LEADER’S GUIDE

Copyright © 2012 City on a Hill Studio, LLC

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other – except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Louisville, Kentucky, by City on a Hill Studio. City on a Hill Studio and “gods at war” are registered trademarks of City on a Hill Studio, LLC.

The publishers are grateful to Ross Brodfuehrer for his collaboration and writing skills in developing the content for this book.

Additional copies of this guide along with other not a fan study resources may be purchased online at www.cityonahillstudio.com.

Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: New International Version® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS

Message from Kyle Idleman 4

Gods at War Resources 5

Making the most of your Gods at War study group 6

Small Group Leader’s Role 7

The elements of the six-week study 11

Session 1 – Introduction 13

Session 2 – gods of pleasure 21

Session 3 – gods of love 25

Session 4 – gods of money 29

Session 5 – gods of power 35

Session 6 – god of me 41

Additional Resources 47

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ARE YOU READY FOR WAR?Christians and the church rightfully place an emphasis on identifying and

eradicating sin…but what if we’re actually missing the point? What if all

sin has a common root, a core issue that we typically fail to address?

The gods at war video series challenges us with the thought that perhaps

all sin springs from the same source – IDOLATRY. While we may not see

many “graven images” in our world today, there are still countless gods

passionately at war for the throne of our heart. If we put the wrong god

on the throne, our lives will be thrown into chaos, and all our efforts at sin

management will be futile. Only by recognizing our misplaced worship and

by enthroning Jesus can we experience freedom and life.

While there are many gods at war for our hearts, we have chosen to focus

on five in particular: gods of pleasure, gods of love, gods of money, gods

of power, and the god of me. In a new twist to the cinematic style City on

a Hill has become known for, this series was filmed in a docudrama style -

featuring real people telling their true stories. In these compelling stories,

we will see some reflection of ourselves, and recognize the true battle that

lies at the heart of all our sin struggles. These stories also point the way to

victory, as we see the kind of life transforming power that Christ is ready

to pour out in our lives as well. As a result, seekers, non-Christians and life-

long Christians alike will all be moved to grow their relationship with Christ.

Kyle Idleman Teaching Pastor / Southeast Christian Church / Louisville, KY

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gods at war RESOURCES Right now, you are holding in your hands the gods at war leader’s guide. This guide is to be used by the facilitator of the small group during the weekly meeting. The gods at war participant’s guide is called the Combat Jour=nal. These guides are sold separately. We strongly

encourage leaders to utilize the Combat Journal with their group,to get the most out of the study.

The Combat Journal has 2 parts: • First,itprovidesdailydevotionalsthroughoutthe6-week study to help participants identify their idols. • Thosethatwanttogofurthercanusethesecondhalf of the guide, as it walks individuals through a six month “plan of attack” against the idol they struggle with.

As a leader, encourage your group to get the most out of the gods at war study by completing their Combat Journal.

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MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR gods at war STUDY GROUP

GET FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE MATERIALS First,werecommendthatyouwatchtheleader’stutorial (found on DVD 1) and then if possible watch all the video lessons in advance. Read through this guide (and the Combat Journal) to get a feel for their flow and content.

PRAYER WILL BE IMPORTANT (OF COURSE!) At the start of each week’s lesson you will find a space for you to compose your own personal prayer for the group. At the end lesson.

BE CREATIVE WHEN IT COMES TO THE GROUP TIME What would help your group bond? What would help the group build trust and open up? What would help the group care for each other? Don’t feel you have to follow the leader’s guide legalistically. You may spend more time of one aspect than another. You may carry out the prayer time differently. One week you may have such a good discussion occur around the opening questions that you never get to the video. Maybe you take a week away from the study inthemiddleofittogoservetogetheratahomelessshelter.FollowJesus rather than merely following this guide.

PRACTICE WITH THE DVD PLAYER Make sure everything is functional prior to the start of your group each week.

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PROVIDE A WELCOME SETTING Be creative.Foodalwayshelpswarmupagroup.Ifyoucan have some snacks, or even better, a meal together, go for it. Soft lighting, candles, a fire, and background music can all promote a more comfortable, open, and thus effective, atmosphere for group discussion. Of course, you have to set up the chairs for the DVD viewing in a way so that everyone can see the TV. But for the dis-cussion time, you will want to rearrange the chairs so that everyone can face one another. This creates an atmosphere where everyone feels part of the discussion. After the discussion, you might want to have coffee available so that those who want to talk personally will feel more comfortable, and will be more likely to do so. And be care-ful to let others help you clean up if they volunteer. It’ll make them feel like they’re a part of things, so if they ask to help, accept it!

SMALL GROUP LEADER’S ROLE We want to let you know from the beginning...gods at war is a hard hitting study that will challenge each group member’s commitment to be a follower of Jesus. As a group leader, you have the opportunity to play an important part in sharing a message that has the power to transform lives. But please understand, your primary role is that of a friend and a servant. It is not the leader’s job to judge someone else’s status as fan or follower. Nor is it the leader’s job to turn everyone in the group into followers. It is the leader’s job to provide a safe place where participants can honestly explore their relationship with Jesus. It is the leader’s job to model Jesus by being genuinely concerned about the thoughts, questions and struggles of the group members.

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As the leader, you don’t need any special training or leader-ship experience to host a gods at war group. You don’t have to be a teacher - in fact, it’s better if the leader doesn’t teach. All you have to do is facilitate the conversation, keep the discussion moving and make sure the atmosphere is open, non-judgmental, and conversational. The videos, the Combat Journal, and the Leader’s Guide will do the teaching for you, while you trust the Holy Spirit to be dramatically active in the lives of participants. In fact, perhaps the best way for you to lead a gods at war group is to let the study impact you personally. Take the journey your-self, be frank and honest with your group as you share the things that God is revealing to you along the way, and be as open to learning from the group as you are committed to serving them as their leader. I’m sure that if you approach the study with that kind of open heart and humble spirit, your group members won’t be the only ones who are blessed.

TIPS FOR GUIDING DISCUSSION Since one of your primary responsibilities is to keep the conversation going, we’ve included some really important tips for you to consider. Guiding the discussion is important to your group’s success. Please, don’t skip over this; make sure you really digest these concepts. And then go over these tips with other group members and ask them to give you their feedback after the discussion time.

WHEN SOMEONE TALKS TOO MUCH What do you do if you have a difficult, or domineering, or excessive-lytalkativepersoninyourgroup?Here’safewideas:First,ifsome-one is talking on and on – interrupt nicely, and say, “I see what you mean, I hear what you’re trying to say, but let’s see how others feel about that.” Or another thing you might want to do is if someone

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is regularly talking too much, you might say, “I’d like to give every-one else a chance to say one thing before anyone speaks a second time.” Also, if someone continues to just dominate the group or the discussion time, step aside with him or her after the session and say something like, “I see you have a lot of ideas, and you’re very willing to express them. That’s awesome, but I need your help. Some of the others in the group – they’re not as bold. So, would you help me draw them out? If you could keep your comments a little briefer, not speak up quite as much. I think they’re going to begin to share. So, if you could help me with that, it would be great.”

WHEN SOMEONE NEVER TALKS What if you have a person in your group who never talks, and they’re reluctant to share? You might say something like, “Does anyone who hasn’t spoken up yet have a thought or an idea.” If that doesn’t work, and if the Spirit is prompting you, then maybe you say, “Hey, Kevin, I noticed you haven’t said anything yet – you don’t have to but I’d sure be interested in hearing what you think about this.” We realize this may be a ton of information for you to digest (especially if you are a new leader), but don’t worry. Above all, just love each person in the group because if you truly care about them, they’re going to sense it, and then allow the Holy Spirit to do the rest.

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THE ELEMENTS OF THE SIX WEEK STUDY

Each week will involve:

1. Opening discussion questions

2. DVD presentation

3. Guide for follow-up conversation

4. Prayer suggestions

5. Daily exercises

YOUR GROUNDWORK

Make yourself familiar with the material

Forcertaindiscussions,itissuggestedthatyoubreakinto same-gender subgroups. If yours is a mixed-gender group, you will need to prep a facilitator for the opposite-gender group.

Ask two or three trusty companions to support you in prayer as you lead. Tell them specifically what you sense you need for facilitating this study. Share any fears or concerns.

Pray for yourself and the group. What do you really want for your troop during this study? Turn it over to God as his battle. Write out your request on the following page.

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PRAYER REQUEST:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The writers and producers of this material pray for you in your service as a kind of squad captain, as you take your troops into the territory of their false gods. The operation can be daunting. You may feel under-equipped or insufficiently trained. You may find yourself wanting to avoid the discomfort, uncertainty, and pushback you will get. Hold onto the promise given to a leader long ago who found himself under-resourced and overwhelmed while facing a powerful foe:

This is what the Lord says to you:

“Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

2 Chronicles 20:15 NIV

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2 SESSIONONE

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pleasure

love

money

power

me

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PREPARATION Test DVD and set to play Prepare a comfortable setting Provide a pen for each participant Provide a gods at war Combat Journal for each participant

BEGINNING1. As we start this series called gods at war, what are your thoughts or feelings? Any initial reaction?2. What is your experience with war, whether it comes primarily from watching movies or documentary footage, from hearing the stories of relatives or friends who have been in combat, from time in the military yourself; or even engaging in actual combat?

DVD PRESENTATIONIn your gods at war Combat Journal, there is a place to take some notes or jot down what stands out to you as you the watch the presentation.

Play Session 1 on the gods at war DVD.

CONVERSATION1. Before we start our discussion, take a moment to jot down your initial reaction to this first presentation. What comes to mind? What do you think? What do you feel?2. Who would be willing to read or summarize your reaction for the rest of us? 3. Kyle referred to a well-known verse in Joshua 24. Let’s turn there and look at the whole section. a. The description of the events of this chapter follows the typical pattern of an ancient covenant- renewal ceremony.

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Ancient covenants were usually made between a king and their subjects, and for hundreds of years the format was more or less the same. The Old Testament book of Deuteronomy is one lengthy covenant-renewal document. The covenants had seven parts. Here in Joshua 24, we find a condensed account of a covenant-renewal ceremony held at the end of Joshua’s life.

b. The first part was the introduction and is found in verse 1.Would someone read that?

c. The second part was a historical recounting of what ledto the king-vassal relationship. We find it in verses 2-13.Would someone read that?

d. What stands out to you in those verses?

e. The third and fourth parts are in verses 14-24. These partsinclude the stipulations or requirements of the agreement.They would normally also include a long list of blessings andcurses, but, in this abbreviated account, those are condensedinto verse 20. Would someone read verses 14-24?

i. In verse 15, Joshua refers to the “gods of your forefathers.”What would you say were the de facto gods of the family inwhich you were raised?

ii. What would you say are the chief gods of our culture,“the gods in whose land you are living?”

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iii. We aren’t going to have a renewal ceremony today, but if we were, how do you think you would respond and why?

iv. What do you think of Joshua’s assertion in verse 19? How do you react to it?

v. Turn a couple pages in your Bible to Judges 2. Would someone read verses 8 and 11? Notice how the people’s vow turned out. Why is it so hard for people to keep their commitments to the Lord?

f. In Joshua 24:25-28 we find the last parts of the ceremony: the recording and storing of the agreement and the naming of witnesses. Would someone read that section?

4. It is relatively easy to say we believe in God or that we follow Jesus. Kyle suggests seven diagnostic questions for determining who or what our god or gods really are. As you read the seven questions again, what do you think about these questions as a tool for discovering our gods?

a. What has left you most disappointed?

b. Forwhatdoyousacrificetimeandmoney?

c. What do you worry about?

d. Where do you go for comfort?

e. What makes you mad?

f. What do you dream of?

g. Whose encouragement means the most to you?

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5. You haven’t had much time to mull it over, but based on those questions, do you have any preliminary conclusions about what might serve as a functional god in your life?

6. WouldsomeonereadaloudtheCombatJournalOverview?

COMBAT JOURNAL OVERVIEW

This guide is designed to be a plan of attack on the false gods of our lives. These gods war against us, and we need to make war against them if we are to attain final victory.

But war is never easy, and rarely is it quick. When the United States declared “war on terror” following the 9/11 attacks, the leaders clearly saw and clearly stated that the prosecution of this war would take not just months, but years. Their prediction has become reality as the conflict has continued, with more than a decade of active warfare and no definite end in sight.

If we are to take on the gods that war within and around us, we need to be prepared for a real and quite likely lengthy campaign. We shouldn’t underestimate our enemies or what it might take to root them out.

To this end, this guide is set up not so much as a typical small group participant guide as a strategic plan for prosecuting war against our false gods. The first section of the guide is tied into the six-week DVD presentation and is primarily about exposing and recognizing any gods that might have infiltrated our hearts. Each week’s material includes daily exercises intended to help us uncover gods we may be unknowingly serving.

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The second section of the guide goes beyond the recognition of these gods and into a serious, proactive campaign to unseat and drive out these enemies for good and to further secure the lordship of Jesus in our hearts. This campaign involves these five phases:

1. COMMITMENT PHASE: Deciding whether one should and will commit to a six-month “tour of duty” against their false gods.

2. TEAM FORMATION PHASE: Choosing and building trust within a small, three or four person “band of brothers” or “squadron of sisters” who will consign themselves to go to war together. No one should go to war alone.

3. RECON PHASE: A period of getting to know the enemy as well as scouting out how this power actually operates in our lives and how it has so often won victories.

4. TARGETING PHASE: A false god holds sway in our lives because it has found a supply depot or base of operations within our borders. In this phase we focus on locating and naming the false god’s power source. This source is likely some legitimate core need or deep heart longing. The false god lives off of this need, promoting itself as the best candi- date for meeting this need. We often discover we have made a treaty, and even an alliance, with this very enemy we hate.

5. REPURPOSING PHASE: In this series Kyle will often say that merely displacing a false god is not enough, but we must replace the old god with the true God. So we repurpose that

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internal power source in a way that it becomes the engine for our devotion to Christ rather than a secret command center for our false god. In this phase of the war we focus on practical ways to make that transfer of power.

Paulwrotein2Corinthians10:3-4,“Forthoughweliveintheworld, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” During the DVD group study, you will be asked to consider whether you want—or maybe need—to commit to the six-month war on a false god. Obviously you don’t have to decide that now. We just want to plant that seed in your mind as you go through the next five DVD sessions.

Thank you for reading. Next, the guide asks us to write what we hope to get out of this study. Take a moment to jot that down.

PRAYERWe will close each gathering by speaking directly to God. Prayer is one of the key weapons that has “divine power to demolish strongholds.” Jesus said, “If two of you on earth agree about anythingyouaskfor,itwillbedoneforyoubymyFatherin heaven” (Matthew 18:19). The context for that verse is one of confronting sin. The next verse promises that wherever two or three are gathered in his name, Jesus is present. So if you are willing to speak out what you want from this study to God in prayer, the rest of us will agree with you in what you ask. So we’ll now have an open time where you can pray aloud if you choose.

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NOTES:

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