Worship through giving.
Will you partner with us as we respond to the critical needs of our community as we face this season together?
Discussion Prompts
Things are getting real. While our sermon last Sunday took us to the entire nation of Israelites, around 3-4 million people, today’s sermon gives us names. Why is this important? When we hear names, we realize that it gets more specific. Pastor Bryce gave us two names. Othniel & Ehud.
While Othniel was fortunate enough that God handed him the victory, God changes the tactics with Ehud. God says “This doesn’t teach these kids of mine anything. They need to fight for their freedom.”
God wants us to step up, and fight. But he does not want us to fight the world we live in. Nor does he want us to fight each other. God wants us to pick up the weapon against the sinful self inside of us.
A significant quote from Bryce says:
The war against sin in our lives is won with repentance.
Bryce goes on to say that there are four basic steps toward freedom from sin:
- Acknowledge your sin
- Ask for Forgiveness (turn away)
- Accept forgiveness (receive a clean heart)
- Access renewal (of the spirit inside of you)
Here is where you can step up and fight:
Step 1: In your group, or individually, ask yourself: What are common sins within my surrounding? Gossip? Slander? Distrust? Uncontrolled anger? Lying? Manipulation? – Make a list of 20 sins that you see within your small world.Step 2: Underline the ones YOU are struggling with (and don’t tell me that you don’t struggle with sin, reading 1 John 1:8 might help you here).Step 3: Circle one. Acknowledge that this one is actually a sin.
Now that you are at this point, go through the four points above, which Bryce mentioned in the sermon. If needed confess your sin to a person you trust and know will guide you to the foot of the cross, where you can find grace. Come clean before God. Yes, it is a battle. It is not easy. But only in repentance will you find freedom from sin. Now I want you to read the next verse of 1 John 1, verse 9.
It is amazing, this Grace, that is so sweet, that even saved a troubled soul like me.
May God bathe you with His Grace today!
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