Running The Race - Week 11
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE
For the week of November 15th
Breaking the Ice/Think Time
1.) What are the seasons of life that make enduring in the faith difficult?
Quick Review… Looking back at your notes from this Sunday’s sermon, what caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?
Understanding the Truth (Aim for 30 minutes)
Read Hebrews 12:1-2
2.) What two instructions are given in 12:1?
3.) How is the metaphor of a runner running a race an accurate and helpful metaphor to illustrate the Christian life?
4.) Look-up the following verses. How do these verses help you understand that call to endure in the first few verses of chapter 12?
John 15:1-11 –
James 1:2-3 –
Romans 15:2-7 –
Read Hebrews 12:5-11
5.) God sees us as Sons and Daughters (vs. 5-6) and because he sees us as his children, he disciplines us so that we may endure (vs. 7). The writer even compares God to our earthly fathers! Look back on times in your life where God has disciplined you. How has His training and correction helped you in your enduring faith in Christ?
Read Hebrews 12:12-17
6.) God not only calls us to share in His holiness, but he calls us to share in His peace as well. What is the purpose of holiness (vs. 14)? What areas of your life can you show his holiness and peace with others to achieve that?
7.) God’s people were called to be set apart (holy), but some despise that because of their priorities. The example of Esau is used to show how priorities can lead to you being unholy (Genesis 26:29-34). Is it possible to seek the blessings of the kingdom without being broken by your sin?
Read Hebrews 12:18-29
8.) Now looks up the words reverence and awe and share a definition that fits the context of Hebrews 12:28. Based on your definition, how would you describe worship that is unacceptable? In contrast, what does acceptable worship look like?
9.) What do we receive after believing in the Jesus Christ according to verse 28? Let that truth sink in.
Living the Truth
10.) What pain or hardship that you’ve been enduring do you need to change your attitude about? Rather than seeing it as a curse, how might God be working on your character so you can “run the race” of the Christian life with endurance (maturity)?
11.) What weight have you been carrying that God wants you to let go of and give to Him?
Prayer Requests (Aim for minimum of 10 minutes)