Breaking Ground
Identify someone you’d consider to be particularly wise who’s had a big impact on your life. Who are they? What made them wise in your estimation? How did your relationship with them shape you?
The Dig
This Sunday, we continued our series 12 Words, in which we’re using the 12 Steps as a tool for experiencing Christlike transformation. In particular, we dove into Step 3: “Made a decision to turn our will & our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” & the spiritual principle of trust.
Begin by reflecting on the nature of trust.
How would you define the word trust? In your experience, what attributes does someone need to have in order for you to consider them to be trustworthy?
Read Proverbs 3:5-6, Philippians 2:12-13, Matthew 6:25-34, & Matthew 7:7-8. These verses are just a few of the many from Scripture concerning the paradox of trusting surrender expressed within Step 3. That is, at its core, this step & the biblical vision of trust are defined by actively making decisions to surrender our will to something outside of & greater than ourselves.
How do you respond to this paradoxical vision of trust? How do these verses help unpack what this means & looks like?
Consider the previous two words & steps:
- Powerless + “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.”
- Hope + “We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”
What is the relationship between these opening three steps? How is Step 3 a natural extension of the first two steps & why is it necessary for us to actually change or grow?
For many, this is the hardest step to embrace. With this in mind, consider the wording of the step & why its so challenging. Why does it begin with “making a decision” & what does it mean to turn over or surrender your will & life? What does this tangibly look like & why is this so hard to actually do?
Identify a habit, conflict, relationship, circumstance, or experience of suffering that you’re struggling with, but that isn’t changing no matter what you do. If you were here, then consider focusing on whatever you admitted you were powerless over from two weeks ago. How is self-reliance upon your own wisdom & will be playing into this ongoing struggle?
How might trusting a power greater than yourself help you find serenity & a new path forward within your struggle? What is one decision that you can make to begin this process of trusting surrender?
Getting Out of the Hole
In this series, take time each week to reflect upon the Step & Word that we covered in the Sunday sermon.
- Reflect on this third step & word. Where do you need to practice trust? Consider what you admitted you were powerless over & then decided to put your hope in over the past two weeks.
- What would trusting surrender to God look like in this area? What would it look like for you to tangibly make one decision to turn your will & life over to God this week? What might you need to do to prepare yourself to actually do this?
- Close by praying & asking God to guide you forward in this process. Ask Him to give you trust & for His guidance moving forward.
Additional Resources*
TheBibleProject.com
Breathing Under Water by Richard Rohr
The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous by Bill W
The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
Coming Up This Week:*
Sunday, June 1st: Join us next Sunday as we continue our series 12 Words!
* Please see mye3.org for details.