The Lie That Starts Small

KEY VERSES:

• Genesis 3:1-3
• John 10:10
• Deuteronomy 30
• John 8:32
• John 11:25
• John 4:14
• John 6:35
• 1 Peter 5:8
• James 4:7

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Series setup: Genesis 3 is where the cracks start.
  • We’re camping in Genesis 3 because the mess we live in has an origin story—and God’s redemption story starts there too.
  • The pattern is still the same today: brokenness rarely begins with an explosion… it begins with “just a…”
• Illustration: “Just a little leak” becomes a crisis.
  • The Dodge Dynasty story: ignoring “small” warnings almost became catastrophic.
  • Point: small leaks usually promise bigger problems are coming if we don’t deal with them early.
• Genesis 3:1–3 — the “original just a.”
  • The enemy starts with a conversation, not a catastrophe. (Genesis 3:1)
  • He twists God’s words: “Did God really say…?” (misrepresents what God actually said). (Genesis 3:1)
• Three ways the enemy still works (and why it’s so effective).
  1. He targets weak spots.
     • The serpent is described as “crafty” (subtle, strategic). (Genesis 3:1)
     • He doesn’t usually come loud—he comes where you’re vulnerable.
  2. He reframes God’s abundance as restriction.
     • God’s posture is “you are free to…” but the lie becomes “God won’t let you…”
     • This shifts the heart from gratitude to suspicion: “Maybe God is withholding.”
  3. He softens clarity until certainty disappears.
     • Eve adds/changes details (“don’t touch it”) and the certainty gets diluted. (Genesis 3:2–3)
     • When clarity gets fuzzy, trust gets weak.
• The downhill slide (how the “small” becomes huge).
  • Confusion → suspicion → distrust → disobedience → brokenness.
  • The fruit isn’t the start—it’s the end result of cracks that started earlier.
• The hopeful turn: two voices, two invitations.
  • The enemy offers confusion, scarcity, and destruction. (John 10:10)
  • God offers clarity, abundance, and real life. (John 10:10; Deuteronomy 30)
  • From the beginning, God’s been saying: choose life, choose Me.
• Three “this week” takeaways to win the fight early.
  1. Know truth. Truth is what keeps lies from taking root. (John 8:32)
  2. Understand how good God is. He’s not withholding—He’s holding out life.
  3. Trust God’s abundant plan. Replace “Did God really say?” with “I trust Him.”

TALK ABOUT IT:

1. What’s a “just a…” decision you’ve been minimizing lately—something small that could become something costly?
2. Where do you notice the enemy hitting you most often—your insecurity, your appetite for comfort, your anger, your need for control?
3. When have you caught yourself thinking God is withholding from you? What does that reveal about what you believe God is like?
4. Why do you think the lie starts with a question (“Did God really say?”) instead of a direct command?
5. Where has your clarity gotten soft—places where you’ve stopped taking God’s words seriously or started “editing” them?
6. Which part of the slide shows up first for you: confusion, suspicion, distrust, or disobedience?
7. What helps you recognize God’s voice more clearly in your everyday life?
8. What would it look like, practically, to “choose life” this week in one area you’ve been compromised?

APPLY IT:

• Identify your “just a…” What’s the small compromise you keep labeling as “no big deal”?
• Name your weak spot. Where are you most vulnerable—approval, comfort, lust, money, anger, insecurity, control?
• Swap suspicion for gratitude. When you feel “God is restricting me,” write down 5 ways God has been generous to you.
• Get specific with truth. Don’t fight vague lies with vague faith—use Scripture to answer the exact lie you’re hearing. (John 8:32)
• Check the “voice” behind the thought. Does it lead to peace and life… or confusion, shame, and hiding?
• Shorten the timeline. Deal with the leak early—confess, ask for help, set guardrails, make the hard change now.
• Repeat one sentence all week: “God is good, and I trust Him.”