Pop your bubble

Welcome - I am so glad you are here at A Good Bible Study! This is an exciting time and if we have the courage to go forward and trust God to change in us what we find difficult to accept, or change ourselves, we will have immeasurable peace and joy - isn't that worth pressing on?!

Let's get the most out of our time by praying first:

Lord, this study has been challenging me, sometimes it is hard to face the way I have not loved myself as You do, or loved others the way You love. Help me to see that loving others does not mean becoming a person who others take advantage of, or putting myself in unsafe conditions, or any of the other conditions my fear wants to put up.

It just means changing my attitude from judging, to loving. To becoming concerned enough to pray for someone genuinely, or to do something to put them on the right path to help themselves, or to ease one burden today. Give me a kind heart. In the name of Jesus, amen.

I hope you are praying along with me, or praying what God puts on your own heart. We are all more alike than different, and I think often what God puts on my heart to print, is what He is putting on your heart to pray. What do you think?
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This lesson was harder for me than any of the others, and I was tempted to skip past it. That's right, I was tempted to just say, "Oh, we don't really need to go there, do we."

I read on because I remembered that God can change anything about me that I am willing to let Him have. I remembered that all He is asking is that I allow Him to soften my heart.

He merely suggested I become open to the possibility that even those who put themselves right into the pit in which they dwell, might want on some level, to get out. And based on that information, what could I do to make that choice a little easier for them?

Joyce Meyer said many churches pray for revival, but the truth is if we actually had one, a lot of people would come into the church who are nothing like us. We would rather stay in our bubble of comfortable homogeneity.

Do you know the history of The Salvation Army? The founders, William and Catherine Booth were born into poverty, and worked to help the poor all of their lives. He was never a rich man by any means, yet it is said that when William died, 150,000 people filed by his casket and 40,000, including Queen Mary, attended his funeral.

Literally millions of people have become Christ followers because of the Booth's love action. They didn't have a sports arena or massive church, they preached in tents, haylofts, and small rooms. Their motto was "Go for souls and go for the worst!" Today the Salvation Army continues to fight the good fight with 25,000 "officers" in 91 countries!

As a believer, up to this point, have you gone for souls and gone for the worst? Whatever your answer is, it's just the truth, not a judgement on your faith or salvation. My answer was certainly not a "yes."
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Open your heart and ask yourself this question. Don't consider "shoulds" just be open to "coulds."
What could you do to positively change your answer?
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Here is another tough one. If they walked into church Sunday or Saturday morning, would you really be willing to help different types of people, those who have face jewelry, who do not shower, who have a past (or a present), who are a different color, or come from a different value system and don't know how to behave in church?
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In what ways do your heart and mind have to change to pop the "bubble," and love without judgement?
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Which classes and categories of people have you shut out? I have always had difficulty staying in relationship with those who seem unwilling to do anything to help themselves, to change their circumstances, or to change themselves instead of complaining about everyone else.
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How can you reach out to that type of person, to actually bring them into God's kingdom where He can help?
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If we are a part of the Love Revolution, we choose to make a heart change. Say out loud with me:

With your strength and love Lord, instead of judging them, I will meet them where they are and help them get to where they need to be. I will let you guide my help, so I am truly a help, not a hindrance. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Leave a comment or email me and tell me what has changed for you, or what you struggled with during this lesson. Do it now before you talk yourself out of it. Love, Karen

Photo by Friday, courtesy of photoxpress.com