Lesson 5: God's Promise: HOPE

"For I know the plans I have for you,' Declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  - Romans 15:13

For the anxious or the depressed hope is a lifeline.  When hope is gone there is no longer any will to live.

Our Lord and Savior is all about hope!  Belief in him means that his hope resides within us, and we will never again be without it.

Along with our relationship with Jesus comes a confident expectation that everything will turn out right on the end.  We should always harbor a knowledge that no matter how bad things look, the Lord has not, and will not forsake us.

As a child of the Lord we can expect to walk in peace though all around us storms rage.  He has promised us hope, and our Lord delivers on his promises - if we but receive.

Have you ever been without hope in your life?

How can you take to heart the Lord's promise of hope?

Lesson 4: God's Promise - PEACE

Lesson given October 12, 2010

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!" - John 16:33

One of God's promises to us is that of peace.  But in the midst of an anxiety attack, or a moment of depression peace seems like an impossible dream.  When I was very deeply depressed can remember thinking that I no longer cared if I was happy any more.  All I longed for was to be content.  Contentment seemed the ultimate goal because it embodied peace.  
 

I still believe that peace and contentment are far better than happiness, for happiness comes and goes depending on your circumstances.  But peace and contentment can be achieved for a lifetime, no matter what your lot in life.
 

As a child of God you have the right to peace.  The Lord wants you to feel content in all circumstances.  It is your right to feel contentment and peace. The Lord has overcome the world, he can give us peace.

Can you see a difference between happiness and contentment?  

What can you practically do to promote contentment and peace in your life?

Lesson 3 - Receiving Great and Precious Promises

"...He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." - 2Peter1:3-4

It's easy to pray, praise and send well wishes to others, isn't it?  But it's very hard to receive those same things for ourselves.  I know you feel this way because I did for years, and at times I still do.

I did not feel worthy of praise, well wishes and certainly not of prayer.  But I was wrong.  And in feeling so I was robbing myself from the Lord's great and precious promises, and I was saying no to God.

You must accept his blessings in order to receive them.  You must understand that it is  not by the standards of this world that we are measured, but we are measured through the eyes of Jesus.  And if he says that you are worthy of a blessing, who are you to deny it?  One way to begin to conquer our anxiety and depression is to gratefully accept the blessings the Lord gives to you.

Can you think of a time when you denied a gift from God, thereby denying yourself the blessing?

What can you do to help yourself feel more worthy of the blessings given to us by our Lord?

Lesson 2 - The Real Me

Sept 28, 2010 meeting:

"I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, even as I am not of it."  -John 17:14-17

Have you ever felt out of place, always the oddball, never fitting in anywhere in this world?  I never felt like I fit in at any age, but that's because we don't.  We are not of this world.  According to Philippians 3:20 we are citizens of Heaven.  So you don't fit in here in this world at all.

Nevertheless we have to live in this world of pain and suffering.  I still find it difficult to watch the evening news.  Human beings do such horrible things to one another on a daily basis.  But while we walk and live amongst it for a time we must recognize that we are not a part of it.

While our 'alien' nature does not make us immune to the ravages of this world, nor does it relieve us of our responsibilities within the world, it is a huge comfort to know that we are citizens of Heaven, and our God is with us now and always.

Have you ever felt oppressed by the horrors of this world?  How has it effected you?  What does it mean to live in an evil world?

What can we practically do to rise above the pain and suffering that goes on in this world?

Lesson 1 - Something to Give

From the September 21, 2010 meeting:

"You are the light of the world." - Mathew 5:15

Every one of you has something to give, something precious and wonderful to share with the world.  Our depression and anxiety serves as a prison from which we can not share our gifts nor receive the precious gifts of our Lord.

So I am going to pledge, and I ask you to pledge with me, that I will no longer allow my depression and anxiety to rob me of my proper place in the world.  I understand that it will be a constant battle - sometimes worse than others.  But we are not fighting this battle under our own strength.

Mind you, it will take your own strength to make the decision to live in freedom and in the light.  We have been gifted free will, so use that will to choose the light!  You may have to make that same decision over and over again every single day.  I know that I do.  But the Lord will strengthen you.  And you are not alone.  We'll walk this path together.  When I have nothing left to give, you will help me stand.  And I will do the same for you.  We all have plenty to give.

What is your anxiety and depression robbing you of?

What can you practically do to combat that?