Trinity Church

What is the purpose of a shield?

HERE IS THE LINK to the video Pastor PJ referenced about protection in football.

Questions for Small Group or Reflection

Armor of God- Ephesians 6:16, Shield of Faith

It was said in the message that the fiery arrows of the devil (v.16) are his “strategies” (v.11). What are some examples of arrows that satan uses to attack us individually? What are some examples of arrows that satan uses to attack the Church? 


Arthur Patzia writes that to hold up the shield of faith is to have “...complete confidence in and reliance upon God to give the victory.” How, specifically, does this stop and extinguish the enemies attacks? (Bonus points for sharing a personal example.)  


Think through and share some examples of men and women in Scripture lowering their shields? What was the result? How did God respond?


In what ways have you been defended and supported by your brothers and sisters shields? In what ways could we do a better job standing together as a church? 


Read Proverbs 30:5. 
Close your time in prayer for God’s protection over one another, our families, church, and community.  

What are the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace?

Small Group Discussion Questions - 10/18/26The Armor of God: Shoes of Peace (Eph. 6:15)

Individual vs. Communal Armor When you think about the "Armor of God," do you usually picture an individual soldier or an entire army standing together? How does changing our perspective to see this as a communal practice change the way we approach spiritual battles?The Battle for Peace Ephesians 2 and 6 highlight that Christ brought us "the Gospel of peace." Why do you think the Enemy works so hard to disrupt peace and stir up internal conflict, anxiety, or division within a church community?Reflecting Good News Pastor Craig Groeschel wrote that "our lives are always moving in the direction of our strongest thoughts." If someone looked at your daily thoughts, attitude, or conversations, would they describe you as someone carrying Good News? What tends to pull your focus away from peace?Offense and Defense In battle, sandals with spikes (caligae) provided both stability to stand firm and mobility to advance. As a church, are we more comfortable playing "defense" (protecting ourselves) or "offense" (actively sharing and living out the Gospel of peace)? What does playing "offense" look like in your daily life?Practical Gratitude The sermon emphasized that gratitude grounds us in God’s peace. To practice this right now, what are 2 or 3 specific things you are thankful for today? How can we help each other refocus on gratitude when anxiety or negativity creeps in?Arming One Another Philip Nation noted that "the church as a whole is armed only to the level that the members have armed themselves." What is one practical way our group can support and "arm" one another this week so that no one is fighting or standing alone?

The breastplate has two pieces. Listen in to how they fit in our lives and help us in the spiritual battle.

Truth is the foundation of the entire armor. Listen as we discuss what it looks like and what it means for the Armor of God.

Our role in spiritual warfare is not apathetic, nor is it fully dependent on our ability...

So what is it?

As we begin our series, we have to admit that we are not fighting against flesh and blood in the physical realm. Listen in as we discuss what we’re up against.

Questions for SG or reflection:

Read: Ephesians 6:10-20

What is your immediate reaction/response to the phrase “Spiritual Warfare”?

In your experience, which mistake is more common in the Church: Avoidance or Overemphasis of the devil and supernatural evil?

- How have you experienced this?

- Why is avoidance dangerous? Why is overemphasis dangerous?

How would you describe an appropriate and faithful middle ground between overemphasis and avoidance?

It was said in the sermon that “The Battle is against The Devil’s Schemes”

- What are some examples of schemes of the devil found in Scripture?

- What does it mean that the devil attacks: Authority, Morality, and Reality?

What does it mean that “we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies” (Eph 6:12)?

Which section of the armor of God (Eph 6:14-17) are you most looking forward to learning about in this series?

After studying the book of Acts, which story/section/lesson was most impactful to you?

The sermon gave 5 criteria to consider when asking: “How do I know if I am living into God’s mission for me?” Discuss each one’s importance individually:

1. Is the mission Spirit-led or me-led

2. Is the mission building the Kingdom of God or another kingdom?

3. Is the mission supported by Scripture?

4. Is the mission addressing actual needs?

5. Is the mission affirmed by the community of faith?

- Which of these questions do you feel are the most important? Why?

- Why is it important to consider all of these questions, and not just one?

- Are there other questions, not in this list, that we should be considering?

Hypothetical Scenario:

Your friend Catherine feels that God may be calling her to begin a new ministry called “5 C Outreach”, the 5 C’s stand for: Cotton Candy for the stray Cats of Chautauqua County. The function of this outreach is self explanatory.

- How might you give Catherine guidance regarding her mission idea using the five questions from the sermon?

Read Acts 9:15-16What are some examples of suffering that Paul went through in Acts 21-28?How do hardships build our hope in God for the future?Read 2 Corinthians 12:9-10How is this an example of hardships building trust and reliance on God for today?What is an example of a hardship you have faced that has strengthened your own trust and reliance on God?The sermon mentioned three sources of mission hardship we may face: Response from the Enemy, Result of Sin: Ours, Others, Original, Redirection.- Discuss which each of these mean- What might be some examples of these in Acts 21-28?If Redirection is God setting us on the right path, in line with His will, why can it feel like a hardship?

This week we reviewed the main points of this important series, then we took a 30,000 ft. view of Acts chapters 15-20 and what they mean for us as we try to live ON MISSION.

Below of the questions for reflection or Small Group:
1. What is one of the most memorable teachings you remember? (verse, phrase, illustration, etc)

2. Why do you think repetition - be it in study or practice or work/home environment - is so important?

3. What are a few truths and accounts that have stood out to you during this ON MISSION series? (pull out your notes!)

4. We looked through the subheadings in ch. 15-21 - have you studied any of those accounts in the past? Did you learn any helpful specifics? If not, what section would you most have liked to be present?

5. Of the three things needed to live ON MISSION, which do you struggle with most and why?
Flexibility / InterruptibilityContextualization without compromiseEndurance in ministry
What’s ONE thing you can/will do this week to improve in that area?

This week we talked about Paul & Barnabas and their ability to encourage one another in ministry.