Series: Survivor / Week 3 (10/18-10/25)
Big Idea:
Satan wants control of our lives, but our greatest victory comes when we surrender control to Jesus!
ICEBREAKER
What’s one thing you absolutely HAVE to be in control of? (The TV remote, thermostat, driving, vacation plans, or how the dishwasher gets loaded!)
DISCUSS
Satan’s Target — Our Will
Read Proverbs 16:18
“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
1. Why do you think our desire to have things OUR way can become spiritually dangerous?
2. What are some areas where we struggle to surrender our will to God?
Satan’s Weapon — Pride
Read 1 Peter 5:5–6
“All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’; Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”
3. How can pride quietly influence our decisions, relationships, and spiritual lives?
4. What’s the difference between being confident in who God made you to be and becoming prideful?
Satan’s Purpose — Independence from God
Read 2 Samuel 11:1–5 (David and Bathsheba)
David’s first look may have been accidental, but what he did afterward was intentional.
5. How can one seemingly small compromise lead to much bigger consequences?
6. What are some warning signs that we're beginning to live independently from God’s direction?
Our Defense — Surrender Control to God
Read Philippians 2:9–11
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
7. Why is surrendering control to Jesus a sign of strength rather than weakness?
8. What is one area of your life where God may be asking you to step aside and let Him lead?
GET PERSONAL:
Pastor reminded us:
“Satan’s greatest victory is not simply getting us to do something wrong. It’s getting us to believe we don’t need God!”
9. Are you allowing Jesus to be LORD of your life, or are you simply allowing Him to be PART of your life?
This Week’s Challenge:
Identify one area where you’ve been holding on to control. Commit to surrendering it to God through prayer, repentance, and obedience.
PRAYER
Pray that God would reveal areas of pride, rebellion, or self-reliance in our hearts. Ask Him to give us the humility and courage to surrender our will to His, trusting that His plans are always better than our own.
Series: Survivor / Week 2 (10/11-10/18)
ICEBREAKER
What's something you could easily do 10–20 years ago that your body would NEVER forgive you for doing today?
Maybe sleeping on the floor, staying up all night, eating whatever you wanted, playing basketball without stretching, or getting out of bed without making a sound!
TRANSITION
Last week, we learned that Satan attacks our MINDS through deception. This week, we discovered that he also wants to attack our BODIES through suffering, exhaustion, temptation, and discouragement.
But here's the good news: Satan may try to wear us down, but God's grace gives us the strength to keep going!
The enemy wants us to believe his lies, because if he can corrupt what we BELIEVE, he can affect how we LIVE.
DISCUSS
READ 1 Corinthians 6:19–20
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”Christ.”
The message reminds us that our bodies are God's temple, God's tool, and God's treasure.
1. How should knowing that our bodies belong to God change the way we care for ourselves and use our lives to serve Him?
The message says, “When the body gets exhausted, we can become easier to distract, discourage, tempt, and defeat.”
2. What are some warning signs that you're running on empty?
READ Romans 12:1
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
3. What does it practically look like to honor God with your body in your everyday routines, habits, and choices?
The message reminds us that suffering can come from living in a broken world, personal mistakes, or the testing of our faith.
4. Why is it important to understand that not every difficulty means we've done something wrong or that God is punishing us?
GET PERSONAL:
READ James 5:11
“As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”
Job experienced unimaginable suffering but continued trusting God.
5. Why is trusting God often hardest when life doesn't make sense?
The enemy wants us to become impatient with God when our prayers aren't answered the way—or as quickly—as we'd like.
6. Where do you find it hardest to wait on God's timing?
READ 2 Corinthians 12:9
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”
God didn't remove Paul's struggle, but He promised to give him the grace to endure it.
7. What does it mean to depend on God's strength instead of your own?
8. Is there an area of your life right now where you need to stop trying to be strong enough and start trusting that God's grace is enough?
GET PRACTICAL:
9. What's one practical change you could make this week to better care for the body God has given you?
This week, focus on two things:
1. CARE FOR YOUR BODY. Make one intentional choice to honor God physically. Get adequate rest, eat better, exercise, or address something you've been neglecting.
2. TRUST GOD IN YOUR TRIAL. Identify one situation where you've been discouraged or impatient with God. Instead of trying to control the outcome, surrender it to Him and trust His grace.
REMEMBER, SATAN IS THE DESTROYER. JESUS IS THE RESTORER.
Satan wants to WEAR YOU DOWN. Jesus wants to LIFT YOU UP.
Satan wants to MAKE YOU QUIT. Jesus gives you the STRENGTH TO KEEP GOING.
The goal is to have a body surrendered to God, a mind guarded by God, and a spirit that refuses to quit!
PRAYER
Ask God to strengthen anyone facing physical challenges, exhaustion, discouragement, or difficult circumstances. Thank Him that His grace is sufficient, and ask for the faith to trust His timing, the wisdom to care for our bodies, and the perseverance to keep going even when life gets hard.
Series: Survivor / Week 1 (10/4-10/11)
ICEBREAKER
What is something completely ridiculous you believed when you were a kid?
Maybe you believed swallowing gum meant it stayed in your stomach for seven years, the car wouldn't start until everyone buckled up, the ice cream truck played music when it was out of ice cream, or your parents actually knew everything.
TRANSITION
Some lies are funny when we look back on them. Others aren’t. This week’ss message reminds us that there is a real spiritual battle taking place, and some of life’s hardest battles happen where nobody else can see them—in our minds.
The enemy wants us to believe his lies, because if he can corrupt what we BELIEVE, he can affect how we LIVE.
DISCUSS
READ 2 Corinthians 11:3
“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”
1. Why do you think the mind is such an important battleground in our spiritual lives?
The message compares Satan to a “hacker” looking for vulnerabilities in our thinking. What are some common lies that can sneak into our minds?
Maybe: I'm not good enough. I'll never change. God is disappointed in me. Nobody cares. I have to handle this myself. I'll always struggle with this.
2. Which kinds of lies do you think people are most vulnerable to believing?
READ Romans 8:6
“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”
3. What are some practical signs that your mind is being filled with fear, shame, comparison, temptation, or condemnation instead of God's truth?
4. What does a mind filled with God's life and peace look like?
THE ENEMY’S STRATEGY:
READ Genesis 3:1
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”?’”
Notice the first words: “Did God really say…?”
5. TWhy is questioning God's Word such an effective strategy?
6. Where do you hear versions of “Did God really say?” in our culture or even in your own thoughts?
The message shows a progression in Genesis 3:
QUESTION God's Word → DENY God's Word → SUBSTITUTE a lie.
7. Why do you think deception often begins with something that sounds reasonable rather than something obviously false
GET PERSONAL:
8. Without sharing anything you're uncomfortable sharing, what area of your thinking is hardest for you to keep grounded in God's truth?
· Fear?
· Your identity?
· Your future?
· Your past?
· Money?
· Relationships?
· Temptation?
· What other people think about you?
READ Proverbs 4:23
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
9. What are you currently allowing into your mind that is helping you become more like Jesus?
10. What might you need to limit, remove, or replace because it's influencing your thinking in the wrong direction?
GET PRACTICAL:
READ Hebrews 4:12
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
11. If God's Word is our defense against deception, what could you practically change this week to get more of God's Word into your mind and heart?
REMEMBER WHO YOU’RE FIGHTING:
READ Ephesians 6:12
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
12. How would remembering that people aren't the enemy change the way we respond during conflict?
PRAYER
Ask God to expose any lies you have believed and help you recognize the enemy's attempts to distort your thinking. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill your mind with God's truth and give you the strength to guard your mind, stand firm in His Word, and live from the victory Jesus has already won.
Series: Don’t Take The Bait / Week 3 (9/27-10/4)
ICEBREAKER
What is something completely insignificant that you have a ridiculously hard time letting go of?
Maybe someone changed the thermostat, ate the leftovers you were saving, moved something you had put in the perfect spot, beat you at a game, or proved you wrong about something you were sure you were right about.
TRANSITION
Throughout this series, we've learned how easily offense can become a trap. But what happens when the offense isn't something small that we can simply step over? What do we do with the hurts that genuinely changed us?
This week’s message gives us the key: FORGIVENESS IS THE KEY THAT UNLOCKS YOU FROM THE TRAP OF AN OFFENSE.
DISCUSS
READ Ephesians 4:31–32
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
1. Why do you think Paul connects getting rid of bitterness with forgiveness? What can happen when an offense is allowed to remain in our hearts?
2. The message says, “Forgiveness is the key that unlocks you from the trap of an offense.” Why can forgiveness sometimes feel harder than staying angry?
READ Matthew 18:21–22
“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’”
3. Why do you think Jesus refuses to put a limit on forgiveness?
4. Jesus tells the story of a servant whose enormous debt was completely forgiven, but that same servant refused to forgive someone who owed him much less. Why is remembering how much God has forgiven us so important when we're struggling to forgive someone else?
5. The message gives us several misconceptions about forgiveness. Which one do you think people struggle with most?
· Forgiveness is NOT saying what happened was okay.
· Forgiveness is NOT a feeling.
· Forgiveness is NOT forgetting or ignoring.
· Forgiveness is NOT the same as trust.
· Forgiveness is NOT dependent on someone saying, “I'm sorry.”
READ Matthew 18:15
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.”
6. Why is going directly to someone often harder than talking about them to someone else?
GET PRACTICAL:
6. “Forgiveness isn't a feeling. It's a decision.” Why is that distinction important?
7. How might waiting until we feel like forgiving keep us trapped?
8. The message says forgiveness and trust are two different things: forgiveness can happen in a moment, while trust often happens over time. How can understanding that difference make forgiveness easier?'
READ Romans 5:8
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
9. God didn't wait for us to get everything right before He moved toward us. How should the grace we've received from Jesus influence the grace we're willing to extend to others?
10. The message defines biblical forgiveness as “to release—to let it go.” What might it look like to say, “What you did wasn't okay, but I'm releasing the debt. You don't owe me anymore”?
PRAYER
“Jesus, what happened wasn't okay, but I don't want to carry it anymore. Just as You have forgiven me, help me forgive. I release this offense to You, and I choose freedom.”
Series: Don’t Take The Bait / Week 3 (9/20-9/27)
ICEBREAKER
When you say “I’m fine” but you’re definitely NOT fine, what gives you away every time? Do you get quiet? Give one-word answers? Clean aggressively? Slam cabinets? Avoid eye contact? Suddenly become “really tired”? Or do you make sure EVERYONE knows you’re not fine?
TRANSITION
Sometimes we think we’ve dealt with an offense simply because we haven't talked about it. We stuff it down, act like it's no big deal, and keep moving. But just because we're ignoring an offense doesn't mean we're free from it. Sometimes we carry it so long that everyone else can see the weight we're carrying before we can.
DISCUSS
1. Why do you think we sometimes choose to ignore an offense instead of dealing with it? Are we afraid of conflict? Rejection? Making things worse? Or do we simply not know what to say?
READ 1 Kings 19:9–10
“There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He replied, ‘I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.’”
2. What can Elijah's “cave” teach us about what happens when we isolate ourselves while we're hurt?
3. Why can hurt make us feel alone?
4. How can having Godly people around us help us see a situation differently?
READ 1 Kings 19:11–12
“The LORD said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”
5. What “noise” can make it difficult for us to hear God's voice when we're offended?
READ Matthew 18:15
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.”
6. Why is going directly to someone often harder than talking about them to someone else?
GET PRACTICAL:
READ Matthew 18:16–17
“But if they will not listen, take one or two others along… If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”
Jesus gives three steps: confront privately, bring in help when necessary, and involve a caring spiritual community when the issue remains unresolved.
7. What do these steps teach us about how much God values both truth and relationships?
GET PERSONAL:
You don't have to share names or details, but ask yourself:
· What offense am I carrying around?
· Have I actually dealt with it—or just ignored it?
· Is there a conversation I've been avoiding?
· Could God be asking me to take the first step toward healing?
THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE
Before you ghost them, block them, avoid them, or simply carry the offense, pray: “God, how can You use me to help bring healing?”
PRAYER
Ask Jesus to reveal any offense you've been ignoring or carrying like an “ankle weight.” Ask Him for the wisdom, courage, humility, and love to have the conversations that need to happen—and to help you pursue healing instead of hiding and reconciliation instead of avoidance.
Series: Don’t Take The Bait / Week 2 (9/13-9/20)
ICEBREAKER
What is the funniest or most harmless way you’ve ever tried to “get even” with someone? Maybe your sibling annoyed you, so you hid the remote. Your spouse ate your leftovers, so you finished their dessert. Someone scared you, so you spent the rest of the day planning how to scare them back.
TRANSITION
There is something in us that naturally wants to settle the score. When someone hurts us, we want them to understand what they did—and sometimes we want them to hurt like we hurt.
But this week's message makes an important distinction:
It’s right to want JUSTICE, but it’s wrong to take REVENGE.
DISCUSS
1. Why do you think getting even can feel so right when someone has genuinely wronged us?
2. What is the difference between JUSTICE and REVENGE? Can you want accountability for someone's actions without wanting to personally hurt them back?
Read Luke 6:27–28
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
3. Why is this teaching of Jesus so difficult to actually live out?
4. The message says revenge may feel rewarding in the moment, but it never releases us from the offense long-term. Why do you think revenge can actually keep us connected to
the person who hurt us?
Read Romans 12:17–19
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take
revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
5. What does it mean practically to “leave room” for God?
6. The message uses the picture of “tagging God in.” Where are we tempted to stay in the ring and fight battles that really belong to God?
Revenge gives us an illusion of control, but the message points out that the person who hurt us can actually begin controlling our thoughts, emotions, conversations, attitudes,and peace.
7. How can you recognize when someone who hurt you still has too much influence over your life?
8. The message says, “Revenge and trust cannot occupy the same space.” What do you think that means?
How is releasing revenge ultimately an act of trusting God?
Read Romans 12:21
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
9. What would it look like for you to overcome evil with good instead of allowing someone else’s actions to determine the kind of person you become?
10. The message gives us three challenges: NAME the person, TAG GOD IN, and REDIRECT your energy toward something good. Which of those three is the hardest for you right now—and why?
THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE
When you find yourself replaying an offense or imagining how someone should “pay” for what they did, stop and pray:
“God, I’m tagging You in. I give You this person, this situation, this hurt, and my desire to get even. I trust You with what happens next.”
Then intentionally redirect that energy toward something good.
REMEMBER
It’s right to want JUSTICE, but it’s wrong to take REVENGE.
God can handle the person who hurt you.
Jesus can heal what they did to you.
Series: Don’t Take The Bait / Week 1 (9/6-9/12)
ICEBREAKER
What is something completely harmless that annoys you WAY more than it should?
EXAMPLES:
· People who don't return their shopping cart
· Someone driving slowly in the left lane
· People who chew loudly
· Getting a text that just says “K”
· Someone leaving 3 seconds on the microwave
· People who don't use their blinker
· Your spouse squeezing the toothpaste “wrong”
· Someone taking forever to order when they’ve been standing in line for 10 minutes
TRANSITION
We laugh about the little things, but offense can become serious when we allow it to stay in our hearts. Jesus told us offenses will come. The question isn't whether we'll ever be offended; it's what we do when offense comes.
DISCUSS
1. What do you think is the difference between being hurt or offended and actually living offended?
2. The sermon compared offense to bait sitting inside a trap. Why is offense such tempting “bait”?
Read Proverbs 19:11
“A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.”
3. Why do you think overlooking an offense requires wisdom and strength, rather than weakness?
4. The message said an offense we refuse to release can eventually become bitterness. What are some signs that hurt has started turning into bitterness?
5. How can bitterness begin affecting areas of our lives that had nothing to do with the original hurt—our marriage, children, friendships, work, leadership, or relationship with God?
6. The sermon challenged us to “step over” some offenses. What does that practically look like?
7. When we don't know someone's motives, we can fill the gap with either ACCUSATION or LOVE. Which one do you naturally tend toward?
8. What would change in our relationships if we became people who intentionally assumed the best?
PRAY
Ask Jesus to reveal any offense, hurt, or bitterness you may still be holding onto. Pray for the strength to forgive, step over the offense, assume the best, and walk forward in the freedom and future God has for you.
THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE
9. Is there an offense you're carrying right now that Jesus may be asking you to finally step over and release?
When you feel yourself becoming offended this week, pause before responding and ask: “Am I about to take the bait?”
Then choose to step over the trap, assume the best, and lead with love.
REMEMBER
God’s plans for your FUTURE are too BIG to hold onto an offense from your PAST.