“The Power of Persuasion by Reputation” by Pastor Tony
Group Discussion Guide
Thriving in Babylon Sermon Series
“The Power of Persuasion by Reputation” by Pastor Tony
Leaders, please choose the best question(s) for your group
November 3, 2019
If you have questions, contact Pastor Ric,
Below are some discussion questions relating to a recent sermon. These are provided so that your Life Group can discuss what was shared. Previous Weeks’ Discussion Guides and Sermon Notes are available through the Sermons under the Resources menu. Click on the sermon series and then the sermon you are interested in. You will see a paper icon under the sermon title. Click the icon to open the sermon notes. To listen to the sermon, click on the speaker icon.
Summary and Context: Our series, Thriving in Babylon, is focused on how we can live for God, even when the culture around us denies him and belittles/persecutes those who follow him. Daniel, because of his service and confidence in a faithful God, had the privilege of impacting the lives of four different kings and their kingdoms! He thrived in his faith even in the midst of extreme cultural pressures because of his commitment to and relationship with the living God. Last week, Pastor Randy spoke of building credibility through mutual respect; and how, just like Daniel, we can be people of influence in a corrupt culture. Pastor Tony exhorts us this week to resolve to be individuals who master the art of understanding those around us, specifically developing credibility through the power of persuasion through our reputation.
Sermon Texts: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23; Jeremiah 29:4-7; Daniel 1:17-20; 2:45-48; 3:30; 4:37; 5:29, 30; 6:1-3
Discussion Questions:
Sunday morning, Pastor Tony taught us the importance of developing credibility through the power of persuasion by reputation.
Have a conversation about which of Pastor Tony’s Keys to Persuasive Influence are most challenging for you:
- A deep love and worship of God
- Align your life to God’s principles not culture’s. Have resolve.
- Trust God for the outcomes.
- Surround yourself with those of the same heart and passion. Don’t go it alone.
- Speak truth with gentleness and respect.
- Become a master of cultural awareness to serve them. (I Corinthians 9:19-23)
- Pursue excellence in your role.
Spend a few moments processing this teaching with your group. What things impressed you? How will this make a difference in your life?
- It takes time to do the research, read, interact with, and intelligently understand or “master” our culture. How do busy people make time for this? Do we really consider ourselves as “…a slave to everyone…” as we heed Paul’s advice in 1 Corinthians 9?
- James 1:19 give helpful advice as we encounter corrupt culture. It reminds us of key attributes of someone who wants to understand and serve. What are they and how do we implement them?
- Our culture places high value on young people. Daniel maintained influence and persuasion even in his older years. How did he do this? How can those of us who are 60+ do this?
Each one of us are surrounded by people in our relational world, our Oikos, who are watching our responses to situations every day.
- Who are the people in your oikos that the Spirit of God is nudging you to better understand? What steps will you take to accomplish it?
- Is your Life Group open to welcoming folks from your oikos?
Digging Deeper:
- In Acts 17:22-33, Paul demonstrated an understanding of stoic and epicurean philosophy. We get our theological term, “apologetics” from this passage. What does that mean to you?
- As Christians living in modern day Babylon, how can we identify the false prophets in our day? What are some examples of modern-day false prophets/teachers? Where in the Bible do we find God’s standards for such an evaluation?