Life Group - Study Guides

This week, we heard the good news that God commands us to be positive. And God never tells us to do something that we don’t have some control over. We have a say in whether we do that or not. Yes, it will take God’s power and our own self-discipline, but we do have the ability to change our attitudes and watch our words. How do we build confidence, encourage, and urge others to be the best they can be and to grow in their faith?

The wisest man to ever live often wrote of life as meaningless and empty vanity. King Solomon’s book (Ecclesiastes) can be downright dreary. Yet, his conclusion is that all striving, and material things are fleeting. Relationships are what endure. They are what make life worth living and bring fulfillment. He teaches us that "more” works better and that two are stronger.

The book of Proverbs is filled with practical advice about how to be a good friend and how to have a successful life because of our friendships. If we want to experience the best relationships of our lives, we must understand loyalty and become loyal, faithful friends. We must be the kind of friend that always loves.

We all need a partner, a copilot, and friend. Life is difficult enough without not having someone by our side to encourage us, challenge us, and have our backs. This message series is about developing the characteristics that we need to have to also be a good friend so we can walk through life making the best decisions possible. In this study, we will start laying the foundation on which these kinds of relationships are built.

This week, we’ve learned about getting in the right frame of mind, having the right attitude, and being in the right place spiritually to receive what God wants to do in our lives. It’s okay to be in a desperate place. It’s important to care for each other and be used to bring about a miracle. It’s crucial to be where God wants you to be to meet Him.

It’s difficult to hear and distinguish the voice of God amid the noise and distractions of our everyday lives. Even beautiful or important distractions (like toddlers and deadlines at work) can keep us preoccupied just enough to miss out on what God is speaking to our souls. This week, let’s be intentional about making time, space, and quietness for God to reveal Himself to our spirits.

Daily, we are faced with decisions about what we do next. Will we walk with God when it is challenging? Will we react in the moment or pre-decide to obey His commandments and His leading? Let’s look at three young men who laid it all on the line to remain obedient.

Life teaches us a lot of things through experience. The things we’ve learned about spiritual matters through the Word of God and the Spirit of God are also a treasure of information. Have you ever considered that you may be the exact person to invest in a child, a student, a new believer, or struggling friend? God uses us to invest in and lead others. In turn, this helps grow our own faith and knowledge. Let’s become the people who pour into others, encouraging them and helping them grow!

We have the authority and power to take control of our thoughts, using the spiritual armor of the Spirit. But before we go into battle, we need to recognize the enemy’s strategy to capture our thoughts. We must learn how to hold our thoughts up to the light of God’s Word, debunk the lies, replace them with God’s Truth, and take captive anything that is not of Him.

This week, we watched clips from the movie “Unbroken.” Amid trials and struggles, what keeps you moving forward? Certainly, personality and character play a part, but real strength comes from purpose. Let’s see how knowing God’s plan for our lives empowers us to overcome and see beauty through the pain.