Small Group Discussion Guide

"We Need To Reproof, Rebuke, and Exhort, Part 2"

Pastor Mirek Hufton

1. SERMON RECAP

In this message, I urged us to recognize the dangerous times we're living in — a culture that is actively pressuring the church to water down the Word of God and replace biblical truth with whatever feels comfortable or culturally acceptable. I reminded us that the antidote to this pressure is simple and non-negotiable: preach the Word, get into the Word, and let the Word wash and renew our minds. Just like Peter declared on the Mount of Transfiguration, no personal experience — no matter how powerful — outranks the authority of Scripture, which is the light that pushes back every kind of darkness around us.

2. KEY SCRIPTURE

2 Timothy 4:2-3 (NKJV) "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine."

3. ICE BREAKER

Think back to a time when something you read or heard from the Bible genuinely surprised you or challenged something you already believed. What was it, and how did it make you feel in the moment?

4. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Getting into the Text In 2 Peter 1:16-19, Peter says that as incredible as his experience on the Mount of Transfiguration was — actually seeing Jesus transfigured and hearing the voice of God — he still points us back to "the prophetic word confirmed" as our most reliable anchor. Why do you think Peter makes that comparison? What does that tell us about how we should weigh personal spiritual experiences against Scripture?

2. Recognizing the Pressure I talked about how cultural pressure is pushing many churches to shift their doctrines to fit what the world finds acceptable. Have you personally felt that kind of pressure — at work, in your family, or even inside yourself? How did you respond, and what helped you stay grounded?

3. The Light in the Darkness Peter describes the Word of God as "a light that shines in a dark place" (2 Peter 1:19). Proverbs 4:18 says the path of the righteous shines brighter and brighter. What does it actually look like in your daily life when the Word is functioning as a genuine light — helping you see clearly, make decisions, and recognize what's false? Can you share a specific example?

4. Romans 1 and the Reprobate Mind Romans 1 describes what happens when people consistently suppress the truth — God gives them over to a reprobate mind, a mind that loses its ability to reason rightly from God's perspective. That sounds alarming. How do we as believers guard against the slow drift of letting the world's thinking seep into our own minds without even noticing it?

5. Who You Hang With I shared that one of the biggest factors shaping our lives — especially for young people — is who we associate with. Do you agree with that? How has your faith community, or lack of one, shaped the direction of your life? What intentional choices have you made (or do you wish you had made) about who you allow to speak into your life regularly?

6. Prophetic Words and the Word I talked about the danger of putting too much weight on personal prophecies, visions, or dreams without running them through the filter of Scripture and the counsel of trusted, grounded leadership. Have you ever seen someone get led astray by an experience or a "word" that wasn't tested against Scripture? What safeguards does being planted in a local church provide that we might take for granted?

5. APPLICATION CHALLENGE

This week, choose one specific area of your life — your marriage, your parenting, your finances, your workplace relationships, or a decision you're currently facing — and spend 15 minutes each day reading and meditating on what Scripture actually says about that area. Write down one verse that speaks directly to your situation, put it somewhere you'll see it daily (your phone lock screen, a sticky note on your mirror, your car dashboard), and come back next week ready to share what the light of that verse revealed to you.

6. PRAYER POINTS

• Pray for discernment — that every person in our group would develop a sharp, Spirit-led ability to recognize false teaching and cultural compromise when it creeps in, and the courage to lovingly stand for truth when the moment calls for it.

• Pray for our young people — that God would surround them with godly friendships and mentors, protect their minds from the flood of deception coming at them through schools, social media, and culture, and give them a genuine hunger for the Word of God.

• Pray for our church's outreach — especially for the FCA groups in local schools, for the mission work already happening, and for every door God is opening for the gospel to go forth with power and with the full, uncompromised Word of God.

7. MEMORY VERSE

2 Peter 1:19 (NKJV) "And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts."

Leader's Note: Don't feel pressure to get through every question. Let the Holy Spirit guide the conversation where it needs to go. Your job is to create space for honest, real dialogue — not to have all the answers. If a question opens up something deep in someone's life, stay there.