Kingdom Tension Part 14 with Discussion Guide

Kingdom Tension Part 14 Discussion Guide

Summary

In this sermon, the pastor discusses God’s power and love, focusing on Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21. The message addresses how believers often face discouragement when circumstances don’t align with expectations, similar to what the Ephesian church experienced when Paul was imprisoned. The pastor emphasizes that God’s power works not just to change our circumstances but primarily to help us grasp the depth of His love for us, which enables us to trust Him even in difficult situations.

Intro Prayer

Heavenly Father, as we gather to discuss Your incredible power and unfathomable love, we ask that You open our hearts and minds to receive what You want to teach us today. Help us to be honest about our discouragements and doubts, and ready to experience Your strengthening presence in our inner being. May Your Holy Spirit guide our conversation and deepen our understanding of how wide, long, high, and deep Your love is for each of us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Ice Breaker

What’s something you’ve been discouraged about recently that you tried to handle on your own strength rather than relying on God’s power?

Key Verses

Ephesians 3:16-19
Ephesians 3:20-21
Genesis 50:20
Acts 19:10-11

Questions

Paul prays that God would strengthen the Ephesians with power in their ‘inner being.’ What do you think it means to be strengthened in your inner being, and how is that different from external circumstances changing?
The sermon mentions that our minds are often the last thing to be renewed when we come to Christ. What old thought patterns do you still struggle with that don’t align with God’s truth about who He is or who you are?
How has your understanding of God’s love changed over time? Has it become more intellectual knowledge or experiential reality?
The pastor said that God’s power is specifically meant to help us grasp His love. Why do you think we need supernatural power just to understand how much God loves us?
In what ways have you seen God use difficult circumstances in your life to accomplish something good that you couldn’t have imagined?
The sermon referenced Joseph’s story as an example of God working through difficult circumstances. What other biblical examples can you think of where God used challenging situations for greater purposes?
How might your response to discouragement change if you truly believed and experienced the depth of God’s love for you?
The pastor challenged everyone to pray Paul’s prayer from Ephesians 3 over themselves daily for a week. What specific area of your life do you hope will be transformed by a deeper understanding of God’s love?

Life Application

This week, commit to praying Paul’s prayer from Ephesians 3:14-21 over yourself daily. Each time you pray it, focus on a different dimension of God’s love (its width, length, height, and depth). When you face discouragement or resistance, instead of defaulting to discouragement, intentionally pause and remind yourself of God’s love for you. Write down any circumstances where you chose to trust in God’s love rather than giving in to discouragement, and share these with the group next time.

Key Takeaways

God’s power is meant to strengthen our inner being so we can grasp the depth of His love for us.
Discouragement often comes when our expectations of how God should work don’t align with our circumstances.
God’s love for us isn’t based on our performance but on the fact that He created us and loves us unconditionally.
God can use difficult circumstances to accomplish purposes greater than we can imagine.
Resting in God’s love enables us to trust Him even when we don’t understand our circumstances.

Ending Prayer

Lord God, thank You for Your incredible power that works within us, not just to change our circumstances but to transform our understanding of Your love. We confess that we often get discouraged when life doesn’t go as we expect, and we thank You for Your patience with us. This week, as we pray Paul’s prayer over ourselves, open the eyes of our hearts to grasp more fully how wide, long, high, and deep Your love truly is. May this understanding strengthen us from the inside out, enabling us to face resistance and challenges with confidence in Your goodness. Help us to be people who carry Your presence wherever we go, resting in Your love rather than being overcome by discouragement. In Jesus’ name, amen.

This series may be taken as a course offered by the Online Bible Institute. For more information check out the Keys Vineyard Ministries Courses page.

Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.