Questions for Community Groups – Sept 26

The Cousin – Luke 7:18-35

Share about a time that you experienced doubt about your belief in God. Did this doubt draw you closer to God or further away from Him? Did spiritual practices in your life change through this season of doubt? If so, how?

Does doubt in your life make you fearful that you are losing your faith? How is it that doubt can be an opportunity to explore or discover something new? What would this time of discovery look like in your life? What would it include? How can you spiritually and practically let go of your expectations of Jesus to learn something new? 

Sometimes when we express doubts, people are quick to give cliché answers (often with good intentions) that don’t address the foundation of the issue. Do you recall a time when this happened to you? How did you feel about those pat answers? How would you respond now to someone who is expressing doubts?

Pastor Kirk said doubt combined with reflection leads to greater faith. Where in your life has your faith been strengthened because you have wrestled with your doubts? What are the potential outcomes if we don’t take the time to work through our doubts?

This week, here’s how to apply these truths to your life. To whom will you be accountable?

• Identify one expectation of God that is holding you back and choose to let it go. Identify and discuss the roots of your doubt.
• Focus and reflect on who Jesus is, what he is revealing about himself and what he has done for you.
• Choose how you will respond and then act based on that choice, even if you don’t have all the answers.

General Questions

Proverbs 4:20-22 “My son, be attentive to my words…for they are life to those who find them…

WHAT? (This is the ability to understand your reactions to the context of the Scripture and the content of the sermon)

• What excites, inspires, or encourages you about the passage? About the sermon?
• What challenges, jolts, confuses, or even offends you about the passage? About the sermon?

SO WHAT? (This is an invitation to dig down deep into the heart of God whose words have endured for thousands of years in order to be specifically spoken into your life this week)

• What does this tell you about God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, the principles of life, and/or sins to avoid?
• Why does this passage matter to your relationship with God today?
• What other Scriptures do you know that support this passage and the ideas presented in it?

NOW WHAT? (This is the discipline of bearing fruit {James 1:22} by bringing the life of Jesus to a faith-starved world through the power of Holy Spirit)

• How can you personally apply what you have learned to your life and spheres of influence?
• What one thing will you do (or stop doing) in the next seven days because of what you have learned and to whom will you be accountable for this?
• How will this reinforce or change the way you pray for God’s guidance for yourself and others?