Questions 1-2-3
UNRESOLVED SIN .... As it has turned out , I have one of those. However, I am not here today to tell you about it. Rather I felt like encouraging myself to deal with it. Some sins really make you look bad, or keep compelling you to wear a mask . Then some sins, probably no one would know, except if ........Well, maybe this doesn't happen to you. There are those times nagging way back where I tried to forget . On those unusual days that I remember, I would "think, what made me do that ?" Usually I would feel so uncomfortable about it, I couldn't wait to forget it again. Then as I began receiving God's grace for my sins I began to get braver. So this last time I remembered we were on this subject of unresolved sins. So I plan to approach this subject . Only I think that is what this book is about. To help us approach them with encouragement, that we are forgiven and given grace. It is our reluctance to accept this forgiveness and grace that keeps us from being all that Jesus says we are. So our next chapter to read is To Please or to Trust ?
The Guidebook has titled this Identity. For those who know me already , I have just put on the I will be very helpful mask. I just helped you match up the different titles, so you wouldn't get mixed up. So after you have read the chapter (helpful, helpful me) the first question is: we are asked to reflect on some early motives in our life.
a.what was your inner desire as you were growing up?
b. what things did you enjoy and value?
c.how did your choices reflect your motive and values?
d.as you entered adulthood, identify your:
Basic Motive (What I believed was true....):
Basic Values ( It was important to me that.....)
Important Actions ( so I decided to........)
2. The question here reminds me that if I just give attention to the sin in my life, try to act like a policeman, or even a detective ( in my case) Ha, like I am on a case ! I could get back where I use to be. Not really being with the LORD but trying to please the LORD. I need to be with the LORD in order to receive His help with this unresolved sin, so I pray that I will keep things in perspective. Do I have to over do, to make up for what I know to be there ? No. Do I need to hide ? NO. Can I say, "Lord , be merciful to me a sinner?" Yes. Can I look for His hand of mercy to be extended to me ? Yes.
3.Think about Cain and Abel. What do you think Abel's choice represented an act of faith, but Cain's didn't? (Hint: What do you think the two brothers believed?)

Time To Meet In A Group Now according to the book , a group would be two or three people. If you do not have at least one grace giving friend ,pray that the LORD will bring that person into your life. Rather than stall , go on. Read the questions for group discussion and answer the one you pick . Many of the Psalms sound as if David was talking to himself. Guess we can do that too.

Question 7. Reread the sobering story about Sharon at the end of chapter 1. As you read, underline (and then summarize below) phrases that describe :
Sins committed against or by Sharon
Sharon's involuntary responses
Inevitable effects in Sharon's behavior or heart

These are questions that I hope you will take time to answer for yourself.

Question 8. After reading page 29 we are asked:
How does unresolved sin keep us from maturing?
What does a "nagging sense" look like?
Who should we tell about our unresolved sin? Why? Who should we not tell ? Why?

The last part is very important here. Somehow just a show and tell attitude is not what is required here. And it is not needful to tell a lot of folks about your "sin". The Bible tells us to guard our hearts. I know some folks that seem to think if I tell you about my bad past it will make it alright. Some folks I have talked to about this mask taking off book have mis-understood what this is all about too. I too go on sometimes about the sin I see , when my mask is off. Really , if we are to stay on target as far as this online study is concerned ,
I ought to talk about the various ways I see myself putting up a mask.
Thus together we can learn how to stop it.
These questions are important to answer for the reason that one needs to see the reason why you are wearing the mask(s) in the first place. First we talk about evidences of there being a mask. If you want to do as JESUS would but it doesn't come from your heart with joy, a telltale sign of mask wearing. Now we talk about how come we started doing that anyway.
I think an unresolved sin is a sin that you just have not ever been able to see that while you did it JESUS loved you.

Question 5 (cont.) Ps 38:4-9,Ps 40:12,Ps 51:1-6 Are more passages for us to read. Describe a time when you finally listened to your guilt and took steps to admit your sin to someone you hurt. How did you feel to have your sin resolved ? There was a time when I was bitter over the sin someone else committed. When I confessed my sin of bitterness and my desire to repent I felt great peace. I did not have to say , I forgive you for your sin because that was not my job anyway.
Question 6 The book talks about how we respond to other people's sins and asks if we typically, fight, get angry or hurt back? Do you flee, minimize, rationalize, or spiritualize the hurt away ? You might think to take the time to answer these questions really not important but they are. Here is the reason why. Each one of these responses is a clue to your hiding patterns. You will need to to explore how you hide from truth to be able to discern how to quit hiding from it. Also how you respond to uncomfortable situtations is what prompts you to put on the mask. You know that you have side stepped the issue. Gotten it to a place where it does not hurt so much, but now you have to act like a Christian. So you do. A lot of times it sounds like we are encouraged to do that very thing from our friends and Christian mentors. Some have an idea that to act righteous will bring forth righteousness. Just do it. The better way is to learn that Jesus is there when you are hurt and even if your first impulse is to respond badly ,even when you do respond badly He doesn't leave. He doesn't say, " I saw that anger flare up when she insulted you." And then take off. He is willing to stay right there and let you say, "I am sorry for the way I behaved. Would you please show me what repentance looks like." The quicker we come to Him with our bad behavior the better. He died for us to live a life filled with righteousness , why would He decide to leave because you messed up? He knows your heart. I believe for every heart that love for Him was planted at the time we were formed before the foundations of the world, He looks at the love that will come to birth in our hearts and stays. Never leaves us or forsakes us.

Question 5 (cont.) Psalms 32:3-5 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me:my moisture is turned into the drought of summer.Se' lah I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD: and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Se' lah. I can't make that squiggley line above the e but I was told that Se' lah means , think of that , or ponder that. Yes, ponder that, that thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. True conviction leaves a door open for forgiveness. Condemnation visits me often to see if I will let it in. Sometimes in my effort to keep condemnation out I resist the conviction of the Holy Spirit. If I want feel the sweet rain waters from the HOLY SPIRIT I need only to come, just as I am. Tell Him what I know I've done. Receive, what He will give and move on.

For those who are just looking in every now and then but not ready to buy the books yet I found a link that I thought you might like. This link takes you to newsletter links that have interesting articles about the Truefaced Experience. Not the book, the experience. Kind of like what I am doing only much better. So you might just want to click and read.
http://www.leadershipcatalyst.org/newsletter.html

5.(cont.) Unresolved sin is always buried alive ! The word buried is so relevant here. Covered up so I can forget. Somehow our minds convince us that if we can forget about it , it won't hurt us. Only our minds betray us, it is a lie. Because every time another situtation of similar responses from either you or the others involved, the memory is pricked , the pain yells you need to bury me further. Then, when you start on a journey to uncover those buried sins, your mind tries to convince you to leave it alone. "It will hurt to bad !" is the lie my mind feeds me. For years I have studied the goodness and grace of OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST . My mind has to listen to the truth . It's lies are exposed now for what they are. Another reminder from my ever reluctant mind says, "Condemnation, remember him, if you read these scriptures , he might show up. " Again my mind is a big fat liar. Because there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus and He will only light the way to my repentance , not make me suffer and wallow in the guilt of it. This is what Jesus came to do, take away our guilt and shame. So I head into the scriptures listed in our book under : According to biblical writers what does guilt feel like ?
Ezr 9:6
And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over [our] head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.
I was embarrassed the other day. Mostly about what I thought the other person might think about sins exposed. It is uncomfortable to live without a mask. Because I was mostly struggling with not re-hiding, and acting as though I do not sin, nor have sin . I imagine this embarrassment is not really the conviction of the HOLY SPIRIT but my flesh still trying to convince me this is a bad idea. Ezra sat astonished that the people had become so uncareful and were not obeying the laws God had laid out for them. He was not even the one who had committed the sins but his people had.

Questions 3-4-5 ....3. I feel betrayed . The book brings out how this is how many living in the land of "doing just fine" often feel betrayed. It is strange that it takes so long to realize why and whose fault it really was. I have to constantly remind myself not to look back but to be glad I have good future ahead if I keep going the way I am now. That is , learning how to enter the room of "trusting God" rather than "pleasing God." When you felt betrayed how did you respond or resolve to protect yourself? I won't let anyone "pretend to love me" . I did it so long I forgot how to let God love me too. It was a sad way to cope. Being angry and bitter towards those who faked their Christianity and judged and were critical of me has only caused a mess that I have been hiding under various masks . However, I am now learning how to take masks off so the fresh wonderful breeze of the HOLY SPIRIT can come and heal these wounds. I even announce my anguish and dislike of His will. He and I know it is there in my flesh . I pray,LORD be merciful to me a sinner. There is nothing else that I need but His mercy. There is nothing else that I expect, now, for I believe Him now. I trust.
4.This question deals with that time when I use to seek for answers in self help books and religious formula books. I now know God will never be put in a formula. Although He never changes He allows Himself to be to us as He chooses not as we choose. I try to come to Him expecting "anything" . They say to name one issue from this list that it is as if you are holding together with bailing wire or duck tape. I know what they mean, and it is so. I still have those areas that I have been holding together. Just recently I decided to admit , to someone I just needed their help with something that she and I know I can do, but just can not be able to do. I have been holding it up, telling myself I can not have any fun til I do it. Still , with ample time and even a help from God to keep my computer running I still can not do it. The list is :weaknesses - limitations - needs - self-protection - unmet expectations - imbalance between my character. I think this issue would be under "weaknesses".
5.After years of feeling betrayed by others and then learning how to unburden myself from that I can tell you I have more energy and a much better quality of life. Feelings are a reflection of our thoughts. When our thoughts line up with God's word our feelings will follow, in time. It takes time . Just how long is relevant to when the HOLY SPIRIT makes real to your heart the word you are meditating on. This can come as quickly as you open your heart to the HOLY SPIRIT which is really what this mask taking off is about. The masks quench the SPIRIT .
When the HOLY SPIRIT can speak to you about repentance then the HOLY SPIRIT can also speak to you about good things. Joy in the HOLY GHOST is not just a cliche' .