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Listen "The Truth About Lies: The World, The Flesh, and The Devil"
Episode Synopsis
The Truth About Lies
Sermon: The World, The Flesh, and The Devil
Pastor: Jim Lucas
Ephesians 6:11-12
Sermon Summary
The Big Idea of this study is that we are in a battle over truth. We must be more aware that we fight this battle on three fronts: the world, the flesh and the devil.
We are beginning a new series this week. We are indebted to John Mark Comer’s excellent book, "Live no Lies" for stimulating some of our thinking, reading and praying on this topic. There is no doubt that the people of God are in a battle to remain faithful and keep following Jesus. We fight this battle on three fronts, what we sometimes refer to as the unholy trinity: the world, the flesh and the devil. By the world we mean the ways of the world or society that move contrary to the ways of Jesus. By the flesh we refer to the disordered desires of our minds and bodies that lead to destructive behavior and thinking. By the devil we mean the enemy of our souls that Jesus warned us about so often in the Gospels.
This week we learn that we need to be very aware that the devil is a liar and that his deceptions often capture the attention of the world because they appeal to our fleshly natures. Once the lie has taken hold in culture it is often weaponized and used to attack the Church and make us appear to be antagonistic to the way things really should be. We are marginalized and portrayed as out of step with reality and judgmental. Ephesians 6 warns us to be alert and pray to counteract the schemes of the enemy.
Questions for Discussion:
1. Do you think generally speaking that the Church takes evil and the devil seriously enough? Do people outside the Church believe in the devil’s existence? Why or why not?
2. Discuss the difference between the offensive and defensive strategies of the Church. How does prayer fit in?
3. Review and discuss the 5 schemes of the devil: Temptation; Accusation; Intimidation; Deception; and Division.
4. Can you think of other lies of the enemy that have become entrenched as truth in our culture?
5. What is Paul’s council in order for us to stand firm in the truth?
6. Can you make prayer in this regard a part of your normal devotional routine?
Sermon: The World, The Flesh, and The Devil
Pastor: Jim Lucas
Ephesians 6:11-12
Sermon Summary
The Big Idea of this study is that we are in a battle over truth. We must be more aware that we fight this battle on three fronts: the world, the flesh and the devil.
We are beginning a new series this week. We are indebted to John Mark Comer’s excellent book, "Live no Lies" for stimulating some of our thinking, reading and praying on this topic. There is no doubt that the people of God are in a battle to remain faithful and keep following Jesus. We fight this battle on three fronts, what we sometimes refer to as the unholy trinity: the world, the flesh and the devil. By the world we mean the ways of the world or society that move contrary to the ways of Jesus. By the flesh we refer to the disordered desires of our minds and bodies that lead to destructive behavior and thinking. By the devil we mean the enemy of our souls that Jesus warned us about so often in the Gospels.
This week we learn that we need to be very aware that the devil is a liar and that his deceptions often capture the attention of the world because they appeal to our fleshly natures. Once the lie has taken hold in culture it is often weaponized and used to attack the Church and make us appear to be antagonistic to the way things really should be. We are marginalized and portrayed as out of step with reality and judgmental. Ephesians 6 warns us to be alert and pray to counteract the schemes of the enemy.
Questions for Discussion:
1. Do you think generally speaking that the Church takes evil and the devil seriously enough? Do people outside the Church believe in the devil’s existence? Why or why not?
2. Discuss the difference between the offensive and defensive strategies of the Church. How does prayer fit in?
3. Review and discuss the 5 schemes of the devil: Temptation; Accusation; Intimidation; Deception; and Division.
4. Can you think of other lies of the enemy that have become entrenched as truth in our culture?
5. What is Paul’s council in order for us to stand firm in the truth?
6. Can you make prayer in this regard a part of your normal devotional routine?
In God we trust