Advertise on podcast: Weekly Messages

Our limitations don't limit what God can accomplish. -- QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION When you're facing something that feels beyond your ability or resources, how do you decide whether to move forward or hold back? God reduced Gideon's army by 99% so there would be no question about who won the victory. Where might you be relying more on what you can accomplish than on what God can do? What is something God may be calling you to do right now where you need to take a faithful step and trust Him with the outcome?

We don't have to stop being afraid to start obeying God. -- QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION Where has fear caused you to avoid or arrange your life around something or someone? What might that fear be costing you? God told Gideon, "I will be with you." How might that promise change the way you approach something you're afraid to face right now? Gideon obeyed God even while he was afraid. Is there a step of obedience you've been putting off because you don't feel ready? What would it look like to take that step anyway?

If God has already spoken, what are we waiting for? -- QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION Finish this sentence: "God, I'll trust You if..." What does your answer reveal about where you're struggling to trust Him? Is there something God has already made clear that you need to do, but you've been putting it off? What is it, and what's keeping you from taking that step? When we gather for worship, do you tend to see yourself as someone observing or someone participating?

In a grief-filled interchange, Jesus primes His disciples for his departure. Armed with advocacy and comfort from the Spirit of Truth, believers today will learn how to navigate grief-filled circumstances by remembering Jesus' witness, trusting in His presence through the Spirit, testifying to His Life, and yielding to His leading. -- QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION 1.Why would Jesus delay discussing the disciple's impending adversity? 2.Jesus' disciples were filled with grief due to his departure and the circumstances surrounding it. a. Why was it good that Jesus was departing? (See John 14:25-28) b. How does Jesus' response to the grief of His disciples inform our response to the sorrow of those surrounding us? (See John 16:12) 3. Proclaiming the truth about sin, righteousness, and judgment is the responsibility of the Spirit through the Spirit-filled believer. What opportunities can we capitalize on as believers to testify regarding the verdict of Jesus' innocence, righteousness, and acquittal? 4. Yielding to guidance requires humility. How can you humbly submit yourself to the voice of the Holy Spirit in scripture, in community, and in prayer throughout the coming weeks?

The most surprising thing about Judges might just be how merciful God is to people who keep needing mercy. -- QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION When you've failed in the same area more than once, what are you tempted to assume about God's response to you? Why do you think it can be easier to believe in God's mercy for someone else than to receive it for yourself? How might your relationship with God change if you really believed His mercy is new for you every morning?

What happens when a generation forgets what God has done? -- QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION What are some things God has done in your life that you are prone to forget when a new problem shows up? Who is coming behind you spiritually, and what are they learning about pursuing Jesus by watching and listening to you? Are there things that once seemed spiritually dangerous to you but have slowly started to feel normal? What might that be revealing about what you are getting used to in your life?

The things we refuse to deal with in life will eventually begin to deal with us. -- QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION Is there anything in your life that you know God has called you to deal with, but you've slowly gotten used to living around? Where are you most likely to stop short of obedience when following God becomes difficult, inconvenient, or costly? What would it look like to stop managing or accommodating that thing and take an actual step of obedience this week?

What if where God has already put us is exactly where He intends for His light to shine? -- QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION Where has God already placed you, and who are the people around you that He may be calling you to love and serve more intentionally? What are some ordinary ways a Christian life can make Jesus more visible to the people around us? When you think about the church we are handing to the next generation, what do you hope they will be able to say we were faithful to steward well?

The safest place for a sinner is not hiding from God, but hiding in Him. -- QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION Is there anything you have been carrying that God has already forgiven, but you are still having trouble letting go of? Where are you tempted to use vague language, excuses, or silence instead of simply being honest with God about your sin? After receiving God's mercy, what is one step of obedience He may be asking you to take next?

What part is God asking you to play in making Him known? -- QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION What makes it easy for you to talk about things you enjoy, but harder to talk about Jesus? Who has God already placed in your life that you could begin praying for and speaking to more intentionally about Him? When you ask God, "What part do You want me to play?" where do you sense He may already be pointing you?

What do you hold onto when the things you thought were solid start moving? -- QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION What are you most tempted to depend on for a sense of security, and what happens in you when that thing feels threatened? Where do you most need to remember right now that "the LORD of hosts is with us"? Is there something in your life that feels like it will never end? How does Psalm 46 change the way you think about it?

Where have you been going with your thirst? -- QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION When something feels off in you, where do you usually go first for relief or distraction? What are some ways you can recognize when what you're feeling may actually be thirst for God? What would it look like for you to bring the real condition of your soul to God instead of waiting until you feel more put together?

The next generation is always learning something about God from us. What are they learning right now? -- QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION What might the people coming behind you be learning about God from the way you live? Where does your faith need to become more personal and real before you can faithfully share it with someone else? What are some simple ways you can help the next generation see God's faithfulness and learn to hope in Him?

Even in a world filled with anxiety and uncertainty, believers can experience lasting peace by trusting in Jesus through every storm. -- QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION What is a source of anxiety in your life right now, and how might Jesus be inviting you to trust Him with those concerns instead of carrying them alone? Josh emphasized that true peace is found in the presence of Jesus, not in the absence of problems. How have you experienced God's peace during a difficult season, or what makes that truth challenging to believe? The hand illustration highlighted God's peace, presence, prayer, promises, and power. Which of these do you most need to lean into this week, and what is one practical step you can take to do so?

Biblical confidence does come from knowing what lies ahead. It comes from knowing the Shepherd who leads us. -- QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION Where are you most tempted to rely on your own judgment instead of following the Shepherd? Have you ever assumed that a difficult season meant God was no longer leading or caring for you? What would change about the way you face the week ahead if you really believed the Lord was with you and knew where He was taking you?