Introducing the Tool :week 3 Connecting tool Question 1. Which unresolved sin issue breaks your intimacy with God most often or most deeply?


How has working strenuously on that sin issue to achieve an intimate relationship with God left you frustrated, defeated, or even despairing?


Question 2. According to the biblical truth expressed in Truefaced, what is God's answer of hope for you ?


Will you commit to this answer?


Which of the following most threaten to move you away from that answer of hope for this unresolved sin: your theology, your key relationships, or your commitments to a leader or others in the Room of Good Intentions ?

WEEK FOUR : After reading the chapter Grace Works the questions begin in the guidebook in the chapter titled Safety.
Question 1. Describe a time when someone else's humility brought out compassion and grace in you or a time when some else's pride rebuffed your grace.

This is basically saying, I give grace. If you read the question carefully , the question is put forth as to, "You, grace giving individual, how goes it with your giving grace ? Do some resist you, because they are proud ? Have you found it easier to give grace to a humble person, who is willing to receive it?"

Quite a question , really. Do I give grace ? For the extent I can receive grace, I do. My own humility and pride issues are always a concern. I can hardly keep up with how others are doing on receiving the grace I give them. I mean to tell them by my words and deeds , that they are forgiven. That if they do indeed believe that Jesus is the son of God and that He has taken the punishment for their sins.

That revelation : that we are sinners and in need of grace is in fact one big step. You can not say, "I do not sin, have not sinned, will never sin, thus this grace is a waste." We , human beings, are born in sin. We all need grace. Grace from the beginning, grace today, grace forever .

It has taken me a long time to get over the elder brothers in my life. I did not know that there were people who would be as the elder brother in the story of the prodigal son that Jesus shared with those who wish to enter the kingdom of God.

At the same time it is taking time for me to not be an elder brother. To find the same footing that Jesus stood on when He stood sharing the good news to a fallen world. He did not condemn , but He did not say ,"continue to sin," either. A balance one can barely find in one's own life. I find I must come humbly before my Lord and receive His grace constantly. I find I must , hear from Him daily. The evidence of sin still abounding in our lives is a direct reflection of our not hearing His voice.

This Truefaced Experience book is really about getting where you can do just that, hear His voice, for yourself, not through other people.

Connecting Experience Question 2. When you have tried to get out of The Room of Good Intentions, did others try to stop you ? Yes . How did that make you feel ? Sad . I realized that it may be a very lonely road called Trusting God.

Question 3. What does it cost you to connect what God says is true about you with how you actually live ? Everything. The EVERYTHING answer is not required of you all at one time. However, there is a knowing of where we are going with this, thus I gave the answer EVERYTHING.
How do you do that ? First you take a good look at how you live. As the Holy Spirit reveals to you different aspects of your life , rather than hide, you stand still . Rather than try to fix what He has shown you, you stand still . Rather than go to your friends and say, " I have this horrible problem , can you fix it ?" you stand still . (Do not mis-understand this, we do need each other in this process of change . At least it would be helpful if there is another person around. What you expect of others is the point here.)
You stand still and listen for the truth about how you have been living to come to your ears and heart . Then you accept that God loves you, just as you are, right there, just standing there.
If you find it hard to accept then you remember what He has told you : John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave........His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life. You decide , am I a "whosoever"? You decide "do I believe"? When those two decisions have been made then you decide if you believe that God loves you, standing there.
I tell you this standing is very important. Yes, of course you are eventually going to take a step, but where you are standing before you take that step will mean the difference between success and failure. Success being a step down the road of trusting God and failure being turned back into pleasing God.

IDENTITY Now for the "connecting" experience. After we have heard the short segment on the DVD we now form small groups (like you and one other person) . What I did on the last chapter was ask the LORD to bring someone in my life that I could discuss these questions with. Hearing another person's perspective is so valuable. I am sure you understand by now, this is not a Bible Study. This is a learning experience about ourselves and our relationship with God. It is a Bible Study in the sense that together we find in God's word, is what we've been doing "really what He wants." For me the beginning scriptures that we studied will forever have an impact on me. The story of Cain and Abel , and realizing , when I come to worship Him , I am not coming with some offering that I hope sounds good. I had even gotten good at letting the HOLY SPIRIT tell me what would sound good and look good. I don't want to quit that part of worship. I do now feel that I come "In Truth" because I come thankful for what was done for me. Really thankful.
Question 1. When you are struggling with "believing" what God says is true about you, what causes you to stay trapped in The Room of Good Intentions and what frees you into The Room of Grace?
What could cause me to stay trapped in The Room of Good Intentions is :
Unbelief....and Rebellion....and Unforgiveness, Bitterness and Resentment.
I like taking a good look at myself. It really keeps me where I need to be. Remembering , but for His Grace and His Grace alone, I would not be where I am today.
Which room takes sin most seriously? The Room of Grace because you do not enter that room until you have seen your sin for what it is.