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.