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Lesson OneSacred Companions on a Sacred Journey: Three Defining Elements of Supernatural Relating3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TwoSecular vs. Spiritual SoulCare: The Danger of Blurred Distinctions3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson ThreeSoulCare Through Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Friendships: The Biblical Alternative to Psychotherapy3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FourBeginning Steps in Spiritual Direction3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FiveThe Rhythm of Spiritual Direction: Following the Spirit As He Releases Supernatural Goodness3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson SixSpiritual Friendship: Pouring the Passion of Christ From Your Heart into Another's3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson SevenThe Sacred Journey: Where Control is Lost, Where Good Dreams Shatter, Where God's Agenda Looks (and Feels) Bad3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson EightReal Church: Two or Three Broken People Agreed on One Purpose3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson NineEntering the Real Church of Supernatural Community: The Covenant of SoulCare3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TenEntering the Real Church of Supernatural Community: A Format for SoulCare3 Activities1 Assessment
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Course Wrap-UpCourse Completion1 Activity1 Assessment
Participants 154
Discussion Questions
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Describe in your own words these two deceptions that cause us to walk away from God. We think we need something other than God in order to be home. We believe we are walking towards God when we are walking away from Him. How have you experienced these deceptions in your life?
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We think we need something other than God because we want to feel something. We want to feel happy or fulfilled or relief in the midst of pain. Quite often, life leaves us empty, and we can feel that emptiness intensely. We think, “Surely if I’m a Christian I ought to be feeling joy and fulfillment all the time–or at least more often!” I think that’s a deception. But we fall for it. When we don’t feel what we want to feel, we walk away from home–from HIM. Or we may believe we are walking towards God when we fill our time with seemingly spiritual activities–Bible study, prayer, service, accountability groups, etc. Sometimes we expect certain results from these activities. We expect the journey to be linear. If I do ABC, I will experience XYZ, and I will feel and be at home in God. None of those are bad things, but they can be used as substitutes for interacting with Him on and about the specific journey He has laid out for us. For facing our exact red dot.
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Most people I came across, they are more interested in getting a job, getting their desire for food met etc other than making God first priority. You invite them to church, they say, are we going to get a job
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There have been many times when I have thought, I need to try harder, change tactics, or find how I can do something that I was finding difficult. I have displaced God, by trying to do things in my own strength and in my own time (which was always ‘as soon as possible’). The things I have tried to do are always good things, and I wanted the things to be more holy. I can see now I was trying to do things in my own strength (flesh Dynamics). It doesn’t work like that.
These courses have opened my eyes to the need to invite God into my problem and trust He will do the things He wants to do and in His timing. He might have different priorities to me. It takes the pressure off. I just have be on the lookout for the moving of the Holy Spirit and flow with what he is doing. Knowing that gives me expectant hope. I have developed a vision beyond myself for the problems in my life. When God moves by His Spirit I will have a testimony that will encourage others to let the Spirit lead.
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Deception number one was first seen in the Garden of Eden when the serpent enticed Adam and Eve to sin. He planted the seed that there was more to be known, more to be experienced in life that would bring a new level of fulfillment outside of the limits God has placed on them. The second deception can also be seen in the temptation. The serpent convinced Adam and Eve that disobeying God and taking of the fruits would actually make them more like a god. In my journey of faith, I have encountered on more than one occasion the adversary of us all attempting to lead my thinking contrary to the word of God and to take matter into my own hands, thinking I know best. Life doesn’t turn our well when we yield to the craftiness of our adversary.
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Doing things God told me to do and not doing things He told me to not do in my best ability (no rest, full of anxiety), that was my way of walking away from God rather than towards Him.
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Dr. Crabb makes the following observations about the spiritual journey: It is not governed by the law of linearity but by the law of liberty. Lesser dreams (even good ones) must shatter to awaken our appetite for greater dreams. To say that God is in control means that He is moving all things towards an end point that we don’t always properly value or even like. How do these observations help when you are offering spiritual friendsdhip to another?
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We all have preconceived ideas about how we expect God to work and when it doesnt happen that way we question Him. In the bigger picture God has something to teach and sometimes these lesser dreams need to be shattered to get us to grow to have a greater vision of God’s work in our life.
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When I see that the focus is ultimately coming in sync with what God is up to, it takes pressure off me to figure out what is going on in another person’s life. It becomes more about stirring up the hunger for God in another’s soul and remembering that as a Christian God is already at home even though they may have taken a walk.
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I believe that putting the control back to and on God, offers the person I’m talking with not only peace but takes a great deal of pressure off their plate. There is a freeing to know that we don’t have to figure everything out on our own. Not only a freeing, but a responsibility. Presenting this concept to a person with genuine care, passion and wisdom can aid them in facing reality and move back to God. Perhaps truly move toward God with understanding for the first time in their life.
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These things are all become real to me recently. I didn’t realize how much this is true; lesser dreams must shatter. I hate this process and I have cried out often to God in my disappointments, asking “why”? Especially since I felt I was moving toward God more than ever before, and it seemed that I was feeling peace and joy and then, many things happened to bring that crashing down. I’ve asked myself if this is the Lord’s doing or my own or the enemy; but regardless, I know He’s going to use it to refine me. I’m actually wondering if He’s using this to prepare me for Spiritual Direction, because I can honestly say that 6 months ago I didn’t understand the depth of the concept of a shattered dream or deep disappointment. Now, I feel more equipped to help others along. I see it from a new perspective and I can have a deeper grace for others.
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These observations help when we are offering spiritual friendship to another because they focus us on the truth that God is in control. We do not need to figure out how to make things happen. We only need to discern what God is doing or how He works and try to join with His working and purpose.
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Dr. Crabb makes three observations about Eckhart’s quote. Discuss what you think and feel about each. God’s home is now in me. When I walk away from God, I walk away from me. The only way to discover my true self is to come home to God.
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God’s home is now in me. This created a sense of wonder. I knew this, but the way Larry explains it made it personal. God is close by,at home in my heart. When I can’t find Him, it is I who have went on a walk, not Him.
When I walk away from God, I walk away from me. This is true! When I am most confident in who I am, is when I am home with God. When I am most insecure and confused, is when I am not in God’s presence but have left for lesser things.
The only way to discover my true self is to come home to God. This invites me to run to Father God over and over! Only in His Light will I learn who I am, by knowing whose I am…
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God’s home is now in me. This statement is a good reminder that through the New Covenant, God resides in and speaks directly to me. Such a safe and secure place to be. Cancer helped me understand that I can trust Him no matter what and there’s nothing I can think of that would make me walk away.
When I walk away from God, I walk away from me. God pursues and desires every person to know him. When a person turns to their own direction or is deceived into thinking something other than God will make them whole, they rely on their own way. The plan to perhaps avoid a painful past can lead to a tough place of asking, who am I. The sad thing is that this happens to Christians who thing they’re walking with God.
To discover my true self is to come home to God. God uniquely created us and desires for each person to answer the question of who they are with, through and in Him. He doesn’t want any to perish. We know who we are when we are living out the heart given us. When Jesus calls you by name even though he sees your sins. Such a compassionate, loving, forgiving God.
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I may not have taken it seriously that God is in me though always claim that God is with me. May be past shame and inadequacy had blocked me from valuing my body is God’s temple.
Never thought of walking away from God is walking away from me. It’s a great reminder that there shall not be a separation as I should have died with Christ and renew in His resurrection.
It is interesting to see that unless I seek after God, I cannot discover more about myself and what I should be doing with my life. No wonder there is always a desire to make a life worth living.
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I love your idea of no “separation” between us and Christ, Elaine! It made me think of Romans 6. There are some sentences in the Phillips translation that says, “We were dead and buried with him in
baptism, so that just as he was raised from the dead by that splendid
Revelation of the Father’s power so we too might rise to life on a new
plane altogether. If we have, as it were, shared his death, let us rise
and live our new lives with him!” I don’t think of that sharing/union with Him often enough!
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I *know* God’s home is in me, that I’m his temple, but it’s so easy to forget that. It’s so easy to feel alone and weak.
The idea that when we walk away from God, therefore, we walk away from ourselves, is powerful. I never thought of it that way, and yet I’m quite good at doing this.
Coming home to God, I’ll discover my true self. And that is who he created me to be, and I’m in His image. I am his child, loved, and forgiven.
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The observation that God’s home is now in me is very encouraging. It means that God is close. He is present. He is there. This is true of all His children. God, His image and presence within us, is the truest, deepest thing about us.
The observation that when I walk away from God, I walk away from myself is also encouraging. The way to self-fulfillment is always towards God. When in doubt, always move towards greater union with God.
The observation that the only way to discover my true self is to come home to God is, for me, simply an extension of the second observation. It is encouraging. The way to self-fulfillment is always towards God. When in doubt, always move towards greater union with God. This is also God’s design. He is always seeking to draw us into greater union with Himself.
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We don’t return to God for several reasons, among them: We do not see our flesh dynamics. We lose hope. What does the phrase “flesh dynamics” mean? When have you experienced these hindrances to returning to God?
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Flesh dynamics are the ways we try to solve our problems and struggles in our own strength and without the help of the Spirits guidance. I have done this when I have placed a higher value on desires of importance than on desires of necessity. Best example is my demand that my business and professional success be my highest priority, above my marriage, above my family and above by relationship with God. I believed my way of finding soul satisfaction was better than the methods that God has revealed.
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I find myself too easily satisfied with lesser things and demanding them to fill me, rather than returning to God. It is specifically easier for me to try to find people who cooperate with being my “god” rather than running to God Himself. I need help in this area.
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When we operate in flesh dynamics we’re trying to make life work on our own. In other words, when we leave God out and make our life work away from or without God. A few years ago, I wanted to return to a previous place of employment so badly that ignored three different red flags and plowed ahead pursue the job. Once in that position, I realized it wasn’t the right fit and for two years struggled and was met with many challenges. Fitting to how the experience went, the leaving was awkward and painful.
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When we operate in flesh dynamics we’re trying to make life work on our own. In other words, when we leave God out and make our life work away from or without God. A few years ago, I wanted to return to a previous place of employment so badly that ignored three different red flags and plowed ahead pursue the job. Once in that position, I realized it wasn’t the right fit and for two years struggled and was met with many challenges in that position.
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Without recognizing my flesh dynamics, I will not be aware of what I need to address to return to God. I will be fooling myself in thinking I am doing OK on my spiritual walk and instead may be just satisfying my human, secular desires.
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Dr. Crabb wants a revolution in his life and in the church where our desire for God actually becomes stronger than our desire to fix our problems. To what extent is that revolution occurring in your life?
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It is a huge reality now – through this course and through current friendships that I have and that I am cultivating – in these relationships and in my own walk w God, I have a deep hunger to be fully alive in God to Him, to myself and to other people that God has brought to me. As I have read, watched and studied each lecture to this point and beyond, I am thinking about ways that I can engage w these special people to share this approach, and to enter in to their lives to engage more deeply with them in life giving ways. I am grateful that I have been brought to this remarkable journey that part of me considered to be a bit of a chore because of the volume of it – but I also knew throughout that this approach is something that has great value and excitement for me.
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This course opens new perspectives and possibilities that have been lost through our informational/intellectual age – spiritual formation is vital for the Christian in becoming who God designed us to be in relationship with Him & others and being/becoming our true selves.
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I have witness the superficiality of relationships and conversations in the Christian community. This includes my own. Yet deep inside I have always felt that there has to be more both in terms of depth and the part our relationships are meant to impact our faith journey.
Going through the last 3 courses by Dr Larry Crabb has reinforced that belief. There is a growing vision of what is possible and that excites me. Larry has provided a road map that I am keep to embark on. Yet there is still a great uncertainty in terms of how it will look like in reality, especially how the brokenness can be experienced and sustained, and how the Spirit can be released in my life, including the wisdom He provides. I know I want to do it. I am just not certain how I can go about it at this juncture. -
God has opened my eyes to many things that I was not taught or had missed about God and the authority he has given us. i am now available to serve in more and be effective in that service because of these revelations. This has increased my faith in Christ in fully believing what he says about me and those in my life.
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I’m in the process. I keep longing for some things to be fixed, but I realize more and more that knowing God more deeply is more valuable to me.
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When did you last sense a longing to have another person walk with you as you walk home to God? What did you do about that longing?
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