Rejoice (Small Group Study)
Small Group Study, week commencing 27th April
Click here for a PDF version of these questions.
1. Ellen said some of us are finding it harder to pray in this season because despite having more time we are unsettled by internal disruption. Are you finding that to be true?
2. There is no tension between prayers of lament and prayers of rejoicing or gratitude. 40% of the psalms are lament and 1 Thess 5: tells us to ‘rejoice always’ ! How do you understand both to be possible together?
3. In our passage in Acts 11:19-26 the disciples took the opportunity of being scattered to preach the gospel and see many come to the Lord. We are not being persecuted but we are scattered and living in uncertainty. What could it look like for us as God’s people to seize the unusual opportunity we have?
4. This story in Acts 11 resonates with the verse in Genesis 50: 20 where Joseph says to his brothers:
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.
God doesn’t cause pain or engineer viruses but he can take what was intended for harm by the enemy and bring good from it for His glory. Can you see ways that He is doing that in our current situation?
5. ‘Barnabas saw what the grace of God had done and was glad’ (Acts 11:23). What visible touches of God’s grace have you seen and are you seeing?
6. What helps you remain thankful and find joy in this difficult season?
7. What are the things you are retrospectively thankful for? That you used to take for granted but now will find more joy in?
8. Ellen encouraged us to ‘pray thinking big’ and to ‘pray thinking small’. What kinds of prayers would you be praying here? You might like to pray together in your groups along these lines.
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