A very profound session week if I have to say so myself. This week when Matt Chandler went head-first into guilt and shame. I thought at first it was going to be about how breaking the obvious sins and laws was going to relate to Jesus forgiving us; how shame is helpful to correct us. Then the leaves blew off the tree like a late fall afternoon….

Just some basics that are so, so helpful. I have to remember to hold on to these and realize when I get out of balance.

Guilt: experienced when violating a moral code.
Shame: experienced when we fail to measure up to an expectation.

I know I don’t have to ask if you have ever felt guilt or shame, it is inevitable. I don’t even have to throw all my examples out in front of you. Many of you have heard them over and over in community.

What I do want to point out is that when we get these two feelings/emotions clearly defined and understand the foundations of them, our life can change.  I know just from this last week that I felt some shame and disappointment, then I went to these definitions and I could discern that my feelings were from “false-shame”.  There were some poor expectations that I was believing and when my experiences did not line up with my ideals, well, shame came knocking on my door. Any of you that have been around me long enough have heard me share about challenges with unreasonable expectations of others. I need to bring into the light my other tendency to put unrealistic expectations on myself and my situations. No so much what others do, but what ends up happening.

Here is last Saturdays session and Matt can explain in more detail…

Use this time to do a real investigation into your life and allow God to work with you to Recovery Redemption.

• Study-Guide Session 6 (pg 98 – 109)
• Read Chapter 7 in Recovering Redemption