Series: Emotionally Healthy Discipleship

Sermon: Break the Power of the Past

Main Texts: John 8:14; 2 Tim. 1:5; Exodus 20:4-6; John 9:1-3; Ezekiel 18:20

Sermon Focus: In order to move forward with Jesus, we have to go backwards. Back to your family of origin, back to the past and do some introspection. Is there anything that may be weighing you down? Is there anything from the past that you need to break free from?

Small Group Discussion Guide (5/21/23)
Series: Emotionally Healthy Discipleship
Sermon: Break the Power of the Past

Opening Discussion
Have you ever had to carry something that got heavier as time went on? (a bag to work or school; car seat; etc.)

Have you ever felt like there was a heavy weight on your soul? If so, what do you think it is/was?

Family of Origin
Read John 8:14 – what does it mean to you to know where you’ve come from and know where you’re going?

How have you been shaped by the family that you grew up in? (Personality, sense of humor, habits, hobbies, time management, managing money, vacation & holiday preferences, etc.)

What are some of the positive traits that your family passed on to you? (Read 2 Tim. 1:5 as an example)?

Beyond your family of origin, who (or what) has had a big influence on your life and why?

Are there any sinful patterns that your family has passed down through the generations that run contrary to living a Christian life? (Example: look at the pattern of brokenness that continues through Abraham’s family in the book of Genesis: lying, favoritism, sibling cutoff, poor intimacy in marriage, etc.)

Giants on Your Shoulders
Can you think of anything from you past that continues to negatively influence you or keeps you stuck in the same pattern? (Example: an event or experience; a comment that someone made; a friendship betrayal; your own unconfessed sins; etc.)

Who (or what) are the “invisible giants” on your shoulders?

Read 1 Cor. 10:6 – Is there anything from the past that you need to break free from to follow Jesus in the present?