"Our addictions are our own worst enemies. They enslave us with chains of our own making and yet that, paradoxically, are beyond our control. Addiction also makes idolaters of us all, because it forces us to worship these objects of attachment thereby preventing us from truly, freely loving God and one another." - Dr. Gerald May, Addiction and Grace

The symptoms

The root

The move from slavery to freedom...is not easy!

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Would you agree with the statement that we are all addicts at some point? Why or why not?

Can you pinpoint the root of addiction? Discuss the relationship between freedom of choice and attachment of desire.

If sin/addiction is a power that holds us captive rather than simply a moral failure, what then is the solution? Romans 7:24-25

How is grace appropriated?

"Well, I know it wasn't you who held me down

Heaven knows it wasn't you who set me free

So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains

And we never even know we had the key"

- the Eagles, Already Gone

"Remember, no matter where you go, there you are!"

- Buckaroo Banzai

"Living with bitterness is tantamount to committng soul suicide."

- Philip of Kennah

"Let hate settle in for a while, take over the best room in our soul, and it becomes a disagreeable guest who will not leave when the party is over."

- Lewis Smeades, Forgive and Forget

"The seeds of unforgiveness and hatred, when planted deep within the soul, give birth to the root of bitterness...then all hell breaks loose!"

- Hebrews 12:14-16 (paraphrased)

Without naming names (please), describe a time in which you were hurt deeply, unfairly, and perhaps even maliciously. What were your feelings at that moment?

Was there a noticeable progression of feelings, thoughts and emotions? Hurt to anger; anger to strife; strife to hatred. Psalm 55, Proverbs 30:33, and Proverbs 26:24-26. What happens when hatred is entertained?

Finally, consider the advice from Hebrews 12:7-13 in the light of the above scriptures. How does this discussion make you feel? Where do we go from here?

As human beings, we have a deep desire to be seen and known by others.

Hagar represents the shattered reality of human existence. | Genesis 16:1-6

How does God respond to the unseen? | Genesis 16:7-13

He seeks us out.

He sees us for who we are.

He offers living hope for here and now.

To "see" someone is to affirm their humanity, recognize their situation, and provide hope for the future.

As a people seen by God, He invites us back into the world to seek and see others. | James 1:27

In your life, when have you felt unseen or forgotten? What circumstances surrounded these feelings?

How does God redeem and restore Hagar? How does her life look different than before her encounter with God? In what ways does it look the same?

Who are the "Hagars" in our society today? Which people and groups are most often forgotten and voiceless?

What are some practical ways that you can "seek and see" others? What does it look like to affirm someone's humanity and recognize their situation?

"In my experience, self-hatred is the dominant malaise crippling Christians and stifling their growth in the Holy Spirit." - Brennan Manning, Abba's Child

"Over the years, I have come to realize that the greatest trap in our lives is not success, popularity, or power, but self-rejection. When we believe the voices that call us worthless and unlovable, then success, popularity, and power are easily perceived as attractive solutions." - Henri Nouwen, The Life of the Beloved

The road toward self-hatred | Luke 5:8; 22:31-34; 56-62

Guilt for what we have done or not done

Shame over who we have become

Self-hatred is most crippling because it is a contradiction of how God sees us

The road to restoration | John 21:1-17

Do you ever feel that to be pleasing to God you must be something/someone you are not? How does that make you feel? How does it make you act?

Have you ever projected your thoughts about yourself onto God? What were the results?

How do guilt, shame and self-hatred make us vulnerable to the temptations of success, popularity and power? To what end and at what cost do we pursue those things?

Discuss the road to restoration as seen in John 21:1-17. What take-aways might be helpful for you?

"Shame is a soul-eating emotion." - Carl Jung

"Shame corrodes the very part of us that believes we are capable of change." - Brene Brown

The only antidote to shame is the cross and resurrection of Jesus!

"...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:3

Let us purpose to never say to anyone, "Shame on you!"

Read Luke 15:11-32. In what ways does the younger son experience shame? In what ways does the older son experience shame? How do they differ in their experience?

Do you think the father in Jesus' parable experiences shame? Why or why not? How does he overcome the shame of his sons?

As Christ-followers, what thoughts and practices help you process and overcome shame?

Do you ever find yourself shaming another? How do you express negative thoughts and emotions without shaming someone else?

"Shame is the emotional weapon that evil uses to (1) corrupt our relationships with God and

each other, and (2) disintegrate any and all gifts of vocational vision and creativity. It is a

primary means to prevent us from using the gifts we have been given. It is evil's active assault

on God's creation..." - Dr. Curt Thompson, author of The Soul of Shame

"I sometimes think that shame, mere awkward, senseless shame, does as much towards

preventing good acts and straightforward happiness as any of our vices can do."

- C.S. Lewis, author of A Grief Observed

Shame is born out of a sense of "there being something wrong" with me or of "not being

enough," and therefore leaves me feeling unable to change my condition or circumstance.

What is shame?

Indignity, embarrassment, disgrace, humiliation

Symbols representing the actual state we enter when we experience shame

The emergence of shame in the biblical narrative

Genesis 2:25 – We are at our best when we are vulnerable and intimate

Genesis 3:1-6 – God does not want you to be like him...or to be close and connected...you are not as important as you think...to be fooled is to be shamed

Genesis 3:7-13 – The horse of shame has left the barn...

Read Genesis 2:15-25. Prior to sin & shame, what do you think relationships were like between God and humanity? What do you think relationships were like between

human beings?

Read Genesis 3:8-13. What are humanity's responses to shame? (hiding, blameshifting, lying, etc.)

How do our responses to shame affect our relationships with others? How do our responses to shame affect our relationship with God?

Has anyone ever come looking for you, as God did Adam and Eve? How does the care and concern of another begin to free us from our shame?

Guilt is the feeling of dissonance when something we did doesn't align with our values.

When guilt is dealt with properly, it can lead us to remorse, reconciliation, and a stronger understanding of our values.

The real tragedy of guilt is that it strips us of our Kingdom dreams. We remain so focused on our failures that we miss out on what God is inviting us into here and now.

We overcome guilt by:

Confronting the thoughts and feelings (2 Samuel 12)

Asking forgiveness personally and relationally (Psalm 51)

Continually trusting in the redemptive work of Christ (Colossians 2:13-15)

Read Psalm 51. What emotions and feelings do you see present in David's prayer? How does he describe himself? How does he describe God?

Is guilt ever healthy? Why or why not?

Read Colossians 2:9-15. How does the Resurrection affect our understanding of guilt as Christ-followers?

Which step in the process of overcoming guilt do you think is most difficult? Why is that?

The pain in their bodies might reflect a "spiritual" pain caused by cumulative distress, and the failure of life to turn out as expected. - from an article on the Opioid Crisis in America

Ultimately...politics, law enforcement, culture, and education are unequipped to end a crisis of hopelessness. - a pastor of a pretty good church

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. - The Apostle Peter; 1 Peter 1:3

Our hope is anchored in the past: Jesus rose! Our hope remains in the present: Jesus lives! Our hope is completed in the future: Jesus is coming! - Edmund Clowney, New Testament Theologian

Despair and hope defined

Hope that is living | 1 Peter 1:3

Hope that is sure and steadfast | Hebrews 6:19-20

Hope that produces good things in life | 1 Peter 1:4-9

What is "living hope" and where does it originate?

How would you describe a false hope? If false hope tends toward despair, how does living hope lift us from despair?

How does the resurrection of Jesus Christ bring living hope?

Why do you think despair is a silent killer? Would you say you have despaired before?

What good things does the Christian hope bring into our experience of life?

In what ways have you experienced living hope in your own life?

John 19 & 20 - Mary Magdalene & the Gardener

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ...

...is not an odd miracle that brings Jesus back to life and nothing else

...is not a sign that we all go to heaven when we die

...is not an isolated event that God can do but never does

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ...

...is the unveiling of the prototype of what God is doing with the whole world

...is the beginning of a new world

...is the invitation into the life of the ages

...that begins NOW!

Matthew 20:20-28; John 13:5-16

"You know that the rulers of this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different." - Jesus, Matthew 20:25-26

The contrast of "power over" and "power under" influence and leadership

The descent into true greatness

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve others and give his life for many." - Jesus, Matthew 20:28

What attributes or character traits allow a leader to have influence and strength to lead well?

What kind of leader/influencer are you? What kind of follower are you? What needs to be transformed so your influence is more like Christ?

Over the last six weeks, what have you experienced? Do you notice transformation in your life? If so how?

Read Luke 22-24

Invite someone you know to join you for one of the Easter Celebrations next week