Ripple Effects Study Questions: Chapter Four

Ripple Effects by Pam Tebow

Chapter Four

1. After sharing with us about when God told her that she and and her family needed to move to the Philippines, Pam asks us, “How would you process an outrageous and unexpected prompting from the Lord?” (p. 49)
   1. “I felt as if I were in a tug-of-war with God that night, asking questions, but receiving no answers.” – Pam Tebow, page 50
      • Have you ever felt like you’ve been in a tug-of-war with God? Who won? How did that work out?
   2. She may not have gotten immediate answers to her practical questions, but she did have two verses from Jeremiah come to mind that gave her “much-needed courage for that moment and for months to come.” (p. 50)
      • Have you ever practiced the spiritual discipline of Scripture memorization?
        • If so, has it ever blessed you the way it did Pam?
        • If not, are you willing to give it a try?
        • What do you imagine that might look like in your day-to-day life?
2. “Put simply, faith is trusting God, even when we don’t have a clue how his plan will unfold. And a trust relationship grows only one way: by making the choice to trust.” – Pam Tebow, page 50
   1. Have you decided to trust God against the external odds? What did that look like in your life and in the actions and reactions of the people around you?
   2. “Faith is like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the bigger it becomes.” Bob Tebow, p. 50
      • Have you experienced this growth of faith through an exercise of trust?
      • If not with faith, how about love? Have you ever chosen to trust in someone’s declaration of love for you when your feelings told you otherwise?
3. “During this huge transition in our lives,” Pam says of their move to the Philippines, “I realized that my attitude would directly impact my children’s attitudes, so I determined to exercise my faith muscles and be positive.” She continues on to explain that “Mothers do not need to search for someone to influence. We have an audience who will mimic us, whether we want them to or not.” (pp. 53-54)
   1. Think of a time one of your kids copied something you said or did and you found it highly embarrassing. Or, if your child(ren) aren’t old enough, try to remember back to a time you embarrassed one of your parents by copying them.
      • Have you ever heard or found yourself saying something to the effect of “Do as I say, not as I do?”
      • How has that worked out?
4. “The enemy knows our weaknesses, fears, and doubts. He appeals to our desire to know how our story ends before we finish the first chapter. Should we put down the challenging book we are living out and try to write our own version?” – Pam Tebow, page 55
   1. What do you think Pam is saying here?
   2. “Don’t give the enemy access to your pen or computer to finish your story. Remember that even challenges can be moments of influence. People in your sphere are watching you. They need to see if you can trust your God when your world falls apart.” (p. 56)
      • Think back in your own life to where you saw someone trust or not trust God during a crisis.
        • What did their faith (or lack thereof) do to you?
        • Did it build your faith or not? Perhaps, it inspired you to do the exact opposite?
        • Now, think about your current circumstances. Do you need to spend some time unearthing any lies you’ve taken for fact and asking God to replace those lies with His truth? (2 Cor. 10:4-5)
5. “When we remember that God is our Master, we can trust Him to guide our every step. And when we do, our children and others who watch us will be encouraged to trust Him too.” – Pam Tebow, page 59
   1. Don’t answer out loud. Just take a few minutes to read and re-read the quotes above. Then ask yourself if you really, truly believe it. If not, ask God to help you get there. He’s faithful and He loves you.

 

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