DISCIPLESHIP GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

MEN WITHOUT MAPS


Main Scripture: Judges 21:25 (CSB)

“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him.”

MESSAGE OVERVIEW


In the message MEN WITHOUT MAPS, Pastor Justin preached about the spiritual crisis facing men, families, and our culture. The greatest problem is not simply that people are intentionally choosing evil. The problem is that many people are living without spiritual direction.


Judges 21:25 describes a time when there was no king in Israel and everyone did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. Without a king, each person became their own authority. Instead of following God’s truth, people followed their feelings, opinions, desires, and personal definitions of right and wrong.


Pastor Justin reminded us that a man without God becomes his own compass, a man without truth will follow counterfeits, and a man without purpose will drift. However, the message did not simply challenge men to try harder or do better. It pointed everyone to Jesus.


Jesus is the better Adam. Where Adam disobeyed, Jesus obeyed. Where humanity became lost, Jesus came to lead us home. Jesus did not merely come to give us directions; He came to become the Way. When Jesus becomes King of our lives, we no longer have to wander without purpose, truth, or direction.


This discussion guide will help children, students, and adults consider what is directing their lives and how they can follow Jesus more faithfully.

OPENING DISCUSSION

Begin by asking everyone:

• Have you ever been lost or gone in the wrong direction?
  
  
• How did you realize you were lost?
  
  
• What helped you find the right way?
  
  
• Why is it important to have good directions before beginning a journey?
  
  

Explain that just as we need maps or directions while traveling, we also need spiritual direction for our lives. God has given us His Word, His Spirit, and His Son Jesus to lead us.

POINT 1

A MAN WITHOUT GOD BECOMES HIS OWN COMPASS

Judges 21:25 (CSB)

“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him.”

The people were not following God as their King. Everyone decided for themselves what was right. The danger was that what seemed right was not always what was truly right.


People rarely destroy their lives while believing they are making a destructive decision. Many wrong decisions begin because something feels right, seems reasonable, or is accepted by everyone else.


Our feelings are real, but they are not always reliable. We need the truth of God’s Word to direct our lives.


Proverbs 14:12 (CSB)

“There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.”

Jeremiah 17:9 (CSB)

“The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?”

Psalm 119:105 (CSB)

“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.”

QUESTIONS FOR CHILDREN

1. What is a compass used for?
   
   
2. What can happen if a compass points in the wrong direction?
   
   
3. Have you ever wanted to do something that felt right but was actually wrong?
   
   
4. Who are some people God has placed in your life to help guide you?
   
   
5. How does the Bible help us know what is right?
   
   
6. What should you do when your feelings tell you one thing but God’s Word says something different?
   
   

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY


Place an object somewhere in the room and blindfold one child. Allow the group to give the child directions toward the object.


Afterward, discuss how the child needed to trust the right voices. Explain that there are many voices in the world, but God’s voice and God’s Word will always lead us in the right direction.


QUESTIONS FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

1. What does the phrase “follow your heart” mean in today’s culture?
   
   
2. Why can following your feelings sometimes lead you in the wrong direction?
   
   
3. What are some decisions students your age may make based only on what feels right?
   
   
4. How can friends or social media affect your spiritual compass?
   
   
5. What can you do to make sure God’s Word has a stronger influence on you than culture?
   
   
6. Describe a time when God’s truth corrected something you believed or wanted.
   
   
7. What is one area of your life where you need God’s direction right now?
   
   

QUESTIONS FOR ADULTS

1. Why is doing what “seems right” sometimes more dangerous than knowingly doing wrong?
   
   
2. In what areas are people most likely to become their own authority?
   
   
3. How can someone identify when feelings have replaced Scripture as their guide?
   
   
4. What decisions are you currently facing that require God’s direction?
   
   
5. How can parents and spiritual leaders teach the next generation to trust God’s Word?
   
   
6. Is there an area of your life where you have been asking God to approve your direction rather than allowing Him to direct you?
   
   
7. What practical habits can help keep God’s Word central in your decision-making?
   
   

POINT 2

A MAN WITHOUT TRUTH WILL FOLLOW COUNTERFEITS

Romans 1:25 (CSB)

“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.”

Humanity was created to worship. If we do not worship and follow God, we will eventually give our loyalty to something else.


A counterfeit looks real, but it has no genuine value. In the same way, culture offers counterfeit versions of identity, success, freedom, happiness, and purpose.


The question is not whether we are being influenced. The question is who or what is influencing us.


We are all being discipled by something.


Social media can disciple us.


Politics can disciple us.


Entertainment can disciple us.


Friends can disciple us.


Celebrities and athletes can disciple us.


The question is whether Jesus has the strongest voice in our lives.


Joshua 24:15 (CSB)

“But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship—the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.”

Matthew 16:26 (CSB)

“For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life?”

QUESTIONS FOR CHILDREN

1. What does it mean to worship God?
   
   
2. What are some things people may love more than they love God?
   
   
3. Who are some people you look up to?
   
   
4. What qualities should we look for in the people we follow?
   
   
5. How can you show that Jesus is first in your life?
   
   
6. What did Joshua say his family would do?
   
   

QUESTIONS FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

1. Who or what has the greatest influence on students today?
   
   
2. How can social media shape the way someone thinks about identity, success, relationships, or appearance?
   
   
3. How can you tell whether someone is worth following?
   
   
4. What are some counterfeit versions of happiness offered by culture?
   
   
5. What does it look like to follow Jesus at school, online, or around friends?
   
   
6. Have you ever felt pressured to compromise what you believed so you would fit in?
   
   
7. How can Christian friends help one another recognize counterfeits?
   
   
8. What would it mean for you to say, “As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord”?
   
   

QUESTIONS FOR ADULTS

1. What counterfeit forms of success or security are most attractive to adults?
   
   
2. How can good things such as careers, relationships, finances, or family become idols?
   
   
3. Who or what is currently discipling our culture?
   
   
4. How can we determine whether Christ or culture has the greatest influence in our homes?
   
   
5. What does spiritual leadership in the home look like in everyday life?
   
   
6. How can someone lead spiritually without becoming controlling or self-righteous?
   
   
7. What values are being communicated to the next generation through our habits and priorities?
   
   
8. What is one change you can make to establish a more Christ-centered culture in your home?
   
   

POINT 3

A MAN WITHOUT PURPOSE WILL DRIFT

Genesis 2:15 (CSB)

“The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.”

Before God created Eve, He gave Adam an assignment.


Before there was marriage, there was responsibility.


Before there was family, there was purpose.


God created people to steward what He has placed in their hands. We were created to serve, lead, protect, cultivate, and reflect God.


Without a clear purpose, people begin to drift. Most people do not suddenly walk away from God. They slowly drift by becoming distracted, comfortable, isolated, or spiritually passive.


Hebrews 2:1 (CSB)

“For this reason, we must pay attention all the more to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away.”

Drifting does not require effort. It happens when we stop being intentional.


A boat does not have to decide to drift. It only has to stop steering. In the same way, we must be intentional about our faith, relationships, responsibilities, and purpose.


QUESTIONS FOR CHILDREN

1. What job did God give Adam in the garden?
   
   
2. What are some responsibilities you have at home or school?
   
   
3. Why is it important to take care of what God gives us?
   
   
4. What does it mean to drift away from God?
   
   
5. What are some things you can do every day to remain close to Jesus?
   
   
6. What gifts or abilities has God given you that you can use to help others?
   
   

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY


Give each child a simple responsibility for the week, such as helping a sibling, cleaning a room without being asked, encouraging someone, or praying for a friend.


Explain that purpose often begins by faithfully caring for what God has already placed in front of us.


QUESTIONS FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

1. What does it mean for someone to drift spiritually?
   
   
2. What are some warning signs that a student is drifting away from God?
   
   
3. Why is drifting often difficult to notice at first?
   
   
4. What distractions can cause students to neglect their relationship with God?
   
   
5. What responsibilities has God given you in this stage of life?
   
   
6. How can you discover and develop your God-given gifts?
   
   
7. What is the difference between being busy and living with purpose?
   
   
8. What is one intentional step you can take this week to move closer to God?
   
   

QUESTIONS FOR ADULTS

1. What are some signs that a person is spiritually drifting?
   
   
2. Why do people often drift instead of suddenly abandoning their faith?
   
   
3. How can comfort and success become spiritually dangerous?
   
   
4. What has God entrusted to your care in this season?
   
   
5. Are you actively cultivating what God gave you, or have you placed an area of your life on cruise control?
   
   
6. How can someone succeed professionally while failing spiritually or relationally?
   
   
7. What does intentional spiritual leadership look like for a father, mother, grandparent, mentor, or small group leader?
   
   
8. What is one area where you need to become more intentional?
   
   
9. What legacy do you want your life to leave?
   
   

POINT 4

JESUS IS THE BETTER ADAM

The message does not simply tell us to try harder and become better people. The gospel tells us that we cannot save or transform ourselves.


We need Jesus.


The first Adam disobeyed God, and sin entered the world. Jesus obeyed the Father completely and made salvation available to us.


Romans 5:19 (CSB)

“For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”

The first Adam became lost.


Jesus came to lead us home.


Adam disobeyed in a garden.


Jesus surrendered to the Father in a garden.


Adam attempted to hide from God.


Jesus revealed God to us.


Adam brought sin and death.


Jesus brings righteousness and eternal life.


John 14:6 (CSB)

“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

Jesus did not merely come to give us directions.


Jesus came to become the Way.


He is not one way among many ways.


He is the Way.


Jesus is the King who can forgive our sins, change our hearts, restore our lives, and lead us home.


QUESTIONS FOR CHILDREN

1. Who is the better Adam?
   
   
2. What did Jesus do that Adam did not do?
   
   
3. What does Jesus mean when He says He is the Way?
   
   
4. How can Jesus help us when we feel lost?
   
   
5. What does it mean to make Jesus the King of your life?
   
   
6. Is there something you need to ask Jesus to help you with today?
   
   

QUESTIONS FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

1. Why is “try harder” not the complete message of Christianity?
   
   
2. What is the difference between behavior improvement and heart transformation?
   
   
3. How did Jesus remain faithful when He was tempted?
   
   
4. What does it mean to surrender your plans, desires, and identity to Jesus?
   
   
5. Why is it significant that Jesus said He is “the way” rather than “a way”?
   
   
6. In what area are you tempted to depend on your own strength instead of God’s grace?
   
   
7. How can following Jesus give someone purpose and direction?
   
   
8. What would change in your life if Jesus truly had the final word in every decision?
   
   

QUESTIONS FOR ADULTS

1. Why do Christian messages sometimes become focused only on trying harder or behaving better?
   
   
2. What is the difference between self-improvement and gospel transformation?
   
   
3. How does Jesus succeed where Adam failed?
   
   
4. What does Christ’s obedience make possible for us?
   
   
5. How can grace empower us to take responsibility without producing shame?
   
   
6. In what area are you attempting to change through willpower alone?
   
   
7. What does it practically mean for Jesus to be King of your life?
   
   
8. Where do you most need Jesus to lead you today?
   
   
9. How can the church call people to responsibility while continually pointing them to grace?
   
   
10. What does following Jesus look like for you this week?
    
    

FAMILY AND GROUP APPLICATION

Discuss these four questions together:

1. Who is directing me?
   Am I following God’s Word, or am I allowing feelings, culture, or other voices to become my compass?
   
   
2. What is influencing me?
   Am I following Christ, or have I accepted a counterfeit version of truth, success, identity, or happiness?
   
   
3. Where am I drifting?
   Is there an area of my spiritual life, marriage, family, character, or responsibility that I have placed on cruise control?
   
   
4. Is Jesus truly King?
   Have I surrendered every area of my life to Jesus, or am I still attempting to rule part of my life myself?
   
   

WEEKLY CHALLENGE

Choose at least one of the following challenges to complete this week:

• Read a chapter of the Bible each day and ask, “What direction is God giving me?”
  
  
• Pray with your family at least three times this week.
  
  
• Remove or limit one voice that has been negatively influencing you.
  
  
• Identify one responsibility you have neglected and begin faithfully caring for it.
  
  
• Apologize to someone you have hurt or disappointed.
  
  
• Encourage a man, father, student, or leader who is faithfully following God.
  
  
• Share John 14:6 with someone and explain how Jesus has given you direction.
  
  
• Spend time asking God to reveal any area where you have been drifting.
  
  

MEMORY VERSE

John 14:6 (CSB)

“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

Encourage everyone to repeat the verse several times and memorize it during the week.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Allow everyone a quiet moment to consider these statements:

• I may be sincere and still be heading in the wrong direction.
  
  
• My feelings are real, but they are not always reliable.
  
  
• I am being influenced and discipled by something.
  
  
• I will drift if I stop being spiritually intentional.
  
  
• Jesus did not merely come to give me directions; Jesus is the Way.
  
  
• When Jesus becomes King, I no longer have to wander.
  
  

Ask everyone to write down one area where they need God’s direction.

SALVATION DISCUSSION

Ask:

• Have you personally surrendered your life to Jesus?
  
  
• Are you following Jesus, or are you still attempting to be the king of your own life?
  
  
• Do you believe Jesus died for your sins and rose again?
  
  
• Are you ready to receive His forgiveness and begin following Him?
  
  

Explain that salvation is not earned through good behavior. We are saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.


Jesus lived without sin, died on the cross for our sins, and rose from the dead. Everyone who turns from sin and places their faith in Jesus can be forgiven and receive eternal life.

CLOSING PRAYER

Father, thank You for loving us enough to give us direction. Forgive us for the times we have followed our feelings, our desires, or the opinions of others instead of following You.


Help us recognize the counterfeit voices that compete for our attention. Give us wisdom to know Your truth and courage to obey it.


Show us any area where we have begun to drift. Help us become intentional in our relationship with You, in our families, in our responsibilities, and in the purpose You have given us.


Thank You for sending Jesus, the better Adam. Thank You that Jesus did not merely come to give us directions but came to become the Way. Today, we surrender our lives to You again.


Jesus, be the King of our hearts, our homes, our families, and our future. Lead us, guide us, and help us faithfully follow You.


In Jesus’ name, amen.