At Trailhead, we believe that church is not just about growing in God’s Word but doing so in community. We have designed this study guide to help you follow along with Sunday’s message. Study the scriptures, take notes, and then reinforce what you learned by answering a few questions. Ask others to join you in discussion, whether it be with your family or your Trailhead study group. Let’s have church!
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Interactive Scriptures and Notes
This link is updated weekly, so we encourage you to select the “Email” button at the bottom to send your notes to yourself when you’re finished.
THE POSTURE OF STRENGTH
1) Humble Yourself
1 Peter 5:5-6 (NLT))
5 In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
Proverbs 3:34 (NLT)
The Lord mocks the mockers but is gracious to the humble.
2) Discipline Yourself
Giving
Matthew 6:4 (NLT)
Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Praying
Matthew 6:6 (NLT)
But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Fasting
Matthew 6:17-18 (NLT)
17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Matthew 6:31-34 (NLT)
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
3) Encourage Yourself
Psalm 42:9-11 (NLT)
9 “O God my rock,” I cry, “Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?” 10 Their taunts break my bones. They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?” 11 Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!
James 4:1-17 (NLT)
1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. 4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. 6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. 11 Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor? 13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. 17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
Other Notes
Discussion Questions
1) In your own words, what does it mean to “humble yourself?” Why is it so important to continously do so when it comes to your spiritual walk?
How does it impact how you handle life’s challenges or interact with others?
2) What are some practical steps you can take to discipline yourself in order to strengthen your relationship with God?
What about the areas Pastor Josh highlighted in particular (Giving / Praying / Fasting)?
3) Why is it important to regularly encourage yourself? How can we encourage ourselves but still practice humility?
Do you feel like you encourage yourself regularly? If not, why do you think that is?
Personal Reflection
Are there any areas Pastor Josh talked about this past Sunday (Humbling Yourself / Discipline / Encouragement) that you find you lack? Are there any areas in your life suffering because of this?
What are some practical steps you can take to strengthen yourself in the Lord, particularly in these areas?