Small Group Discussion

Opening Question:

Share a time when you thought you were following God’s leading, but it turned out you completely misread the situation (like Pastor Steve and the woman at McAllister’s).

Key Scriptures:

1. John 16:13 – “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth”
2. Romans 8:14 – “For those who are led by the Spirit are children of God”
3. Galatians 5:25 – “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit”
4. Matthew 5:37 – “Let your yes be yes and your no be no”
5. Hebrews 13:5 – “Jesus will never leave you nor forsake you”
6. 2 Corinthians 10:5 – “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ”
7. 1 John 4:1 – “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God because many false prophets have gone out into the world”
8. Isaiah 40:31 – “Those that wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint”
9. Hebrews 10:25 – “Not forsake the gathering of the saints”

Key Takeaways: This week, Pastor Steve addressed three common ways we misread the Holy Spirit:

1. We confuse feelings with truth
2. We assume every open door comes from God
3. We expect our “yes” to be dramatic

Discussion Questions:

1. How do you distinguish between a genuine leading from the Holy Spirit and your own emotional feelings or desires in decision-making?
2. Can you think of a time when you confused an open door with God’s will, only to realize later it was a distraction or temptation?
3. Why do you think we often expect dramatic results when we say yes to God, and how can we learn to embrace the monotony of faithful obedience?
4. What are some practical ways to ensure that our decisions align with God’s revealed word in Scripture before we assume they are Spirit-led?
5. What open doors in your life right now might need to be tested against God’s word before you walk through them?