~Open in prayer~
Icebreaker
• What’s one thing new that you have learned about yourself in the last two months?
• What is something you want to get better at?
• Share one thing you are planning to do this summer
Message Review
1 Corinthians 16:9 NKJV says, “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” Enemies are necessary because they announce doors. Enemies and doors come together. Your next level is designed to keep you out. When you’re going to the next level there’s a door that unlocks it. But at the same time, there’s an adversary there to keep you out. You must understand opportunities and enemies go hand and hand. Jesus said blessed are you when men revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. You have all kinds of enemies standing in front of your door. When this happens, we need to rejoice and be exceedingly glad. Most of us rejoice when we open a door and that’s not when Jesus says rejoice. He says rejoice when you see the enemy because they announce when God has finished one season and another season is there for you to walk through a door. That giant needs to be taken down before you turn the handle on that door. So, if you run from enemies you never open doors. Don’t let an enemy rob you of your blessing!
Let’s Talk About It!
Heaven has windows and people are windows of Heaven into the Earth. People don’t understand that whatever Heaven is going to get into the Earth, it’s going to be through people. It’s not about God coming down and doing something, it’s about God using people to do it. That’s why we are supposed to be filled with the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit needs a body to work through. We are the hands and feet of Jesus and we are called represent Him!
Share one way that you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in your life?
God has people in the Earth and so does the enemy. Who is an enemy? It’s anybody who increases a weakness in your life that God wants to remove. Those people are not your friends. There are always people around weaknesses because weaknesses have a crowd around it. When you fail God, the first thing you need to check is who was around you when you messed up. It is someone’s best interest that you stay weak. God seeks to heal weaknesses while enemies try to keep you there.
When you’re in a tough season, how do you handle enemies?
Examine your life for dominant weaknesses so that enemies don’t have the opportunity to use them. Think about athletic players, they spend hours looking at videos to learn their opponents’ weaknesses before a big game. They do this so that they can use them to win against that team. Examine and conquer your weaknesses because weaknesses that you don’t confront in your generation will be multiplied in your kids. For some people, compliments are a weakness that can be used against them. Before we can conquer weaknesses, we have to be aware of them.
What’s one way that you overcome a weakness?
Prayer Focus and Requests
Ask your members if they have any prayer requests or praise reports. Encourage one another to stir up your faith and pray BIG prayers this week and expect God to blow your mind with His answers