Seven #1 Reasons, Foremost Reason

After a time breaking the ice (perhaps have everyone share their favorite villain from a story and why they are a favorite....then spend some time comparing themes to see if pop-culture and story informs villainy, or if true villainy, the kind we see all around us, is what inspires so much art), spend some time dealing with the temptation of Jesus as found in the gospel of Luke, chapter 4.

The way that Jesus is tempted is indicative of the kinds of things we will face when anti-Kingdom, selfish love confronts us. The discussion should be as specific as possible and have people really dig into the layers of how this plays out in our daily life.

Refrain from trying to turn everything we dislike into demonic attack. The attack is so often more in who we are when things go wrong, not necessarily the thing going wrong itself.

You may want to include some discussion on 1 John 3:1-10 and how this week's theme is tied to our own behaviors and ways of living. Rather than seeing this as black-and-white condemnation, hear John warning his friends that there is a way that seems right in the moment, but leads to death. You may see that 1 John 2 makes it clear that those that are being warned are being loved like family, not given a gross ultimatum as strangers.

As a group find ways to apply this discussion as people of faith. Loving each other, and others, as people who Jesus doesn't call evil, but as either "re-tying" or "untying" what he's come to untie, is hard work. Battling people is easy. Battling for people, against the realms of darkness, is hard. It must be done, and lived, bound together.

• What were the key points for you?
• What was the "one thing" you took away?
• What specific pictures, faces or ideas sprang to mind, and what might that mean in terms of the message's application for you?
• What surprised you?
• What bothered you? Why?
• Have you ever heard or come across a similar teaching or idea? Have you ever been taught something that was contradictory?
• What is/was already part of your thinking on this subject?
• What did you learn that was new to you?
• *About God?
• *About yourself?
• *About others?
• What changes of thought are necessary in light of what you learned?
• What changes of action are needed?
• How would life be different if you/we applied this teaching fully?
• What are the hindrances, and what do we do about those?
• What role can this group play to help you take steps this week and beyond?