22 Jan Discussion Guide: Better Together Week 3
Prayer
Take the first 10 minutes of your time together to listen to what God is doing in one another’s lives and pray for any specific needs people in your group may have.
This week we continue series walking through the book of Ruth. The series is called Better Together, and we will be looking at the choices Ruth made, and God used, to impact the world and asking ourselves how we can make those same kinds of choices to impact our world today as a multi-ethnic, multigenerational church community.
Discussion Questions
Think about some of the most impactful events of your life. What smaller events/choices allowed you to experience those major events?
Could those smaller events/choices have gone differently? If so, how would that have affected the larger picture of your life?
Psalm 13
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
How would you say David feels about God in this moment? Why do you think that is?
What ended up being the outcome of his situation?
Though we don’t know when exactly this Psalm was written, we know from scripture that David experienced multiple moments in his lifetime where he struggled to feel like God had not forgotten about him. It could have been when he was on the run from King Saul, or when he was dealing with depression, guilt and shame after killing Uriah and losing the child born to Bathsheba. Or, it could have possibly been during his exile while running from his own son, Abselam. Either way, we know David questioned God’s presence at times in his life. Yet, we also know that God was constantly working behind the scenes through those moments to grow him, mature him and prepare his heart to be the king Israel needed, to be the man after God’s own heart. And, in the end, that is exactly who David became.
Have you ever had a moment in life where you wondered if God was actually paying attention? Or where you felt God had abandoned you?
How did that situation turn out?
Dr. Timothy Keller, Pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church
“Falling in love in a Christian way is to say, ‘I am excited about your future and I want to be part of getting you there. I’m signing up for the journey with you. Would you sign up for the journey to my true self with me? It’s going to be hard but I want to get there.”
What relationships played a part in making those major events happen? How so?
How have you played a part in the major events of someone else’s life?
How did your relationship with these people begin? Do you believe God had a purpose in bringing you together with that person?
What kind of friend does it take to play that kind of role in the life of another?
It takes the kind of person who seeks the welfare of others more than his/her own. It takes the kind of person who looks to provide rest in the lives of others, to love others regardless of how difficult it may be, or whether or not it is deserved. It takes a person who loves others out of the unconditional love they have received from Christ.
Alan Hirsch, Forgotten Way
”In a very real and sobering way, we must actually become the gospel to the people around us—an expression of the real Jesus through the quality of our lives.”
How does the truth of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension show us God is at work in our lives?
How has Jesus provided rest in your life? How has He provided risk in your life?
How does God’s love for you empower and enable you to not just abstain from hating people not like you, but actually pursue people not like you in love?
Closing Thought
What would it look like for this group to have a vision of redemption?