Hey ladies! Well, here we are. The final stretch. This is our last full week! Next week we will wrap up the last chapter and do a little sharing with each other on what we’ve learned through the study, how God blessed us maybe through something someone else shared with the group, or things He showed us during our study or quiet times. Don’t give up now! If you’ve gotten behind, that’s ok. Jump in to this last chapter with us and finish strong – you can always go back to the previous chapters when you have more time.
Discussion Questions:
1. Discuss your biggest giant that keeps your eyes off God. Is this giant a recent distraction, or is it a giant that keeps returning?
2. Do you agree with the statement “Giants require confrontation”? How have you confronted your giants lately?
3. How does knowing that the enemy could be the driving force behind your giant change your perspective on it?
4. How has your giant drawn attention away from God?
5. What part of the David and Goliath story hit home with you this week?
6. Which of the bulleted items on page 93 is the hardest for you to remember and why?
7. Which giant do you struggle with the most: loss, doubt, failure, disappointment, or time?
8. Discuss these verses: John 15:4-5 and Isaiah 40:31. How do these verses both challenge and encourage you?
9. What would your life look like without God? How can you trust Him more fully this week?
Homework this week: Read Chapter 7 and be ready to share what God’s taught you through these last two months. Let’s make it a praise fest for Him!!
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1. Discuss your biggest giant that keeps your eyes off God. Is this giant a recent distraction, or is it a giant that keeps returning? I am not sure there is one giant that has kept my eyes off of God. It is just staying focused and a lifestyle change that has to come from since accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. There has always been a God but I guess he just wasn’t at the center of my world so to speak. I had a praying father and mother that I know always believed that I would get to this point in my life and they never gave up their hope of me being able to make him the focus of my life. I am just glad that I was able to do it before they went home to be with him.
2. Do you agree with the statement “Giants require confrontation”? How have you confronted your giants lately? Yes I totally agree that you have to confront your giants, if not it will only get worse. Yes there was a giant that just reared its ugly head last week. I do not really feel comfortable talking about it yet. But it has been confronted and with God’s help everything will work out the way that it is supposed to.
3. How does knowing that the enemy could be the driving force behind your giant change your perspective on it? I have this saying that I always repeat to myself, “the devil is always busy”. To me this is such a true statement. We have to beware that there is always something lurking out there, to try to destroy what God has going.
4. How has your giant drawn attention away from God? The actually giant that I am dealing with now, has not drawn my attention away from God; it has only strengthen my relationship with him. I know that as long as I seek guidance from him all will be well.
5. What part of the David and Goliath story hit home with you this week? The faith that David had in his God….so amazing!! God will never fail us! Surely there will be things that we don’t understand, the reasons for the questions of why God. But we have to have faith and believe.
6. Which of the bulleted items on page 93 is the hardest for you to remember and why? We’ve already overcome giants with God’s help. This one seems to be the one that I have a hard time remembering. In the world today we seem to focus on the here and now and not always look back at where we have come or even what we have become from years past. If we just took the time to sit down and look back we would be able to see just how wonderful or God truly is.
7. Which giant do you struggle with the most: loss, doubt, failure, disappointment, or time? Up until last week I think my biggest struggle was with loss. This week I see things so much more clearly. My pastor in church yesterday talked on facing our giants. (WOW back to back good studies this week for sure) He said that sometimes God puts us through trials to mold our character and make us into what he wants us to be. If we could only get past the trial and see that this is so true. There is a reason and we just have to have the faith to watch it through and see what God has to offer us at the end of each trial that we must go through.
8. Discuss these verses: John 15:4-5 and Isaiah 40:31. How do these verses both challenge and encourage you? Both verses are wonderful in themselves. But each gives us hope and encouragement to know that we are not alone and as long as we remain in him, he will be there with us every step of the way. Failure is not an option for us as long as we rely on him. The challenge is to stay focused as much as we know the right path to take (seeking God) we are after all human and that many times stands in our way. We just have to stay in the word and it will keep us going down the correct path. I know ladies some day are easier than others. I am guilty myself and then I feel that little tap on my shoulder saying…”hello” it is me, do not forget that I am your God and I love you and I know what is best for you.
9. What would your life look like without God? How can you trust Him more fully this week? The only word that I think would describe life without God is CHAOS. I have no idea how some people get through each day of the world that we live in without God there to guide them. Even with him on our side, we sometimes make bad/wrong choices. But we know we can always go to him to help us right the wrongs. As far as trusting him more this week, my thoughts for this week go back to Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God.
Cindy
It’s good to read your writings. I’m encouraged by your positive spirit and I pray that God will continue to work for you and knock your giants out for you!
Esther
Thank you for that reminder, that the enemy is always lurking out there, to destroy what God is doing. It helps to put things into perspective. And to remember that God is working His plan, and the results will be so good, thats why the enemy doesnt want it!
Deborah
I like what you said about being a Christian means making a lifestyle change. That is so true. Some people choose not to accept Christ because they want to live their way instead of His way.
Natasha
1. Discuss your biggest giant that keeps your eyes off God. Is this giant a recent distraction, or is it a giant that keeps returning?
Sadness and loneliness are the two biggest ones for me I think. They tend to show up hand in hand and they do keep coming back.
2. Do you agree with the statement “Giants require confrontation”? How have you confronted your giants lately?
Yes I do! David didn’t conquer Goliath by kicking back in his father’s house. He had to take action. Usually I take action by staying busy and getting out of the house, even if it means just walking around walmart. It’s a very emotional time right now because we have moved into a stage of deployment where communication is limited and infrequent. This has been a hard transition for me. Each day I try to find a different project. Today, for example, I got a good workout in and searched for new freezer recipes to try out on his parents (and him after he gets home).
3. How does knowing that the enemy could be the driving force behind your giant change your perspective on it?
Knowing that it’s the enemy reminds me to ask for prayer and to pray for our situation. It reminds me that the problems aren’t usually something I’m making up and therefore it isn’t something to just forget about but to really face and deal with.
4. How has your giant drawn attention away from God?
It’s hard not to shrivel up under the stress of battle. It’s tempting to allow depression to become an “out”.
5. What part of the David and Goliath story hit home with you this week?
David’s armor was not what he could do for himself. He recognized that human provisions for safety were not enough. He wore the armor that God gave him to wear- faith, trust and submission to God. God gave David everything he needed. All God asked was that David make himself available for obedient service.
6. Which of the bulleted items on page 93 is the hardest for you to remember and why?
That we’ve already overcome the giants through God. The battle is very intense and it seems like if it were already finished, it wouldn’t be so hard. I think a good way to put it is that although we have to battle, the outcome is guaranteed.
7. Which giant do you struggle with the most: loss, doubt, failure, disappointment, or time?
Loss.
8. Discuss these verses: John 15:4-5 and Isaiah 40:31. How do these verses both challenge and encourage you?
They challenge me in that they remind me I am not “an army of one” and I am certainly not the captain! They encourage me in that as I learn to respect and seek God’s leadership and strength, I will become strong and I will fulfill His role for me in this deployment.
9. What would your life look like without God? How can you trust Him more fully this week?
I believe “hopeless” would be a good description. God is the only hope I have for my husband’s return, for continued income to pay bills (pay freeze, anyone?), the health of a baby I cannot yet see or hold, etc. As yet, I’m not sure what all this week holds so it is hard to say “I will do this and this to trust God more”. But if I notice a glaring example later on I can always come share that next week!
Esther
So glad to hear someone else goes to Wal-Mart just to walk around in order to get out of the house!!
Krystal
I do that too!
Deborah
1. Discuss your biggest giant that keeps your eyes off God. Is this giant a recent distraction, or is it a giant that keeps returning?
My husband getting hurt while he is away or losing his life. This is a returning giant.
2. Do you agree with the statement “Giants require confrontation”? How have you confronted your giants lately?
ABSOLUTELY!! I do confront my giants head on but still struggle at times.
3. How does knowing that the enemy could be the driving force behind your giant change your perspective on it?
That I can overcome my giant with God’s help!
4. How has your giant drawn attention away from God?
Completely losing focus on God.
5. What part of the David and Goliath story hit home with you this week?
David stood up to the Giant and faced him head on with God’s help and conquered him.
6. Which of the bulleted items on page 93 is the hardest for you to remember and why?
We’ve already overcome giants with God’s help.
7. Which giant do you struggle with the most: loss, doubt, failure, disappointment, or time?
loss and time
8. Discuss these verses: John 15:4-5 and Isaiah 40:31. How do these verses both challenge and encourage you?
When we become weak the Lord gives us strength to make through another day!
9. What would your life look like without God? How can you trust Him more fully this week?
My life would be very grim without God and I wouldn’t be able to face everyday challenges without him. To put total trust in him to take care of every situation and all my burdens. He only wants what is best for us!
Melissa
1. Discuss your biggest giant that keeps your eyes off God. Is this giant a recent distraction, or is it a giant that keeps returning?
I think the biggest giant that keeps my eyes off God is the Giant of Stuff. This stays in my face constantly and makes me get my priorities mixed up. I then lose sight of God. The Stuff is a mix of things: rest, reading books, blogging, playing on the iPad, work, or sports. All of these things can quickly take control and I find myself so busy (mostly playing catch up) that My relationship with God is not a priority.
2. Do you agree with the statement “Giants require confrontation”? How have you confronted your giants lately?
Yes. Yes. Yes. Just last night, I confronted the Giants of Worry and Guilt I prayed and prayed about it.
3. How does knowing that the enemy could be the driving force behind your giant change your perspective on it?
It is a reminder that Satan knows my weaknesses. But it is also a reminder that “the battle is the Lord’s,” and through Him, I can overcome whatever I am facing.
4. How has your giant drawn attention away from God?
Sometimes it just overwhelms me and it is all I think about, almost “forgetting” that God is there with me.
5. What part of the David and Goliath story hit home with you this week?
I think what got me the most was that although David expressed his faith in God, Saul just kept on with the “human stuff.” It was like, “oh, God is on your side? Great. But take this armor too.” Saul was making David’s God too small. I think we are all guilty of that at times.
6. Which of the bulleted items on page 93 is the hardest for you to remember and why?
We’ve already overcome giants with God’s help.
I think maybe I get so wrapped up in the giant that when it is conquered I may not give God the credit. When that happens it is so easy to forget what He has done for me. If I give Him thanks, then I can remember what he’s done for me the next time I am confronted by a giant.
7. Which giant do you struggle with the most: loss, doubt, failure, disappointment, or time?
Ummm, all of them! I think really though I struggle with doubt. I want to be successful I whatever I am doing, but sometimes I wondering what I’m thinking/doing and convince myself that I don’t have what it takes or that those who say they care rally don’t.
8. Discuss these verses: John 15:4-5 and Isaiah 40:31. How do these verses both challenge and encourage you?
I think all to often we are quick to rely on our own strength or even that of others (our support system). Either way, we don’t get what we really need. We won’t until we hand over all of our burdens to the Lord (really and truly laying them at the foot odd the cross). When we do this, God gives us unimaginable strength, wisdom, peace, and rest. These verses encourage me to seek Him immediately because he promises to provide.
9. What would your life look like without God? How can you trust Him more fully this week?
Without God….oh my gosh, my life would be a mess! I am holding back laughter right now. I know people who solely depend on the advice of others. They never seek God’s will. If I did that…Ha! I will put my trust, my faith, my hope in Him.
Natasha
Hi! I know what you mean about having so much stuff to do. Just don’t let the enemy trick you into feeling guilty about not spending time with God. The last thing God wants is for us to push away even more because we feel we’ve already blew it. Do you memorize scripture? Even if you’re on the go, and busy all the time, you can write scripture down on notecards and bring them with you.
Kelly
Hey, Kelly! Thanks for the encouragement. I post cards around the house with scripture and have prayers posted…even in the car.
Natasha
1. My biggest giant right now is the giant of disappointment. Not only this fear of being disappointed by others, but also being disappointed in myself and the fear that I will disappoint others. I have a lot of fears about the amount of communication that my husband will have on this deployment because his mission is very different from the past years and with the war winding down, this like internet and phones are going to be hard to come by.
2. I do believe we need to confront our giants. I try my very best to give myself realistic goals that I can meet on a daily basis to prevent being disappointed in myself. As for the fear of communication with my husband, I am preparing myself for worst case scenario knowing that even if I cannot talk to my husband I can talk to God and my husband can talk to God and we can feel close knowing that the same God watches over each of us no matter how far apart.
3. I don’t want the enemy to win. By living in fear of disappointment I become very negative and it pushes me away from God.
5. David knew what he needed to do and he knew that his own abilities would fail him, but trusted that God would provide all he needed.
6. “We have already overcome giants with God’s help.” Sometimes I forget how strong I really am.
7. disappointment
8.Isaiah 40:31 challenges me to really look at each day anew and rely on God to renew my strength each and every day.
9. Without God I would probably be a puddle on the floor. I am sure I would have given up a long time ago.
Johanna
A wonderful thing about God is that there is never anything more or less we can do to make Him love us more. That’s His grace for us. We feel the need to be better, spend more time with him, be a better wife, and then we’ll be right with God. But praise God that that’s not how He sees us! He loves you no matter how much you feel you have disappointed yourself or anyone. I pray you have peace and comfort in knowing those truths about God.
Kelly
Thanks for pointing out that the same God who is looking over us is looking over our hubbies. What a comfort!
Katie D.
2. Fear can creep up in many different forms, and right now it is bugs. I don’t have a crazy fear of bugs, but I definitely do not like them. My baby has tried to eat a few bugs that he caught crawling across the floor, and every day I have to kill several bugs. It drives me insane and makes me want to scream. I am staying at my family’s house right now, so it makes me want to go back home. I have to confront this silly ordeal, or else I will go crazy.
3. It is so important to realize that most everything is a spiritual battle. My Grandma asked me if I have really prayed about my fear of bugs and dealt with it yet in my life. I haven’t. The enemy loves to use the little, seemingly insignificant things to try to make us stumble. I also have to choose to be thankful for all circumstances, and in this case I am so very thankful that I even have a decent house to live in.
Kelly
I am scared of bugs too. I make my husband kill them because I just can’t get anywhere near them. But when he’s not there…oh dear. One story I hope can encourage you… I was home by myself and this scary red wasp thing started flying around my head while I was making dinner, and I couldn’t run away because then dinner would burn. I was close to panicking so I prayed and asked God to help me. Immediately the bug flew into the bathroom and I trapped it in there until my husband came home. It is so comforting to know that God is with us and is ready to fight our battles for us…even if the battle is against a bug.
Katie D.
1. Discuss your biggest giant that keeps your eyes off God. Is this giant a recent distraction, or is it a giant that keeps returning? Definitely the giant of loss. This has been something I have struggled with ever since my husband joined the army. I can give it up to God over and over but it keeps coming back. I am so terrified that something will happen to him, that we will be hurt or killed or will come back traumatized by what he has seen.
2. Do you agree with the statement “Giants require confrontation”? How have you confronted your giants lately? Giants definitely need confrontation. When I try to hide from my giants and pretend they do not exist my fears just continue to build up until I cannot take it anymore and break down. I never try to confront giants without God at my side. I confront my giants by talking to God about them, pouring out my heart and determining that my God is bigger than anything out there. I should fear nothing but Him.
3. How does knowing that the enemy could be the driving force behind your giant change your perspective on it? It makes me want to fight! I do not want him to have any hold on my life.
4. How has your giant drawn attention away from God? It causes me to fear and forget that God is with me and with my husband and that He loves us more than we could ever imagine.
5. What part of the David and Goliath story hit home with you this week? The reason David wanted to fight Goliath was because Goliath was dishonoring the name of God. The giants in my life also dishonor the name of God by causing me to doubt and take my eyes off of Him. Like David, I should fight my giants because I want to honor and bring glory to my Lord.
6. Which of the bulleted items on page 93 is the hardest for you to remember and why? “Our age and experience don’t matter when God is our strength.” It is so easy for me to feel inadequate and unprepared. I have no idea what I’m doing. I feel like I don’t even know how to be a wife in general, let alone a military wife. It is wonderful to know that I do not have to rely on my own strength and experience. God will lead me and carry me through whatever comes.
7. Which giant do you struggle with the most: loss, doubt, failure, disappointment, or time? I struggle with all of them, but loss is the one that tends to paralyze me with fear the most.
8. Discuss these verses: John 15:4-5 and Isaiah 40:31. How do these verses both challenge and encourage you? Only through God am I able to accomplish anything. I will fail if I try to do it on my own (definitely know this from experience). But with God carrying me and strengthening me I can accomplish whatever He calls me to do.
9. What would your life look like without God? How can you trust Him more fully this week? My life would be a mess without God. I can’t even imagine how emotionally unstable I would be if I didn’t know that God is in control. This week I am going to trust that the Lord is with my husband, protecting him and guiding him and loving him way more than I ever could.
Katie D.
Thinking of what you’ve said about loss…..the other day I was going through some papers and came across my husbands will. I knew he had it made up with the JAG officer at his unit, and I knew what was basically in it. However, I had never held it and read it until that moment. I was sick to my stomach. I did not even want to imagine having to use it. I could tell the enemy was trying to get to me, so I had to pray about it.
Natasha
1. Discuss your biggest giant that keeps your eyes off God. Is this giant a recent distraction, or is it a giant that keeps returning? I think my biggest giant is stress. i get so consumed by work and worrying about Ben, that I let stress overtake me somedays. There are days that I literally feel sick from stressing over things so much, and often times they are the very things I can’t control. also Time…how slow it seems to go despite how busy I am. It’s like the calendar is now mocking me each day! ha
2. Do you agree with the statement “Giants require confrontation”? How have you confronted your giants lately? Yes, if we don’t confront them they only get larger and have more of a grip on us. Here lately I’ve tried to confront giants by taking more time for myself. Intentionally making myself take time to just relax and focus on something that doesn’t induce stress…a good book, a mindless TV Show, etc.
3. How does knowing that the enemy could be the driving force behind your giant change your perspective on it? I fully believe that satan is behind most of my stress, and when I remember to look at it that way, I am more in mind to put things into perspective and stop and think, “Is it really THAT bad??”
4. How has your giant drawn attention away from God? I often get so stressed out that I in turn get in a bad mood. I shut down with family, friends and God. I tend to just want to get away from it all, and unfortunately in those moments, I’m not turning to God.
5. What part of the David and Goliath story hit home with you this week? For me, it is David’s faith in his own success. He KNEW he could do it and having that faith in yourself helps you to overcome the daily battles. Yes work might be very stressful, but if I KNOW it will not consume me and I KNOW that I can’t fight that stress, then half the battle is already won.
7. Which giant do you struggle with the most: loss, doubt, failure, disappointment, or time? TIME is what I’m struggling with the most. THough I try to stay busy, and work keeps me very busy, the days on the calendar still seem to be DRAGGING by. I hear others talk about how quickly their summer is passing, and they want it to slow down and all I want to do is speed it up!!! I get jealous that time is going by so quickly for them, while I’m stuck staring a calendar each day trying to figure out how it is ONLY mid-July, and how will i ever get through the coming months.
Michelle
1. Discuss your biggest giant that keeps your eyes off God. Is this giant a recent distraction, or is it a giant that keeps returning? My biggest giant is exhaustion. My youngest has sleep issues and with all of the stress over the years I am just compacted with exhaustion. I have asked the Dr’s and don’t have an answer for it.
2. Do you agree with the statement “Giants require confrontation”? How have you confronted your giants lately? Yes, I do agree with this statement. I try to confront them, but get easily overwhelmed.
3. How does knowing that the enemy could be the driving force behind your giant change your perspective on it? I know the enemy is behind my exhaustion, but I don’t know how to overcome the exhaustion.
4. How has your giant drawn attention away from God? Everyday, I get tired quickly and give into the exhaustion. I barely have the energy to get done what I need to do. As soon as I start reading or sit still I instantly start loosing the battle.
5. What part of the David and Goliath story hit home with you this week? The faith that David had was amazing. It was simple faith, he knew no different.
6. Which of the bulleted items on page 93 is the hardest for you to remember and why? That who and what we are does not matter when it comes to God. Keeping God’s plan in front of us is difficult with today’s stresses.
7. Which giant do you struggle with the most: loss, doubt, failure, disappointment, or time? At first I would have said doubt, failure, and disappointment, but after thinking about it- time is what I struggle with the most. I have too many commitments and not enough times to fulfill them.
8. Discuss these verses: John 15:4-5 and Isaiah 40:31. How do these verses both challenge and encourage you? These verses remind me that God is my strenghth and nothing else. With him I can do anything. I just have to have faith!
9. What would your life look like without God? How can you trust Him more fully this week?
My life with be nothing without God. I have always felt His pressence even when I didn’t understand. I am just learning about my God and what he can do in my life and what my purpose is. I need to always remember Him, always.
Jamie