Never Too Late

Goals for this Week’s Study:

  • Review Pastor Daniel’s sermon from Sunday morning.

  • Help group members (especially new members) get to know one another.

  • Take time to introduce and learn a little about each member!

 

Getting Started:

 

Open your group with prayer.

 

Ice Breaker: If nothing was impossible for you, what’s the first thing you would do? (Travel somewhere, start a new career, invent something, etc.)

 

Scripture:

- “When Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was sick, he stayed two more days in the place where he was.” – John 11:4-6

- “So Jesus then told them plainly, “Lazarus has died. I’m glad for you that I wasn’t there so that you may believe. But let’s go to him.” – John 11:14-15

- “Then Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Yet even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her. Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”  “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who comes into the world.” – John 11:21-27

- “Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you heard me.  I know that you always hear me, but because of the crowd standing here I said this, so that they may believe you sent me.” After he said this, he shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came outbound hand and foot with linen strips and with his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him go.” – John 11:40-44

 

Sermon Notes: Take time to let everyone share some of the notes they took or anything that stood out to them from the message. Use this time to get everyone in your group talking (a good tip for this situation would be to go around the room and have everyone share one thing that stuck out to them from Pastor Daniel’s sermon)! Keep in mind, not everyone may feel comfortable talking yet, so try your best to help assist them in any way you can!

 

Study Questions

  1. What is the difference between Hope and Optimism? (Optimism is personal trust in yourself, Hope is personal trust in God.)
  2. Have you ever found yourself in a hopeless situation? What did you do?
  3. What does it mean to have “even now” faith?
  4. Is it ever too late for a miracle? (No, it’s never too late for a miracle!) What would cause us to believe it’s too late?
  5. Most of us know that God is in control, but do you believe it? What’s the difference in knowing and believing?
  6. Is there a situation or circumstance that you’ve believed was hopeless that you need to revisit with your “even now” faith?
  7. Pastor Daniel stated that for a lot of us the “grave clothes” have been on for way too long! What is a step you can take this week to remove any grave clothes that may be holding you back?
  8. How can our Group help you with this?

 

Final Thoughts:

  • Optimism often denies reality, Hope is always reality.
  • The prerequisite for a miracle is a problem, and the bigger the problem, the greater the potential miracle.
  • Miracles aren’t for you but for the Glory of God!
  • Miracles increase our faith!
  • The grave clothes have been around way too long!

 

Pray Over Your Group!

Pray over all prayer requests. Take a little extra time to pray specifically for all victims of the various natural disasters taking place right now. (Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Wildfires, etc.) 

Zach Hacker