COURSE GUIDE
READING PLAN
KILLING KRYPTONITE
If you enjoy reading, then reading the Killing Kryptonite book while going through the course is a brilliant
idea. The book is easy to read and full of information that’s not covered in these lessons. You can complete
the course without the book, but the best course experience involves the book. While there are a good
number of chapters in Killing Kryptonite, I designed them to be short, taking no more than ten to fifteen
minutes to read.
INTRODUCTION 1
LESSON 1: OUR POTENTIAL 2
READ: CHAPTERS 1–3
LESSON 2: THE POWER OF ONE 5
READ: CHAPTERS 4–7
LESSON 3: KRYPTONITE 8
READ: CHAPTERS 8–10
L E S S O N 4 : M O D E R N I D O L AT RY 11
READ: CHAPTERS 11–14
LESSON 5: A KNOCKOFF JESUS 14
READ: CHAPTERS 15–18
L E S S O N 6 : T H E S TA RT I N G P L A C E 17
READ: CHAPTERS 19–21
LESSON 7: TOLERANCE, TRUTH & LOVE 20
READ: CHAPTERS 22–24
LESSON 8: KILLING KRYPTONITE 23
READ: CHAPTERS 25–28
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES BY LESSON 26
Welcome! I am so glad you’ve decided to go on this journey to eliminate
spiritual kryptonite from your life. This course guide will be central to
your course experience, providing direction for each step along the way.
These lessons were crafted to help you interact with the videos and apply
the content to your life.
While each video contains valuable teachings, this guide is the tool that
connects those teachings to your life, helping you partner with God’s Spirit
to personalize your course experience. Don’t feel pressured to rush throu-
gh the guide; rather, take your time and let these truths sink in.
Before you begin, take a few minutes to pray and ask God to do what only
He can do. May you find grace and peace as you journey further up and
further in to God’s best for your life.
Godspeed!
John Bevere
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LESSON 1
OUR POTENTIAL
LESSON SUMMARY
There’s nothing wrong with being frustrated by the lack of God’s power in our churches today. We cannot
deny a disconnect between what was happening in the New Testament church and what is happening now.
It’s easy for us to point a finger at the church as an institution, but let’s not forget that we are the church.
And individual transformation precedes corporate change. If we are going to see massive change in our
world, that change will have to begin with us, individually.
In the book of Acts, entire cities came to Jesus in a moment, and the gospel swept through regions in a
matter of years (Acts 9:32–35, 19:10). God’s power operated through them so much they had to convince
people they weren’t gods (Acts 10:25–26, 14:8–18). They had worship times so powerful they physically
shook the ground (Acts 4:31). They even had a reputation of being people who had turned the world up-
side down (Acts 17:6).
If the same Spirit of Christ lives in us, why aren’t these types of exploits more common today?
I believe that just like Superman had kryptonite, the church does as well. When Superman draws near
enough to kryptonite, he loses all his powers and becomes even weaker than a normal man. If you look at
the church today—with rates of divorce, pornography use, and sexual immorality as high or higher than
that of the world—it is clear we have some kryptonite among us.
In the lessons ahead, we will learn what this kryptonite is and how to get rid of it, but first we must know
our potential in Christ.
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REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS
You have probably considered God’s greatness before, but what does it mean to you
that you are created in His likeness?
What difference do you see between Christians and the world? What difference do
you think you should see?
What will you do now that you know your potential?
How would your life be different if the sorts of signs that followed the early believers
also followed yours?
Take Action: When we read about the early New Testament church, it’s easy to assume that the power and
miracles they experienced were just for them and not for us. But God is longing for us to have the same
kind of impact today. I want to challenge you to start reading the book of Acts with fresh eyes, and ask the
Holy Spirit to help you read it with a new perspective. Start with two to three chapters and as you read,
insert your name into the stories. Remind yourself that the same Holy Spirit that dwelt in the people of the
early church dwells in you.
S C R I P T U R E R E A D I N G A N D P R AY E R
As you work through this course, I encourage you to read through each Scripture reference listed below.
These are the foundations for the teachings, and God will use them to show you even more about how to
overcome any kryptonite in your life. Look into these passages, take your time with them, and let God
speak to you through them about how to rise up into the fullness of your potential.
As He is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:17 NKJV)
He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you
to share His divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4)
Beloved, now we are the children of God. (1 John 3:2 NKJV)
Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. (1 John 2:6)
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Suggested Reading:
Romans 1:19–20 | Daniel 6:3–4 | 1 Kings 10:21, 27 | 1 Kings 4:25 | Hebrews 8:6 | Acts 17:6 | Acts 4:33–35
Acts 9:32–35, 19:10 | Acts 10:25–26, 14:8–18 | Acts 4:31 | 1 Corinthians 11:30
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I can hardly grasp the life You’ve made possible for me. Please lead, guide, and teach me
what is necessary for me to live as You lived, and then to do even more. You are worthy of this testimony lived
out for the world to see, and I want to live it faithfully!
KEYS TO YOUR POTENTIAL
Scripture tells us that as God is, so also are we in this world. We are not waiting to
become like God, but have been recreated to be like Him here and now. He is our
Father and we are His children, infused with power by His Spirit.
Both the Old and New Testament reveal what is possible for humans to do when the
power of God is with them. These stories should inspire us to pursue God for even
greater works than those seen in past generations.
There is a weakening substance present in the body of Christ that is keeping us from
reaching our full potential. Like kryptonite to Superman, it causes us to be like mere
humans, instead of living in the image of our Heavenly Father. We must learn to
identify and remove this substance from our lives, individually and corporately, to
help the church rise up into all God calls us to.
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LESSON 2
THE POWER OF ONE
LESSON SUMMARY
Can you imagine if a doctor found a small tumor in a man’s body, but refused to tell him about it? He
might have thought, “Oh, well, I don’t want to ruin his day, so I won’t tell him.” But if he doesn’t deliver the
news, the tumor will quite possibly grow until the man dies.
Paul refused to be like this doctor; instead, he warned us that allowing known sin to go unaddressed in the
body of Christ weakens the whole body. Some of you might say, “Well, how can that be? Do you mean that
I will suffer because of someone else’s sin?”
Do you remember when Israel went to march around Jericho? They followed God’s instructions perfectly
and this huge city fell to them without a single casualty in the entire Israelite army. The next city was so
much smaller by comparison that they sent a fraction of the army, yet thirty-six men died.
Why? Because one man had sinned by taking forbidden plunder from Jericho. One man’s sin caused weak-
ness throughout the whole body.
It’s foolish for us to think we are unaffected by blatant sin in our communities. This is why Paul was so ad-
amant that the Corinthians address the man living in flagrant sexual immortality. Paul cared deeply both
for that man and the rest of the church, so he wouldn’t tolerate such an obvious deviation from God’s best.
Shouldn’t we take the same approach?
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REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS
How does it make you feel to know that someone else’s sin can affect you?
Why do you think God takes sin in His body so seriously?
Why do you think God wants us to place such a strong emphasis on our value as a
body?
Take Action: You may or may not be a leader in your church who can address issues of sin in the whole
body, but you can still have a role in strengthening your church by addressing sin in your own life and
learning to confront people in love. Read Matthew 18:15–18 and ask God’s Spirit to speak to you about
how to apply this when needed.
S C R I P T U R E R E A D I N G A N D P R AY E R
That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the
cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ,
you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you
are weak and sick and some have even died. (1 Corinthians 11:28–30)
But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the Lord. A man
named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the Lord was very angry
with the Israelites. (Joshua 7:1)
You must throw this man out . . . Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked
person from among you. (1 Corinthians 5:5, 7)
Suggested Reading:
Psalm 32:4 | Psalm 31:10 | John 9:1–3 | John 5:14 | 2 Corinthians 2:4 | 2 Corinthians 12:15 | 1 Corinthians
10:11, 17–18
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I never knew my sin could have such a huge impact beyond myself! I’m sorry for not tak-
ing this as seriously as You do, but I repent of that today. Please give me Your love and courage to address sin
so that we can all rise up into everything You created us to possess!
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KEYS TO YOUR POTENTIAL
Like a doctor telling a patient they have cancer, we must be willing to tell people
when they are allowing sin to steal their life. While it might be uncomfortable, it is
a deep mercy to tell people when something is compromising them. To keep such
things hidden from people is not real love.
When we allow people to live in blatant sin, it weakens the entire body. One person’s
sin can and does affect the whole body. This is one of the reasons the church is not
reaching its full potential.
We see the power of one person’s sin in the story of Achan and Jericho. One man’s
sin led to thirty-six men dying in battle. This is not a trivial matter, but a matter of
life and death.
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LESSON 3
KRYPTONITE
LESSON SUMMARY
Many people don’t understand how seriously God takes our relationship with Him. God even compares
our relationship with Him to a marriage and considers it adultery when we don’t give ourselves fully to
Him. Every healthy relationship has a known standard that creates an environment for the relationship
to flourish. Understanding God’s standard helps us identify spiritual kryptonite so we can flourish in our
relationship with Him.
We can’t even imagine someone not understanding that marriage means an exclusive relationship. Cer-
tainly, none of us would marry someone who expected to continue dating old boyfriends or girlfriends.
Yet this is how so many of us treat our relationship with Jesus.
Throughout Scripture, God compares our relationship with Him to a marriage. This is also how God spoke
of His relationship with Israel in the Old Testament. Interestingly, every time God spoke to Israel through
the prophets about how they committed adultery against Him, it had to do with the issue of idolatry.
We might think of idolatry as bowing down to statues, but the heart of it is worship. God carefully defines
worship in the story of Abraham and Isaac. Here, we see that worship is obedience. Worship is not just
some slow, beautiful song; it is obedience. No matter how we “perform” in church, if we do not give God
our lives, we are not worshipping Him and are, in fact, living in adultery against Him.
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REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS
How does this understanding of worship change the way you think about Christian
living?
Who in your life has given you a great example of a lifestyle of worshipping God?
What is it about their life that made you choose them?
Have you undervalued God’s commitment to you? How has this affected the way you
interact with Him?
Take Action: Marriages only become adultery-proof with intentional effort, and our relationship with God
is no different. As you consider God’s definition of worship, how can you adultery-proof your relationship
with God? Write down why you love God so much and identify ways you can reveal your love for Him
through your everyday life.
S C R I P T U R E R E A D I N G A N D P R AY E R
As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife,
and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the
way Christ and the church are one. (Ephesians 5:31–32)
Your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. You adulter-
ers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I
say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of
God . . . purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
(James 4:3–5, 8)
“You have been unfaithful to Me, you people of Israel! You have been like a faithless
wife who leaves her husband. I, the Lord, have spoken.” (Jeremiah 3:20)
Suggested Reading:
Isaiah 54:5 | Ezekiel 16:38 | Hosea (his entire life and ministry) | John 3:29 | Matthew 12:39 | Romans
1:19–27
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the eternal lover of my soul. I may not understand that mystery, but I want to be
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faithful to You in every part of my life. Please open my eyes to anything I have let pull me toward adultery
against You and give me grace to thrive in a life of worship to You.
KEYS TO YOUR POTENTIAL
The New Testament is clear that the church is God’s bride and He is our groom. This
means that when we split our devotion between Jesus and the things of the world, we
are committing spiritual adultery against Him.
Spiritual adultery is equated with idolatry throughout the Bible. Idolatry is not only
worshipping statues, but any time we follow our fallen desires instead of following
God, seeking to meet our needs outside of His provision.
God’s attributes are clear through creation, yet when a society hardens their heart
to His ways, God delivers them over to their desires. More and more, their fallen
desires become their god until wisdom is perceived as foolishness and evil is exalted
as good.
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LESSON 4
M O D E R N I D O L AT RY
LESSON SUMMARY
We learned before that idolatry against God is spiritual adultery. But is this really an issue in churches
today? Unfortunately, it very much is.
The root of any kind of adultery is desire, and another word for desire is covetousness. We can see that
Paul directly tells us that covetousness is idolatry (see Colossians 3:5). We may think of idolatry as statues
and all those things, but the root behind it is unrighteous desire.
God has given us the key to overcoming covetousness, and it is contentment. Contentment moves us away
from idolatry and closer to the heart of God, while covetousness distances us from God and drives us to
the altars of idolatry.
This is why the writer of Hebrews said, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such
things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say:
‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” (13:5–6 NKJV).
You can see from this passage how covetousness is clearly the same as adultery. Here we are told to be
content with God, knowing He will meet all our needs. If we turn to some other source outside of Him and
His prescribed means of living, that is idolatry!
Here’s what this means: When a believer knows the will of God, yet intentionally chooses their own desires
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instead, that is idolatry. They have chosen to worship their desires over God, which is the same as self-wor-
ship.
REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS
When you look at your own goals, priorities, and habits, which would you say is
stronger in your life—covetousness or contentment?
What did contentment look like in Jesus’s life?
How can you pursue a life of greater contentment?
Take Action: Write down as many things you can think of that you are thankful for. Keep this list some-
where you’ll see it several times a week and use it remind yourself of what you are thankful for. As you
cultivate thankfulness, you will think of more things to be thankful for. As you do, add these to the list.
Every time you look over your list, thank God from your heart.
S C R I P T U R E R E A D I N G A N D P R AY E R
“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idola-
try. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from
being king.” (1 Samuel 15:23 NKJV)
Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, unclean-
ness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things
the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. (Colossians 3:5–6 NKJV)
Now godliness with contentment is great gain. . . . And having food and clothing,
with these we shall be content. (1 Timothy 6:6, 8 NKJV)
Suggested Reading:
Philippians 4:11 | John 4:34 | Psalm 40:8 | Colossians 3:1–4 | Hebrews 13:5–6 | Joshua 7:21 | James 1:22–24
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I see now how important it is to pay attention to what I desire, not just the choices I make.
I see that following You is about desiring You above all else and making the choice to pursue You first. I choose
to pursue You today and trust You with all my needs.
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KEYS TO YOUR POTENTIAL
Idolatry is hard to see in the church, but it is present nonetheless. When we, knowing
the truth, choose to follow our own desires, that is idolatry.
The desire at the root of idolatry is called covetousness. The only way to combat
covetousness is with contentment. When we are content, placing our trust in God for
our provision, we safeguard ourselves from the unrighteous desires that introduce
kryptonite into our lives.
Idolatry is known disobedience to the will of God. It is not when a believer falls into
sin, but rather when a believer is given over to sin, desiring something against God’s
will and intentionally choosing it over God.
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LESSON 5
A KNOCKOFF JESUS
LESSON SUMMARY
There is an insidious deception that is leading Christians into idolatry even right now. It has led to large
numbers of professing Christians who think they worship God, but who are instead worshipping an idol of
their own creation.
To see what this deception is, think of the story of the golden calf at Mount Sinai. Having grown impatient
while waiting for Moses to return from the mountaintop, Israel made a golden statue to serve as the object
of their worship. Today, we clearly see this as idolatry, but they were confused about that fact. Moses’s
brother, Aaron, even declared that the golden calf was Yahweh, the God who delivered them from Egypt!
They had created a knockoff Yahweh.
In the same way, many professing Christians are creating a knockoff Jesus today. Israel made their knock-
off Yahweh, declaring, “This is the God who saved us from Egypt! This is the God we worship!” But they
didn’t obey the commands the true Yahweh had given them. They didn’t worship Him in truth. Instead,
they used their golden calf as a means to fulfill their unrighteous desires.
This is what people in our churches are doing. They might declare, “Jesus is Lord,” but they pick and
choose which passages of Scripture they want to follow, ignoring any that challenge their ideology. This is
creating a knockoff Jesus—an idol. It is turning Him into a subject of our creation, and not worshipping
Him in truth.
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REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS
How can we hope for salvation from a knockoff Jesus any more than Israel could
have while worshipping the golden calf?
How can we know we are worshipping the true Jesus, not a knockoff Jesus?
Creating a knockoff Jesus begins with shrinking away from His words that make us
uncomfortable. What do you do when Jesus’s words make you uncomfortable?
Take Action (Step 1): A knockoff Jesus is created when we don’t preach and live the full counsel of God’s
Word. We need to be careful to believe what we read, not read what we believe. The latter happens when
we come to Scripture searching to solidify an existing belief. Instead, we should allow Scripture to shape
our belief. I challenge you to read a passage of God’s Word—it can be any of the ones shared in this lesson.
When you come across something that doesn’t make sense, or maybe bothers you, stop! That’s when you
can ask the Holy Spirit to help you believe what you read. Reread it, pray, meditate on it, cross-reference it
with other Scriptures, and repeat as needed until the Holy Spirit illuminates His heart for that portion of
Scripture.
Take Action (Step 2): Ask the Lord to begin showing you from His Word any place in your life where you
have begun agreeing more with the culture of today rather than His eternal Word. Let this be your prayer
every morning when you get up and when you go to bed. If God shows you anything, simply choose to
agree with Him by asking how to respond to His truth, then take action to follow His leading.
S C R I P T U R E R E A D I N G A N D P R AY E R
“This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” So when
Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said,
“Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD.” (Exodus 32:4–5 NKJV)
“I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not
my fault, for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know.” (Acts
20:26–27)
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Suggested Reading:
Exodus 19:3–4 | Exodus 20:19 | Exodus 32:1 | Exodus 32:6 | Exodus 32:25–26
Prayer: Father God, my heart and life are wholly Yours! I do not want to create a knockoff version of You.
Please show me any place where I am picking and choosing what to obey and what not to obey. I will follow
Your voice as You lead me through every stage of life!
KEYS TO YOUR POTENTIAL
The subtlest element that draws believers into idolatry is believing we can choose
only certain parts of God’s Word to obey. When we do this, we can have mostly right
doctrine and declaration, yet still be worshipping an idol of our own creation.
Israel fell into this deception and idolatry when they created the golden calf, yet
called it “Yahweh,” the God who delivered them from Egypt. They used the right
name, but did not obey God’s words, so their declaration was only deception and
their worship was idolatry.
As true Christians, we must proclaim the whole counsel of God, holding nothing
back. We must follow God’s entire Word, or we have deceived ourselves, created a
knockoff Jesus, and are in idolatry.
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LESSON 6
T H E S TA RT I N G P L A C E
LESSON SUMMARY
If we look at what the Bible says, we find that nearly every voice of the New Testament clearly and spe-
cifically says repentance is a necessary part of coming to Christ. The list of people who directly say this
includes Peter, Paul, John, James, other disciples, Jesus Himself, and even God the Father.
What this means is there can be no true faith in Jesus Christ without repentance from known sin. And
what is sin? Sin is the antithesis of God’s best for us.
This means we cannot turn to Christ if we refuse to walk away from things like sexual immorality, gossip,
and unforgiveness.
How can you say you’re a Christian and willfully hang on to these things? The fact is, there are over five
hundred behavioral commands in the New Testament. God gives us these commands because He will
never tolerate what can destroy you—He loves you too much.
But if we hold on to the sins Christ died to deliver us from, we have created a knockoff Jesus, and our faith
is only imagined.
Biblical repentance is the ultimate act of humility, opening our lives to the wonder of God’s grace. In fact,
God promises to give us grace when we humble ourselves (see James 4, 1 Peter 5:5–6). That is why repen-
tance is so important . . . we cannot be ashamed of it. Seekers and professing believers alike must know
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this. It is essential to our faith and salvation!
Repentance means changing our mind so deeply that it changes our personality from the core of our be-
ing. When we turn to Christ, He makes us brand new, giving us the grace to live like Him.
This is biblical repentance—it is the process of being recreated in Christ, reflecting God’s nature and good-
ness to our world. Is there any greater invitation?
REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS
Remember the first lessons that emphasized your potential in Christ? How do you
feel about repentance, knowing it is the first step toward achieving your potential?
How is the fruit of a person’s life different after true repentance compared to before?
Why would someone live like the world when it’s possible to live like Christ?
Take Action: True repentance connects us to the Holy Spirit to receive the grace that changes us. If you
have not experienced the change in your life that comes with true repentance, approach God afresh right
now. Repent for any sinful behavior you have held onto, submit yourself to God, and ask Him to renew
you today. Then begin researching Scriptures that speak specifically to that area. (For example: If it’s anger,
find verses on anger, patience, and kindness). In time, you’ll find that your outlook will change because
it will be replaced by truth. You’ll be able to renounce the old behavior or belief, and experience a deeper
fellowship with God.
S C R I P T U R E R E A D I N G A N D P R AY E R
“I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or
in your homes. I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of
repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.” (Acts
20:20–21)
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ . . . “Behold, I send My messenger before
Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.” (Mark 1:1–2 NKJV)
Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where He had done so many of his mira-
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cles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God. (Matthew 11:20)
Suggested Reading:
Matthew 11:13 | Matthew 3:2 | Matthew 4:17 | Luke 5:32 | Luke 13:3 | Mark 6:12 | Luke 16:30 | Luke 24:47
Act 2:38 | Acts 26:19–20 | Acts 17:30 | Hebrews 6:1
Prayer: Father God, thank You for showing me how important repentance is! I’m sorry for any way I have not
taken this seriously in the past, but I turn afresh to You today. I turn from any sins I have held onto and look
to You to cleanse me from them completely. Thank You for continuing to transform me into Your image!
KEYS TO YOUR POTENTIAL
Creating a knockoff Jesus begins with neglecting true repentance. If we fail to tell
people they must leave their sinful lives behind when they come to Jesus, we have
not presented the full gospel to them and have set them up to be deceived about
their relationship with God.
Repentance is a central message of the gospel. Every written gospel account begins
with John the Baptist, who preached repentance. Jesus and the apostles also taught
the importance of repentance.
True repentance is not a legalistic, religious motion. It is a genuine change of heart
that positions us to receive God’s transforming power.
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LESSON 7
TOLERANCE, TRUTH &
LOVE
LESSON SUMMARY
The call for repentance needed in and from the church today is actually a call for what we need most: true
love. The lack of true love in the church is filling our services, ministries, and homes with two extremes—
tolerance and legalism.
The deception of tolerance is that it can look so much like love. What separates Christian love from world-
ly love is that Christian love obeys God’s commands. This means, if I’m patient, not rude, not jealous, and
not boastful, but am cheating on my wife or if I condone sexual immorality, I am not walking in the love of
God.
True love is marked by both truth and love. Truth apart from love directs us down the road of the letter of
the law, that which kills—legalism. And, sadly, people react to legalism by swinging the pendulum to the
other extreme, avoiding correction and scriptural warnings, which are crucial to the health and building of
the church.
In our society, and with many in the church, genuine love that calls for repentance is perceived as bigoted
and hateful. This stronghold has emerged because many are only considering their life on earth, and not
eternity. When we remember that this life is less than a blink in light of eternity, we live differently. We
must view life in an eternal context to comprehend true love.
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This is the love the church needs now—eternal love, true love—love that will confront sin and call for
repentance, yet also a love that is patient, kind, and gentle.
REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS
Why do you think Jesus made such a point of confronting tolerance?
How would you have compared tolerance and love before this lesson? How would
you compare them now?
How would you describe the difference between true love and worldly love?
Take Action (Part 1): Ask the Lord to show you if there is any area of sin you have begun to tolerate. Ask
Him to show you His heart for you, then invite Him to be Lord over that specific area in your life. Finish
your prayer by asking the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh. Don’t rush through this process, just take your time
to let the Lord speak to you and do His work.
Take Action (Part 2): It’s not always easy to speak the truth in love. But it’s necessary for us to have
truth-tellers in our lives. I want to challenge you to identify the type of friend you’ve been to those closest
to you. Have you behaved more like the friend who was afraid to speak the truth for fear of rejection or
what other people might think of him? Or perhaps you’ve been someone who harshly speaks the truth,
lacking compassion. Either way, ask God to fill you with His love for others, so that you can see people the
way He sees them and speak the truth in love.
S C R I P T U R E R E A D I N G A N D P R AY E R
“I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and
your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these
things. But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that
Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to
commit sexual sin.” (Revelation 2:19–20)
Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all
share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend
the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this be-
cause some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that
COURSE GUIDE | 21
God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. (Jude 3–4)
This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. (1 John 5:3 NKJV)
Suggested Reading:
Ephesians 4:14–15 | Revelation 20:10 | Matthew 25:46 | 2 Thessalonians 1:9 | 2 John 6 | John 14:21 | 2 Tim-
othy 4:2
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I hear clearly Your words against tolerating sin. I see how it is shortsighted to think that
tolerating sin is loving someone, when that sin actually leads to their destruction. Please help me to have the
courage to confront tolerance in my life and the wisdom to know how to do that with love.
KEYS TO YOUR POTENTIAL
Jesus confronted a growing and thriving church because of their tolerance for sin.
This tolerance is prevalent in many churches today and while it looks like love, it
instead opens the door for Christians to walk away from God and His Word.
Many Christians embrace tolerance because it looks like love, but this is because we
do not understand what true love is. Worldly love can imitate godly love, but what
makes them different is that godly love obeys God.
Godly love, true love, requires us to warn people when they are racing toward de-
struction, because it knows eternity waits beyond the short years of this life. When
we view love in light of eternity, we understand how loving it is to confront people
and invite them to repent.
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LESSON 8
KILLING KRYPTONITE
LESSON SUMMARY
There are three different scenarios when it comes to believers and sin.
First, there are professing believers who overlook sin because of their hardened hearts. Second, there are
professing Christians who believe the lie that we are destined to struggle with sin. Sadly, they think the
blood of Jesus is only powerful enough to free us from the penalty of sin, but not from bondage to it. These
two groups, being given to sin, are like kryptonite in the body of Christ, bringing weakness to the entire
body because of their willful disobedience or lack of faith in Christ.
However, there is a third group—believers who are in a struggle to get free from sin. This is the group I
want to address now.
The first thing I want to say is, Jesus will never stop forgiving you. He sees the pain your sin brings you
every time you fall. He knows you truly want to be free. And by His grace, these words today can help you.
I was part of this group for many years because of an addiction to pornography. Nothing I tried brought
me freedom. My freedom didn’t come until I changed my priorities. In the beginning, I wanted God to set
me free because I was worried my sin would get in the way of my ministry. But then my heart shifted, and
I began to focus on how my decisions were affecting my intimacy with Jesus. I started caring about how
my sin affected God.
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Dear friend, God’s power is available to set you free from sin and give you a supernatural life. Pursue godly
repentance, receive God’s forgiveness, and boldly live your new life in Christ.
REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS
Which group of believers, if any of the three, would you say best describes you cur-
rently?
How does it make you feel to know that you can be completely free from the power
of sin?
How does it change the way you think about sin when you consider how it affects
God?
Take Action: If you are struggling to get free from sin, ask God what truth you need to know that will set
you free. Listen for His answer, then write it down. Ask Him what attribute of His is revealed within that
truth and write that down. Ask Him to expose any selfishness that’s rooted in your desire to get free from
sin. Thank God for giving you these answers, then meditate on them every day through prayer to help you
renew your mind.
S C R I P T U R E R E A D I N G A N D P R AY E R
Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of
His wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue
to live in it? (Romans 6:1-2)
“If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive.
Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks
forgiveness, you must forgive.” (Luke 17:3-4)
Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance.
For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in
nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be re-
gretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. (2 Corinthians 7:9–10 NKJV)
COURSE GUIDE | 24
Suggested Reading:
Jeremiah 8:12 | Ephesians 4:32 | Philippians 3:8 | 1 Samuel 15:30 | 2 Samuel 12:13 | Psalm 51:4 | John 8:32
Ephesians 3:20–21 | Genesis 1:26–27
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You so much that I can be completely free from sin! Thank You for showing me not
just the power sin can have in my life, but even more so Your power within me to overcome sin and live a life
that reveals You to my world.
KEYS TO YOUR POTENTIAL
There are three different kinds of believers who sin. The first have hardened hearts
and overlook sin completely. The second believe the lie that we are still sinners by
nature and trapped in the bondage of sin. The third are those who are in a struggle to
get free from sin.
The first two groups of believers are detrimental to the church body because they
continue to practice known sin without repentance. Those in the last group have a
repentant heart, but have yet to discover how to exercise their freedom by the force
of faith.
Worldly sorrow focuses on how our sin affects us, but godly sorrow focuses on how
our sin affects God. Godly sorrow is the kind that leads to true repentance and free-
dom from sin, enabling us to live as the modern-day superhumans God created us to
be.
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KILLING KRYPTONITE SCRIPTURE REFERENCES BY LESSON
LESSON 1
Romans 1:19-20 NLT | 1 John 4:17 NKJV | 2 Peter 1:4 NLT | 2 Peter 1:4 Paraphrase | Daniel 6:3-4 NKJV | 1 Kings
4:25 NLT | Hebrews 8:6 NKJV | Acts 17:6 NKJV | Acts 4:33-34 NLT | Acts 10:26 MSG | Acts 14:14-15 MSG | Acts
28:6 MSG | Acts 19:10 NKJV | 1 John 2:6 NLT
LESSON 2
1 Corinthians 11:28-30 NLT | Psalm 32:4 NLT | Psalm 32:4 MSG | Psalm 31:10 NLT | John 9:2 NIV | John 5:14 NKJV
| 2 Corinthians 2:4 NKJV | 2 Corinthians 12:15 NKJV | 1 Corinthians 11:28-30 NLT | 1 Corinthians 10:11 NLT | 1
Corinthians 10:17-18 NLT | Joshua 6:17-19 NLT | Joshua 7:1, 4, 5, 10, 11, 20, 21 NLT | 1 Corinthians 11:21, 29-30
NLT | 1 Corinthians 5:2,5,7,13 NLT | 1 Corinthians 5:6 NLT
LESSON 3
Ephesians 5:31-32 NLT | James 4:3-5, 8-9 NLT | Isaiah 54:5 NLT | Ezekiel 16:38 NLT | Jeremiah 3:20 NLT | John 3:29
NLT | Matthew 12:39 NIV | Matthew 16:4, NIV | Romans 2:14-15 NLT | Romans 1:19-20 NLT | Romans 1:21-23 NLT
| Genesis 22:5 NLT | Romans 1:24-25, 26-32 NLT
LESSON 4
1 Samuel 15:23 NKJV | Philippians 4:11 NKJV | 1 Timothy 6:6,8 NKJV | Colossians 3:1-4 NKJV | Colossians 3:5-
6 NKJV | Hebrews 13:5-6 NKJV | Joshua 7:21 NKJV | Joshua 7:21 NLT | James 1:23-34 NLT | 1 Corinthians 15:34
NKJV | James 4:2 NKJV | Romans 1:18 NLT | James 1:22 NKJV | James 1:23-24 NLT | Acts 10:26 NKJV | Acts 14:11-
15 MSG | Acts 28:6 MSG | Acts 17:6 NKJV | Acts 5:13 NLT
LESSON 5
Exodus 19:3-4 NKJV | Exodus 20:19 NLT | Exodus 19:24 NLT | Exodus 19:6 NLT | Exodus 32:1 NKJV | Exodus 32:4-
6 NKJV | Acts 20:26-27 NLT | Acts 20:27 AMPC
LESSON 6
Acts 20:20-21 NLT | Mark 1:1-2 NKJV | Matthew 11:13 NIV | Matthew 3:2 NKJV | Matthew 4:17 NJKV | Matthew
11:20 NLT | Luke 5:32 NLT | Luke 13:3 NLT | Mark 6:12 NLT | Mark 16:30 NLT | Luke 24:47 NLT | Acts 2:38 NLT |
Acts 26:20 NLT | Acts 17:30 NLT | Hebrews 6:1 NLT | Matthew 15:19-20 NLT | Proverbs 23:7 NKJV | Matthew 7:16
NLT
LESSON 7
Revelations 2:19-20 NLT | 1 Kings 18:21 MSG | Jude 3-4 NLT | Ephesians 4:14-15 NLT | Revelation 20:10 NKJV |
Matthew 25:46 NKJV | 2 Thessalonians 1:9 NKJV | 1 John 5:3 NKJV | 2 John 6 ESV | John 14:21 NLT | 2 Timothy 4:2
AMPC
LESSON 8
Jeremiah 8:12 NLT | Romans 6:1-2 NLT | Luke 17:3-4 NLT | Philippians 3:8 NKJV | 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 NKJV | 1
Samuel 15:30 NKJV | 2 Samuel 12:13 NKJV | Psalm 51:41 NKJV | John 8:32 NKJV | Ephesians 3:20-21 NKJV | Gene-
sis 1:27 MSG | Exodus 15:13 NLT | Isaiah 42:13 NLT
COURSE GUIDE | 26
Killing Kryptonite: Course Guide
Copyright © 2017 by John P. Bevere, Jr.
Published by: Messenger International, Inc., P.O. Box 888, Palmer Lake, CO 80133-0888
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or
any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the
publisher.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living
Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright ©
1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995,
1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®,
NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan.
All rights reserved worldwide. [Link] The “NIV” and “New International Ver-
sion” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica,
Inc.™
Scripture quotations marked AMPC are taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright © 1954,
1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Written by John Bevere
Edited by Nathanael White and Addison Bevere
Cover and interior design by Allan Nygren
