Welcome back to Journey of Faith! We are about to embark on our second level of this experience. We believe, now that you've experienced Level One, this second level is going to profoundly impact you to take your walk with God to the next level.

• Week 1: Introduction to Level Two
• Week 2: Winning the War in Your Mind
• Week 3: Effective Faith
• Week 4: God's Provision
• Week 5: Unhealthy Soul Ties
• Week 6: Breaking Generational Cycles
• Week 7: Fasting
• Week 8: Led by the Holy Spirit
• Week 9: Sharing Your Faith
• Week 10: The Authority of the Believer
• Week 11: Graduation and Celebration

Please label your material with your name and bring it weekly.

• Attend at least one service on Sunday (9:00 am or 11:15 am).
• Be open and transparent with your small group.
• Be consistent with your attendance — 3 attendance misses are permitted to still graduate.

• We can't walk in victory and freedom if we allow our problems to appear bigger than God in our minds.
• God can't get any bigger than He already is, but we can make Him bigger or smaller in our lives by how we view Him.
• If we want strong, lasting faith, we have to learn to stop allowing negative, fearful thoughts to consume our minds.
• We are to remove and resist any thoughts that challenge the Word and bring those thoughts into captivity to obey the Word of God.

• Conformed: formed, shaped, and influenced by.
• When we accepted Christ, our spirit was saved but our mind was not — it still needs to be transformed and renewed by God regularly.
• We must allow God to change our thinking, and our lives will change through that process.

• We fight a spiritual war with spiritual weapons — minds fortified by the Word of God that tear down any mental strongholds contradicting it.
• We can't just cast down a negative thought with a positive thought; we cast it down with the Word of God, even speaking God's truth verbally as a prayer or declaration.
• To win, we first remove the fear-based strongholds and replace them with faith-based beliefs, fortifying our minds by remaining in the Word.

• God uses faith-filled people to build us up and strengthen us.
• Satan uses fearful, unbelieving people to try to thwart the plan of God or the victory in which we're walking (see Matthew 16:23).
• Even as believers, we can slip into unbelief, so we must always evaluate what we're allowing ourselves to think and believe.

• We are living today in what we said and believed yesterday, and tomorrow is waiting to hear what we speak and believe today.
• It's not what others believe that is the deciding factor; it's what we believe.
• Our circumstances and feelings do not dictate what we believe — we believe what God says and base our present and future on His promises.

• The Bible contains the answers we need to every problem we face.
• Hearing the Word on certain subjects creates faith in our lives to believe that we can overcome.
• As we draw closer to God, we may face more trouble. Since Satan can't steal the Word of God, he sends trouble to rob us from receiving it — because the Word is the source of his defeat.

• Satan will use trials and troubles in an attempt to get us to give up on our faith.
• Not every problem is from Satan — our own sins and bad decisions can bring trouble, so we take an honest look, repent, and move forward in victory.
• When we face troubles, we must activate our faith, because faith is a worker! We let our faith get to work against every problem.

• The promises of God are like legal evidence — our title deed — guarantees upon which we can base any decision.
• It's easy to say "seeing is believing," but faith says "believing is seeing!"
• The written Word of God is always the perfect will of God; where our lives don't line up with it, we have the Word to conform to or apply.

• If God's Word gives us direction, we must be people who do what His Word says.
• Our feelings, experiences, and opinions do not dictate what we believe — God's Word does.
• When culture says one thing and God's Word says another, we trust God's Word over culture. Obedience brings blessing and the favor of God.

• Some of the greatest blessings and miracles we experience are on the other side of patience.
• Just as a tree takes time to grow, what we believe for by faith starts as a seed but grows as we remain in Jesus.

"The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof." God provides because He owns it all. Following this lesson, consider one thing you can do differently as a good steward of the resources God has given you — trusting God and becoming a cheerful giver in the Kingdom.

• Worry is the response of unbelievers, who have taken on all the responsibility to provide for themselves and seek the things of the world first.
• Faith is the response of believers. We seek first the Kingdom, and all that we need is added to us — knowing He is Jehovah Jireh, the God who sees us and provides (Genesis 22:14).
• If He clothes the flowers and feeds the sparrows, surely our provision will be supplied. God is our source. Declare Psalm 23:1: "The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing."

• As Lord, He must be first even in our finances. God is not after our pockets or bank accounts — He desires our hearts. Giving allows God's hand of provision and protection to be active in our lives.
• God wants us to prosper and have good health in every area (3 John 1:2). Debt is unhealthy because it brings worry and limits what we can do for the Kingdom.
• God wants us to walk in obedience, even in our giving, so we can live a blessed and abundant life (Deuteronomy 5:33).

God has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3), and He wants to make us a blessing to others. Obedient, cheerful givers experience favor, blessing, and multiplication in the resources God has placed in their hands.

As Christians, we have been given a reborn spirit, but we are also flesh with a soul. The soul is our mind, emotions, and will. Even with a reborn spirit, our soul can be attached to things and people that are either healthy and godly, or unhealthy and ungodly.

Our soul was created by God to be tied and to have strong bonds. When we tie our soul to people or things to please the flesh, it always produces death; but when we tie our soul to what pleases God, it brings life to all we do.

• A healthy soul tie occurs when the mind, will, and emotions are tied to someone or something for the purpose of fulfilling God's plan — with a selfless motive, not a selfish one.
• Examples: a married couple both serving and loving God; a healthy friendship where both have each other's best interest at heart; a job where we are treated well; healthy family dynamics that support one another.

• Unhealthy ties form when we tie ourselves to something or someone to comfort and satisfy our flesh. They always have a selfish motive — anger, lust, gossip, pride, jealousy, or selfishness.
• They most often form when we are in a spiritual deficit with God — our strongest soul tie should be with Him.
• Examples: unhealthy relationships, money and materialism, sex and pornography, alcohol and drugs, approval from people, and obsessing over something or someone.
• Signs: it's hard to forget a person or place, you're influenced or tormented by someone from your past, inability to trust, excessive thought devoted to someone or somewhere else, or controlling / being controlled by others.

• Recognize the soul tie and the void you've been trying to fill with it.
• Repent if the tie has caused you to sin or harmed your relationship with God.
• Release yourself and others — forgive, without shame; sharing with a trusted person can help you release it more fully.
• Remove yourself from the comfort of the tie — withdraw from that person, place, or habit.
• Pray — give everything to God, and He will help you heal.

A sample prayer: "Lord, I break my unhealthy soul tie with ______. I release myself from that/them and release that/them from me. I forgive them, I forgive myself, and I release that tie from my life. Cleanse my mind, my memories, and my emotions, for I believe I am truly free because of Your sacrifice. In Jesus' name, every tactic of Satan to keep me in an unhealthy soul tie is broken right now. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen!"

When we are surrounded by the personal sins or habits of our parents or family, it is easy to become inclined to follow the same habits we observed growing up. When we keep practicing these sins, they become cycles — even spiritual strongholds — that we must confront.

Trends of thinking and actions that seem to pass from generation to generation — from a simple "My father had a temper, and so do I," to the more destructive "Everyone in my family ends up an alcoholic." They are innumerable, so we must be diligent to identify them in our own lives, big or small.

• Violence and murder passed down — David killed Uriah (2 Samuel 11); David's son killed his own brother (2 Samuel 13:23–33).
• Sexual perversion passed down — David committed adultery (2 Samuel 11:1–5); his sons had issues with perversion (2 Samuel 13:6–14).
• Lies and deceit passed down — David deceived to cover his adultery; his son Amnon deceived and harmed his sister; Absalom deceived and killed his brother (2 Samuel 13).
• The generational cycles of David — perversion and violence — were passed on to the next generation.

• Materialism (idolizing objects, acquiring more)
• Love of money (serving money instead of God)
• Sexual sin (lust, sex before marriage, pornography)
• Addictions (alcohol, prescription drugs, food, media, gossip)
• Fear (of failure, rejection, others' opinions, anxiety, worry)
• Pride (self-importance, arrogance, a judgmental spirit)
• Negative thought patterns (pessimism, double-mindedness, prejudice)
• Rebellion (stubbornness toward God and others, disrespect)
• Anger (bitterness, resentment, rage, unforgiveness)
• Physical / mental illness (accepting sickness as a way of life)
• Broken relationships (divorce, abandonment, fatherlessness)

• Review — take a close look at our past, not to place blame, but to take responsibility and work toward freedom.
• Recognize — identify and uncover destructive habits and behaviors in our lives.
• Repent — take responsibility in prayer and turn away from the cycle, trusting God to change us.

• Replace the old cycle with a healthy one — not just for us personally, but for our family.
• Speaking a cycle aloud to a trusted person or your Journey of Faith group (when you're ready) helps release its grip over you.
• Work diligently to overcome it — study Scripture on the topic, find an accountability partner, read, or see a Christian counselor.

Scripture places the responsibility of teaching our children on the parents, not the pastor or school. If we demonstrate that church is optional to us, God will seem optional to them. It's God's will for us to do whatever it takes to get our families into His presence.

Fasting means refraining from eating food or drinking water for a certain period of time to seek God and connect with Him in a deeper spiritual experience.

• Jesus assumed His disciples would fast — it involves the right motives and setting aside the time (the WHEN).
• Do not be like the Pharisees (religious hypocrites) who fast only to be seen in public and appear holy.
• Fasting is respected and rewarded by God when done privately. We can fast alongside another person or corporately with our church family — but not broadcast it for attention.

• "When you fast" points to a secret place — a physical space set apart in our home, like a closet or spare room, that becomes a sanctuary where we meet with God.
• Include prayer, Bible reading, and worship in your time of fasting so you focus on God, not on how hungry you are.
• The secret place we prepare shows we have removed distractions and responded to the invitation to get alone with God to know Him better.

• Fast with expectation — believing we'll receive wisdom, a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit, or a situation turned around that was impossible for man but not for God.
• When we fast in secret, we believe God rewards openly. Often the reward is obedience and worship itself — a healthy mindset, uncommon favor, provision, or reconciliation with a loved one.
• Impressing people is not the reward — our audience is One. We fast to please the Lord, not to seek the applause of men.

• Biblical fasting can be an absolute fast (no food or water), a short-term fast (1–3 days), or a partial fast (e.g. the 21-Day Daniel Fast).
• Fasting is a frequent, ongoing discipline that brings breakthrough, direction, healing, and deliverance — and helps us know God in a deeper way.

The Holy Spirit is not feelings, good memories, a cosmic force, or energy. He is a person — the third person of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — active and very personal. In fact, Jesus said it was better that He left so He could send the Holy Spirit to be with us.

For a believer, walking in step with the Holy Spirit is not optional; it is a necessity. When we walk closely with God, we live the full life He designed for us.

• How often should we pray? — on all occasions.
• What kind of prayers and requests? — all kinds.
• Who should we keep praying for? — all the Lord's people.

Can we bear good fruit without the Holy Spirit? No. What do we do to bear good fruit? Remain in the Vine.

• We can depend on the Holy Spirit for anything we face — He does the spiritual work of transformation.
• His direction will ALWAYS line up with the Word of God. If it doesn't line up with Scripture, it isn't from Him.
• He speaks in a still, small voice (1 Kings 19:11), so depending on Him means making every effort to hear His voice.
• Busyness is one of the greatest enemies to depending on the Holy Spirit — to depend on Him is to make room in our minds and hearts for Him to speak and move.

Our faith was never meant to be a private experience we never share, but something that overflows out of our lives to reach a lost world. Jesus shows us how public our faith should be (Matthew 28:19–20).

• We take on the heart of God — not leaving it to someone else, but making the sharing of the gospel a regular part of our own lives.
• Think about how you came to Christ. Aren't you glad someone took the time to share with you and invite you?
• We must never get comfortable with the miracle of salvation and how desperately people need it.

• To disciple means to train and teach others in the way of Christ. Discipleship happens anytime a disciple is with a disciple.
• Jesus discipled 12 men who trained others, and the world was forever transformed.

A simple goal: lead 12 people to Christ in a year, and challenge each of them to do the same — 12 → 144 → 1,728 → 20,736 → 248,832. That number nears the size of the city of Orlando! What a move of God we'd see if every believer committed to sharing their faith and discipling others.

You don't need to answer every argument — people won't argue with your story. One simple way to form and share it is The Why, the How, the Now:

• The Why — Why did you need God to change your life? What was life like before God?
• The How — How did He enter your heart? How did you come to give your life to Christ?
• The Now — What does your life look like now? Give God the glory, and ask if they'd like to meet the God you know.

Authority — the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience; and the power to influence the conduct and actions of others.

• By the authority of Christ's position, we have forgiveness, salvation, and redemption. By His authority we are called, commanded, and commissioned.
• The authority (right) of the believer is received in submission to the authority (Lordship) of Jesus Christ.

"Christ" is not a last name — it is His unique redemptive office as Messiah, the Anointed One (Christos), Savior of the world. We are positioned in Christ to have authority over the devil.

Believers have divine permission to believe and live out anything the Word says they can do or have. Those who live by the authority of the Word let God's Word govern their hearts and minds.

Jesus spoke the Word with authority and impossible situations changed. The spoken Word is authoritative, living, and powerful — it brings healing and salvation and can bind and drive out evil spirits.

No matter the enemy's chatter, tricks, schemes, and opposition, the devil does not have the upper hand. God is sovereign and reigns supreme. In the name of Jesus, we have authority to put Satan, sin, and sickness to flight — in our own lives and in the lives of others.

Congratulations! You have completed Journey of Faith — Level Two.

Over these eleven weeks you learned to win the war in your mind, to walk in effective faith, to trust God's provision, to break unhealthy soul ties and generational cycles, to fast and seek God, to be led by the Holy Spirit, to share your faith, and to walk in the authority of the believer. You are being prepared for all God has next.

This is not the end of your journey — it is a step deeper into it. Level Three awaits, where you'll begin to prepare for greater leadership and to become a disciple maker.