We invite you to ponder the week’s Bible passage and listen to the sermon (posts Sun. afternoon), then use the ideas below to help you and your group apply what the Lord is teaching you.

Icebreaker idea: What’s one important ingredient in addressing conflict constructively?

A way to pray: Pray for those in our lives who don’t know the Lord – ask Him to set them free from Satan's trap. Ask God to remind us how we’ve been set free from that same trap, and to use our stories and our changing lives to point people to Him as we seek to see 2,000 people by 2022 baptized and growing in relationship with Jesus through the Word, prayer, and community.

• Treasuring God: In what ways has “cutting [God’s word] straight” helped me love Him more? How might “crooked cutting” show that I treasure myself most?

• Being Transformed: Do I tend to conform the Word to my desires or seek to be transformed by it? Do I ask “What does it mean to me?” or “What is it saying?”

• Loving Others: How often do I remind myself that I used to be caught in Satan’s trap? How does seeing others as “trapped” help me love them more?

• Pursuing Unity: How do I typically interact with “opponents”? How can my Grow Group help me grow in kindness, patience, and gentleness?