Lesson/Week 2 Bible Study 2010

By Anonymous -
Lesson/Week Two
Maybe by now you’re thinking, are we really going to study bitterness for four weeks? Man I am tired of this already! Imagine bitterness dwelling in your heart for years… Ladies, this is something that I seriously struggle with. I have been able to say, “I forgive you.” But my heart is not letting go. That is the motivation behind doing this study, to really see bitterness for what it is. Then to really see what forgiveness is and to surrender myself and for you to surrender yourself to true forgiveness and freedom from this bitterness.

Bitterness is a noun, a state of being bitter. The root word, bitter is an adjective. Adjectives tell how we do something (bitter); stinging, cutting, spiteful, rigorous; acrid, unpalatable. These are all unpleasant descriptive words.

Quotes and Bible Reading
(Please remember to read in context the verses below)

“Bitterness imprisons life; love releases it. Bitterness paralyzes life; love empowers it. Bitterness sours life; love sweetens it. Bitterness sickens life; love heals it. Bitterness blinds life; love anoints its eyes.” -Harry Emerson Fosdick (American Clergyman 1878 – 1969)

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. John 4:8 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. John 4:16

“I know now that patriotism is not enough; I must have no hatred and bitterness toward anyone.” –Edith Cavell (British Nurse & Humanitarian 1865-1915)

Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs. Proverbs 10:12

“Reconciliation is more beautiful than victory.”- Violeta Barrios de Chamorro

Memory Verses: James 2:12-13
I Thess. 5:6, 8, 11, 13, 15-17, 22
James 1:19, 26, 2:18, 3:10, 4:10, 12, 5:13

What Others Are Saying
http://www.elisabethelliot.org/newsletters/2000-07-08.pdf
http://www.elisabethelliot.org/newsletters/2000-11-12.pdf

Journaling and Prayer
Take time to write down what God is saying to you about your life, heart and bitterness through His word. Record how He answers your prayers too. Then contact your trusted friend and discuss it and pray together.

Return to Bitterness and Forgiveness Bible Study 2010 Main Page

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for commenting:

Popular posts from this blog

Bitterness & Forgiveness Bible Study 2010

By Anonymous -
Bitterness & Forgiveness Bible Study What you will need to do this study: A willing heart to be open to how God will change your heart through this study A Bible or online Bible Notebook and a pen, or you can save to your desktop via word doc. A trusted friend. This can be someone you can actually talk to face to face, via the phone, through letters, or via online chat. This person can help you with memory verses, be there to discuss what you are going through as you do this study. This person does not have to do the study, but must be someone you trust to share the intimate details of your life with. If you are new to an area and do not have someone to fit this description...consider finding a women at your church who serves in a ministry role whom you could form this relationship with. Lessons one - four will focus on Bitterness…We will spend four weeks reading, listening, learning, praying and discussing while confronting bitterness. Bitterness may be something y
Read more

Is It Possible To Be Truly Kind?

By Anonymous -
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:31,32 (NIV) I cannot recall how many times I've been told how "nice" I am. Or when I was younger, "you're too sweet." I know that I've heard it enough that I believed it and it grew into pride. Thinking of it now seems a bit ridiculous, but seriously - I really have an issue with it. I work with much ambition to be seen as nice and kind. I work at being nice and kind. Imagine my shock to heart that some of my kindness is fake! Many years ago a woman from Calvary Fellowship Seattle gave me this small booklet with a yellow jacket. The title was, "How To Be Free From Bitterness." Truly it was a work God was doing even then, though I scoffed at the title and tucked it away on my bookshelf. It is also safe to say that I don't know
Read more
By -
Luke 1:38 And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." I have been thinking on these words of Mary often this Christmas. Mary describes herself as the servant of the Lord….servant of the Lord. How did that play out in Mary’s life? She was probably ostracized for most of her pregnancy for being “supernaturally pregnant.” Scripture doesn’t say exactly what she endured, but it does record that God sent an angel to Joseph to explain to him that Mary’s story was real. So, obviously it was a big enough deal to require a heavenly messenger. We see in the Gospel of Luke that Mary had the joy of going on a trip during the later part of her pregnancy, birthing a baby in a stable, laying him in an animal trough, and being greeted by shepherds after giving birth. Wow, not exactly what I would have expected the mother of our Lord to have endured in order to welcome Him into this world. Not exactly what I like to think of when I
Read more