04.22.07
Small Group Plan - April 22, 2007
“God’s Unstoppable Spirit”
Small Group Plan
April 22, 2007
Dear Group Leader…
In his classic book, The Will of God, Leslie Weatherhead presents God’s will as having three dimensions:
God’s Intentional Will is what He originally wanted. He “intended” for Adam and Eve to follow His wishes. He wanted humanity to obey His will. But we didn’t.
God’s Circumstantial Will is what He did because of what we did. The “circumstances” produced by humanity’s failure created a need for rescue. And Jesus came to our rescue.
God’s Ultimate Will is what will occur in the end. “Ultimately” God will win. No matter what we do, no matter what Satan does, God will win. He is unstoppable! And we have the opportunity to be in His unstoppable family.
OPEN IT / INTRODUCE IT …
· How do you explain why bad things happen to good people?
· On the “optimist-pessimist” scale where do you place yourself? Explain.
· As a group, list all of God’s blessings you can think of.
· How does hearing this list of blessings affect your position on the “optimist-pessimist” scale?
LOOK AT IT / STUDY IT …
Unshakeable Convictions - Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
· How does God work for our good?
· How does He work in “all things” – both good and bad?
What cooperation is needed from us, for God to accomplish His purpose?
Undeniable Affirmations - Romans 8:29-30
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
· What must happen for Jesus to be the “firstborn among many brothers?”
· How would you explain verse 30 to a child?
· What does it mean to be “called” by God?
· How does it feel as you anticipate being “glorified” by God in heaven?
Unanswerable questions - Romans 8:31-39
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
· How would you answer Paul’s questions in verses 31-32?
· Verses 33-34 picture a courtroom with God as the judge and Jesus as our defense attorney. How would they reply to any “charges” brought against us?
· How can the difficulties of verses 35-36 cause us to question God’s love?
· On the other hand, how could they deepen our faith instead?
USE IT / APPLY IT …
· Have you been through the “school of hard knocks?” What did you learn?
· Which of the enemies in verses 38-39 are most real to you?
· The “Holy Spirit” is mentioned 22 times in Romans 8. What about God’s Unstoppable Spirit means the most to you? Explain.
Close by thanking God for His presence in our lives.