Based on the message by Pastor Chad Everett
Overview
Before Adam and Eve ever had physical bodies, before they ever faced temptation, pressure, or human reasoning, God spoke directly to their spirit and established His original design for how life on earth was meant to function. He created them spiritually, formed them physically, and declared that the spiritual realm is the governing realm. This message calls us back to that beginning—to see our identity, authority, and purpose the way God intended, not the way the natural world has trained us to think.
Chad reminded us that:
“How I feel is not what’s real. What God says is what’s real.”
We are called to live spirit-first, not circumstance-first. Dominion begins with hearing God’s voice, agreeing with what He has spoken, and resisting every other voice that competes for our agreement.
How to Use This Study Guide
This guide is designed for both individuals and Roads Groups and follows a simple Read • Reflect • Respond rhythm.
For Groups:
When used in a group, the Reflect portion invites each person to pause and consider what is happening in their own heart—these are self-awareness questions meant to help us notice where our expectations, beliefs, or attitudes may or may not match God’s intentions. People may share, but they are not expected to. The Respond portion shifts the focus from inward awareness to outward alignment, helping the group discuss what God’s Word teaches and how to act on it together.
For Individuals:
Reflect becomes a time of journaling or prayerful listening, while Respond becomes digging into and studying the truth of Scripture and the message. Open up your Bible & take notes.
Whether you are studying alone or with others, allow God’s Word to shape your expectations so they reflect His original design.
SECTION 1 — SPIRITUAL CREATION BEFORE PHYSICAL FORMATION
READ
Read Genesis 1:26–27 and Genesis 2:7.
Then read this key quote from the sermon:
“There is a spiritual creation before there is a physical formation.”
Definitions from sermon notes:
- tselem — image: likeness, resemblance, representation
- demûwth — likeness: essential nature, character, moral and spiritual capacity
- yâtsar — formed: shaped, fashioned from existing material
REFLECT
God spoke identity, purpose, and authority into humanity before giving them physical bodies. That means:
- Your spirit is the truest part of you.
- God speaks to who you are, not just what you feel.
- Spiritual truth exists before physical experience aligns.
Ask yourself:
- Do I find my identity more in what I feel or what God has said?
- Where have I allowed physical circumstances to define my spiritual reality?
- Am I living spirit-first or body-first?
RESPOND
- According to Genesis 1:26–27, what did God speak into humanity before forming their bodies?
- How does knowing you were created spiritually change the way you see your struggles?
- What spiritual truth do you need to return to that existed before your current circumstances?
SECTION 2 — THE SPIRITUAL REALM HAS DOMINION OVER THE PHYSICAL REALM
READ
Read Genesis 1:28, Hebrews 11:3, and John 6:63.
Study these definitions:
- kabash — subdue: to conquer, restrain, bring into order
- radah — dominion: rule, govern, bring under authority
- rûach — spirit: breath, wind, animating force
- logos/rhema (spoken word): word that creates, frames, shapes reality
From the sermon:
“Spiritual words create physical things.”
REFLECT
Dominion was given to Adam and Eve before there were problems—because dominion was not about fighting people but ruling over what was created.
Reflect:
- Do I treat the spiritual realm as more real than the physical realm?
- Where do I let my feelings speak louder than God’s Word?
- What would shift in my life if I really believed God’s Word frames my world?
RESPOND
- What verbs do you see in Genesis 1:28, and what do they reveal about God’s intention?
- Which definition confronts the way you see your authority—subdue or have dominion?
- What circumstance in your life needs to be brought under spiritual truth rather than emotional reaction?
SECTION 3 — SUBDUING & HAVING DOMINION: THE BATTLE OF VOICES
READ
Read Genesis 3:1–7 and John 10:4–5.
From the sermon:
“My subduing and dominion do not overpower people but overpower voices.”
“Consider the source.”
Definitions:
- ʿârûwm — cunning: deceptive, manipulative, subtle
- akouō (hear): to understand, to recognize, to attend to
- phōnē — voice: sound that carries authority or influence
REFLECT
The first challenge to dominion was not a physical attack—it was a voice.
The serpent questioned God. Eve added to God’s words. Adam stayed silent.
The battle was over:
- Who they would listen to
- Who they would agree with
- Whose voice would define reality
Reflection questions:
- Whose voice has been the loudest in my life—God’s, the enemy’s, or my own reasoning?
- Where have I accepted thoughts that do not align with Scripture?
- Where have I been passive—like Adam—when I should have spoken truth?
RESPOND
- What thought patterns in your life come from voices that are not God?
- What does it mean for you personally to “consider the source”?
- How can you practice resisting voices that contradict the Word this week?
SECTION 4 — AGREEMENT & AUTHORITY: ALIGNING WITH GOD’S VOICE
READ
Read Genesis 3:8–13 and revisit John 6:63.
From the sermon:
“Authority is about agreement. Who do we align with?”
“What God says is what’s real.”
Definitions:
- homologeō — confess/agree: to say the same thing as God
- logos — word: God’s truth, His voice, His reality
- epignōsis — full knowledge: discernment rooted in relationship
REFLECT
Adam’s downfall was not deception—it was misplaced agreement.
He heeded the voice of his wife over the voice of the Lord.
Agreement determines:
- Whose influence we walk in
- What authority is active in our lives
- What reality governs us
Reflect:
- Where have I agreed with something God didn’t say?
- What area of my life reveals misplaced agreement?
- How is God inviting me to align my expectations with His intentions?
RESPOND
- What voice do you need to stop agreeing with?
- What truth from Scripture do you need to align your thoughts with today?
- Where is God calling you to step into spiritual authority through agreement with His Word?
UNIFIED WEEKLY APPLICATION
For the next 7 days, choose one specific area where your expectations need to come into alignment with God’s spiritual reality. This could be:
- Your identity
- Your thought life
- A relationship
- A circumstance influenced by fear or emotion
- A place where you have agreed with the wrong voice
Then practice this rhythm each day:
1. Anchor It in Scripture
Choose one key passage that speaks to that area (e.g., Genesis 1:26–28; Hebrews 11:3; John 6:63; Genesis 3:1–13). Read it out loud daily.
2. Write a Truth Statement
Turn Scripture into a personal declaration.
Examples:
- “God’s Word is spirit and life; my feelings do not define me.”
- “I will agree with God’s voice, not the enemy’s voice.”
- “The spiritual realm governs the physical, so I will speak God’s Word.”
3. Pray and Realign
Ask Holy Spirit:
- “Whose voice am I believing today?”
- “Where are my thoughts out of alignment with Your Word?”
4. Act on It Intentionally
Take one step each day that matches God’s truth:
- Speaking Scripture
- Resisting a lie
- Setting a boundary
- Praying instead of reacting
- Aligning your words with His