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?

In this study we will examine the components of your inner-self and how those components control your decision making and behavior.

The purpose of this study is:
1) to enable you to understand yourself;
2) to enable you to take control of your inner-self;
3) to enable you to make the choices that will lead to your success;
4) to enable you to make wise choices that exhibit the behavior Jesus Christ desires from you.

The goal of this study is to equip you to run your race strong and finish your race well! To God be the glory for what He alone will accomplish through you!

Learning changes who we are and our aspirations; learning is an experience of identity. As you grow and develop, you learn about the identity others assign to you.
society’s definition of you can be wrong
society’s definition of you can be learned mistakenly
some people do not learn well and adopt dysfunctional beliefs about themselves

Personal filters are formed by experiences. Together, experiences and personal filters derived from those experiences influence how you make sense of new experiences.

Meaningful Experiences Shape Your Inner-Self

The diagram depicts you.

Everyone can see your behavior and the choices you make.
Your inner-self is hidden from others and to some degree from you as well.
Many people know what they do but they may not know why they do it and could not correctly answer the question: ‘Why do I behave this way’. That is a question to consider.

Examining the components of the inner-self helps to identify the influence the inner-self has over decisions and behavior. Understanding the influence of the inner-self on decisions and behavior gives you the choice of whether or not to overrule that influence. Reflection helps you to understand your inner-self and what is going on beneath the surface.

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