Research shows learning results from experience. Jesus Christ already knows about each of your life experiences, why each one matters to you or does not matter to you and what you learn from each experience. If an experience hurts you, it is not because Jesus Christ wants to punish you. Nor do hurtful experiences occur because you are a 2nd class Christian or a failure. But rather Jesus Christ allows difficult experiences to come into your life for your growth and development so you can run your race strong and finish your race well.

Identify 3 life experiences you had that are personally meaningful to you

Experience #1:
What happened?
Who was there?
Where did it happen?
How did you feel?
How did you react in this situation and what does this tell you about your self?
Why is this experience meaningful to you?
What did you learn?

Experience #2:
What happened?
Who was there?
Where did it happen?
How did you feel?
How did you react in this situation and what does this tell you about your self?
Why is this experience meaningful to you?
What did you learn?

Experience #3:
What happened?
Who was there?
Where did it happen?
How did you feel?
How did you react in this situation and what does this tell you about your self?
Why is this experience meaningful to you?
What did you learn?

1) Can you see a common thread between the three experiences?

2) What do these experiences tell you about yourself?

Sometimes, our learning is incorrect. Because we live in a fallen creation, where sin and death abound, it is possible to mis-learn. Perhaps your learning is negatively influenced by the words and actions of others. Perhaps your learning is incorrect because in the busyness of life you haven’t questioned your reactions to the experiences or critically processed the events.

Are the lessons you learned from these three experiences valid according to Jesus Christ?

Inappropriate survival skills are forms of behavior learned incorrectly to adapt to circumstances. When you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you may need to relearn how to survive in this fallen creation and thrive as His new creation. For example, I learned to deal with difficulty and bitter circumstances by stuffing my feelings, ignoring them and not letting myself feel them. Consequently, I came to believe that I did not matter because I was believing that my feelings did not matter. I mis-learned that my feelings did not matter and that I did not matter.

Look at this lesson in John 11:
43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Notice what Jesus said! Lazarus came forth from the dead still wearing his grave clothes and his face was bound with a napkin. Likewise, when we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, how we make choices and behavior learned from the past may still cling to us. Jesus Christ is the remedy for your mis-learning. Notice Jesus told the others to ‘loose him and let him go’. We need Bible preaching and study, Christian fellowship, friendship and sharing to loosen us from the things of the past.

The growing in Jesus process is so important to your spiritual growth and cannot be avoided or hastened. Why didn’t God take the freed Israelites immediately to the Promised Land?
Deuteronomy 7:
21 Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.
22 And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.
Deuteronomy 8:
2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

What reasons for delaying the Israelites’ entry to the Promised Land seem parallel to your circumstances?

Your Decision-making History
1) What are some of the most important decisions you have made?

2) How do you make decisions? What factors are important to you?

3) Which decision(s) gave you the most satisfaction? Why?

4) Is there a decision that did not turn out as you expected? Why do you think that happened?

5) Do you see any connection between your personally meaningful experiences and decisions
you have made?

6) Do you see anything you want to change in how you make decisions?
Hebrews 12:
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Let us run with patience the race he has set before us, looking unto Jesus,
Coach Patti