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Wood Avenue CAAYP
Screwtape Letter #8
Wood Avenue Church of Christ College Age and Young Professional will be studying a Screwtape Letter each week during Wednesday night bible class from March-May. Screwtape Letters is a book written by C.S. Lewis that contains letters written from a senior demon (Screwtape) to his inexperienced nephew (Wormwood) regarding the best ways to secure the failure of faith of an unsuspecting young man. They cover a variety of topics that challenge us as Christians and reveal the various strategies Satan uses for exploiting human weakness and pride.
Locations & Times
Wood Avenue Church of Christ
400 N Wood Ave, Florence, AL 35630, USA
Wednesday 3:00 PM
Coffee w/Milk & Sugar
After services come to the annex and enjoy some delicious desserts and coffee or milk.
Waffle Wednesday
Next Wednesday in the annex at 6pm Waffles, Toppings, and Bacon will be served. Get served.
White Water Rafting Trip
Save the date for White Water Rafting July 8th-9th. Cost will be $60. If this is something you are interested in please let Evan know so he can reserve the proper number of rafts.
Human are amphibians. Half Spirit and Half Animal. As spirits they belong to the eternal world, but as animals they inhabit time.
What key does this provide for understanding human nature?
What key does this provide for understanding human nature?
Their nearest approach to constancy, therefore, is undulation-the repeated return to a level from which they repeatedly fall back, a series of troughs and peaks.... It may surprise you to learn in order to get permanent possession of the soul, He relies on the troughs even more than the peaks.
We can easily become confused and discouraged in the valleys of life. And, in the midst of our confusion and discouragement we are more vulnerable to our own sinful impulses and to the snares of the devil. At the same time however is the opportunity to draw closer to God and build an even stronger relationship with Him.
What can we do in such times to ensure the right response?
We can easily become confused and discouraged in the valleys of life. And, in the midst of our confusion and discouragement we are more vulnerable to our own sinful impulses and to the snares of the devil. At the same time however is the opportunity to draw closer to God and build an even stronger relationship with Him.
What can we do in such times to ensure the right response?
The other important thing is, of course, the law of undulation. Lewis is telling us that it is natural for humans to go through ups and downs. In fact, Lewis suggests that it’s necessary for us to approach the constancy which we will fully participate in when we’re outside of time. Understanding the law of undulation is a tremendous advantage for us. Every rise in joy does not mean we’ve finally triumphed nor does every fall mean we’re in a crisis of faith that requires a re-evaluation of everything. Stress and doubt are powerful tools Screwtape can use to discourage us. Screwtape goes more into how the devil can use the law of undulation for his purposes in the next letter, (#9) but he does tell us in this letter how God plans to use the troughs
Merely to override a human will would be for Him useless, He cannot ravish. He can only woo.
What does this mean? How does this apply towards our expectations of God?
What does this mean? How does this apply towards our expectations of God?
Sooner or later He withdraws....He leaves the creature to stand up on its own legs- to carry out from the will alone duties which have lost all relish. it is during such trough periods, much more than during the peak periods, that it is growing into the sort of creature He wants is to be. Hence the prayers offered in the state of dryness are those which please Him best.
How might this insight be helpful for understanding your own life experiences and responses to God?
How might this insight be helpful for understanding your own life experiences and responses to God?
Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.
How does this last phrase reference Jesus? How should it reference us?
How does this last phrase reference Jesus? How should it reference us?
Reflection Challenge: God uses the lows of our spiritual experience as means to do deep work in ours souls. How have the lows in your own life been used to enhance your connection with God?