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Counsel from the Cross

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Gospel Centered Counseling

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Study Guide

By Elyse Fitzpatrick, M.A.

e ©2013 IBCD Unauthorized duplication without express written permission is prohibited.

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Table of Contents

How to Use this Study Guide

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DISC 1 Session 1: “What Do You See?”

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Session 2: “What Do You See?”

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Session 3: “What Do You See?”

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DISC 2

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Session 2: God’s Immeasurable Love

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Session 3: God’s Immeasurable Love

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DISC 3

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Session 1: God’s Immeasurable Love

Session 1: God’s Love and Our Hearts

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Session 2: God’s Love and Our Hearts

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Session 3: The Gospel and Our Sanctification

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Introduction This study guide corresponds to the material presented on each disc. You may watch each DVD in its entirety (approximately 60 minutes) or you may watch it in three segments of approximately 20 minutes each. The time to stop will not be indicated in the video itself, so you’ll need to watch the time counter on your DVD player and stop the DVD then. The suggested time to break is indicated in this study. Feel free to use this guide in the way that best suits your group’s needs. Please note also that there is an unfortunate popping sound on the first two DVDs that was finally corrected at the last session. We regret this distraction and hope that the listeners will be able to overlook it.

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Each session has a set of discussion questions that will enable viewers to begin to consider the material before the video actually starts. Take time to consider questions and new insights of the group before you begin the video.

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What Do You See? Session 1 Before you begin to watch the DVD take a few moments to discuss: * What are you hoping to learn through this study? * What do you think you already know about counseling? About how the gospel connects with your life? * Do you have any concerns as you begin?

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* Spend time in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to illumine your heart.

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[Disc 1, Session 1]

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1)

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* How would you have answered Elyse’s question about how the resurrection impacts our daily life?

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* What do you see in Ephesians 5:1? What stands out to you?

* What do you know about what’s commonly known as “white noise”?

* How have certain portions of Scripture become white noise to most of us?

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* Do you understand the difference between the “declarations” or “indicatives” of the gospel and the “obligations” or “imperatives” of the

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gospel? Have you ever thought about the Scripture in this way before?

* Part of Ephesians 5:1 speaks to WWJD? What else does it say?

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* What question should you ask yourself before you ask WWJD?

* How does the fact that God is your Father affect you? How should it affect you?

* Aside from the command to imitate God, what else is in the verse? To

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what does the “therefore” refer?

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* What is the difference between declarations and obligations?

e * What are the only two options available to us if we don’t live in light of the gospel?

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* What happens when the declarations of the gospel become white noise? (See Matthew 25:24-25)

* What does the parable of the talents have to do with the declarations of the gospel?

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* What would motivate us to fulfill the obligations of the gospel?

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* When we forget the declarations of the gospel what will we think of God,

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our Father?

[If you are viewing this video in three segments, stop at the 22 minute mark. You may spend the remainder of your meeting time discussing the questions above.]

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What Do You See? Session 2 Before you begin take a few moments to discuss: * What questions do you have about last session’s video? * What stood out most prominently as you have thought about it? * What are you hoping to learn?

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[Disc 1, Session 2: If you are viewing this video in three segments, begin this session at the 22 minute mark]

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* What do you think God’s disposition toward you is?

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* Do you believe that He loves and delights in you? Do you see yourself as a beloved child or are you a begrudging slave? (See Matt 3:31; John 17:23.)

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* What does it mean to you to rejoice in God’s choice of you?

* Do you think God is disappointed with you today?

* Are you afraid, hiding or angry?

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* Do you love other people or find loving them just too hard?

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* We’re all sinful and flawed but we’re also loved and welcomed. How would this change your attitude toward others?

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* Do you personally see yourself as a beloved child or a begrudging slave? Do you see yourself as Beloved?

* Do you believe that God the Father loves you as He loves His Son?

* How often do you think about yourself as being a beloved child? A

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houseguest? A foster child? A slave?

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* Do you rest in the truth that you are the Father’s Beloved, just as Jesus is,

and more like Him?

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and that because of that He is remaking you into His image, to be more

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* How does the fact of your justification impact you in your daily life? Do you believe that when God looks at you He says not only “sinless” but also “righteous”?

* 2 Corinthians 3:18 teaches us that we progress in sanctification by seeing Him. How does this change the way you think about change?

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* Will you change by looking at the obligations or imperatives?

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* Will you change by looking at your own sin?

[If you are viewing this video in three segments, stop at the 41 minute mark. You may spend the remainder of your meeting time discussing the questions above.]

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What Do You See? Session 3 Before you begin take a few moments to discuss: * What questions do you have about last session’s video? * What stood out most prominently as you have thought about it? * What are you hoping to learn?

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[Disc 1, Session 3: If you are viewing this video in three segments, begin this session at the 41 minute mark]

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* How can we see the glory of the Lord? After all, He’s in heaven and we’re on earth. Read 2 Corinthians 4:4-6.

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* What is your perspective on the importance of preaching?

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* Which one of the verses on preaching really speaks to you? (See 1 Peter 1:23-25; Rom 1:16, 16:25; Col 1:23; 1Cor 15:1-2; John 15:3; Heb 10:22; John 3:16; 1 John 4:10-11; Rom 10:13, 17)

* Have you shifted aside from the hope of the gospel?

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* Do you struggle with pride or despair?

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* How does John 3:16 affect you? Are you bored?

e * What does “propitiation” mean?

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* How does propitiation affect your obedience?

* How do the indicatives of Scripture affect your response to the imperatives?

* How do you think about the sacraments?

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Baptism: “…as surely as water washes dirt away from the body, so certainly his blood and his Spirit wash away my soul’s impurity, in

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other words, all my sins.” (HC #69)

Communion: “…as surely as I see with my eyes the bread of the Lord broken for me and the cup given to me, so surely his body was offered

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and broken for me and his blood poured out for me on the cross…as surely as I receive from the hand of the one who serves, and taste with my mouth the bread and cup of the Lord, given to me as sure signs of Christ’s body and blood, so surely he nourishes and refreshes my soul for eternal life with his crucified body and poured-out blood.” (HC #70)

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* How involved are you in fellowship with other believers?

* Take time in your group now to be Grace Detectives with one another as Paul enjoined, “Outdo one another in showing honor….”

* Read 1 John 3:1-3 together and discuss how seeing Christ will transform

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you.

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[End of Disc 1: You may spend the remainder of your meeting time discussing the questions above.]

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