Hope: Week 19 (Feb 27- Mar 5)
Hope Practice: Week 19| Week of (Feb 27- Mar 5)
Communities @ Grace
Overview of the Night:
15 Minutes Before Start Time : Arrive + Set Out Food
45 Minutes: Welcome, Pray, Eat, + Mingle
15 Minutes: Review Last Week’s Practice
45 Minutes: Introduction of Practice + Discussion
5 Minutes: Practice for Week Ahead
10 Minutes: Pray for One Another + Close
Goal for Week: Discover what biblical hope is
Lesson Sequence: Lesson 1 of 3 on Hope
15 Minutes Before Start Time: Arrive + Set Out Food
45 Minutes: Welcome, Pray, Eat, + Mingle
Is there something that you are hoping for?
Have you had a time when you felt hopeless such as no work, money, friends, faith etc. and how did the issue get resolved?
15 Minutes: Review of last week’s practice experience
Have you confessed a sin but still feel deep sorrow about it? Lament to God and ask for him to give you assurance of his forgiveness?
Do you feel sorrow about a sin pattern in your life, make a plan to eliminate it. Ask God for help to understand your motive or payoff for giving into the temptation. Write a plan that will help you avoid the situation or temptation. (determine what supports or enables you to sin and steps to eliminate them, consider asking someone to hold you accountable)
Continue using a prayer of lament that you wrote during this series of lessons. Journal about the shift in your thinking and feelings as you continually bring it to God in prayer. Celebrate your release from it and/or closer connection to God.
Be honest, take a good look at how you process disappointment, sorrow and negative situations in your life. Do you stuff, ignore or wallow? Ask God to help you be open and honest with him in prayer.
If your group is not sharing the results of the last week, offer the following to guide discussion:
What is hindering you from practicing during the week?
How can we support each other?
How was your connection with Jesus this week?
45 Minutes: Introduction of Practice + Discussion
What would people on the street say hope is? What would Christians say hope is? We are going to look into the meaning and reason for hope as followers of Jesus.
Let’s look at some scriptures before we actually provide a definition for hope.
Romans 15:13 [God is the author of Hope]
Ephesians 1:18-20 [The power that raised Jesus is the basis for our hope]
Hebrews 6:19 [Hope is an anchor, firm and secure]
Psalm 42:11 [Don’t be downcast, put your hope in God]
Jeremiah 29:11 [God has plans to prosper us to hope in the future]
Biblical hope is trusting in God’s character and promises. For example, God is loving, always with us, and provides for our needs.
Are there other character qualities or promises that encourage you to put your hope in God?
Read 1 Peter 3:15 and then ask “How would you respond to someone who asks “where is the hope?”
Hope is the source of our joy and peace when we feel lost and alone. Hope helps us when we are overwhelmed. We call out to God, knowing he will guide us through any difficulty because he is the power and the anchor we need.
The practice for this coming week is on the last page. Read through them together. [Consider making copies to hand out to your Community.]
10 Minutes: Pray for One Another + Close
Consider praying as a whole group or in triads for personal prayer requests.
End on time.
Practices for This Week
Pick one of these to practice this week:
● List 2-3 things you are hoping for (expecting) from God? Take time to reflect on and pray whether these are in line with God’s character.
● Read some of these passages to expand your view of hope, write them down and pray over how you can follow them.
o Romans 12:12
o Colossians 1:27
o Romans 8:24-25
o 1 Corinthians 15:17-20
● Find your own passages on hope, pray over how you apply hope in your life and write about what God shows you.