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Titus 2 series

Lesson 3 How We Think

Years ago my daughter was asked by a friend to go out for the evening.  She responded to that friend by saying that she wanted to check with the family first to see if she was needed for anything there before she accepted.  Her friend got a bit indignant and said it was ridiculous that she had to check with “mommy and daddy” first since she was old enough to make her own decisions.  

My daughter was annoyed by this.  It was hard for her to understand that someone would be so inconsiderate and just do whatever they wanted without checking first with the ones she had a responsibility to. 

This encounter represented two very different mindsets.  My daughter knew she was under our authority even though she was a teenager.  In her mind it mattered what her family may have needed or wanted before she decided to just go out.  Her friend on the other hand did not even give a thought to his family’s needs or desires or feelings.

In the example above we see two different ways of thinking.  Our scripture in Titus 2:3-5 states that older women are to teach the younger women to be self- controlled and pure.   In order to do this we need to be able to control the way we think.  Just as my daughter knew that she was under our authority as parents, we are under the authority of Jesus Christ if indeed we are christians.  The Bible calls us “Bond servants” of Christ.  Our allegiance is to God through Christ Jesus and therefore our first thoughts should be to please Him.

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Proverbs 4:3

“Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.”

 

Another version says it this way:

 

“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.”

 

 

Romans 12:2

“Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, 

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”

 

 

Romans 8:6

“The mind governed by flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”

 

The mind is where the battle is.

How do we win this battle?

 

2 Corinthians 10:3-06 (Message)

 

“The world is unprincipled.  It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair.  But we don’t live or fight our battles that way-never have and never will.  The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture.  We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.  Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.”

 

"We take every thought to make it obedient to christ"

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Ephesians 4:17-24 (Message)

“And so I insist-and God backs me up on this-that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd.  They’ve refused for so long to deal with God that they’ve lost touch not only with God but with reality itself.  They can’t think straight anymore.  Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion.

But that’s no life for you.  You learned Christ!  My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to Him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus.  Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything-and I do mean everything- connected with that old way of life has to go.  It’s rotten through and through.  Get rid of it!  And then take on an entirely new way of life-a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces His character in you.”

 

The NASB says in verse 23 “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind”

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What are our tools?

Knowledge, God’s Word, Prayer, Body of Christ

 

  1. Know that the battle is a daily one.

       We must be vigilant.  The moment that we think we have it under control is the 

       moment Satan will attack.

 

2)   Diligently learn the word of God.

      To have a God-Fashioned life we have to know God’s will.

 

3)   Consult God in every decision.

       WWJD  It may be a cliche but constantly asking if what we are thinking or doing   

       would please God is a valuable mind practice. Pray in every situation for wisdom.

 

James 1:5

“If any of you lack wisdom, you should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to you.”

 

4)   When unsure, consult a trusted Christian mentor.

       Wise, Godly counsel is priceless.  The body of Christ is there to encourage,

       and help us in our spiritual walk.

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STUDY QUESTIONS

 

  1. What have I found helpful in winning this battle of the mind?

  2. What areas are especially challenging for me?

  3. Am I willing to share struggles with others?

  4. Is it a constant thought of mine to please my Savior Jesus Christ?

  5. What may distract me from being mindful of this battle?

WOMEN’S ROLES

Lesson 1

“ROLES, NOT IDENTITY”

 

As we look at the creation story in Genesis, we see that God was satisfied with each day of His handiwork.  We see the phrase “And God saw that it was good” over and over.  On the sixth day God said:

 

“Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness”  “So God created man in His own image.”

 

God ordained man to rule over creation.  The Bible says that male and female, He created them.  And God said it was not only good but “VERY good”

 

In Genesis 2:18 God indicates the first thing that He said was not good during the seven days of creation.  And that was, it was not good for man to be alone.  In all of creation, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea and the beasts fo the land, there was not found a suitable helper for man.

 

“So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he slept she took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the area with flesh.  And from that rib that the Lord God had taken from the man, He made a woman and brought her to him.” Gen. 2: 21 and 22

 

Woman was created to be a “suitable helper”.  The King James Bible uses the term “Help Meet”  What does that mean?

 

As we look at scriptures that talk about the role of women, we can be thrust into so many emotions.  These scriptures can be hard to swallow.  But I ask the question, Are the scriptures difficult or is it my heart that is not soft enough to meditate on these verses? Do I have preconceived ideas, negative past experiences, or selfish, self preserving defenses that go up immediately as I look upon such ideas?

 

In Elyse Fitzpatrick’s book entitled, “Helper by Design”  She says this about handling such scriptures as she started the project of writing her book:

 

“Honestly, there were days I strongly considered forsaking the whole project.  Then, when by God’s mercy, I once again regained forward motion, I felt I was walking in the dark…trying to learn what I just tripped over, picking up a stone, holding it…examining it, experiencing it.  What does the heat of this rock mean?  Is it really blistering hot or is it just that my hands are so cold?  Is it genuinely sharp?  Does it have to cut, or am I hanging on to it too tightly or holding it in the wrong places?”

 

I believe that as we look at what God instructs, it does not have to sting. If we open our heart to God’s instructions we will see something powerful and beautiful.

 

Let’s remember a few things before we begin.

 

  1. We are God’s beloved children.  (Eph. 5:1)

  2. Everything God instructs is for our own good and pleasure. (Jer. 29:11)

  3. God longs to bless us and give us the desires of our hearts. (2 Chron. 16:9)(Psalm 37:4)

  4. We can only control ourselves. (Phil. 2:12-13 )

 

As women we fill many roles.   We are daughters and sisters. We may choose to marry taking on the role of helper and wife.  We may have children taking on the role of mother.  We may choose roles like teacher, health care provider, coach, boss of a company, etc.

We must remember that no matter the roles we fill,  they are not our identity.

Our identity is CHILD OF GOD CREATED IN HIS IMAGE.  This is the main point I want to get across in this lesson.  And I believe that if we put this truth into our hearts it will help us accept the role of helper to our husband. It will help us embrace the role in a different light.

 

As a christian woman, our goal in life is to reflect Christ in all we do.  To be His hands and feet.  We seek to glorify God with the work of our hands and to glorify and imitate God within any role we fill.

 

Elyse Fitzpatrick suggests that we can gain greater understanding of what a helper does if we imitate our Heavenly Father who is our great helper.

 

 

IN WHAT WAYS IS GOD OUR HELPER?

 

God strengthens-

Psalm 54:4 - “Behold, God is my helper:  The Lord is of them that uphold my soul.”

 

Isa. 41:10 - “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.  Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

 

Psalm 46:1 - “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble.”

 

 

God sustains-

 

Isa. 46:4 - “I will be your God throughout your lifetime- Until your hair is white with age.  I made you and I will care for you.  I will cary you along and I will save you.”

 

God comforts-

 

2 Cor 1 : 3-4 “…God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.  He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others….”

 

God protects-

 

2 Thes. 3:3 - “…The Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.”

 

 

We can always count on God to hold to his promises.  So, in that light let’s answer these questions.

 

  1. Can our husband always count on us?

  2. How can we strengthen our husband?

  3. How can we help sustain him?

  4. What is the best way to comfort our husband?

  5. How can we protect our husband?

  6. How do we treat our husband in a time of trouble?

 

We all know that the world is a tough place.  As we go out to work and purchase and live our lives we can be knocked down in many ways.  I want our home and my presence to be a source of strength, comfort and protection to my husband and family.  I want my husband to want to come home because it is the place where he feels safe, secure, respected and a respite from the world.  As wives, we have the power to create an atmosphere that fosters those characteristics.

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Last night Frank came home and to my surprise he said to me, “ My eyes were really opened today.”  He had been out plowing snow for 13 hours. This caught my attention. “ I just want to thank you for being the kind of woman that you are.”  Ok. That was nice. Why was he compelled to say this?  Apparently he had witnessed some conversations where he was shocked at how the man in those conversations was being spoken to.  He heard great disrespect, ungratefulness, and ugliness.  He said he could not imagine being spoken to in the manner he had heard.  I said thank you and asked, “ So my nagging isn’t so bad?”

He laughed and said,”Bring it on!”

I love my husband with all my heart and was so thankful he sees me as a source of strength, comfort and a safe haven from the world.  I am not perfect by any means but I only want my husband to thrive in our lives and family.

 

 

 

 

Being a helper to our husband goes far deeper than just having dinner ready at a certain time.  It is not a lesser role.  It does not devalue us.  If anything it is a beautiful thing when we show the love that God shows. It is tremendously powerful when we “build our house”.  We want good things for the man we love.

 

As parents it is a wonderful gift to give our children; showing them how to love and honor another human being and to strive for what is good in another person’s life.

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