Turning Your Dreams to Goals: Week 3

Hey girls!  It has been a great two weeks here in the Gap.  We’ve spent a lot of time talking about balancing our goals with God’s purpose in our  life.  Jesus and Paul were both great example of that.  Last week we started to get a bit more practical and talked about some do’s and don’ts of setting goals, and we made sure that the advice we were getting lined up with God’s word.

I’ll warn you ahead of time.  This week is going to be a little heavier on the homework.  We are going work on setting God-honoring goals and mapping out a plan to meet them.

I found  this really great devotion by Pastor Rick Warren and he said this:

How do you know if [your goal] is going to bring glory to God?  Any goal that causes you to love God more brings glory to God.  Any goal you set that causes you to trust God more, brings glory to God.  Any goal you set that causes to you obey God, to love God, to serve God, any goal that causes you to want to brag on God and tell unbelievers, ‘Look what he did for me’ -- that's the goal that brings glory to God.   

Wow. That was really powerful for me.  See, earlier this year, I set a goal for myself. It was really a life-long dream that I was intent on meeting. A goal is a dream with a deadline and since I wanted to accomplish this dream by the time I am 50, my deadline is quickly approaching!  A few weeks into working on this goal, I began to have second thoughts.  I began seeking God and asking if this was something He wanted me to do, or was it something I just wanted to do out of a sense of pride, to gain attention or just to do something that most people haven’t done.  It was going to take a lot of work. It was going to take a lot of discipline and consume a lot of time that I could spend doing other things. My family was going to have to make sacrifices during the holiday season in order for me to accomplish this goal.  But then a divine appointment confirmed that God was in this from the beginning.  A phone call from someone I look up to and admire showing me how I could use this process to bring glory to God.  A unique opportunity to brag on God and say “Look what He did for me.”  And now several months later, I am on the verge of bringing this goal to reality!  But…..you’ll have to wait for the Made to Crave study to hear more about that!

So let’s get down to business.  This article by Kevin Nuber, guest columnist for the Christian Broadcasting Network, will be our primary material for this week.  It is long, but it is full of practical information and wisdom.  Read the article and start thinking about what specific goals you might want to set for yourself.

Assignments

Watch for posts from Sue Molitor on Monday, Wednesday and Friday to post your thoughts on the assignments.

Assignment 1

Today is the day!  If you don’t already have one, today you are going to start defining a goal!  Now, you may need to or want to set goals in several areas of your life.  But for this week, you need to come up with one that you can use to work through our exercises.  Here are some thoughts to guide you as you select one:

What dream are you ready to put a deadline on?  In light of the Rick Warren quote about goals that bring glory to God, what would God’s purpose be through that dream in your life or others?  How will it cause you to obey God, love God, serve God or brag on God?

In the CBN article, Mr. Nuber  discusses three verses from Isaiah about God doing a “new thing”.  In what areas of your life does God need to do a new thing?  What “former things” need to be put aside so that God’s purpose in your life can be accomplished?  What one thing in your life needs to be changed in order to increase the effectiveness of your service and witness for Him?

If you are starting to get a picture of where you are headed, share your goals with us!

Assignment 2

In the CBN article, he talks about making your goals SMART:  Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.  Here is a graphic from Lisa Allen, Executive Director of Ministry Training for Proverbs 31 Ministries, that illustrates SMART goals.

Look up these verses in your Bible and note how they relate to SMART goals.

John 8:14, Philippians 1:6, Proverbs 16:9, Ephesians, 4:13, Isaiah 55:11, Jeremiah 29:11, Ecclesiastes 3:1, Proverbs 20:18, Colossians 3:23, Ephesians 5:15-16

Assignment 3

In the CBN article, there is a side bar template for listing goals in several areas of your life.  Use this template to record any goals that have been laid on your heart this week.  Pick one or two goals and put them in the SMART goal format.  


Blog Hop Topics:

Watch for the Blog Hop post on Saturday and add your links there!

1. From the sidebar template of the CBN article by Ken Nuber, share with us two goals you think that God wants you to focus on this year. What is the new thing God wants to accomplish in and through you? What is the former thing you need to leave behind?
2. Share your big dream-turned goal. How will your goal bring God glory? What is it God wants you to learn about Him through the goal-setting process? What is it God wants you to learn about yourself? Has your view of goal-setting changed
3. After verse mapping or chaining some of the verses from our study this week, share what God has spoken to you about goal-setting. What did you discover about the process of moving with purpose toward your dreams? How does goal-setting play a defining role in that process?

Turning Your Dreams Into Goals Week 2

Week 2: Looking at a Secular Goal-setting Article Through a Biblical Lens:

This week, we are going to use our Biblical lenses while reading an article written from a secular point of view. We learned much last week about goal setting from a Christian perspective. Now, let's see if this article matches-up with, or what we can add to, what we have learned so far using the lens of Scripture.

This article is written by Mark Kramer, published on the SPARKPEOPLE website, and is used with permission. We will read through and discuss this. Also, as usual, we will have our blog hop on Saturday!

Before we start, let's pray James 1:5-6 this week and ask God to give us wisdom.

Father, Your word says that you are the giver of all wisdom, That if we lack wisdom, we may ask of you and you will not only give it, but will do so generously for all of us. Your word reminds us to believe when we ask, and not doubt, then you will grant us this wisdom. Lord, we highly adore you and ask you to guide us in our learning not only this week, but throughout our lifetime. Your word says that if we draw near to You, You will draw near to us. Father, it is my prayer that you draw ever so close to each and every sweet lady in this study. May your name be exalted in all that we do or say. In Jesus name, Amen.

Looking forward to a week of study with you again!! ~~Jennifer Newsom

Free Tools: (clickable links)

• Bible Gateway (offers tools, as well as various Bible translations)
• Study Light (go to Bible Study Tools tab)
• Online Bible Study Tools (TONS of good study tools like a commentary from Matthew Henry.)
• Blue Letter Bible (More excellent study tools, including commentary from Martin Luther.)

Assignments:

1. Monday: Click on, and read, this article: Do's and Don'ts of Goal Setting. Respond: In point 2, the author tells us to "boost" our confidence. As Christians, what are some ways we can do that, yet remain humble at the same time? Perhaps share some of your takeaways from our OBS, A Confident Heart. Next, search a Bible Concordance, the back of your Bible, or use some of our free tools. Look for verses on "confidence." Using this excellent explanation from Heather, Verse Map a few of these verses. Share those with us-perhaps even a picture!
2. Wednesday: In point 5, the author speaks of persistence. Using the same technique for searching for Scripture mentioned above, look for verses containing the words: perseverance, endurance, and/or diligence. Using this explanation I wrote, try your hand at Verse Chaining. Share with us--perhaps even a picture if you would like!
3. Friday: In the final point, we see mention of something that we have covered in several of our past Online Bible Studies-negative thoughts. Please read 2 Corinthians 10:5--what does this verse speak to you in light of goal setting? What are some ways you can rid yourself of negative thinking when it comes to setting Christ-honoring goals? Finally, how do you think the article 'lined up' not only with Scripture, but with what we learned last week? Anything seem to stand out, or go together? Please share your responses.

Blog Topics:

Watch for the Blog Hop Post on Saturday from Lauren Bates and post the link to your blog there!

1. This week, we're talking about negativity and how it might hinder the goals which we set. Can you think of a time when your own negativity, or even someone else's, stopped you from making a change or pursuing something new? Or an instance when you overcame negativity? How could you change your reaction if the negativity stopped you? What advice do you have for someone who might be in a similar situation?
2. Share what you learned, either from verse mapping or verse chaining. What is God saying to you through His word?
3. What part of setting goals is hardest for you? Review the points discussed in the article. What can you improve upon? What changes can you make to be more successful? How can you seek God in these changes?
4. In this study, have you seen change differently? If you didn't share last week, what goals do you have for 2014? What dreams do you have? How is God helping you look ahead to reach these?

Turning Your Dreams to Goals: Week 1

Week 1: Should Christians Have Goals?

Welcome to week 1 of Real Life in the Gap: Turning Your Dreams Into Goals! We are so thankful you have joined us over the last several weeks and pray that you were blessed and encouraged by the H.E.A.R.T. stories!

Over this next couple of weeks, we are going to dig into what a selected author, and the Bible, has to say about goals.  Assignments will be based around reading the article, then reading and/or comparing it with the Bible. Just like the last Gap study, we will have links for 'free tools' on the blog each week. We will also have a blog hop each week and encourage you to share your heart with us.

Our focus verse for this study is: I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. (Psalm 119:15 ESV)

Week one begins with the question, "Should Christians Have Goals?" Based on an article, used with permission, from Daniel B. Wallace, Professor of New Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary. Don't be intimidated, this article has amazing points and plenty of Scripture to "flesh" out.

Proverbs 29:18 (a) tells us, "Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained...." (NASB). Other translations use the word "perish" instead of unrestrained. In Hebrew, the word vision is "chazown." It means "the message received by prophetic vision." (Strong's) What better 'vision' should we have, or use, while setting goals than the Bible itself? Inspired by God, and written by men under such inspiration.

Looking forward to a week of study with you!

Jennifer Newsom

Free tools:

• Biblegateway
• StudyLight
• OnlineBibleStudyTools
• Blue Letter Bible

Assignments:

Watch for Assignment Posts on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Christa Hutchins and share your responses there!

1. Sunday: Read this article: Should a Christian Set Goals? and get ready for a great week of Bible Study!
2. Assignment 1, Monday:  Respond: Professor Wallace lists 3 'faulty assumptions' made by his friend. Read the Scriptures that he quoted to make his point. After searching the Scripture, do you agree that any or all of these are 'faulty assumptions?' Why or why not? Please share with us.
3. Assignment 2, Wednesday: Read Proverbs 6:6-11 and James 4:13-15. Compare those with Proverbs 3:5-6 and Proverbs 16:9. Respond: What do those verses 'speak' to you concerning setting goals? How should we approach goal setting? In the article, Professor Wallace mentions 2 things about balance-what are they? Please share your responses with us.
4. Assignment 3, Friday: Application and wrap-up! Read back over the 3 bullet points in the article, under the section title "How Can We Apply These Truths?" Respond: How can you personally apply what you have learned from the Scripture readings, the article, and the discussions in the group this week? Does this change your 'vision' of goal setting? If so, how? For your personal life, would you add anything to the Application portion of this article? If so, what?

Blog Hop Topics:

Watch for the Blog Hop Post on Saturday from Lauren Bates and post the link to your blog there!

1. Proverbs 29:18 (a) tells us, "Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained..." (NASB).  Other translations use the word "perish" instead of "unrestrained." Do you have a current vision for your life?  If so, what does it consist of?  Do you have a vision for this year? In 5 years? 20 years from now?  How does this vision line up with God's Word?
2. Describe a time when you let your feelings guide you into making a wrong decision.  Or was there a time when you were so rigid in your planning that you refused to change your actions?  Looking back, can you see the Holy Spirit prompting you to make a different decision?  How can you learn to distinguish between Holy Spirit prompting and emotional responses in future planning?
3. Are you a to-do lister or not?  Do you get anxious if you must veer away from your to-do list?  If you aren't a planner, what are you hoping to learn from this Real Life in the Gap study about goal-setting and planning?
4. Looking forward to 2014, what hopes do you have?  What dreams?  Have you chosen a New Year's Resolution or one word for your year?  How do these relate to any goals you may be considering?  What steps will you take to allow the Holy Spirit to lead you into 2014?