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Series Resources

sermon-based study guide

This guide is designed to guide a group discussion around the weekend sermon. You can also use this as an individual, but we highly recommend finding a friend and inviting them to discuss with you. Menlo Church has Life Groups meeting in-person and online using these guides. We’d love to help you find a group.
What you will find in this guide: A discussion guide for groups and individuals. If you are using this as an individual be sure to engage with each question in a journal or simply in your mind as you prayerfully consider what you heard in the sermon and seek to discover what God is inviting you to know and do.

Study Guide: Satan, People, and Trees

Connect

  • Is there a habit or issue of character you have tried to overcome and can’t seem to shake it? What have you tired? What would life be like if you could master it?
  • Give a brief description on what you consider good and evil.

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Engage

Read Genesis 3: 1-8

  • What do you think stopped Adam and Eve from asking God to what to do when the serpent told them it was ok to eat from the tree?
  • Theologian Tim Mackie notes that up to this point God is defining what is good and evil and the tree now represents a choice: “Will the humans trust God’s definition or will they seize the opportunity and define good and evil for themselves?”- What do you think? Do you trust God’s definition of good and evil?
  • In Genesis 3:8-9 we see that Adam and Eve hid from God. What was God’s response?
  • Have you had a time when were far from God and God pursued you?
  • Read 1 Peter 2:24. What “tree” is this verse referring to? How did the three Jesus chose benefit us?

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Apply

  • Is there an area in your life you are trying to figure out on your own? How can you ask God for help?
  • Is there any part of you that is hiding from God? What is one step you can take to come out of hiding and approach God?
  • Are you struggling to understand God’s definition of good and evil? Is there someone you can talk to about this during the next week?

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Prayer

Spend time sharing your prayer needs together. Share anything that resonated with you from the discussion that you’d like prayer to apply.

Pray that God’s perspective on good and evil would be evident to you and that you will turn to God with your questions. Give thanks for God’s provision of Jesus who overcame evil once and for all!

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Going Deeper

The Rest of the Story Resources: Go to this website to see all the resources for this series including a guide for lectio divina. https://menlo.church/the-rest-of-the-story

Menlo Midweek Podcast: Tune in every Wednesday for a conversation with the previous week’s speaker. It’s a deeper dive into the message and an engaging time to learn, reflect, grow—and have fun.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/menlo-church-sermon-podcast/id129950807