Campus Community – Katherine Wolf

Overview:

2018 is here, and God is here in the New Year. We are not fixing our eyes on the Lord as much as we should, and often are looking at ourselves. At times this is why we do not understand what good actually is, because we often don’t get our soul on board with the hope of God, instead we are looking at ourselves. Thus, we need to get our soul to properly praise God and to properly hope in Him, even if it does not feel good. What is permanent amongst ever changing circumstances is our faith in Jesus Christ. We need to remind ourselves that feelings and emotions do not dictate our faith in God, but our faith in God dictates our emotions and feelings. God will not withhold any good thing for those who walk with Him and seek His face. When seeing God’s faithfulness in times before, we know we cant fear the world or be hurt by the world, because we have seen God show up in our life.  Sometimes in the West we often pray that God would quickly deliver us from trials and circumstance, but others around the world often pray for faithfulness in the story he places us on.  So then we need to understand that God has equipped us with everything we need to do in the hard thing with the good story of our life! God has placed us in a particular lane, a lane of life that when we flourish there we bring great glory to God.

Quotes:

“Life together” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Open my hands. I’ve seen rain fall on the wicked and the just.” – Sara Groves

“How can God withhold no good thing…the good things in life, the best things in life are not things at all. The best things in life are: the piece of conscience, the joy of the holy spirit, the fruition of Gods presence, and the assurance of faith in the next life.” – Sir Richard Baker

Though I cannot walk, I’m confined to a wheelchair, and I cannot take care of my own baby boy, yet I will rejoice in God my Savior.” – Katherine Wolf

Verses:

Psalm 42:5

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

Psalm 84:11

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.

Habakkuk 3:17-18

17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Psalms 13:6

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.

Galatians 6:4-5

4-5 Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

Questions:

1) Katherine talks about how many of us our “Navel Gazers,” focusing only on ourselves. What are ways that you can turn your gaze away from yourself and onto Jesus?

2) What is your understanding of “good”? What are the good things of God to you?

3) Katherine uses the analogy of being “bossy” over yourself to live the “best life.” What area of your life do you need to get “bossy” and speak truth over?

4) What is a past constraint that you can think back on and see that you are now flourishing from?