Read an Excerpt

Undaunted Study Guide

Zondervan

Chapter One

The Call

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever walked into a place and been shocked as people popped out from behind the doors and furniture and shouted, "Surprise!" at the top of their lungs? If you have, you know the feeling of being both startled and delighted at the same time. Once your heart rate drops to normal, the adrenaline stops coursing through your veins, and you realize what is happening, you are delighted that these people have gathered to celebrate your birthday or other special event. They have planned, communicated, and gathered to surprise you and let you know you are loved.

Everyone enjoys a surprise ... when the news is good.

Sometimes we face a moment when we receive news that startles us and redefines our life. With one line, a letter in the mail, a text message, or conversation, the landscape of our future looks completely different.

A woman receives a call from her doctor's office asking her to come in so they can review the results of the mammogram she had a few weeks earlier. She senses the news is not good, but has to wait two days to meet with the doctor. When she gets the report and learns that she has cancer, she enters a time of asking, Who am I, and what does my future hold?

An employee who has devoted fifteen years to the same company opens an envelope from his boss which begins, "We want to thank you for your years of service," and ends with, "we are downsizing, and your position has been removed." The words on this single sheet of paper cause him to wonder, Am I the same person now that my job is gone?

How should we respond when we face a moment that makes us feel we are not who we thought we were? Where do we look when the foundation of our life seems to shake, crack, and crumble beneath our feet?

TALK ABOUT IT (5 MINUTES)

Tell about a time when you were surprised with good news or by something that brought joy to your life. How did this surprise impact your life?

Or

Tell about a time when you were surprised with hard news or faced a painful situation that seemed to redefine your future.

VIDEO TEACHING NOTES (15 MINUTES)

As you watch the DVD teaching segment for session 1, use the following outline to record anything that stands out to you.

The day Christine's life turned upside down

Building your life on the truth of God's Word: John 8:31–32

Fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God: Psalm 139:13–14

God has a plan and a purpose and a destiny for us

We are who God says we are

Stability in changing circumstances: Romans 8:37–39

Bringing love to a lost and broken world

GROUP STUDY AND DISCUSSION (30 MINUTES)

1. Christine talks about how she experienced God's presence and peace in the midst of receiving shocking and painful news. How have you felt the presence of God and his sustaining power right in the middle of a hard time in your life?

2. Read: Psalm 139:1–6, 13–16. What do you learn about God in this passage? What do you learn about yourself? How can an unshakable confidence in the truth of this passage help us in times when we receive shocking and life-altering news?

3. What are some of the things that people in our world tend to use to establish their sense of value, identity, and purpose in life? Why is it dangerous to base our worth on these sorts of things?

Christine talks about how in a single moment, when she learned she was adopted, everything in her life changed. Yet, in a very real sense, nothing changed. Her fundamental identity was still the same. What are the things about you that will never change, no matter what you face, because of who you are in Christ?

4. Read: John 8:31–32. Jesus told his followers that the truth would set them free. What are some of the things that God declares are true about you and me? How can holding to these truths in the tough and uncertain times of life help us maintain a clear sense of who we are?

5. The Bible tells us that God's works are marvelous. God made you and me. This means we are marvelous! Tell something marvelous about yourself. Why is it so hard, in a day-to-day way, to see ourselves as marvelous in God's sight and truly valuable?

If your group is familiar with one another, share something marvelous you see in the person sitting to your right.

6. Read: Genesis 1:24–31. The pinnacle of God's creation is people. In Genesis God makes the stars, seas, plants, and animals and calls them "good." On the sixth day, when God created people, he said they were "very good"! God has a plan, purpose, and destiny for your life. How can you learn to identify and begin following God's plan for your life? What gets in the way of your doing so?

If you have gained some direction and clarity concerning God's plan and destiny for your life, share what you have received with your group members. Let them know how they can encourage you and pray for you as you seek to follow God's plan.

The pinnacle of God's creation is people, every single person on earth. We are God's sons and daughters created in his image with a plan and a purpose for our lives.

7. When Christine says, "We are not a product of time, we are a product of eternity," what is she getting at? What does it mean to know you are a product of eternity?

How can this outlook change the way we view ourselves? How can it shape the way we love and treat others? God has plucked us out of eternity, he has positioned us in time, and he has given us gifts and talents for the purpose of serving our generation.

8. Read: Romans 8:37–39. What are some of the things the enemy tries to use to separate us from God's love? What truth can we speak to combat these lies?

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Undaunted Study Guide by Christine Caine Copyright © 2012 by Christine Caine and Equip & Empower Ministries. Excerpted by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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