ICEBREAKERS
Make sure to start off with prayer. Then choose one or more questions to open up with.
- What is your favorite food?
- What is the worst physical storm you have ever experienced?
- Do you get excited or stressed when you hear that we are expecting a storm?
Message Review
Main points and scriptures from this week's message.
Luke 8:22–23 (NIV)
One day, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
Take note of the fact that Jesus told them to cross the lake. He knew about the storm, but yet he still told them to go.
Don’t ever assume that God will lead you around every storm or that you can avoid storms.
Luke 8:24–25 (NIV)
The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.
I’m not sure what Jesus expected from the disciples. I think most of us would have done something close to panic in that scenario. But, there was something they did, something they said that registered with Jesus as being faithless in that storm. Maybe it was their morbid, its-all-over, we’re-going-to-drown mindset that bothered him.
And that is the challenge: can you find faith in the storm?
Can you find faith during a personal storm, and can you find faith in a national storm? When everything appears to be going sideways for a nation, which at times it can feel that way—can you find faith?
Years ago, during a challenging time with some things going on in our church, I woke feeling like my faith was at an all time low, and I just began to write the word "faith" vertically, and I began to develop an acrostic or acronym for each of the letters.
F: Focus on the positive.
A: Affirm yourself.
I: Imagine God doing something good.
T: Trust God in everything.
H: Hope for the best.
Write this acronym down, memorize it, get it on your hearts, and when you face a storm, find FAITH.
TALK-IT-OUT
The following questions will help guide your discussions and give your group some opportunities to open up and share.
- Can you think of a time that God had to take you through a storm in order to get to where he was leading you?
- Is it your tendency to be more optimistic or pessimistic? Give an example.
- Are you good at affirming yourself, or do you need to get better in that area?
- Why do you think it is sometimes necessary to go through a storm to get to the other side?
- What area of your life do you need to find more faith in?
WRITE-It-Out
Encourage your group to starting writing things down. In a journal or on paper, write down the following:
- Write down the FAITH acronym in a journal and somewhere that is visible where you will see it every day.
- Journal about the time that you were taken through a storm to get to the place where God was leading you. What were your throughts as you were in the storm? How do you look at it now? What was God teaching you?
- Write down at least 5 affirmations about yourself. For example, you could write, "I am a child of God." Or you could write, "God loves me."
Live-It-Out
Encourage your group to start doing. Commit to a step, and live it out this week.
- When you hear doom and gloom talk about the Presidential Election, counter it with talk that either focuses on the positive or hopes for the best.
- Serve together as a group. Every month, we have serving opportunities with Champions Foundation. To view the calendar of events click HERE
- Go to Growth Track. This brand new opportunity at Champions Centre will help you to grow in your faith, relationships, and purpose. This is every Sunday during the 11:30 service.
Closing Thoughts
- Finish group with prayer requests and praise reports.
- More resources always available here: Group Resources