SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

"Faith Over Fear" — Pastor Mirek Hufton

1. SERMON RECAP

Pastor Mirek Hufton preached a bold, timely message calling the church to reject fear as a spiritual enemy and choose faith as a way of life. He unpacked how fear is not merely an emotion but a spiritual force that, like faith, produces real consequences — fear attracting the negative and faith attracting the blessing and protection of God. He challenged the congregation to stand on the promises of Psalm 91, declaring that no plague shall come near their dwelling, and to refuse to let the spirit of fear take root in their hearts or their households.

2. KEY SCRIPTURE

Psalm 91:5-6 (NKJV)

"You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday."

3. ICE BREAKER

What is one thing you were genuinely afraid of as a child that no longer bothers you today, and what changed for you?

4. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Pastor Mirek pointed out that fear first appeared in the Bible in Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve hid from God after the fall. What does it tell us about the nature of fear that its very first appearance in Scripture is connected to broken relationship with God — and what does that suggest about the antidote?

2. He described fear as a spiritual force, not just a feeling, and said that just as faith activates God, fear can activate the enemy in our lives. Does that idea challenge or confirm how you have thought about fear in the past? Where do you find that tension most difficult to navigate in your own life?

3. Pastor Mirek walked through several Bible characters — Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the Israelites facing Goliath, and Aaron — who made poor decisions when fear was driving them. Can you think of a time when a decision you made was rooted more in fear than in faith? Looking back, what would a faith-driven decision have looked like in that moment?

4. He referenced Job 3, where Job said that what he feared most eventually came upon him, and used this to illustrate that fear functions like a magnet for negative outcomes in the spirit. How does this sit alongside the reality that many godly, faithful people still face hardship and loss? How do we hold that tension honestly without either dismissing the spiritual reality of fear or sliding into a works-based view of faith?

5. Pastor Mirek highlighted Isaiah 41:10 — "Fear not, for I am with you" — and noted that God's command to fear not is inseparable from the promise of His presence. How does the presence of God practically change the way you face something frightening? What habits or practices help you stay anchored to that reality when fear feels louder than faith?

6. He challenged the congregation to speak declarations of faith out loud — over their homes, their children, and their health — and called Psalm 91:10 ("No plague shall come near your dwelling") a verse to stand on and declare personally. How comfortable is your group with this kind of spoken, declared faith? What obstacles, whether cultural, temperamental, or theological, make it feel difficult, and how might those be worked through?

5. APPLICATION CHALLENGE

This week, identify one specific area of your life where fear has been quietly influencing your thoughts, decisions, or conversations. Write out Isaiah 41:10 on a notecard or in your phone, and once each morning and once each evening read it aloud over that specific situation by name. At your next group meeting, come prepared to share in one or two sentences what you noticed in yourself over the course of the week.

6. PRAYER POINTS

• Pray that each group member would be able to identify and honestly name the fears that have taken root in their life, and that the Holy Spirit would bring a specific and personal peace that replaces those fears with settled trust in God's presence and power.

• Pray over the homes and families represented in the group, declaring together that no harm, sickness, or spirit of fear would have a foothold, and that each household would become a place marked by faith, peace, and the protection described in Psalm 91.

• Pray for those in the group who are walking through genuinely difficult circumstances — health concerns, financial uncertainty, family stress — that they would experience the nearness of God described in Romans 8:1, free from condemnation and held by the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.

7. MEMORY VERSE

Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Guide prepared for small group use based on the sermon "Faith Over Fear" by Pastor Mirek Hufton.