Part 3 – Life Is All About My Happiness
Leader Guide
No matter what you have or what you are striving to attain, your soul is looking for something more than short-term happiness. Yes, achievements and acquisitions will make you happy for a season. But long-term satisfaction is found only in a life that honors God and is focused on eternity, not the here and now.
What you will need: A Bible or your Bible app, a notebook, pen, and highlighter. The verses highlighted below are linked so that you can easily access them during your study time.
Jump Start
Leader: This section is designed to get discussions started, examine God’s truth, and apply it to our week. Life Group leaders should not assume everyone in their group is a Christ follower. Because they are taking part in a Life Group, they must have some openness to knowing more, exploring. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work and let Him lead you as well.
1. If there was one thing you could change in your life to make you happier, what would it be?
2. Read Matthew 16:13-21. What is the conclusion the disciples come to believe, and which Peter declares? What is Jesus’ specific response to Peter? Why does Jesus immediately go into His coming death and resurrection?
Leader’s Note: Peter declares that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. It is clear and definitive. Jesus commends him for this faith and states that Peter will be a pillar of the Church, which is birthed soon after Jesus is resurrected and returns to heaven. As soon as Peter proclaims “You are the Christ” - which is also “the Messiah” or “the Anointed One,” Jesus talks about what that means. Their interpretation of the Prophets was that He would come as a conqueror, not as a sacrificial lamb, so Jesus at once starts sharing His true mission.
3. Read Matthew 16:22-26. Why is Peter so strongly, even harshly, rebuked after he was so recently commended? Why does Jesus call him Satan? Afterwards, Jesus teaches the great truths of what it means to be a Christ follower. List what you learn here. If we do these things, how can we trust that God will take care of our earthly needs?
Leader’s Note: Peter was thinking as any person would: “Surely You don’t have to die!” But that was not God’s plan. Peter was thinking of a worldly, short-term peace rather than God’s perspective and purposes. Current happiness is so short-sighted when held up against the plans of God. In fact, avoiding the cross and even personal comforts were exactly the kinds of temptations Satan had and would use on Jesus (see Matthew 4:8-10 and in Deeper below). Any advice and encouragement we give that is opposed to God’s will and plan is a distraction (at least) and sinful (at most). As followers, we must deny ourselves; bear whatever cross is before us; follow and obey. Laying down or losing our lives or surrendering them to whatever God wants results in us finding real life and the saving of our souls. This is a choice to lay down a temporary life for eternal life. When we focus on the Kingdom, everything falls into place. God will honor us, provide for us, and care for us when we set our minds on the things that glorify Him.
4. Read Matthew 20:25-28. By clinging to this life, what do you try to gain? Who are “the Gentiles” in this passage and who do they represent? If you want to be a citizen of heaven, what will you be doing here on earth? Who will be the highest-ranking person? How should this encourage you?
Leader’s Note: The Gentiles don’t know the true God. They operate as though this life is all there is. Therefore, they are grasping at power, prestige, the world’s accolades. When we cling to this life, ignoring the real life that is to come, we too are grasping for reward and recognition here. The Lord’s servant is the one who recognizes this life is not all there is. They serve because they love the Lord, and because they are obeying His command to do so. Their sacrifice shows they really believe in an eternal kingdom.
5. Read Luke 14:25-27. What does Jesus mean when He says you should hate your relations, even your own life? Is it conflicting that we are told to enjoy our lives and to hate them?
Leader’s Note: Jesus means "by comparison" we should hate our lives and live for the Kingdom. No one and nothing can fill the place in our hearts for God. Nothing should be valued or worshipped ahead of Him.
Action Step: How can you pursue the kingdom of heaven here on earth? Serve, give, and pray. In which one of these areas is the Spirit challenging you this week?
Pray: Lord God, I thank You for sending Your Son. Jesus, I thank You. Although You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God, You sacrificed it all for me. Help me to follow: to lay down my life in obedience to You. Help me to pursue citizenship in heaven, not happiness on earth. Help me withstand the temptations to live in the “here and now” and live for Your kingdom, Your purposes, and Your glory in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Deeper
Leader: This section is designed for further use in your Life Group or for personal study. These can also be used as discussion points and ways to stay connected with your group throughout the week. Encourage your group to take time daily to walk through these questions.
Jesus was tempted in the desert in all the ways that humans are tempted. We also saw above that He was tempted (by Satan through Peter’s words) to avoid the foretold death on the cross, as well as in the Garden, and other “opportune times” (Luke 4:13). Thankfully, He submitted His will to God’s plan because He loved us!
6. Read 1 John 2:15-17. What kinds of things make up the “things of the world”? What types of temptations do you think these are?
Leader’s Note: Desires (or “lusts” in some versions) of the flesh, the eyes, and pride are the main sources of temptation. Flesh would include things your body wants: food, drink, drugs, sex. Desires of the eyes would be things like possessions, success, what people can see you have, own, or have accumulated. Pride of life is that self-centered, me-focused desire for power, achievement, attention, and esteem.
7. Read Matthew 4:1-4. Where was Jesus? Why? What is the first thing He is tempted with? Is this a valid temptation? How do we overcome this temptation?
Leader’s Note: Jesus was led by the Spirit “to be tempted.” This was part of God’s plan for Him. He was fasting, and because He was fully human, he was hungry. This was the first temptation, the desire of the flesh. But food and drink are temporal. Only the Word of God feeds our souls and our spirits.
8. Read Matthew 4:5-7. What is the underlying temptation which tempts us in this situation? How do we overcome this temptation?
Leader’s Note: This seems to be that self-centered, all about me and my comfort “pride of life” that we all experience. We are all tempted to put ourselves first, to use God as a genie to take care of all our needs, instead of submitting and serving Him! We are not to test God for our own comfort, but to trust Him.
9, Read Matthew 4:8-11. What temptation is here that similarly attracts us? How would this tempt Jesus to avoid the cross? How do we overcome similar temptations?
Leader’s Note: This temptation is both desire of eyes (stuff, riches, kingdoms) and pride of life (glory, esteem). What if Jesus had chosen this glory instead of the suffering and glory of the cross? Power, prestige, and success are so attractive and tempting to us. But they short-circuit our eternal purposes. And they do not provide lasting happiness. Jesus reminds us to put the things of God above any other temptation.
10. Finally, we can overcome temptations in the same way that Jesus did. Read Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 46:10, and Exodus 14:14. In what ways is the Word of God like a sword? How can using this weapon help us to have peace and learn to be still? How does this give you confidence in every temptation?
Leader’s Note: The Scriptures are an offensive weapon that we can use to counterattack Satan’s lies. Consider the way Jesus used Deuteronomy to respond to Satan’s attacks / His temptation in the wilderness. We can have peace in knowing that God will fight our battles. Knowing who our true enemy is allows us to have a healthy perspective of who is not our enemy. We can learn to fully rely on God to fight our battles and take every situation to Him in prayer, guarding our heart without being guarded from loving people.