Thursday, July 30, 2020

Introducing Wholeness



An explanation of what it means to be whole and the path to achieving wholeness.




Introducing Wholeness

Scriptures:

  • 2 Corinthians 5:17
  • Romans 12:3-5
  • Romans 14:17
  • Galatians 5: 22 - 26
  • Galatians 5:18
  • Romans 12:2

Outline:

  • Introduction
  • Defining Wholeness
  • My Wholeness Journey
  • The Process
  • Fruits of Wholeness
  • Biblical Wholeness
  • God is Renewing You (Devotional)

Introduction

2 Corinthians 5:17

17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

What does wholeness mean to you?



We live in a broken world and every day we deal with broken people.  Many of us were raised by dysfunctional families.  From childhood we have encountered painful experiences, failed relationships, and broken promises.  We’ve been lied to and lied on, been betrayed by people we trusted, seen loved ones pass away, and live with the regret of things we’ve done or said.

With every hurtful experience we can become a little bit more wounded.

We’ve wrestled with the thought ... Why

The goal of this series is to let God heal the wounds that we’ve received from all of these experiences.  Some may say that they’re already whole.   The goal of this series is that you will become the highest and healthiest version of you possible.  The version of you that you’ve always wished you could be.   To be whole is to be the person that God envisioned you to be before the earth was created.  

Wholeness also means that you accept yourself as you are.   There are no parts of your present or past life that you are ashamed of.

Defining Wholeness

Wholeness is when your life today lines  up with what heaven and God foreknew for you in such a way that he can do in your life everything that has been waiting on you to get into alignment.  God's promises were made to the whole version of you.

God doesn’t just want you to get to heaven he wants you to have wholeness here on earth.

Results of Wholeness

  • Good relationships (male and female)
  • Be who God wanted us to be
  • Ability to give and receive real love
  • Fully accept and receive the love of God

Three things happen when wholeness enters our life

  • You get a new lease on life
  • Breaks generational curses and release generational blessings
  • Brings restoration

Wholeness brings restoration and acceleration. That is not just giving you back things you knew were lost. Some of the things you get will be things that you didn't even know were lost.

--Toure Roberts

My Wholeness Journey

Was teaching at UBF

  • Relationships
  • Song of Solomon

In parallel, I was on a path of self development

Studied

  • Relationships
  • Attraction and dating
  • Broken people teaching how to attract broken people
  • Become whole and you will attract whole people
  • Psychology
  • Psychotherapy
  • Existentialism
  • We’re aware of our mortality
  • We’re prone to illness and aging
  • We can be damaged by lies, betrayal
  • Inner Healing / sozo
  • Charismatic Christians
  • Demonology
  • 12 Step program

Self Evaluation

Attracted to the wrong people

  • Attracting the wrong people

Relationship cycle

  • Dating women who were hard to please
  • Emotionally unstable women
  • Walk on eggshells
  • Narcissists
  • Controlling
  • Create drama for attention
  • Victims

All women are …

...but I’m normal

100% of time there are 2 broken people

If you are broken you are going to be drawn to another broken person...codependency.  Codependency is meeting each other’s mutual neediness.

Started to Heal

Began my journey to wholeness

Discovered issues

  • Overly concerned about the opinions of others
  • Avoid conflict
  • Fixer
  • Took responsibility for their emotions

Christian Parallels

At the same time I saw how what I was learning parallel with some of the biblical principals I was teaching.

  • Removing the cares of the world
  • Renewing your mind

The Process

Romans 12:3-5

3

  • Have a sober clear view of yourself
  • We are in this together

Steps

  • Self awareness
  • Self acceptance
  • Healing

Self Awareness

The first step is realizing all of the characteristics of yourself

  • Beliefs
  • Defense mechanisms
  • Coping strategies
  • Triggers

What do you believe?

  • Why?

What makes you angry?

  • Why?

What makes you sin?

  • Why?

As we discuss the topic of Wholeness, you will see things that some things resonate with your life.

  • You will identify with issues that you knew you had
  • You will identify with issues that you didn’t know were issues

As you hear others speak you will realize that we all have similar issues

Not Judging

This phase is not to judge yourself, but instead just to understand yourself fully.

Authenticity

Authentic / transparent

Only talk about what you’re comfortable talking about

God Will Help

God will begin to bring things to your mind

  • Maybe things that you forgot about
  • Things that hurt you in the past
  • Things that changed the way you view the world

Exercises

Things to do and think about between classes

Book

Wholeness - Toure Roberts

Self Acceptance

The second goal is to accept yourself as you are

There may be some aspects of your past that you are ashamed of.

The goal is that we will be comfortable with ourselves and no longer have anything to hide.

You own up to your faults and weaknesses and make peace with them.

  • Or begin the work to change

Example: 

  • This is a coping mechanism to make yourself feel better because you are often sad.
  • It is good to have a coping mechanism and try to make yourself feel good but the path you have chosen is harmful for your body.

Realize that God loves you just as you are

Healing

Talking about it is healing

We will go into multiple practical methods of healing

The ultimate goal is that we will fully accept and experience the love of God

Fruits of Wholeness

Wholeness means to be unbroken… To be complete, to be not lacking anything, to be the healthiest version of yourself.  

Fruits of Wholeness

Why do you think people lack these traits?

  • Self aware
  • Confidence
  • Honest
  • Doesn’t use white lies to avoid reactions
  • “Yes I’ll be at your birthday party”
  • Not hiding the truth
  • Don’t use language to get what you want (manipulate)
  • Live by Values and principles (moral and emotional)
  • Not hypocritical
  • Not chameleons
  • Values not defined by others
  • Express your feelings clearly and directly
  • Set healthy Boundaries
  • Knows how to say no
  • Live with Purpose and Passion
  • High Self-esteem
  • Knowing that you are a child of God
  • Not seeking approval from others
  • Optimistic
  • Not worried or anxious
  • You have supernatural peace regardless of your circumstances
  • Authentic
  • Morally consistent
  • Would not be ashamed if your conversation became public
  • Vulnerable
  • Accept That God loves you as You are
  • Have healthy relationships with both genders
  • Don’t have addictions
  • Don’t lose control
  • Anger
  • Not afraid of conflict

Biblical Wholeness

We want to go beyond clinical wholeness to reaching biblical wholeness

It’s hard to maintain biblical wholeness without clinical wholeness

  • If God cures your alcoholism but not your depression and feeling worthlessness then you may relapse

Surrender is the fastest path to biblical wholeness

Biblical wholeness involves

  • Entering into the Kingdom of God
  • Being Led by the Spirit
  • Renewing Your Mind

Entering the Kingdom of God

  • It’s something we experience here
  • “The Kingdom of God is upon us”

It’s only attainable once we have the Holy Spirit

Romans 14:17

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Fruits

  • Righteousness
  • Peace
  • Joy

Fruits of the Spirit

Galatians 5: 22 - 26

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

  • Love
  • Joy
  • Peace
  • Patience
  • Kindness
  • Goodness
  • Faithfulness
  • Gentleness
  • Self-control

Other biblical fruits of wholeness

  • Asks for forgiveness when wrong
  • Can forgive others
  • Give to others with no expectations in return
  • You don’t harbor any unforgiveness towards anyone

             

Being Led By the Spirit

Galatians 5:18

 

Being led by the Spirit is the ultimate righteousness.

Being led by the Spirit is hearing the Spirit and obeying

Renewing Your Mind

Romans 12:2

2

God said I knew you before I brought you into this world.

  • God formed us for a purpose before sending us to this world.
  • If we conform to this world then we can’t do what we were sent to do.

so that you may prove what the will of God is,

  • prove 
  • This means that you know the will of God and you approve.
  • “That’s the will of God and I like it “.

It’s not just to know the will of God. It is to know it and approve of it.

God wants our mind to be changed in such a way that we agree with Him.

  • We want what He wants
  • We agree with His commands
  • Not just blindly obeying, but of like mind

Repent

Repent means to change your mind

  • Renewed mind means your mind has completed being changed

Having a Renewed Mind means:

  • You hate sin as much as God does
  • You love people as much as God does

God is Renewing You (Devotional)

I am making you new in the attitude of your mind.   Living close to Me is all about newness and change.  I am transforming you by the entire renewal of your mind.  This is a massive undertaking; you will be under construction until the day you die.  However, unlike the inanimate materials that builders use to construct houses, you are living, breathing "material."  I have given you the amazing ability to think things out and make important choices.  I want you to use this godlike ability to cooperate with Me as I transform you.  This involves putting off your old self - your old way of thinking and doing things - and putting on the new self.

To make good, godly choices, you need to know Me as I truly am.  Search for Me in My word; ask My Spirit to illuminate it - shining His Light so that scripture comes alive to you.  The more you choose to live according to My will, the more you'll become like Me, and the more you can enjoy walking in the Light of My Presence.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will."  (Romans 12:2)

"Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your

presence, O Lord." (Psalm 89:15)

Exercise

Ask yourself two “why”s when you notice

  • Anger
  • Action
  • Belief

Instructor:  Michael Leadon


References

Wholeness

--Toure Roberts

How to Know the Will of God  

https://youtu.be/yIOgYPkNA7g

--John Piper

Extra

Spirit of the Living God (Lyrics)

Spirit of the living God

We want to know You more and more

We're hanging on every word

'Cause when You speak, and when You move

When You do what only You can do

It changes us

It changes what we see and what we seek

When You come in the room

When You do what only You can do

It changes us

It changes what we see and what we seek

You're changing everything


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