Created in humility and love by:
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Small Group Curriculum Team
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August 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction!!
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Goal of Course & Small Group Values!
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Page 1!
Session One!
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Angels!
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Session Two!
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Fallen Angels!
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Page 15!
Session Three !
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Karma!
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Page 25!
Session Four!
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Paranormal or Paranoid?!
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Page 35!
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Introduction
Welcome to the first four weeks of an exciting journey as our church family discusses the supernatural
and how it relates to us as Followers of Christ. In this series, we’ll be taking a closer look at the
supernatural world - a world beyond our own - and some of the major players in that world, such as
angels and demons. We’ll also be taking a look at whether karma is real and the existence of other
paranormal beings.!
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Although popular culture has provided its interpretation of the supernatural world through movies,
television shows, books, and art, this series looks into what the Bible says about the supernatural world.
Some even say that this world doesn’t exist; that a world with angels and other supernatural forces is
impossible. However, we know that it’s there and this series, Supernatural, will explore that and much
more.!
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Please select a few people to read out loud our small group goals & values below:!
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1. THE GOAL OF THIS COURSE:!
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To learn what the Bible says about Angels, Demons, Karma, and the Paranormal.!
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“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor
the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able
to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”!
Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)!
2. THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THIS COURSE:!
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That you will become more like JESUS!!
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3. SMALL GROUP VALUES:!
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Attendance.!
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Give priority to the group meeting. Call or email if you will be late or absent.!
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Environment.!
Help create a welcoming, safe place where people can be heard and feel loved. (No quick !
answers, judgments, simple fixes - arrive teachable.)!
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Respect.!
Be gentle and gracious - people have different spiritual maturity, personal opinions, and ! !
temperaments. Remember, we are all works in progress.!
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Welcome Newcomers.!
Keep an open chair and share Jesus’ dream of wanting all to know Him.!
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Group Ownership.!
Remember that every member is a minister. Each group member should take on a small !role or !
responsibility in the group over time.
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Session One
SE SSION 1: A NG ELS
What To Expect (2 mins.)
Have someone in your group READ this section:!
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It’s quite amazing how culture has embraced the image of the angel. Back
when angels were the subject of religious art and sculpture in Europe, they
appeared pure and beautiful. Their skin was soft and they often had wings
and halos. Nowadays, through our movies and television shows, angels
commonly appear as humans walking among us. Movies like City of Angels
and shows like Touched By An Angel portray angels as guides who are sent
here to Earth to interact with humans and fix their problems. But what does
the Bible say about angels?!
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Session One of the series explains what angels are and what their purpose
is in our lives. The Bible shows that angels are spirit beings who work for
God and they can appear to us in many ways, such as in dreams or in real
life. More importantly, as we begin to understand angels, we’ll see more of
God’s grace and abounding love.!
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Icebreaker (5 mins.)
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As your group prepares to view this session’s video content, briefly share
your response to the following question:!
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Share with the group what you think angels look like.!
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Video Notes (15 mins.)
Two mistakes we make about the supernatural:!
1. We overemphasize the supernatural when we think everything in our life is
caused by supernatural beings.!
2. We underemphasize the supernatural when we question the !
existence of a spiritual world.!
“One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The
Lord said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the Lord, ‘From roaming through the
earth and going back and forth in it.’ ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth
like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” !
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Job 1:6-8!
“‘Does Job fear God for nothing?’ Satan replied. ‘Have you not put a hedge around him and his
household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and
herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and
he will surely curse you to your face.’” ! !
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Job 1:9-11!
“The Lord said to Satan, ‘Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do
not lay a finger.’ Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.” !
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Job 1:12!
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against
the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” ! !
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Ephesians 6:12!
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“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” !
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Hebrews 1:14 (NIV)!
Angels Serve Four Purposes:!
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1. Angels __________ God!
2. Angels bring _________________ from God!
3. Angels _________________ and _____________ God’s people!
4. Angels will be there at our ______________
Answers: 1 Worship, 2 Messages, 3 Provide For, Protect, 4 Death
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Discussion Questions (20 mins.)
At this time, if your group desires, please break into smaller groups of 2 - 4 for the discussion question
section. Have a great discussion!!
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• When it comes to the supernatural world, our views can sometimes gravitate toward either of the
two extremes: that every little bad thing is caused by supernatural beings or that supernatural
beings do not exist. The truth is that not all of the bad things that happened to us are caused by
demons. Sometimes we do it to ourselves; sometimes others do it to us. More importantly,
supernatural beings do exist and influence our lives as Christians.!
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What is the danger in believing that angels, demons, and Satan don’t exist?!!
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• In his letter to a church in Ephesus, Paul explains that our fight, as Christians, is against the
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things beyond this world. We face a powerful spiritual army of rulers and authorities whose goal
is to turn us away from God. They’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done. Read the scripture
below:!
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“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the !
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authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in
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the heavenly realms.”!
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Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)!
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Knowing that our enemies are spiritual beings, we, as Christians, must think about what !
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we can do to fight them (through prayer, studying God’s word, etc). Share something !
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that you do in your walk with Christ that is preparing you for spiritual battle. !
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• According to Pastor Gene Appel, angels serve four purposes:!
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1. Angels worship God.!
2. Angels bring messages from God.!
3. Angels provide for and protect God’s people.!
4. Angels will be there at our death.!
Of these four purposes, which one encourages you the most and why? !
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What Will You Do? (5 mins.)
As Christians, we face a supernatural enemy that is willing to do whatever it takes to
turn us away from God through lies and deceit. In order to defeat this enemy, we
must fight with the spiritual weapons that God has provided us - that is, the armor of
God. Read the scripture below:!
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“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes,
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you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to
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stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with
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the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the !
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readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up
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the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the
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evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
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word of God.” !
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Ephesians 6:13-17 (NIV)!
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Circle one piece of spiritual armor (below) that you think you need in your life to fight
YOUR spiritual battles. Share with the group why you need that piece of armor in
your life. During the week, find ways to equip and use that piece of armor. Be
prepared to share with your group next week on how using that piece of armor
affected your week.!
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Belt of Truth - Satan uses lies, even lies that sound like truth. Know that God’s truth
defeats Satan’s lies.!
Breastplate of Righteousness - Satan likes to attack our hearts and emotions. God’s
righteousness reminds us that Jesus paid for all of our sins - past, present, and future.!
Footgear of Readiness - We may be scared to tell others about God, but with the Holy
Spirit motivating and guiding us, we can share our testimony to those who need to hear it.!
Shield of Faith - Satan likes to whisper doubt into our minds about God’s promises. We
can use faith to see beyond our circumstances.!
Helmet of Salvation - Our minds are a frequent target of Satan. If he can get us to doubt
our salvation, we may begin to question our relationship with God.!
Sword of the Spirit - God’s Word is the only offensive weapon we have against Satan.
We need to know God’s truth through the Bible and hack away at the lies that may be
thrown against us.
Pray (2 mins.)
Take a few minutes to close your time together with prayer and to pray for each
other’s prayer requests.!
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Sample Prayer:!
“Heavenly Father, thank you for this time that we’ve spent together learning about the
supernatural. In the spiritual sense, the supernatural is very real. Help us in our daily
spiritual battles as the Enemy tries to turn us away from You. Remind us that we’re so
blessed and loved to have angels that protect us. Encourage us to equip ourselves
with the weapons you’ve given us to defeat the Enemy and his lies. We thank you
and love you for all you do. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
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Self-Feeding: Daily Devotions
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The Power of Feeding on God’s Word Daily
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“Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word
that comes from the mouth of God.”’” Matthew 4:4 (NIV)
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As we read God’s word, we begin to see how God responds to things. Doing
daily devotions re-patterns the way we think and transforms the spirit of the
mind. Then, when we face similar situations as Jesus did, we begin to respond
in the same way.
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Doing devotions is an excellent way to both record, process, and share what
God is speaking to you.
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It’s also a useful tool to use at a later time to reflect on and review some of the
“gems” that you have received. Without writing these down, you may forget
God’s promises and some very important life lessons!
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While doing devotions is a very personal time with the Lord, you may want to
share some of your daily devotions with your family, friends, co-workers, or with
your small group. Through discussion, you may be able to look deeper into what
God is speaking to you, gain new insights, and even encourage others.
Sample Devotion
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SCRIPTURE
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“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against
the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”! !
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Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
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This scripture teaches me that when I am struggling with anything in life, I need
to think of the spiritual battles that I am facing. It’s easy for me to get mad at
people or situations and totally forget about the spiritual forces that are at war
with me. I cannot be ignorant to this truth.!
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OBSERVATION
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APPLICATION
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I can apply this scripture to my life by mentally changing how I see struggles in
my life. Satan wants to take me far away from the presence of God and he uses
people or situations in my life to do just that. I am going to remember that my
battle is not with people, but with the Enemy who is evil.
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God, thank you for your word. Thank you for the love You have for me that You
would guide me in this life through Your written word. I pray that You give me
the eyes to see who is really at war with me, Satan. Help me to have a forgiving
heart towards people so that I don’t let the Enemy win in his evil schemes. I love
You so much and praise You today! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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PRAYER
WEEK #1 - DAILY DEVOTIONS: DAY 1
S (Scripture)!
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against the cosmic
powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”!
Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)!
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O (Observation)!
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A (Application)!
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WEEK #1 - DAILY DEVOTIONS: DAY 2
S (Scripture)!
“If you say, ‘The LORD is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will
overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning
you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike
your foot against a stone.”!
Psalm 91:9-12 (NIV)!
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WEEK #1 - DAILY DEVOTIONS: DAY 3
S (Scripture)!
“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth
more than your soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and
sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his
Father with the holy angels.”!
Mark 8:36-38 (NLT)!
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WEEK #1 - DAILY DEVOTIONS: DAY 4
S (Scripture)!
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things
present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be
able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”!
Romans 8:38 (ASV)!
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O (Observation)!
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