Life Group Guide

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Cutting Through the Noise
2. When Life Falls Apart
April 21, 2024

“Who is My Neighbor?” Cross-cultural training. Saturday, April 27. Leaving your house is a cross-cultural experience. How can we be good neighbors to those who think and live differently than we do and impact them with Jesus’ love? Join Crossroads’ global ministry partner Luciano Periera for this training that shares insights from his fruitful cross-cultural ministry in Panama. For more information and to register, visit therivernetwork.org/neighbor.

Check out the updated Group Guidelines and share them with the group. 

Connect with God and each other. (1/3 of meeting time) 

  • Icebreaker: What is the best vacation memory you have?
  • What are you thankful for and what’s stressing you out? 
  • Let’s spend time in prayer:
  1. Pray for an empty chair, that God would place someone on our hearts that we can invite to fill it next week. 
  2. Take turns praying as you feel led for needs you notice in our neighborhood. 
  3. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide this group, that we would be open to His presence and transform us to be like Jesus. 

Discover what God is saying to you. (1/3 of meeting time)

Read 1 Kings 19:1-18.

Context for the passage: The prior chapters of 1 Kings shows the way God moves in power and strength in Elijah’s ministry. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah is coming off a high point where the God of Israel defeated 400 prophets of the pagan god, Baal. 

  • Retelling helps us to internalize God’s truth for the benefit of ourselves and others. Have someone retell this story in their own words, then have everyone fill in any other details that were highlighted to them. 
  • What was the significance of God showing himself in the whisper?
  • God does work in powerful ways, but He often speaks softly and we need to pay attention. As we’ve been focusing on how to hear God, what have you noticed that you might have missed before?  
  • Elijah doesn’t have any filter when it comes to telling God how angry he is. How comfortable are you with coming to God with your unfiltered anger or frustration?
  • When you go through difficult times, how can you put yourself in a position to hear God’s small voice? 

Go and do it! (1/3 of meeting time) 

    • How do you want to live out what we’ve talked about? Make an “I will” statement.
    • Break into pairs and pray for one another to find hope as we anchor ourselves in God’s voice. Before you pray, pause to listen for any direction God gives you. 
  • Text in questions about hearing from God 412-910-1991.