Jennie Allen - Stuck Study Guide

stuck

study.

the places we get stuck &
the God who sets us free

jennie allen

2011 by Jennie Allen

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION. 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.www.zondervan.com

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

978-1-4185-4874-2

Printed in China

11 12 13 14 15 RRD 5 4 3 2 1

For we know that our old self was crucified with [Christ] so that thebody of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slavesto sinbecause anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

romans 6:67 NIV

contents

Stuck.

This study began for me out of a deep strugglea stuck place. It would serve better to call it something a tad more dramatic... it was a war. The kind of war that happens inside of you, the kind that nobody sees. God versus me and all my junk. It wasnt something I could even put words to at the time. In fact, those close to me were oblivious to the chaos ensuing behind my gathered exterior.

But it was real and raging, and even though I couldnt describe it, I was keenly aware of its presence and was exhausted by it.

I was stuck. I experienced a sense of bondage I could not name and did not know how to escape. The outside of my life was bright and shiny, but inside I was a mess: anxious, lonely, afraid, and looking for significance.

This study exists because I know I am not alone in this. The more I am let into the deep crevasses of peoples hearts, the more I am convinced that every one of us is fighting something. Yet we look out from our secret wars and see people who smile peacefully and seem to be all rightand we smile back at them.

Im done smiling.

God is about doing something on this planet. He is about doing something in me, and as long as I am privately fighting and losing inside, He is not getting a thing done through or in me.

We are going to take an honest look at the war inside, expose it, and deal with it. God will win this fight, but we have to start fighting it His way, on His terms. The cause of our stuckness will vary, but our common humanity assures us we are all inadequate and broken. Thankfully, we dont have to stay that way.

Many of us have known God for a long timeand honestly, we know a lotbut are we living what we believe? For some, this may be your first encounter with Him. Wherever you are, I ask and pray that you be honest. Pretense and pretending have never really been Gods thing. Not much tolerance for it. So my prayer is this study will be a safe place to explore God and your own heart. The state of our hearts and what we believe about God are the two most important things about us.

Get Honest

This is going to get messy, but it will be worth it. We will be dealing with hidden sin. God wants to do something with that. But until we recognize that we are stuck and in need of Him, we will miss what He has for us. If you consider yourself stuck, perhaps you would be willing to consider a way out, even if it is costly. Be honest with yourself and honest with God. He knows all of it already, anyway.

Engage with Your Small Group

Do not attempt to deal with such a large thing as sin without kindred warriors at your side, fighting with you and for you. Pray, speak truth in love, and hold each others feet to the fire. Be vulnerable, and do not abandon those who are vulnerable with you. Prepare to go to war alongside these women. Keep your group a safe place to wrestle and discover and also a place filled with truth. John describes Christ as being full of grace and truth (John 1:14). I pray that this is how your small group will be described.

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

john 8:32 NKJV

Commit to being consistent and present. Every time you gather with your group, you will be building your view of God and His plan for reconciliation in our lives. This study will create a circular understanding of God and His plan, and missing a week will leave a hole in that circle. Every time you are in your small group, you will be processing God in your life. Consistency and presence show respect to God and those around you in this process.

Please be quick to listen and slow to speak. Lean into the Holy Spirit as you process together. Speak as He leads. This kind of vulnerable, Spirit-led communication with your group will help lead to unstuck lives.

Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak.

james 1:19

Ground Rules for Discussion

Be concise. Share your answers to the questions while protecting others time for sharing. Be thoughtful. Dont be afraid to share with the group, but try not to dominate the conversation.

Keep group members stories confidential. Many things your group members share are things they are choosing to share with you, not with your husband or other friends. Protect each other by not allowing anything shared in the group to leave the group.

Rely on Scripture for truth. We are prone to use conventional, worldly wisdom as truth. While there is value in that, this is not the place. If you feel led to respond, please only respond with Gods truth and Word, not advice.

No counseling. Protect the group by not directing all attention on solving one persons problem. This is the place for confessing and discovery and applying truth together as a group. Your group leader will be able to direct you to more help outside the group time if you need it. Dont be afraid to ask for help.

Study Design

In the first meeting, your groups study guides will be passed out, and you will work through the Getting Started lesson together. After that, each lesson in the study guide is meant to be completed on your own during the week before coming to the group meeting. Each week begins with a short intro before moving into the portion marked Study. The study portion is followed by four application projects, then closing thoughts from me. The study portion and projects can be completed in one sitting or broken up into smaller parts throughout the week depending on your needs.