Groups Discussion Guide
Read Scripture. Go Deeper. Ask Questions. Take Action.
The Battlefield of Beliefs
Scripture
So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”
Main Idea
No matter where you go and what you do, there is always a battle going on for your thoughts. What you think is what you believe and what you believe is what affects your outcomes in life. With constant competition for your attention, we must be careful who or what we look to for our beliefs. You have beliefs or information coming from media, politics, relationships, secular opinions, and then there are Kingdom beliefs. The Kingdom of God is everlasting and the source of truth. We need to seek His truth and the Kingdom beliefs rather than building our lives on other influences. When you are in a struggle or in doubt, seek God.
You cannot stand for God and Him not stand for you.
Discussion Questions
- What are the different buckets of belief Pastor Kevin shared with us? Where have you seen some of those beliefs or ideas conflict?
- What are some new beliefs in society that you think we should watch out for?
- How can we identify if we have started to believe something that isn't in line with God's kingdom perspective?
- How should we test our determine if a new cultural thought or idea is in sync with God's word and the kingdom perspective?
Summary
In 2 Chronicles 20:20, a young king was being confronted with challenges and enemies. His first inclination was not to look for outside help or support. He didn't turn to all the various gods of the time. Instead, he sought God because he knew if they sought God and leaned on the teachings of the prophets that they would prosper. We are not all that different from King Jehoshaphat. We have enemies all around and are constantly facing attacks of the enemy. For us, there might not be an army we are facing in the physical but we do have things fighting for our minds and our beliefs. What you believe will be critical to the outcomes you experience.
- You're belief while you are in the battle effects the outcome of the battle
- Some beliefes will help while others will hold you back.
- All beliefs are not compatible with the Kingdom
- Your beliefs can come from anywhere (school, family, cultures, things you listen to, etc.
- When you listen and read things, it begins to renew your mind which is why God tells us to renew our minds to the Word of God and be conformed in to His image.
- The role of the church is to be the pillar of society and belief in God. (1 Timothy 3:14, 15 NIV)
Some might not understand how critical our beliefs are but your beliefs while you are in the battle effect the outcomes of your battle. While there are numerous things competing for your attention, here are 5 primary categories of belief we all are challenged with.
Buckets of belief
- Political beliefs - The world of politics tries to create an us vs them mentality and force you into believing one group is the "truth"
- Media - There is much misinformation out in the world because there are no consequences for sharing inaccurate information.
- Relationships - Those close to us have the ability to influence our beliefs but if they aren't listening to the truth then they could mislead you too.
- Secular education - Our educational system is a primary opportunity to influence a group of society into thinking the same way. The most educated people teach you in college and try to convince you only they know the "truth". This in turn impacts are local school systems too. Our kids must wrestle with this constant push to believe in things that might not be in line with scripture
- Kingdom - These beliefs are based on the Word of God and when you need something to stand the test of time, we must believe in the eternal truth.
This is where we should be getting our core values, beliefs, and convictions. All other influences are cheap imitations.
It is a constant struggle but there also is a constant struggle to make you believe something that isn't in line with Kingdom beliefs. If you want Kingdom results and be in line with God's will for your life, then we must get our beliefs in line with the Kingdom!
Take Action
- Open the Bible app and find the Clash of Kingdom devotional to start it today and focus on God’s kingdom principles.
- When you start to believe what the common world outside of the church believes, look to scriptures for what to believe.
- Take Essentials to begin building your faith and invest in God's influence on your life.
Announcements
- Clash of Kingdoms devotional
- Grad recognition Sunday - May 3rd
- Baptism Sunday - Register today!
