“But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.” –  Genesis 15:2-3.

Over the last few weeks on Friday, we have been looking at little-known characters in the Bible that we might, wrongly perhaps, skip over as not being particularly important. But some of these often-overlooked characters can be significant in other ways, showing us and teaching us something important through their lives, what happened to them, and how other people engaged with them. They were ordinary people who had cast long shadows of godly influence. One was Eliezer of Damascus.

Eliezer of Damascus is a Bible figure known for his unwavering fidelity and service to Abraham. As Abraham’s chief steward, Eliezer’s primary responsibility was to oversee Abraham’s household and affairs. Despite Eliezer’s minor role and his appearances in scripture being few, his faithfulness and duty offer a valuable and powerful example for each of us. Abraham, the man of faith we read about in Genesis, is nearing death. Before he passes, he wants to see his son Isaac marry a woman from his own country. He appoints his most trusted servant to embark on a journey to bring back a wife for Isaac. Eliezer’s faithfulness and resourcefulness were tested.

Eliezer sets out to fulfill the task being asked of him.  This is not to be a short trip.  Once he arrives, what’s the first thing Eliezer does?  He prays. “O Lord, God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham. 13 See, I am standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water” ( Genesis 24: 12-13).  Before he even finishes praying, God answers. Rebekah is an answer to prayer.  Exactly what Abraham had asked for. Once he finds Rebekah, he praises the Lord.  When Laban and Bethuel say she can go, Eliezer praises the Lord.

What does this mean for us, then? The servant’s obedience and faith are lessons in discerning God’s will. He did not wait passively but committed all things to God in prayer before taking action in faith. For us today, doing our part faithfully and being faithful in the small things is part of God’s will for our lives. God can and will use these things for His purposes and glory.

This story points us to Jesus Christ. The servant’s love for his master was evident, reminding us of the greater servant in Jesus. The servant took a long journey of several weeks, but Jesus came down from heaven to earth to die for our sins. He came as a servant to redeem a people and was completely faithful to his task, even to death on the cross. He did all these because He loved the Father and the people that He came to save.

Discussion Questions:

1. What can we do this week to become a more faithful servant of Jesus Christ?

“One does not surrender a life in an instant. That which is life-long can only be surrendered in a lifetime.”  – Jim Elliot.

In American culture, surrender is rarely seen as a positive idea. It is commonly seen as giving up or losing. But to a Christian, surrender is an act of faith: it is the first act for those coming to salvation and a continual habit of those walking with Christ. Spiritually surrendering means letting go of control and trusting God with our present and future. Galatians 2:20 says, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

The returning prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32 is a picture of what it means to surrender to God. The son gives up on his way of life and returns to the father, hoping to be a servant. His surrender is met with rewards beyond his expectations. He receives open arms, lavish love, and a new life as a restored son.

Jesus lived a life of continual surrender to the Father. ”So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” (John 5:19). As He said to the Father when the time came to surrender His life, “I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Luke 22:42).

Walking with Jesus means continual surrender, trusting that the God who made you has a plan for you and loves you. You aren’t surrendering your God-given identity and uniqueness when you surrender to Christ. We surrender not for fear or threat but in the hope that the One to whom we surrender has a better life for us.

In surrender, God may—or may not—give us what we want. But when we surrender, He always wants to provide us with Himself. When we surrender, we always receive what is best: the Lord Jesus.When we surrender our lives, we give up ourselves minute-by-minute, day after day. We give up our will, fears, comfort, and control.

Surrender isn’t about giving up; it’s about giving in to the One who knows what is best for us, to the One who knows us most and has a perfect plan.  Surrender is the only real way to experience His peace.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is an area of your life that you know you need to surrender to God? 
2. What might you be giving up if you do surrender that area to God? 
3. Do you believe that surrendering to God could actually benefit you? How?

“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.” – 2 Corinthians 4:8-10.

It seems that discouragement has a way of finding us. Discouragement may begin as a small, unwitting annoyance or a minor frustration you can’t shake. Maybe a job interview didn’t go the way you’d hoped. Maybe God closed the door on a relationship, or you desired a different outcome on something. Maybe some more significant things aren’t going as you hoped, and discouragement is morphing into defeat.

For the Christian, feeling defeated is no more than a feeling. You are not defeated if you have God in your life. You don’t need to be defeated by anything. Why? Because of the enormous power of God. This isn’t to minimize circumstances. Life can be overwhelming. And if you are in the midst of troubles and woes just now, it may seem like winning is impossible.

Remember the story of the three Hebrew young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendego faced a literal fire when they refused to worship a manmade image. How could they survive? Defeat looked probable. But look at their faith: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up” (Daniel 3:16-18).

They remind us that God is able. He can change our circumstances or provide us with a way through. He can protect us from the flames or carry us through the pain of the flames. The three Hebrew boys had no idea what the outcome of their stance would be. They only knew they could not bow down to that image of gold. We can see how the story ends, but they did not. They could easily have viewed defeat as the probable outcome.

We’ve been in situations like that before. We’ve wished we knew the end of the story and could see the victory. But that is not how it works. We need to live through our joys and sorrows, our knowns and unknowns, with a faith that reminds us that God is able. Even when we feel defeated, we can still choose to worship and serve Him.

We are not defeated because of who Christ is and the gift He has given us.   

Discussion Questions:

1.  It is impossible to be defeated when you are a child of God! Agree or disagree and why?

“Nothing paralyzes our lives like the attitude that things can never change. We need to remind ourselves that God can change things. Outlook determines outcome. If we see only the problems, we will be defeated; but if we see the possibilities in the problems, we can have victory.” – Warren Wierbse.

Is there something in your life that needs to change? You may be saying, “I can change.” The world offers us many ways to change and things we can do to change, but they are all based on our ability to enact change through logic, reason, etc. It usually doesn’t work all that well. You need God’s power to affect lasting change because only God can make the changes you can’t make yourself.

The apostle Paul felt that way nearly 2,000 years ago. He says this in the Bible: “I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does” (Romans 7:24-25 MSG).

Lasting change requires intentionality, focus, and effort. You have to change what you think, and then you’ll change what you speak. When you change how you think and how you speak, it will change how you behave. And then the change in behavior will change the direction and course of your life. Our thoughts, words, and actions create who we are.

If you want your reality to be different from what it currently is, you need to start with what is happening in your thought life. Renewing your mind doesn’t happen just by casually reading the Bible or certain scriptures, but consuming them to the point that they become a part of you. Hebrews 4:12 says: “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”

We are responsible for doing these things. You will need to take stock of your life—your thoughts, words, and actions. What are you thinking? What are you doing? Because thoughts lead to actions, what are you speaking?

Change is inevitable. It’s unavoidable. It brings about the unexpected things we didn’t plan for. It pushes us out of our comfort zone. It forces us to adjust to circumstances we may or may not have been ready for. However, no matter how ready or reluctant we are to make or embrace change, one thing is for certain God is with you every step of the way.

The closer you get to God, the more your faith in Him increases. The more your faith in Him increases, the more your trust in all He has mapped out for you should increase. The more you trust God, the easier it will be to embrace the changes He orchestrates for your life.

Discussion Questions:

1. How do you typically respond to change? Does it excite you? Does it stress you out? Do you experience a combination of both excitement and stress?
2. Read James 1:22–25. Has Scripture ever revealed something about you that you needed to change? If so, what did you do? 

“I am the LORD, and I do not change…” – Malachi 3:6

Change is hard because you often exchange the known for the unknown. Sometimes, the unknown is exciting, like a promotion, an anticipated birth, or the realization that you seem to fit in well in your small group. But sometimes, change is anything but exciting. Whether we like it or not, living this life involves change. Relationships, jobs, and circumstances change, and we change along with them.

The bottom line is life is change. The longer you live, the more you know that the only thing constant in this life is change. Whether our changes seem hard or make us happy, change teaches us that life is fragile, uncertain and temporary. Nothing is unchangeable.  Or is it. Malachi 3:6 tells us that God does not change. In Psalm 102:27, the psalmist declares, “But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end” (NASB).

This means that God’s power, wisdom, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth are unchangeable, and He cannot learn, forget, or be anything other than perfectly holy. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God is a constant and dependable anchor whether we move homes, change jobs, or experience relational, physical, or emotional changes.

Because God never changes, His word never changes. All that He has said about himself remains true forever. Everything He has told us about why and how the world came to be, what’s wrong with the world, and about what He has done to save the world will never change. No matter what changes or how hard we face, God’s word remains firmly fixed. “Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89 ESV). “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.” (Matthew 24:35).

And because His word never changes, His promises for us remain true: “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6). “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

If we accept that change is a natural part of life, we can more easily learn what we need to do to cope with it. But God reminds us that He has our steps prepared. He promises never to fail or forsake us, and I think He helps us see change in its proper perspective. Solomon, in the Old Testament, said there was a time for everything under the sun. Change is less unsettling when we can see the big picture and not just the small universe of our lives. God has promised to lead us in the right way so we can learn to trust Him. We can entrust Him with even the most difficult changes.

Ultimately, while change can be challenging, we can grow in our faith when we learn to embrace it. When we trust God’s plan, He transforms us daily as His followers. So, as you experience change in the upcoming year, remember this truth.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are some of the hardest changes you have to make? What did you learn from it? How did you change?
2. Habits don’t happen overnight; they come about slowly, layer upon layer. At the start we consciously do a task, but as we do it over and over it becomes automatic, without thinking about it. Agree or disagree and why? 

“Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right. During the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David. Then in the twelfth year he began to purify Judah and Jerusalem, destroying all the pagan shrines, the Asherah poles, and the carved idols and cast images. He ordered that the altars of Baal be demolished and that the incense altars which stood above them be broken down. He also made sure that the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images were smashed and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.” –  2 Chronicles 34:1-4.

There are many characters in the Bible that we might, wrongly perhaps, skip over as not being particularly important. But some of these often-overlooked characters can be significant in other ways, showing us and teaching us something important through their lives, what happened to them, and how other people engaged with them. They were ordinary people who had cast long shadows of godly influence because they chose the road less traveled and trusted in the Lord their God. One of them was a young man named Josiah. The story of Josiah is remarkable on a number of levels, one of which is highlighted in 2 Chronicles 34:1-4.

Imagine what it would be like if, instead of going into the third grade, you became the President of the United States. That’s what happened to Josiah.  When Josiah came as a child to the throne of Judah, he faced an unpredictable and volatile moral-political climate. The nation was spinning out of control, headed for the judgment of God. How could a child right a sinking ship?  But this young man would be used by God to lead his nation in one of the greatest revivals of its history by guiding his people back to God. How? What was Josiah’s secret?

2 Kings 23:25 gives us the answer: “Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since.” Josiah focused on a simple goal—to live so God is pleased with all his ways.

Josiah lived the great commandment to love God with all his heart, mind, and soul. He gave all of himself to God, every day, all through the day. Josiah chose wholehearted devotion to God. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him….”

What motivates this unceasing search by God?  He wants to show Himself strong on behalf of anyone whose heart is fixed on Him.  His eyes rested on a young boy named Josiah, who had everything against him, and found a heart that was completely devoted to Him. Josiah’s story is one example of the power of God at work in an ordinary man and how the ripple effects were felt throughout his nation.

Discussion Questions:

1. How do we fix our eyes on Jesus so that we, like Josiah, are called people who do everything like their Father in heaven?

“When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.”You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.” – 2 Kings 2:9-10.

The relationship between Elisha and Elijah in the Bible is one that is common in Scripture. It follows a pattern that demonstrates God always has a succession plan. A few examples are Moses had Joshua, David had Solomon, Jesus had the twelve disciples, and Elijah had Elisha.

From the lives of Elijah, Elisha, and others, we see that the work of the Lord is never supposed to stop. It is not supposed to die if the leader dies. It is the leader’s responsibility to instill the right principles in those who come after them. God had a plan for continued ministry.

God directed Elijah to appoint one to serve in his place and to carry on the work. “Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet” (1 Kings 19:16). Elijah found the younger man while he was plowing his fields. “threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away.” (1 Kings 19:19–21).

So what does Elisha do? He is faced with an unknown future. Should he stay, or should he go? Elisha asks if he can say his goodbyes but then takes the drastic action of burning his equipment, destroying any possibility of returning to the life he once lived. “So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.” (1 Kings 19:21)

The story of Elijah and Elisha is one of the most obvious succession planning stories in the Bible. It tells us much about both the role of the successor and the mentor. In his first encounter with Elijah, Elisha is willing to let go of his occupation, his family, and the life he has built thus far to follow after a man offering his mentorship. Elisha wasted no time in obeying. He didn’t go away to take time to think about it. He didn’t write out a list of pros and cons. He didn’t play it safe. He immediately said yes to God’s calling through Elijah.

God is the ultimate succession planner. In His kingdom plan, we must recognize that we are part of a bigger picture – God’s sovereign plan that spans human history.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does the story of Elijah and Elisha change how we live our lives?

“Our lives are always moving in the direction of our strongest thoughts. What we think shapes who we are.” ― Craig Groeschel, Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life.

The premise of Pastor Craig Groeschel’s book Winning the War in Your Mind is simple: what we think determines who we are and who we become. The book delves into the reality that when we examine our thoughts, they reveal the battle our minds are in, and if we change our thinking, it can change our lives.

On the surface, that premise makes sense, but most of us have tried to redirect our thinking. We’ve tried to stop some bad habit, redirect our runaway thoughts, the excuses and the lies that we’re thinking and that the enemy is reinforcing over and over again. Winning the war of the mind is not easy. While not easy, God’s thoughts can become your thoughts.

Craig’s book says that our lives are always moving in the direction of our strongest thoughts. What we think will shape what we become. And if we don’t control what we think, we’ll never control what we do. The process of renewing your brain calls for some rewiring. That means taking every thought captive.

How often do you think about what you’re thinking about? In other words, how often do you take a thought inventory? When you are more in tune with what you’re thinking about, you’ll notice how often your thoughts can be spiritually toxic. Potentially toxic spiritual thoughts are negative, critical, complaining, angry, and unforgiving thoughts. Those are the thoughts you have to take captive. Imagine yourself grabbing that thought (taking it captive) and ejecting it out of your brain. Give your mind a really deep cleaning and a fresh coat of paint. When we are working on transforming our thoughts, we have to get rid of old, unbiblical thinking patterns.

You might miss a few here and there, but the more you do this, the better you will become at it. Choose life-giving thoughts, choose to think about whatever is pure, lovely and of a good report. What you think might be correct—but is it helpful and uplifting? If not, it doesn’t belong in your mind. Replace those toxic thoughts with God’s thoughts. Direct your attention to how God thinks; your brain will change course to agree with God’s intent.

John 17:17 says, “Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.” In this verse, Jesus is praying, and He defines truth as God’s Word. The best thing we can replace all that old, unbiblical thinking with is the Word of God. John 1 calls Jesus the Word. Jesus names Himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). We cannot go wrong with thought remodeling when we think of Jesus.

 Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think you can “think good thoughts” on your own? Why do you need the help of the Holy Spirit to free your mind from destructive thoughts?
2. How does knowing God’s Word help you change the direction of your thoughts?

“Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight  ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left.” –  Proverbs 4:23-27 (MSG).

Most people do not realize just how much thinking we do. We think and process information all day long and sometimes all night long. Even in our sleep, our brains process or sort out our thoughts from that day. We spend a lot of that thinking on spiritual matters, and much of that thinking centers around the choices we make.

It is easy to conclude that you are a victim of your thoughts. But we need to rethink that. You cannot control the events and circumstances of life or what other people think and choose, but you do have the power to decide what you believe and your reactions to the events and circumstances of life. The Bible tells us we have “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16), which means we can think and choose well. And we have the Holy Spirit to help us make our choices.

Every day, we have a choice—to believe or not believe the devil’s lies. He tries everything he can to lead you into bad choices. But some choices get muddled up with emotions, options, and plain indecisiveness. When faced with a choice, we need to ask ourselves whether what we choose to do will glorify God. The Bible should be the plumb line by which our lives are measured.

The Bible tells us that if we want to be happy, there are some things we should choose not to do, and there are other things we should choose to do instead. Psalm 1:1-2 says, “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night” Despite our best efforts to do that, we still screw up. We make choices we regret.  We make choices we think there is no coming back from. We wonder how we can recover from a choice we made yesterday or decades ago.

Fortunately, we have a wonderful promise from God. In Romans 8:28, the apostle Paul writes, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” This verse reminds us that as terrible as some things might be because of our poor choices, God is able to give them purpose and meaning. He can make them good and work them into His good purposes for our lives.

Pastor John Maxwell said, “Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make makes you.” Crack the Bible open and you will find account after account of individuals who made hard choices while following God and as a result, enjoyed His rich blessings.” Every choice we make moves us closer to God or tears us further away from Him and His purpose for our lives. We have a choice. We make decisions every day. We can glorify God by making the right choices.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does glorifying God fit into our choices?
2. What can we do this week to make better choices?

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8

It’s hard to describe what goes on in the thinking process. According to research, the average person has approximately 60,000 thoughts per day, so the sheer numbers makes it very difficult for the average person to control. Your thoughts drive your words, your actions, your habits, your character, and ultimately, your purpose. If Jesus is going to be the center of your life, it starts with your thoughts.

The Apostle Paul urged the new Christians in Rome to let God’s Word change their thinking process. “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12.2).

We may not often think about it, but God thinks about us constantly. He doesn’t view our relationship with Him like a checklist. He continues to think about us, care about us, and always be interested in us. Could we say we think about Him the same way? It begs the question what do your thoughts reveal about your relationship with God? How often do you think about God throughout your day? How can you increase the amount you think about God each day?

Psalm 19:14 says, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” This verse describes how God wants us to think. He wants us to consider whether the things that come out of our mouths and inside our hearts are pleasing to Him.  In other words, our thoughts matter.  The battle to deal with the things hampering your spiritual growth starts in your mind.

God changes you into a new person by first changing your thoughts. Paul knew how hard it was to reign in your mind and direct your thoughts toward Jesus. He knew how hard it was to avoid being distracted and going all over the place. He knew it, and he gave some good advice in Philippians 4:8.

God’s thoughts are higher than ours, but thank God He wrote them down. Just as our minds contain rational thoughts, which we think every day, and “heart” thoughts that make up the underlying pattern of how we think, the Bible also contains what God thinks about any subject. So, we cannot instinctively think God’s thoughts, but we can read His thoughts.

God’s thoughts in His written word can impart life to us and transform our thoughts to be more like His. Jesus said His words are spirit and life (John 6:63). Hebrews 4:12 says the Word of God is a powerful living thing. God has given the Word of God the power to change how we think.

Discussion Questions:

1. How can you learn to think like Jesus? What’s one practical way you can do it this week?
2. What would you like to change about yourself? Would you like to be more confident, relaxed, outgoing, or less anxious?
3. How can you replace toxic thoughts with God’s thoughts?