SQUAD UP: Stand Strong
SQUAD UP: Stand Strong
Crossover 9/8/2020
THE BIG IDEA
We can stand strong together.
THE BIBLE
Ephesians 6:10-20
Have you ever gone roller skating? It's not as easy as you might think! When people go roller skating, they sometimes think holding hands with a friend will help them stay standing. But most of the time, they're, uh, wrong. Instead of helping each other stay standing, they end up sprawled all over the ground. Roller skating probably isn't going to be the most difficult challenge we're going to experience, but you and your friends will soon face a challenge where you'll need to help each other stay standing, like when you're tempted to make poor or dangerous choices, or when someone experiences a tragedy or questions what they believe. In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us how to prepare for danger and difficulty. First, he says, "put on the armor of God." We need God's truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and Spirit to stand strong. Second, pray for each other, because when we're under attack, we can stand strong together.
Everyone wants a squad — a community of people that cares for us, helps and supports us, and gives us a place to belong. In short, we all want to be part of a community that feels like family. That kind of community isn't easy to come by, but it's exactly what Jesus had in mind for His followers when the Church first began. In this series, we'll discover why the word "Church" means something much bigger than a building, we'll learn what life was like for some of the earliest Christians, and we'll explore four big ideas that mean as much for us today as they did to the Jesus-followers who lived nearly 2,000 years ago. The truth is, we can all be part of God's family, and because we're God's family, we can do for others what God has done for us, we can grow together, and we can stand strong together.
TALKING POINTS:
Everyone wants a squad — a community of people that cares for us, helps and supports us, and gives us a place to belong. In short, we all want to be part of a community that feels like family. That kind of community isn't easy to come by, but it's exactly what Jesus had in mind for His followers when the Church first began. In this series, we'll discover why the word "Church" means something much bigger than a building, we'll learn what life was like for some of the earliest Christians, and we'll explore four big ideas that mean as much for us today as they did to the Jesus-followers who lived nearly 2,000 years ago. The truth is, we can all be part of God's family, and because we're God's family, we can do for others what God has done for us, we can grow together, and we can stand strong together.
TALKING POINTS:
- Tell us your biggest wipe-out story.
- Think about a time a friend influenced you, for good or bad. Tell us about it.
- How do you know when to stand strong in what you believe, instead of going along with someone else?
- Talk about a time someone had your back when you needed them. What did they do for you?
- What are some situations where we might need people to help or protect us?
- What are some situations where we might need God's armor? Are you in any of those situations right now?
- Who is at risk if we fail to put on God’s armor? Why?
- How would you "put on" each piece of God's armor?
- Belt of truth
- Breastplate of righteousness
- Shoes of peace
- Shield of faith
- Helmet of salvation
- Sword of the Spirit
- How can you help someone else put on their armor?
- Read Ephesians 6:18-20. What are some specific things we can pray for each other? Do you have anything you'd like us to pray for?
Posted in Crossover