Stage 4 Handout

Sunday School, Spiritual Journey

Stage 4 Handout, June 27, 2004

Stage 4 – The Journey Inward

• A deep and personal inward journey
• A time to put aside our religious understanding and get God out of the box we put Him in.
• Almost always precipitated by a life or faith crisis.

How do people enter Stage 4?

1.     Desire to know God and all of his fullness.

2.     Be honest about where you are in your relationship with God.

What are the cages in Stage 4?

1.       Always questioning rather than coming to the truth.

2.       Self betterment: only looking to improve what we do well while ignoring faults.

3.       Isolation: refusing to ask for help or show vulnerability.

4.       Shutting God out completely.

How do I get out of the cage?

1.       Be honest with God and yourself.

2.       Be confident that God will totally take care of you.

3.       Put yourself on God’s timeline.

4.       Be willing to commit to God’s will.

What is the crisis that moves a person from Stage 4 to Stage 5?

The Wall: Hitting the wall spiritually represents our will meeting God’s will.

Types of cages at the Wall

1.    Strong egos

2.    Low-self value

3.    Guilt/shame

4.    Intellectualization

5.    Misappropriation

How do I get through the wall?

1.       Brick by brick. It takes time.

2.       Realizing that we cannot fix every situation

3.       Accept our inadequacies

4.       Surrender

5.       Forgiveness

What moves us through the Wall?

1.       Getting closer to God

2.       Allowing God to lead, and deferring our own judgment.

3.       Solitude and reflection

Discussion Questions

1.       How has you image of God changed from earlier times?

2.       Have you ever experienced the wall or a time when you came to the crossroad and needed to decide it was God or nothing?