Failure Handled in the Spirit

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"Failure Handled in the Spirit" Sunday, February 26, 2012   

Failure to learn from failure is a waste of perfectly good pain. All sin is failure. Not all failure is sin. 1 John 1:8-10 gives us a very practical way to deal with failure by showing us how to deal with sin: If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10, NASB)

1. I feel/think that if I fail (again) it will make me a failure. True

False

Why did you answer the way you did?

2. What do you gain by not being open and honest with God about failure or sin? Why do you have a tendency to rationalize instead of getting honest and owning it?

3. Will you name your top failures/sins in the last twelve months? (If they could embarrass you, write them on a separate piece of paper.)

4. Ask God to teach you the lessons He has for you from at least one of these (in #3). Write the lesson down as He teaches you.

5. Memorize I John 1:8-10. How does this passage (even if you don’t memorize it) help you handle failure/sin better?