Lesson Four: Discussion Guide for Group or Individual Use (click more)
Opening Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time you have provided for us to come together to hear from you and have fellowship in your Word and to learn and apply your Word to our hearts. We need you, Lord. We need your grace all the time. We praise you for your goodness and your love and mercy. Please open our hearts to you and to one another and lead our discussion. Help us not to fear, but to put all of our hope in Christ. Help us to remember there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. May you be glorified in all our thoughts and words and deeds. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
I. LECTURE
Will someone share how the Lord used the lecture to speak to your heart? Did anyone have any questions or concerns about the lecture? If you ever have a question or something is unclear, please let us know. We want to serve you in any way we can!
II. PLEASE READ THE MAIN POINT FROM THIS WEEK’S HOMEWORK
Immediately after Jesus’ baptism the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness. There He was tempted by the enemy. He tried to entice Jesus to serve Himself and not His Father. Jesus took His stand, held firm in the truth, rejected lies, and refuted the devil with the written Word of God. Satan knows us. He knows our weaknesses and strengths. He is working to distract, discourage, and destroy us. He is trying to keep us from a more intimate relationship with Christ. But we have the same weapons Jesus used! When used by faith, they are as powerful in our hands as they were for Jesus. Ultimately, God is our defense, but we must fight. He does expect us to use the instruction, the illustrations, and the weapons He has given us. We must know our weaknesses and be honest about them. For those in Christ, we have access to His infinite power. We have the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, Christ in us!
III. QUESTIONS FROM THE HOMEWORK
Go through the homework, occasionally calling on women. Read scriptures aloud. After asking a question, remember to allow a brief period of quiet “wait-time” to give women a chance to think before answering. After pausing, if no one shares, go ahead with your answer, rephrase question, and/or move on.
DAY ONE Devotion: Into the Desert
1. Would someone please share what spoke to your heart from Day One?
DAY TWO
2. Going Deeper Question #1 - Please read Matthew 4:1-4. After reading Jesus’ responses to Satan’s temptations, did the Lord apply any of these responses to your heart? If so, in what way?
3. Question #2 - What did God want to prove through allowing Christ to be tempted?
4. Question #3 - According to these verses, what is the purpose of our testing and trials?
5. Question #4 – What can you apply from today’s reading to a current or recent trial?
DAY THREE
6. Quiet Moment - Read Matthew 4:5-7. Do you want God’s glory, His way, in His time, or do you want your glory, your way, in your time?
7. Going Deeper Question #1 - How long was Jesus tempted? What were the circumstances?
8. Question #2 - In what circumstances do you have the most difficulty resisting temptation? Why? What wrong thinking or unbelief were you able to identify?
9. Question #3 - Why do you think Jesus was able to stand up to such extreme temptation? Why do you think we fall prey to Satan’s schemes?
10. Question #5 - Where are you looking for a “quick fix”?
11. Question #6 - How does the enemy tempt you to question whether or not God really is Lord or if He really loves you or even cares for you?
DAY FOUR
12. Quiet Moment – What did you observe from reading Psalm 115:1-8?
13. Going Deeper Question #1 - Where are you tempted? What or who is calling for your allegiance other than Christ?
14. Question #3 – What did Satan treasure in his heart?
15. Question #5 - Which name of God spoke to your heart the most?
DAY FIVE
16. Quiet Moment - What are the weapons the Lord has given us?
17. Going Deeper Question #2 - What does Moses instruct the people of Israel to do?
18. Question #4 - How will remembering who we are in Christ help you the next time you are under spiritual attack?
19. Question #5 - Would someone share one of the areas of weakness you are struggling with and the scripture you found to combat it?
IV. PLEASE RECITE YOUR SCRIPTURE MEMORY VERSES TOGETHER
V. TAKING THE TRUTH TO HEART TIME
We will now focus on taking God’s truth to our hearts and bringing it to life. James 5:16a states; “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” And 1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
Please turn to your Taking the Truth to Heart and Bringing It to Life page. We will each have 3 minutes so that every woman will have a chance to share. Please record one another’s confessions on the Taking the Truth to Heart Guide on the following page so you can pray for one another throughout the week. Leaders, please set the example by going first.
VI. PLEASE CLOSE IN PRAYER
