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Three Essential Questions
After watching the message take some time reflect on the following three questions.

1. What did you hear? What point in this message was most impactful for you?
2. What do you think? How did this message challenge, change, or affirm your thinking?
3. What will you do? How will you put into practice what you've learned today?

". . . I don't have time to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah,David, Samuel . . . whose weaknesses were turned into strengths."      Heb. 11:32, 34

"Are you hurting? Then you should pray. Are you happy? Then you should sing songs of praise. Are you sick? You should call the church elders to pray over you and anoint you with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will save the SICK PERSON; the Lord will raise him up. And if you've sinned, you'll be forgiven. Therefore confess your faults to each other and PRAY for each other so that you may be healed." James 5:13-16 

                  HURTING: kakopatheo = having trouble, suffering
                        SICK: ästheneo = a weakness or an illness
               SICK PERSON: kamno = one who has grown weary and weak

"Confess your faults to one another – your sins, slip-ups, false steps,offenses, and weaknesses – and pray for one another, so that you may behealed and restored to a spiritual tone of mind and heart."   James 5:16 (Amp)

THE PROCESS GOD USES TO TRANSFORM MY WEAKNESSES

i.  i must IDentify MY NATURAL WEAKNESSEs.

". . . Be honest in your estimate of yourself. Don't think you're better than you are." Rom. 12:3 (NLT/NCV)

 ". . . We too are only men! We're just human like you! . . ." Acts 14:15

Action Plan: Write down your weaknesses as you perceive them.  With a trusted friend go through the list and ask them if there are others that you don't see.

ii. i must LEARN HOW GOD WANTS TO USEMY WEAKNESSES.

1. MY WEAKNESSES SHOULD PREVENT ARROGANCE

"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly greatrevelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan,to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you . . .'"       2 Cor. 12:7-9a

2. MY WEAKNESSES SHOULD CAUSE ME TO VALUE OTHERS

"Some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are reallythe most necessary." 1 Cor. 12:22 (LB)

3. MY WEAKNESSES SHOULD MAKE ME DEPENDENT ON GOD

". . . I am with you; that is all you need. My power shows up best in weakpeople!"       2 Cor. 12:9a (LB)

Paul: "For when I am weak, then I am really strong. The less I have, the moreI depend on him." 2 Cor. 12:10b (LB)

"I have cheerfully made up my mind to be proud of my weaknesses, becausethey mean a deeper experience of the power of Christ."  2 Cor. 12:9b (Ph)

4. MY WEAKNESSES SHOULD GIVE ME A MINISTRY

"God comforts us in our troubles, so that we can comfort others in any trouble with the same comfort that we ourselves have received from God." 2 Cor. 1:4

Jesus to Peter: ". . . When you've returned to me, strengthen your brothers."Luke 22:32

Action Plan:Our weaknesses can serve a purpose! Next to each weakness, write down how it could be a benefit to you. Does it make you less arrogant, value others, or dependent on God? How could this weakness become your ministry?

III. I must openly ADMIT MY WEAKNESSES TO CHANGE THEM.

o VULNERABILTY IS spiritually empowering

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."          James 4:6b

o VULNERABILITY IS EMOTIONALLY HEALING

"Confess your faults to each other and pray for each other so that you
    may be healed." James 5:16a

o VULNERABILITY IS RELATIONALLY ATTRACTIVE

"We all stumble in many ways."  James 3:2a

o VULNERABILITY IS A REQUIREMENT FOR LEADERSHIP

"If you are truly wise and understanding, you will show it by your good lifeand the deeds that you do with the humility that comes from wisdom." James 3:13

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up!" James 4:10

Action Plan:Pray over your list and take it to your small group or a trusted friend. Go through each weakness in vulnerability and let God transform your weaknesses.

PAUL'S EXAMPLE OF VULNERABILITY
"We speak with complete honesty, hiding nothing, sharing our true feelings, and opening our heart wide to you." 2 Cor. 6:11

o A true leader ADMITS FRUSTRATIONS

"I think you ought to know dear brothers, about the hard time we wentthrough in Asia. We were really crushed and overwhelmed, and feared wewould never live through it. We felt we were doomed to die and saw howpowerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we puteverything into the hands of God."  2 Cor. 1:8-9

o A true leader ADMITS faults

"There is nothing in us that allows us to claim that we are capable of doingthis work. The capacity we have comes from God."        2 Cor. 3:5 (TEV)

o A true leader ADMITS FAILURES

"I am the worst of all sinners." 1 Tim. 1:15b

"I have the desire to do what is right, but I just can't carry it out! For what I do isn't the good I want to do; No, I keep doing the evil I don't want to do!" Rom. 7:18b-19

o A true leader ADMITS FEARS

"I came to you in weakness and fear . . . so that your faith might not reston men's wisdom but on God's power."     1 Cor. 2:3, 5

o A true leader ADMITS FEELINGS  

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