Welcome back! Before you get too far into it, why don’t you guys take a few minutes and talk about what we’re all up to this fall? Here is my update for you:
We took June and July OFF from Lifegroup discussion questions, but I hope you are back in the swing of things for the fall! (Can you believe school has started already??)
Mark 14:1–2 (NLT)
It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”
We talked on Sunday about how the religious leaders were unable to arrest and kill Jesus when they wanted to. What does this reveal about God’s control over the events of our lives?
I only read part of this verse on Sunday… I wanted you to read the whole thought from Paul:
Ephesians 1:9–11 (NLT)
God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
How big is this statement? How enormous AND how meticulous must God’s plan be?
How should this truth shape the way we view the events in our own lives, especially the ones that feel totally out of our own control?
We also talked about seizing control, vs letting Go and trusting in God’s promises. Have you ever done that? How did that work out for you?
Isaiah 55:8–9 (NLT)
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
Why can this be so hard for us to keep in mind?
How can trusting this truth help us when God’s timing doesn’t match our expectations?
What are some promises of God that you tend to forget when life feels uncertain or slow-moving?(Look up a few: Romans 8:28, Philippians 1:6, Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 27:14, Hebrews 10:23.)
Discuss a time when God didn’t act on your timeline, but later you saw how His timing was better. How did that experience shape your trust in Him?
In moments of waiting or confusion, what practical steps can we take to lean into God’s promises rather than our emotions? (Think Scripture, prayer, wise counsel, journaling, etc.)
Sometimes our feelings tell us that God is silent or distant.What promise from Scripture counters that feeling? How can you anchor yourself to that truth?