AVOIDING* THE HALL OF MIRRORS
OR ESCAPING
CHAPTER 10
Winning and Losing + Unsanctified Compassion: The Road to Nowhere (1|2)
Pages 121-127 (end reading at: …and slams the door!)
Matthew 16:13-23 (ESV) Peter the rock/Peter the satan is read on page 123.
Ephesians 1:15-23 (NIV) For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Have you experienced or witnessed a confrontation where showing love and being “Christlike” meant graciously choosing to “lose” the confrontation?
(page 124) “His ways are higher than ours, so there is always the mystery element. The reality of spiritual warfare should never be underestimated. The sheer heat required to test and refine our faith will account for some of the pressure, I’m sure. But it’s good to be honest about it together - the Lord’s compassion clearly does not protect us from trials and tribulations.” Do you agree/disagree? What is your response?
Having a very limited understanding of God’s unsearchable ways means that we sometimes act from a place of compassion that accidentally misses what He is doing, and actually getting in the way of His purposes.” Have you experienced accidentally missing what God is doing in the moment, and if so, what did you do once you realized?
Peter understandably and protectively responds to Jesus, informing him of his plans to die in a reasonable manner, but this gives us one valuable insight into the devil’s playbook. Have you experienced or witnessed the devil hiding something seemingly good, such as sound reasoning, as a way to divert us from God’s radical plan(s)?
“Once you open the door to an option that is not God’s will, from that point on, something changes. It’s like welcoming a guest into your home who is bent on your demise, and who refuses to leave.” What is your response to this statement?