Greater Than Week 4 Study

BIG IDEA

Robert Frost ends his well-known poem “The Road Not Taken” with these words, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” The poem is excellent, but something has always bothered me about it. We know the road he took, the road less traveled, and we know that taking that road made all of the difference, but we do not know if the outcome of taking the road less traveled was positive or negative. We will never know the impact taking this road had, but we know it made a difference. Literary scholars will say that this ambiguity was intentional on Frost’s part. Instead of knowing whether the outcome of taking the road less traveled positive or negative, we can walk away from this poem understanding the significance of the decisions we make every day. Our choices have an impact, whether significant or small. Even more, if we claim to be followers of Christ, we understand that sometimes the decisions we make can have an eternal impact. The good news is that we are not alone as we make decisions. Scripture promises that God provides wisdom when we need it.

BREAK THE ICE

Are you a fast decision-maker or a slow decision-maker? Why?

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS

Bible Study Questions

WATCH SERMON RECAP #1

1. What are some of the biggest decisions people today are making?

2. Read Proverbs 3:1-8. What wisdom can we gain from trusting and following God’s lead?

Proverbs 3:1-8

My child, never forget the things I have taught you.
Store my commands in your heart.
If you do this, you will live many years,
and your life will be satisfying.
Never let loyalty and kindness leave you!
Tie them around your neck as a reminder.
Write them deep within your heart.
Then you will find favor with both God and people,
and you will earn a good reputation.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
Then you will have healing for your body
and strength for your bones.

3. After reading these verses in Proverbs 3, how do we respond to God’s guidance as we make decisions? Why?

4. Read John 13:33-35. How do these verses provide clarity as we make decisions every day?

John 13:33-35

Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.

Application

5. How has God given you wisdom in the past when you needed it?

6. When was a time you refused to follow God’s lead? How did that turn out?

7. In what area of your life do you need wisdom today? What decisions are you facing right now that you need wisdom in?

MOVING FORWARD

The truth is, we all need wisdom as we make decisions every day. Are we asking for it? Your group shared areas where they need wisdom and decisions they are facing right now. Spend some time right now praying for each other. Ask God to give each one of you His wisdom. Pray with confidence, remembering that James 1:5 says, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.”

Going Deeper

As we continue our study of the Armor of God in Ephesians 6, we have come to the Belt of Truth and the Body Armor. These two pieces are beneficial when we think about making decisions. The belt goes right over our gut. This may seem a little off-putting to think about, but stick with me! As we make decisions, we often talk about “going with our gut.” Sometimes this line of decision-making is simply going with our instincts, but it can also lead us down the track of going with whatever feels good at the moment. While not consistently wrong, going with whatever feels good can quite often lead us astray, and it is not what the Gospel teaches. This type of thinking falls under heresy or false teaching, which says, “if it feels good, do it.” As Christians, we must stand against this belief and lean into what Scripture teaches.

Read the below passages to discover what Scripture teaches about doing whatever feels good.

Read Judges 17:6

• This was a pattern for Israel. They forsook God and sought after whatever they believed was right in their own eyes.

Read Philippians 3:18-21

• What do these verses teach about people who live however they want?
• What is the problem with living in this manner that Paul describes in these verses?

Read Ephesians 6:14

• According to these verses, what is the belt that we are supposed to put on? How is this different than “going with our gut?”
• What type of body armor are followers of Christ to wear? How is this related to the belt? Remember, in battle, the body armor and belt were always together.

Questions to Consider:

• Is there an area where you, like the Israelites, are doing “whatever seem[s] right in [your] own eyes?” If so, what is that area?
• How do you currently make decisions? Compare your decision-making process with what we have studied in Scripture today. What is going well? What needs improvement?
• What are ways we can surround ourselves with truth as we make decisions?

MONTHLY MEMORY VERSE

Wallpaper available for download in the Sagebrush App.

Romans 8:31

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?