May 14 – 20

Weekly Reading for May 14 – 20

Preparing for Next Week’s Message

Sermon Series: The 7 Deadly Sins: This Is No Game
Sermon Title: The Danger of Envy

This reading plan will get your heart and mind set for the next message on May 21, 2023:

• SUNDAY: Genesis 4 ,
• MONDAY: Genesis 37,
• TUESDAY: 1 Samuel 18,
• WEDNESDAY: Matthew 27,
• THURSDAY: James 3,
• FRIDAY: James 4,
• SATURDAY: 1 Peter 2,

Reflecting on the Most Recent Sermon

Sermon Series: The 7 Deadly Sins: This Is No Game
Sermon Title: The Power of Pride
Delivered On: May 14, 2023

VIEW SERMON NOTES

Memorize and Reflect

Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.

Prayer Direction

Ask the Holy Spirit to give you eyes to see where Pride has positioned itself in your heart and life. Confess the posture of pride within you and the barriers it has placed in your relationships. Pray for God to show you how to adopt a stance of humility exemplified by the life of Jesus.

“Live It!” Challenge

C. S. Lewis notes “ There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves.” He went on to say, “And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others.” This week, ask the Lord to assist you to be sensitive to the instances of pride which pop up around you. Use these as an opportunity to explore issues of pride in your own life.

Small Group Discussion

1. What are some instances in which pride is considered a ‘good thing’?

2. What does pride look like when it has crossed the line into being a ‘bad thing’? - Consider this quote from CS Lewis: “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man… It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition is gone, pride is gone.” Pride turns rotten when it involves comparing yourself to others and finding that you think that you are better than others.

3. Can you think of a time when you looked down on someone else or you were happy when they failed?

4. Read: Luke 18:9-14. To whom does Jesus speak?

5. Share a time recently when you felt prideful or better than someone.

6. Share a time when you felt judged as ‘less than’ by someone and how it made you feel.

7. Why do you think that pride is such a challenge for followers of Christ?

8. How can we help one another not to compare ourselves to others?

9. Read: Philippians 2:1-11
   
   - According to verse 1, what are four motives leading to unity?
   - What does unity have to do with humility?
   - How does Jesus exemplify this humility?

10. What would be different if Philippians 2:3-8 exemplified your family life? Your church life? Your work life?