ICEBREAKERS
Make sure to start off with prayer. Then choose one or more questions to open up with.
- What is your favorite movie of all time?
- What is the greatest adventure you have ever been on?
- What is the first memory you have of feeling God's presence?
Message Review
Main points and scriptures from this week's message.
We’ve all seen what happens when the dominos are set up. One is tipped, and it sets off a chain reaction that affects all the other dominos. But there is a domino effect as it relates to your life. In much the same way that pushing one domino effects the other domino’s, one behavior triggers other related behaviors causing a cumulative effect on your life.
We’re going to continue today to talk about the domino effect as it relates to your life in part two of The Domino Effect.
2 Peter 1:5–8 (NIV)
"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love."
But then the verse goes on to say: ". . . if you possess these qualities with increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive."
Notice that this scripture is really saying when it comes to good habits in your life: keep adding, keep improving, and keep developing.
POINT 1: WE ARE CREATURES OF HABIT.
There’s no doubt about this. We are designed by God as creatures of habit. We make habits and then habits make us.
POINT 2: WHEN YOU START A NEW HABIT, IT DISRUPTS OTHER BEHAVIOR PATTERNS IN YOUR LIFE AND CREATES A DOMINO EFFECT.
Something small is often the key to big change in a person’s life.
For example, your daily perspective on life can be that small thing that makes a big impact. Jesus said “The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light.” (Luke 11:34, NKJV)
POINT 3: YOUR HABITS HAVE A HARVEST.
You may have to labor to get a habit going, but your labor doesn’t go unrewarded. The new habit is like a seed going into the soil that has an inevitable harvest attached to it.
1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV)
. . . your labor is not in vain.
2 Chronicles 15:7 (NIV)
. . . your work will be rewarded.
POINT 4: WHEN IT COMES TO GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE, YOUR HABITS WILL HOLD YOU BACK OR MOVE YOU FORWARD.
God will give you new land, but you still have to occupy it. Your habits will help you occupy the land. Your habits will hold you back or move you forward!
4 KEYS TO ACTIVATING A DOMINO EFFECT IN YOUR LIFE
1) A COMMITTMENT TO PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT
2) A PLAN IN PLACE
3) A PURPOSE THAT’S CLEAR
4) A TOLERANCE FOR PAIN
TALK-IT-OUT
The following questions will help guide your discussions and give your group some opportunities to open up and share.
- In what ways are you a creature of habit? (Do you always sit in the same seat, eat the same things, etc.?)
- What basic knowledge do you have that you want to continue to add to?
- What is the best habit that you have ever started? What was the domino effect it had in your life?
- Who do you know that is best at maintaining good habits? What are some of their good habits you want to emulate?
- Share a time recently where you were able to see the good in the middle of a "bad" situation.
- Out of the 4 keys to activating a domino effect in your life (listed above), which key do you most need to work on?
WRITE-It-Out
Encourage your group to start writing things down. In a journal or on paper, do the following exercises.
- List out the top 3 habits you want to start this year.
- Write down the 1 habit you are going to start today.
- Write down a prayer asking God to help you start and maintain the 1 habit you are starting today.
Live-It-Out
Encourage your group to start doing. Commit to a step and live it out this week.
- Stay with the habit you listed in the Write-it-Out section.
- Complete Growth Track. Starting again on January 8, we will have Growth Track every Sunday at 11:30 at all of our campuses.
- Serve together as a group. To view serving opportunities with Champions Foundation, click HERE.
Closing Thoughts
- Finish group with prayer requests and praise reports.
- More resources always available here: Group Resources