6/29 - 7/3 Life Group Question

^ Click “Note” ^ Remember to write down some short notes for each of the questions below before heading to life group.

1.

Share 1 thing that stood out to you about Sunday's Message. (1 minute max please) Also press play button in image above to watch or listen to Sundays message if you missed it or just to refresh your memory. (Each Individual)

2. Wisdom Above & Wisdom Below

James 3:13-17

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 THIS IS NOT THE WISDOM THAT COMES DOWN FROM ABOVE, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

On Sunday Pastor Vaughn talked about being invited out by a young adult specifically to talk about growing in wisdom. Pastor Vaughn told us that wisdom is knowledge in action requiring thinking, praying, and the acquisition of knowledge. Once action is taken we have to allow time to determine if the decision produces good fruit and even if there is fruit we need a broad perspective to determine if good fruit in one area may have led to bad fruit in others. The example was good fruit in career that led to bad fruit in marriage & family. On top of all this we also learned that acquiring wisdom requires the humility to acknowledge we don’t have it yet and will never have it all. Wisdom is so important and more difficult to acquire & walk in than most people think. We also learned on Sunday that there is wisdom from above and wisdom from below. Wisdom that leads to satisfying our flesh and wisdom that leads to satisfying our soul.

Discuss the idea of wisdom from below and wisdom from above. Have you considered this idea before or did you think all wisdom was good wisdom? Wisdom from below can often start off feeling like God granting our prayer requests so how can we decipher between sensual/seductive wisdom focused on our flesh and soul stirring spiritual wisdom that satisfies our true/Godly desires? Give some examples of common wisdom from below given to young adults? (Group Discussion)

In addition to seeking wisdom from God through bible reading, prayer, & church attendance, are you intentionally seeking and asking for wisdom from another person/people? If so, who? If not, why not?  (Each Individual)

3. War Within

Romans 7:14-25

14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

James 4:5-8

5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

God is so kind to let us know that we aren’t the only one at war within ourselves when it comes to sin. The shame often leads us to hide and pretend and this gives the devil power to keep us in the dark rather than coming to the light and coming to Christ for grace and hope and power. How are you doing with the war within you of sin vs. righteousness and seduction vs. spirit? Are you growing in your ability to identify & resist the devil? If so, what does it feel like when the devil flees? Are you growing in your ability to draw near to God outside of church gathering times? If so, what does it feel like for God to draw near to you? (Each Individual)

4. Ask Rightly

James 4:2-3

You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Can we ask God for the right things in the wrong way? Do you think you typically ask God for things rightly or wrongly? How do we know the difference? How can we learn to ask for the right things in the right way? (Every Individual)

* Remember to pray for each other before heading home from life group and to stay in communication here in the app throughout the week on your life group messaging thread!