Application Guide: “How to Handle
Problems”
July 25, 2004: Joe Bartemus, Pastor of Adult
Education, delivered a heart-convicting message on Lamentations 3:1-24. In a world where all of us are looking for
stability and solace amidst all the horrors & evils of life, Joe’s message
provided a timeless message in providing a Biblical viewpoint to our
problems. His message was organized
around two primary points: 1) Our Problem – how not to handle problems (v 1-18) and 2) The Solution (v. 19-24).
- What
are some areas in your life in which you are desperately craving stability
and yet finding none?
- What
are the reasons for this lack of stability?
- What
are some indicators in your life that reveal you are not handling these
areas of your life appropriately?
- Are
there any parts of your life in which you are focusing on your self,
relying on your own strength, complaining, give Satan a foothold,
forgetting to focus on God, etc?
- What
do you need to do to refocus?
What do you need to confess before God?
- What are
some practical measures you have found that help you get your mind off
your self and look to God, rejoicing in his lovingkindness, compassion,
and faithfulness?
- What
does it mean to “look to God”?
How do you know you are doing that?
- How
are you going to use these practical methods this week?
- As a
group, memorize Lam. 3:22-24 this week.
- Pastor
Bartemus’ message swung full circle. Essentially, he showed us that, while
we live in a world where everything is changing and 100% confidence cannot
be placed in anything, there is one thing that remains the same – and that
is God Himself. He is always
faithful, always merciful, always just, always compassionate. Spend time rejoicing together in song
and prayer about our Great God!
- Leaders:
Perhaps, you may want to comment as well on what Eric has been doing over
the past couple weeks during the “worship” time. Perhaps a discussion on the Spiritual Disciplines would be
helpful for your group. So far he
has spoken about Bible reading, Prayer, and Worship.
- For devotions
this week, do a study on one of the above 3 disciplines (or all three if
you want). Do a word search of
the Scriptures and study different passages in order to obtain a rounded
understanding of the topic.
i.
What does the whole of Scripture say
about Worship? What all fits under the
heading of “worship”? What does a life
of worship look like?
ii.
What other types of disciplines fall
under the head of “Bible Reading?”
iii.
Make a list of all the different types
of prayer one can pray. What is the
purpose of prayer? What does it mean to
“pray without ceasing?”
Suggested
Reading: Foster, Richard. Celebration of Discipline. San
Francisco: HarperSanfranciso, 1988.
Foster, Richard. Prayer. San Franciso: HarperSanfrancisco, 1992.
Wiersbe, Warren. Real Worship. Nashville: Thomas
Nelson, 1986.
Yancey, Philip. Where is God when it hurts? Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1997.
Warren, Rick. The
Purpose Driven Life. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 2002