(Video coming Wednesday, 12/6)

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave itto the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:17-21 ESV

Anger in and of itself is not necessarily wrong, but when mishandled, it can cause quite a bit of damage. Anger that is unjustified, uncontrolled, or denied and stuffed can cause extensive physical as well as spiritual harm. Anger is like a fire, devouring everything and everyone in its path. If not managed well, it will consume not only the one to whom your anger is directed, but more so, the greatest casualty of your anger is you, yourself.

Romans 12 above offers some of the greatest teaching about anger and vengeance. When you have trouble shaking off the anger that seems to continue smoldering within, remember these truths. Allow God to be your avenger, and you will be able to let it go and leave it in His hands. He is certainly more than capable enough to right every wrong done to you, and He will surely handle it more effectively than we ever could! Additionally, feeding your enemy takes it another step that will soften any animosity brewing between the two of you and bring peace.

Lourie Giglio talks about “Five Smooth Stones of Truth” that will bring lasting transformation to our hearts and help us heal from the damage caused by anger.

1. We remind ourselves we aren’t perfect to begin with. When we are honest about our own faults, and we understand the tremendous gift of forgiveness that has been shown to us, we are free to extend that forgiveness to others. Receiving God’s grace and mercy allows us to show grace and mercy to others in turn. When we realize the great degree to which God has spared us from His wrath, it humbles us and “helps us stay off our high horse of moral superiority.” That will certainly help us sing a different tune!
2. We remind ourselves that God has made peace with us. God loves us so immensely, but He hates sin. Our sin separated us from Him, and we were thus the object of His wrath. However, God sent His son, Jesus, who took care of our sin once and for all. Consequently, we have been reconciled to God, and He has made peace with us. He is no longer angry with us because His anger was satisfied with the price Jesus paid on the cross.
3. We believe God is our avenger. When we try to take revenge on the one who has hurt us, we only add fuel to the fire. It causes us to become bitter and broken, and it solves nothing. Rather, the problem becomes escalated rather than solved. We cannot change the person’s heart, and we are unable to change what caused the anger in the first place. Our only hope is to “align ourselves with God’s justice.” He can do a much better job of bringing justice and peace to a situation than we ever could. We can trust that in Him, justice and mercy will prevail!
4. We forgive. This is the stone that will truly bring that nasty ol’ giant of anger down for good! Let it go. While you acknowledge the wrong done to you, you do not hold it against that person any longer. You leave it in God’s hands. This may take repetition and time, but because we have been forgiven, we can therefore forgive others. If you are having trouble forgiving someone, however, you will find some answers here, Objections to Forgiveness, for some of your biggest obstacles.
5. We remind ourselves we are sons and daughters of God. Anger is often rooted in feeling rejected, belittled, disrespected, or betrayed. This is made worse when the belittling came from an authority figure. If this is the case, let it sink down deeply in your heart that you are loved and cherished by a perfect Father. He has adopted us into His family, and He will never let us down. We are loved and adored by Him.

“God is a father to the fatherless and a defender of widows and orphans. That is God in his holy habitation. The giant of anger goes down when we pick up the stone that says we are loved sons and daughters.” ~Louie Giglio

If anger continues to bring out the worst in you, this article will help you get a handle on it, What Comes Bubbling Up When You Are Shaken? If you want to change what comes bubbling up from the depths of your soul in response to anger, you must change what you use to fill it up. The more you saturate yourself in the Word of God, the more you will become like Christ, and the more Christ-like will be your response to anger.

Here is a collection of Bible verses dealing with the subject of anger:

Psalm 37:8

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

Proverbs 14:29 

Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.

James 1:20 

For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Ephesians 4:26 

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

Proverbs 15:1 

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

James 1:19 

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

Proverbs 19:11 

Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

Ephesians 4:31-32 

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Week 5 Assignments

1. Watch my video for Week 5 (available on Wednesday).
2. Read pp. 77-94 in the study guide and do one or all of the activities on pp. 87-94 of the study guide. Have fun with these!
3. Optional: Read chapter 6 of the companion book, Goliath Must Fall (white book).
4. Participate in a small group at Heart to Heart Women’s Bible Study on Facebook. See pinned post for directions and schedule.

Week 5 Discussion Questions

Here is a sneak peek of the questions we will be discussing this week in our small groups.

 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Galatians 3:27 NASB

QUESTION 1: Last week, we read about and discussed the giant of comfort, it’s danger in our lives, and the ramifications of stepping out of our comfort zones to follow Christ wholeheartedly. As we contemplate the lives of Jesus and David, we observe many attributes that are the opposite of comfort-seeking. This is a two-part question…

1. List some attributes you would use to describe Jesus and/or David that are the opposite of comfort-seeking. (Such as generous, courageous, compassionate, etc.)
2. Fill in the blanks using words from part A. “If I were ___________________ like Jesus, then I would _________________.” OR “If I were ____________________ like Jesus, then I wouldn’t have to ___________________.”

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. John 13:14 ESV

QUESTION 2: Did anyone step out of their comfort zones to do something out of the ordinary for the glory of God this week? Did anyone try the suggestions on pp. 71-72? How did it go? How did you feel?

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. James 1:19 ESV

QUESTION 3: Sometimes we may be angry for a genuine wrong done to us, and our anger is justified. What are some healthy responses to this kind of anger? What are some unhealthy responses?

In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Ephesians 4:26-27 NIV

QUESTION 4: Anger in and of itself is not a sin, but it can become sinful. What are some ways that anger can become sinful?

Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. Romans 12:19 NIV

QUESTION 5: We learned about “five smooth stones” in chapter 6 for handling anger in a Godly way. How can these two – remembering that God has forgiven us of so much, and that He is our “Avenger” – help us put out the fire of our anger?

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 NIV

QUESTION 6: Do you have unresolved anger toward someone or about something? Why do you think we have a tendency to hold on to anger for such a long time that it becomes bitterness that eats away at us and severs our relationships? How can we get rid of long term anger? What are some things we can do to finally be free?

Reading Schedule

• November 6-12, Week 1: “Dead but Still Deadly” 
  • Study Guide pp. 11-26 | (optional) Companion book, chapters 1-2
• November 13-19, Week 2: “Fear Must Fall”
  • Study Guide, pp. 27-42 | (optional) Companion book, chapter 3
• November 20-26, Week 3: “Rejection Must Fall” (HAPPY THANKSGIVING!)
  • Study Guide, pp. 43-60 | (optional) Companion book, chapter 4
• November 27-December 3, Week 4: “Comfort Must Fall”
  • Study Guide, pp. 61-76 | (optional) Companion book, chapter 5
• December 4-10, Week 5: “Anger Must Fall”
  • Study Guide, pp. 77-94 | (optional) Companion book, chapter 6
• December 11-17, Week 6: “Addiction Must Fall”
  • Study Guide, pp. 95-110 | (optional) Companion book, chapters 7-9
• December 18-24, Catch Up Week
  • Small groups: Wrap up study

How This Works

1. If you have not done so already, please register by leaving your name and email address below.
2. Purchase the study book and companion book (optional).
3. Subscribe to this site to receive future updates by email. Enter your email address in the field to the right, and then click the subscribe button.
4. Join our closed Facebook group, Heart to Heart Women’s Bible Study, for weekly interaction, activities, videos, and small group sessions. Closed means that no one will be able to see our posts unless they are members of the group. This is for your safety and privacy.
5. Small Groups: See the pinned post at the top of the Facebook group, Heart to Heart Women’s Bible Study, for the schedule and instructions. All you need to do is show up at the scheduled day and time, and the discussion will take place underneath the group photo. 
6. Follow my ministry page on Facebook, Shari Lewis Ministries, to stay up-to-date on ministry events and for daily prayers, nuggets of wisdom and encouragement for your life, photos that you are welcome to share, and faith building blog posts to strengthen you in your walk with Christ.

What is Coming Up at Heart to Heart?

1. Live Advent videos – Four Sundays leading up to Christmas, December 3, 10, 17, and 24, (5:00 PM Easter/2:00 PM Pacific): We will have a devotion, traditional candle lighting, and something special each week to make this Christmas season more joyful and Christ-centered. These will take place on Shari Lewis Ministries Facebook page.
2. In-depth study of the book of Genesis, beginning January 15: We will study the book, The Promised One (A 10-week Bible Study): Seeing Jesus in Genesis, by Nancy Guthrie.

I hope this is an especially blessed week for you as we learn and grow together through God’s Word. Goliath is coming down in every area of our lives! Praise be to God!

I hope to see you in a small group this week!