The Session-Trust & Honesty in a Relationship

From Bellevue Christian Counseling

(John 8:31-32) “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Today there is so much to be said about relationships being trust worthy. Often times if a relationship fails, it is often the inability to trust again that ends a relationship. That is the case because of how fragile trust is in a relationship.

It gives others a reasonable basis on which they can safely share their hearts and make commitments with me.

Relationships hinge on truth and trust. Being vulnerable makes a person more likely to be hurt. Once hurt sets in trusting that it won’t happen again is very sketchy. Lost is the heart felt communication that can grow a relationship.

Trust And Marriage

In marriage it is vital to be trusted. If a wife is untrustworthy because of things she said that weren’t true, trust will be difficult. It is also true that if a wife is doing things that breaks a promise or fails to do things that were promised trust will be broken.

It is also true if husbands say or does things that are untrustworthy it will be difficult to develop trust.

An Affair’s Impact On Trust

• It devastates trust
• It causes great pain and betrayal leading to feelings of anger, hurt, and disillusionment.
• Rebuilding trust is a long and challenging process that requires open communication, forgiveness, and often professional counseling to navigate the emotional complexities involved.
• Spiritual Struggle Christian’s struggle with feelings of guilt and shame that causes a person to question their own faith in God
• Difficulty forgiving. Even though it is a core Christian value, it is difficult forgiving a spouse.
• Intimacy takes a direct hit.

Rebuilding Trust

• Open and honest communication. The victim should be able to ask any questions concerning details they want!
• Taking Responsibility. The straying party should take responsibility, as difficult it could be.
• Trust builders this includes text and pictures that prove your spouse is where they say they are.

Examples?

To reach Tom Russell, go to https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com.

The Session-Temptation

1 Corinthians 10:13

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

Scott’s going to take us down a rabbit hole right out of the gate…Let’s talk about the original temptation…Eve in the garden.

Did God warn Adam and Eve about temptation? He knew the snake was there.

How would Eve have any idea how combat temptation?

And WHY in the world didn’t Adam stop her?

High trait self-control has been traditionally described as a keen ability to resist temptation. The present research suggests that high trait self-control is linked to avoiding, rather than merely resisting, temptation. People high in trait self-control reported engaging in behaviors thought to minimize (or avoid) temptation to a greater extent than people low in trait self-control.

Galatians 5:22

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

James 1:13-14

"When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed."

Matthew 26:41

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

James 4:7

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Billy Graham On Temptation

Satan wants us to doubt our salvation to make us ineffective. We must grow in Christ by studying the Word of God. The more we commune with God by reading His Word and spending time in prayer, the less we want of our old ways. The new nature begins to take over by the power of God’s Word that speaks into our hearts and puts our minds on Him and sets our feet on the right path. We must let the Bible become central to life and set our minds on the things of God (see Galatians 6:8); for we cannot grow spiritually strong without His truth.

To reach Tom Russell, go to https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com.

The Session: Living In The Victory Of The Cross

The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. If the same Holy Spirit lives in you, He will give life to your bodies in the same way. So then, Christian brothers, we are not to do what our sinful old selves want us to do. (Romans 8:11-13)

Living In The Victory Of The Cross Gives Us Confidence In The Battlefield Of The Mind

• The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (II Cor.:10:3-5)

Spiritual Warfare definition Weapons: prayer, Holy Spirit, scripture, hope and faith.

Living In The Victory Of The Cross helps us with guilt and shame

• “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 8:12).

The Holy Spirit helps with allowing individuals to release the burden of past actions and move forward with a clean conscience. Essentially, the Holy Spirit acts as a guide to acknowledge wrongdoing, seek forgiveness, and experience the peace that comes from being cleansed by God's grace.

Conviction:

• Isaiah 40:29, scripture says “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak”.

The Holy Spirit can bring awareness of sin and its consequences, prompting a person to feel guilt and desire to change their behavior.

Repentance:

• mAnd when he comes, he willnconvict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment John 16:8

Forgiveness:

• Once repentance is genuine, the Holy Spirit assures the believer of God's complete forgiveness, which can alleviate feelings of guilt and shame.

Transformation:

• The Holy Spirit works to transform a person's character over time, enabling them to overcome negative patterns associated with guilt and shame.

Living In The Victory Of The Cross will have a direct impact on our perspective

• The Holy Spirit guides us with truth, revealing God's will, and allowing us to see situations from a divine viewpoint, rather than solely from ou own limited human perspective.

Living In The Victory Of The Cross produces hope

• The Holy Spirit fills believers with strength and wisdom, intercedes for them, and gives spiritual gifts. As He dwells inside each believer, He fulfills various roles and functions. He gives life and hope that makes us new.

When we feel defeated and hopeless to overcome temptation in every day life.

• It is important that we take time to realize that we received the Holy Spirit when Jesus rose again.
• This helps because we can celebrate and call upon the Holy Spirit when temptation sits in. Because the Holy Spirit defeated sin and death, we can call on Him to defeat the enemy.

When we are feeling down and we are being disrespectful to ourselves

• We can call on the Holy Spirit to defeat the enemy and remind me of who I belong to and who I am to the Father.

To reach Tom Russell, go to https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com.