SESSION GOALS
The point of every session is a main idea with the goal of informing our knowing, feeling, and doing.

MAIN IDEA: Your body is a temple of the Living God.

Head Change: To know that taking care of your body is part of your calling to steward what God has given you.

Heart Change: To celebrate that your body belongs to Jesus.

Life Change: To determine not to worship or waste your body, but rather to commit to regular exercise, good nutrition, and rest.

OPEN
What’s the toughest physical challenge you’ve ever endured? On a scale of 1 (couch potato) to 10 (ironman), how fit are you? Would those who know you best agree with your self-assessment?

Perhaps you’re wondering what your fitness has to do with your relationship with God. In this session, Anthony Delaney explains that every part of us – soul, mind, and body – matters to the God who created us. Your physical fitness isn’t just physical. It has repercussions for all of life.

VIEW
As you watch, write down how Anthony answers these questions.

• Is it easier to regain or maintain physical health and fitness?
• What does ‘good stewardship’ mean?
• What are the two extremes we can fall into when it comes to our bodies, fitness levels, and general health?
• Who does your body belong to, and who lives in it?

Show SESSION #1: Fitness (13 minutes)

REVIEW
Anthony opens this session joking that he’s high (on exercise-induced endorphins, not drugs). How does exercise affect your mood, attitude, and creativity levels? When it comes to sport, are you more of a doer or a spectator? What’s your story when it comes to reaching, maintaining, regaining, or simply dreaming about physical fitness?

If you’re following Jesus, looking after your body isn’t an optional extra but part of your calling to steward what God has given you. Everything you have – your next breath and the lungs that receive it – is a gift from God who ordained all your days before one of them dawned (Psalm 139:16, James 1:17). Are you grateful for the body God has given you? Why, or why not? What have you done this week to care for your body?

So often it’s only when something goes wrong with our health that we become aware of it or grateful for it. Yet everything we’ve been given – money, family, jobs, the planet, and our bodies – matters to God. Do you agree with Anthony that ‘everything is spiritual’? Why, or why not?

There are two extremes you can fall into when it comes to your body, fitness, and general health. You can become a worshipper of your body or a waster of it. Have there been times in your life when you deified your body? And other times when you seemed bent on destroying it? Where do you see yourself now on the scale of worshipper to waster?

Anthony makes the point that body worshippers struggle with pride, and body wasters struggle with guilt. Both extremes are rooted in selfishness. Have people close to you suggested you need to start or stop certain health-related behaviours? How has this made you feel? Why might it be selfish of you to ignore these people’s concerns?

Paul explains God’s perspective on how we should treat our bodies: ‘Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies’ (1 Corinthians 6:19­–20). Discuss the Greek philosophy of spirit and matter prevalent at the time Paul was writing. Why would the Corinthians have believed they could do whatever they liked with their bodies? Do you see a resurgence of this kind of thinking in our culture today? How would you explain to a seven-year-old the concept that their body is a temple in which God lives?

What you do with your body is an ownership issue because your body isn’t actually your body. God lovingly created your body. Jesus died to buy back you and your body from sin’s grip. The Holy Spirit fills your body, controlling and directing you as He dwells within. Anthony says, ‘Because it’s not my body, I can’t just do what I like with it – either worshiping it (which is idolatry) or wastefully abusing it (which is sacrilege).’ Did you grow up believing God was only interested in the ‘spiritual’ part of your life? How does knowing that Jesus owns your body change the decisions you make about it?

Anthony references the famous English cricketer and missionary, C.T. Studd, who wrote, ‘I had known about Jesus dying for me, but I never understood that if He died for me, then I didn’t belong to myself... If I belong to Him, either I had to be a thief and keep what wasn’t mine, or else I had to give up everything to God. When I came to see that Jesus Christ had died for me, it didn't seem hard to give up all for Him.’ What assurance do you have that you belong to God? Is there something God is challenging you to give up for Him?

How you look after your body affects whether or not you’ll experience the abundant life Jesus came to bring (John 10:10) and may also have a bearing on how soon you’ll get to experience the next life! Would you call yourself fit? Would you say you’re living life to the full? If not, what needs to change in terms of your eating, exercising, sleeping, or some other health-related aspect of your physical life? What one thing could you begin doing tomorrow to change your health trajectory? Do you agree with Anthony that the results of regular exercise are more than physical? Whose health or fitness inspires you? How can you emulate their attitudes or actions?

BIBLE EXPLORATION
In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul teaches them about marriage and sexual purity. Again he references the truth that our bodies are temples. He writes, ‘And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be My people”’ (2 Corinthians 6:16). What would change in your life, this week, if you were mindful of the truth that God cares about your sex life, what you eat, and how much you exercise?

Read Ephesians 5:18, 1 Timothy 4:8, and 3 John 1:2. How are the physical and the spiritual aspects of life interconnected?

The writer of Hebrews encourages us, ‘Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees…’ (Hebrews 12:12). Read the preceding verses and discuss whether this verse is meant literally, figuratively, or both.

LAST WORD
When you commit to stewarding your health and fitness, you’ll discover new levels of self-respect, determination, and well-being. It’s never too late. There is something you can begin doing, today, to care for your body. You don’t need a crash diet or a crazy dream. You simply need a purpose and a plan, and you need to take the first step. Get started! Honour God by making the most of the body He has given you. You’re fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image (Psalm 139:14), and He paid the highest price imaginable to buy you back from slavery to sin. You belong to Him.

DEEPER WALK
Select at least one activity below to complete before watching the next session.

Read: Take time to meditate on 1 Corinthians 9:24–27. What is God saying to you? Is He pinpointing spiritual, emotional, or physical aspects of your life? What will you start doing? What will you stop doing?

Write: When it comes to health and fitness, what are your fears and frustrations? What are your hopes and dreams? Write down your goals, and then write out your personal training programme. Consider sharing it with a friend who will cheer for you and hold you accountable.

Pray: Every day this week, pray for someone you know who is wrestling with body worshiping or body wasting.

SESSION GOALS
The point of every session is a main idea with the goal of informing our knowing, feeling, and doing.
​
MAIN IDEA: You are called to live in financial freedom.

Head Change: To know that you aren’t meant to have a two-way relationship with money, but a three-way relationship between you, your money, and God.

Heart Change: To respond emotionally to God (thanking Him for providing), instead of reacting emotionally to money.

Life Change: To seek first God’s Kingdom and righteousness, knowing He gives you everything you need to do His will.

OPEN
Do you tend to have too much money at the end of the month, or too much month at the end of your money? Either way, what do you do with the excess or deficit? Does money make a man, or does a man make money? What’s the difference?

In this session, Anthony admits that for many years he excelled as a self-taught financial fool and shares the valuable lessons he has learned about the powerful role – for better or worse – money plays in our lives.

VIEW
As you watch, take note of how Anthony answers these questions.

• How was Anthony legally able to spend more money than he had?
• What might stop us from addressing our financial situation?
• List four reasons why many people aim to make as much money as possible.
• How does Anthony define financial freedom?

Show SESSION #2: Finances (11 minutes)

REVIEW
Anthony opens the session with a confession: for years he immediately spent any income that came his way and got into debt via credit cards and store accounts. ‘It wasn’t until I got married,’ he says, ‘that someone far more sensible than me said she was going to do some plastic surgery: cut up the cards.’ Is it easier to get into debt or out of debt? If you’re currently in debt, do you have a plan to get out? What’s your first step?

The world makes it easy for us to live beyond our means, financially unbalanced. We’re also quick to blame our financial indiscretions on the volatility of the global economy. Do you agree? Why, or why not? Do you hope things will improve for you financially? If so, what measurable actions is that hope based on? If you have a history of racking up debt, what accountability measures do you have in place to ensure you don’t fall into the same spending patterns again?

Anthony points out that how we feel about money is important, because plenty of our financial decisions are feelings-based. Our emotional and psychological reactions to the subject make all the difference. Complete this sentence with three adjectives: When I think about money, I feel _______, _______, and _________.

You may be hesitant to take an honest look at this aspect of your life because of fear. You feel trapped and alone. Just when you start to make ends meet, somebody moves the ends. Can you relate? If you feel comfortable doing so, talk about your financial fears.

It’s also possible you believe you don’t need to consider your financial position because you’re pretty comfortable (though of course, a little extra income wouldn’t hurt). Anthony says, ‘If that’s you, please don’t tune me out, because you too could actually be out of balance in a way that’s a lot less obvious. What if God wants to stretch you outside your comfort zone so your trust really has to be in Him?’ Does the suggestion that God wants to teach you something about money make you uncomfortable? If so, what does that tell you?

The concept of financial balance is helpful. When things become unbalanced, they accelerate out of control and affect individuals, businesses, banks, and even nations. Break the laws of financial balance and you’ll end up broke. Is there someone in your family, workplace, church, or wider community who strikes you as being financially balanced? What is it about their lifestyle or decision-making that inspires or impresses you? If you’re trying to balance your finances, what are you focusing on? What’s your financial aim?

Anthony reckons some people just aim to (1) make as much money as they can – and no matter how much they make, it’s never enough. Some men aim to (2) provide for their loved ones (even though our kids want our presence more than our presents). Some aim to (3) save as much money as possible (even though eventually we’ll leave behind all our investments). And some aim simply to (4) spend, spend, spend! Anthony says, ‘If your upkeep exceeds your income, your outgo will be your downfall.’ Which of these four categories do you fall into? Would your spouse, kids, parents, or closest friends agree?

A far better financial aim is to be financially free – which doesn’t mean being able to do whatever you want. Financial freedom means not worrying about money, because you simply have enough to do whatever God wants. This is the way Jesus lived during His time on earth and He said we can live like this too. Do you believe you have enough in your bank account, today, to do God’s will? Why, or why not?

According to Jesus, you’re not supposed to have just a two-way relationship between you and your money, because then money will be your master. Jesus introduced a three-way relationship between you, your money, and God (Matthew 6:25–34). Anthony says, ‘Whether thinking about saving, spending, investing, or giving, the Bible says consistently: if you want true financial balance, your aim should be to put God and His kingdom and what He wants first…’ What tempts you to make money your master? How has God provided for your needs this week? What might a three-way relationship between you, your money, and God look like the next time you shop online, pay bills, or do a quick grocery run?

The same principle that governs your health applies to your wealth. God gives you 100% of everything you have. He expects you to look after it well and give some of it back as a grateful response to His generosity and love. What percentage of your income did God give you? What percentage of your income do you give away? What percentage of your income do you save? What percentage of your income is left for you to spend?

We tend to compare up. We see someone with more than us and we feel like we don’t have enough. When you compare down, to the vast majority of people on the planet, how do you feel? Would you describe yourself as being ‘rich in this world’ (1 Timothy 6:17)? If so, what’s your next step?

Anthony says, ‘You never met an unhappy generous person!’ Who is the happiest person you know? Are they generous?

BIBLE EXPLORATION
Read the story of the rich fool in Luke 12:13–-21. Is it wise to invest your money? Will you benefit from your financial investments in eternity? How would you explain true financial wisdom to a teenager who just got their first job, or to a tech startup entrepreneur who just turned thirty and made their first million?

On the day he gave away tons of his own gold to fund building work on the temple in Jerusalem, King David said, ‘Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is Yours, O LORD, and this is Your kingdom. We adore You as the one who is over all things’ (1 Chronicles 29:11). Did David experience both poverty and riches in his lifetime? What was his attitude towards wealth and where it came from? If you’re a ‘king’ in your business, family, or community, how can you seek God’s Kingdom first?

Paul’s ideas about wealth were similar to King David’s. Read 1 Timothy 6:17–18. Paraphrase Paul’s financial perspective as expressed in this verse. What opportunities have you had this week to ‘do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share’?

LAST WORD
If you long for freedom and joy, put God in charge of your money. He’s the supplier and owner of everything, and everything you have is on loan from Him. Resist placing your hope in money, because tomorrow it might all be gone. Rather, remember that contentment begins when you count your blessings. If you’re working through this series, it’s likely you’re more blessed than many on this planet. Jesus said to whom much is given, much will be required (Luke 12:48). But whether you have much or a little, you can be generous and worry-free, living to give not to get.

DEEPER WALK
Select at least one activity below to complete before watching the next session.

Read: Read Luke 6:38, Philippians 4:19, and Hebrews 13:5. Read them slowly and prayerfully. If possible, read them aloud too. What convicts you? What comforts you? Is God calling you to take a step of faith or obedience in your finances?

Write: Write out a list of all the ways you’ve been blessed to be a blessing. Now write down the names of people you have an opportunity to bless this week. Could you do it anonymously? Write out a plan to be a channel of God’s goodness to these particular people.  

Pray: To keep envy at bay, thank God for how He has poured out financial blessing on someone you know and love. Thank Him for how He has blessed you, too. Thank Him that because He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:11), there’s plenty more where that came from.

SESSION GOALS
The point of every session is a main idea with the goal of informing our knowing, feeling, and doing.

MAIN IDEA: Your family needs you to slow down and make time for them.

Head Change: To know that measurable duties will vie for your time and attention, at the expense of your family.

Heart Change: To feel grateful that God wants imperfect you and yours to be part of His family.

Life Change: To ask God to help you see each person in your biological and church family for who and what they really are.

OPEN
Who in your group would win the prize for Most Framed Photographs of Family Members in their home or office? Do you have any photo albums in your house, or are all your photos stored digitally? What are your criteria for posting a photo of your family on Instagram or elsewhere? Talk about one of your childhood photos you wish could’ve filtered or deleted entirely.

Photos of smiling people on holiday never give the full picture of any family. In this session, Anthony dares us to be real about our deficiencies as family men and the challenges our families face. Thankfully, he also shows us God’s heart for the family and the hope we have in Him.

VIEW
As you watch, write down how Anthony answers these questions.

• Why didn’t Anthony write the article he was invited to write?
• According to Anthony’s daughter, what should members of a family remember about one another?
• Why did Jesus take the blind man away from the crowd?
• In what ways was the first human family flawed?
• In what ways was Jesus’ earthly family flawed?

Show SESSION #3: Family (14 minutes)

REVIEW
Anthony opens this session by explaining why he turned down an opportunity to write an article on the subject of family. Did he decline the invitation because the subject matter wasn’t important to him? Do you find it difficult to turn down work opportunities in favour of your family? Why, or why not?

Anthony says, ‘The problem is, I can quantify how many hours I put into my job, but I can never quantify how well I’m doing as a dad, or as a grandad, or husband.’ Do you tend to pour more time and energy into your work (rather than your family) because your work delivers tangible, measurable results? If you had a line manager who monitored your performance as a family man, do you think you’d be getting a raise this year? Why, or why not?

When Anthony asked his family, ‘What do you think the most important thing about family is?’, his daughter replied, ‘We need to remember that the other people in the family are actually people themselves – not just roles in relation to me.’ Discuss the idea that every person in your family has a unique identity which is broader than just the role they play in your life. Does this concept change how you think of your spouse, kids, or others in your family?

In Mark 8:22–26, we read the story of a blind man brought to Jesus by his friends for healing. Jesus leads the man out of the village and away from the crowds. He gives the man his undivided attention and takes time to talk to him and pray with him. The healing unfolds over a deliberate, unhurried interaction. If this story is overly familiar to you, imagine how you’d react if a friend or co-worker told you they’d met with Jesus and He’d healed them in this miraculous way.

Anthony points out that Jesus wasn’t satisfied to do half a job – as we so often are. He didn’t want the blind man to only be able to see other people looking like trees. Jesus wanted him to see other people as people. Unrushed, He prayed a second time. Jesus wants to touch our eyes too, so we see people as they really are – especially those closest to us. What blurs your vision when it comes to those you know and love best? What are the biggest distractions for you during time with your family? Do you agree that you can’t love in a rush? What would slowing down for your family look like in this season of your life? Can you start tomorrow?

Genesis tells us family was God’s idea. After He’d created the earth and the man, He called them good. What was not good was the man being alone (Genesis 1:31, 2:18). What does Adam’s unsatisfactory solitude, despite a perfect environment, tell you about how he’d been created?

God created a companion for Adam, but Adam and Eve weren’t the perfect couple. What kinds of dysfunction do we see on display in their family? Did God give up on them? Does God give up on us? How do you know?

Jesus stepped onto the pages of history to introduce us to a family in which God is the perfect Father. God isn’t in denial about the imperfections of every earthly family. Still, He invites us into His family, and He’s unchanging in His promise, unstoppable in power, and perfect in love. Does the Bible gloss over the familial dysfunction of its earthly characters? How does God respond to the unfaithfulness and feuding of His weak, unloving, undeserving people? Do you tend to portray your own family as perfect and fully functional, or are you pretty real about the struggles and quirks of your nuclear and extended family?

The snapshots of Jesus’ earthly family life are far from perfect. He’s not born in a palace but a feeding trough. He’s comforted at the breast of one who’s nearly a single mum because of a troubled stepfather, in circumstances that mean the legitimacy of His birth will be called into question from the stable to the grave. A jealous king wants to kill Him. His parents lose Him for a few days. His cousin eats locusts and His younger brothers and sisters say He’s crazy. Why do you think God didn’t orchestrate more sanitary and satisfactory circumstances around Jesus’ birth?

God says the church is family too, which means we shouldn’t be surprised if it has its share of strange and annoying people we’d rather not hang out with. Does this match your current or past experience of being connected to a spiritual family? What might it look like for you, this week, to love those people anyway? How would choosing to love those who are different from you expand your heart capacity?

BIBLE EXPLORATION
Joshua says to God’s people, ‘But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord’ (Joshua 24:15). Who or what might be the equivalent, in your life, of the ‘gods your ancestors served’, or ‘the gods of the Amorites’? How would things change in your home over the next month if you re-declared, or declared for the first time, ‘As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord’?

Paul writes to Timothy, ‘But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers’ (1 Timothy 5:8). Are any of your relatives in need? What’s your next step? Do you feel you have a particular responsibility towards a person or group of people in your church community?

God’s Word is full of stories about His family. If time allows, read some or all of the following passages: Genesis 9:20–25, Genesis 12:10–20, Exodus 2:11–13, Joshua 6:25, Judges 16:15–17, and 2 Samuel 11:1–27. What kinds of imperfection and dysfunction do we see in these unfiltered snapshots of the lives of Noah, Abram, Moses, Rahab, Samson, David – and so many others? What is God’s comment on these family members in Hebrews 11:16?

LAST WORD
It’s not too late for you to make the changes you need to make in your family. Ask God to start with you. Your schedule needs to show your family that you love and prioritise them, and the time to begin making diary decisions that reflect this is today. Whatever your relational past, present, or future, you have a Heavenly Father from whom every earthly family derives its name (Ephesians 3:15). He sees the generations before that led to you being born and alive now. He holds in His hands plans full of hope and a bright future. God also knows no family is perfect. Not yours. Not His. But He delights in miracles, and He wants you, and yours, in His family album.

DEEPER WALK
Select at least one activity below to complete before watching the next session.

Read: Read Ephesians 3:14–21 in a different Bible translation from the one you usually use. Meditate on the truth about who formed your family, and who has the power to transform it.

Write: If you’re not into journaling, sketch your family tree. Have any branches of the tree broken off? Which branch are you on? Where is the tree budding or bearing fruit? What story would you love to tell your grandchildren or great-grandchildren about how you cultivated your family tree?

Pray: Set aside five or ten minutes during your lunch breaks this week, or take time on your commute, to surrender your family to God. Ask Him to increase the love and laughter in your home. Pray for extraordinary time-management wisdom as you seek to prioritise your family.

SESSION GOALS
The point of every session is a main idea with the goal of informing our knowing, feeling, and doing.

MAIN IDEA: Because of Jesus, failure will never have the final word over your life.

Head Change: To know that you will fail, but that failure is an event, not a person.

Heart Change: To feel grateful that God doesn’t just forgive you when you fail Him, He also uses you.

Life Change: To fail forward, following Jesus no matter how much you’ve messed up.

OPEN
Have you failed this week – at work, at home, at church, at sport, or elsewhere? If you’re ok to talk about it, share the epic failure of your life so far.

We all fail – often and ongoingly. Failure this side of eternity is unavoidable. But there’s hope! We can learn to fail successfully as we humbly acknowledge that failure doesn’t define us, because Jesus does.

VIEW
As you watch, write down how Anthony answers these questions.

• What did James say about failure?
• What were some of Peter’s successes? And his failures?
• How did God use Peter despite his failures?

Show SESSION #4: Failure (10 minutes)

REVIEW
Anthony opens the session with a reminder that while we’re likely to experience success, failure is inevitable. Do you agree with Anthony that we idolise success? Have you recently tracked the successes or failures of a particular sports team, politician, or other celebrity? If so, what did you learn?

James, a New Testament writer and the brother of Jesus, tells us, ‘We all stumble in many ways’ (James 3:2). He’s literally saying, ‘All of us often make mistakes.’ We trip up – a lot. Is there an area of your life in which you’ve experienced repeated failure? If so, why?

It’s important that we learn to fail successfully: to move from saying, ‘I am a failure,’ to the healthier and more correct statement, ‘I have failed.’ Which person in your life needs to hear the truth that failure is an event, not a person? Have you defined yourself more by your successes or your failures? Why?

Anthony references several events from the life of the apostle Simon Peter – the rock upon whom Jesus would build His church – to illustrate a lifestyle pattern of thumbs-up success immediately followed by thumbs-down failure. Can you relate? If so, list some of your thumbs-up triumphs and some of your thumbs-down disasters. For each of these, what did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about God?

Peter’s most famous failure is his denial – three times – that he even knew the arrested Jesus. He lies to save his life, and Jesus willingly gives up His. But Anthony reminds us that, thankfully, because of Jesus, failure is never final. The cross was not the end of Jesus’ story, or Peter’s. Why do you think Jesus, resurrected, wanted to meet with Peter?

John 21 tells us about the morning when Peter, nursing the guilt of his failure, goes back to what he used to be pretty good at: fishing. A mysterious stranger appears on the shore telling Peter how to have another net-bursting catch. Peter recognises Jesus and obeys. What do you think Peter was thinking and feeling in those moments? What would you have been thinking and feeling? Have you ever believed your failure to be unforgivable? Have you ever believed that God thinks less of you now than he used to because of your failure?

Peter and Jesus go for a walk on the beach, and Peter begins to understand that his failure was never going to have the last word. Peter was standing near a fire when he denied Jesus three times. Now, there’s a moment loaded with poetic intention when, standing by another fire, Jesus asks Peter three times, not ‘How did you do?’, but rather, ‘Do you love me?’ Two out of three times, Jesus uses the Greek verb agape for love (the unconditional, self-sacrificing love of God). Peter always replies using the verb phileo for love (brotherly affection or the fondness of friendship). Discuss the significance of this. Did Peter grasp God’s love for him? Do you? Would you have identified Peter as being mature enough to spearhead the global church? Why, or why not? Why do you think Jesus chose him?

Peter doesn’t even get full marks on this ‘love test’, but Jesus still gives him a fresh start and new responsibilities. Jesus doesn’t just forgive Peter; He uses him. How has God used you despite your failures – or maybe even because of your failures?

Peter’s conversation with Jesus ends with him comparing himself to John and asking Jesus, ‘What about him?’ Jesus effectively replies with a question of His own, saying, ‘What’s he got to do with you?’ Jesus then comes full circle: His last words to Peter – and His last recorded words in John’s gospel – are the first words He said to Peter: ‘Follow Me’ (John 21:21–22). Do you compare your failures and successes to others’? Do you struggle to reconcile how God works in your life compared to how He works in someone else’s life? If so, how do you think it might help if you simply followed Him?

BIBLE EXPLORATION
Read Psalm 73:26 and Psalm 145:14. According to the psalmist, who will definitely fail? Who will definitely never fail? What is God’s promise to you when you fail?

Solomon also had a lot to say about failure. Read Proverbs 24:16 and Proverbs 28:13. What’s different about the way the righteous fail, compared to the way the wicked fail? What happens when we hide our failures? What happens when we own our failures? Which do you tend to do? Why?

Read 2 Corinthians 1:3–4. What does God want you to do with the comfort you’ve received from Him in times of failure or suffering?

Paul goes on to say, in 2 Corinthians 12:9–10, ‘But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.’ Why did Paul need God’s all-sufficient grace? (Take a look at the preceding verses.) Share about a time when your failure magnified God’s greatness and power in your life.

LAST WORD
Before moving on to the next session, remind yourself that mercy meets you at your point of failure. It’s there that the greatest lessons are learned, and the deepest transformation of your character takes place. When you take responsibility for your failure, God will use it for His glory and to bless others. Your mess can become your message. No matter how many times you fail or how badly you feel you’ve blown it, Jesus comes looking to restore you, not to reprimand you. He wants to save you, not to scold you. Just follow Jesus. And when you fail? Continue to follow Jesus, because you’re forgiven.

DEEPER WALK
Select at least one activity below to complete before watching the next session.

Read: Meditate on Philippians 4:13. You can do all things through Jesus who strengthens you. What is God saying to you about your failures? What would change in your life, over the next week or month, if you relied completely on God’s strength?

Write: If you’re cringing or carrying a lot of guilt because of recent – or long past – failure, write out the details: exactly where and how and why you messed up, and who was affected. Then you may wish to burn the paper you’ve written this on, to help you let go and as a symbol that God doesn’t count your failures against you.

Pray: Ask God to bring to mind a loved one who is struggling with failure. Call them and pray for them over the phone. Don’t be awkward. Just be real. Ask God to comfort and encourage them, and to set them free from guilt and regret.

SESSION GOALS
The point of every session is a main idea with the goal of informing our knowing, feeling, and doing.

MAIN IDEA: Jesus calls you to befriend others the way He has befriended you.

Head Change: To know that making friends makes you vulnerable and open to rejection.

Heart Change: To feel thankful that Jesus, the best of friends, put His life on the line for you.

Life Change: To seek to be a good friend instead of getting good friends, and to get comfortable with needing others.

OPEN
What is your earliest memory of friendship? Who was your first friend at school? Are you still friends – at least on Facebook? Who have you been friends with the longest?

In this session, Anthony shares his experience of losing (at least temporarily) his childhood best friend and explores what it is that keeps us from making the kind of friends we need. Thankfully, Jesus is the greatest friend we could ever ask for, and He shows us how to be that kind of friend to others.

VIEW
As you watch, write down how Anthony answers these questions.

• What goes hand in hand with every offer of friendship?
• Why did Anthony struggle to make close friends?
• How did Jesus model friendship?

Show SESSION #5: Friends (11 minutes)

REVIEW
Anthony tells the story of his first best friend, Paul. Paul moved away, they lost touch, and this caused Anthony real grief. Who’s your best friend? How long have you been friends? Do you agree with Anthony that friendship makes you vulnerable? Why, or why not? If you feel comfortable doing so, share an experience you’ve had of losing a friend. Was the loss of the friendship your fault, your friend’s fault, both, or no one’s?

When a friendship ends for some reason, we may harden our hearts to protect ourselves from ever being hurt by a friend again. Do you tend to do this? If so, how’s it working out for you?

In a previous session we noted that even though Adam found himself in a perfect environment, it wasn’t good for him to be alone (Genesis 2:18). We need friends, and research indicates that most men don’t have near enough really good friends. Has this been your experience? Do you feel as if you need people around you, or are you content on your own? Do you think anything in your life would change significantly if you intentionally began to pursue friendship? If, like Anthony did, you have trust issues when it comes to friendship, what caused this mistrust?

Anthony confesses that his superficiality complex was compounded when he became a pastor. He was living by a false mantra: ‘You can’t lead the people, if you need the people.’ This, and moving around every few years, kept him from investing in deep friendships. What has kept you from making deeper friendships – work, moving, preconceived ideas about yourself or others, or something else? Have you overcome these obstacles? If not, what’s your next step?

Jesus modelled a version of friendship far more beautiful than anything we could’ve come up with. He left heaven and arrived on earth saying, ‘I want to call you friends!’ He loved and led people, but at times also told them He needed them. He wasn’t afraid to be vulnerable. When was the last time you told a friend you needed them? What does this tell you about yourself, or your friends? If you had an emergency at 2 a.m., which friend would you call? Why? Who would call you at 2 a.m.?

Anthony says, ‘God became a man and formed a band of brothers. There were three with whom He was very close, then twelve He lived with 24/7, sharing everything, then seventy with whom He spent a lot of time.’ Did everything work out for Jesus, in terms of all these friendships? Why did He befriend people anyway? How does His example apply to who and how you befriend people?

To take our friendships to a deeper level, we need to be the kind of friend we’d love to have. Practically, how could you be a better, different, deeper friend to someone in your life this week?

Jesus said, ‘Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends’ (John 15:13). Have you ever put yourself in danger to save a friend? For whom would you be willing to die? Why? Who do you think would die for you? What does Jesus dying for you tell you about His reliability as a friend?

Anthony tells the story of hearing a gospel message years ago when he doubted God even existed. He suddenly understood that what Jesus did on the cross was personal – it was for him, even though he was still God’s enemy. Jesus was taking the punishment he deserved so he could be forgiven and friends forever with God. Anthony says, ‘The heroic deed had been done, the ultimate love and friendship forever clearly demonstrated. The offer was clear – Jesus was saying, “I want to be your best friend.” I could accept it or reject it, but ignoring it had huge consequences and was no longer an option, because now I’d finally begun to understand it.’ Can you relate? When did you realise for the first time that God’s offer of friendship was for you personally?

Anthony ends up reconnecting with his childhood best friend, Paul. Is there someone God is nudging you to get in touch with, maybe after decades? Why do you think it might be important to reconnect with this person? What’s your next step?

BIBLE EXPLORATION
Read Matthew 28:20 and Hebrews 13:5. Is there a point in the future at which God’s love for you will run out? Is there a future point at which Jesus will no longer be with you or be your friend? Do you think your friends believe you’ll be their friend forever? Why, or why not?

Read some or all of the following Proverbs, which talk about friendship: Proverbs 13:20, 16:28, 17:9, 17:17, 18:24, 27:6, 27:9, 27:17. Can you think of examples from the gospels when Jesus modelled this kind of friendship? Take one of these verses and discuss what it would look like to apply it on a Wednesday morning or a Saturday night.

Consider the friendship stories or Elijah and Elisha (2 Kings 2), Ruth and Naomi (Ruth), David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18–23), and any others that stand out to you. How did these friends display loyalty, trustworthiness, and selflessness?

LAST WORD
Take a moment to let the truth sink in: Jesus wants to be your best friend. You can accept or reject that relationship with Him that can make every other relationship better. He vulnerably makes the first move as He offers to be the kind of friend who would – who did ­– give up His life for you. May you accept Jesus’ friendship, and may you go and befriend others with the same vulnerability and love, inviting them to know Jesus too.

DEEPER WALK
Select at least one activity below to complete before watching the next session.

Read: Read 1 Corinthians 13:1–13 in a few different Bible translations or a paraphrase like The Message. What is God saying to you? How will this kind of love play out in any one of your friendships this week?

Write: Which friend has put themselves on the line for you? Send them a handwritten note thanking them for modelling Christlike friendship.

Pray: Form your own ‘band of brothers’ prayer group. The joining requirements should be trust, vulnerability, and authenticity. Aim to meet regularly to share and pray for one another.

SESSION GOALS
The point of every session is a main idea with the goal of informing our knowing, feeling, and doing.

MAIN IDEA: You’ll be the man you were made to be when you realise how perfectly you’re loved by your Heavenly Father.

Head Change: To know that the man who fathered you affects your view of yourself, others, and God.

Heart Change: To celebrate that whether your earthly dad was awesome, absent, or awful, you are adopted by God the Father.

Life Change: To make it your mission to understand and embrace the measureless love God the Father has lavished on you.

OPEN
Whether it’s easy or difficult for you to talk about your dad, describe him using three adjectives. Don’t overthink it.

My dad is / was __________, __________, and __________.

If you have kids of your own, what three adjectives would you love them to use to describe you?

In the final session of the series, Anthony explores the truth that your understanding of God the Father and your acceptance of His love for you will ultimately determine whether or not you become the man you were made to be.

VIEW
As you watch, write down how Anthony answers these questions.

• According to Anthony’s Facebook experiment, were men or women more positive about their fathers?
• What makes it possible for us to comply with God’s command to love Him?
• Why does God watch you while you sleep?
• How does George MacDonald define adoption?

Show SESSION #6: Father (13 minutes)

REVIEW
Anthony stresses the point that your map for manhood is or has been determined by your father. He says, ‘Dead or alive, known or unknown, present or absent, good or bad, the man who fathered you follows you through life. He colours your view of yourself, your attitude to older men, and – crucially – to God.’ Do you agree? Why, or why not? Does this idea comfort you or unsettle you? Do you (or did you) trust your dad? Either way, has this affected how you form and maintain other friendships and relationships?

Humans have a visceral need for love and approval, and if that need wasn’t met by your earthly father, it’s likely you’ve looked for love and approval from fatherly substitutes. Alternatively, you’ve lived in denial, shutting down that part of yourself and hiding your heart wounds. Does this idea resonate with you? Has a memory – good or bad – surfaced? What is God bringing to your attention, and why?

Anthony’s Facebook word-association challenge revealed that, generally, men are far more negative about their fathers than women are. The experience of a nun working in a men’s prison correlates: the inmates all wanted to send cards to their mums on Mother’s Day; none of them wanted to send cards to their dads on Father’s Day. Do you think your findings would be similar if you conducted a survey amongst your friends or co-workers? Why, or why not?

For the church to step into the world’s crisis of fatherlessness and recreate a sense of family, we need to reclaim the biblical doctrine of adoption: God’s own Son came to earth and gave up His place, so we could be welcomed into His Father’s family. Do you identify more as a son of God or a servant of God? Why?

In Matthew 7:9–11, Jesus makes the point that even imperfect parents generally try to love their kids well. When children come asking for something they want or need, parents won’t give them something useless, cruel, or harmful. By implication, how much more will our Heavenly Father pour out His kindness on us? Did you feel heard growing up? Do you feel you were given a stone or a snake when you needed bread or fish? How do you ensure that your own kids know that they’re safe and that you’re taking them seriously?

A. W. Tozer wrote, ‘What comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us… Were we able to extract from any man a complete answer to the question, “What comes to mind when you think about God?”, we might predict with certainty the spiritual future of that man.’ What are the first three adjectives that come to mind when you think about God? What three adjectives do you think God would use to describe you? Do you ever feel as if God is ashamed of you, angry with you, disappointed in you, or indifferent to you? If so, why?

Jesus said, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind’ (Matthew 22:37). He doesn’t just invite us to love God. He commands us to love God. What makes it possible for you to obey God’s command to love Him? In contrast, what kind of God would you find it impossible to love?

Jesus’ Father is your Father too, and He’s a Father who never sleeps, watching you unblinkingly and with perfect, matchless love. Do you think God approves of everything you do? Why, or why not? Do you think it’s possible to do something that will make God think less of you?

John explains his relationship with his Heavenly Father by saying, ‘See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!’ (1 John 3:1). The word for see in the original language is a command, not a suggestion, and it means stop and really look until you discern and perceive this. What would God have to do to make you believe He loves you? If you were out with colleagues after work and someone started asking you questions about your faith, how would you explain the privilege and proximity of your position as God’s child?

Anthony says, ‘Changing how you see God changes how you see yourself – and everything and everybody.’ Is this an exaggeration? Why, or why not?

God’s love for us is an out-of-this-world love – incomparable to any earthly love. His agape love for us is greater than our sin and greater than anything else that threatens to come between us and Him. Because of this love, we’re not just God’s friends or servants – we’re His beloved sons. Is it difficult for you to let yourself be loved like this? If so, why? Share some of the ways in which God has lavished His personal, sacrificial, unrestricted, unconditional love on you.

BIBLE EXPLORATION
The psalmist marvels, ‘When I look at the night sky and see the work of Your fingers – the moon and the stars you set in place – what are mere mortals that You should think about them, human beings that You should care for them? Yet You made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honour’ (Psalm 8:3–5). Considering your size, relative to the cosmos, discuss whether God’s love for you is rational and deserved.

Read Psalm 103:13. In our culture, women or mothers are perceived to be more compassionate than men or fathers. Where does this perception come from? What could fathers in our society do to change the stereotype?

When Jesus was baptized, God the Father declared over Him, ‘You are My Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased’ (Mark 1:11). At this point in His earthly life, had Jesus preached a sermon, performed a miracle, or raised anyone from the dead? Is God’s love for His children related to their performance?  

Read Matthew 23:9. What is the context of Jesus’ words in the broader passage? Do you think Jesus is being literal, or making a point about the surpassing authority of God? How do Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 8:6 further substantiate the point Jesus is making in Matthew 23?

LAST WORD
Your Heavenly Father has given, continues to give, and will keep on giving you His love. He paints His love for you across the sky with every sunrise and sunset, and He whispers it from the pages of scripture. Whether your earthly dad was fantastic or abusive or a no-show, you can know today that you’re adopted: drawn into the family of the Father through the sacrifice of His Son and your Saviour, Jesus. Accepting this makes you the man you were made to be.

DEEPER WALK
Read: Meditate on John 10:28–30. Who or what distracts you from God, trying to ‘snatch you from His hand’? What do these verses reveal about the power of God’s love and the intensity of His feelings for you?

Write: What do you wish you could say to your dad? Or what do you wish you had said to him before he passed away? Don’t let regret eat away at you. Rather, write down everything you long to communicate – even if you simply want to ask why or say thank you. As you journal, entrust your thoughts, words, feelings, and experiences to God.

Pray: Set an alarm on your phone for midday every day this week and pray for the fathers, young and old, in your community. Ask God to empower them with extraordinary wisdom and unconditional love for those they are called to father.