Welcome to Lesson Three!
1. Introduction
In this lesson, we’re going to talk about the four kinds of lies we all believe. Let’s kick things off with a video:
If the above video does not appear on your screen, you can watch it on YouTube here.
2. Pain lies and triggers
Let’s look a little more closely at pain lies and triggers. These topics are covered on pages 49–54 in your reading.
Take a few moments and answer “Check your understanding” questions 1–5 on page 61. As always, you can check your answers.
Answers to “Check your understanding” questions
I recommend you think through or talk through “Group discussion” questions 1, 2, and 4 on page 62. If you are studying this material with a partner or in a group, I encourage you to discuss this as a group. If you are studying this on your own, or you want to connect outside our group, then consider connecting with our private Facebook group.
Link to private Facebook group
3. Solution lies
Solution lies are the false promises of negative choices we make to medicate our pain. Porn, for example, is so powerful not mainly because of its connection with sex, but rather because of its connection to emotional pain. If you break the connection between porn and emotional pain, it becomes much easier to walk away from porn. This is covered on pages 54-56 in your reading.
Take a few moments and answer “Check your understanding” question 6 on page 61. As always, you can check your answers.
Answers to “Check your understanding” questions
I recommend you think through or talk through “Group discussion” question 3 on page 62. If you are studying this material with a partner or in a group, I encourage you to discuss this as a group. If you are studying this on your own, or you want to connect outside our group, then consider connecting with our private Facebook group.
Link to private Facebook group
4. Worldview lies
In the past, when I thought of likes, my mind went here first: worldview lies. We discuss these types of lies on pages 56–57 in your reading.
Take a few moments and answer “Check your understanding” question 7 on page 61. As always, you can check your answers.
Answers to “Check your understanding” questions
5. Avoidance lies
Avoidance lies keep us from addressing pain lies. Avoidance lies may be the single most important thing that keeps Christians from growing in their faith. Avoidance lies make us unable to get real with ourselves and with God. Transformation and growth cannot take place unless we are able to get honest about what’s really inside. The real you needs to meet the real Jesus.
Important note: Avoidance lies are leftover defense mechanisms from childhood. They were put in place as a way of helping us survive in a fallen world. They served a purpose when we were young and fragile; they protected us. Once upon a time, it might not have been safe for us to fully face our inner pain. It may have been too overwhelming. When we become adults, however, in order to recover from inner pain, we need to do the counter intuitive thing and turn and face inner pain—not all at once, but in manageable doses. Avoidance lies will tell us NOT to face our inner pain at all. But Jesus can bring truth to let us know when and how it can be safe to deal with that pain in manageable doses.
What is a manageable dose? That really is different for each person and each situation. As we will learn later in our studies, it is CRITICALLY IMPORTANT that you do NOT try to bully your way past avoidance lies. There is a proper procedure for addressing these kinds of lies, and PLEASE do NOT deviate from it.
Avoidance lies are discussed on pages 57–58 in your reading.
Take a few moments and answer “Check your understanding” question 8 on page 61. As always, you can check your answer.
Answers to “Check your understanding” questions
6. Connection between lies
These different types of lies tend to reinforce one another. This helps to explain why they can be so difficult to remove. But with God, all things are possible. The connections between lies is discussed on pages 58–59 of your reading.
I recommend you think through or talk through “Group discussion” questions 5 & 6 on page 62. If you are studying this material with a partner or in a group, I encourage you to discuss this as a group. If you are studying this on your own, or you want to connect outside our group, then consider connecting with our private Facebook group.
Link to private Facebook group
7. Relationship between lies and two belief systems
It’s very important that you understand that pain lies, solution lies, and most avoidance lies are on the gut-level belief side of the wall. Because they are, a truth experience with Jesus is needed to remove them. More in your reading on pages 59–60.
Take a few moments and answer “Check your understanding” question 9 on page 61. As always, you can check your answers.
Answers to “Check your understanding” questions
8. Yes, you can believe lies without being gullible
I was surprised to discover that I believed many lies even though I didn’t consider myself to be gullible at all. You’ll see how this is not only possible, but also very common on page 60 in your reading.
9. Mind renewal
So how are our minds renewed and freed from these lies? The most powerful way is a truth experience with Jesus. But we can’t put God in a box. Take a few minutes and process the Group discussion question 7 on page 62, and then watch this short video.
If the video doesn’t appear on your screen, you can watch it here on YouTube.
Lesson Three complete! Congratulations!
In Lesson Four, we’ll build on the foundation we’ve set up in the last three lessons, and make some important discoveries about the role of deception in our lives.
Look forward to seeing you next time!
Dwight
Reading and other links
Chapter 2
Section 2.2
Reading: Pages 49-60
Questions: Pages 61-63
Questions? Comments? Use our private Facebook group to connect…
Links to other pages in the Spiritual Self Defense textbook
Glossary & index (pages 285-289) | Answers to “Check your understanding” questions (pages 278-284) | Table of contents (pages 3-9) | About the author (page 290) | Cover page (page 1) | Copyright page (page 2) | How this book came to be (page 11) | How to get the most from this book (page 12) | Other books to explore (page 10)
Would your friends benefit from this course? Please send them here …
Next step after this course? Transformational prayer ministry training!.
