NOTES: (1) How are we, as 21st C people, to understand
the
'Devil' & enter into this & other storiesy: as an external
force, an internal one, or both? (2) Biblically, the same word
represents 'testing', 'tempting', & 'trial', leaving open
possibilities of either more positive or more negative ways of
approaching it.
PRAYER: For strength to move on
in times of testing, etc.
WARM UP (for Groups..2 mins):
Which do we prefer - bread, or cake?
MOVING ON:
1. If / when we're led into any wilderness, is
it
more likely to be by a 4Xwheel drive? a lack of judgment in some
matter? someone leading us astray? a conscious withdrawal for spiritual
refreshment? a deliberate seeking-out of testing in some form? Can we
identify any connection between outward & inner
'wildernesses' we experience?
2. Does being hungry, or
feeling deprived in any of our senses, tend to have an effect for
either good
or ill on our decision making?
3. Are there present-day
current equivalents of feeding the physically &/or spiritually
hungry by sleight of hand, or short cut methods of other kinds?
4 What might it mean today to
live by 'every word that comes from the mouth of God'? How do we
discern which 'words' do come
from God among the many that claim to?
5. Do we have 'holy cities' of
any kind? 'Pinnacles' of any kind that matter a lot to us, either
religiously or socially? What motives might make us 'jump' or not jump?
Are there some from which we'd do well to bail out?
6. Are we as conscious as we
might be of angels, supernatural or human, who prevent us from 'dashing our feet against
stones' of any kind? Is part of their job stopping us from 'putting the
Lord our God to the test' in any bad way today? Do we take the whole
idea of God's use of angels seriously enough now?
7. Are there kinds of power
over others that we do actively & consciously exercise, unwittingly
or unconsciously exploit, or seek to exert one way or another?
8. So far as we're concerned,
how much is 'worshipping & serving God' a full time occupation, or
is it just a part-time job?
9. If we aren't moving on with
Jesus in these kinds of situations or others, are we likely to be
moving away from Him?
[For Groups: Closing prayers,
'housekeeping arrangements' for next meeting, etc.]
