Here are some simple, family-friendly discussion starters based on the sermon and Exodus 7. You can pick just a few for one meal and return to others another time.
1. The Big Battle: God vs. Pharaoh
- In your own words, what was the “battle” between God and Pharaoh really about?
- Why do you think Pharaoh kept saying “no” to God even after seeing miracles?
- Have you ever been stubborn about something, even when you knew you were wrong? What happened?
- What does this story show us about how powerful God is compared to human power?
2. The Plagues and the Egyptian Gods
- The sermon said each plague showed a different Egyptian “god” was powerless.
- Which plague do you find most surprising or interesting? Why?
- Why might God have chosen to attack the specific things the Egyptians trusted in (the Nile, the sun, animals, etc.)?
- What do you think the Egyptians might have felt as they watched their “gods” fail?
- If you had lived in Egypt then, what would have convinced you that the God of Israel was the true God?
3. What Is an Idol?
- The sermon defined an idol as “anything that is a rival to God” or “so central to your life that if you lost it, life would feel hardly worth living.”
- Can you explain that in your own words?
- What are some obvious idols people might think of (like statues or carved images)?
- What are some less obvious idols today that people might not realise are idols?
(Examples: money, fame, success, sport, image, phone, gaming, school marks, etc.) - Are idols always bad things, or can good things become idols? How?
4. Spotting Our Own Idols
- The sermon suggested we “follow the trail” of:
- Where we spend most of our time
- Where most of our energy goes
- What gives us the most anxiety
What do you think that might reveal about a person’s idols?
- Without naming anyone else, what are some things you personally care about a lot?
- How can you tell if that thing is becoming too important?
- Have you ever felt more anxious about losing something (or someone’s approval) than about your relationship with God?
- How can we tell the difference between:
- Enjoying something as a good gift from God
- Turning it into a “god” in our lives?
5. Trusting, Loving, and Obeying
- The sermon said people tend to:
- Love their idols
- Trust their idols
- Obey their idols
What might that look like in everyday life?
- What does it mean to “love” God more than anything else?
- What does it look like to “trust” God instead of trusting idols like money or success?
- What does it mean to “obey” God, even when it’s hard or costs us something?
6. The Monkey Trap Picture
- Retell the monkey and coconut story in your own words. What was the point of that illustration?
- What might be the “rice in the coconut” for people today—things they won’t let go of?
- Is there anything in your own life that you sometimes feel you “grip” too tightly?
- What might it look like, practically, to “let go” of an idol?
7. Freedom vs. Slavery
- God’s goal in Exodus was: “Let my people go, so that they may worship me.”
- Why is true freedom always connected to worshipping God, not just “doing what we want”?
- How can idols—like success, approval, or comfort—actually make us slaves?
- The sermon said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
- What do you think Jesus sets us free from?
- What does he set us free for?
- What is one area of your life where you’d like to experience more of Jesus’ freedom?
8. God’s Kindness in the Plagues
- The sermon suggested there was “kindness in the plagues” because they showed the Egyptians that their gods were powerless.
- Do you find that idea surprising? Why or why not?
- Can hard things in our lives ever be used by God to wake us up to our idols?
- It said a “rabble” of non-Israelites left Egypt with God’s people.
- What does that tell you about how some Egyptians responded to what God was doing?
- Have you ever experienced something difficult that later helped you trust God more?
9. Bringing It Home
- If you had to guess, what is one common idol in our home, our culture, or your school?
- Is there any small change we could make as a family to put God more at the centre (for example, how we use time, money, phones, Sundays)?
- What is one good thing in your life that you want to enjoy as a gift from God, without letting it become a “god”?
- Take turns finishing this sentence:
- “This week, I want to trust God instead of trusting _.”
You can end by briefly praying together, for example:
“Lord, show us any idols in our hearts, help us to let go, and help us love you first.”
General discussion starters
How does God’s systematic dismantling of Egypt’s gods through the plagues challenge our understanding of His sovereignty over all aspects of life today?
What are the ‘good things’ in your life that might have slowly become ‘ultimate things’ or idols that compete with God for your devotion?
The sermon suggests that God will either break our idols or break us—what does this statement mean to you, and have you experienced this in your own life?
How does the concept that ‘idols are demanding and always want something’ relate to the anxiety and stress many people experience in modern life?
What does it reveal about God’s character that He gave the Egyptians multiple plagues as opportunities to recognize the weakness of their gods rather than destroying them immediately?
Timothy Keller said God is ‘the only one who, if you find him, can truly fulfill you, and if you fail him, will truly forgive you’—how does this contrast with what our cultural idols offer us?
The ‘rabble of non-Israelites’ left Egypt with the Israelites after witnessing God’s power—what would it take for someone today to abandon their idols and follow God?
How can we identify the trail of our deepest passions to discover where our hearts might be given to idols rather than to God?
Like the monkey trap illustration, what are you holding onto that prevents you from experiencing the freedom God offers, and what makes it so difficult to let go?
Moses and Aaron questioned whether their God was strong enough to defeat Egypt—when have you doubted God’s power in your own battles, and how did that resolve?
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