What If Trying Harder is the Problem?
When it comes to overcoming temptation or loving God, trying harder can actually work against you. In this message, Andrew reveals why more rules, discipline, and willpower are never the answer. You’re dead to sin, alive to God, and filled with His life. Discover how grace teaches you to say no, why you already love God with an incorruptible love, and how real victory comes when you stop trying to produce and start trusting what Christ has already put in you.
Discussion Questions:
- Read Romans 6:14 and 1 Corinthians 15:56. How does knowing that grace (not law) is God’s answer to sin change the way you approach a struggle you keep trying to conquer?
- Read Romans 7:8. Why can focusing constantly on rules, prohibitions, and “don’t do that” actually intensify temptation, guilt, or frustration?
- Read Galatians 5:16 and Titus 2:11–12. What would it look like to trust the Spirit and God’s grace to teach and empower you instead of relying on sheer willpower?
- Read 1 John 4:10 and 1 John 4:19. How might your relationship with God change if you stopped trying to generate more love for Him and focused instead on receiving His love for you?
- Read Romans 5:5 and Ephesians 6:24. How does knowing God’s love is already within you (and your love for Jesus is real and enduring) speak to seasons when you feel cold or empty?
- Read Ephesians 1:21–22 and Acts 17:28. How does knowing Christ is already supreme and that your whole life exists in Him change the pressure to constantly “put God first”?
- Read 1 Corinthians 6:19–20. How does knowing you already belong completely to God free you from cycles of rededication, recommitment, and making more promises to Him?
- Read Philippians 1:21 and Colossians 3:4. What difference does it make to see Christ not merely as your highest priority, but as your very life?
