"Elephant in the Room" Group Leader Guide: Week 4
In week 4 of "Elephant in the Room," we heard from Dan Lian about the dangers of idolatry. Every culture has a propensity toward idolatry.
In America, we’re less likely to worship statues and much more likely to bow down to a sports team, a political party, or a career. Our idols look different from the ones we see in Scripture, but they grieve God’s heart just the same.
Sermon Notes
Whatever you worship, lift up, value most, or center your life around that isn’t God, the Bible calls a false god and idol.
Whatever you worship will…
- Define you.
- Defend your peace.
- Delight your soul.
- Direct your steps.
How Jesus deals with idols (Mark 10:17-27)
- Calls it out in love.
- Compares Himself.
- Challenges us to cut it down.
Group Conversation Starters
- What was your big takeaway from Sunday’s message? How does this subject personally affect you?
- Why do you think idolatry in America is so sneaky?
- Read Mark 10:17-27. Why would Jesus ask the man to sell everything? Imagine you were the man in this scenario. What has Jesus asked you to give up to follow Him?
- Do you think “Christian” and “disciple” mean the same thing? How does where we live affect how we experience our faith?
- How does comfort trend toward complacency and idolatry? How can we fight this tendency?
- Read Colossians 3:1-5. What does this mean that “You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God”? How do we set our minds on things above?
- How can we identify idols in our life that may not be so obvious? How can a loss or addition to our life expose an idol? How do successes and difficulties expose idols?
- What does the Bible tells us to do when we identify an idol? (1 Corinthians 10:14) Why does fleeing an idol seem so difficult? What have you done to gain freedom in your life from an idol?
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Closing Thought
Colossians 3:2-4 says, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." When we bow to idols, we live a life we have already been set free from. We must cut down the idols in our life so that we can live the abundant life God promised.