Group Guide

October 9th, 2022

This Week's City 7:

Encourage them to commit to memory!

3. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Since “all have sinned” and the “wages of sin is death,” Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the fine for my sin so I could be right with God.
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)

Ice-Breaker:

What do you think about every kid getting a trophy? How are kids' sports different today than when you were growing up?

Discussion Questions:

In Luke 11, we see the crowds trying to poke holes in Jesus ministry. They couldn't possibly deny the miracles they had seen with their own eyes, so they had to try to tear it down in another way by suggesting He was in cahoots with satan. If they were to admit that it was the power of God at work among them, then they would have to concede that Jesus was who He said He was... God incarnate. They just couldn't bring themselves to give Him credit. We can actually do the same thing in our lives. Many times we fail to give God credit for blessings, answered prayers or miracles that are right under our noses. What are some things in your life that could be God moving or answering prayers but you have failed to give Him credit and glory?
In verse 23, Jesus says, "Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me." What is He saying here? When it comes to Jesus, there can be no neutrality. You are either with Him or against Him. So, in the Kingdom of God, there ARE winners and losers. There are only two groups of people: those who are with Christ and those who are against Him; those who are God’s, and those who are Satan’s; those who are in the kingdom of light, and those who are in the kingdom of darkness; those who are righteous and those who are unrighteous; the “saints” and the “ain’ts”. This stark contrast should bring into focus an urgency to know that we, and our friends and family, are on the right side. How much thought do you give to the eternal security of those you love? Who should you be praying for and reaching out to? How do we grow our level of concern for lost souls?
Have someone read Luke 11:24-26. What is Jesus saying here? There are two possibilities. One is that Jesus is describing what actually happens when a demon-possessed person is delivered from a demon. If that person does not ask the Lord to come in and take control, they're going to end up worse than they were before. Another possibility is that Jesus was using this metaphorically to speak of the nation of Israel and us. Jesus came knocking on the door of the house of Israel, but they would have nothing to do with Him. They instead chose religion and moralism. We can often be guilty of the very same mentality. Moralism can be defined as the belief that the Gospel can be reduced to improvements in behavior. Moralism and religion can lead us into a false security that all is well with God when it actually isn't. Has there been a time in your life when you thought you were right with God but, looking back, it's clear you weren't? Might that describe you now?
The first takeaway from Sunday was, "The enemy is defeated." Satan may have a long chain, but he's still chained. He can cause SOME damage, but the end is already written. Demonic stuff can be scary, but Jesus is living on the inside of you. And Jesus is the stronger man! Why would we fear an enemy that has already been whipped? Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. We experience a lot of fear in our lives... fear of failure, fear of death, fear for the health and safety of our kids, etc. We know that fear doesn't come from God, but comes from Satan. In your life, what do you fear the most? How much energy and joy does fear steal from you? How can you start to take back what the enemy has stolen?
The 2nd takeaway was, "BOW up or BOW down." We can either bow up to God or bow down to him. Those are our only two choices. There is no third option! We can all be tempted to do what the "crowds" did and go our own way, choose our own version of the truth. Brandon talked on Sunday about the choice we all have to make... to either trust God and His ways and build our lives on His Word OR to commit idolatry. There is no my truth or your truth, only THE Truth. Where in your life might you be exchanging the truth for a lie? Where are you choosing your ways over His? What idols might need to be torn down?

Prayer Topics:

That we would give God glory for answered prayers and blessings in our lives.
That we would faithfully pray for loved ones that don't know Jesus.
That we would pray instead of worrying or being consumed by fear.
That we would submit our lives to His truth in every possible way.

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