Announcements
1. A new 4-week college class will begin this Sunday, November 4th! Join Santi every Sunday in November at 10:00 am in the Center of Contemporary Arts to learn more about how to read scripture!
2. Parents, exciting news! We’ve had a very kind donation that is going to cover the costs of this event, so Parent’s Night Out on November 9th is now free! Remember you MUST sign up on the app before Wednesday, Nov. 7th in order to attend this event! Also, if you would like to volunteer as a babysitter to bless our families, email Laura@thewellabilene.com #bringbackdatenight
4. Join us in sending off the Kelley family as they head to Canada for language school and then Chad Africa to share the gospel! ***There has been a location and time change***
We’ll gather for lunch on their last Sunday here, November 18th, at 4:00 at the Flyin’ T Ranch. No Childcare. Please RSVP on the app!
3. Ladies, put these dates on your calendars!!! Our Women’s Advent Service will be on Sunday, Dec. 2nd at 7-9pm at The Well! Also, in place of the IF conference this year, we will be having a Women’s Retreat in Eastland, Tx on April 12-13- more info to come!
Theme
Drawing on content from the passages and the sermon, this week’s guide will focus on walking in repentance as an essential part of what it means to follow Jesus.
Key Passages
Matthew 4:1
James 1:13-15
Summary
Right after Jesus’ baptism, he is led into the wilderness by the “Spirit” to spend forty days and forty nights facing temptations from “the tempter.”
In James 1:13-15, we find a biblical explanation of the true source of temptation- that is NOT from God. Instead, temptation is birthed from our own misplaced desires.
This passage will set us up to look at the rest of Jesus’ own temptation in the wilderness this coming Sunday!
Discussion Activity
Austin assigned us some challenging “homework” so to speak that will lead us into this week’s sermon on Matthew 4:1-11.
*Discern how best to processes this within your group time. You can either split up into small groups to discuss this, or you can provide some paper for people to write down their thoughts while encouraging them to write down a time when they plan to share what they wrote down with someone in their life as soon as possible.*
Spend some time being honest with yourself and with God about the deeply-rooted areas of sin in your life; those things that bring you shame and guilt and rob you of Joy.
Read Psalm 16:11
If you truly believed this passage, that fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore are found in God, how would it help you fight the temptation of those sins?
How would it change the way you spend a lifetime walking in repentance rather than seeing it as a one-time event?
Further, attempt to trace back to the patterns in which you find yourself most lured and enticed into those sins. Another way of looking at this is through the “fruit-to-root” metaphor often presented throughout Scripture. It encourages us to examine the fruit in our lives, either good or bad, to identify the root of where they are sprouting from.
Examples:
-Maybe you resonate with the guy at the gym from the sermon
-Maybe your sin comes out at certain times of the day or in certain situations at your job
-Maybe social media is the bate that draws you in to fantasize about a life other than the one you have been given
-Maybe you are drawn to greed every time you look at your bank account…
How do you think believing the truth of Psalm 16:11 will begin to truly fight the very root of your sin?
Prayer Activity
Following this reflective activity, pray as a group that you all would be able to view this kind of repentance in light of the Gospel!
Pray that you would further know the reality that in Christ there is nothing you could do that would make God love you less, and nothing you have done that would make God love you anymore. Pray that you would further believe that you are loved and accepted in the perfect life of Jesus.