Thaw
- Who has some examples of ways that this study has helped them with their words?
- Who has an example of how they were able to be helpful to someone or a situation by their words or even their restraint?
- What has most stayed with you from the 4th installment of the series?
Read
- Matthew 12:36
- How does this reality immediately affect your life?
- Respond to the statement,"All words create and shape. Every word you speak has creative power and does things".
- How have you seen this play itself out in your life?
Read
- Ephesians 6:10-17
- Thoughts?
- What are three things that arrows do that makes them a great illustration for the evil, hurtful, warped things they do? Have you seen this in your own life?
Leader note: In the message, this was that they hurt you to varying degrees, and so they subsequently force you to react and live to avoid them on the field, and then since they are rarely if ever immediately fatal, they are on fire so as to create collateral damage if given enough time to spread their flames.
- How do these "arrows" become part of who we are?
- What are examples of stealth arrows that we don't realize we're asking people to shoot at us?
Leader note: Some of us live our lives trying to perform our way into other's words. We present our appearance, success and views in such a way as to get other people to say approving, accepting things that recognize our hard work. This, too, is a way of letting other's opinion, fleeting as they often are, shape our souls. The example of contestants totally changing their appearance and style on American Idol was given, as it illustrates performance-based acceptance that morphs to get certain words out of other's mouths.
- What arrows have you been dealing with?
- Why does it seem more reasonable to fire arrows back, rather than trust the armor and the shield?
- How does the image of the testudo (the "tortoise" shell created by Roman soldiers grouping their shields together) change, enhance or call into question your view of this LifeGroup?
Chew
- The following passages were read in the message as a sample of the kinds of things God says in the scriptures. These are a glimpse of God's Word, His message of reality to all creation.
- Choose a reader from the group, while the rest of the group considers the weight of the passages and what God might be trying to say through them, through our misconceptions of our own identity, through our mishandling other people, through our way of living in reaction to hurt and the fear of more flames of bitterness spreading in our relationships.
- John 1:12 to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
- Gal 3:26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus
- Romans 8:16 And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children
- John 15:15 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends
- Romans 8:1 there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus
- Colossians 2:13 When you were dead in your sins …. God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
- 1 Cor 3:16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?
- Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
- 1 John 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Apply
- How might these passages begin to help you understand how to realistically see yourself?
- Is there anyone in the group that questions whether these passages apply to them?
- Why or why not?
- Is there anyone who feels like God has less to say about his or her identity that the the words of and opinions of people?
- How does how we feel about ourselves different from what God has said?
Leader note: Some people can't tell the difference. Feelings are the measure of all reality for some. Help the group understand that feelings are moods that have no solid basis most of the time. This is the necessity of meditation on the scriptures, as well as the critical role the group plays in forming the "tortoise shell" around each other to ensure that no one ever feels like they need to slip back out on the other side of the shield and try their hand again with the war against flesh and blood.
- Did anyone in this group fill out a card to be contact about following Jesus and to receive the scriptures?
- How can this group, starting now, better care for you, speak to you, and ensure that you are being reminded of who you are, or who you are invited to become?
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