The Five False Needs

August 18, 2024 | Josh Bayne


There is a grand story to life and I am not the main character


Discussion Questions

Start Talking  

  • Which of the “Big 5” false needs do you struggle with the most? (Control, Perfection, Having the Answer, Being there for others, Approval)

    • How does it impact your life?

  • What was your response to the definition of self-righteousness that was given? (Depending on myself the make everything right)

    • How does that differ from how you previously thought about self-righteousness?

  • Reflect on a time when you felt God’s presence strongly. How did it impact your confidence and actions?


Read This

  • Read Exodus 3:1-11

    • Have you ever been in a season where you felt like you were in the wilderness and had no purpose? What thoughts about your purpose and calling did you have in that season?

    • Moses heard God speaking to him in the wilderness. Literally from a burning bush. What was Moses’ initial response?

    • Can anybody relate to Moses here? Do you have something really daunting ahead of you and feel like you can’t do it?

  • Read Exodus 4:1-13

    • How have you bargained and negotiated with God to try to get out of doing something that He has called you to do?

    • What excuses did Moses come up with? What excuses do you come up with?

    • Do you have a “Please send someone else” scenario in your life right now?

  • Read Exodus 18:17-23

    • Moses goes from I can’t do, to I have to do it all. In what scenarios or seasons of life do you feel like you have to do it all? No one else can do it like me. 

    • What was Moses’ father-in-law’s response to Moses?

  • Read Exodus 3: 12-14

    • What does God tell Moses in verse 12?

    • Why does it matter that God will be with him?

    • In what ways did Moses need the I AM God to help him to do what he was called to do?


What Now

  • What practical steps can you take to rely more on God’s presence and less on your own self-righteousness?

  • In what areas of your life do you need to let go of control or perfectionism? How can you start to make those changes?

  • How can you use the assurance that “I AM with you” to address fears or uncertainties in your current season of life?

  • How can we as a community support each other in overcoming false needs and embracing God’s assurance?

  • If you absolutely knew God was with you, what is one risk or challenge you would be willing to face?


That’s the gospel: you don’t have to be your own savior. Jesus says, “I AM.”



Additional Series Resources

Bible Reading Plan

Song: Waymaker by Leeland

Book: The Expectation Gap by Steve Cuss