Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
XP3
THE BATTLE WITHIN: Middle School Small Group Dialog
[FOR STUDENT PASTORS]
Remember to e-mail your leaders every week with the small group questions attached. This will allow your leaders to
review the material before they sit down to lead discussion. Use the e-mail to encourage your leaders and celebrate their
successes. Encourage them in their key role of leading students to truth.
To give your leaders an idea of what we will be discussing over the next three weeks, copy and paste the following
description into your e-mail to help convey the main goal of this series.
XP3
THE BATTLE WITHIN (1): THE MAIN EVENT
Bottom Line: In every single temptation you face, there is always more at risk than you think.
Scripture References: Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 4:1-3
Temptation—everyone’s favorite topic. But don’t panic yet! You’re goal this week is just to introduce the topic in such a
way that students can feel comfortable acknowledging the reality of temptation in their own lives. WARNINGS: Temptation
is a tricky small group topic. The purpose of this series is not to get your students to confess personal struggles to the
group, but to help students begin to think openly about the dynamic of temptation and the significance that it has on their
faith. Most of the “specifics” in this series are deliberately handled in a self-reflective manner rather than asking students
to share out loud because we believe that conversations about specific struggles are best when student initiated or when
done in one-on-one settings. As your students work through this topic, it may be a perfect time for you to schedule some
of those one-on-one conversations you’ve been meaning to have.
Create meaningful conversation. Adjust questions as needed, and don’t feel like you need to answer all of them.
1. What is was your absolute favorite food growing up? Pretend someone put that food in front of you and told you not to
eat it for thirty minutes. How could you talk yourself into thinking it would be okay to eat it before the time was up?
2. What are other ways that people tend to talk themselves into doing things they know they shouldn’t do?
3. What normally goes through your head when you are being tempted?
5. Can you think of some long-term consequences for someone who gives into those temptations?
6. How could giving into some of those temptations end up hurting not only the person who gives in, but other people in
that person’s life as well?
7. If I said that temptation and trust are linked, would you agree? How are they related?
8. How can a person resist temptation when it happens? (ex: Stop. Think it through. Pray. Remember what God says.
Ask a trusted adult or Christian who you trust.)
CLOSING CHALLENGE:
Remind your students that temptation is really all about our trust or lack of trust in God. Using index cards, have your
students write out the phrase: “Temptation, you will not steal my future, you will not steal my faith.” Ask them to put their
card in the place where their temptation is strongest, and where they are sure to see the card regularly.
XP3
THE BATTLE WITHIN (2): IN THIS CORNER
Bottom Line: Every time you’re tempted, your confidence in God is at stake, not just your self-control.
Scripture References: Matthew 4:1-4; Deuteronomy 8:3, 11-14, 17
Most of us evaluate the temptations in our lives based on the immediate consequences and the probability of getting
caught. After all, it usually comes down to what makes the most sense for me. But what if we really believed that there
was a God who was bigger, and smarter and more capable than ourselves? How would it change the way we view
temptation if we acted like the most rational and logical thing was to submit to God rather than leaning on our own
understanding? Your goal this week is to help students see how every temptation is an opportunity to trust God or trust
only in themselves.
Create meaningful conversation. Adjust questions as needed, and don’t feel like you need to answer all of them.
1. What do you remember about our talk last week? Did anyone recognize a temptation they might not have
recognized, or respond to a temptation in a different way because of what we talked about last week?
3. If temptation is a test of your faith, why does God care so much about the way you respond to temptation?
4. Knowing how much is on the line, why do you think Christians still give into temptation?
5. Think of one area of your life where it is difficult for you to really trust God. In your mind answer the following
questions:
a. Does God care about this particular thing in my life?
b. Do I think God is big enough to take care of this area of my life?
c. Can God be trusted to take care of this area of my life?
6. Which question(s) did you feel most uncomfortable answering “yes” to? (Leader: see the closing challenge)
7. How does remembering God provided manna to the Israelites in the desert for 40 years remind us that God can
be trusted to provide for our daily needs?
8. What can you do this week to help you begin to trust God more?
CLOSING CHALLENGE:
Listen closely to your student’s answers to question #6. You may want to write them down. This week spend some time
praying specifically for each student in the area they identify as most challenging for them (trusting that God is big
enough, that God is trustworthy, or that God really cares). You may want to send your students a note with specific Bible
verses to help them in this area, or just let them know that you are praying specifically for them.
XP3
THE BATTLE WITHIN (3): FIXING THE FIGHT
Bottom Line: We are tempted to believe we know how God works and how we think we can work Him.
Scripture References: Matthew 4:5-7; Psalm 91:12; Exodus 17:2-3
As a continuation of last week’s theme, we are still talking about how temptation is related to our trust in God. But this
week, we are looking from a specific angle—our temptation to manipulate God. Your goal this week is to help students
explore the many ways that we are tempted to manipulate God, and make God much smaller than God actually is. This
week has the potential to help many students understand why they may have felt frustrated with God in the past—
because they were looking for God to be far less than who He actually is and fit in the box they have for Him. Don’t miss
the potential this week to help students examine the way they pray and communicate with God.
Create meaningful conversation. Adjust questions as needed, and don’t feel like you need to answer all of them.
1. If you had to explain temptation to someone, how would you define it?
2. Why do you think we get tempted to do things that we know aren’t going to be best for us in the long run?
3. Have you ever chosen to make a bad choice because you were fairly confident that you could get out of the
consequences?
4. Have you ever made a poor choice and then assumed that God would bail you out of trouble? What’s the danger
in assuming what God will or will not do?
5. If God doesn’t bail you out of a situation, does it mean that He doesn’t care about you? Why or why not?
6. Last week, what did we say was connected to our ability to resist temptation?
7. What do you think it looks like to cooperate with God? Do you think you have ever done that? What do you think it
looks like to manipulate God? Do you think you have ever done that?
8. What might prevent you from deciding to cooperate with God rather than trying to get God to act the way you think
He should?
9. When you try to get God to give you what you want, or act the way you think He ought to act, how does it affect
the way you pray and the way God can relate to you?
CLOSING CHALLENGE:
This week’s talk is closely related to the way we talk and interact with God. It’s a great time to discuss the way that we
pray, and exactly what we are hoping for when we talk to God. You might challenge your students to write down their
prayers for an entire week and try to see whether they are listening to God, surrendering to God or trying to manipulate
God to get what they want.
XP3
THE BATTLE WITHIN (4): HOOK AND JAB
Bottom Line: We are tempted to pursue the right thing the wrong way.
Scripture References: Matthew 4:8-10; Matthew 28:18-20; Deuteronomy 6:10-12
When it comes to temptation, there are some things that are just obvious “wrongs.” There are some things that we know
not to do. But often, we face temptation in areas related to goals and ambitions that are normal and healthy—and we are
tempted to pursue the right thing in the wrong way. This week your goal is to help break the “rationalizing” process behind
these cycles of temptation. This is going to take a big picture perspective. Use some time before small group to think
about how you may have seen integrity rewarded and dishonesty lead to frustration. You may want to share a story from
your own observations.
Create meaningful conversation. Adjust questions as needed, and don’t feel like you need to answer all of them.
1. What are three things that you want out of life in the next three years? (Have everyone share)
2. Think about the goals and ambitions of the person on your left. What are some “shortcuts” that might help him or
her get what they want—but might not be entirely good choices?
3. What might make a person choose to take a “shortcut” to get to one of these goals?
4. If you choose to take a shortcut, what are you saying about your trust in God? Have you ever thought a shortcut
and your trust in God were connected? What could you miss out on if you always choose to do things your own
way instead of trusting in God?
5. Listen to this statement: “You’ll never accomplish the will of God by abandoning the principles of God. And you’ll
never maintain the blessing of God if you abandon the values of God.” Do you believe this? Have you ever had an
experience where you saw this was true? (As a leader, this might be a good time to share a story of how you have
seen this work out in someone’s life.)
6. How will this series change the way you think about temptation?
7. What’s one thing you want to do the next time you face temptation?
8. What is something you learned today? What is something you don’t want to forget about this series?
CLOSING CHALLENGE:
The mantra for this week is simply this: “Don’t trade what’s important for what’s immediate.” What if every student just
committed this statement to memory? Can you imagine how it might effect their daily decisions? Try having your students
repeat this line several times. You might even make it a new “favorite quote” in Facebook, or part of your e-mail signature
for a while just as a way to remind them over the next few weeks.
Also, e-mail the XP document to your students this week and/or print it out and hand it to them. Later in the week, follow up
with each student to see if they have had a chance to get to the heart of their temptations, and see if they need help thinking
through anything.