Defying Destiny and Changing Fate in God Of War: Ragnarök [Free]
A Bible Study on the video game Sifu
Not sure where to get started? Find our 101 Guide to using our curriculum here.
Opening Prayer
Begin with a prayer that sets the tone for the study, asking for openness and understanding as participants delve into the themes of light, darkness, and the Holy Spirit's guidance.
Sample Prayer:
God, help us focus less on fear about “what’s coming” and more on faithfulness right now. Shape our hearts to love the least, the last, and the lost the way You do. Give us courage to live with purpose, not panic. Amen.
Prep Questions
When a game (or movie) gives you a prophecy/vision of the future, do you usually assume it’s locked in or changeable?
What hits harder for you: the fear of what might happen, or the responsibility of what you should do?
In God of War terms: are you more like Kratos (protect, prepare, redeem) or Atreus (learn, question, defy expectations) lately?
Link to Video
Shortened Transcript
God of War: Ragnarok centers on prophecy, fate, and destiny—and whether you can defy what’s “supposed” to happen.
Kratos and Atreus respond differently: the story shifts from “How do we survive?” to “Who will we become?”
The sermon connects this to Matthew 25:32–45 (sheep and goats), where Jesus describes judgment in a surprising way:
The “sheep” are welcomed because they fed, gave drink, welcomed, clothed, cared for, and visited “the least of these.”
The “goats” are rejected because they didn’t do those things.
The punchline: this isn’t about obsessing over end-times charts—it’s about living like Jesus right now.
Big contrast:
Destiny has victims. Purpose has contributors.
Knowing the future isn’t the point; loving people is the point.
Practical application: treat real people as if they’re Jesus in disguise—because, in a very real way, they are.
Guided Questions
1. What surprises you most about Jesus’ “sheep and goats” story?
In the passage, what is the only clear difference between the sheep and the goats?
The sermon says: “It’s not just about doing good; it’s about being good.”
What do you think that means in real life?How does Ragnarok’s idea of prophecy connect to how people obsess over “the end times” today?
Compare Odin and Kratos as sermon symbols:
Odin = trying to control outcomes / use knowledge for power
Kratos = changed by relationship / trying to prevent harm
Which one feels more tempting to become, and why?
“Destiny has victims. Purpose has contributors.”
Where do you feel “stuck” (victim mode)? What would “contributor mode” look like?Jesus lists six kinds of love: feed, give drink, welcome, clothe, care, visit.
Which one do you naturally do well? Which one do you avoid?
Activity
“Least of These” Map (10–15 minutes)
Give everyone a pen and paper (or notes app).
Write the six actions in a column:
Feed
Give drink
Welcome
Clothe
Care for the sick
Visit the imprisoned (literal or “trapped” in life)
Next to each one, write one real person or group you can think of locally (school, workplace, neighborhood, online community).
Circle one action that feels doable this week.
As a group, share one circle each (no pressure to over-explain).
Optional group challenge: pick ONE shared action to do together this month (a meal train, care packages, visiting/calling shut-ins, mental health support check-ins, etc.).
After Questions
If Jesus “graded” your week by Matthew 25, where would you feel encouraged… and where would you feel exposed?
What’s one way fear about the future distracts you from love in the present?
Who is “the least of these” in your life that you tend to walk past (physically or emotionally)?
What would it look like to “defy destiny” the Jesus way—through love?
Spiritual Practice
One-Week “Sheep Practice”
Pick ONE of the six actions and do it once this week on purpose.
Examples:
Feed: buy a meal, cook for someone, donate groceries.
Give drink: meet someone for coffee and actually listen, no multitasking.
Welcome: invite someone who feels like an outsider into your space/community.
Clothe: donate quality clothes, help someone with a practical need.
Care: check in on someone sick, burned out, grieving, or anxious.
Visit: show up for someone stuck—hospital, homebound, rehab, jail/prison ministry, or someone “imprisoned” by depression/anxiety.
Prayer prompt (daily, 60 seconds):
“Jesus, show me where You are hurting today—and help me love You there.”
Closing Prayer
Conclude with a prayer that acknowledges the Holy Spirit's presence and asks for continued guidance and protection in the journey of faith.
Sample Prayer:
Jesus, forgive us for the times we chase knowledge, control, and predictions instead of compassion. Teach us to see You in the hungry, the lonely, the sick, the stranger, and the forgotten. Give us purpose that’s bigger than fear—love that looks like action. Make us people who reflect You. Amen.
Notes From The Nerd Pastor:
God of War: Ragnarök is a whole story about what people do when they think the ending is inevitable. Odin chases knowledge so he can control the outcome. Kratos learns something better: you may not control the future, but you can control who you become—especially for the people you love.
Jesus does the same thing in Matthew 25. People want a prophecy chart. Jesus gives a love test. He basically says: “You want to know what matters at the end? Then love Me now—by loving the people you’d normally ignore.” And the wild part is: the sheep don’t even realize they were doing it. They were just living like Jesus is real.
So if this sermon teaches anything, it’s this: defying destiny doesn’t look like winning a cosmic battle—it looks like serving the least, the last, and the lost on purpose. That’s how you “pave it yourself.”
Resource Notes:
Find basic information about God of War on the wiki.
Helpful Nerd Terms:
Ragnarök – In Norse myth, the catastrophic “end event” involving the gods; often described as their final destiny/doom (sometimes called “twilight of the gods”).
Prophecy / “End Times” (Eschatology) – Teachings or predictions about the “final things.” In the sermon, Jesus uses end-times imagery to push present-day obedience and love.
Theological Themes:
Love as evidence of faith, Mercy, Service, Compassion, Justice, Sanctification (becoming like Jesus), Discipleship, Neighbor-love, Purpose vs Fatalism, Humility, Hospitality, Caring for the marginalized, Presence, Community, Reconciliation, Spiritual formation.
Other questions? Ask in the comments below!