Week 6: Letting God Lead- Just A Girl Who Loves Jesus
- Nov 11, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Apr 6
Surrendering Control to the One Who Makes a Way
Big Decisions. Why are We So Obsessed with What Other People Think?
Is Jesus Leading You or Something Else?
People, emotions, striving to succeed and many other things can start to lead your life. Learn how to let Jesus lead no matter what.
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Just a Girl Who Loves Jesus Bible Study
Here We Go!
This post can help you with Week 6: Letting God Lead in Just a Girl Who Loves Jesus.
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Listen to the Week 6 Episode
Featuring "Just A Girl Who Loves Jesus"
Week 6 Lesson By Kelly Kirstein
Let's Do This Together: pgs. 54-59
While we each make our own decisions, I don't think most of recognize how much we rely on other people's opinions or concern for what other people think. While accountability to others can be helpful, it can take us on a dark path when we step into people pleasing.
As much as I'd like to think I am immune to people pleasing, it hits me in the most unusual times. I feel particularly vulnerable anytime I post something on social media. Posting on social media, for Chicks, can be one of the places that hits me the hardest.
There are times when it feels like I had a great idea, but it didn't get the likes I expected or the response I wanted. I have to constantly remind myself that it doesn't matter if I get a ton of views, as long as I am doing what God is leading me to do.
It would be easy to try to jump on trends or push things to be edgier to try to capture people's attention. But that wouldn't fit with my ministry or what I feel called to do. I have no desire to be famous. God has called me to help young women discover how powerful they are through faith in Christ.
If my frustration or people pleasing starts leading my decisions, I know I will get really off track. You might be wondering how I know this. Let me share a story with you.
Story Time:
About 10 years ago I tried to get my novel published by working with an agent, attending a Christian writers conference, and reading books on how to get published.
Through that process, I started to learn all the pieces of having a successful career as a Christian writer.
As a part of that process, I wrote an entire book that God never asked me to write because I was told that how the process worked. In my attempt to do what I felt called to do, which was publish my novel, I ended up writing a memoir about my journey with Jesus. It wasn't like writing a book was a terrible thing to do, but it wasn't what God was asking me to do.
I wrote a whole book because it was what publisher expected and what the market wanted. At the end of it, I felt so much confusion about where God was calling me. I cried and felt really frustrated.
One night, as I was talking to the Lord at 3am, he said, "I never asked you to write that book." It hit me that I was following a track that I thought I was supposed to be on because that is what people told me I needed to do. The problem, it wasn't where Jesus was leading me to go.
Chicks is such a unique calling that I can't do things the "traditional" way. I learned through that experience, that while it may work for other's to follow the typical publishing and ministry path, it wouldn't work for me.
I have to check myself often to remember "Who is in charge."
By embracing my responsibility to keep our emotions in check, it keeps me from letting them lead me off track. Through continual surrender, I learn to stay with Jesus, even when I don't understand what he is doing.
Additional Notes & Thoughts: pg. 59
Emotions are a terrible leader because they often lie or get in the way of hearing Holy Spirit. Maturity is knowing when you need to slow down and get yourself under control, before dealing what the person that triggered you.
Write about a time when you were triggered.
Write a sentence about the situation.
Describe how it felt.
Is there anything you wish didn't happen when you were triggered? Like something you said or did.
Read the steps below. Ask Jesus where he was.
Picture what it would have looked like to follow the steps below when you were upset.
Write about what that might have looked like.
Steps to Allowing Jesus to Lead in Big Decisions that Have Triggered Your Emotions.
Humility the most powerful way to access the wisdom of God. It is that understanding that true wisdom and self-control come from allowing the Holy Spirit to lead you.
Recognize that you are feeling strong emotions. Check that your thoughts and desired actions are lining up with the mind of Christ.
Try the PW2 (Pray, Wait, Wise Action) Strategy before you do anything.
Breath.
Drill down to a couple of specific things that are really upsetting you.
Own your part in the problem.
Take a moment to sort through whether something else could be adding to the strong emotion. (Are you having a stressful day?)
Pray and thank God for good things that happened today.
Ask Holy Spirit to fill you with peace and to give you a wise action.
Do not act until you feel Holy Spirit's leading, rather than emotion.
Beware: strong emotions can put sinful behavior patterns in the lead.
Hate, revenge, blasting someone on social media or telling them off in person is out of bounds in the God's kingdom.
It is best not to do anything or the bare minimum required, if you are feeling towards another person. It will be hard to show self-control when you're emotions are spinning out of control.
Scriptures to Help You Stay with Holy Spirit
Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. Matthew 6:33 NIV
Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, Proverbs 3:13 NIV
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. James 3:17 NIV
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10 NIV
“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
Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. Proverbs 25:28 NIV
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. Romans 6:12-13
Mental Health Minute: Your Inner World pgs. 86-87
Letting Jesus lead doesn’t mean we stop thinking for ourselves, rather it means we learn to trust His wisdom over our impulses, fears, and pressure from others. Each day, pause and reflect honestly using one or two of these questions.
Where did I pause today and ask Jesus what He wanted before I made a decision?
What choice did I make today that showed trust in God rather than trust in myself?
Was there a moment when I knew what the right thing was, but didn’t want to do it? What got in the way?
What emotions made it harder to let Jesus lead today—fear, anxiety, pride, insecurity, or pressure to fit in?
Did I seek God’s guidance through prayer, Scripture, or wise counsel today? If not, what stopped me?
How did letting Jesus lead affect my peace, mood, or stress level today?
Where did I rush ahead instead of waiting on God? What did that reveal about my heart?
What voices competed with God’s voice today (friends, social media, my own thoughts)?
What would it look like tomorrow to slow down enough to notice where God is leading me?
What is one area of my life where I struggle most to give Jesus control—and why
Jesus, today I let You lead me when I ________. Tomorrow, help me trust You more in ________.”
Leader Discussion Prompts
Letting God Lead (vs. People Pleasing)
Opening Questions (Get Them Talking)
When do you feel the most pressure to care about what other people think? (School, friends, social media, family, etc.)
Why do you think it’s so easy to fall into people pleasing, even when we know better?
What’s the difference between healthy accountability and people pleasing?
Understanding the Heart Behind It
In the Podcast, Kelly shared that social media can make her feel vulnerable when posts don’t get the response she expected.
Have you ever felt something similar? What did it make you think or feel?
What kinds of thoughts go through your mind when you feel unseen, ignored, or not “good enough”?
How can those thoughts start to influence your decisions or behavior?
Letting God Lead vs. Following the Crowd
Have you ever done something just because it was what others expected—even if it didn’t feel right? What happened?
Why is it sometimes hard to follow God’s lead when it looks different from what everyone else is doing?
What are some “trends” or pressures in your world that could pull you away from what God is calling you to do?
Reflecting on the Story
In the story, Kelly realized she wrote a whole book God never asked her to write.
What stands out to you about that moment when God said, “I never asked you to do that”?
Have you ever been on a path that looked right but didn’t feel like where God was leading you?
What can happen when we follow a “formula” instead of following Jesus personally?
Emotions & Awareness
What emotions tend to lead you off track the most? (Fear, comparison, insecurity, pressure, etc.)
How can emotions be helpful? When can they become harmful if they lead our decisions?
What does it look like to “check yourself” and remember who is really in charge?
Practicing Surrender
What does it actually mean to let Jesus lead your life on a daily basis?
What is one area of your life right now where it’s hard to let God be in control? Why?
How can you pause and invite God into your decisions this week in a practical way?
Identity & Calling
Kelly shared that her calling is unique and doesn’t follow a traditional path.
Why is it important to understand that God’s plan for your life might look different from others?
How can comparing your path to someone else’s keep you from fully stepping into your calling?
Closing Reflection
What is one situation this week where you want to choose God’s voice over other people’s opinions?
Finish this sentence:
“This week, I will let Jesus lead me by ________.”
Leader Tip (Optional to Include)
If the group is quiet, share a personal example of a time you struggled with people pleasing. Vulnerability from the leader often gives girls permission to open up.
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Simple Bible Study for Teens
I totally understand how that works. As a teen who always overthinks about everything, I feel like I lose control. After reading this, it makes me realize that I need to keep adding God into everything that I’m going through and doing so I don’t feel so overwhelmed and stressed all the time.