The World Around Us
November 15, 2026
The world influences us most effectively when we don’t realize it. Every day, voices around us define success, freedom, love, identity, and the good life. Over time, their messages can make life apart from God appear normal and obedience to Jesus appear strange. In 1 John 2, we are warned not to give our love to a world that is passing away. But this does not mean withdrawing from society or treating people as enemies. In part four of Battle Lines, we will learn how to recognize the world’s influence, resist its temporary promises, and remain faithfully present as people shaped by the love and truth of God.
Passage
1 John 2:15-17
Principle
What you ##love## will shape who you ##become##.
Practice
Choose one worldly ##promise## to resist and one practice that helps you love what ##lasts##.
Small Group Questions
Use this outline for personal reflection, as a couple or family, or with a small group.
HANGOUT
What is something you were content with until you saw someone else’s version of it? What changed about how you saw what you already had?
HEAR
Read 1 John 2:15-16
- What clues in these verses help you understand John’s meaning of “the world”? Give an example of how a good gift can begin to compete with our love for the Father.
- Where do you see any of these three messages rewarded in society: I have to satisfy this appetite, I have to have what I see, or I have to prove I matter?
- Last week, we discussed desires that can rule us. What makes a desire harder to question when the people around us celebrate it? Where might that happen even in church?
Read 1 John 2:17
- What does John say is passing away? How might remembering that shape a decision you’re facing now?
- Think of something people are praised for pursuing, such as success, comfort, or recognition. What might doing the Father’s will look like when that pursuit comes at someone else’s expense?
Read John 17:14-18
- What does Jesus ask the Father to do for His disciples? Where does He send them?
- Think about a place you spend time each week. Where are you tempted to go along with something you know is wrong? Where are you tempted to pull away from someone Jesus calls you to love?
- What could you do in that setting to demonstrate both faithfulness to Jesus and genuine care for someone?
HUDDLE
- Finish this sentence honestly: “My life would be complete if only I had ______.” Who or what keeps reinforcing that promise?
- Name one step you’ll take this week in response to Jesus. You might meet a need anonymously, pause a habit that fuels comparison, give something away, or pray for someone you’ve grown accustomed to criticizing.
- Tell one person in the group what you plan to do, and ask them to check in. Pray together for the Father to help each of you follow through.
OPTIONAL READING
Read Live No Lies, pp. 245–262, “Self-Denial” and “A Monastic Handbook.” As you read, consider where following Jesus may cost you approval, comfort, or control. Bring one of those places to Standing Firm so the group can pray with you.
Daily Reading
As you read each passage, ask the Holy Spirit to help you notice what is shaping your desires and show you one way to practice what Jesus teaches.
- Day 1: 1 John 2:15-17
- Day 2: Matthew 6:19-24
- Day 3: Luke 12:13-21
- Day 4: Matthew 6:1-4
- Day 5: Matthew 5:43-48
- Day 6: John 17:14-19
- Day 7: 1 John 3:16-18
Passage to Memorize: 1 John 2:15-17
Think Deeper
- Am I treating personal comfort or immediate gratification as something God has no right to interrupt?
- What am I looking at that is teaching me to resent what God has given me?
- Whose approval am I afraid to lose, and what am I willing to compromise to keep it?
Suggested Resources
Live No Lies, by John Mark Comer
The Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis
Renovation of the Heart, by Dallas Willard
Check out these and other books from our suggested reading list at https://bit.ly/AspireSMB.