Please make every effort to FINALIZE your group plans and rosters for the Spring Quarter at your meeting this week:  Your timely response will help us know how many groups we need for Spring Sign-ups on March 16.  If you have not already, please confirm changes to your group or indicate “NO CHANGES” when you submit your attendance this week. Thank you!

Spring Quarter dates:
Sign-ups: Mar. 16-24 Meeting Dates: Mar. 24 – May 25

Goals for the Meeting:
Finalize Group Plans for Spring
Discuss the Study Questions
Pray together

New Leaders & Hosts: Do you know someone who would be great at leading or hosting a Life Group? If so, please let your Life Group Pastor know. 

Life Group Leader / Hosts Community Gatherings / MID-QUARTER TRAINING
Vista Campus scheduled now / Other Campuses coming soon
Click on this link for more info, dates, and to RSVP.

ATTENDANCE
Submit your group’s attendance online at northcoastchurch.com/attendance. If you’re not sure how to post attendance, you can check out the guide here: lifegroups.northcoastchurch.com/how-to-post-attendance

 Quick Review

Take a look over your sermon notes from this week. Is there any principle, illustration, or point that caught your attention or that you would like to clarify or discuss with your group?

Note: The Quick Review question always gives your group the opportunity to discuss anything from the sermon that is not focused on in the homework. It’s an excellent place for people to ask questions, get clarification, or just share what they really related to.

Additional Questions you can add or use as an alternative: Remember, you set the agenda and adapt the questions to fit your group, ensuring everyone gets to participate knowing the goal isn’t to answer all the questions but to focus on the questions there.   

See “Testing the Spirits” Section question #2 for an idea to send out to your group ahead of time.

Which of the three “Truth Teller or Lying Fraud” test the spirits questions caught your attention the most and why?

How do you normally handle the “trust your gut’ situation? I don’t trust it enough. I trust it way too much. How do you know if you’re trusting too much?

On the moral question, sometimes stricter, sometimes loser. Which way would you normally go?
Which one are you?  From the sermon? Too loose, or not?

My Story

1. None of us want to fall for scams or pay much more for something than it’s worth. Yet most of us have at least one thing that can tempt us to compromise and say it’s worth it! What are one or two of those “little things” you can end up thinking is worth more than it is?

Have fun with this; it’s a lighter way to start the conversation of being fooled or being willing to pay too high of a price. It could range from your favorite dessert or meal; try to get everyone to come up with at least one item.  

2. Larry spoke this week of how we can fear the enemy, giving him power he does not have or remaining unaware of how well-meaning and attractive his attack on us can be. How is this similar to or different from how you normally view him?

Good question to have everyone answer.

Additional Question: Our awareness of his work in our world can go to two extremes; he’s everywhere and part of everything that goes wrong versus not aware or rarely acknowledging that Satan and his demons are active at full force. Where would you put yourself on the spectrum – overly sensitive seeing him everywhere or mostly unaware of his schemes?   

(There are actually three reasons things go wrong in our world – (1) we live in a fallen world, (2) the sin of others or ourselves – selfishness and pride, resulting in violence, (3) the enemy and his demons at work)

TESTING THE SPIRITS

1. How often do you think of Satan as 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 describes him? He makes things look great, so we see no need to “test the spirits.” He’s the master trickster. He wants to do all he can to get us to think it’s all good, just as he did with Adam and Eve. Here’s a list of some of the lies he’s trying to spread. Are there any others you’d add that you typically encounter? Is there one you know he can attack you with?

Good question to have everyone answer. This is not an exclusive list by any means. See what else your group can come up with. The last question may work better if you restate to ask which one you have experienced or would be the most vulnerable. Another question could be – Have you ever found yourself rationalizing one of these? 

• God Can’t Be Trusted
• The Bible Can’t Be Trusted
• If It Feels Right It Can’t Be Wrong
• Some Things Can’t Be Forgiven
• Money Is The Key To Happiness
• Sexual Purity Is For Prudes
• Pain Should Be Avoided At All Costs
• God Grades On A Curve
• Other

2 Corinthians 11:14-15 New International Version (NIV)
¹⁴ And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. ¹⁵ It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

 

2. The most powerful weapon against Satan’s lies is truth, and our most powerful source of truth as Jesus’ followers is God’s Word. What stands out to you about the power of Scripture and how to access it in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Proverbs 30:5-6, and Acts 17:11?

2 Timothy 3:16-17 New International Version (NIV)
¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Proverbs 30:5-6 New International Version (NIV)
⁵ “Every word of God is flawless;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
⁶ Do not add to his words,
or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

Acts 17:11 New International Version (NIV)
¹¹ Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Find out what everyone’s highlight is. 

Additional Question: (you may want to send this to your group before your group meeting to allow them time to think about it) Do you have a go-to type verse that helps you stay strong and helps keep you aligned? Personally, 1 John 4:4 has been one of my go-to verses most of my life!

We all, at times, can pick and choose to believe or put into action what God’s Word is telling us. Why do you think you do this at times?

Additional Questions: How aware are you when you do this? Do you have any personal triggers that help you or warn you you’re going in the wrong direction? Have you ever given someone permission to ask you questions if they think you’re headed in the wrong direction? Why or why not?  (you can also use this last question in the case study below) 

Special note: The point is not to try to dig up sin that may not exist. And know that temptation to do the wrong thing is NOT sin or wrong (Jesus was tempted and did not sin. Matthew 4:1-11)

 

Case Study of Testing the Spirits: Imagine you have a friend who has been sharing private information with others that may have hurt the reputation of another friend. You sense that God is telling you to talk to this friend, but you’re not sure.

What lies do you think Satan may want you to believe about your friend, yourself, or this situation?

How could you test this spirit and combat those lies with the following verses from God’s Word and know how to respond to this situation?

Galatians 6:1-4 New International Version (NIV)
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. ² Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. ³ If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. ⁴ Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else,

Key Idea: approach issues of concern with the focus on restoration, not condemnation, share the burden meaning walk with them in this, be humble aware of you own issues.  

Matthew 7:3-5 New International Version (NIV)
³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Key Idea: make sure you’re aware of your owns issues. This does not mean you need to be “perfect”, but also not ignoring a blatant issue you’re ignoring.

How do those two verses, along with Proverbs 15:22, influence the actions you may take?

Proverbs 15:22 New International Version (NIV)
²² Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed.

• Have you ever given someone permission to ask you questions if they think you’re headed in the wrong direction? Why or why not?
• Can you think of how others have helped you on understanding out to move forward in situation?

Again, none of us want to be fooled or duped into missing the power of truth and what God has for us as we follow Him. Is there something that God is speaking to you about right now that you need to put to the test as to what the Bible says?

This meeting may be another good opportunity to break into men-only women groups or smaller groups to share. If your group already had deep sharing last week, it’s understandable you may not want to go as heavy this week. 

Is there any area you need to consult or seek wise counsel about?

*Is there a specific part of the Bible or biblical topic that you would like to become more familiar with?