Benjamin Murphy
Small Group Questions
Benjamin Murphy
Sermon Series Highlights
Sermon Series Highlights

self: CONTROLLED

self: CONTROLLED – How to Fight to Win

Introduction:

How to Get self:Controlled (1 Cor 9:24-27):

  1. You must Choose to be self-controlled. (1 Cor 9:24)
  2. You must be committed to self-control in Every Area . (1 Cor 9:25a)

2 Peter 1:5-6 - For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control...

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control...

  1. You must keep your eyes on the Prize . (1 Cor 9:25b)
  2. You must have a Plan to win. (1 Cor 9:26)
  3. You must have a healthy fear of being Disqualified . (1 Cor 9:27)

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
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Small Group Discussion
Read 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

  1. What was your big “take-away” from this passage / message?

  2. Self-control is both a command and a fruit of the Spirit. What are the dangers of only believing one or the other? How do these work together? In other words, how specifically does a believer rightly balance these truths by going after both?

  3. How does the promise of receiving an imperishable crown (v25) motivate us to self-control today?

  4. “Self-control mostly happens before the moment of temptation.” Explain what this means. How do we exercise self-control before we are in a temptation situation?

  5. What does it mean to be disqualified (1 Cor 9:27)? Why is a person who lacks self-control not fit to be in ministry?

Breakout
Is there any area where you are not self-controlled (1 Cor 9:25)?
Pray for one another to do the business of self-control today.

self: CONTROLLED – Why I Choose to Fight

Introduction:

Why I Want to Avoid Sexual Sin: (1 Cor 6:12-20):

  1. Because I want to be Wise . (1 Cor 6:12)
  2. Because sex is not merely a Physical Act . (1 Cor 6:13-14)
  1. Because when I sin, I am Dragging Jesus into it. (1 Cor 6:15-17)
  2. Because my body is Holy Property . (1 Cor 6:18-19a)
  3. Because I was Bought with a Price . (1 Cor 6:19b-20)

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Small Group Discussion
Read 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

  1. What was your big “take-away” from this passage / message?

  2. Of the 5 reasons Paul teaches to avoid sexual sin, which one motivates you the most? Why?

  3. How is sexual sin different from other sins (1 Cor 6:18)? What does it mean “the sexual immoral person sins against his own body”?

  4. How would you respond to someone who asks, “Why is sex only for marriage? Why isn't ok for 2 consenting non-married adults to have sex?”

Breakout
Pray for one another.

self: CONTROLLED – It Only Ends in Tragedy.

Introduction:

When I Choose to Sin (2 Samuel 12:1-15):

  1. I choose to Dishonor the Lord. (2 Sam 12:7b-9)
  2. I choose Permanent damage. (2 Sam 12:10)
  1. I choose to Disciple my kids to sin. (2 Sam 12:11-12)
  2. I choose Tragedy . (2 Sam 12:13-15a)

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Small Group Discussion
Read 2 Samuel 12:1-15

  1. What was your big “take-away” from this passage / message?

  2. How do you know what is God's direct hands-on discipline and what are “natural consequences” for our sin? Can we know? Does it matter?

  3. Why is David's sin described as “despising the Word of the Lord” (2 Sam 12:9)? In what way does our sin amount to “hating God's Word”?

  4. List some “permanent damages” sexual sin can bring on a person and their families (2 Sam 12:10).

  5. Why did the innocent baby have to die for David's sin (v14)? What is God's purpose in afflicting the baby (see all of 2 Sam 12:15)?

Breakout
Pray for one another.

self: CONTROLLED – How Did I Get Here?

Introduction:

The Path from Temptation to Sin to Destruction (2 Samuel 11):

  1. You're not where you're Supposed to be, doing what you're not Supposed to be doing. (2 Sam 11:1)
  2. You fail to immediately Flee . (2 Sam 11:2)

    1 Cor 6:18 - Flee from sexual immorality.

  1. You Entertain temptation. (2 Sam 11:3)
  2. You Commit to the sin. (2 Sam 11:4-5)
  3. You desperately try to Cover it all up. (2 Sam 11:6-27a)

    → God Knows What You've Done. (2 Sam 11:27b)

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Small Group Discussion
Read 2 Samuel 11

  1. What was your big “take-away” from this passage / message?

  2. What kinds of different opportunities do we have in our day to look at pornography or be involved in sexual immorality? In other words, in what ways can we “make provision for the flesh” (See Romans 13:13-14)?

  3. Explain what Jesus meant when He taught us to pray “lead us not into temptation” (Matthew 6:13).

  4. NO NAMES – but do you know someone who made a mess of their life (and others) by giving into temptation? What happened?

Breakout
Are there any areas in your life where you can recognize temptation has a “foot in the door”? What do you need to do about it today? Pray for one another.