The Prologue (complete as a solo adventure prior to your League meeting)
Read the Introduction and Chapter 1 of Superheroes Can’t Save You; 1 John 1; 1 Corinthians 15:35–49; and Matthew 8:21–27.
1. What defines a hero to you?
2. Name heroes in your own life whom you aspire to be like. They can be from the Bible, from history, your family, or even from a work of fiction.
3. Why did you choose these heroes? Is there a character trait that stands out or that they all have in common? If so, name and describe.
4. Write 1 John 1:3 below.
The League (an adventure together with your small group)
To start off the meeting: Welcome each member of the League and have a time of prayer. Spend a few minutes sharing any meaningful quotes from the assigned readings as well as the insights gained as you completed the Prologue.
5. What is your first memory of Superman? Is he a superhero you like? Why or why not? Has that impression changed over time?
6. On page 12, Miles introduces the idea that many Christians throughout history have “Clark Kent-ed” Jesus. They think Jesus only seemed human but was really only fully God all along, much like Clark Kent was never human but only fully Kryptonian. But the Bible tells us that Jesus was fully human as well as fully God. Both are true of him. Describe a time when you “Clark Kent-ed” Jesus. How have you heard others do so?
7. “The early church was quick to recognize the deity of Jesus. But it was not long before the question arose, how can Jesus be both human and divine at the same time?” (p. 13). Do you struggle with this aspect of Jesus’s identity? Explain how.
8. Describe Docetism in your own words. What is its relation to Gnosticism?
9. “Gnosticism’s core tenet was that secret knowledge was necessary for salvation, and that God, who was good and spiritual, could have no direct interaction with the material world. The goal of humanity was to escape the confines of the material world, both now . . . and in the life to come” (p. 15). How have you witnessed this heresy? Share examples from your own life or your family, school, or culture.
10. Miles says this kind of dualism—the teaching that the material world is inherently evil and the spiritual world inherently good—is completely at odds with biblical Christianity (see p. 15). How does a biblical view of Christ differ from the ideas of Docetism or Gnosticism?
11. How should knowing that Jesus was fully human shape the way we relate to him and seek him?
12. Consider how Miles himself fell into the Superman heresy (pp. 17–18) in his sharing of the WWJD movement. What gets in your way of seeing Jesus as your legitimate true example for living a life pleasing to God?
13. Have a League member read 2 Samuel 7:12–13 aloud.
When your time comes and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up after you your descendant, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
This is called the Davidic Covenant, and it is one of the most important events recorded in the Bible. What is the Davidic covenant saying (see p. 19)? How does this covenant relate to the reign and rule of Jesus?
14. Read Matthew 8:21–27 and John 4:1–44 aloud, perhaps selecting several readers and breaking up the passage by paragraphs. What goes through your mind when you read of Jesus being hungry, thirsty, or tired? What else do you observe about Jesus from these accounts?
15. Why will the gospel not work if Jesus is not fully human?
16. What other Scriptures from the first chapter stood out to you and why? If applicable, which ones do you want to know more about?
The Fortress of Solitude
17. Read 1 John 1 and re-read pages 24–27 of Superheroes Can’t Save You (the “Why Is This Important?” section). What is your response to what is written in these pages? What is your response ...
