Against All Odds Prep - Part 1

Against All Odds - questions and food for thought part 1

KEY POINTS:
1) Two Fear Factors:
• Our lack of trust in God.
• Our wrong beliefs about ourselves.
• What has fear kept you from doing
that God is calling you to do?
2) The Gideon: When God uses an unsure, insecure, and fearful person to do
the impossible.
3) Gideon Truths:
• With God, His strength through your weakness is exactly enough.
• With God, the way forward is often backwards.

BREAKING THE ICE:
• What are some success philosophies that are popular today?
• Share a time when you experienced God’s strength through your weakness?

CONNECTING:
1. We defined a “practical atheist” as a person who believes in God but
lives as if God doesn’t exist. In what area of your life are you dangerously
tempted to be a practical atheist?
2. God saw Gideon as a mighty warrior. Gideon saw himself as weak and one
of the least? What are some wrong beliefs about yourself that God is
helping you to overcome? What does God say about you in His Word?
What would it look like in your behavior if you believed what God says instead
of your feelings, weaknesses or circumstances?
3. What promises did God make to Gideon? (see Judges 6:12,14,16,22) What
does Gideon’s questions reveal about why he lacked trust in God? (6:13-15)
What circumstances in your life make it difficult for you to trust God?
4. What battle are you facing today that gives you cause for concern? What
has fear kept you from doing that God wants you to do? What are you
going to do about it? What risks are you willing to make in order to experience
God’s strength and sufficiency?
5. In what way was Gideon just an average guy with common fears and weaknesses?
In what ways can you relate to Gideon? Where are you uncertain,
cautious or afraid of God’s will or calling for your life? What are some of your
negative absolutes? In what way are you feeling weak and outnumbered?

Come back tomorrow for Part Two. Feel free to comment or answer a question or two...