Verse. 1. I Cant, You Can, Go Ahead.

Welcome to Verse!
We want to get to know each other a little. So in a minute well start that by going around and telling our names, and which of the seven deadly sins we struggle with the most. Just kidding. How about instead well tell our names, and which of the seven dwarves we relate to most. (Not for any good reason. Just for fun. So dont stress out about it.) In case your Snow White is a little rusty, here are your options: 1. Doc 2. Grumpy 3. Sleepy 4. Sneezy 5. Dopey 6. Bashful 7. Happy Welcome everybody. Im so glad youve decided to be a part of this course, and if you really engage with it, I have no doubt it will be life-changing for you. So real quick, lets go around and share our names, where were from originally, and which of the seven dwarves we relate to the most

So one of the things we say at Verve is that we want to become God Stalkers, Guerrilla Lovers, and Grace Wholesalers. One way of looking at this course is that its about becoming a grace wholesaler. Grace is getting the opposite of what you deserve. Its unconditional love. Its forgiveness. And were gonna learn together how to receive Gods grace, and how to give it to others. And there may be nothing more important we can learn. Together were gonna learn how to live with ourselves, God, and other people. Another way of looking at this course is that were gonna deal with: How do we find healing for our hurts and get past our bad habits? Whats the process God uses to do that? And how do we partner with God in that process? The Bible says in Ephesians 2:10, we are God's workmanship Workmanship as in artistry. As in, Wow, look at the workmanship put into that statue. Its interesting, the New Testament wasnt written in English, it was written in Greek, and the Greek word translated here as workmanship is also the Greek word for poetry. So it could equally be translated we are Gods poetry. Whats poetry? Well, its when you take a bunch of words words that on their own are kinda plain and insignificant, and in the wrong order might make no sense, but with poetry you put them together in just the right way that they become a verse, they become something beautiful and meaningful. And the Bible says that we are Gods poetry. That what God wants to do is take our lives with personalities that might seem kinda plain, and gifts that

may seem insignificant, and circumstances that might make no sense, and even painful events from our past that were ugly, and God wants to put all that together in just the right way so that we might become His verse, that our lives might become something beautiful and meaningful. And some of you may find it hard to believe that that could be possible in your life, but it is, God can do that for you and in you. And in this course were gonna talk about how. Because its not something we just pray for and God does it. No, its a journey we go on with God, a process He walks us through. And we find healing and get past our bad habits by taking those steps God created and helps us through. So in these six weeks were gonna talk through those steps. And theyre going to sound familiar to some of you. Because the steps are those found in 12 step programs. Did you know that The 12 Steps of the twelve step programs are from the Bible? They are. What happened is that in June of 1935, in Akron Ohio, two alcoholics had hit bottom, and their desperation led them to want to find a way to healing and freedom. One of those alcoholics had some Christians in his life who had been a great influence on him, and from that group he gained principles that helped lead him to sobriety. Those two guys crafted together twelve steps - all based on Christian principles. Now they didnt use Christian terminology, because they wanted to make these twelve steps accessible to everyone, but they are based on Christian principles. And they have since become a national phenomenon and helped

thousands and thousands of alcohol, drug, sex, gambling, food addicts to find true, authentic life change. And theres a reason those twelve steps have proven so amazingly effective. Its because they are steps God gives us in the Bible. Its the process God gives us in the Bible. Now you may be thinking, Wait, this course isnt for me. I mean Im not an alcoholic, or anything like that. Im not addicted to anything. No, trust me, this course is for you. Its for all of us. You know why? Because we all have something in common. Every single one of us. We all have a problem in common. Now this problem may express itself in different ways for different people, but we all have it. The same problem. The problem may express itself in your life not through an addiction to drugs or alcohol, but instead maybe through gossip, or lying, or stealing, or it may express itself sexually, or as pride, or in anger, or lack of self-esteem or self-hatred. We all have the same problem, it just expresses itself in different ways. And in this course were gonna talk about this problem that we all have in common. Then were gonna ask you to do some self-examination and introspection so that you can see how this problem expresses itself in your life. Theres gonna be homework, and for this course to work in your life, you really need to do the homework. So we all have a problem, and the solution is something we all have in common as well. God has the same basic path to healing

and wholeness and a beautiful, meaningful life for all of us. Today were gonna go through the first three steps. The first part of Gods process is I Cant, You Can, Go Ahead

the word sin. And weve all done it. The Bible says in Romans 3:23, All have sinned The essence of sin is saying to God, Youre gone, Im in charge. Now once we set ourselves up in Gods place we start controlling. I mean weve taken over Gods position and lets be honest, thats a bigger job description than we can handle. So, what do we do? We to make a wild attempt to play this role, We start controlling everything. We control our image. See, if Ive taken Gods place, and Im trying to play God, I cant let others know that Im not. So I exaggerate and lie about my accomplishments and achievements and about my lack of problems and fear. We control the details of our lives, because weve become our own God and we have to - who else is gonna do it for us? We control other people. I might do it through anger, or manipulation, or through withdrawing, by taking care of people, or by even acting helpless. Now many of us have become Christians, and we accepted Christ as our Savior to get us into Heaven, but weve continued to play God. We havent given Him the castle back. And so we continue to call the shots for our lives. If youre a Christian one sign that youre still playing God is if you ever worry. Im going to give that a second to sink in . . . A person who has truly handed their life over to a perfect, caring, and powerful God would never need to worry. But were still playing God. And we even try to control

Step One: I Cant

I want to give you some pictures to kinda illustrate the steps today, and the first picture is of a castle. Step one is all about a castle. This castle belongs to God. He owns it, Hes the King over it. But theres a problem. Because each one of us has lead a coup. Weve gone in and taken control of the castle over from God. The Bible describes that with

Him. In a very real sense, weve made Him our servant rather than becoming His, and our prayers are actually requests for Him to do our will, to serve us and help us run our show. So weve taken over the castle. Were trying to control, but that has consequences. Right? We control other people, and those relationships break down. Because people dont like to be controlled! Maybe you have all kinds of problems in most of your relationships, and until this moment youve never realized the reason is because youre trying to control people, and its because of this problem were talking about. We try to control God and we end up feeling distant from Him. And personally, we start feeling guilt and shame and fear and frustration and loneliness and alienation. And then we have to deal with those consequences. They hurt real bad and so we have these coping mechanisms that often turn into addictions: we drink, we drug, we have inappropriate sex, we overeat, we overwork, we rage. Some of us just become numb. We have the bad feelings feeling alone, the sadness, the guilt, being afraid, so we try to get rid of them by just becoming numb. All this to try to deal with the consequences of our compulsion to control, because were playing God. And you know what? It gets even worse, because of denial. We cant see it. In fact, right now you might be

thinking, This all may be true for all of you, but not me. I havent fired God. I dont have a problem controlling things. Thats part of the nature of our problem, we cant see it. Its denial. Theres a t-shirt with a picture of a dead cow, lying on its back with its legs straight up in the air, rigomortous has set in, and underneath it says, Really, Im fine. Thats denial. And thats us. We cant see our problem. In Texas theres a saying: If one person tells you youre a horses rear, forget it. If two people tell you youre a horses rear, look in the mirror. If three people tell you youre a horses rear, buy a saddle! Right? If three people tell you youre working too much, buy a saddle! If three people tell you you have a problem with alcohol, buy a saddle! If three people tell you youre using food or religious activity to dull your pain and not deal with your issues, buy a saddle! And it gets even worse! Because not only have we fired God, taken control, and messed up our lives, and not only can we not see it in ourselves, but also Were powerless to stop it. I know what youre thinking, Man Im glad I came to this class! Its so encouraging! Just hang it there . .. Robb showed you the verse in Ephesians chapter 2, where it says that God wants to transform us and use His workmanship to make us in to His poetry, His verse, well look at how that chapter begins: Ephesians 2:1, As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins Maybe youve noticed that dead people dont have a lot of power. Like, they dont run real fast, they cant lift much

weight. Dead people are powerless. And we are powerless over the problem we have. A lot of you would say, Im not powerless. And Id say, okay, if youre not powerless, stop. If youre not powerless, stop lying. Stop exaggerating. Stop raging. Stop eating excessively. Stop withdrawing. Stop smoking. If youre not powerless, stop working obsessively, spending impulsively, cleaning compulsively. Stop thrill seeking, stop drinking, stop drugging, stop laying down like a mat and letting people walk over you. If youre not powerless, just stop. But the truth is, you cant. The truth is we are all powerless. And this brings us to step one. Step one is admitting that we are powerless over our sin and that our lives have become unmanageable. The Bible would say, confess it. Come clean. Step one is admitting that were in trouble. Step one is understanding that weve been trying to be king or queen over the castle, and its not working. Saying, I am powerless to stop this compulsion to control that which is rooted in my desire to be at the center of my life, to be my own God, and it has made my life unmanageable. Heres how one person in the Bible expressed the idea of step one: Romans 7:15-20, I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that

nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to dothis I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. And we need to take step one. We need to admit that we have a problem. That we are powerless to stop what weve been doing, that we have this compulsion to control, and because of that our lives have become unmanageable. Heres what Id like you to do. Im gonna give you about ten minutes. This may be a bit awkward (and thats okay) but Id like you to take the first few minutes to pray. To take a look at yourself, and to talk to God about this idea that in some way youve fired God and taken control, and how its led you to become controlling, and some of the consequences youve experienced as a result. And maybe you could begin to take step one, admitting that you are powerless over your sin and your life has become unmanageable. Its the first step to freedom: Admit that youve been trying to be the king of the castle, and its not working. So take a few minutes to think and pray about that, and then if you need to use the bathroom or grab a drink you can, but please dont disrupt other people who will still be praying. Ill start praying and you guys can silently continue your own conversation with God when I stop.

Steps Two and Three: You Can, Go Ahead

The second picture starts with you on top of lets say the Wynn, and its all about a wheelbarrow. Steps two and three start with you on top of the Wynn, and its all about a wheelbarrow, but lets wait a minute to get to that. Because first, I want to talk to you about insanity. Im convinced that I do insane things. Now theyre socially acceptable insane things, but theyre insane none the less. Let me give you a definition of insanity. Heres a working definition: Insanity is doing the same things, the same way, expecting different results. Insanity is doing the same things the same way, but expecting different results. For example lets say you go to work, jump in the elevator, hit the button for the 23rd floor, go up to the 23rd floor, get there, and then say, I work on the 14th floor! The next day you get to work, jump in the elevator, hit the button for the 23rd floor, go up to the 23rd floor, get there, and say, I work on the 14th floor! And over and over you do the same thing. Thats insane. - (Actually, maybe thats just stupid.) So lets add one more element to our definition. Insanity is doing the same things the same way, expecting different results, and what were doing is self-destructive. How about that? Its not nearly as innocuous as going to the wrong floor; what Im doing over and over again expecting different results is destroying my relationships

and its destroying me. Insanity is doing the same selfdestructive things over and over expecting different results. Now thats crazy.

Let me tell you about my insanity. One of the areas Ive become convinced that Im insane, by this definition, is in my sense of inadequacy. Like many of you I have a sense of inadequacy in my life. And I try to overcome that through performance and achievement and I quickly give up on something if it looks like I might fail (I like to think of it as quitting while Im ahead). Back in middle school I wrestled and only felt good about myself when I was winning. In fact, I went all the way to my regional championship finals only to lose. I won every other match I had that year but left feeling like a failure because I lost one match. In high school, I tried my hand at baseball and did pretty well. I even had a 1000 batting average after our first few games and had a coach pull me out to let someone else hit, I quit at that moment, literally, I took off my jersey and put it on the bench and left. I felt like I looked like a failure and so I immediately quit. In the military I went into one of the hardest units they had to offer because I had to be the toughest, the best. I would spend hours at the range shooting because I had to be the best and if I missed just once I felt like a failure. In college, I had to get the highest grade on every paper. Not

just an A, the highest grade in my class on every paper. Well, I would often get a hundred, and that felt like adequacy to me. But then Id quickly feel inadequate again. So did I come to the realization that winning, or being the toughest, or my grades werent doing it for me? No, I kept doing the same thing. Trying to find my adequacy there. Now that Im out here in Vegas and I work at Verve. I start spinning all these plates in my life. And sometimes people around me say, Good job. And that feels like adequacy to me. But then the plates start to fall. Ever have that happen? I dont get something done. Or I dont live up to someone elses or my own expectations for myself and Im embarrassed of that. And that screams to me that Im inadequate. And then you know what I do? I get scared, and I fantasize about quitting. I think, If I were just somewhere else, Id be fine. But you know what I realized just the other day? This is an amazing insight I had. I realized that wherever I go, Im there. Some of you figured that out a long time ago, but it just dawned on me. Now thats a problem! Im insane in this area of inadequacy, and trying to gain adequacy through achieving. Inside Im screaming for someone to approve of me. It doesnt work for me, but I keep doing it. Insanity is doing the same self-destructive things the same way, expecting different results.

Your turn; where are you insane? Maybe your insanity deals with your anger. Ever since you were a kid youve wanted respect. And when you were three years old you sensed that your parents werent respecting you, and so you threw a temper tantrum. Now no one came over and said, Oh, I understand, you just want to be respected. Well, I respect you. It didnt work. But here it is 30 years later and youre still doing the same thing. Your spouse doesnt respect you or the people at work dont respect you, and so you throw a temper tantrum. And still nobody walks over and says, I know what you really want is respect. It still doesnt work. Thats insanity. Isnt it? Insanity is doing the same self-destructive things the same way, expecting different results. Or maybe for you its in the area of loneliness. Youre lonely. But you dont know how to get that need met, so you look for connection without commitment. Pseudo-intimacy. You come home from work feeling lonely so you say, I think Ill watch a little TV. TV is a great place to get connection without commitment. So you start watching TV at 7 pm, and at 2:30 a.m. youre still watching TV like this . . . You no longer feel lonely, you feel numb now. So you get up, wander over to the TV, turn it off, thinking, I have to get up at 7:00. This is nuts! Im never gonna do this again. Two nights later; same thing.

Insanity is doing the same self-destructive things the same way, expecting different results. Thats craziness. Maybe for you its in the area of insecurity. Whenever you get nervous, when something starts to threaten this kingdom youve created you have this automatic response. Maybe its food. You eat. You eat a lot. Or maybe its shopping. You go out and buy some new clothes. You think, If I just put on these new clothes Im gonna feel good. Now does the food or clothes work? Maybe for a couple minutes. Then youre feeling the same way. But in a day or two when youre feeling insecure again, youll do the same thing. Thats craziness. So lets talk about steps two and three. The objective of steps two and three is a return to sanity. Now you cant even consider taking step two unless youre willing to own the idea that youre insane. Now we know were not totally insane, theres a part of us that is normal and healthy. But theres a part of us that keeps doing the same things over and over, expecting different results, while we slowly destroy ourselves and others. To work steps two and three weve got to admit that at least in some areas, I am doing things that may be socially acceptable, but are truly insane. If youre not willing to come clean that theres a part of you where youre manifesting that insanity, then you cant take these steps. But lets say youre willing, along with me, to admit your insanity, well that brings us to steps two, and then three.

I told you earlier, steps two and three start out with you on top of the Wynn, and its all about a wheelbarrow. So imagine that you get a guided tour of the Wynn, and it takes you to the top of the building. So youre standing there, its a beautiful day. Youre looking out across the valley and taking in the amazing view of the Strip from your new vantage point. Youre standing there when suddenly theres an explosion. It rocks you off balance. And before you can catch your breath, you see flames all around you. A guide says, Everyone, were in trouble. We cant take the elevator, and there are no stairs down from this observation tower. Were stuck. In step one we admitted that our building was on fire. That we took over Gods job, couldnt handle it, started controlling, which led to consequences, and so now weve turned to each other standing on top of the Wynn and say, This buildings on fire. Man, were stuck. So we realize our buildings on fire, the flames are leaping up at us. Now, all of a sudden, in this imaginary scenario you look over to the top of the Encore and you see someone standing there. Its not Steve Wynn, like in the commercials. Its someone else. And just as you see this person, he sets off a cannon and out of the cannon explodes a cable with a grappling hook. And the grappling hook comes flying from the top of the other building to the top of your building and when it lands it wraps around the air conditioning system. Its a three inch steel cable. And as you watch, amazed, the man who detonated the cannon gets on the cable and begins to walk across between the buildings. He gets over to your side. He again jumps on

the cable and walks back across to the other side, reaches down and lifts up a wheelbarrow, and walks back across to you with it. He gets to your side, puts the wheelbarrow down, walks it straight up to you, looks you in the eye, and says, Get in. Ill take you to safety. So step two. Step two says that we came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Or that a power greater than ourselves could fire a cable from one building to another, cross it, bring a wheelbarrow, and take us to safety. So what does it take to do step two? We need to be able to say the word help. You know its very possible to be totally desperate and yet never say the word help. For many of us saying the word help is almost impossible. Maybe saying help is tough for you because you were taught to be an independent, autonomous, pull-yourself-up by your bootstraps individuals. Or maybe you have trouble saying, Help because you have a broken heart. You said help once before, and you werent helped, you were dropped. And today youre saying. Tommy, dont tell me to say help again. I just cant do it I understand, trust me I do.

But heres the deal: Theres no other way out. Youve got to say help. So we have to muster up the trust and the faith to say that word, maybe for the first time, maybe to say it again though you swore youd never do that. But to have the faith to look up to the heavens and say, Help.

Now dont worry if you dont have a lot of faith, because: Its not the amount of faith that matters, its the object of your faith that matters. Its kinda like when I was in the military. I went to a school to learn to rappel from helicopters. In the school they take you through phases of learning to trust in your equipment, such as the helicopter itself, the carabiners and the rope. You start off in a classroom where you learn the lift capacity of the helicopters used is 22,000 lbs and the tensile strength of the 3/4 nylon rope is 4,500 lbs and carabiners used has 2,000 lbs capacity. Then comes the hands on training where first you get hooked into a rope and then lifted only a few feet off the ground so you get a feel of how hanging from a rope feels. Then its up to the tower where you have different points you are coming off, at first against the wall and eventually you are forty feet in the air and going over the edge of an open faced tower and rappelling down. Finally, its into a helicopter and a rope is thrown out the both sides and your are told to rappel down. Now lets say its the two of us up in this helicopter and were standing on the edge of the open door and we are told to rappel down. One of us is full of faith and says, Its just like in training, its 3/4 thick and has a 4,500 lb tensile strength, it will hold us. The other one of us has a little bit of faith, but also a lot of doubt, saying, Im not so sure. I know Ive been told the rope is strong enough, but it just looks too thin to hold us. Now if we both venture out onto the ropes, it doesn't matter how much faith the one has or how little the other has. Were both gonna be held up, or were both gonna fall to the ground, based on the object of our

faith, the strength of the rope, not on the basis of the amount of our faith. Make sense? So step two says we came to believe that a power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity. We need to look up and say help. Now Christians tend to reject the Higher Power lingo of the 12 step program. They say, No, you have to believe exactly as we do! But Christians need to learn to be patient with our friends who are in process and gently guide them to understanding the true nature and identity of that higher power. We need to be patient.

His one Son Jesus Christ. Thats what we talk about in our course Verge. So back to the building analogy, were on the top of this building thats on fire. We see this man shoot a cable from a cannon and come across with a wheelbarrow. Step two says that we believe that he has the power to save us from the burning building, from our insanity. ========================================= ================BREAK=================== Step three says, We got in the wheelbarrow. Step three says we make a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God. - The God of the universe has pushed a wheelbarrow across the cable. His Son stands staring you straight in the face, His hands on the handles and He says to you, Youre out of control, you dont have power, the flames are nipping at your heals. I have power, Ive come to you, make a decision. You need to make a decision.

But it is true that which higher power you believe in makes all the difference. Remember, it is the strength of the rope that matters. Our culture offers countless higher powers, belief systems, false gods, and many people are choosing them as their higher power, and ultimately their higher power will not deliver. So many have settled for a higher power that is too small. The 12 steps can bring healing and sanity, but ultimately you do need to find the one true God, who manifested Himself in history through

So what are you gonna do? Well, honestly, you might choose to get in, you might not. Why wouldnt we choose to get in the wheelbarrow? Well, if you choose not to get in, my guess is that it would probably be because of one of two reasons. Either you dont accurately understand your condition. Or you dont accurately understand Gods character. So The first reason I may choose to not get in is because I dont accurately understand my

condition. And there could be a variety of ways this looks for us. Like For some of us, it goes back to denial. Because most of us live in denial. And denial says, What fire? Fire, I dont see a fire. And some of you are doing this right now. Youre thinking, I shouldnt have taken this course. Its not for me. I dont really have any major problems. Thats denial. And you know what? You dont deal with denial once and for all and forever. We have to repeatedly get honest and admit that were in trouble, and powerless to solve our problem. Or it may be that we blame. You know how blaming works? Remember youre on top of the Wynn, and lets say you have some family and friends up there with you. The fire starts to hit your heels but you dont deny the fire. Youre like Ooohh, hot! Oohh, hot! But you turn to your family and friends and say, This is your fault. You started this. You put out the fire and then Ill be okay. Right? So God looks at me and says, Heres the wheelbarrow. And I say, I dont need the wheelbarrow. If theyll just put out the fire they started Ill be fine. Do you blame? Think about the problems youre experiencing whose fault do you think they are? Do you have someone to blame for almost every one of them? If so, youre playing the blame game, and so you dont understand your condition, and youre not likely to get in the wheelbarrow.

Others of us dont think were powerless. We dont get in the wheelbarrow because we dont accurately understand our condition, and the issue is that we dont think were powerless. We dont deny the flames, we know theyre there, we dont blame others, what we say is, Ill take care of this. We think we can fix our problems. So what you do is, you take a cup of water, and you pour it on the flames, pssss, then you go back and get some more and throw a little more on the fire. Now the flames are hundreds of feet up in the air, but youve got your Dixie Cup of water, thinking it will help. And the flames are flying up, singing our eyebrows, but weve got our Dixie Cup. We know we have a problem, we just really dont believe were powerless to solve it. We dont need the wheelbarrow, we can take care of the fire ourselves, thanks. And last, Some of us are just not desperate enough. This one says, I see the flames. Okay, theyre there. And you didnt cause them, Im not blaming. And I know I cant put them out with a Dixie Cup of water. But its not that hot. Im just getting a tan! Your pants are on fire, your hair is burning off Its really not that bad. - Christianity, and the disciplines of the 12 steps, are for desperate people. People who have come to the end of their rope. One time Jesus asked His disciples if they wanted to stop following Him and Peter said, We have no place else to go. We need to say, Jesus, I have no place else to go but in your wheelbarrow. Im in

trouble. I can remember times in my life, some of them recent, when I caught an honest glimpse of myself and just realized, This is pretty desperate. Im in bad shape. We all need to have honest times when we do just that. So it may look different for each of us, but when Jesus shows up with this wheelbarrow, I may choose not to get in because we dont accurately understand my condition. The second reason I may choose not to get in is because I dont accurately understand Gods character. Step three says, I have made a decision to turn my life and my will over to God. But to do that we have to understand who He is. The problem is that the vast majority of us dont understand God. We have, at best, an incomplete picture of Him, and for most of us a very inaccurate one. The Bible says that we were made in Gods image, but the reality for many of us is that weve made God in the image of - well, you fill in the blank. Your father? Your mother? The principle of the parochial school you went to? The pastor of a church who disappointed you. A friend? Maybe youve made God in the image of your own sorrow, or in the image of your own disappointment, or in the image of your own anger and rage. The fact is that humans since the beginning of time have been remaking God in the image of someone other than who He is. - And heres the problem, when the wheelbarrow gets to the top of the trade center where were standing, and the one behind it says, Get in, we dont get in because we put on His face, the face of . . . well, whose face do you put on God?

Do you put the face of your powerless father on Him? Maybe you had an alcoholic father who started revving up about noon at a long lunch. Hed go back to work, work a few hours. Then come home and continue to heat up from 5 to 7, then hed sit down to dinner in front of the TV, have a few more drinks, and then out of the shame that was covering him, hed say to you, You know, Im gonna provide for you. And hed start making promises. Promises he never kept. And you remember all of those promises. Every one. And when you put his face on the face of God and God says, Get in the wheelbarrow, you say, No, because youll drop me. Just like my dad dropped me. How do you understand God? Maybe in the image of your father. You think Hes powerless. He cant make it back to the other side with you in the wheelbarrow. Or, maybe you picture the one behind the wheelbarrow as your mother. Its not that your mother wasnt powerful, I mean she had power down. Whoa! I mean your mother, she didnt need the cable, she could jump from one side to the other. Its not about that. Its about care. Its about interest. You see, mom had lots of ability, she was flying, she just never cared enough to take you with her. And so the one true God of the universe brings the wheelbarrow and says, Get in, but you say, You dont care about me. Youre just doing this for your sake so you can do back flips between the buildings. Youre in this for you. Its not about you caring for me. Thats the way you understand God. And how do you turn

your life and your will over to someone who doesnt care about you?

the wheelbarrow, and Jesus has to say, Its not them. Its Me. Hed say to you. Hes saying to you right now: Its not them. Its me. Okay, so before we end, I want to give you a little time to interact with some of these ideas, in groups. On your handout there are five group questions. When you came in today you were given a number, thats the number of the small group youre in, and youll be in that same group with those same people every week of Verse. So Im gonna have you look at a short story from the Bible, so have someone in your group read that out loud, then there are a few questions to talk about. You dont have to answer all the questions, and in fact you may not have time to. You have about xxx minutes. Ready? Go find your group, get in a circle, and get going Mark 10: 46Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! 48Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me! 49Jesus stopped and said, Call him. So they called to the blind man, Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you. 50Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. 51What do you want me to do for you? Jesus asked him. The blind man said, Rabbi, I want to see. 52Go, said Jesus, your

Weve got to understand who God really is before well get in the wheelbarrow. If we can get it clear about our condition, that the buildings on fire, were not denying, not blaming, we admit were powerless, then we will look at the face behind the wheelbarrow. Thats why its got to be the face of the one true God of the universe, who was powerful enough to fashion everything you can see and touch with His fingertips. He can make it all. He is powerful. And yet He is present enough to count every hair on your head, and despite your greatest disappointments He cares. Unless we put the face of Jesus Christ, the God man, who bridged the gap between the buildings with His cross Who was powerful enough to die for our wrongdoing and who cared enough to personalize it for us... Unless you put His true face behind the face of the One pushing the wheelbarrow, I dont blame you for not getting in, I wouldnt either. And whenever I put someone elses face on God, I dont get in

faith has healed you. Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
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What do you think drove this man to shout out as Jesus went by? What might have kept him from shouting out his need for help? What do you think it is about Jesus that led Him to stop for this man? What does this tell you about how Jesus might respond if you called out to Him? What does Jesus say is ultimately the thing that allows this blind man to find healing? What does the man do in response to being healed? How would you like your story to be more like this mans story?

2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

prove that your decision was for real. But with step three, all you just make the decision. And its a big decision. We admit were powerless, God is powerful and so we say to Him, I cant. You can. Go ahead. I turn my life and my will over to Your care. I give You back the castle. It was Yours in the first place, and I know You can do a better job than I have. My life, from this day forward, is Yours. Thats a decision you can make today. By the way, as a Christian, its a decision we need to remake everyday. Its not something you do once. You make that first time decision, and then you need to remake it everyday, because everyday youll be tempted to take control back from God. So today you can make the decision, and then together, over the next few weeks well walk through steps four through twelve. Before I let you out of here, let me quickly show you your homework. And I want to tell you this: This journey we need to go on with God, the process He walks us through where we find healing and get past our bad habits and become Gods verse, where our lives become beautiful and meaningful its more than six 90 minute classes. This is a lifetime journey, and we can get it off to a great start with this course, but that will really happen if you do your homework. Because the homework is going to allow you to really personality and apply the principles were talking about.

Okay. Lets bring it back. So put yourself in the picture, because the picture Ive tried to help you see, is of your life, and of mine. The building is on fire. You are powerless. God is there. The cable is going that way. The wheelbarrow is waiting. Will you get in? If you want to, heres what you do. You decide. Step three is all about a decision. Its just making a decision. Now there is a difference between deciding to do something and actually doing it. The litmus test of whether you really get in the wheelbarrow is whether you do steps four through twelve. Thats the test. They make it real. Thats how you

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

So the building is on fire, the canons been shot, the cables here. The God of the Universe, with His face, not someone elses, has this wheelbarrow right next to you, and today Hes saying to you, Will you get in? Lets pray. SOME GETTING IN: Pray that we truly hand our entire lives over to Your will and care. SOME NOT READY: Thank You for Your patience, please help us to accurately assess our condition and to clearly understand Your character, so that well get in soon. THANK YOU for Jesus, that He came and died to offer the wheelbarrow to us.

Describe jealousy (e.g., about material things, love relationships). Describe how frantic excitability manifests itself in you. Describe how loneliness feels. Describe in what areas you experience numbness or lack of feelings (or confusion) and how these feel. Describe distressing physical symptoms over which you are powerless (e.g., indigestion and/or upset stomach, allergies, trouble sleeping, headaches, skin disorders, muscle or bone problems, sexual dysfunction). Behaviors Over Which I Am Powerless

Taking Step One Worksheet*

Step One: We admitted we were powerless over Sin that our lives had become unmanageable. Continual or Excessive Feelings over Which I Am Powerless:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

List foods, drinks, medicines that you keep eating, drinking, or taking even though you do not want to. 2. List and describe other compulsive behaviors things that you keep doing though you know it is not in your best interest to do so. These may include sexual behavior, gambling, or taking risks you cant afford, exaggerating stories, making excuses, lying, justifying yourself (give examples), giving advice or controlling where people dont want you to.
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People Over Whom I Am Powerless List the people (1) in your family, (2) at work, (3) at church and other places whose behavior irritates you and what it is they do that you cant get them to quit doing. Summary Statement and Taking the Step If after considering these issues you can see that in fact you are powerless and that in one or more areas your life is unmanageable, then you may be ready to take Step One. If you are ready to admit

Describe, on paper, recurring fears (e.g., about finances, family members, authority figures, sex, God). Describe resentments or anger (e.g., about family members, job, government, church, people). Describe guilt or shame (e.g., about specific past actions, not being perfect in some area). Describe sadness or self-pity about at least three things. Describe pain about three situations, people, or thoughts.

your powerlessness you can do it by writing out the following statement and/or telling it to a trusted friend. I, ______________________, admit that I am powerless and that my life has become unmanageable. You have now taken Step One. It will be helpful to you if you will begin to share these ways in which you have discovered that you are powerless. This will help you find the reality and humility essential for progress and may help others to see their own denial and powerlessness so they too can begin this phase of their spiritual journey. If there is something that seems too shameful or threatening to share, you dont have to share it. But, generally, finding trusted friends to share with is part of the healing process.
* Taken (stolen!) mostly from Keith Millers awesome book, A Hunger For Healing.

3.

If you answer yes to these questions, write out a statement to that effect. Restore us to sanity

Taking Step Two Worksheet*

Step One: We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Are you willing? Are you willing to believe in a Higher Power, a power greater than yourself that can help you? If you are new to Christianity you may not feel like you fully understand the nature and character of this Higher Power, but at this point are you at least willing to accept the hypothesis that there is a Higher Power who can help you? 2. If youre at a point where you dont understand the nature and character of this Higher Power, are you willing to seek Him so that you might come to know Him?
1.

Below are listed some behaviors that do not fit the dictionary definition of sanity: to be free from hurt or disease; having mental faculties in such condition as to be able to anticipate and judge the effects of your actions on other people and being without delusion or prejudices . . . wise. 2. If you want to finish taking Step Two, describe briefly or give an example of how the following, and other dysfunctional and self-defeating behaviors, operate in your life (and ask yourself how sane these behaviors really are). a. In what areas (i.e., personal, vocational, faith, etc.) do you have recurring fears that arent grounded in sound evidence? b. Whom do you continue to resent periodically or constantly, and how does your resentment manifest itself? How does it feel? c. What self-defeating behaviors do you continue to engage in even though its not in your best interest to continue (e.g., overeating, using drugs or alcohol, entering destructive relationships, gambling, compulsive talking, procrastination, etc.)? d. Give examples of decisions you have made or things you have done that were crazy that is, things you did even though you knew the consequences could be harmful to you (personal/sexual, financial, relational, emotional, etc.). e. Give examples of not getting help when you needed it (e.g., medical/dental care or help with compulsive1.

addictive problems, control-Sin-relationship problems, etc.). 3. When you see that your self-defeating behavior is insane and you believe that a Higher Power (God) can restore you to sanity, it is helpful to write it out. My statement might be, I can see that my self-defeating behavior and my refusal to get help to change what I am doing is a form of insanity, and I believe that God can restore me to sanity. Write your statement in your own words. 4. You have now taken Step Two.
* Taken (stolen!) mostly from Keith Millers awesome book, A Hunger For Healing.

What might God do to you? (Or what natural consequences might God allow to happen if you give up control?) 4. What kind of boundaries did your parents help you develop (none, damaged, walls, or intact)? Describe the way you experience boundaries or lack of boundaries in your relationships. 5. Can you believe that God can help you develop healthy boundaries if you turn your life and your will over to Him? 6. Can you see how turning your life and your will over to God could help you say no to people and circumstances that are not good for you? God as I Understand Him Can you think of areas in which you do not trust God (e.g., finances, family members, intimate needs)? List them. 2. Can you see the roots of any of these areas of fear and lack of trust in your childhood relationship with parents? Describe these beginnings if possible. 3. Have you used God as a servant to do things you ask for and been disappointed when He hasnt done them? Give some examples if possible.
1.

Taking Step Three Worksheet*

Step Three: We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. A Look at Your Own Background Can you remember being given the following kinds of messages? Take care of yourself. Dont bother other people with your problems. Dont give up. If so, describe the way you remember getting those do it by yourself messages. What were the circumstances? 2. What do you feel when you consider really putting your life and your will, your whole future, in Gods hands? (Describe your feelings about doing this.) 3. What are the specific fears that come to mind when you consider taking Step Three? What might happen to you?
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Making the Decision If you have already made a commitment of your life to God, are you ready now to put your life and your will in His hands to do the changing youll need to do to defeat the compulsive and painful results of the Sin-disease in your life? 2. If you are ready to make this decision write out a commitment prayer, letting God know that you want to turn your life over to Him in this way.
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* Taken (stolen!) mostly from Keith Millers awesome book, A Hunger For Healing.