Counterfeit | Wk 3: Guard your Heart, Guard your Life
Love and temptation often look alike at first glance. Both promise excitement, connection, and satisfaction—but one leads to life, the other to regret. This series helps students recognize what’s real and what’s fake by anchoring their understanding of love in God’s truth. Our prayer is that students would learn to guard their hearts, resist temptation, and experience a love that isn’t counterfeit but rooted in who Jesus is.
BOTTOM LINE
Guard your Heart, Guard your Life
SCRIPTURE
Proverbs 4:23: Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. // Philippians 4:7: And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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JUST FOR FUN
Take some time to catch up. Ask your students – Has anyone watched bit of this years Winter Olympics? If so, which sport or story do you find interesting?
DISCUSS THIS
1. In what areas of your life are you tempted to take a shortcut to get a result without doing the hard work or making the sacrifice?
2. If others looked at your ‘input’ (what you watch, who you listen to, what you dwell on), would they be surprised by the ‘output’ (your anxiety, anger, or loneliness)?” How does what you consume on social media or in your friend group directly affect your mood or the way you treat your family?
3. Lighthouse keepers had to constantly wipe away "soot"—a thin black film that built up and dimmed the light. What is a "small" habit or "minor" sin in your life right now that doesn't seem like a big deal, but is slowly dimming your ability to see God clearly?
4. We often think of guarding our hearts as "closing ourselves off" or being "anti-social." However, the Hebrew word mishmar means to be a watchman on a wall. What is the difference between having a "closed" heart and a "protected" heart?
5. The application section mentions "changing the locks" on who has all-access to your thoughts and emotions. Are there certain people or voices in your life that you’ve given too much influence over how you feel about yourself? How can you practically "limit their access" this week?
6. The lesson warns against "negotiating" what is holy (trying to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong instead of listening to the Spirit). Why do you think we lose our peace when we try to bargain with God about our choices?
7. The final point is that we don’t guard trash; we guard treasure. If you truly believed that your heart was the place where the Creator of the Universe dwells, how would that change the way you protect your thoughts, your body, and your time?
FOLLOW UP / PRAY REQUESTS