REALLIFE
STUDY GROUP
“Benefits of Having an Enemy”
ICEBREAKER: Where were you on 9/11/2001? How did you feel
when you heard the news of the attack on America?
CONFESSION: I will never fear any enemy when I know that
I am on God’s side. God said that He would be an enemy to my enemies. No weapon
formed against me will ever prosper because greater is He that is in me than he
that is in the world. I pray for the salvation of any person that has purposed
in their heart by word or action to be my enemy.
DEFINITIONS: Enemy: Tsar (Hebrew)
adversary, foe, oppressor, to show hostility towards.
An’ohev (Hebrew) one who hates
OUTLINE: Why does God allow enemies to arise in our
lives?
1.
They challenge us to become stronger, wiser and more skilled
2.
They define us
3.
They cause us to draw closer to God
4.
They require a righteous response
5.
They build a reputation for us in our generation
Enemy's Strategies and
Devices
1.
To Divide us
2.
To Distract us
3.
To Destroy us
4.
To Disable us
5.
To Devastate us
6.
To Deplete us
7.
To Disarm us
8.
To Diminish us
9.
To Demean us
10.
To Defile us
11.
To Disease us
12.
To Displease us
13.
To Disgruntle us
14.
To Deceive us
15.
To Demolish us
16.
To Deposit In us
17.
To Desensitize us
18.
To Disorient us
19.
To Disturb us
20.
To Distance us from God
TEXT: Genesis 22:17; Exodus
15:6; Exodus 23:22; Lev 26:7; Deuteronomy 33:27; Matthew 5:44; 22:44; Psalm
6:10; Psalms 18:3,40,48; Psalm 23:5; Psalm 25:2; Psalm 31:15; Psalm 97:3;
Psalm
136:24
STUDY GROUP QUESTIONS:
1.
Name
an enemy to the nation of Israel in the Old Testament of the Bible. (Clues:
What nations did Israel become a slave to? What are the names of the seven nations that
stood against Israel in Deuteronomy 7:1? What nation was Goliath from? What nation did Gideon fight in Judges 6:11?)
2.
What
are some of the strategies that our enemy, the devil, uses against us?
3.
Name
one benefit of having an enemy besides what I have already listed.
4.
Why
do you think that the enemy would like for it to be politically incorrect for
citizens of the USA to be patriotic?
5.
What
is the greatest internal enemy that you have to contend with? (Fear, Doubt,
Anger, Jealousy, Greed, Pride, Gossip, Rejection, Lust, Shame, Un-forgiveness,
Deception, Grief…)
6.
Finish
this statement, The enemy’s greatest fear is that I will
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7.
What
can we learn from observing our enemy?
PRAISE & PRAYER
REPORTS:
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