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.