Life Groups Study – Week Of 04/25

Life Groups Study – Week Of 4/25

My Story

QUESTION: What is your favorite story of someone bouncing back from defeat or failure? What did it teach you?

Note: Your example could be from anywhere: sports, your own life, a movie, a book…

This Is God’s Word: Our Key Passage From “He Brought Me Back Pt1”

Luke 22:31–34

“Simon, Simon, look out. Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 33 “Lord,” he told him, “I’m ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 “I tell you, Peter,” he said, “the rooster will not crow today until you deny three times that you know me.”

Luke 22:54–62

They seized him, led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house. Meanwhile Peter was following at a distance. 55 They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, and Peter sat among them. 56 When a servant saw him sitting in the light, and looked closely at him, she said, “This man was with him too.” 57 But he denied it: “Woman, I don’t know him.” 58 After a little while, someone else saw him and said, “You’re one of them too.” “Man, I am not!” Peter said. 59 About an hour later, another kept insisting, “This man was certainly with him, since he’s also a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 61 Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. So Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.

My Message Highlight From “He Brought Me Back Pt1”

QUESTION: What was your most significant thought or takeaway from this week’s message? What helped you, or brought questions to your mind?

Let’s Go Deeper Into This Weeks Message

1. You have an Enemy that wants you to fall.

Luke 22:31-32b “Simon, Simon, look out. Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.

Question: “Christians can run into two types of trouble—obsessively attributing everything to Satan, or living as if we don’t have an enemy.” What types of trouble come from those two attitudes?

2. You have a God who can give you strength to stand.

Mark 14:37–38 Then he came and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you stay awake one hour? 38 Stay awake and pray so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Question: We’ve talked a lot lately about finding God’s strength in weakness. Jesus here shows us that while our spirits may be willing, our bodies can let us down. For Peter, fatigue and sadness got the best of him. Think about what you’ve seen in yourself and others. What are some other times when we are particularly in danger of temptation?

Question: Do your own quick search on temptation in the Bible—through the concordance in the back of your bible, the Bible app, the web. Do you notice any other means that God gives to keep us from entering into temptation?

3. You have a God who still loves you when you fall.

Mark 16:6–7 “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they put him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there just as he told you.”

Question: The angel specifically mentions Peter by name to the two women. After such a spectacular failure, Peter probably still needed divine assurance that he was loved by Jesus. What type of person can you think of that needs to know that the love of God is still available to them?

4. God wants you back.

Luke 22:31–34 “Simon, Simon, look out. Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Final Thought: God is not done with you.

Question: No one HAS to share—but perhaps one or two of us have a story that would bring hope to others. Has God’s persistent love ever brought you back to Himself? Tell us about it.

Let’s Pray