Opening Question:

Have you ever slowly drifted away from something that was once important to you (a friendship, relationship, goal, or commitment) without realizing how far you had gotten from it? What caused that distance?

Key Takeaways:

• Walking away from God rarely happens overnight. It often begins with small decisions and gradual spiritual neglect.
• Satan doesn’t care what distracts you from Jesus, as long as something keeps you from Jesus.
• The people we spend the most time with influence our attitudes, decisions, and ultimately the direction of our lives.
• Compromise begins with small concessions that can eventually lead to destructive consequences. Convictions help us stand firm when pressure comes.
• Going through the motions of Christianity while hiding what’s really happening in our hearts keeps us from experiencing genuine transformation.
• Jesus has already carried our shame to the cross. We don’t have to pretend we’re okay or hide our struggles from the One who loves us.

Discussion Questions:

Part 1: The Danger of Drifting

1. Read 1 Peter 5:8 and 2 Corinthians 11:3. Peter tells us to be alert because the enemy is looking for someone to devour, while Paul warns that our minds can be led away from our devotion to Christ. Have you ever noticed yourself slowly becoming less intentional about your relationship with God? What were some of the things that contributed to that distance?

Part 2: Starve Your Soul

1. The pastor compared our relationship with God to a marriage, explaining that relationships grow through intentional time together. Read Mark 8:36. What are some things that can slowly begin taking priority over time with God? Why is it so easy to convince ourselves that we’re simply too busy for Him?
2. The pastor said, “Whoever you spend time with, you become like.” How does this apply to your relationship with God? What might change in your life if spending time with Him became a priority rather than something you only do when you need help?

Part 3: Surround Yourself With the Wrong People

1. Read 1 Corinthians 15:33. The pastor said, “You can LOVE people, but not everyone should have the opportunity to LEAD you.” What’s the difference between loving someone and allowing them to influence the direction of your life? How can you maintain relationships with people who don’t share your faith without allowing their choices to pull you away from your convictions?

Part 4: Surrender Your Standards

1. The pastor described convictions as beliefs that guide your actions even when you’re under pressure. What’s the difference between having a conviction and simply having an opinion? What are some areas of your life where you need to establish stronger convictions before you’re faced with pressure to compromise?

Part 5: Settle for the Show

1. The pastor shared that sometimes we avoid being honest about our struggles not because we don’t want to change, but because we’re ashamed of what others might discover. Is there an area of your life where you’ve been more focused on appearing okay than actually getting healthy? What makes it difficult to let others see where we’re struggling?
2. Read Hebrews 12:2. Jesus endured the shame of the cross so that we could be set free from the shame of our sin. How does knowing that Jesus already knows your failures and still loves you change the way you approach Him? What might it look like to stop hiding, get honest, and take a step toward healing?

Putting It Into Practice:

The pastor gave us four ways we can slowly begin walking away from God: starving our souls, surrounding ourselves with the wrong people, surrendering our standards, and settling for the show.

Take a moment to honestly consider which of these areas is most present in your life right now. What’s one practical step you can take this week to wake up, get closer to Jesus, and stop allowing that area to pull you away from Him?

Remember: Jesus hasn’t stopped calling you to follow Him. You don’t have to pretend you’re healthy when you’re hurting, and you don’t have to wait until your life falls apart before asking for help.