BREAKTHROUGH

Group Agenda:

  1. Pray In
  2. Ask for Positive Testimonies
  3. Go over the lesson (Below)
  4. Ask everyone “What is one thing you learned today?”
  5. Give offering on the app
  6. Encourage P12 Leaders to meet with their group (and remind them to take attendance on Friday)
  7. Ask for prayer requests and pray out

BREAKTHROUGH

1. WHAT IS BREAKTHROUGH?

QUESTION:  How would you define the word “breakthrough?”

Breakthrough: the moment success is achieved in a particular sphere, activity or endeavor;  the overcoming of an obstruction, restriction or an enemy’s line of defense

Breakthrough is harder than you think.  This is war. There is an enemy standing in the way of your breakthrough.

The longer you are working at something, the harder it becomes to succeed or breakthrough.  It is even more difficult to breakthrough in area that you have already achieved a certain level of success.

For example, trying to lose weight is easy in the first two weeks.  It’s easy to lose 5 pounds, but consistent weight loss that you maintain is very difficult.

QUESTION: What area do you need a breakthrough in right now? Where are you hitting the ceiling or the enemy line? 

Where are you battling? If you’re not aware of the area of struggle, you won’t win. Where are you striving and not succeeding? 

2.  WHAT DOES BREAKTHROUGH REQUIRE?

A. FOCUS

Philippians 3:13 (NLT) – No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,

How do you get the breakthrough?  Focus.  

You won’t see breakthrough if you don’t focus on it. If you don’t set aside everything else, and focus on the area you need your breakthrough, you won’t succeed.

The most common mistake in this area is getting focused on the wrong things – focusing only on what we DO NOT want to happen.  You can’t focus on what you don’t want to happen. You have to focus on what you do want to happen.

The wrong mindset will attract the wrong results.  

If you’re not focused on an area, you’ll never get a breakthrough there.  The areas you invest in are the areas you can expect to see a return in. 

The only way to get a breakthrough is with focused attention.  

QUESTION:  How can you free up more time to focus on the area you need breakthrough most?

B. WORK

Colossians 1:29 (NLT) – That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.

Most people do not live breakthrough lives.  Most people live by the herd mentality, just going with the flow of everyone around them.  Very few are willing to put in the work it takes to stand out and move ahead of the pack.

You must apply force or pressure on something to see a breakthrough.  You have to work at it.  The only way to get a breakthrough is by putting your back into whatever you want to accomplish.

There’s an enemy’s defense set up around the breakthrough, and that wall exists in our own minds, hearts, and lives.  The first obstacles you will run into are the ones that exist inside of yourself.

QUESTION:  Can you identify any blockages to breakthrough in your own mind, heart or life?  What are they?

Saying things like, “I’ve always been that way… I’m not comfortable… I’m an introvert… I don’t have time…” will only keep you from your breakthrough.  One of the worst things you can do is to preach about your obstacles instead of preaching about breakthrough. 

It takes work to put forth the effort required –  to take action when God is ready to move.  You’ll never get a breakthrough where you’re just sitting in one place. You have to move.  You have to let your soul be adjusted.

C. A CLEAR PICTURE

Matthew 9:21 (ESV) – For she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.”

If you want breakthrough – you must be able to define it.  If you don’t know what breakthrough looks like, you’ll never get it.  You need a clear picture.  

The woman with the issue of blood had a clear picture of what she wanted and how she was going to get it.  Her mental picture of being healed was the beginning of her breakthrough.  She saw her own healing happening in her mind before it actually took place.

Most people can’t get breakthrough because they don’t even know what it looks like.

Proverbs 29:18a (KJV) – Where there is no vision, the people perish…

If you don’t know where you need a breakthrough, then you’re in a dangerous place.  If you don’t think you need a breakthrough, then the enemy has truly blinded you.  The enemy’s goal is for us to lose sight of where we need to go so that we become apathetic and achieve nothing.

Another version of Proverbs 29:18a says…

Proverbs 29:18a (ASV) – Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint…

Without vision, people cast off restraint.  Without vision, there’s no reason to get educated.  Without vision, there’s no reason to improve ourselves. Without vision, there’s no reason to work hard.

QUESTION: What were your goals at the start of 2020?  Have you been working toward them?

3.  DON’T GIVE UP BEFORE YOUR BREAKTHROUGH!

Galatians 6:9 (ESV) And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

You’ll NEVER get a breakthrough in an area that you’ve given up on.

Give up – to let go, to break up a union, to dissolve, to bring to an end, to become worn out

A. QUITTING IS A CHOICE

Quitting is not something that just happened to you.  Quitting is not a spontaneous event.  Long before you quit, you entertained the idea and talked yourself into it. 

We don’t quit overnight.  We talk ourselves into it.

QUESTION:  What have you been talking yourself into or out of?

Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not grow weary of doing good…”

Weary: impatient, dissatisfied, apathetic, exhausted

Weariness is something that you can GROW into.  You can grow more and more impatient.  You can grow more and more exhausted.  You can grow more and more weary.  These are incremental changes that take place over time.  

We have a choice to not let ourselves grow weary.  Don’t grow that way – understand it’s a choice!  No one just quits – they GROW into becoming a quitter.

Quitting is a spiritual condition that eventually expresses itself externally.  It is a mentality that will develop into your character.

Giving up is a choice that is justified by excuses.  The most difficult excuses to overcome are the justifiable ones.  

Either you overcome your excuses or your excuses will overcome you.  We need to learn to quit the bad stuff – like excuses – and never give up on the good stuff that God has for us!

B. GRATITUDE WILL KEEP YOU FROM QUITTING

Romans 1:21 (NIV) – For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

One of the most important things we can do to avoid growing weary and giving up is to develop an attitude of gratitude. If you can’t see the good that is going on, then you will GROW weary.

You don’t want to develop a lack of gratitude.  When you’re not grateful, you’ll become blind to your blessings.  Once you’re blinded to your blessings, weariness and quitting are just around the corner.    

QUESTION:  What’s one thing you can be thankful for?

C. ONLY THOSE THAT DON’T GIVE UP WILL SEE A BREAKTHROUGH

2 Corinthians 4:16 (NLT) – That is why we NEVER give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.

We can choose not to give up, and develop a “never-give-up” mentality.

When do Christians give up?  NEVER!

When do we stop preaching the Word?  NEVER!

When do we stop sharing our testimony?  NEVER!

When do we stop loving people?  NEVER!

2 Corinthians 4:16b says, “Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.”  That means it’s possible to be physically tired, but spiritually refreshed.

QUESTION:  What can you do to make sure that your spirit stays refreshed?

Galatians 6:9 (ESV) And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

If we don’t give up, we will reap the reward.

GREAT QUOTES:

“Strength grows in the moments when you think that you can’t go on but you keep going anyway.”

“You are allowed to scream.  You are allowed to cry.  But don’t give up.”

“I didn’t come this far to only come to this far.”

 

OFFERING – May 2020

Right now, as a church we are reaching more people than ever on any given Sunday!  Since going to online-only services, we’ve heard story after story of people who would never have stepped foot inside of a church listening online and choosing to embrace the message of hope and give their lives to Jesus.

Earlier this month, Pastor Marco encouraged all of us to continue to invest in the only thing we can take with us to heaven – souls!  Without an investment there is no return. 

Matthew 6:21 (NIV) – For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Make an investment in souls today.  Let’s give generously!

How to Give:

1. Open the app and click give.
2. Change the fund to P12
3. Set up your tithe on recurring giving