The Abundant Life: Giant Killers in the Wilderness

The greatest work God does in our lives is not what he does for us but what he does in us to cause us to become who he designed us to be in the first place.

Notice when the Israelites came out of Egypt it wasn’t just an easy road to freedom. They faced the Red Sea right up front to help them see what existed within their own hearts. The walked three days into the wilderness before finding water and they complained. The problems in our lives reveal the content of our hearts. In doing so we have the opportunity to address the deeper issues of our lives that we didn’t know were there. This is the process that is part of the promise so you don’t arrive too quickly without being prepared for war.

Exodus 13:17-18 When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle. NLT 

Giant killers in the wilderness are those who have come out of the world’s system but have more capacity than they do ability. Process turns capacity into ability.

Suffering reveals what’s truly inside as does success. “Money changes people.” Money doesn’t change you. Money reveals you. Both success and suffering reveal what’s inside.

The Israelites are wondering around in the wilderness and come face to face with the opportunity to go to war but the thoughts they rehearsed were how big the giants were in the land. And truly those giants are big compared to you but they are small compared to God. The thoughts you rehearse will either silence capacity or awaken ability.

Nothing is as vexing as frustrating your identity. When who you are isn’t right, nothing you do can fix it. We all agree pregnancy has the right to be cranky. Christians who never give birth are continually complaining and being cranky. It’s not until you get fruitful that you will get free! Complaining is a symptom of an unfulfilled, boring life. The only way you have time to complain or gossip about my life is if there is nothing happening in yours!

Numbers 14:1-10 Then the whole congregation lifted up their voices and cried out, and that night the people wept. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown before the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the whole congregation of Israel, “The land we passed through and explored is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the LORD delights in us, He will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and He will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD, and do not be afraid of the people of the land, for they will be like bread for us. Their protection has been removed, and the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them!” 10 But the whole congregation threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb… ESV

When you discover your God-given identity and move from capacity to ability not everybody in your life will celebrate you but God will sustain you! Joshua and Caleb later become Giant Killers in the promised land. Giant killers are coming out of the wilderness. You were born for more than showing up at church services as often as you can fit them into your busy schedule.

We gather as the church to breath in the very breath of God together in a way that we cannot alone. Out of this atmosphere we are awakened to go be the church. This atmosphere grows giant killers!

We Bring GP2RL Action Point:

Invite somebody you trust in your five-foot circle to help you identify complaining so you can address the deeper issues.

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 THE ABUNDANT LIFE: Giant Killers in the Wilderness

DISCUSSION GUIDE

Click here for a downloadable pdf file of this guide.

Our 2022 New Year’s Revelation as a church family is EVERYONE IS CREATED FOR ABUNDANT LIFE! The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy but realize the aim of death is not to kill you but to keep you from the fulness of life until you die. Distraction is destruction of what could have been in your life.

John 10:10b “...I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” Amplified

We are called to be the giant killers of our generation. Some giant killers still live in Egypt, some live in the wilderness and some are moving into the Promised Land. The greatest tragedy of indifference is the life you never live and the difference you never make in the lives of other people.

Great encouragement comes from rehearsing God’s Word. It is God’s plan is for us to hear his voice together as a family and that is why we start each group with this question first: 

DISCUSSION QUESTION: 

1. Where are you reading in your Bible and what are you sensing from God?

Ask each person in your group to answer the discussion questions below after reading the verses. Realize there is great power in just reading the Bible together and allowing the Holy Spirit to awaken his conversational nature in the group.

Numbers 14:1-10 Then the whole congregation lifted up their voices and cried out, and that night the people wept. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown before the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the whole congregation of Israel, “The land we passed through and explored is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the LORD delights in us, He will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and He will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD, and do not be afraid of the people of the land, for they will be like bread for us. Their protection has been removed, and the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them!” 10 But the whole congregation threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb… ESV

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 

2. Have each person give a 60 second summary of what these verses are saying, in their own words. 

3. What do these verses teach us about God? 

4. What do these verses teach us about people? 

5. What should you do this week in response to what we are reading and what God is revealing? 

6. Who comes to mind when considering a person you might share this with this week?

We Bring GP2RL Action Point: 

Invite somebody you trust in your five foot circle to help you identify complaining so you can deal with it more effectively.

DEEPER: Born For More

What would it look like for you to live in the fulness of God’s design for your life? 

To Go where God wants to take you will require intimacy with Him.

John 15:4-11 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. NIV

What would it look like for you to live in the fulness of God’s design for your life? Home? Work? Everywhere?

We are all part of the bigger story of God and in this story, we begin to realize how we are part of the eternal plans and purposes of God. A deeper narrative exists within all of us. We are all created to experience This Garden where we know God intimately and interact with Him conversationally. In this place we discover deep and meaningful friendship and a joining of our lives realizing it is not good for man to be alone. Even in our brokenness God is working to restore and rescue us. In his image we discover our design to build some form of an Ark to help and even rescue others.

As we journey forward God invites us to explore the reality of a Ladder that exists between heaven and earth revealing how God’s presence can come into any place in which we dwell. We were born for more than the wilderness of this world. We were born to more than conquer!

Jesus didn’t die on a cross so we could merely go to church.

Typically, in America, if people won’t come to our churches, they won’t be reached or discipled. Research for decades has shown a steady decline in church attendance. Within the past decade those who don’t attend church have become the majority.  Yet we have continued to focus our efforts on a big event Sunday model of church.

Recently I heard a pastor sharing about an incredible production their church does for Christmas. They literally spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on this event. The cast and crew has to commit up to 20 hours a week for 3 months in preparation. The production is amazing and thousands of people attend!

That pastor was asked afterward by a trusted friend, “What would happen in this community if we could get all these people to commit 20 hours a week for 3 months reaching out to their others, inviting them into their homes and just loving their neighbors well not spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on this production?”

His response, “That would be amazing but unfortunately people just won’t do that.” We’ve resolved that we can’t get people to be who God has called them to be so we reduce them to people dressing up like singing reindeer to attract crowds into a room. The problem is that this has worked before but it’s not going to work for the next generation church and we must stop perpetuating ideas that are misaligning to our mission and purpose as sons and daughters of God in the earth!

We need to encounter God and the next generation needs to encounter God. It’s time to go deeper!

John 15:4-5 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing…

We have no true ability to be fruitful in ministry without the rich, deep love union with our Father.  Everything flourishes from this. 

Daniel 11:32 “…the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out (do) great exploits.” NKJV

Know God! Be Strong! Do great things!

John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you…

This speaks of your God-given conversational design. You are designed by God to be awakened more fully by this conversational lifestyle with God. His words abide in you. Prayer isn’t a place, it’s a constant conversation. Find a regular place to cultivate a stronger rhythm so you can walk in a greater awareness of God’s voice in your everyday life!

What would it look like for you to live in the fulness of God’s design for your life?

To Go where God wants to take you will require intimacy with him.

We Bring GP2RL Action Point:

Make time to simply be in God’s presence allowing him to do a deep work in your heart. Something powerful happens in the human heart when we experience the presence of God.

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DEEPER: Born For More

DISCUSSION GUIDE

Click here for a downloadable pdf file of this guide.

A deeper narrative exists within us. We are all created to experience The Garden where we know God and interact with Him intimately. In this place we discover deep and meaningful friendship and relationship realizing it is not good for man to be alone. Even in our brokenness God is working to restore us and rescue us. In his image we discover our design to build an Ark to help rescue others. Promises are awakened within us even if we feel we may be too old or question being qualified or capable in any way. As we journey forward God invites us to explore the reality of a Ladder between heaven and earth revealing how God’s presence exists in any place even if we didn’t realize it at first. We explore a greater place of promise realizing we were born to conquer giants and strongholds that try to keep us from all God says is ours. 

Philippians 3:10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him... (AMP)

Daniel 11:32 “…the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” (NKJV)

God’s plan is for us to hear his voice together as a family. This is why we start each group with this question first:

DISCUSSION QUESTION: 

1. Where are you reading in your Bible and what are you sensing from God?

Ask each person in your group to answer the discussion questions below after reading the verses. Realize there is great power in just reading the Bible together and allowing the Holy Spirit to awaken his conversational nature in the group.

John 15:4-5 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. NIV

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 

2. Have each person give a 60 second summary of what these verses are saying, in their own words. 

3. What do these verses teach us about God? 

4. What do these verses teach us about people? 

5. What should you do this week in response to what we are reading and what God is revealing? 

6. Who comes to mind when considering a person you might share this with this week?

We Bring GP2RL Action Point: 

Make time to simply be in God’s presence allowing him to do a deep work in your heart. Something powerful happens in the human heart when we experience the presence of God.