MARCH 11TH, 2019

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him

come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of

living water.’”

John 7:37-38

NOTHING TO PROVEWhy we can stop trying so hard

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SESSION 3 NOTES: NO LONGER AFRAID, ASHAMED AND EMPTY

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We began this journey clear that there is an enemy trying to take us out. But we end in a different place. We don’t end focused on an enemy or even focused on ourselves. We end focused on our God.

Who He is FREES us; who He is FLOWS in and through us and changes everything.

I’m convinced that we could be a generation who lives by faith, full of it, overwhelmed with God and focused on Him rather than our sufficiency and trying to prove ourselves in this short breath of a life.

We have a mission and a glorious God who is wholly available to us. As we step into His streams of abundance, we live in freedom and peace. No more bondage. No more striving. No more pretend-ing.

Everything we crave flows into us from our Creator God who adores us. We walk forward with bold, audacious belief in what He declares about Himself and about us:

I AM WHO I AM.

I am the beginning and the end.I am the first, and I am the last.I am light; in Me there is no darkness at all.My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand forth together.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

My Spirit is with you. I will not leave you. I will equip you for every good work I’ve planned.

I did not give you a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self control.

I will build My church through you, and the gates of hell will not overcome it.

I will comfort you while you wait.I will remind you that this is all real.I am on My way.My steadfast love endures forever and ever.In just a little while...I am coming, and I will take you to the place I am.

You will inherit the earth. You will be with Me. I will wipe every tear from your eyes and death will be no more. Behold I am making all things new. My kingdom is coming. My will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven.

OUR GODadapted from Jennie Allen’s book “Nothing to Prove”

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There is so much I have taught you, so much I have shown you, but I want to make plain the most urgent thing. I want you to understand what it means to do this life without Me here beside you. Trust Me, it is better if I go away. I will send a Helper who will fill you, equip you, remind you , stick with you. This relationship with Me is just beginning. Let Me tell you how to enjoy it as your lives unfold. Because here, in this world you will have trouble. But take heart;I have overcome the world.

Do you remember when we walked through the vineyards together? We saw the vinedresser prun-ing back the branches. That is how the Father tends to you, cuting you back. It is painful and may seem unjust at times, but He only cuts back the branches that He loves. Do not fear pain; receive it and watch as it causes much more fruit to be born through you.

Do not strive to produce fruit. It is impossible. I am the Vine and the Source; you are simply the branches, attached to Me, I will flood you with nourishment, with life, with peace and joy, and your little branch lives will bear an abundance of fruit. This is how it works.

If we don’t stay connected, you will wither up. You will feel empty and thirsty and overwhelmed with this life and your sin, and you certainly can’t help anyone else. But if you remain in Me and near Me, I will not only give you water and life; I will build healthy life-giving fruit through you. The overflowing wine, the spring of water welling up, the miraculous bread for the hungry, the healing and rest you long for, the power and hope over death-----all of this will pour into you and through you to a starv-ing, thirsty world.

But never forget where all of this and more is found. Remember, it is only in Me, with Me, because of Me that you have life to enjoy and give away.

“Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you’ll remain intimately at home in my love.”

- Jesus

AN OPEN LOVE LETTER FROM JESUS

adapted from Jennie Allen’s book “Nothing to Prove”

Record your thoughts to Jesus after reading this letter from Him:

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Read Romans 8:31-39.In regards to confessing our own sin, Jennie says, “We are afraid of being caught. But because of Jesus, being caught is one of the greatest gifts He gives us. It is the moment we start to get free. It is the moment we can finally receive grace.”

Jennie goes on to say, “It is our human nature to pull back our dirty foot. If the goal of our lives is in-timacy with Jesus, then the pathway to that intimacy is bringing Him the things we most want to hide from Him.”

What sin are you afraid to bring to Jesus? ____________________________________________________

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Are there patterns in your life that are keeping you from confessing your sin? ____________________

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Read Hebrews 4:11-16.What feelings does this passage bring up in you? _____________________________________________

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Does anything come to your mind that you need to confess before the Lord? ____________________

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As a reminder, it’s not enough to just confess your sin... sometimes it’s easy to name it and share it and hear others say “me too”, but much much harder to repent of it. Jennie says, “Authenticity with-out repentance is narcissism. Confession is only the first step. Grieving and leaving our sin is the next step.”

1. What are some things you can put in place to confess and repent of sin in your life? __________

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2. Do you have trusted friends that you can confide in that will spur you on and hold you account-able once you’ve confessed your sin? If not, can you begin to build that into your friendships by asking people to hold you accountable?

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3. Do you leave quiet space in your days to spend before the Lord for reflection, confession and repentance?

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DIGGING DEEPER THIS MONTH

adapted from Jennie Allen’s book “Nothing to Prove”

PURITAN PRAYER OF CONFESSION FROM “VALLEY OF VISION”

Lord Jesus,give me a deeper repentance, a horror of sin, a dread of its approach.Help me chastely to flee it and jealously to resolve that my heart shall be thine alone.Give me a deeper trust, that I may lose myself to find myself in thee, the ground of my rest, the spring of my being.Give me a deeper knowledge of thyself as Saviour, Master, Lord and King.Give me deeper power in private prayer, more sweetness in thy Word, more steadfast grip on its truth.Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action, and let me not seek moral virtue apart from thee.Amen

Write out your own prayer of confession and repentance:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

LET THE PROMISES BELOW WASH OVER YOU AS YOU RECEIVE HIS FORGIVENESS:

“I wash your pride that thinks that I need you.I wash your doubt that you think I can’t handle.I wash your fear that stops you.I wash your shame that makes you hideI wash your independence that makes you think you don’t need Me.I wash your performance that you think you must produceI wash your betrayal that haunts you.I wash your pride that thinks you are above needing forgiveness.I wash your striving for your own nameI wash your love for your own honor.I wash your mistakes that you cannot name.I wash your anger that sneaks out sometimesI wash your feet and set them on a single path.”

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DIVING IN THIS MONTHADAPTED FROM JENNIE ALLEN’S BIBLE STUDY “PROVEN”

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“We are forgiven and set free so that we can worship and enjoy our God forever. This is what we are designed to do. We place expectations on ourselves of what we could, would and should do for God if we really had our act together. But OUR expectations are not necessari-ly HIS. Jesus lived with ONE mission: to do the will of His Father. He called us to do the same. It begins with LOVING GOD, then LOVING OTHERS.”

What are the expectations that you place on yourself about what you could, would or should be doing?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

LOVING GOD“Too often we bow to the pressure of needing to show God’s love before we have even experienced it. We move out into work before the relationship. We start with “doing” for Him instead of starting with “being” with Him.”

If you could lay down some of those expectations that you put on yourself and simply LOVE GOD first, would you walk a little freer and a little lighter?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How could your life be different if your focus was first on belonging to God, being with God, and loving God? (Hint: go back to pages 2-3 and let those words sink in to your heart)_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you find yourself placing more importance on doing things for God instead of simply being with God? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

WHAT IS OUR PURPOSE, OUR CALLING, OUR MISSION ON THIS

EARTH?Taken from Jennie Allen’s “Proven” Bible Study

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LOVING OTHERSWe are a generation of women that desire to be brave.May our bravery lead us to sacrificial obedience.May heaven become more real than Earth.May we see God, really see Him. And then care more about what He thinks than any other person on Earth.May we go to war against bondage that has controlled us and kept us from living the lives that we were meant to live.May we crave freedom for God’s people.May the state of our hearts become more concerning to us than our reputations.May our generation live knowing God is real.May the religious come back to Jesus.May the faithless find Him safe to consider.May we see that heaven is coming and that we have a mission.I want to see in my lifetime a generation of un-numb, un-stuck, focused missionaries, em-powered by the Spirit building the kingdom of God together.

What needs do you see around you?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What nudge do you feel from God concerning those needs?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is keeping you from responding?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Make it your goal to love and know Jesus as much as humanly possible and ministry WILL happen.”

- Jennie Allen

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TELL YOURSELF:What God would say to you about His love and forgivenessWhat you hope forWhat you are leaving behindWhat has changed in you through being a part of Ladies’ Night OutWhere you hope to be in one yearWhat your first step of obedience will be

Finish the letter by writing Psalm 23 in your own words as a personal note from God to you.

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WRITE A LETTER TO YOURSELF

When life gets busy and we start to lose focus, we need an anchor to return to when every-thing feels out of control. Spend some time crafting a personal mission statement for your-self to serve as a reminder, a compass and a kick in the pants when you need it.

Jennie says, her mission statement is “Be Free and Set Others Free.”

Your statement should be based on your passions and what you hope people say about you when you are gone. Look over Jesus’ prayer in John 17 and consider what God has called you to and what He has already done in your life.

Here are some things to consider:

• Pray and consider scripture. You want your statement to reflect God’s heart and pur-pose.

• Consider your own gifts and passions• Think about your legacy. How do you want people to remember you?• Reflect on what God has already done in you and through you.• Seek the counsel and observations of trusted family and friends.

My Personal Mission Statement is:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

WRITE YOUR PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT

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