Encounter - Sundays

TOGETHER GROUP QUESTIONSRead Prov. 14:16 and Matthew 7:24-27. What is Jesus communicating to His disciples in this passage? What is the “house” you are building? What is the sand? What is the rock? What is the rain, floods, and wind?Tell a story of when you did something foolish in life and how it affected you. (And don’t act like you’ve never done something foolish in life… That’s prideful!)How would you define wisdom?What is a wise person? Have each person go around and share one thing that describes a wise person. Also, who is someone you consider to be wise and why?What is a foolish person? Have each person go around and share one thing that describes a foolish person. Also, who is someone you consider to be foolish and why?Why is foolishness (pride, selfishness, anger, presumption, etc.) so tempting to follow after?How can we obtain more wisdom in our life? How do we get it and where can we go to find it?How can we help each other walk in the wisdom of God? 

TOGETHER GROUP QUESTIONSRead 2 Cor. 12:7-10. What stands out to you in this passage? What is God’s heart to us?According to that passage, what is a “thorn in the flesh?” What is its purpose? Its intention? Its result?Have everyone in the group share one thing (one area of life, one struggle, one hindrance, one disability, one shortcoming, one relationship, one hardship etc.)… that you would love to ask the Lord to remove (or make better) from your life. Do you feel your spiritual life would be better if you didn’t have that in your life? Why or why not?Read Eph. 2:8-9. Describe what the grace of God is, and what His grace means for your life. List several things that you have been saved from.God’s Word tells us that in our weaknesses, He is strong. And yet most of us hide our weaknesses while promoting our strengths. What are some tangible ways we can combat this?Share one thing you are going through in life right now that you need to proclaim that “His grace is sufficient.”Close in prayer be declaring that H

TOGETHER GROUP QUESTIONSRead James 5:7-11. What stands out to you in this passage? What is God’s heart to us? ·     What are some everyday areas of life that you find it difficult to be patient in? When do you find yourself complaining or grumbling? ·     What is something you are currently waiting on God for? What is God teaching you in the waiting?  ·     What future hope does this passage give us? How does hope help us in the waiting? ·     When have you seen God produce a blessing out of perseverance through suffering/hardship? How might God be doing that right now in your life? ·     How is God challenging you to trust Him in this season? Why is He trustworthy?

Read James 4:1-10. What stands out to you in this passage? What is God’s heart to us? What kinds of quarrels and arguments do Christians get into these days? Or to put it another way, what are some reasons that believers war against each other? And why are these reasons such a sad commentary on Christians today (see John 13:34-35)? In James 4:2-4, it shows us that the essence of our sin is selfishness. How can you relate to this personally? “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (v. 6). We all have pride. If God is in opposition to our pride, what are some practical ways we can kill our pride? And what are some ways we can “press into” humility? Perhaps the most pivotal verse in James (and maybe the Bible) is verse 7, that tells us therefore... to “submit yourselves to God.” What are some of the most effective ways you have done that, or experienced drawing near to God? Close in prayer by everyone sharing one specific way the group can pray for you to draw near to God this week.