CONVERSATION STARTERS:
Conversation Starters help us dig deeper, connecting Sunday’s sermons with our Monday lives. These prompts have been designed to help Community Groups grow in their relationship with God, with one another, and with their neighbors. Please know that these questions are meant to be a resource to you. You do not have to follow them verbatim or get through them all. We trust you to know your group and to ask the questions based on your group needs.

1. Spiritual warfare. What is your initial thought when you hear those words? Is it an active truth for you? Is it something that makes you uncomfortable? What/who has impacted that response?

2. Read Ephesians 6:10-12. If our fight is truly not against flesh and blood (enemies, bad drivers, poor influences around our kids, unjust bosses, etc.), how does that change how we look at the people and world around us? How does Jesus challenge us to see the people around us? Look at Luke 4:18-19.

3. Think of an army. Do soldiers wait until the battle is upon them to start getting ready? No! They train, they prepare, they do all they can so when the battle is upon them they are not surprised. They stand firm. And, they train TOGETHER. As a church body or community group, what does it look like to wage spiritual warfare together, rather than on our own? Read through Ephesians 6:13-20. How can we prepare and be ready by putting on the armor of God daily?

4. When you encounter challenges through temptations, people, or tasks, which parts of your armor feel weak? Which feels strong? How can you strengthen each piece of armor (truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the word of God)?

PRAYER PROMPT:
Pray for each member of your community group and their current and future battles. Pray that the Lord would help each of you put on the armor of God daily and trust in him to stand firm and be ready. Pray you can be a good support and army together.

Title: Armor of God
Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-24
Speaker: Nathan Miller, NathanM@cckc.church

> The Christian life is a battle -- so stand firm!

> Know your real enemy

We sin because we believe a lie about what will make us happy.
- John Mark Comer, Live No Lies

> Train for the real battle

> Stand in the real victory

In the interim, the devil is like a wounded animal, a dying dragon, more dangerous than ever. Contrary to popular artistic imaginings, the devil is not in hell: he’s here on earth. If Jesus’s anthem is ‘On earth as it is in heaven,’ the devil’s is ‘On earth as it is in hell…’ He is the evil behind so much of the evil in our souls and society. - John Mark Comer

"Alone. Yes, that's the keyword, the most awful word in the English tongue. Murder doesn't hold a candle to it and hell is only a poor synonym." - Stephen King, Salem’s Lot