It Is Written
-- Fighting with the Word of God --
The battles you face won't be won by positive thinking or sheer determination.
They'll be won by God's truth. When Jesus was tempted, discouraged, and attacked, He answered with Scripture. Every time.
This October, discover how to use God's Word the way it was intended: not just as something to read, but as a weapon to fight temptation, overcome lies, build lasting habits, and bring hope to others. Learn how to stand confidently and declare, "It is written."
SERMON NOTES | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4
Service Guides
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Topical Scripture List
Topic: “Can I know that I belong to Christ?”
John 3:16: Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life and will not perish.
John 5:24: Whoever hears Christ’s word and believes the Father has eternal life, has passed from death to life, and does not come into condemnation.
John 6:37: Jesus will never cast out the one who comes to him.
John 10:27–29: Christ’s sheep receive eternal life; no one can snatch them from his or the Father’s hand.
Romans 8:1: There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:38–39: Nothing in all creation can separate believers from the love of God in Christ.
Romans 10:9–13: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Ephesians 1:13–14: Those who believe are sealed with the Holy Spirit, the guarantee of their inheritance.
Philippians 1:6: God will bring to completion the good work he began in believers until the day of Christ.
1 John 5:11–13: Those who believe in the Son may know that they have eternal life.
Promise to claim: Salvation rests on Christ’s work and promise, not on the believer’s fluctuating feelings or performance.
Topic: “Can God forgive me after what I have done?”
Acts 10:43: Everyone who believes in Christ receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
Romans 5:1: Those justified by faith have peace with God through Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:8–9: Believers are justified by Christ’s blood and saved from wrath through him.
Ephesians 1:7: In Christ believers have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:13–14: The Father delivers believers from darkness and grants redemption and forgiveness in his Son.
Colossians 2:13–14: God makes believers alive with Christ, forgiving their trespasses and canceling the debt against them.
Hebrews 4:14–16: Because Jesus is the great High Priest, believers may draw near confidently for mercy and timely grace.
1 John 1:9: If believers confess their sins, God is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse them.
1 John 2:1–2: When believers sin, they have Jesus Christ as their righteous advocate before the Father.
Promise to claim: Forgiveness is real and grounded in Christ’s atoning work. Confession is not a payment for sin; it is the believer’s honest return to the God who has provided cleansing.
Topic: “What can I hold onto when fear takes over?”
John 14:27: Jesus gives his disciples his peace; therefore they need not let their hearts be troubled or afraid.
Romans 8:15–16: Believers have received the Spirit of adoption, who testifies that they are God’s children.
Philippians 4:6–7: As believers bring requests to God with thanksgiving, the peace of God guards their hearts and minds in Christ.
2 Timothy 1:7: God has given believers a Spirit characterized by power, love, and self-control rather than cowardice.
Hebrews 13:5–6: God’s people may live without slavery to covetous fear because he says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
1 Peter 5:7: Believers may cast all their anxieties on God because he cares for them.
1 John 4:17–18: God’s perfected love removes fear associated with final judgment and punishment.
Promise to claim: God does not promise an absence of frightening circumstances, but he promises his peace, fatherly care, adoption, and abiding presence in the midst of them.
Topic: “What if I do not know what to do?”
James 1:5–6: If a believer lacks wisdom, that person should ask God, who gives generously and without reproach; wisdom will be given when asked in faith.
Romans 12:1–2: As believers are transformed through renewed minds, they grow in discerning what accords with God’s will.
Philippians 1:9–10: Paul prays that believers’ love will grow in knowledge and discernment so they can approve what is excellent.
Colossians 1:9–10: Paul prays that believers will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will through spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Ephesians 5:15–17: Believers are called to understand what the will of the Lord is.
Promise to claim: James 1:5 is the central promise: God generously gives wisdom to believers who ask him in faith. The surrounding passages describe the ordinary means through which wisdom matures—renewal, Scripture-shaped discernment, prayer, obedience, and spiritual maturity. James explicitly connects this wisdom to facing trials, rather than promising a private revelation for every choice.
Topic: “I do not feel strong enough.”
John 15:4–5: Those who abide in Christ bear fruit; apart from him they can do nothing of lasting spiritual value.
Romans 8:26–27: The Spirit helps believers in weakness and intercedes according to God’s will.
2 Corinthians 12:9: Christ’s grace is sufficient, and his power is made perfect in weakness.
Ephesians 3:16–17: The Father strengthens believers with power through his Spirit in their inner being, so that Christ dwells in their hearts through faith.
Philippians 2:13: God works in believers both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Philippians 4:11–13: Christ strengthens believers for contentment and faithfulness in both abundance and need.
Hebrews 4:16: Believers receive mercy and find grace for help in time of need.
Promise to claim: Christ’s strength is sufficient for faithful obedience, endurance, contentment, and service. Philippians 4:13 should not be used as a promise that Christians can accomplish every ambition or achieve every outcome they desire.
Topic: “Can I really resist sin?”
Romans 6:6–7: Through union with Christ, believers are no longer enslaved to sin’s ruling power.
Romans 6:14: Sin will not have dominion over believers, because they are under grace rather than law.
Romans 8:12–13: By the Spirit, believers can put to death the deeds of the body and live.
1 Corinthians 10:13: God is faithful; he does not permit temptation beyond what believers can endure, and with temptation provides a way to endure it faithfully.
Galatians 5:16: As believers walk by the Spirit, they will not carry out the desires of the flesh.
Hebrews 2:18: Because Christ suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
James 4:7–8: As believers submit to God and resist the devil, the devil will flee; as they draw near to God, he draws near to them.
1 John 4:4: The One who is in believers is greater than the one who is in the world.
Promise to claim: Believers are not promised effortless sinlessness in this life, but they are promised Christ’s help, the Spirit’s power, God’s faithfulness, and liberation from sin’s ultimate mastery.
Topic: “Am I truly alone?”
Matthew 28:20: Jesus promises to be with his disciples always, to the end of the age.
John 14:16–18: The Father gives another Helper, the Holy Spirit, to be with believers forever; Jesus does not leave his disciples as orphans.
John 14:23: The Father and Son make their home with the one who loves Christ and keeps his word.
Romans 8:9–11: The Spirit of God dwells in believers; the Spirit who raised Jesus will give life to their mortal bodies.
1 Corinthians 3:16: God’s Spirit dwells among his people, the church.
1 Corinthians 6:19–20: A believer’s body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 2:19–22: Believers are members of God’s household and are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Hebrews 13:5: God will never leave or forsake his people.
1 Peter 2:9–10: Those who were not God’s people are now God’s people and recipients of his mercy.
Promise to claim: In Christ, believers are not abandoned individuals. God is present with them by his Spirit and has placed them within his household, the church. Hebrews 13:5 applies God’s enduring presence to the Christian community’s contentment and confidence.
Topic: “Does God hear me when I pray?”
Matthew 7:7–11: The Father gives good things to his children who ask him.
John 15:7: As believers abide in Christ and his words abide in them, they may ask and their requests will be done.
John 16:23–24: Jesus invites his disciples to ask the Father in his name, that their joy may be full.
Romans 8:26–27: The Spirit helps in weakness and intercedes for believers according to God’s will.
Philippians 4:6–7: Prayer is met with the guarding peace of God.
Hebrews 4:14–16: Through Christ’s priesthood, believers can approach God’s throne with confidence.
James 1:5: God gives wisdom to believers who ask in faith.
1 John 3:21–22: Believers have confidence before God as they live in obedience to him.
1 John 5:14–15: God hears believers when they ask according to his will.
Promise to claim: God hears the prayers of his children and gives what is truly good, wise, and consistent with his will. This is not a guarantee that every request will be answered in the timing, form, or outcome a person prefers.
Topic: “Will God take care of me?”
Matthew 6:31–33: The Father knows his children need food, drink, and clothing; as they seek first his kingdom and righteousness, these necessities will be provided.
Matthew 7:9–11: The Father gives good things to his children who ask him.
Luke 12:32: The Father delights to give his people the kingdom.
2 Corinthians 9:8: God is able to make grace abound so that believers have sufficiency for every good work.
Philippians 4:19: God supplies every need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 6:17: God richly provides what people need for enjoyment.
Promise to claim: God promises faithful care and provision for his people, especially what is needed for life, faithfulness, and good works. He does not promise uniform comfort, a specific income, immunity from material hardship, or personal wealth.
Topic: “Where is God when life hurts?”
John 16:33: In Christ believers have peace; in the world they will have tribulation, but Christ has overcome the world.
Romans 5:3–5: Suffering produces endurance, tested character, and hope; hope does not put believers to shame because God’s love has been poured into their hearts by the Spirit.
Romans 8:18: Present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory to be revealed.
Romans 8:28–30: God works all things for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose—namely, conformity to the image of his Son.
2 Corinthians 1:3–5: God comforts believers in affliction so that they can comfort others.
2 Corinthians 4:16–18: Outer life may waste away, but inward renewal continues; present affliction is preparing eternal glory.
James 1:2–4: Trials test faith and produce steadfastness, leading toward maturity.
1 Peter 1:6–7: Trials test and refine faith, which results in praise, glory, and honor at Christ’s revelation.
1 Peter 5:10: After believers have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish them.
Promise to claim: Christians are not promised a painless life. They are promised Christ’s victory, God’s comfort, purposeful sanctification, sustaining grace, and future glory. Romans 8:28 does not call evil good; it promises God’s sovereign redemptive work through all things for his people’s ultimate conformity to Christ.
Topic: “What if I feel like giving up?”
Romans 8:31–39: If God is for believers, no accusation or suffering can separate them from his love in Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:58: Labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Galatians 6:9: Believers will reap in due season if they do not give up in doing good.
Philippians 1:6: God will complete the work he began in believers.
Hebrews 4:14–16: Believers can hold fast their confession and draw near for mercy and grace.
Hebrews 10:35–36: Believers are called to endurance and assured that faithful confidence has great reward.
Hebrews 12:1–3: Jesus’ endurance enables believers to run their race without growing weary or fainthearted.
James 1:12: The one who remains steadfast under trial will receive the crown of life promised to those who love God.
1 Peter 1:3–5: Believers have a living hope and imperishable inheritance, guarded by God’s power through faith.
Promise to claim: Perseverance is not meaningless self-effort. God preserves his people, Christ intercedes for them, their labor matters eternally, and their inheritance is guarded by God’s power.
Topic: “Am I stuck this way forever?”
John 8:31–32: Those who abide in Christ’s word know the truth, and the truth sets them free.
John 8:36: If the Son sets someone free, that person is free indeed.
Romans 6:4: Those united with Christ in his death and resurrection may walk in newness of life.
Romans 8:11: The Spirit who raised Jesus dwells in believers and will give life to their mortal bodies.
2 Corinthians 3:18: Believers are progressively transformed into Christ’s image by the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 5:17: Anyone in Christ is a new creation.
Galatians 5:22–23: The Spirit produces godly fruit in believers’ lives.
Philippians 1:6: God continues and completes the work he began.
Philippians 2:13: God works in believers to desire and do what pleases him.
1 Thessalonians 5:23–24: God is faithful; the One who calls believers will do the work of sanctifying and preserving them.
Promise to claim: Change is possible because believers are united to Christ and indwelt by the Spirit. Growth is normally progressive, often difficult, and never reducible to instant moral perfection.
Topic: “How can I stand against spiritual opposition?”
Matthew 16:18: The gates of Hades will not overcome Christ’s church.
Ephesians 6:10–18: God provides his armor so believers can stand against the devil’s schemes.
Colossians 1:13: The Father has delivered believers from the domain of darkness and transferred them into the kingdom of his Son.
Colossians 2:13–15: Christ disarmed the rulers and authorities through the cross.
Hebrews 2:14–15: Through death, Christ destroyed the one who has the power of death and frees those held in lifelong fear of death.
James 4:7: As believers submit to God and resist the devil, the devil flees.
1 Peter 5:8–10: Believers can resist the devil firmly in faith, and the God of all grace will restore and strengthen them after suffering.
1 John 4:4: The One in believers is greater than the one in the world.
Revelation 12:11: God’s people conquer through the Lamb’s blood and faithful testimony.
Promise to claim: Christ has decisively defeated the powers of darkness, and believers can stand in his strength. This does not authorize reckless behavior, spiritual pride, or a claim to control every circumstance or evil spirit.
Topic: “Can God help me love difficult people?”
John 13:34–35: Christ gives his followers the new command to love one another as he has loved them; this love identifies them as his disciples.
John 15:9–12: Christ’s disciples remain in his love as they keep his commands, especially the command to love one another.
Romans 5:5: God’s love has been poured into believers’ hearts through the Holy Spirit.
Romans 12:18: As far as it depends on them, believers are to live peaceably with all.
Ephesians 4:31–32: Believers are to put away bitterness and forgive one another as God in Christ forgave them.
Colossians 3:12–14: God’s chosen people are called to compassion, humility, patience, forgiveness, and love.
1 John 4:11–12: As believers love one another, God’s love is made visible and brought toward its intended completion among them.
1 John 4:19: Believers love because God first loved them.
Promise to claim: Most of these passages are commands and gospel realities, rather than unconditional promises. The assurance is that God has poured his love into believers’ hearts by his Spirit and calls them to reflect the forgiveness they have received.
Topic: “Does my life have lasting purpose?”
Matthew 5:14–16: Christ’s followers are the light of the world, called to display good works that give glory to the Father.
Matthew 28:18–20: The risen Christ commissions his disciples to make disciples and promises his presence to the end of the age.
Ephesians 2:10: Believers are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works prepared beforehand for them to walk in.
Philippians 2:13: God is at work in believers, giving both desire and power for what pleases him.
1 Peter 2:9: God’s people are called out of darkness to proclaim his excellencies.
1 Peter 4:10–11: Each believer receives gifts to serve others as a steward of God’s varied grace.
1 Corinthians 15:58: Work done in the Lord is never empty or wasted.
Promise to claim: God has made believers for good works, provides gifts and strength for service, and ensures that labor done in the Lord has eternal significance.
Topic: “What happens when a believer dies?”
John 11:25–26: Jesus is the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in him will live even though he dies.
John 14:1–3: Jesus prepares a place for his people and will come again to receive them to himself.
Romans 8:11: The Spirit who raised Jesus will give life to believers’ mortal bodies.
1 Corinthians 15:51–57: At Christ’s return, believers will be transformed and death will be swallowed up in victory.
2 Corinthians 5:1–8: Believers have an eternal dwelling from God and can be confident that to be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord.
Philippians 1:21–23: To depart and be with Christ is far better.
Philippians 3:20–21: Christ will transform believers’ lowly bodies to be like his glorious body.
1 Thessalonians 4:13–18: The dead in Christ will rise first; all believers will be with the Lord forever.
Titus 2:13: Believers await the blessed hope: the appearing of the glory of Jesus Christ.
1 John 3:2–3: When Christ appears, believers will be like him because they will see him as he is.
Revelation 21:1–5: God will dwell with his people, make all things new, and abolish death, grief, crying, and pain.
Revelation 22:3–5: The curse will be no more; God’s servants will see his face and reign with him forever.
Promise to claim: The Christian future is bodily resurrection, life with Christ, the renewal of creation, and the end of death and curse—not merely escape from earth or a vague spiritual afterlife.