The Battle Belongs to the Lord
Some of us try to fight the Christian battle in our strength. If we could only be "more spiritual" or a better person, if we could just "turn over a new leaf," God would be happy with us. Others of us look at the battle and sit down on the sidelines, taking little responsibility to fight in the Christian war.
Join Pastor Nate McLaurin as he leads us through Exodus 17:8-16, challenging us to remember that the battle indeed belongs to Lord, but He calls us to be active soldiers.
Application Questions
1. In what ways are you tempted to fight the Christian life in your own strength? How can the group help remind you that the battle belongs to the Lord?
2. In what ways do you fail to embrace your responsibilities to fight in the Christian life? Parenting, work, church involvement, moral integrity, purity, etc.
3. What casualties may be experienced in your life or the lives around you if you fail to take personal responsibility in spiritual war? How can the group encourage you toward growth?
4. Have the group identify one another’s spiritual gifts. Are those gifts being used for the church? If not, what are ways those gifts can be employed in the mission of our local church?
5. What are ways the group, as a whole, can participate in active mission with our local church?
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DownloadExodus 17:8-16
8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” (ESV)