SELLING OUT FOR SECONDS

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MEETING AGENDA

  1. OPENING PRAYER – Ask one person to open the meeting in prayer.
  2. GROWTH QUESTIONS – Ask everyone the Growth Questions.
  3. ATTENDANCE – Take attendance through the DG Attendance System.
  4. TODAY’S LESSON – Go over this week’s DG lesson.
  5. GIVING – Encourage everyone to give on the App.
  6. CLOSING PRAYER – Ask for prayer requests and pray.

GROWTH QUESTION #1

Who would like to share a highlight, praise report, or testimony from this week?

GROWTH QUESTION #2

What did you learn from this week’s sermon?

GROWTH QUESTION #3

What was your most important accomplishment this week?

TODAY’S PASSAGE:

Genesis 25:27-34 (NLT) - 27 As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. 30 Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red.”) 31 “All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.” 32 “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?” 33 But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.

Opening QUESTION

Have you ever traded something valuable for something that felt urgent in the moment—but later realized it wasn’t worth it?

TRUTH #1

FLESHLY APPETITES CAN DISTORT OUR VISION

Genesis 25:29 (NLT) - One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. 

  • Esau came home exhausted and hungry.
  • A well-known acronym in recovery circles is H.A.L.T. The “H” is for hungry, “A” for angry, “L” for lonely, and “T” for tired. If you’re hungry, angry, lonely or tired, you should HALT!  
  • We all tend to make bad decisions when we are in one of these states, so we shouldn’t move forward with any major life decisions before addressing these basic physical or emotional needs.
  • In Esau’s case, his physical hunger overpowered his ability to see clearly.
  • The real danger wasn’t the stew—it was his attitude. He exaggerated, saying “I’m dying of starvation!” because his appetite blinded him to what truly mattered.
  • Our appetites—whether for food, success, pleasure, or approval—can also cause us to sacrifice what’s most important.
  • The Bible warns us against being trapped by foolish and harmful desires.

1 Timothy 6:9 (NLT) - But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.

  • When we let fleshly desires drive us, we can lose sight of God’s greater plan for our lives.

INTERACTIVE QUESTION

What are some common “bowls of stew” people trade their calling or convictions for today?

TRUTH #2

YOU SHOULD NEVER TAKE YOUR BLESSINGS FOR GRANTED

Genesis 25:32, 34 (NLT) - 32 “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?” …34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.

  • Esau’s casual attitude — “What good is my birthright to me now?” — reveals how easy it is to take spiritual blessings for granted.
  • Esau’s birthright represented leadership, inheritance, and covenant blessing, yet he gave it up for a single meal!
  • The Bible’s evaluation of Esau’s attitude and behavior is quite severe.

Hebrews 12:16-17 (NLT) - 16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17 You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.

  • What God wants to give us can be lost through indifference as quickly as it can through rebellion.
  • Definition - indifference: having no particular interest or sympathy; unconcerned
  • One of the greatest lies we could ever make the mistake of believing is that God doesn’t care how we live our lives or treat his blessings.  
  • Allowing indifference and compromise into our decision-making has serious consequences. 

INTERACTIVE QUESTION

Are there any areas of your life that you might be allowing indifference or compromise to lead your decision making? How can you change that today?

TRUTH #3

GOD’S PROMISES CAN’T BE WON BY MANIPULATION

  • Jacob desired the right thing (the blessing), but he went after it the wrong way.
  • His manipulation mirrors our own temptation to force what God has already promised to provide.
  • Later, Jacob will learn through years of struggle and conflict that God’s blessings come by grace, not by schemes.
  • God invites us to trust His timing instead of trying to make things happen through manipulation or control.

Proverbs 19:21 (NLT) - “You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.” 

INTERACTIVE QUESTION

What’s one area of your life where you’ve tried to “force” something instead of trusting God’s timing?

CLOSING QUESTION

If you could go back and speak to Esau before he made his decision, what would you tell him—and how does that advice apply to your own life today?

GIVING

Give eagerly in accordance with what you have, not what you don’t have!

2 Corinthians 8:12 (NLT)
Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.

Encourage everyone to give their tithes and offerings.

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PRAY

QUESTION #1

Who are you praying for to be saved?

QUESTION #2

Who can you invite to the next meeting?

QUESTION #3

What are your prayer requests?