Using the Three Trees begins by answering the question, “What is your situation?” None of us sin in a vacuum. Every time we sin, there is a situation in which our sinful cravings were revealed: real people said and did real things at real moments in time. Or we ourselves did what we shouldn’t do or failed to do what we should. Some of the situation my be self-inflicted, or it may be completely outside our control.

But we can’t fully understand our sin and the path of repentance unless we carefully consider the circumstances in which our sin was revealed. So we start by describing the situation or trial we are facing. What happened? Who was involved? In answering these questions, it is helpful to be as specific as possible. But stick to the facts.

Here are some questions you can review with your parents to make this more concrete and clear (from How People Change by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp, pp. 119-120):

• What pressures do you regularly face?
• Where are you facing difficult circumstances?
• What temptations are you facing?
• Who are the difficult people in your life?
• When do you feel alone or misunderstood?
• What (or who) do you try to hide from or avoid?
• When are you tempted to say you are “fine” when you are not?

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