WEEK SIX OUTLINE
RENEWING MY MIND … FAITH, FEELINGS AND FORGIVENESS
Worship and Prayer
Location on “Bridge”
Scripture
Special Note:
We explained our Comfort.Guide Workbook “Road Map” in the Week #1 Outline. Now that we are at the halfway point, it’s time to review that Road Map, to see where we have been and where we’re going!
As a reminder, these ten weeks are divided into two sections:
The first five weeks were meant to help you to become aware of the difference between Crying out to Him as a person, as opposed to simply crying out in pain. We were asking the questions: Who is God and what is His heart and mind for me? If I “lean not to my own understanding” of God, myself, and others in my life, what would He show me? Where are you, Jesus, in my life? Where are you in what I am going through and where were you in the past?
In addition, the first five weeks involved a growing awareness of how our negative past experiences and messages have fashioned a negative belief system. Such a belief system will control a person’s responses to life in general, including a perception of themselves, others and God. This is where the truth of Jesus’ words, “In this world, you will have trouble, but cheer up, I have overcome the world”, becomes up-close and personal. This is where you begin to be aware of your own life story and Cry out to Him, because He understands your pain. He is Emmanuel, “God with us”.
Choosing to tell your story by crying out to a Person begins to anchor you in a safe place to receive comfort in the present, from a Person who loves you. Simply crying out doesn’t reduce the pain; in fact, you may relive it. Telling a Person (Jesus), however, allows for lasting repair and renewal.
The first five weeks emphasized education and learning, whereas the last five weeks will focus more on receiving and absorbing all the healing in store for us. You will see the Outlines for each week begin to reflect this new emphasis!
Repair and Renewal is accomplished by the development of your own step by step life story, in the form of a sequential narrative, allowing you to process the negative experiences and losses. This will be based on an understanding of how the brain is able to be transformed and receive comfort. The sequential narrative proceeds through a process that identifies the negative feelings, thoughts and beliefs stored in the emotional brain that are associated with the negative experiences and loss.
As you become more aware of your story and bring the feelings, thoughts and resulting beliefs to intentional awareness, the brain’s capacity to change and repair negative thoughts and their correlating feelings, beliefs and reactions is activated. Through that awareness your mind begins to be able to reflect upon and processes the negative feelings, thoughts and beliefs with aid of the rational and decision-making abilities of the left brain. As this process proceeds the Lord can inspire and help you see these events in new ways and through His eyes rather than through your own eyes or the eyes of others.
The journey of renewal and transformation of your mind in the first five weeks flowed through the following stages of awareness:
Telling My Story:
I felt (having language to express thoughts and emotions)
I lost (growing in awareness as to the loss of core needs in the past as well as the present)
I came to believe (identifying heart belief, rather than what you think you believe)
I acted (identifying the behaviors you developed as coping mechanisms to be comforted and avoid pain)
The last five weeks, which we are now starting in Week #6, are all about receiving comfort through the renewal of your mind and heart. We will seek His perspective about ourselves, others and who He really is. We will invite the living Jesus into our living thoughts, memories and internal beliefs. We allow Him to “Rewrite My Story”.
The journey of rewriting our story will involve an anchoring in the perspective of the “truth that sets us free”. This Truth will help us rewrite our story in a brand-new sequence:
Telling my story:
I came to believe the following truths about God, about myself, about others, and about His love during my painful circumstances.
As a result, I have gained, rather than lost, the following core needs and beliefs (fill in) as I have processed these circumstances.
I now have been set free to feel.
Finally, I now have been set free to live and act in freedom rather than pain.
Here is a little more detail about what is to come in the last five weeks…
Week #6 is of special importance … because of the absolute necessity of having a forgiving heart and mind! This is pivotal to your healing! We will also look at what forgiveness is, as well as what it is not!
Caroline Leaf (“Who Switched off my Brain: Controlling Toxic Thoughts and Emotions”, Chapter 15) teaches us that if we let toxic thoughts dominate our mind, we will not have the capacity to grow healthy new thoughts and memories. As we make a free-will choice to forgive, our minds and hearts are open to the complete healing of the wound and its memory. And we’ll see that the need for forgiveness is based both on science as well as on Scripture!!!
Weeks #7 & #8 are aimed at looking at where you were at the beginning of your Comfort.Guide journey, and how you have been growing in freedom and wisdom during that journey.
Weeks #9 and #10 are designed to help you look forward to your new life, what to expect, how to think, feel, act and grow. It will help you see God’s design for your new day-to-day life, a life filled with more understanding and peace than you ever thought possible!
Goals for Week Six
Growing in Awareness by asking: “What is His Mind and Heart towards Me?”
Growing in Awareness by asking: “How can I grow in having the Mind and Heart of Jesus through the process of Forgiveness?”
Scripture Reflection
“Inheritance” - The story of the Prodigal Son. Click HERE to read it
Education
Forgiveness and Memory Click HERE to read it
Personal Story: Corrie Ten Boom Click HERE to read it
Activity and Sharing
Forgiveness and Choice Click HERE to read it
Forgiveness and Renewing My Mind Click HERE to read it
Recommended Readings
The following reading(s), which would fit nicely into this week's work, are valuable and insightful, but may not be discussed during the actual group-time. However, try to find time to read them! If you not on-line, just go to Comfort.Guide, click on the “Group Workshop Version” tab, click on Week Two Outline, and click on the title(s) shown below.
“Unfailing Love, and Work” Click HERE to read it
“I Want to Walk!” Click HERE to read it
“Good Shepherd” Click HERE to read it
Homework for next week.
We ask you to go to "Week Seven Outline" and familiarize yourself with the material. Remember, Comfort.Guide is a work in progress, not assignments to be completed.
Close in Prayer
RENEWING MY MIND … FAITH, FEELINGS AND FORGIVENESS
Worship and Prayer
Location on “Bridge”
Scripture
- Zachariah speaking about John (the Baptist’s) future: (John will) “..…present the offer of Salvation to His people, the forgiveness of their sins. Through the heartfelt mercies of our God, God’s Sunrise will break in upon us, shining on those in the darkness, those sitting in the shadow of death, Then showing us the way, one foot at a time, down the path of peace.” (Luke 1:67, The MSG)
- “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6: 22, 23, NIV)
- “If you, God, kept records on wrong-doings, who would stand a chance? As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that’s why you are worshipped.” (Psalm 130:3, The MSG)
Special Note:
We explained our Comfort.Guide Workbook “Road Map” in the Week #1 Outline. Now that we are at the halfway point, it’s time to review that Road Map, to see where we have been and where we’re going!
As a reminder, these ten weeks are divided into two sections:
The first five weeks were meant to help you to become aware of the difference between Crying out to Him as a person, as opposed to simply crying out in pain. We were asking the questions: Who is God and what is His heart and mind for me? If I “lean not to my own understanding” of God, myself, and others in my life, what would He show me? Where are you, Jesus, in my life? Where are you in what I am going through and where were you in the past?
In addition, the first five weeks involved a growing awareness of how our negative past experiences and messages have fashioned a negative belief system. Such a belief system will control a person’s responses to life in general, including a perception of themselves, others and God. This is where the truth of Jesus’ words, “In this world, you will have trouble, but cheer up, I have overcome the world”, becomes up-close and personal. This is where you begin to be aware of your own life story and Cry out to Him, because He understands your pain. He is Emmanuel, “God with us”.
Choosing to tell your story by crying out to a Person begins to anchor you in a safe place to receive comfort in the present, from a Person who loves you. Simply crying out doesn’t reduce the pain; in fact, you may relive it. Telling a Person (Jesus), however, allows for lasting repair and renewal.
The first five weeks emphasized education and learning, whereas the last five weeks will focus more on receiving and absorbing all the healing in store for us. You will see the Outlines for each week begin to reflect this new emphasis!
Repair and Renewal is accomplished by the development of your own step by step life story, in the form of a sequential narrative, allowing you to process the negative experiences and losses. This will be based on an understanding of how the brain is able to be transformed and receive comfort. The sequential narrative proceeds through a process that identifies the negative feelings, thoughts and beliefs stored in the emotional brain that are associated with the negative experiences and loss.
As you become more aware of your story and bring the feelings, thoughts and resulting beliefs to intentional awareness, the brain’s capacity to change and repair negative thoughts and their correlating feelings, beliefs and reactions is activated. Through that awareness your mind begins to be able to reflect upon and processes the negative feelings, thoughts and beliefs with aid of the rational and decision-making abilities of the left brain. As this process proceeds the Lord can inspire and help you see these events in new ways and through His eyes rather than through your own eyes or the eyes of others.
The journey of renewal and transformation of your mind in the first five weeks flowed through the following stages of awareness:
Telling My Story:
I felt (having language to express thoughts and emotions)
I lost (growing in awareness as to the loss of core needs in the past as well as the present)
I came to believe (identifying heart belief, rather than what you think you believe)
I acted (identifying the behaviors you developed as coping mechanisms to be comforted and avoid pain)
The last five weeks, which we are now starting in Week #6, are all about receiving comfort through the renewal of your mind and heart. We will seek His perspective about ourselves, others and who He really is. We will invite the living Jesus into our living thoughts, memories and internal beliefs. We allow Him to “Rewrite My Story”.
The journey of rewriting our story will involve an anchoring in the perspective of the “truth that sets us free”. This Truth will help us rewrite our story in a brand-new sequence:
Telling my story:
I came to believe the following truths about God, about myself, about others, and about His love during my painful circumstances.
As a result, I have gained, rather than lost, the following core needs and beliefs (fill in) as I have processed these circumstances.
I now have been set free to feel.
Finally, I now have been set free to live and act in freedom rather than pain.
Here is a little more detail about what is to come in the last five weeks…
Week #6 is of special importance … because of the absolute necessity of having a forgiving heart and mind! This is pivotal to your healing! We will also look at what forgiveness is, as well as what it is not!
Caroline Leaf (“Who Switched off my Brain: Controlling Toxic Thoughts and Emotions”, Chapter 15) teaches us that if we let toxic thoughts dominate our mind, we will not have the capacity to grow healthy new thoughts and memories. As we make a free-will choice to forgive, our minds and hearts are open to the complete healing of the wound and its memory. And we’ll see that the need for forgiveness is based both on science as well as on Scripture!!!
Weeks #7 & #8 are aimed at looking at where you were at the beginning of your Comfort.Guide journey, and how you have been growing in freedom and wisdom during that journey.
Weeks #9 and #10 are designed to help you look forward to your new life, what to expect, how to think, feel, act and grow. It will help you see God’s design for your new day-to-day life, a life filled with more understanding and peace than you ever thought possible!
Goals for Week Six
Growing in Awareness by asking: “What is His Mind and Heart towards Me?”
Growing in Awareness by asking: “How can I grow in having the Mind and Heart of Jesus through the process of Forgiveness?”
Scripture Reflection
“Inheritance” - The story of the Prodigal Son. Click HERE to read it
Education
Forgiveness and Memory Click HERE to read it
Personal Story: Corrie Ten Boom Click HERE to read it
Activity and Sharing
Forgiveness and Choice Click HERE to read it
Forgiveness and Renewing My Mind Click HERE to read it
Recommended Readings
The following reading(s), which would fit nicely into this week's work, are valuable and insightful, but may not be discussed during the actual group-time. However, try to find time to read them! If you not on-line, just go to Comfort.Guide, click on the “Group Workshop Version” tab, click on Week Two Outline, and click on the title(s) shown below.
“Unfailing Love, and Work” Click HERE to read it
“I Want to Walk!” Click HERE to read it
“Good Shepherd” Click HERE to read it
Homework for next week.
We ask you to go to "Week Seven Outline" and familiarize yourself with the material. Remember, Comfort.Guide is a work in progress, not assignments to be completed.
Close in Prayer