~ Open in Prayer ~

Icebreaker
• What’s your favorite bible verse?
• Do you have any final summer plans?

Message Review
Pastor Ron’s opinion is that “The most important decisions you will make will not be when you have just won. It’ll be when you’ve just lost.” Today we’re going to dig in on how to make Godly decisions instead of bad decisions in spite of bad feelings. We will discuss obedience vs. ‘partial obedience’, who your friends are, and how to live the way God intended you to live – a first-class citizen of Heaven, not accepting the struggle with demonic influences and ailments we learn to ‘get by’ with.
Let’s dig in more…

Read Galatians 6:7-9
This scripture wasn’t written to the church of Galatia as a warning… it was written as a blessing. And it was written as an indication of personal power that you have in your hands. What you sow you will reap; the power of change is in your hands. Don’t lose heart; if you give up you won’t reap your harvest. He’s the Lord of your harvest, you’re Lord of your seed. The power is in your hands. We have the power to sow a seed of change. How does that look practically? “…and let us not grow weary in doing good…” Do you feel like this applies to where you are right now?

When you need a turnaround you’ve got to find the treasure in your pain. Pain is discomfort created by disorder. If there’s anything in your life that has pain, there is something out of order. Pain is not your enemy, but pain tells you that an enemy exists. Find what is out of order and diagnose the issue. Don’t just try to alleviate the pain. Alignment removes discomfort. When you’re being pressed on the outside God is renewing you on the inside. The more weight God gives you the less you’ll slip up in the future, for your pain produces perseverance that will carry you through. Pain doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care who you are. Pain isn’t God’s first option, but He will use it to combat continued rebellion. God’s will for your life will stand; God doesn’t lose (ex. Jonah). Pain is a master teacher. You don’t get the wine unless you crush the grape. There is a treasure in your pain, you just have to find it. What pain are you currently experiencing? Can you identify the treasure in your pain?

Read Mark 5:1-8
Do you struggle feeling like God is unapproachable? Like your sin has made you a second-class citizen in Heaven? What can we learn from the demon-possessed man? RUN to Jesus IN YOUR CHAINS. You’ve got to drag your chains. Because you were a son when you were with Him. You were a son when you screwed up. And you’re going to be a son when you get back. Because failure does not change your status with God. Your weakness and failure has been anticipated by God. It’s not whether you’re going to fall but whether you’re going to get up. No one talks about weaknesses; it’s all about strengths. But your weaknesses are there to sabotage your strengths that’s why it’s important to identify them – to know where you’re vulnerable. The enemy has a bullseye on your weakness. When God wants to bless you and when your enemy wants to harm you a person will be presented. A person sent by the enemy will feed and embrace your weaknesses. Do you know your weaknesses? What plans have you put in place to proactively combat them? What do the people currently in your life bring out in you? Have they been sent by God or the enemy?

Read 1 Samuel 15:1-3 | 2 Samuel 1:1-8
Partial obedience is disobedience. What you fail to destroy will try to destroy you. There are consequences to disobedience and they usually aren’t good. What areas in your life do you need to submit to fully obeying God? Why is it so easy to “make excuses” for not fully obeying God’s instructions?

Scripture References
Galatians 6:7-9
Mark 5:1-8
1 Samuel 15:1-3
2 Samuel 1:1-8
Romans 13:14
Romans 7:11-12
Philippians 2

Prayer Focus and Requests
Ask your members if they have any prayer requests or praise reports. Pray that each member identifies the treasure in their pain.