09 May Discussion Guide: Where Can Wisdom Be Found? Week 15
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.
Suffering…it’s a reality everyone goes through at some point in life. But what does suffering mean? Does it tell us something about ourselves? Does it tell us something about our world? Does it tell us something about God? The answer is a resounding YES. The real question is what does suffering tell us about those things, and perhaps even more importantly is the question of how can we navigate through our suffering in a way that makes us stronger in the end? That is what we will discuss during our time together.
Discussion Questions
Timothy Keller,
“A faith without some doubts is like a human body with no antibodies in it. People who blithely go through life too busy or indifferent to ask the hard questions about why they believe as they do will find themselves defenseless against either the experience of tragedy or the probing questions of a smart skeptic. A person’s faith can collapse almost overnight if she failed over the years to listen patiently to her own doubts, which should only be discarded after long reflection.”
What are some of the apparent reasons for our existence according to our culture, media and universities?
Have you ever been confronted with something that gave you reason to wonder if there really is a purpose to life?
How did you see God purpose that situation for His glory and your joy? If you haven’t seen that happen yet then is it possible that God is doing something bigger than you can imagine in that situation?
How does keeping our heart focused on worshipping Jesus carry us through our difficult moments?
Keeping focused on the goodness and splendor of Jesus keeps our focus off of ourselves. As long as we are living in the context of glorifying Christ and representing His Kingdom on Earth then all that we experience can be seen through the lens of what God is doing rather than what we desire. When you are living for the one you love then any sacrifice you endure is welcomed with open arms because we know it is accomplishing something beyond our own little lives.
Romans 8:28-30
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
This passage is typically referenced in the context of suffering, but Paul is actually building the argument here that in Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, God is working to establish His Kingdom on Earth as in Heaven through His Church. Therefore, Paul is pointing out, all we do and all we go through is working to manifest His Kingdom both to us and through us.
How have you seen choices you’ve made in the past play a part in your present day reality, either in a good way or a bad way?
Why is it so tempting to feel like our daily choices don’t make that big a difference in the big picture of life?
Because we are confined by space and time it is impossible for us to see how our seemingly insignificant choices today may affect anything in the future. Combine that with the fact that human nature tends to see the world through the perspective of us at the center and we rarely stop to think about how what we’re doing today may affect someone in another part of the city or the world. We are finite and fallible and are incapable of seeing the connected web of choices and behaviors and how they all combine to to accomplish something bigger than ourselves.
What are some choices you could make that might lead to a deeper knowledge and worship of God in your life?
David Platt, Radical
“Radical obedience to Christ is not easy… It’s not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And he is more than enough for us.”
When is a time you did something that was risky? How did that turn out for you?
What do risk and worship have to do with each other?
What are some risks God might be calling you, and/or our church, in the city of Austin?
What would it feel like to be the kind of Christian/Church that does stuff like that?
Closing Thought
1 Peter 3:13-18
Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit…
How does the Gospel influence and empower us to live a life that is willing to risk it all for the purposes of God?