FOUR : God Is Just Like My Father .......................39

Week Three: Lies about Satan and Lies about myself ....................................45

DAY ONE : Everything That Happens Is Spiritual Warfare ..................................................46

DAY TWO : I’ve Never Been Exposed to Satanic Activities ....................................................50

DAY THREE : Beautiful Girls Are Worth More .............54

DAY FOUR : I Have to Perform to Be Loved and Accepted ...........................................................59

Week Four: Lies about Guys ..................63

DAY ONE : I Need a Boyfriend .......................................64

DAY TWO : It’s Okay to Go Out with a Non-Christian .......................................................68

DAY THREE : It’s Not Really Sex ...................................71

DAY FOUR : I Can’t Handle the Loneliness of Staying Pure .........................................................73

Week Five: Lies about Relationships ......................................................77

DAY ONE : Finding Balance ...........................................78

DAY TWO : It’s Okay to Be One Person at Home and a Different Person with Others . . . Especially Online ...................................................81

DAY THREE : If I Just Had Friends, I Wouldn’t Be So Lonely .........................................84

DAY FOUR : I’m My Own Authority .............................87

Week Six: Lies about My Faith .............93

DAY ONE : A Look at the Church ................................94

DAY TWO : My Youth Pastor Is My Connection to God ......................................................................97

DAY THREE : Everyone at Church Is Judging Me .......100

DAY FOUR : Of Course, I’m a Christian, I . . . ..........103

Week Seven: Lies about Sin .................109

DAY ONE : Understanding Sin ....................................110

DAY TWO : I Can’t Overcome Sin ...............................112

DAY THREE : In Certain Situations It’s Okay to Break the Law or Rules if I’m Not Hurting Myself or Others ....................................................115

DAY FOUR : I Can’t Control Myself When I’m PMS-ing ...........................................................118

Week Eight: Lies about the Media and Lies about the Future ........................123

DAY ONE : The Benefits of Constant Media Usage Outweigh the Harm ....................................124

DAY TWO : It’s Not a Waste of Time . . . Even if It Is, It’s Okay ...................................................127

DAY THREE : Having a Career Outside the Home Is More Valuable and Fulfilling Than Just Being a Wife and Mom ....................................................130

DAY FOUR : What I Do Now Doesn’t Affect the Future.................................................................34

Week Nine: A Collision with Truth ...........................................................139

DAY ONE : Fighting the Lies ........................................140

DAY TWO : Replace the Lies with Truth .....................144

DAY THREE : Powerful Truths to Counter Everyday Lies ..........................................................149

DAY FOUR : Becoming a Truth Speaker ......................151

Appendix: A Leader’s Guide and Ideas .......................154

Getting Started: A Letter from Nancy, Dannah, and Erin

You’ll get even more out of this study if you fi nd a friend who would like to do it with you. Better yet, find a group of friends! If you’re leading a group discussion of Lies Young Women Believe or want some suggestions for how to start a LYWB Bible study, check out our Leader’s Guide & Ideas on page 154. Some of the questions we ask will be great for group discussion. We’ve marked those with a . . . “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

Hey friend! We are so excited that this book is in your hands. It means you are ready to do some serious work. And that, we believe, is going to lead you to some serious freedom.

When we wrote Lies Young Women Believe , we rolled up our sleeves and did some heavy lifting for you. We developed a plan to uncover lies that you might believe. As part of that plan, we surveyed 1000 teen girls to uncover 25 of the most commonly believed lies in your generation. Then we took that list of lies and set out to uncover God’s Truth, praying all along the way that God’s Spirit would direct our work.

If you read Lies Young Women Believe , you’ll get a good glimpse at how you can be free. In essence, we introduced you to Truth in the book.

But being introduced to someone or something isn’t the same as knowing that person or thing. Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” It’s time for you to roll up your sleeves to move past the introductions. We want you to know Truth. That’s where this companion guide comes in. You have nine weeks of Bible study, personal application, and discussion suggestions in your hands. Think of this as your private journal for the next nine weeks. All you need to do is read the chapter or chapters in Lies Young Women Believe that correspond to the week of study you are about to begin. Then, keep this book close for daily, thought-provoking assignments that will take you from an introductory look at Truth to an intimate knowledge of Truth.

Well, what are you waiting for?

Let’s get started!

Nancy, Dannah, and Erin

Most of the Scriptures we quote will be from the English Standard Version of the Bible. Occasionally we’ll use the New International Version . When we do, we’ll put the handy-dandy “ NIV ” there so you will know where that verse came from! If you prefer to memorize from a different translation, that’s totally okay.

If you have wrong thinking about God, you will have wrong thinking about everything else. What you believe about God will determine the way you live. If you believe things about Him that aren’t true, you will eventually act on those lies and end up in bondage.

Lies about God - Week two

This week you’ll read chapter 4: Lies about God in LYWB.

Know the Truth

This week, we’d like to see you take a stab at memorizing this great verse of Truth about how very much God values you!

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6–7)

Day One: God is Not Enough

Read the beginning of chapter four and Lie #1, “God is not enough,” in LYWB.

Realize

1. Look up the following passages and jot a brief summary of each in the space provided.

Psalm 37:4 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Psalm 107:8–9 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Matthew 5:6 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Philippians 4:19 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

What promise do these passages have in common?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2. The Bible clearly tells us that God is able to handle whatever life throws at us and that from God can ever truly satisfy us. Even so, almost 90 percent of the not enough to satisfy.”

We might say “God is enough for me,” but in our hearts we may not really believe that is true.

“ In order to be happy, I need God plus __________________________.”

Example: parents who understand me

3. Psalm 23 is chock-full of promises of God’s commitment and ability to meet our needs.

Fill in key points from this passage in the space provided.

“The Lord is my _____________________; I shall _______ ___________.

He makes me__________ ______________ in ______________ ___________________.

He ___________ ______ beside still waters. He ____________ my _________.

He ____________ _______ in paths of ________________________ for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I ___________ _________ ______ ______________,

for you are __________ ______; your rod and your staff, they ______________ me.

He is able to truly satisfy the deepest longings and desires of our hearts. It also tells us that nothing and no one apart young (Christian) women we surveyed agreed with the statement “God is Why do you think that they answered this way? What are several ways young women today might finish this sentence, if they were being completely honest:

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you ______________ my _________ with oil; my cup overflows. Surely ___________________ and ____________ shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall __________ in the ____________ of the ___________ forever”

Respond

1. OK, let’s bring Psalm 23 home! Personalize it for your life! Use the left column to make a list of how the psalmist expresses God’s character and His promises. Use the right column to write a practical explanation of what that means for us. We’ve given you an example to get you started.

2. All right, let’s look at whether you are truly looking to God to be your everything. To do that, you’ll answer two questions: “What possessions, activities, or relationships are most important to me?” And, “How would it affect my life if these were taken away?” Use the prompts below to guide your thinking.

I can’t imagine living without ________________ because ________________________. If my relationship with _______________ ended, I would feel _____________________. If I couldn’t participate in ______________ anymore, I would be __________________.

3. Anything or anyone other than God that we feel we can’t live without or that means more to us than God, can become an “idol” in our lives. Based on what you wrote above, can you identify any idols in your life?

Write it Out

Jesus, thank You for promising to meet my needs. I want to learn to be deeply and fully satisfi ed with You. I confess that I have been looking to things and people other than You to satisfy my heart —things like:

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Day Two: God is Not Really Involved in My Life

Read:

Read Lie #2, “God is not really involved in my life,” in LYWB.

Realize

1. It’s quiz time again! This time, let’s test your knowledge of world events. (Groan!) We promise these questions won’t be too tough.

A. Who was the first president of the United States of America?

a . . . . Curious George c . . . . George Strait
b . . . . George Washington d . . . . George Clooney

B. A Pharaoh is an ancient ruler of which country?

a . . . . Spain c . . . . Portugal
b . . . . Egypt d . . . . Jamaica

C. Who did God command to build an ark and stock it full of every kind of animal?

a . . . . Mickey c . . . . Minnie
b . . . . Noah d . . . . Daffy

How’d you do? We’re confident a girl as bright as you was able to figure out that the answer to all three questions was b. But what was the point of those silly questions? We simply wanted to remind you that the world is a big place with lots going on. Is it possible that the God who manages world affairs knows and cares about the details of our lives? This is where many in your generation seem to get hung up. One girl from our focus groups summed it up this way.

“God is so big. He has so much to take care of with wars and natural disasters and stuff like that. I find it hard to believe that He cares about what is going on in my life.”

It is hard to believe, isn’t it? We can hardly imagine that the God of the universe, the same

Isaiah 65:24 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Luke 12:6–7 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

1 Peter 5:7 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

3. Returning to the verses you just wrote above, underline words or phrases that indicate that God cares about your circumstances.

4. Write your memory verse for this week below. It’s a great reminder that God is intimately concerned with you!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

God who created and sustains all life, could care about the details of our circumstances. Because this truth is so difficult to wrap our minds around, many young women have drawn the false conclusion that God is not personally involved in their life. This is contrary to the Word of God.

Respond

1. Dannah told a story in LYWB of God’s amazing provision in Africa when her husband had a bloody nose. Can you think of a story like that from your own life?

Write about a situation where God intervened in your life and provided what you needed or asked for.

2. Can you think of a time when you asked God for something and He didn’t give you what you wanted, but in the long run you saw that He did what was best for you? Write about that experience below.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

3. What are two or three fears or concerns you are currently struggling with?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Read Psalm 139:1–6, 17. What do these verses tell you about God? How does the Truth of this passage apply to your life and the issues you are facing?

Write it Out

Father, thank You for caring about my circumstances and for being involved in my life. I cannot always feel Your presence, but I know that You are always with me and that You care about these specific situations I am dealing with:

Day Three: God Should Fix My Problems

Read

Read Lie #3, “God should fix my problems,” in LYWB.

Realize

1. Fill in the blanks for the following passages.

“Count it all ___________, my brothers, when you meet ________________ of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces ______________________. And let _____________________ have its ___________ ______________, that you may be _______________ and __________________, lacking in __________________.” (James 1:2–4)

“More than that, we ________________ in our ________________________, knowing that suffering produces ____________________, and endurance produces _____________________, and character produces ____________.” (Romans 5:3–4)

According to these passages, what are the results of trials?

2. What is your reaction to the statement that we wrote in LYWB : “God is more concerned with changing you to be a reflection of Christ than with solving all your problems”?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

3. God cares about your circumstances and He wants you to talk to Him about your problems. But a balanced prayer life includes more than petitions for our own needs. Read the following Scriptures and write down other things we should include in our time with God.

Psalm 136:1 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Psalm 32:5 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

James 5:16 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Psalm 46:10 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Respond

1 . Does your prayer life reflect that you believe this lie on some level? If so, how?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2. Can you think of an example from your own life where Christ used a difficult circumstance to develop growth in you? Write about that experience in the space provided.

3. Stop right now and pray for five minutes without bringing up any of your personal problems. Focus on worship, thanksgiving, confession, and intercession for others, especially those not close to you. Go ahead. Do it! How did this time in prayer compare with your normal prayer experience?

Write it Out

Thank You for being a God who cares about my circumstances. Thank You for using my circumstances to make me more like You. Help me to focus on Your will rather than my own, in this situation:

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Day Four: God is Just Like My Father

Read

Read Lie #4, “God is just like my father,” in LYWB.

Realize

1. How does Scripture describe our heavenly Father? Let’s dig into the Word and find out. Look up the verses listed below and then write down the characteristics of God that each one points out.

James 1:17 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

1 John 3:1 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Matthew 7:9–11 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Hebrews 12:7–10_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2. In this chapter we pointed out that God is a Father, but He is not like any man you’ve ever known. Which of the qualities highlighted in the Scriptures listed above are supernatural (i.e., not found in us humans!)?

3. Let’s take a closer look at one of the quotes from this chapter. “My relationship with my dad hasn’t been so good for the past few years. I used to be ‘his girl,’ but now he’s distant and I don’t know what I’ve done wrong. I cannot relate to God the way I relate to my dad, or we wouldn’t relate at all.”

What counsel would you offer this girl based on what you’ve read in this chapter and in the Word?

Respond

1. Go back to the list of characteristics you outlined in question one of “realize.” Place a star beside the characteristics of God that remind you of your earthly dad. Circle the characteristics of God that are not like your human father. Is your perception of your dad largely positive or negative?

2. OK, let’s try something that may be difficult, but could be really helpful! Write a letter to your dad explaining how your relationship with him has affected your spiritual walk. If his influence has been largely positive, tell him so. If it has been largely negative, ask God to show you something about your dad you can be grateful for. Then if you feel the freedom, gently share how God has used even the difficult things in your relationship. Be respectful. This is not an open invitation to trash your father. You can write your letter right here:

Dear dad!

If your dad is active in your life, we’d encourage you to give him the letter once you’re finished. Use it as a tool to open the lines of communication. If your dad is unavailable, read the letter to a friend, youth pastor, or mentor. Together, talk through how your relationship with your father has impacted how you relate to God.

Write it Out

Dear God, thank You for adopting me into Your family. Help me to better understand Your role as my heavenly Father. Especially, help me to understand Your promise to . . .

[We’re assuming you have become a child of God by placing your faith in Jesus Christ. If you don’t know whether you are a member of God’s family, look ahead to page 60 where we explore the topic!]

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Lies Young Women Believe Companion Guide: Sample Chapter