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Overcome Fear and Shame Anchor command. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and… your neighbor as yourself.’“ Mark 12:30-31 Anchor promise: “Do not worry about tomorrow; for
tomorrow will care for itself.” Anchor story. David and Goliath. 1 Samuel 17:1-52 Anchor verse: “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 Learning goals. · Tell how to encourage bruised, ashamed and timid lambs. · Receive courage from God by reading 1 Samuel 17. Growth goals. · Ask the Good Shepherd to give to you compassion for his lost and hurting sheep. · Show mercy to people who need it. Skill goal. Prepare others to encourage and console others, helping hurting people to overcome fear, shame and worry. Outcome goal. Others have studied this same lesson and have put it into steady practice. Basic Study 1. Learn from David how to overcome fear and shame, though faith in God. Read the story of David and Goliath now, in 1 Samuel 17:1-51, and find in it ways in which David, by faith, let God care for him.
· Why were the Israelite soldiers fearful? (Verses 4-6) · What was the challenge of the Philistine giant? (8-11) · Why had David, who was still a young boy, come to the battlefield? (17-19) · Why was Eliab, David’s oldest brother angry at first with David (28) · What had David done that showed that he was a skilled fighter? (33-37) · With what was David armed, when he faced Goliath? (40-43) · In whose name did David approach Goliath? (45-47) · How did David manage to slay the giant? (48-51) 2. Plan with coworkers activities to do during the week · Think of people who need prayer and encouragement. Visit them and help them to face their fears, shame or other problems the way David did—with God’s help and forgiveness. · If someone is feeling bad about something, listen to them and let them know you care. Pray with them. · If a believer has strayed from the flock, or feels bitter toward another person, visit him along with other helpers, as Galatians 6:1 requires. If he has sinned, restore him gently. · Visit the sick and pray for them in the name of Jesus. 3. Plan with coworkers the upcoming worship time · Select activities that will fit the occasion and local customs. · Ask the children to present the story of David and Goliath. They might act it out, and also prepare questions about it to ask the adults.
Advanced study 1. Let God remove shame. Find in 2 Samuel 11 & 12 how God freed David from shame. [David needed courage to face the shame of his disgusting sin against Uriah the Hittite. He let Uriah die in battle to cover up his adultery with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba. David did not admit, even to himself, the evil he did, until the prophet Nathan confronted him. David got over his shame when he confessed his sin to God. David’s confession is found in Psalm 51.] Discern the difference between real guilt and mere feelings of shame. The Shepherd’s Storybook, Part III, Chapter 12, tells about a student who readied a knife to kill himself. His friend cried out, “Stop!” He replied, “A professor gave me a failing grade, and so I cannot continue in the university. I have brought shame on myself and my family. I must die!” His friend assures him, “God does not consider you to be evil for failing a course of study. You did as well as you could. Killing yourself would bring even more shame, guilty shame!” “Then I will steal the professor’s expensive microscope!” “No! Stealing for revenge would truly make you guilty! Let me explain guilt and shame. Shame is only a feeling. Guilty shame deserves God’s punishment. You feel shame, because you failed a university course, although you did no evil. But to steal would bring both guilt and shame!”
“I don’t see any difference.” “Let us read about King Saul and the two kinds of shame.” 2. Find in 1 Samuel 20:27-34 what the student in the story discovered about guilt and shame: · Why did King Saul say that Jonathan shamed his family? [verse 30] · What truly shameful thing did Saul intend to do? [verse 34] · Which man’s shame had real guilt before God, Saul’s or Jonathan’s? Jonathan felt shame because his father said he brought shame on his family for befriending David. However, Jonathan had no guilt before God. His jealous father, King Saul, felt no shame although he intended to kill David, an innocent man. Saul’s heart was shameful before God. We, too, feel shame when a parent, a teacher or a person of authority rebukes us publicly. We feel shame when we make foolish mistakes. But such feelings are not real guilt. After learning about Saul and Jonathan, the student exclaimed, “I see! Failing in the university was shameful but not evil before God. On the other hand, stealing from the professor would be truly evil. I felt shame for what was not evil, but I felt no shame about stealing. How can I stop feeling shame?” “Confess your sins to God. He will forgive you, because Jesus died for our sins.” The student, with his friend’s help, asked God to forgive him in Jesus’ name for wanting to steal, and for his many other sins. He discovered joy and peace. Find in Luke 15:1-10 what a good shepherd does. Find in Hebrews chapter 12: · Why people who suffer should accept God’s punishment gratefully. · What is their future hope? Find in Galatians 6:1-5 the responsibility of those who correct and restore erring believers. Find in John 20:21-23 what the Holy Spirit can do through you for sinners who repent. Find in Prov. 18:13-14 two things to remember to console folks who feel they are bad. 3. Memorize Proverbs 18:13-14. Plan and prepare with co-workers the upcoming worship time. 1. Present a skit about Hope and Hopeless.
Hope: “My name is Hope. I have good news.” Hopeless: “Wait! My name is Hopeless. I have bad news! I’m dead.” Hope: “You’re what?” Hopeless: “I’m dead! Can you not hear? Maybe you are dead, too.” Hope: “Why do you say you’re dead? Let me feel your pulse.” (Feel his wrist.) “Your heart beat is strong, so you are not very dead.” Hopeless: “Yes I am. I dreamed it. I woke up dead. “ Hope: “Hopeless, you fear death too much.” Hopeless: “I fear what will happen afterwards. I am ashamed of things I have done. “ Hope: “Hopeless, we will explain to you how God removes shame and guilt.” (Speak to the congregation) “Help me explain to Hopeless how God can remove our shame. Please, help me!” (Ask people to talk with Hopeless. You might have to ask one or two persons by name.) 2. Tell or act out 1 Samuel 20:27-34 and explain the two kinds of shame. 3. Tell or act out 2 Samuel 11 & 12 and explain how God freed David from shame. 4. To introduce the Lord’s Supper, read 1 Corinthians 10:16. Explain in what we participate. 5. Announce the activities that you planned to do during the week. 6. Form groups of 2 or 3, and let the believers help one another. Ask them to pray, confirm their plans and encourage one another. |
