WELCOME ICEBREAKER

Who is one person that affirms your life?

WORSHIP

Praise and thank God for His grace, for He accepts all who repent and turn to Him for His love and forgiveness.

WORD

All Christians have been granted the Spirit of the Almighty and with Him we possess His strength and power to stand strong in times of hardship. Jesus Christ was fully God, but also fully human when He walked on earth two thousand years ago. Therefore, He experienced hardship, pain and rejection as we do in our lives. He died for us on the cross for our redemption, and when we live by the Spirit and not by flesh we resist the enemy. The devil hates God, but there is nothing He can do to Him, and because we are God’s beloved children made in His image the enemy will do absolutely anything to bring destruction to our lives. One of the ways the enemy tries to harm and destroy us is by the spirit of rejection. Therefore, to have victory over the spirit of rejection we need to study the scriptures and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Questions

1. Do your friends accept who you are in Christ? If not, how are you dealing with it? (1Peter 4:13-14)
2. Do you ever act or talk differently in front of non-Christians or your friends, because they might reject you for your belief? (Luke 10:16)
3. Jesus Christ accepts and embraces all people regardless of nationality, color, shape and personality. (2 Corinthians 5:15, Luke 19:1-10)
1. Why did Jesus invite Himself to Zacchaeus’ house? What does this say about Jesus?
1. What things could Zacchaeus change in his life, what could he not change?
1. Are you ready to ask your Father in heaven to help you change the things that need to be altered in your life, and accept what you cannot change?
1. How do you think Zacchaeus felt when he and Jesus parted?
4. When someone has rejected you, do you keep it a secret? Or do you share your hurt with Jesus and seek His love and peace? (John 14:27) Do you also have close godly friends that you can speak to when you feel rejected, and be encouraged by their love and counsel? (Ecclesiastes 4:10, Proverbs 27:9; 13:20)
5. Has the spirit of rejection ever made you question and change your identity or your calling? If yes, are you willing to face the enemy and take back what he has stolen from you? (Luke 10:19, Ephesians 6:10-18)

WORK

Stand together in one spirit and speak against the spirit of rejection that might be at work in the lives of a few in your group, and command it to leave in the name of Jesus our Lord and Saviour. Praise God for His Word and His Holy Spirit who provides us with power to stand against the works of the enemy.