Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 3
Glenn said Satan’s first lie is that God is depriving us (“Has God said…?”); what are the most believable “God is keeping you from something” narratives in your life right now, and how do they reveal what you think God is like?
Another way to ask: Where are you most tempted to believe, “God is holding out on me”? What does that say about what you think God is like?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
Based on the speaker’s teaching, the “God is depriving you” narrative becomes believable whenever we start to assume God’s commands are withholding something good or enjoyable. Those narratives reveal whether we view God as stingy and restrictive or as a good Father who knows what is truly best.
- Glenn points to Genesis: Satan’s suggestion, “Has God said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden,’” implying God is not giving everything.
- He states the lie: “Satan wants us to believe that God is depriving us of something” and “doesn’t have our best interest in mind.”
- He ties this to perception questions: “taskmaster or good father…stingy or generous…killjoy or pleasurable,” and says these answers shape whether obedience is “joyful” or “drudgery.”
- He says Satan “doesn’t advertise the effects of sin” and offers “the cheese” without showing “it’s a trap.”
- Sam later summarizes similarly: the devil says, “Don’t you see all the things that you’re missing out on?” while God says those “are actually poison.”