Getting to Know You:
• If you had to choose a type of pain to endure, would you rather face physical, emotional, mental or spiritual pain and why?
• Discuss a painful experience that caused you to grow.
Going Deeper:
• Discuss this quote from Tertullian. “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Why does the church always grow when it’s persecuted?
• Discuss how Jesus personally experiencing pain and intimately knowing your pain can aid you in getting through troubling situations. Use Matt. 26:38-39, Isaiah 53:3-8, Hebrews 4:14-15
• Discuss the different ways Satan and God test us according to Rev. 2:10. Satan tests to destroy. God tests to strengthen.
• Compare the different crowns given to believers. 1 Cor. 9:25, 2 Tim. 4:8, James 1:12, 1 Peter 5:4, Rev. 3:11. What’s different about each one. How do we gain these crowns?
• Revelation 2:11 mentions the second death. What is meant by this How might we avoid the second death? Use Rev. 2:11, 20:6-14, 21:8
• What does it mean to be an overcomer/victorious according to these verses? What is given to the overcomer after the admonition to each of the 7 churches in Revelation?
Taking it Home:
• Spend time praying for the persecuted church this week. Pray that they might overcome and endure to the end without denying Christ. Pray for their families. Look up idop.org for family ideas to implement this week.
