Conversation Starters:

• When it comes to the things of God, do you find that you “Keep” the growth He moves you toward or does it dissipate? (If it diminishes, why do you think that happens? If you tend to “keep” it and live it out faithfully, what disciplines, mindsets, and heart postures are helping you retain it?)
• Are you weary? (What’s making you weary? How does God teach us to alleviate weariness? Being “spiritually” weary is not the same as being weary “physically.” Can you tell the difference between the two? To be weary is to be without the Spirit.)
• As you reflect upon how you invest your time and treasure, are you investing eternally or temporally? (Which of the two do you truly value over the other and why? Which of the two truly matters over the other and why?)

Reflect:

1.) Pastor Jason shared five ways we can guard the good:

• Let’s guard our Passion for more of God: Jeremiah 29:13 NIV (Give us One Year of your life. What do I need to do to go all-in with God? Turn up the volume praising God. Go more in than your all-in was. Half Hearted faith yields Half-Hearted results.)

• Let’s guard our Pursuit for the Lost: Luke 15:4 NIV and Mark 16:15 NCV (Who can I Invite? Unstoppable is a launching pad not a building project. Impact is not in our speech it’s in our Spirit. We can’t just stay where we are. We’re going to go everywhere o reach everyone.)

• Let’s guard the Priority of connecting in authentic honest Relationships: Hebrews 10:25 NIV (Get connected to the people that can change your life. Will I let someone know The Real Me?)

• Let’s guard the Progression of spiritual Growth: Philippians 3:13-14 and Acts 2:41 NIV (What is my Next Step spiritually? You can stay where you are or you can grow.)

• Let’s guard our Participation in Church: 1^st Corinthians 3:9-15 NIV (Don’t just be a consumer be a contributor. It’s not “you guy’s” it’s “we.” Don’t invest in what doesn’t count.)

How can I use my Time and Treasure to make an Eternal Difference?

Visit each of the five ways we can guard ourselves to protect the good. What can you shift or implement in each area to increase your connection to God and deepen your walk with Him?

How would you rate your level of surrender to God? (Not so much, Poor, Meh, Good, Excellent, Totally, Other. How can you increase your lever of surrender to God?)

Apply It:

       As we reflect upon today’s message, we see where our Passion, Pursuit, Priority, Progression, and Participation are in relation to God dictates our Position. Are we with God or against Him? Where is God directing you to go? Does your denial of the truth countermand the truth God declares? What are you passionate about? What are you truly pursuing each day? What are you progressing toward inwardly and outwardly through your actions? What are you participating in? What we do and the truths about ourselves dictate where we will be. God is good and wants good for us, but we must give our yes to Him over yes’s to ourselves. What will make you choose to give your willing and faithful yes to God despite your comfort level? There is a bigger plan than today, tomorrow, next month, next year, or even 10 years from now. Our collective eternity with our Father is what matters most. Choose to make an eternal impact over a worldly one. Make the decision to do what really counts. God has the map on how to get us there. He knows the way. Follow Him over self.

Prayer Requests and Closing Prayer:

Ask your group members if they have a prayer request. Write them down and continue to pray for them during the week:

Father, we can be really short sighted and selfish sometimes. To combat our humanity You’ve given each of us a Spirit so we will know the truth. We can believe in our minds that we’re living out our lives upon the foundation of Your Word, but be totally deceived about where we’re really standing. Help us see the truth Father. Your Word says, by Your Word we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. It doesn’t say by my word, by my thoughts, or by what I feel is right. By Your Word Lord God and Your Word alone, the truth we need to know, pursue, and obey is revealed. The first step to reaching maturity in Christ is realizing the truth about where we really are. The second step is taking the right steps faithfully in alignment with Your Word to get us to where You’re calling us to follow. Are we living selfish lives through the eyes of self or the world, or are we living selfless lives of service and sacrifice for the bigger purpose of drawing those You love closer to You? Jesus lived a life of service for us so we could live. Help us live lives of service for others so they can live and benefit through Your love faithfully shown through each of us. We love You Lord. No one is more important in our lives that You. Nothing is more important than our full obedience to Your Word. May we live out this profession of faith in Christ and never falter, in Christ we pray, amen.