XP3: HIGH SCHOOL SMALL GROUP DIALOG

XP3
THE BATTLE WITHIN: High School Small Group Dialog
[FOR STUDENT PASTORS]

THE BATTLE WITHIN

Each one of us faces a battle within, a battle that may go unseen by those around, but inside there is major brawl. It’s a
battle with temptation. And depending on the temptation and its hold on your life, it may be a battle that seems impossible
to win. In this series, Andy Stanley takes a look at the temptations Jesus faced in the desert, and identifies the driving
forces behind the temptations we all face every day. Because once you realize what the pull is behind the temptation, you
can find the confidence to follow Jesus’ example and respond as He did.

Week One: The Main Event (include date)

Bottom Line: In every single temptation you face, there is always more at risk than you think.
In the sport of boxing, the main event is the big fight, the moment where everything is on the line. But for most of us, we
are oblivious to the truth that in every temptation we face, there’s a lot at stake as well. When face to face with temptation,
the choice feels insignificant sometimes. There are times when it feels like no one will notice, or it’s not really a big deal.
But in looking at the temptations Jesus faced, we realize just how much is at stake—not only in His life, with the
temptations that were before Him—but in our lives as well, with the ones we face every day.

Week Two: In This Corner (include date)

Bottom Line: Every time you’re tempted, your confidence in God is at stake, not just your self-control.
When facing temptation, it seems like it’s always about the choice, the decision, the temptation. But it’s always about
more than that. It’s not just your reputation or your innocence that’s at stake—it’s your confidence in God. The lure of
temptation makes us question whether we can really trust God to come through for us, to be there for us, to provide for
us. We begin to think He’s not in our corner, that He’s not looking out for us. But what if we began to see Him there? What
if we realized that whatever is luring us away really has nothing to do with what we think it’s about, and there’s a deeper
issue, a trust issue, at work? It might completely weaken the pull of that temptation, and it might help us get to the heart of
what is really going on.

Week Three: Fixing the Fight (include date)

Bottom Line: We are tempted to believe we know how God works and how we think we can work Him.
In the boxing world, sometimes things aren’t always what they seem. Sometimes the winner is known before anyone
walks into the ring. Sometimes the outcome is pre-determined by a person who has manipulated things behind the scene.
Sometimes a fighter takes a dive. Sometimes a boxer throws the fight. And if each one of us were completely honest,
sometimes we try to work things as well in our fight with temptation. And who or what we are manipulating isn’t the
temptation, it’s God.

Week Four: Hook and Jab (include date)

Bottom Line: We are tempted to pursue the right thing the wrong way.
Temptation doesn’t always have to be about doing something bad. In fact, sometimes it’s not the end result that’s not
necessarily a bad thing, but how we plan to get there. It’s the shortcut, the path, the compromise. And in this fight, this
struggle with temptation, sometimes the punches we throw and the ones thrown at us are simply about pursuing the right
things but in the wrong way.

www.xp3students.org A product of The reThink Group, Inc. © 2009 Andy Stanley

XP3: HIGH SCHOOL SMALL GROUP DIALOG

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THE BATTLE WITHIN (1): THE MAIN EVENT
Bottom Line: In every single temptation you face, there is always more at risk than you think.
Scripture References: Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 4:1-3

Temptation—everyone’s favorite topic. But don’t panic yet! You’re goal this week is just to introduce the topic in such a
way that students can feel comfortable acknowledging the reality of temptation in their own lives. WARNINGS: Temptation
is a tricky small group topic. The purpose of this series is not to get your students to confess personal struggles to the
group, but to help students begin to think openly about the dynamic of temptation and the significance that it has on their
faith. Most of the “specifics” in this series are deliberately handled in a self-reflective manner rather than asking students
to share out loud because we believe that conversations about specific struggles are best when student initiated or when
done in one-on-one settings. As your students work through this topic, it may be a perfect time for you to schedule some
of those one-on-one conversations you’ve been meaning to have.

Create meaningful conversation. Adjust questions as needed, and don’t feel like you need to answer all of them.

1. What did you think of the talk this week? What did you hear the speaker say?
2. What is your absolute favorite food? Pretend someone put that food in front of you and told you not to eat it for thirty
minutes. How would you rationalize not waiting to eat it?

3. What are other ways that people tend to rationalize doing things they know they shouldn’t do?

4. When you are rationalizing, do you stop to think about everything that is at stake or do you tend to focus on the most
immediate consequences?

5. Have you ever seen someone give into temptation, and it affected not only his or her life, but the lives of those around
him or her? (Without giving names, what are some examples of how this can happen?)

6. Who might be affected if you give in to temptation?

7. How does thinking about the effects on these people change the way you think about some of the temptations in your
life?

8. If I said that temptation and trust are linked, would you agree? How are they related?
9. If trust and temptation are linked, how is your faith in God connected to your ability to resist temptation?

10. How would knowing all that is at risk when it comes to our response to temptation change the way you deal with it?

CLOSING CHALLENGE:
Remind your students that temptation is really all about our trust or lack of trust in God. Using index cards, have your
students write out the phrase: “Temptation, you will not steal my future, you will not steal my faith.” Ask them to put their
card in the place where their temptation is strongest, and where they are sure to see the card regularly.

www.xp3students.org A product of The reThink Group, Inc. © 2009 Andy Stanley

XP3: HIGH SCHOOL SMALL GROUP DIALOG

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THE BATTLE WITHIN (2): IN THIS CORNER
Bottom Line: Every time you’re tempted, your confidence in God is at stake, not just your self-control.
Scripture References: Matthew 4:1-4; Deuteronomy 8:3, 11-14, 17

Most of us evaluate the temptations in our lives based on the immediate consequences and the probability of getting
caught. After all, it usually comes down to what makes the most sense for me. But what if we really believed that there
was a God who was bigger, and smarter and more capable than ourselves? How would it change the way we view
temptation if we acted like the most rational and logical thing was to submit to God rather than leaning on our own
understanding? Your goal this week is to help students see how every temptation is an opportunity to trust God or trust
only in themselves.

Create meaningful conversation. Adjust questions as needed, and don’t feel like you need to answer all of them.

1. What do you remember about our talk last week? Did anyone recognize a temptation they might not have
recognized, or respond to a temptation in a different way because of what we talked about last week?

2. What did you think of the talk this week? What did you hear the speaker say?

3. What are some areas of life where a high school student might be tempted to think, “if I don’t take this into my
own hands and do it myself, what I want won’t happen”? (Maybe a relationship, acceptance with a group of
friends, academic achievement, future plans)

4. What makes people think it’s up to them to make things happen? Why is it difficult to trust God?

5. Think of one area of your life (either an immediate thing or something more long term) where it is difficult for you
to really trust God. In your mind answer the following questions:
a. Does God care about this particular thing in my life?
b. Do I think God is big enough to take care of this area of my life?
c. Can God be trusted to take care of this area of my life?

6. Which question(s) did you feel most uncomfortable answering “yes” to? (Leader: see the closing challenge)
7. How does your view of temptation change when you view it as a question of whether God can be trusted to
handle it and not a question of whether or not you get caught?

8. How is your faith at risk when you give into temptation—even just one time?
9. What can you do this week to help you begin to trust God more?

CLOSING CHALLENGE:
Listen closely to your student’s answers to question #6. You may want to write them down. This week spend some time
praying specifically for each student in the area they identify as most challenging for them (trusting that God is big
enough, that God is trustworthy, or that God really cares). You may want to send your students a note with specific Bible
verses to help them in this area, or just let them know that you are praying specifically for them.

www.xp3students.org A product of The reThink Group, Inc. © 2009 Andy Stanley

XP3: HIGH SCHOOL SMALL GROUP DIALOG

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THE BATTLE WITHIN (3): FIXING THE FIGHT
Bottom Line: We are tempted to believe we know how God works and how we think we can work Him.
Scripture References: Matthew 4:5-7; Psalm 91:12; Exodus 17:2-3

As a continuation of last week’s theme, we are still talking about how temptation is related to our trust in God. But this
week, we are looking from a specific angle—our temptation to manipulate God. Your goal this week is to help students
explore the many ways that we are tempted to manipulate God, and make God much smaller than God actually is. This
week has the potential to help many students understand why they may have felt frustrated with God in the past—
because they were looking for God to be far less than who He actually is and fit in the box they have for Him. Don’t miss
the potential this week to help students examine the way they pray and communicate with God.

Create meaningful conversation. Adjust questions as needed, and don’t feel like you need to answer all of them.

1. What did you think of the talk this week? What did you hear the speaker say?
2. If you had to explain temptation to someone, how would you define it?

3. Why do you think we get tempted to do things that we know aren’t going to be best for us in the long run?

4. Have you ever chosen to make a bad choice because you were fairly confident that you could get out of the
consequences?

5. What are some ways that people might try to “manipulate” God? Can you think of some examples?

6. What are some potential consequences of trying to manipulate God? (It doesn’t work and we blame God, we don’t
ever really listen to God or get to know God, etc.)

7. Last week, what did we say was connected to our ability to resist temptation?
8. How does cooperating with God look different from manipulating God?

9. What might prevent you from really surrendering to God and deciding to cooperate rather than manipulate?

10. How does having a manipulative relationship with God affect your prayers and the way God can relate to you?

11. How would you describe yourself right now when it comes to relating to God—are you a cooperator, or a
manipulator?

CLOSING CHALLENGE:
This week’s talk is closely related to the way we talk and interact with God. It’s a great time to discuss the way that we
pray, and exactly what we are hoping for when we talk to God. You might challenge your students to write down their
prayers for an entire week and try to see whether they are listening to God, surrendering to God or trying to manipulate
God to get what they want.

www.xp3students.org A product of The reThink Group, Inc. © 2009 Andy Stanley

XP3: HIGH SCHOOL SMALL GROUP DIALOG

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THE BATTLE WITHIN (4): HOOK AND JAB
Bottom Line: We are tempted to pursue the right thing the wrong way.
Scripture References: Matthew 4:8-10; Matthew 28:18-20; Deuteronomy 6:10-12

When it comes to temptation, there are some things that are just obvious “wrongs.” There are some things that we know
not to do. But often, we face temptation in areas related to goals and ambitions that are normal and healthy—and we are
tempted to pursue the right thing in the wrong way. This week your goal is to help break the “rationalizing” process behind
these cycles of temptation. This is going to take a big picture perspective. Use some time before small group to think
about how you may have seen integrity rewarded and dishonesty lead to frustration. You may want to share a story from
your own observations.

Create meaningful conversation. Adjust questions as needed, and don’t feel like you need to answer all of them.

1. What did you think of the talk this week? What did you hear the speaker say?

2. Would you describe yourself as a goal-oriented or driven person? Why or why not?

3. What are some of the goals or ambitions that you have in your life? (have everyone share)

4. Thinking about the goals and ambitions of the person on your left, what are some “shortcuts” that might present
themselves? How might that person be tempted to accomplish his or her goals by abandoning God’s principles?

5. What makes it so easy to rationalize sacrificing some of God’s principles in order to reach a goal or ambition like
the ones you mentioned?

6. Have someone read Jeremiah 12:1: “You are always righteous, O LORD, when I bring a case before you. Yet I
would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at
ease?” Have you ever felt like the prophet Jeremiah? Why does it sometimes look like the “wicked prosper”?

7. “You’ll never accomplish the will of God by abandoning the principles of God. And you’ll never maintain the
blessing of God if you abandon the values of God.” Do you believe this? Have you ever had an experience where
you saw this was true? (As a leader, this might be a good time to share a story of how you have seen this work
out in someone’s life.)

8. What are some of the potential problems with taking shortcuts?

9. How will this series change the way you think about temptation?

10. Has going through this series made you feel more or less confident about your ability to resist temptation? Do you
think it is possible for you to keep resisting temptation? How?

CLOSING CHALLENGE:
The mantra for this week is simply this: “Don’t trade what’s important for what’s immediate.” What if every student just
committed this statement to memory? Can you imagine how it might effect their daily decisions? Try having your students
repeat this line several times. You might even make it a new “favorite quote” in Facebook, or part of your e-mail signature
for a while just as a way to remind them over the next few weeks.

Also, e-mail the XP document to your students this week and/or print it out and hand it to them. Later in the week, follow up
with each student to see if they have had a chance to get to the heart of their temptations, and see if they need help thinking
through anything.

www.xp3students.org A product of The reThink Group, Inc. © 2009 Andy Stanley