Training

Reflect in your journal.

This week we’ve excavated some painful wounds. Who is Christ asking you to forgive?

The deeper the wound the more extensive the work of forgiveness. You may be able to simply release that person to Christ or you may need the support and prayers of your group or a trusted friend. Some of us have been so deeply wounded that we need the aid of a skilled therapist. On this continuum where do you fall? Can you forgive that person right now? Maybe try now?

Pray: “Jesus as you have forgiven me “I now forgive _______ the wounds may still be there and the pain may take time for you to heal but I choose to forgive them and will continue to choose whenever I feel that pain or the urge to make them pay.”

If you are unable to forgive right now do at least one of the following:

Text your group or trusted friend to set up a time to meet and enlist their help.

Call your therapist to ask for help or call and schedule a first appointment with a counselor. Here is a list of counselors which people from our church have found helpful: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cSaBFFPRFSYWjAy3JI1eSK51erFO4e9WZ1MxkRPM6Hg/edit

Pray: “Jesus I want to want what you want. What you want is for me to forgive this person. Please show me the riches of your love and forgiveness for me. Help me cultivate and strengthen my desire to do your will.” Bring this to Christ every day until you find freedom.

Read by Jeff Page Training

Reflect in your journal. 

* Imagine a courtroom where Jesus the Lamb who was slain is seated on the justice bench. Today you are seated as the defendant.


* Take at least 5 minutes to write out in detail what the death of Christ covered for you. Make a searching and fearless moral inventory. Write in your journal the things you’ve done or failed to do that have made our world a darker place. Who have you wronged? 


* In large letters write over the whole page of your confession  ‘The Defense Rests’ to symbolize your decision to let go and trust Jesus as the Judge who was judged for you.


* As with yesterday this time of prayer and meditation is not all that is necessary. Just as Jared’s sister still pressed charges against her assailant, we may need to take further steps to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8).  Some examples may include:

* Admitting to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

* Humbly asking God to remove our defects of character.

* Make amends with the people we harmed, except when to do so would injure them or others. (From The 12 Steps, Alcoholics Anonymous)


Throughout your day

Continue to spy on your anger. Write notes throughout the day. Then reflect for 5-10 min every night.

Pray

Lord, you are faithful and just. Thank you that the cost has been paid by the Lamb of God. I admit that the things I’ve done and failed to do have made our world a darker place, forgive me on Christ’s account. Amen.

Read by Adrienne

Training

Reflect in your journal. Respond to one of the two prompts below.

Who does your most intense anger fixate on? Is there someone who deeply wronged you or Someone you love? Who does your anger rage against or bitterness frost over? Take the time now to have an honest conversation with Jesus the Judge about that person. Jesus is listening. There is no need to “church it up.” Tell God how you’re feeling. Tell Him what happened and what you think that person deserves. God will listen to you as long as you need. Let Him be the one who wears the robe and bears the gavel.

or

Imagine a courtroom where Jesus is seated on the justice bench. The bailiff has the person who harmed you or a loved one in the hall. Talk to Jesus about what happened and ask Him to make things right. Write out in your journal exactly what happened. Then, Invite Jesus to take full jurisdiction in the matter and ask Him to help you let it go. In large letters, write over the page ‘Case Closed’ to symbolize your decision to let go of the verdict and trust Jesus as the Judge who ultimately holds everyone accountable.

Throughout your day

Continue to spy on your anger. Write notes throughout the day. Then reflect for 5-10 min every night. Try to identify and write down the cues, responses, cravings and rewards for each reaction of anger.

Pray

Search me and know my heart, O God. See if there are any hurtful ways in me and lead me in life everlasting. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

All written versions can be found at:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10t1CwNogP1UbX33-LWFVGu6P91YsTXif

Read by Adrienne

Read by Jeff Page

Training

Reflect in your journal.

Think about moments in the past year where your anger peaked, a moment where your response was bigger than the situation alone could explain. Write it down. What were the cues? How did you respond?

What other emotion came with the anger (eg. guilt, shame, fear?)

What was the wound, insecurity or unresolved issue underneath that emotion? What memory or situation is associated with that emotion?

Invite Jesus to be your bomb squad and your medic, He may uncover something painful that needs to be addressed and that’s okay. He is the Great Physician of heart, mind, body and soul.

Join King David in His prayers for this very thing:

Examine me, O Lord, and try me;

Test my mind and my heart.

For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,

And I walk in Your truth. Ps 26:2–3.

Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting! Ps 139:23–24.

Jesus is with you in this moment, No matter what you discover, the unfathomable love of God surrounds. Invite Jesus to dismantle whatever bomb He may find. Eternal life is a quality of life that you want to go on forever (which of course it does). Inviting Jesus into these places is a big step to increasingly experiencing that kind of life now.

Throughout your day

Continue to spy on your anger. Write notes throughout the day. Then reflect for 5-10 min every night try to identify and write down the cues, responses, cravings and rewards for each reaction of anger.

Pray

Search me and know my heart, O God. See if there are any hurtful ways in me and lead me in life everlasting. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

For Day 4

briefly review the instruction above and spend some time reading and clarifying your responses to the reflection questions.

Who are you holding responsible for the pain uncovered?

Talk to Jesus about that person. Write at least a few sentences to God in your journal.

Read by Adrienne.

Training:

Reflect in your journal.

Ask Jesus to help you pick one common low-stakes angry habit to work on.

Look for a common cue that has repeatedly come up in your journal that usually results in an anger level reaction of 3 or below (1. annoyed, 2. irritated, 3. frustrated).

Describe that common cue in detail here: What situations does it arise in? Who normally is involved?

Ask Jesus to bring to mind a small, repeatable action that you could begin to build in response to that common cue. Remember the power of tiny change over time. Don’t begin with heroic efforts, start with something that can be implemented immediately and repeatedly. Write that habit down here

Throughout your day

Start practicing your new habit. If you notice your anger rising, implement your habit. It doesn’t matter where in the anger cycle you become aware. With much practice and over time, your new habit will become some natural that it will be easier to do than to flare up in anger.

Continue to spy on your anger. Write notes throughout the day. Then reflect for 5-10 min every night.

Pray

Lord, You are compassionate, gracious and slow to anger. Help me to better understand and slow my own reactions of anger.

Read by Chris Page

Read by Shayla Dougherty. Bible project video: https://youtu.be/TeQ1nq_YJD0

Read by Jeff Page

Read by Jeff Page