Key Thought: No matter the odds, when you come under attack, faithfully go on the offensive to claim victory!
Start talking. Find a conversation starter for your group.
· What’s one of your favorite stories of victory, especially an underdog story? It can be from a movie, book or TV show, or real life.
· Pastor Bil said, “There are more people willing to come to church than Christians willing to invite them.” Why is that?
· How is prayer like going on an aerial, hurry-up offense against our troubles?
Start thinking. Ask a thoughtful question.
· What would you accomplish if all the obstacles and excuses were taken out of the equation?
· How would you prioritize your plans in life if you knew you only had 6 months to live? How about one month? A week?
Start sharing. Choose questions that create openness.
· Describe a time when you felt attacked by overwhelming odds.
· Share your most recent victory in life. It can be your work life, spiritual, family, social, just any way you won.
Start praying. Be bold, and pray with power.
Thank you, Lord, for reminding us that your playbook is like a hurry-up offense we can use when the enemy and the world stacks overwhelming odds against us. We can come to you in prayer as a first play against our troubles. Taking quick action in our spiritual lives keeps the enemy on his toes and prevents him from getting a chance to take root in our hearts. Let us hurry-up to pray, to read your scriptures, and to love one another as Christ did. Let us remember our victories in detail and how You were a part of those victories all along. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen!
Start doing. Commit to a step and live it out this week.
· For those not already serving at Church Unlimited, commit to finding a way to serve (Kids Unlimited, First Impressions, leading a LifeGroup, etc.)
· Read 1 Samuel 17 and identify the ingredients that went into David’s victory. Apply those ingredients to your own current battle and ask God to show you how to defeat your own personal giant(s) to achieve victory.
· Write down in a journal a recent victory God has given to you in great detail and read it to yourself daily. Note how that changes our perspective of the world.
Scriptures
...the warriors of Amalek attacked them. Exodus 17:8b-14 NLT
Moses commanded Joshua, “Choose some men to go out and fight the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Exodus 17:9-10a NLT
Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom. Ecclesiastes 9:9-10 NLT
Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Exodus 17:10b-11 NLT
The Lord has heard my plea. Psalm 6:9 NLT
Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle. Exodus 17:12-13 NLT
“Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” Nehemiah 4:14 ESV
After the victory, the LORD instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” Exodus 17:14 NLT
David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too…The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” 1 Samuel 17:34-37 NLT
And David was greatly distressed…but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. 1 Samuel 30:6 KJV
