pastor resources
Pastor’s Resources
Paul (NT Wright)
Ephesians, Verse by Verse (Grant R. Osborne)
Ephesians Audio Lectures (Clinton Arnold)
Understanding Spiritual Warfare (Sam Storms & Clinton Arnold)
The Blue Parakeet (Scot McKnight)
Rediscovering Scripture’s Vision for Women (Lucy Peppiatt & Scott McKnight)
Paul (NT Wright)
Ephesians, Verse by Verse (Grant R. Osborne)
Ephesians Audio Lectures (Clinton Arnold)
Understanding Spiritual Warfare (Sam Storms & Clinton Arnold)
The Blue Parakeet (Scot McKnight)
Rediscovering Scripture’s Vision for Women (Lucy Peppiatt & Scott McKnight)
core group questions
Small Group Questions
Eph. 6:10-12
1. Not the Enemy
Ephesians 6:12 reminds us our struggle isn’t against “flesh and blood.” How would
your relationships—at home, at work, or online—look different if you really believed
people aren’t the enemy, but that spiritual forces are? Be specific.
2. Bible Blindness
One of the reasons we stay in the dark is because we don’t actually read the Bible.
When’s a time Scripture helped you recognize a spiritual issue for what it really was?
What could change if you became more familiar with how the Bible describes the
unseen world?
3. Victory Doesn’t Mean Vacancy
Jesus defeated Satan at the cross, but that doesn’t mean the enemy stopped working.
How can Christians hold onto confidence in Jesus’ victory while still taking the enemy
seriously? Where have you seen people misunderstand this balance?
4. Finding the Balance
C.S. Lewis said there are two equal and opposite errors: disbelieving in Satan or
obsessing over him. Which error do you see more in your own background or church
experience, and why? How can we keep a healthy, biblical balance when talking about
spiritual warfare?
5. The Western Problem
Pastor Alex mentioned that our culture has traded a biblical worldview for a “Western”
one that downplays or even dismisses the supernatural and/or spiritual warfare. Have
you experienced that type of Christianity? If so, how did that mindset shaped the way
you pray, parent, or think about cultural issues? What would it mean for you to adopt a
more supernatural view of reality?
6: Don’t Leave the Door Open
Pastor Alex listed a few “open doors” to the enemy: different forms of witchcraft (palm
reading, psychics, necromancers, seances, fortune telling, terro cards, crystals,
manifesting & wigi boards) BUT ALSO self-righteousness, bitterness, sexual sin, and
the things we consume. What’s one door you personally need to close?
Weekly Challenge: Expose the Darkness
This sermon ended with a call to repent and replace darkness with God’s presence.
What would it look like for you to take that seriously this week? Where do you sense
the Holy Spirit inviting you to step out of darkness and into freedom?
This week, ask the Holy Spirit to show you one hidden area of darkness — a thought
pattern, habit, influence, or relationship — that’s been quietly draining your spiritual
strength. When He reveals it, don’t just feel convicted… take action.
1: Replace it with truth from God’s Word.
2: Pray out loud against the enemy’s influence.
3: Tell your prayer partner (or the group) for accountability.
Don’t just study the war against evil — fight back
Eph. 6:10-12
1. Not the Enemy
Ephesians 6:12 reminds us our struggle isn’t against “flesh and blood.” How would
your relationships—at home, at work, or online—look different if you really believed
people aren’t the enemy, but that spiritual forces are? Be specific.
2. Bible Blindness
One of the reasons we stay in the dark is because we don’t actually read the Bible.
When’s a time Scripture helped you recognize a spiritual issue for what it really was?
What could change if you became more familiar with how the Bible describes the
unseen world?
3. Victory Doesn’t Mean Vacancy
Jesus defeated Satan at the cross, but that doesn’t mean the enemy stopped working.
How can Christians hold onto confidence in Jesus’ victory while still taking the enemy
seriously? Where have you seen people misunderstand this balance?
4. Finding the Balance
C.S. Lewis said there are two equal and opposite errors: disbelieving in Satan or
obsessing over him. Which error do you see more in your own background or church
experience, and why? How can we keep a healthy, biblical balance when talking about
spiritual warfare?
5. The Western Problem
Pastor Alex mentioned that our culture has traded a biblical worldview for a “Western”
one that downplays or even dismisses the supernatural and/or spiritual warfare. Have
you experienced that type of Christianity? If so, how did that mindset shaped the way
you pray, parent, or think about cultural issues? What would it mean for you to adopt a
more supernatural view of reality?
6: Don’t Leave the Door Open
Pastor Alex listed a few “open doors” to the enemy: different forms of witchcraft (palm
reading, psychics, necromancers, seances, fortune telling, terro cards, crystals,
manifesting & wigi boards) BUT ALSO self-righteousness, bitterness, sexual sin, and
the things we consume. What’s one door you personally need to close?
Weekly Challenge: Expose the Darkness
This sermon ended with a call to repent and replace darkness with God’s presence.
What would it look like for you to take that seriously this week? Where do you sense
the Holy Spirit inviting you to step out of darkness and into freedom?
This week, ask the Holy Spirit to show you one hidden area of darkness — a thought
pattern, habit, influence, or relationship — that’s been quietly draining your spiritual
strength. When He reveals it, don’t just feel convicted… take action.
1: Replace it with truth from God’s Word.
2: Pray out loud against the enemy’s influence.
3: Tell your prayer partner (or the group) for accountability.
Don’t just study the war against evil — fight back