You Have to Step Up.

Introduction:

How To Be a Difference-Making Leader (Judges 4:4-9):

1. Identify the real Need . (Judges 4:6).
2. Identify the Person for the job. (Judges 4:6).
3. Motivate that person to action. (Judges 4:6-9).

Biblical Motivation 101:

1. Confront with God's Command . (Judges 4:6).
2. Strengthen with God's Promise . (Judges 4:7).
3. Encourage with your Presence . (Judges 4:9).

4. Develop and execute a clear Plan . (Judges 4:6-7).

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Small Group Discussion
Read Judges 4:4-9, 17-22 (or all of chapter 4)

1. What was your big “takeaway” from this passage / message?
   

2. Why do you think Deborah was called to be a judge? Many people cite this story to validate women as pastors. Do you believe that is valid? Why or why not?
   

3. Why are people often afraid to step up and serve God? How can we motivate them to, in the way that Deborah motivated Barak?
   

Breakout
Pray for one another.

God Uses Limitations.

Introduction:

How to Conquer Dominating Sins (Judges 3:12-30):

1. Go after the Biggest sin first. (Judges 3:15-23).

   Romans 8:13 - ...if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

2. Recruit Others to help you. (Judges 3:27).
3. Believe Victory has already been won. (Judges 3:28)
4. Don't stop Fighting . (Judges 3:29)

   Matthew 3:8 - Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

5. Make no Excuses . (Judges 3:15-23)

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Small Group Discussion
Read Judges 3:12-30

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

2. Read Judges 3:16-25. Why do you think the Lord provided so many graphic details in this account?
   

3. Explain how going after the most dominant sin in your life can help you attack other sins, too. (Judges 3:15-25)

Breakout
Have you ever felt that you had some limitation that would keep the Lord from using you? What was / is it? How does the story of Ehud speak to that?

Pray for one another.

"Good Enough" Isn't Enough.

Introduction:

See: Judges 17:6, 21:25 | Judges 1:1 | Joshua 24:16 | Judges 3:7 | Judges 2:1-2

Three Consequences of Partial Obedience (Judges 1-3):

1. Your life gets Harder (Judges 2:3).

   Exodus 23:33 - They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.

2. Your spirit gets Miserable (Judges 2:4-5).

   Psalm 51:12 - Restore to me the joy of your salvation...

   Ephesians 4:30 - do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God

3. Your children get Apathetic . (Judges 2:7-10)

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Small Group Discussion
Read Judges 2:1-5

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

2. Describe in your own words how Israel sinned. Why was this such a big deal to the Lord (Judges 2:1-3)?
   

3. Read Ephesians 4:30. How do you grieve the Holy Spirit? How do you know you have? How can you stop grieving the Spirit? How do you know you have?
   

4. What is the “second generation syndrome”? How does that happen? How can we prevent that with our kids (and the kids at HBC)?

Breakout
Pray for one another. In what area(s) have you been “partially obedient”?

Who Will You Choose?

Introduction:

We Choose Barabbas Because (Matthew 27:15-23):

1. We are too Self-centered (Matt 27:17-18).
2. We are too willing to Listen to others (Matt 27:19-20).
3. We are too eager to Worship idols .

   John 19:15 - "They cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him! Pilate said to them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar."

How Do We Stop Choosing Barabbas?

Jeremiah 29:13 - "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."

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Small Group Discussion
Read Matthew 27:15-23

1. What was your big takeaway from this week’s sermon?
   

2. As Christians we know that God's plan is better for us and we will be fully blessed if we follow his path. Why do we continue to follow our own self ambitions and try to solve “bad” situations ourselves?
   

3. Read Matthew 26:59-66. We see that Jesus did not crumble under the most severe form of peer pressure, why is it so important that we know God's Word and stand for what is right in our current culture? How can we use God's Word to resist peer pressure?
   

4. Typically we think of idols as addictions or greed, but an idol is anything in your life that takes Jesus from being your first priority? How can you recognize an idol in your life? What is something you have allowed to take priority over your walk with Christ? How can you remove or realign those priorities?

Breakout
Pray for each other to work on their relationship with Jesus. Be honest about your walk. Share the areas you’re good and share your areas of weakness.

Submitting to the Seasons

Introduction:

How Should I Handle the Changing Seasons of My Life? (Eccl 3:1-15)

1. I should Wisely adapt to Change and Not resist it . (Eccl 3:1-8)
2. I should Trust in God's timing and Not force my own . (Eccl 3:9-15)

   A.W. Tozer - "It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply."

David Gibson - "Living well in God’s world means recognizing that when it comes to our lives, we are not mini-gods, and this is His creation, not ours. We have all the pieces of our life given to us, and things come and go and seasons change, and it is only God who knows exactly where everything is meant to go, in which order, at what time, and why.”

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Taylor Brown is a CONTROL FREAK!

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Taylor Brown is still a CONTROL FREAK!

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Small Group Discussion
Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

1. Why should it encourage us to know that the Lord is sovereign and in complete control of every single aspect of our lives?
   

2. Why does the Lord bring trials and difficult seasons into our lives? How is the presence of suffering in our lives the proof of God's love for us?
   

3. Discuss examples from the Bible where God used pain and suffering to prepare His servants for ministry. Share a time when the Lord used a painful trial to help you become more like Christ and bless others.
   

4. What does it look like to trust in the Lord and not yourself? How can you strengthen your dependence upon God over the upcoming week?
   

5. How can we as believers make the most of this current quarantine? How is the Lord calling you to grow and bless others?

Breakout
Pray for the strengthening of those suffering during this uncertain “lock-down/quarantine” season.