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. If someone would ask you to describe God, how would you describe Him?
2. Our views of God’s character are often defined by our circumstances rather than our circumstances being defined by God’s character. In what ways have your circumstances affected your view of who God is?
3. In Exodus 34:6, God describes Himself first as “merciful and gracious.” Why do you think God chose those characteristics first instead of His power or authority? What does that teach us about His heart?
4. How does our understanding of God’s character (merciful and gracious) affect the way we interpret or experience things like suffering, waiting, failure, unanswered prayers, etc?
5. The final challenge of the sermon was to “Reflect His Mercy.” Who in your life needs to experience compassion, forgiveness, or grace from you right now? What does it look like to move toward them in the same way that God moves toward us?
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”.