Jesus sees the world differently than we do: somehow, even in the face of difficulties, Jesus claimed that he had “overcome” the world. What would believing that look like in our lives? How would tying ourselves to Jesus’ victory change our perspective on our current challenging circumstances? In this first week of our 4-week series, we’ll kick off the fall by looking at how one of Jesus’ disciples, John, was inspired by Jesus to live a life fully committed to overcoming and teaches us to do the same. Watch Full Service Discussion Guide To view a .docx version of this guide, click here. Before we begin, let’s take a quiet moment and pray for God’s direction of our time together. Then we’ll take a couple of minutes to go around and share where we’ve seen God at work in our lives this week. Introduction As we begin the Fall season, many of us are already faced with challenges. Life is like that! It can feel intimidating, uncertain, and sometimes even scary. We face things at work, at home, in relationships, with our finances, and in our own thoughts that can leave us wondering, How am I going to get through this? Fear can make our problems look bigger and ourselves look smaller. Sometimes it even convinces us that we’re defeated before we’ve begun. Jesus offers us a different way to see our circumstances. He never promises that life will be easy or that we won’t experience fear, disappointment, or pain. Instead, he tells us something much more powerful: “Take heart! I have overcome the world.” Connect Let’s start our discussion time with some “get-to-know-you” questions. What difficult thing did you learn to do that once seemed impossible?When facing something difficult, are you more likely to jump right in or think about it for a long time first?Who helps you feel more courageous? Opening When we face something difficult, our instinct is often to search for courage inside ourselves. Be stronger. Think positively. Push through. But biblical courage starts somewhere different. Throughout the Bible, people find courage by remembering who God is, what he has already done, and what he says is true about them. Their circumstances may still be difficult, but they begin to see those circumstances differently. Following Jesus doesn’t mean denying what we are facing. It means learning to see our present difficulties in light of what we know to be true about Jesus. This leads us to our main idea for the week: Through Jesus, we can overcome our present difficulties. Unpack Read each set of verses out loud as a group, making observations as you go. Afterward, discuss each of the connected questions before moving to the next set of verses. Read 2 Chronicles 20:12–17 In this passage, the ancient King Jehoshaphat and his people face an enemy they know they cannot defeat on their own. Instead of pretending to be stronger than they are, they turn their attention toward God. What stands out to you about the statement, “We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help”?What does God tell them about the battle they are facing?What is the difference between trusting God for victory and simply trying to convince ourselves that everything will work out?Where in your life might you need to say, “I don’t know what to do, but I’m looking to you for help”? Read Psalm 46:1–3, 10–11 In this passage, the writer imagines circumstances that feel completely out of control, so the writer turns to God. What images does the writer use to describe a world that feels unstable?What do you think “Be still, and know that I am God” means in the context of this psalm?How can fear cause us to connect difficult circumstances with defeat?What would it look like to see one of your present difficulties through the truth of who God is? Read: John 16:31–33 In this passage, Jesus prepares his closest followers for difficult times ahead. coming. What does Jesus honestly tell his followers they should expect?What does Jesus promise they can experience even while facing difficulties?What is the difference between saying, “Everything will be okay,” and saying, “Jesus has overcome the world”?What could it look like this week to live as an overcomer before your circumstances have changed? Action Step This is where we take what we’ve discussed and put it into practice! Read the action steps below and discuss how you can live them out this week in practical ways. Call out one of your biggest hurdles and recast it as “overcome.” Identify one difficulty that has been taking up a lot of space in your mind. What “defeatist” story have you been telling yourself about it? Bring that hurdle honestly to Jesus. You don’t need to pretend that it isn’t difficult or turn off unpleasant feelings. Instead, practice seeing that difficulty in light of Jesus’ victory: Jesus, you have overcome. ...
続きを読む
一部表示
2026/10/1835 分