Connect:
Who was your favorite superhero when you were a kid? What about now?

Scripture:
1 John 4:1-4
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Discuss:
-Was there anything that stuck out to you or did you have any questions?
-In the message this week, Scotty made three observations about the spiritual world:

Observation 1: There are spiritual forces in this world that are not of God.
How do you feel about this idea? Is it something you’ve given much thought to in the past?
What are some examples of evil spiritual forces in our world?

Observation 2: These spiritual forces use deception and temptation to gain a foothold in your life.
What does it mean to say they gain a foothold?
What happens when we believe the lies of the enemy? What role does sin play?

Observation 3: When left unchecked or unchallenged, enemy footholds become enemy strongholds. A stronghold is when you are no longer being lied to, but your life is being controlled by a lie.
Can you give an example of a stronghold? What impact does a stronghold have on you? On your relationship with God?

Observation 4: No matter how strong these spirits seem, the Spirit of God is stronger. We need the Holy Spirit to overcome our strongholds.
Have you been trying (or ever tried) to overcome your strongholds on your own? How has that gone? What can you do this week to engage with the Holy Spirit?

For the Week:
We have a series of spiritual disciplines throughout this series. They follow a format of crawl, walk, and run so you can find something for any stage of your spiritual life. Learn more at https://northshore.church/practices/

Pray:
Share prayer requests and pray for each other.