Finding Favor Week 4 – Discussion Guide
Getting Started
Main Idea: God’s Hand is outstretched and ready to touch you, right where you are.
Introduction: Through God’s hand, His favor is a force already at work. He’s ready to touch, heal, restore, and bring favor to every footstep in your walk, your family, and your ministry.
Discussion Starter: What is the number one distraction in your life?
Encounter God
Primary Scriptures: Psalm 90:17, Psalm 138:7-8, 1 Peter 2:9-10 & 11-12, Matthew 28:19-20
Discussion Questions
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- There are 2 primary reasons we don’t take God’s outstretched hand: our hands are either, doing something that has taken God’s place, or they are in our pockets doing nothing. Which do you lean more heavily toward, busy/distracted or complacent? If you’re busy and distracted, what’s one thing you can stop doing in order to take God’s hand? If your hands are in your pockets and complacent, pray and seek God’s hand for where He should guide you.
- Pastor Chris showed us 3 ways that Christ-followers can reach out and take God’s hand: held up in surrender, together in prayer, and extended out in service. What does it look like to surrender? How regular is your prayer life? When was the last time you served others? Search God’s Word for these 3 areas to align yourself with His calling for you.
- Read Psalm 138:7-8. Discuss God’s role and activity in this scripture. How can this scripture comfort you?
Discovery Bible Method:
For deeper study, as an alternative to the questions above, read 1 Peter 2:9 and use the Discovery Bible Method to explore the passage.
Embrace Others
Suggestion: Consider breaking the group into twos or threes for this section.
Discuss the 3 ways that Pastor Chris said Christ-followers can reach out and take God’s hand: held up in surrender, together in prayer, and extended out in service. Then choose one to focus on this week as a group and communicate with each other about what God does as a result.
Engage the World Around Us
Engaging at Faith Promise: This weekend, Pastor Chris challenged us with the thought that, if we feel like God’s calling on our lives feels just out of reach, “have you stopped serving others?” If this is you, what is one thing you can do this week to serve someone?
Engaging in Community and the World: The hands or Christ-followers should be surrendered, prayerful, and serving. How can you and your group pursue God and meet our community and world in these 3 ways?
Expand God’s Kingdom
Read 1 Corinthians 11:1 If you are seeking to disciple others, are your hands occupied with something that should not be imitated? If so, take your hands out of your pockets or from doing what they should not and reach out to take God’s hand. As scary as it may be to tell someone, “Do what I do as I do what Christ did,” it is our calling.
Leader’s Notes
ALL groups at Faith Promise should follow Jesus Christ and lead others to do the same. Below are the marks of a growing follower and disciple of Jesus.
– A follower of Jesus desires to encounter God through the deeper study and application of God’s Word.
– A follower of Jesus embraces people and values relationships on a deeper level so everyone can grow together.
– A follower of Jesus engages and serves the world around them and in their community, through local partners or God-directed opportunities.
– A follower of Jesus expands God’s Kingdom through development and multiplication of disciple-makers, possibly to lead more groups at Faith Promise.
