Dec. 15 - Avoiding Shortcuts (1 Sm. 24, 26)

We invite you to ponder the week’s Bible passage and listen to the sermon (posts Sun. afternoon), then use the ideas below to help you and your group apply what the Lord is teaching you.

Icebreaker idea: Life is full of waiting – from the mundane (checkout aisle, customer service line, or restaurant) to the major (the right mate, God to give a baby, or an answer to that big prayer you’ve been praying)… What’s something you have a hard time waiting for?

A way to pray: Read Isaiah 40:27-31. Pray for one another to find strength in the Lord to wait on His timing and not simply demand our own shortcuts.

Talk It Over:

  • Treasuring God: What must I believe about God’s character to fully trust His methods and timing? How does this safeguard me from self-centered shortcuts?

  • Being Transformed: Which is hardest for me to trust currently – God’s timing, method, or character? Why is that? How can other believers help me trust Him more?

  • Loving Others: How can waiting on the Lord, and trusting Him to judge justly, help me love others? What do I need to entrust to Him right now to love well?

  • Pursuing Unity: In what relationship am I tempted to seek my own vengeance? How do I typically “get back” at others? How did David model a better way?

Grow GroupsDan Smith