Luke 4:31-44 // Freedom For All: How To Start A Revolution Wk 5

Lean In // 5 minutes

Name a gift you were given that others got to enjoy. 

Sample answers may include

  • Game system
  • Your first car
  • Tickets to a concert

 

Look Down // 10 minutes

Read Luke 4:31-44

What do you learn about oppression?

Sample answers may include

  • It can be spiritual (v.33)
  • Jesus has authority over demons that cause spiritual oppression (v.34-35,41)
  • It can be physical (v.38)
  • Jesus has authority over physical oppression (v.39-40)
  • Oppression can come in many forms (v.40)
  • Jesus’ healing of the oppressed is an expression of the good news of the Kingdom of God (v.43)

 

Look Out // 10 minutes

Where have you seen people suffer from spiritual, emotional or physical oppression?

Where have you seen people set free form spiritual, emotional or physical oppression?

 

Look In // 20 minutes

Where are you currently struggling with a form of oppression?

Leader Note: This is a great time to revisit the discussion and content from week 8 of rooted on strongholds. Remind your group that a stronghold is…

“An area of sin in our lies where our flesh and Satan have worked together to create destructive patterns that are sometimes hard to see and impossible to break in our own strength (Romans 7:21-25). A stronghold is more than a sin. Satan has taken a natural desire in us and supercharged it to create something beyond our control.”  (Rooted week 5)

What would it look like to embrace Jesus authority over oppression in your life?

Leader Note: Strongholds are most often birthed in a lie. We believe something to be true about ourselves or about our desires that is in contrary to what God would have us believe.

Some ways in which we break strongholds include…

  • By acknowledging that the enemy is real (1 John 5:19, 1 Peter 5:8)
  • By acknowledging Jesus’ victory over the enemy (Colossians 2:13-15)
  • By living by the spirit (Romans 8:11-18, Galatians 5:16-21)
  • By armoring ourselves God’s armor (Ephesians 6:10-18) which is… Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Faith, Salvation and His Word.
  • Through confession, surrender and accountability
  • By embracing our True Identity in Christ

Remind your group of a few verses which speak into our identity in Christ.

  • God is pleased with me – Genesis 1:31
  • I am a child of God – John 1:12
  • Christ calls me friend – John 15:15
  • I have received the power of the Holy Spirit – Acts 1:8
  • I am a new creation in Christ – 2 Corinthians 5:17
  • I have been adopted as God’s child – Ephesians 1:5
  • I am redeemed by God’s grace – Ephesians 1:7
  • I am seated in heavenly realms with Christ – Ephesians 2:6-7
  • I am God’s masterpiece – Ephesians 2:10

 

Live It Out // 5 minutes

Who could you impact by embracing Jesus’ freedom?

Pray: You may also want to lead your group through a prayer that acknowledges our strongholds and the power of Christ within us to give us freedom. As in rooted it may be appropriate to have men and women pray separately.  Here’s a suggested prayer for each person to pray over themselves as you stand together in agreement and faith.

“Father, I come before you in the Name of Jesus. I recognize the power You have given me by the shed blood of Jesus to demolish spiritual strongholds in my life. I confess that I have given a foothold to sin and I renounce the stronghold of _____________________ I claim the truth of God’s word and who He says that I am by the authority of the Name of Jesus Christ. Through your power, I take back the ground I surrendered to the enemy. I pray You will enable me to trusty an obey Your Holy Spirit so that this area of my life will be in conformity to the image of Christ. Amen.” (Rooted week 5)

Consider this prayer for your group as well…

Dear heavenly Father, I acknowledge Your presence in my life. You are the only all-knowing, all-powerful, and always- present God. I am dependent upon You, for apart from Christ I can do nothing. I stand in the truth that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to the resurrected Christ, and because I am in Christ I share that authority in order to make disciples and set captives free. I ask You to fill me with Your Holy Spirit and lead me into all truth. I pray for Your complete protection an ask for Your guidance. In Jesus’ name I pray.

Luke 4:14-30 // Freedom: How To Start A Revolution Wk 4

Lean In // 5 minutes

Who’s your favorite revolutionary figure?

Leader Note: Invite both fictional and historical answers. As a follow up ask… “What did they see”, or “what was the circumstance they set out to change?”

 

Look Down // 10 minutes

Read Luke 4:14-30

What do you learn about Jesus’ revolutionary message?

Sample answers may include

  • It’s fueled by God’s spirit (v.18)
  • It is good news to the poor (v.18)
  • Releases the captives (v.18)
  • Brings sight to the blind (v.18)
  • Freedom for the oppressed (v.18)
  • It’s in partnership with the time of the Lord’s favor (v.18)
  • It’s holistic, brings physical, emotional an spiritual healing/restoration (v.18-19)
  • The message of the revolution is expressed the through person of Jesus (v.21)
  • People liked the sound of it but were skeptical about Jesus (v.22)
  • Jesus was not surprised or deterred by those who rejected (v.22-23)
  • The revolution is not just for “insiders.” It’s open to all (v.25-27)
  • It caused the “insiders” to be angry to the point they wanted to kill Jesus (v.28-29)

 

Look Out // 10 minutes

What causes people to miss the message of Jesus’ revolution?

Sample answers may include

  • Greed, have much to loose for the poor to receive good news
  • Unwilling to release their own power for the sake of others’ freedom
  • They don’t see a need for it in the world or in their own lives – spiritual blindness
  • Don’t consider Jesus to be God, he’s just a “great teacher”
  • Wounds from a negative experience with the church
  • No understanding of grace, people get what they deserve in life

Where do you see people joining in Jesus’s revolution?

Leader Note: This question should lend itself to stories. Prompt your group to share a store where they’ve seen the mission of Jesus at work in and through a person… what did that look like?

 

Look In // 20 minutes

What part of Jesus revolution are you most in need of?

Leader Note: You may also frame this question by asking, emotionally, physically or spiritually… 

  • Where are you poor?
  • What holds you captive?
  • Where have you become blind?
  • Where do you wrestle with oppression?

 

Live It Out // 5 minutes

Where is Jesus calling you to live out his revolution? What could that look like?

Pray: Spend time praying for God’s spirit to illuminate the places in our heart that are in need of Jesus revolutionary message to bring life and healing. Pray that we become people who choose to live out with grace and truth the freedom that Jesus has offered to us.

Luke 4:1-13 // Allure Of The Lure: How To Start A Revolution Wk 3

Lean In // 5 minutes

What are all the voluntary “instruments of death” used to catch animals and insects?

Sample answers may include

  • Fishhooks
  • Bear trap
  • Mouse trap
  • Fly paper
  • Bug zapper

Leader Note: Transition your group to the text by saying something like… “Temptation is the biblically equivalent to these types of traps.”

 

Look Down // 10 minutes

Read Luke 4:1-13

What do you learn about temptation?

Sample answers may include

  • It can come when we’re full of the Holy Spirit (v.1)
  • The spirit can lead us to wilderness places (v.1)
  • While the spirit may lead us there it’s the devil that does the tempting (v.2)
  • It can come in moments of weakness (v.2) and moments of strength (v.1)
  • The devil offers us something we want and often think we need (v.3)
  • The devil wants to steal our identity through temptation (v.3)
  • We can combat temptation by using God’s word (v.4,8,12)
  • Temptation is alluring but comes at a cost (v.5-7)
  • Temptation is a question of what will we worship (v.7-8)
  • The devil will also tempt us to misuse gifts that we have. It may not be a sin to use them but the manner or reason in which we use can lead to sin (v.3, 9-10)
  • The devil knows how to use and misuse scripture against us (v.10-11)
  • The devil is very persistent and patient with how he tempts up  (v.13)

 

Look Out // 10 minutes

Where have you seen people give in to temptation? What was the allure of the temptation and what were the costs in giving in to it?

Where have you seen people not give in to temptation? What were the costs and what were the benefits?

Commentary: There’s a price to pay when you give in to temptation and there’s also a temporary cost we pay when we resist. As with Jesus, Satan brings about temptation that is aimed at robbing us from our identity. We can easily loose ourselves and put others in harms way by continually giving in to temptation.

 

Look In // 20 minutes

What are the traps of temptation that the Devil sets for you?

Commentary: Satan knows how to tempt you. He will come at you with things you desire or feel entitled to have. The more we become personal aware of those areas in our lives where we are susceptible to temptation the better we can be prepared to resist.

What do you think he wants to steal from you in setting those traps?

How can you prepare yourself to resist temptation?

Sample answers may include

  • By remaining honest about the areas of weakness and sharing it with others
  • By staying in God’s word
  • By staying in a trusting community, my Life Group!
  • Avoiding situations where we open ourselves up to temptation
  • Through walking in step with the power of the Holy Spirit
  • By cultivating thankfulness
  • Through remembrance in our identity in Christ, who He says we are

 

Live It Out // 5 minutes

Who could you impact by resisting temptation?

Pray: Pray for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to give courage and strength to avoid giving in to temptation. Pray for eyes to be open to see temptation for what it is… a trap by the enemy to rob us of our identity and purpose.

Luke 3:3-14 // Be Fearless: How To Start A Revolution Wk 2

Introduction // 5 minutes

What’s a person or event in history you’d like to meet or visit and why?

Sample answers may include…

  • William Wilberforce
  • Gettysburg address
  • Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech

What would you tell the people living in that context?

Leader Note: When living in a historical moment most people tend the miss the weight and significance of what they are faced with. For others they are so blind by the current state of culture and society (example; the abolishment of slavery movement) that they can’t imagine that things can or even should change.

With the gift of historical hindsight what would you tell the people, what would you encourage them not to miss?

 

Observation // 15 minutes

Read Luke 3:3-9

What does John the Baptist say about preparing for the Lord’s coming?

Sample answers may include…

  • That the people should be baptized and repent of their sins (v.3)
  • To let their lives show that they have repented, turned their ways (v.8)
  • To not rely on their heritage but to live lives that show repentance (v.8)
  • To produce “good fruit” (v.9)

Read Luke 3:9-14

What does “good fruit” look like in the passage?

Sample answers may include…

  • Giving your shirt to the poor, generous living (v.11)
  • Sharing your good with the hungry, sacrificial living (v.11)
  • Collect no more money than you’re owed, just living (v.13)
  • To not use your power for corruption (v.14)
  • Living without greed (v.14)

Leader Note: Raise the point to your group that John does not say… go to the temple or read the words of the prophets. John basically says to live generously and justly. To provide for those who need provision and protect those that need protection. To be mindful of the poor and powerless. This is what “good fruit” looks like… a repented heart in action spending themselves on others who are incapability or paying them back.

 

Understanding // 10 minutes 

What causes people to miss Jesus today?

Sample answers may include…

  • Greed
  • Pride
  • Self-centeredness
  • Religious living without care for others

Leader Note: The crowds asked John “What should we do?” They wanted to know how to get ready for Jesus, how to not miss him. John clearly says that the best way to see Jesus is to live a generous and just life. Anything that falls outside of those categories can potential cause us to miss seeing Jesus.

 

Application // 10 minutes

How will you experience Jesus?

Leader Note: You may also ask the question this way… “If experiencing Jesus is clearly done in the context of generous and just living, then what would it look like for you to live that way and what holds you back?”

 

Live It Out // 5 minutes

What if we lived out generosity and justice? Who would see Jesus and what could the impact be?

Prayer: Pray for compassion to see what Jesus sees. Pray for boldness to enter into places that we may not want to go. Pray for any form of pride or selfishness to be uprooted in our hearts so that we may fully display, with our actions the power of repentance and the power of the Gospel within us.

Luke 3:1-4 // How To Start A Revolution Wk 1

Introduction // 5 minutes

What’s the longest you’ve gone without sleep?

Leader Note: Be sure to get the story behind the answer here.

 

Observation // 10 minutes

Read Luke 3:1-4

What do you learn about the power of God’s word?

Sample answers may include

  • God’s word came to one person at a specific time (v.2)
  • God’s word meet John in the wilderness, in an unexpected place (v.2)
  • It prompted action from John, calling people to be baptized (v.3)
  • It compelled others to action, to repent and to be baptized (v.3)
  • It’s prophetic, speaks of things to come (v.4)

Commentary: God’s message to John came during the “intertesatmental period”, which was a 400-year span of time between the Old and New Testament writings.  This period of time has been also called the “400 years of silence” where God revealed nothing to his people through the prophets.

John emerges as the first person since the prophet Malachi with a word from God to his people.  Luke highlights the physical location where John received God’s word (the wildness) and would undoubtedly want his audience to make the connection to the spiritual wilderness that the people of Israel had been in for 400 years.

 

Understanding // 10 minutes

What’s the longest you’ve been apart from a loved one?

What were the circumstances and how did you feel during that time?

Leader Note: They say, “Absences makes the heart grow fonder.”  While that may be true prolonged absence can also make the heart grow cold and lonely.  Spend time focusing on the emotions of the “in between time.”

 

Application // 15 minutes

Describe a time in your life where God seemed/seems silent?

What would it look like for you to trust God in a “wilderness” season?

Leader Note: As with all questions you set the tone by your response.  Be honest and vulnerable and make it safe for others to answer with the same level of honesty.

Commentary: Just because God seems silent it doesn’t mean He’s not listening.  Nor does it mean that He’s absent.  Just as with John the Baptist, God often uses “wilderness” moments to shape and grow us into people who trust and depend on God’s spirit.  Avoid rushing into advice giving or rescuing too quickly during this question.  Allow space for honest lament and questioning while inviting the Holy Spirit to bring comfort and clarity in your closing group prayer. 

 

Live It Out // 5 minutes

Who could you impact by persevering through a “wilderness season” of life?

Prayer: Pray boldly for God’s spirit to comfort and guide in times of silence and in times of suffering.  Pray for perseverance to hold on to God’s word and truth and for supernatural strength to trust Him in those times.