Week Seven Small Group Discussion

Don’t feel like you have to make it through every question. Find the few that the Lord is clearly using to speak to the group. Don’t be afraid of silence, and encourage everyone to share if they are willing. A great group leader is a great listener.

• Can you think of a lie you have been telling yourself about your life, your family, or your future? If so, put to memory a verse from the Bible that crushes that lie with the truth.

• Do you ever catch yourself using hopeless phrases like “always” (ex: you always let me down), “never” (ex: I’m never going to be happy), etc.? Pay very close attention to your words this week as they reflect what is really happening in your heart.

• In what areas of your life have you been relying too much on your own abilities or resources, and how can you shift towards a more God-reliant attitude?

• Can you think of a time when you recognized that your self-reliance was insufficient and that turning to God or your community led to a better outcome?

• Are the following statements “Truth? Or Snare?”
      A. “I need to protect myself from people who have hurt me & caused me pain.
      B. “I need to avoid sinful places & people so that I don’t fall into sin.”

• Do you have a tender heart towards the Lord and want to please and obey Him in all of your ways? If not, it could be the first step down a slippery slope.

• Is that an area of disobedience in your life? Ask God to search your heart - even if it seems small or insignificant, we want to avoid a path of compromise.

• Regarding what you say, and how you act (ex: being kind to one another), have you disobeyed God’s Holy Word? The Good News is, we can change. Repent and turn back to a loving and forgiving God.

• Consider a time when your circumstances looked nothing like you thought or dreamed or possibly believed God intended. How did you respond?

• Romans 8:28 doesn’t say that all things are good, but that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Can you describe a situation when you realized God was at work even though you didn’t see it in the moment?

• Discuss some lies you might possibly believe from the times and situations presented in the last two questions. Help one another to determine the truth. Take time to pray through these lies, repenting of any unbelief and declaring the truth of God’s word.