Forever in Love with Jesus Workbook: Becoming One With the Love of Your Life

FOREVER IN LOVE WITH JESUS

WORKBOOK

Becoming One with the Love of Your Life

Eight Portraits of Christ from John and Hosea

Dee Brestin &

Kathy Troccoli

FOREVER IN LOVE WITH JESUS WORKBOOK

Copyright © 2004 by Dee Brestin and Kathy Troccoli. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published by Nelson Reference & Electronic, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, Tennessee 37214.

Nelson Reference & Electronic books may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information please email SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version (NKJV®), copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Other Scripture references are from the following sources: The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV). Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers; The Message (MSG), copyright © 1993. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group; J.B. Phillips: The New Testament in Modern English, Revised Edition (PHILLIPS). Copyright © J.B. Phillips 1958, 1960, 1972. Used by permission of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.; New American Standard Bible (NASB), © 1960, 1977 by the Lockman Foundation.

ISBN 0-8499-4507-0

Printed in the United States of America

04 05 06 07 VG 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

We dedicate this to STEVE BRESTIN,

a friend of God

CONTENTS

Questions Concerning This Curriculum

Acknowledgments

Week 1: Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus

Week 2: The Great I AM

Week 3: The Word

Week 4: The Master Artist

Week 5: The Brokenhearted Bridegroom

Week 6: The Betrothing Bridegroom

Week 7: The Redeemer

Week 8: The Lion

Week 9: The Way, the Truth, and the Life

Week 10: Review

Appendix A: Worship Choruses

Appendix B: Movie Night

Appendix C: Leader’s Helps

Notes

Memory Cards

QUESTIONS CONCERNING

THIS CURRICULUM

The workbook you are holding is an in-depth Bible study. It contains ten lessons, each divided into five days. Plan to spend at least thirty minutes each day alone with Jesus. Following are some questions and answers about this study.

Since Forever in Love with Jesus is the third in a trilogy, do I need to do the first two studies first?

No. Each study stands alone.

Do I need to read the book Forever in Love with Jesus before I start the workbook?

No. The book that accompanies this curriculum is supplementary and therefore helpful, but not essential.

Do I need to watch the DVD?

Please do! All you must have for the study are this workbook and a Bible, however, the DVD augments the study enormously. Willie Aames (Eight Is Enough; Bibleman) produced the accompanying DVD and did an amazingly creative job. This is not like any Bible study video you have ever seen. We truly had chills because of the presence of God. Though reading the truth is vital, seeing it and hearing it triple the impact. One woman wrote: After seeing and hearing about the love of God for two days, I couldn’t resist opening my heart to Him any longer. The low cost of the DVD will astonish you. Though it is the best yet, with many special features, the cost is low because Willie Aames sacrificed much of his free time for the production. Please, we plead with you: don’t miss it! You can purchase the DVD from the Web sites we’ve listed on page viii or from Christian bookstores.

When do we watch the DVD?

Watch it at the beginning of each session, before you discuss the same session. If you have only an hour and are dividing the sessions for a twenty-week study, watch it every other week. Do two days of the lesson on the week you watch the DVD, and do three days of the lesson and the prayer time on the weeks you do not watch the DVD. The video times vary slightly, but the average time is half an hour. There are questions in the workbook for you to fill out as you listen, but don’t discuss them as you watch. Many of these questions are repeated in the lesson, because they are the core truths, worthy of repetition, and you will discuss them then.

Is there any repetition between the workbook and DVD?

Yes. However, because the format is different, it will not be boring but helpful in etching these life-changing truths into your heart and mind forever.

Does the leader need to purchase a separate guide?

No. Leader’s helps are in Appendix C of this workbook.

Why do some lessons have Introduction Questions but others do not?

Because the material in some lessons is more difficult to grasp, Introduction Questions are provided to prepare you for comprehending it more quickly. Other lessons need no preparatory questions.

Where can I find the movie for movie night?

Most local video stores have Tender Mercies in the drama section. Currently, you can buy the DVD new or used at Amazon.com and BN.com. Also, your library might be able to get it for you through interlibrary loan.

Where can I purchase additional materials from this trilogy?

Your local Christian bookstore or any of the following Web sites:

www.deebrestin.com

www.troccoli.com

www.thomasnelson.com

www.amazon.com

www.bn.com

Where can I purchase the art appearing in Forever in Love with Jesus?

www.sallybrestin.com (Aslan I and Aslan II)

www.martinfrench.com (the eight portraits of Christ)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We are so thankful to the following individuals:

MATT BAUGHER:

If you look up diplomacy in the dictionary, your name would be there.

SALLY BRESTIN AND MARTIN FRENCH

Beauty and truth are woven so powerfully together in your artistic portrayals of Christ.

STEVE BRESTIN:

Just what the doctor ordered: rich in prayer and rich in courage.

WILLIE AAMES AND HIS TEAM AT OUTPOST

Who better to video a Bible series than Bibleman? What energy and creativity!

JILL WOLFORD JOHNSON

Our Ruth. God can’t help but delight in your servant heart.

MARY HOLLINGSWORTH AND HOLLY HALVERSON

Editing needs crediting. It’s truly an art and you both are so gifted.

KATHRYN MURRAY

Your gifting at interior design has enhanced the beauty of Forever in Love.

DEBBIE WICKWIRE AND DAVID MOBERG

We have been allowed to give our best. You’ve listened well. You’ve freed us to fly.

Aslan II

Artist: Sally Brestin (www.sallybrestin.com)

Week 1

TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS

Those who look to Him are radiant.

—PSALM 34:5 NIV

MEMORY VERSE:

HOSEA 2:14–15

Some of you have already completed the first two studies in the trilogy of Falling in Love with Jesus. Others of you have just joined us. To all, we say welcome! We are so excited to turn our eyes upon our Lord with you, to help you fall forever in love with Jesus.

For those who have just joined us, it will help you to know that there are three stages in our love relationship with Jesus:

First Love (the euphoric courtship and honeymoon time)

Wilderness Love (the painful time of questioning and doubting your Bridegroom)

Invincible Love (the deep abiding confidence that your Bridegroom will do all things well in His time)

This land of Invincible Love could also be called Forever in Love with Jesus

This third stage is the best stage—even better than the euphoric First Love stage—because there is a steady confidence, a sweetness in knowing and being known, and an inextinguishable joy, no matter the circumstances.

The big question is, how can you get to this stage? The key, as we will be explaining, is in the beholding, in turning your eyes upon Jesus.

We are going to be looking at eight very different portraits of Jesus from John and Hosea: portraits as varied as The Lion, The Bridegroom, and The Great I AM. You will discover that in each of these portraits is both a tender and yet a terrible side of Jesus, though the terrible side acts always for our good. If you look carefully, for example, at the portrait preceding this lesson, you will see a lion, but hidden in the mane is a lamb who looks as if he has been slain. There will be times when Jesus is a Lion in your life, tearing apart what is most dear to you, but His purpose is for your good; and His heart—and this you must always remember—is a Lamb who loved you enough to be slain for you.

No doubt you wish you could leap from the First Love time with Jesus to Invincible Love, or Forever in Love, but you cannot. Wilderness Love is part of God’s refining plan for each of us. At times in your life, Jesus will lead you into the wilderness. While you are there, it’s easy to wonder what He is doing. You may try to walk away from Him, feeling forsaken. But those are the very times you need to keep as close to His heart as possible.

That may look different for each of us, but the Bible says, Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8). You will find that He will come, He will speak tenderly to you, and He will help you to trust His heart. Our key passage for this study, and the one you are to begin to memorize right away, is this one:

Therefore, behold, I will allure her,

Will bring her into the wilderness,

And speak comfort to her.

I will give her her vineyards from there,

And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope;

She shall sing there,

As in the days of her youth,

As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. (Hosea 2:14–15)

Think of the Valley of Achor as your valley of ache, as Kathy likes to call it. Weeping endures for a night, but if you lean into God in the wilderness, He will give you joy in the morning. This will not happen, however, if you back away from the Lord; it happens only to those who draw near to Him, who look to Him.

Those who look to him are radiant;

their faces are never covered with shame. (Psalm 34:5 NIV)

The study is divided into five days. We pray that this will become a time you will anticipate eagerly because you are receiving kisses from the King. (A kiss from the King, according to rabbinic tradition, is a living word from Scripture. When a verse leaps out at you and you have the sense that God has spoken personally to you, you have been kissed by the King.) When you are faithful to spend time with Jesus during the week, you will come to the discussion time glowing with excitement, and it will be contagious. Together, you will help one another fall more deeply in love with Jesus.

If you are a beginner to Bible study, you may find some of the questions challenging. Don’t worry! You will get help when you get to the group meeting. We were all beginners once and remember the feelings. What you may not know is how very welcome you are—your newness adds a fresh enthusiasm that recharges those who have known the Lord a long time. You have much to contribute, and we are so glad you were brave enough to come.

If you purchased this workbook before your first meeting with other women, that is excellent. You can do the lesson ahead of time. We suggest that you choose the same place and time to meet with Jesus each day. It will help you develop a habit of spending quality time regularly with Him. If you did not get your workbook before this first meeting, you can get it now and work on it in this session with the other women.

In the appendices, you will find some additional helps:

Appendix A: Worship Choruses

Prepare your heart by singing Him songs provided here or from your favorite hymn book.

Appendix B: Movie Night

Plan a movie night midway into the study. This should be a fun time for bonding. Discussion questions are included in this appendix.

Appendix C: Leader’s Helps

This section includes teaching tips and suggestions for answers.

Memory Passages

This section includes teaching tips and suggestions for answers.

In the back of the book you’ll find memory cards. Tear out the perforated memory verse for the week, and place it on the refrigerator or on your mirror. The power to change our lives lies in the very words of God. Keep your heart open to memory work. We’ve chosen short verses that are easily memorized, especially when kept in front of you. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is, and how much it impacts you.

VIDEO NOTES FOR WEEK I

Watch the video first, and then put your chairs in a circle to discuss this lesson. Do not discuss the following video questions. We provide them for those who learn better by taking notes. You will discuss these vital truths in the lesson.

We want you to watch for something funny in video 1. Our key point is that transformation occurs through beholding Jesus. After the video filming, several women said they thought baholting must be a Greek word. It’s Kathy’s New York accent! We laughed and laughed! So, whenever you hear Kathy say baholt, translate it behold!

1. Dee used to think the secret to being a mature Christian was simply behaving like one, but it is not. It isn’t about duty, it’s about ________________________.

2. How can you love Jesus more? By b________________ Him.

3. To behold is to direct a ____________ to an object or to _________ the eyes upon.

4. John Piper explains, Beholding is a way of b______________ and translates 2 Corinthians 3:18 as follows: We all, with unveiled face, b_______________ the glory of the Lord, are being changed into His likeness from one degree of glory to another. Piper continues, To see God is to be ch_____________ _______ ___________.

5. We find the same portraits of Jesus in the Old and New Testaments because Jesus Christ is the same y_______________, t__________, and f________________ (Hebrews 13:8).

6. The key passage from this study shows both the ___________ and ______________ sides of Jesus.

7. Therefore, behold, I will _________ her, will bring her into the _______________, and speak ____________ to her. I will give her her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of ____________; she shall __________ there, as in the days of her youth (Hosea 2:14–15).

To behold Him

is to love Him.

To love Him

is to be transformed by Him.

WARM UP

Share your name and one reason you’ve come to this group, or one thing that stood out to you from the video. (Or, you can share your name and then say, Pass. It will then be the next person’s turn.)

Though Dee and Kathy are very different, their friendship has become precious to them, and they have experienced the truth of Ecclesiastes 4:9–10: Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls.

How has this been true for you with women you have known through Bible study?

As you look around this group, you may see women quite different from you in age, knowledge, or background. What fears do you have? What joyful anticipations?

Some groups are better than others in helping one another find strength in God. What are some characteristics of stronger groups?

Day 1

We Shall Behold Him

The sweetest times in our lives have come from closeness to Jesus, experiencing a joy that the world cannot ever imagine. Jesus offered us this promise:

I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. (John 10:10 MSG)

(Kathy) I love this version of this verse. So many Christian women yearn not only for what it means to love Jesus and be loved by Him but to experience life to the full, and have more life and a better life than they ever dreamed of.

Sometimes this kind of abundance can seem beyond our grasp. There are so many frustrations on this earth, not only because of pain and death all around us but because we each have a bent toward sin and a frailty in conquering that bent. Repeatedly, we quench His Spirit. We think, Will I ever conquer my laziness, my temper, my bad eating habits, my tendency to worry, or my bent toward gossip? Will I ever stop moving into the shadows, thinking I can move away from the Lord who sees everything? Will I ever stop doubting His heart when I go through difficulties? We have tasted the goodness of the Lord, but will it ever be our true daily bread?

The last couple of years my heart has truly been opened to realize how much more God wants for me—far beyond the point of my salvation. Jesus is the Door, but we can’t stop there. Paul wrote:

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,

Nor have entered into the heart of man

The things which God has prepared for those who love Him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

You may wonder: Is that for everyone but me? How do I enter into what God has prepared for me? How do I get to this stage?

There is a simple but profound secret.

Henry van Dyke wrote lyrics to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, creating one of the most beloved hymns in all of Christendom: Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee. It’s as if God gave him a sneak peek into what brings riches to the soul.

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;

Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness, drive the dark of doubt away;

Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day.

Do you see it? A transformation takes place in those who spend time before Him, adoring Him, beholding Him. His light, like the light of the sun, kills the mold and fungus that grows so rapidly in the dark, defeating us, holding us captive. His light truly melts the clouds of sin and sadness. A simple yet profound truth—one to help you become the woman you long to be.

You may be thinking, You are telling me that all I have to do is look at Jesus and I’ll be transformed?

Sanctification (the process of becoming holy) is similar to salvation (being forgiven and becoming His child). In salvation, all you had to do, basically, was look to Jesus. Many think, That’s far too simple. But it is the truth. We are unable to save ourselves. In the same way, we are unable to become holy in our own strength. But as we look at Jesus, learning more about His character, we trust and love Him more. As we do that, we become like Him.

In the video, John Piper explains, Beholding is a way of becoming, and he translates 2 Corinthians 3:18 as follows: We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into His likeness from one degree of glory to another.

To see God Piper continues, is to be changed by Him.¹

Why does beholding Jesus transform us?

Let’s consider a practical example. Think about an area where you are prone to stumble: anger, gluttony, gossip—you know what it is. You’ve tried and tried, yet it trips you up again and again. You know