Posted on April 24, 2022 Posted By: HCCCategories: journey
Heartland Community Church
THE JOURNEY
Tell Me Why: Why are you troubled?
By Bill McMurtrey
Self doubt is what has to be one of the top five biggest lies that the enemy himself wants us to concede too. There are others. They might sound like this:
You’re not worthy.
You can’t do that.
People will think you are crazy.
You’re all alone…nobody cares.
All of those are lies, and each one of them is a lie directly from the pit of hell itself.
I’m a person that appreciates the value dichotomy. I know if there is a push, then there is pull. If there is up, there is down. If there is dark, then somewhere there is light. As Jesus followers we embrace that last one. We know that the enemy is strong, he’s no joke, he has his own army whose only purpose is to spread lies, wreak havoc in our lives and, drive us from Jesus.
As strong as the enemy is, and as much as his lies can cause us to have self doubt, God is stronger. And Jesus can be trusted as the way, the path and the light.
I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.
–John 12:46
As a young boy I would do my boxing workouts in our basement. The windows weren’t covered, so in the winter months it would be dark outside, I couldn’t see out. I always thought that "The Monsters" were watching me, waiting to get me. That was the fear of a 10 year old boy, but it was placed there by the enemy.
Eventually one day I started running up to the windows and would yell, "You guys can’t get me!! Me and Jesus can beat you up!" Ha…don’t laugh but I did. I’m sure my mom had thought I’d lost it. You see the enemy tried to rattle a young boy, but with Jesus, he can’t faze the man.
Be sober minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
-1 Peter 5:8
When we give our trials, tribulations, fears, tears, joy, happiness, everything, all of it to Jesus, we are not only being dutiful but we are stepping away from the dark and walking towards the light.
In doing so, we are rebuking the enemies’ attempts to place us into his bondage of deceit and live the life of love, peace and joy that Jesus has for us.
Observe, Reflect, Apply: Where do you see the contrast of light and darkness these days? How are you able to move from darkness to light when you are caught in between? How can you keep watch over situations that are coming from a bad place and choose to move toward Jesus and light?
{bible reading plan: book of hebrews}
For the next few months, we invite you to engage the Bible differently along with us. Each week we will be reading a book from Hebrews 4 times, in 4 ways, as directed below. Instead of daily verses, you are free to engage in the practice outlined below as a "choose your adventure". You might do this all in one sitting, or choose to do an exercise a day. We’d love to hear your feedback, just drop an email to Lisa Zulke.
For an overview of Hebrews, watch this 8 minute video from our friends at The Bible Project.
Read the passage slowly, sitting with it and allowing it to frame and fill your mind. Listen for a single word or phrase that catches your attention. Something you want to ponder further or hold on to.
What word or phrase caught your attention?
"I heard _____________________________________________"
The second time you read the passage, reflect on what you have heard. Use your imagination to put yourself in the story, in the context of this letter to the Hebrew people. What do you THINK or NOTICE? What do you SEE? What do you FEEL? What do you LEARN about Jesus? What QUESTIONS are you pondering about Jesus in this reading? Engaging our senses invites curiosity about what we have read.
"I saw, I felt, I noticed _____________________________________"
The third time you read the passage, listen specifically for a personal invitation. What am I being invited to consider? What am I being invited to do or try? Sit quietly and listen. Pray, asking God for insight into what he wants to share with you.
"I believe Jesus is inviting me to ___________________________"
After the fourth reading, respond to Hebrews 13. Read it again, and noodle on what you’ve experienced and taken note of so far. What are you sensing or hearing from Jesus or about Jesus? Pray, inviting Jesus to nudge you in a decision: what am I going to do with what I’ve heard? How will I act on it? How might I integrate it into my daily life?
"I will __________________________________________________"
{extra journey resources}
CLICK HERE to visit The Bible Project site and explore their super simple, super informative Bible videos (and other resources). You can also download The Bible Project App HERE.
CLICK HERE to get the Read Scripture App, from our friends at The Bible Project.
CLICK HERE for more on how to use the observe-reflect-apply approach to getting the most out of your Bible reading.
The Bible App Get the free YouVersion Bible for your phone, tablet, or computer. Experience the Bible anywhere, with options to highlight, save notes, and share what you are reading with others.
The Bible App For Kids YouVersion partnered with OneHope to develop the Bible App for Kids, designing it specifically to engage children with Bible stories on an age-appropriate level. The Bible App for Kids is a free app for Android, Apple, and Kindle devices, available in over 60 languages.
Bible Gateway Provides advanced Bible searching capabilities, which allow readers to find passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.
Please visit us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and share what you are learning, questioning or experiencing. We love conversations!
