When Insecurity Talks, Take That Thought Captive

(Based on 2 Corinthians 10:12; Exodus 3:11)

It’s amazing how quickly insecurity speaks up.

You walk into a room and suddenly wonder if you belong.
You open your phone and scroll past a dozen people who seem smarter, happier, better-looking, and more successful.
You start to serve or lead, and a voice whispers, Who do you think you are?

That voice has a name: insecurity.
And if we don’t take it captive, it will take us captive.

In Lesson 4 of Every Thought Captive, we’re challenged to confront the inner critic that lives inside us—the constant comparison, the shame, the self-doubt—and bring it into submission to God’s truth.

Because here’s the thing: insecurity lies. But God doesn’t.

The Trap of Comparison

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 10:12:

“When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.”

Comparison is the breeding ground of insecurity.
And in the social media age, comparison has gone from occasional temptation to constant pressure. We compare jobs, houses, vacations, waistlines, ministries, even families—and almost always, we come up short.

But here’s the truth: You can’t be faithful to your calling while obsessing over someone else’s.

God didn’t create you to run someone else’s race. He created you for your own, and no one else can run it for you.

You’re in Good Company

Insecurity isn’t new. In Exodus 3:11, when God calls Moses to lead, what’s his immediate response?

“Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

That’s the anthem of insecurity: Who am I?

We’ve all sung it.

But God doesn’t reply by hyping Moses up. He doesn’t say, “You’ve got this!”
Instead, He says something much more powerful: “I will be with you.”

In other words: You don’t need more self-confidence—you need more God-confidence.

The cure for insecurity isn’t looking deeper into yourself. It’s looking up and remembering who is with you.

Capturing the Lies

Here’s what taking insecure thoughts captive looks like:

When the voice says, “You’re not enough,” you answer, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

When the thought says, “You’re a failure,” you declare, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

When insecurity says, “You don’t belong,” you say, “I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10).

You don’t argue with insecurity—you replace it.

From Inner Critic to Inner Confidence

We can’t stop every insecure thought from entering our minds—but we can stop them from setting up camp.

This week, ask yourself:

What thought keeps holding you back?

What lie are you tempted to believe about yourself?

And what truth from God’s Word will you use to replace it?

Take every insecure thought captive. Because you’re not who your insecurity says you are.
You are who God says you are.

And that changes everything.

Available on Amazon or as part of the Good Questions Have Groups Talking subscription service at www.MyBibleStudyLessons.com.

Why Using Books as Curriculum Transforms Lives and Creates Disciples

I’ve been in church ministry long enough to make this observation: people don’t change much because of curriculum. But they do change because of books.

Curriculum often gives us bullet points and fill-in-the-blanks. Books tell stories. Curriculum tends to be consumable—used once, then shelved. Books become companions, mentors, and sometimes, life-changers. Curriculum offers information; books offer transformation.

When you hand someone a great book—J.I. Packer’s Knowing God, R.C. Sproul’s The Holiness of God, or Kyle Idleman’s Not a Fan—you’re not just delivering content. You’re giving them access to decades of wisdom, distilled in the voice of someone who has walked the road. These aren’t just Bible lessons; they are discipleship journeys.

Books allow for deeper reflection. They’re portable, personal, and penetrating. People can mark them up, come back to them years later, and say, “This chapter changed my life.” I’ve never heard anyone say that about a six-week DVD series.

When churches use books as curriculum—especially paired with open-ended, discussion-based questions (like the kind in Good Questions Have Groups Talking)—amazing things happen. Conversations go deeper. People become self-feeders. Discipleship becomes a lifestyle, not just a class.

Books are how God has formed many of His people. Augustine was moved by a book. Luther launched a reformation after reading Romans. C.S. Lewis, Dallas Willard, and John Ortberg have shaped generations of believers through pages, not programs.

If your goal is to check the box for another small group quarter, curriculum may do. But if your goal is to see lives changed—start handing people good books. Let them wrestle with big ideas, chew on timeless truths, and soak in the wisdom of those who’ve walked with God.

Discipleship is not about getting through a workbook. It’s about becoming someone new. And books do that best.