I Give Up Bible Study Guide: The Secret Joy of a Surrendered Life

By Laura Story

Recording artist and bestselling author Laura Story demonstrates the unexpected joy found when we surrender it all to God and simply give up.

It's natural to want to be in control. Most of us can't easily accept the idea of giving up that control. But when your need for peace surpasses your desire to be in command of your life, God—who truly uses all things for our good—demonstrates how much we can trust him. The very act of completely surrendering our will to his can become the one act that will change your life forever. 

In the I Give Up Bible Study Guide (DVD/digital video sold separately), Laura uses a combination of Bible stories and personal experiences to teach you and your group what true surrender is—and what it's not: 

• Surrender does not come naturally to any of us. 
• Surrender is not acquiescing to an enemy who wants to dominate us. 
• Surrender is not "My will be done!" 
• Surrender makes it impossible for you, and the people around you, to stay the same. 

 

Though surrender sometimes flies in the face of our instincts, hopes, and dreams, it's never without benefit as God leads us into his peace that surpasses understanding. As Laura found in her own life, a surrendered life includes the surprise of a truly full and satisfying existence where trust is reasonable, reconciliation possible, and relationships can finally heal. 

Sessions include: 

1. What Is Surrender Anyway?  
2. God's Character Matters  
3. Giving In and Up  
4. Being Transformed  
5. The Ripple Effect of Surrender  

 

 Designed for use with the I Give Up Video Study available on DVD or streaming video, sold separately. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Jul 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9780310103882

Laura Story

Laura Story is a wife, mother, songwriter, worship leader, author, artist, and Bible teacher. Her songs—which have won Grammys, Billboard Music Awards, and Dove Awards—include “Blessings” and Chris Tomlin’s “Indescribable.” She is the bestselling author of two books and Bible studies, When God Doesn’t Fix It and I Give Up. Laura has a master of theological studies and a doctorate in worship studies, and has served as a worship leader at Perimeter Church in Atlanta since 2005. Her greatest joy is being a wife to Martin and mother to Josie, Ben, Griffin, and Timothy.

Book preview

How to Use This Guide

The I Give Up video study is designed to be experienced in a group setting such as a Bible study, Sunday school class, or any small group gathering. Each session begins with a brief talk about it question to get you and the group engaged and thinking about the topic. You will then watch the video with Laura Story and jump into some directed small-group Bible study and discussion questions. Even though there are many questions available for your small group, don’t feel that you have to use them all. Your leader will focus on the ones that resonate most with your group and guide you from there.

Each person in the group should have his or her own study guide, which includes video notes, small-group discussion questions, and daily personal studies to deepen learning between sessions. Participants are also strongly encouraged to have a copy of the I Give Up book. Reading the book alongside the curriculum provides even deeper insights that make the journey richer and more meaningful.

If you want to get the most out of your experience, you need to keep a couple of things in mind. First, note that the real growth in this study will happen during your small-group time. This is where you will process the content of Laura’s message, ask questions, and learn from others as you listen to what God is doing in their lives. For this reason, it is important to be committed to the group and attend each session so you can build trust and rapport with the other members of your group.

Second, resist the temptation to fix a problem someone might be having or to correct his or her theology. That’s not what this time is for. In addition, make sure you keep everything your group shares confidential. All this will foster a rewarding sense of community in your small group and give God’s Spirit some space to heal, challenge, and engineer life transformation.

Following your group time, you can maximize the impact of the course with additional study between the sessions. For each session, you may wish to complete the personal study all in one sitting or to spread it out over a few days. Note that if you are unable to finish (or even start!) your between-sessions personal study, still attend the group study video session. We are all busy, and life happens. You are still wanted and welcome at the group even if you don’t have your homework done.

We All Love Happy Endings

From our youngest days we love stories. Even if we don’t think about it consciously, we each have a sense of the story arc. If the story begins, Once upon a time, we expect it to end with the words, And they lived happily ever after. Stories that end in victory inspire us and capture our hearts and imaginations.

Most of are not drawn to books, movies, or stories that are sure to end in defeat or disaster. We are not drawn to a narrative that focuses on surrender. We want epic victory. We celebrate winning.

When it comes to the story of Jesus, we all know it ends in a story of victory and overcoming—but that isn’t the way his story begins. The path to his victory was marked by surrender, suffering, and loss. In the beginning of the Jesus’ earthly ministry everyone knew that being a Christian demanded these same things. Jesus made this clear when he called people to become his followers.

Then he said to them all: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

LUKE 9:23–24 NIV

Think about the vision Jesus placed before common fishermen, tax collectors, farmers, and people from every walk of life. Be ready to deny yourself! Prepare to take up a cross . . . the tool of execution used in the Roman empire in the time of Jesus. Follow my will and plan, not your own. Be willing to lose your life. Wow! This sounds like a call to radical surrender.

These days there are many renditions of what people think following Jesus looks like. Some people see him as the one who promises to meet all of their earthly needs, fulfill their dreams, and assure them of painless days filled with endless