Two Words: Crush Pride
“Pride is your greatest enemy; humility is your greatest friend.”—C.S. Lewis.
Pride makes everything about us. We’re the center of the universe—it’s all about me…
Prideful men are everywhere; humble, confident men are hard to find. Here’s the reality: God can do anything in a humble man and He won’t do anything with a prideful man. We’ve got to choose what kind of man we want to be.
In this week’s episode, Scott sits down with guest John Sampson for a tag-team dive into key scriptures where we learn what God thinks of pride and how to form a step-by-step approach to crush it out of our lives.
LOCKER ROOM DISCUSSION GUIDE S10E9 - Two Words: Crush Pride
What’s something you take pride in (e.g. accomplishment/achievement, organization/team, position/title, skill/ability, etc.)? How do you maintain a healthy view of this?
We see pride manifest in a number of unhealthy ways throughout the pages of the Bible. How would you define pride in this context? Why is pride considered the root of all sin?
Read Proverbs 26:12 and Romans 12:16. One definition of pride is essentially our belief that we know better than God. This was first evident during the Fall in Genesis Ch.3. What does it mean to be “wise in our own eyes”? Where does pride have the tendency to rear its head in an unhealthy way in your life?
Read Proverbs 8:13, Proverbs 16:5, and James 4:6. The Bible is clear on how God feels about pride. How should we respond in light of this? Despite what Scripture says, why is pride so difficult to let go? Why is pride dangerous, especially for men?
Read 2 Samuel 12:1-9 and Matthew 7:3-5. Nathan’s confrontation of David’s hypocrisy is a great example of what Jesus refers to as the “plank” and the “speck” dynamic in the Sermon on the Mount. Why is it so easy for us to see pride in other people and not in ourselves?
Read Romans 6:5-7, Galatians 2:20, and Ephesians 4:22-24. When we reflect on who we are in Christ and what God has done for us, our response should be gratitude and humility. Why is it critical for us to understand our new identity in Christ? How does this help us keep our pride in check?
Read Philippians 2:5-8. Humility is considered the antidote to pride. Based on this text, we see how Jesus modeled this for us at the highest level. Who in your life exemplifies humility? Why is humility such an attractive trait?
Read Proverbs 15:31-33 and Proverbs 19:20. It takes humility to allow others to speak the truth in love to us, receive it graciously, and respond accordingly. Who is allowed to speak into your life? How do you receive their feedback?
Read Matthew 20:26-28 and Philippians 2:3-4. It also takes humility to serve others. Can you think of someone who has gone above and beyond to serve you during your lifetime? What did that mean to you? Who is God calling you to serve during this season?
As men, we need to intentionally confront and crush the unaddressed pride currently in our lives. For a short, compelling read about biblical humility, grab a copy of The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller.
