Nov 12th Shame Shifting Comparison trap. Clare Thompson. Comparison and competition seem fundamental to the way we human beings live in society. The Bible knows all about these things. In family life in the Old Testament comparison and rivalry are vividly expressed. In the New testament it doesn’t seem far from the lives even of those closes to Jesus, the disciples. Even at the end of John’s gospel Peter seems to be comparing himself to John or ‘the beloved disciple, ‘what about him’? The problem with comparison is that it can make us feel diminished by the comparison, and bring us into shame. God has a different plan for us than this. Download discussion notes.
Nov 19th 2017. Shame shifting: Food & Sex, Dave Mitchell. Intended for pleasure? That is the title of a Christian book about sex. Food and Sex are intended for and vital for the continuation of life. They also give pleasure, and in our affluent western culture food and sex have been intensively marketed as pleasures we all deserve; ‘naughty but nice’. In reality, food and sex create crisis points in our culture with problems ranging from obesity to anorexia. The sexual abuse of women and children, and the revelations of politicians and celebrities as sexual predators are every day news. Genesis 3:6-13. 1 Corinthians 6:12-20.
Nov 26th 2017. Shame Shifting. Family & Inclusion, Hannah Mitchell. Dysfunctional family can be the source of profound shame and pain. The problem with dysfunctional family is that it can seed problems for the next generation. The book of Genesis unflinchingly describes four generations of pain and problems from Abraham through to the life of Joseph. These stories are warnings of what can go wrong in family, but also speak of the redemptive power of God to heal broken family relationships. Download Discussion notes Genesis 16, Genesis 45.
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