Group Discussion & Life Challenge
Use these notes as discussion prompts for your group, or in your personal time with God.
Connect:
Get to know each other. Connect, warm up to each other, fellowship.
Care:
Carry each other’s burdens. Share life’s challenges and practice Soul Care. Pray together.
Challenge:
1. Exodus 34, God claims to be both completely merciful and perfectly just. What evidence would you use if you had to help someone believe that? You could use Scripture, or personal examples.
2. We talked about some barriers for receiving that mercy, one of those being Shame, which tells us, “I am too dirty for God to love.” When you mess up, is your first instinct to hide from God (like Peter) or to try and work your way back into His good graces?
3. Jonah wanted mercy for himself but justice for his enemies. Who is hardest for you to show Hesed (loyal love) to right now because you feel their behavior deserves judgment? What has been helpful to get you in the right mindset?
4. Jesus redefined “neighbor” from a boundary line to an action of mercy. If you lived out Hesed like the Good Samaritan this week so that Jesus could use you in this illustration, whose wounds would you have to bandage? Feel free to pass on this and write it down to share with someone else if you need to.
5. Communion reminds us we are a purchased people. Looking back at Exodus 34 verse 6 and Psalm 103 verse 8, take a moment to discuss how God’s description shows up in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Clarify:
Does anyone need clarity on something? Are there any big God questions you are wrestling with?
Celebrate:
Celebrate life’s successes and God’s provision. Worship God’s presence. Time to brag about God.
BibleApp
Through the Bible in one Year
Join us in reading through the entire Bible in one year. Each day of this plan guides you through passages from both the Old and New Testaments, allowing you to see connections between the history of our faith, and the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan. Readings average four chapters in length, so it is posible to do. When you use the YouVersion Bible App, you can even have the app read the Bible text to you – very useful when you are in the car or otherwise occupied with your hand.
All you need to do is click the link to the Bible Plan, which should lead you straight to the Bible app. Your two options are now (1) to read the plan on your own, one day at the time. Or (2) you can make it more fun and rewarding, by sharing the plan with one or more friends, and then even “Talk about it”.