Step 4: Face the Music
Selected Scripture
Connect:
Share how you have seen God in the Highs and Lows of your week.
Prayer:
Pray that God would lead your discussion time and bring fresh insight, conviction, and hope through your time together.
Review:
We are in a series looking at the 12 steps from AA through a Biblical lens as we look at the pathway of freedom in Christ and following Him whole heartedly. A phrase we are going to hear over and over is, “If you want to change your life, take it one step at a time (in other words, foundations matter!). This week we looked at the fourth step of being honest with God by asking Him to show us where the damage is…
The Grand Tour of the message: Thinking back on what you heard this Sunday…
o What did you learn about God?
o What did you learn about people?
o What did you learn about yourself?
o What do you want to commit to putting into practice?
Reflection:
Personal Experience:
Show this VIDEO. What would you have done at that age? Why would that have made sense to you?
Talk about a time when you took the “short term win” knowing you would face a long term loss. Why did that make sense in the moment?
Group Discussion:
God knows our thoughts, our actions, every word we have said. If that is true, why is it so ciritical to be “honest before God” before we embark on this journey of transformation? (Jer 17:9, Ps 139:23-24, Prov 28:13, 1 John 1:8-9, James 5:16, Heb 4:13)
We often run from the pain and struggle of change. Talk about the role of ‘struggle’ in our journey of transformation to become more like Jesus. How does our “mess” become part of our “message”? (Romans 8:18, 2 Cor 1:3-4, Is 43:2, John 16:3, 1 Peter 5:10, Ps 34:18)
Why do we tend to fixate on others’ faults while remaining blind to our own? (Jn 21:21-22, Matt 7:3-5, Rom 14:10-12, Gal 6:1-5, Prov 21:2, Luke 18:9-14)
Scott said, “Fear loses its grip the moment you act”. What does that mean? Do you agree or disagree? Explain.
How does fear prevent us from growing spiritually, and what effect does faith have on fear? (Deut 31:8, Josh 1:9, Is 41:10, 2 Tim 1:7, Ps 56:3-4, Mark 5:35-36)
Read Romans 7:14-8:11. As specifically and richly as possible discuss what exactly it is that changes in our thoughts, focus, attitude, power, temperament, spirit… between Romans 7 and Romans 8. Discuss the difference between condemnation and conviction.
Application:
Consider the question, “What do I need to face, right now, that is keeping me from moving forward in my walk with Jesus?
Prayer:
Spend some time in prayer asking God to search and know us, to lead us beyond the things that are holding us back from the abundant life and power that are ours in this new life in Jesus by the power of His Spirit.
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