Jan. 21 - Inward or Upward? (Jon. 2)
First 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: If you were in the belly of a great fish for 3 days, and you could pause one of your senses during that time, which one would it be and why?
A way to pray: Pray that, when we experience the Lord's discipline, we will more quickly turn upward to Him instead of inward.
For discussion:
- Treasuring God: Read Hebrews 12:5-11. How can discipline be a good thing? In what ways is God's discipline better than any other discipline?
- Being Transformed: Why does God's discipline often turn us inward? What steps can we take to help us choose to turn upward instead?
- Loving Others: Who in my life needs to hear (again or for the first time) God's call to turn to Him? How will I share that with them?
- Pursuing Unity: What is something that encourages me when I'm going through discipline or suffering? How can we encourage one another?