What is an idol? that takes the from .
3 Things that led to their failure:
Exodus 32:1 | Matthew 13:31-31 | Isaiah 40:31
Exodus 32:2-6 | Exodus 20:2-4 | Luke 13:27 | Exodus 32:7-25
Judges 17:6 | Proverbs 14:12, 29:18
How did they recover from failure?
Exodus 32:26-28 | Hebrews 4:12
3 things required for being on the Lord’s side:
They needed a to for them.
Exodus 32:30-35 | Deuteronomy 9:18-20 | Hebrews 9:15 | 1 Timothy 2:5 | 2 Corinthians 5:21
SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS
Summer is just around the corner! Do you have any special plans or events you are looking forward to? Take a bit of time to share about summer plans.
The last small group study will take place the week of May 16th. It’s optional but we’d love to see every group plan a celebration gathering the following week of the 23rd. Take a minute as a group to discuss what everyone might be comfortable with and plan a memorable gathering with your groups.
The story of your life.
- What struck a chord with you from Sunday’s service?
- On Sunday, we looked at the topic of idolatry from Exodus 32 (the story of the Israelites making a golden calf). In modern Christianity, the notion of the Israelites forging a false god and bowing worshiping it sounds ridiculous. However, Pastor Obie reminded us that an idol is “anything that takes the place of priority from God.” What types of things tend to get between you and God most frequently?
Digging Deeper in God’s Word.
- The Bible speaks about the danger of idolatry from the earliest pages of Scripture to the final chapters of Revelation. The prophet Isaiah frequently spoke on this topic. Read Isaiah 44:6-20 and have a few members of the group share the main points using their own words.
- What does this passage tell us about God/people/you?
- How do you think Isaiah might have spoken to modern forms of idolatry if he were writing to our generation?
- In Acts 19, there is a great story about the power of the Gospel to tear down idols. In the context, we see that the spreading of Christ’s message was so powerful that it was literally putting the idol makers out of business. Read Acts 19:11-41 and have a few folks recap the story using their own words.
- What does this story tell us about God/people/you?
- Have you ever made a decision in your faith that caused an uproar in your life? If so, share about it. What lessons did you learn from it?
- The opposite of idolatry is essentially prioritizing God in every area of our lives. The following verses speak to how to do that in several different ways. Read them one by one and discuss the benefits of obedience and/or the pitfalls of idolatry.
- 1 Samuel 15:22.
- Psalm 16:4.
- Jonah 2:8.
- Matthew 6:19-21.
- Matthew 22:34-40.
- Based on these verses (or any other part of the discussion), is there anything you need to do differently?
Personal reflection and application.
- Have everyone share one thing someone else said that resonated with you during the discussion.
- Pray for one another.