Part 2- Bitter Roots:
Heb 12:15
… and see that no one DESPISES the GRACE of God; lest any root of BITTERNESS spring up and cause trouble, and thereby many be defiled.
Connect group:
● Choose ONE NIGHT a week to hold your connect group.
● Ask each member of your connect group to bring their Bible.
● If you want, you can also take communion together.
WELCOME
Ice breaker:
Choose one of the following topics and talk about it:
a) Why is it essential not to make room for bitterness in our lives? b) How do we overcome a bitter heart?
Prayer: Open with prayer.
WORD
Read:
Our Core Text for Today:
Gen 6:8-9
But Noah found FAVOR in the eyes of the LORD… Noah WALKED with God.
Gen 6:13,15
And God said to Noah… Thus you shall DO…
Gen 6:17,18
For behold, I am bringing a flood of waters upon the earth… Everything that is on the earth shall die… But with you I will establish my COVENANT…
Gen 6:18b
… you SHALL go into the ARK, you and your sons (and your daughters) and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.
Talk in your Connect Group about the following:
We live in a time that is frighteningly similar to the days of Noah. As Jesus warns in Matthew 24, the most dangerous condition of humanity is not necessarily outward chaos, but an inward deafness: “They knew not what was going on until the flood came and swept them all away.”
As we look at this warning, it is critical to ask: What makes us so spiritually blind and deaf that we can be swept away? Hebrews gives us the answer: it is when we fall short of the grace of God and allow a “root of bitterness to spring up” (Heb. 12:15).
Here is why bitterness is one of the most dangerous forces in a believer’s life:
• Bitterness deafens you to God’s voice
The crowd in Noah’s day was destroyed because they were spiritually asleep. God spoke through Noah, but they did not listen.
• Bitterness pollutes others
The flood waters of Genesis washed away and destroyed “everything that is on the earth” (Gen 6:17). Bitterness works exactly like that. It never stays with just one person.
The Choice Between the Flood and the Covenant
God’s heart is never one of destruction. His promise to Noah still stands for us today: “But with you I will establish my covenant” (Gen 6:18). The warning signs are everywhere. We must not be like the people of Noah’s day who were unaware until judgment swept them away. We must listen. We must guard against every little seed of resentment in our hearts, lest it become a destructive root of bitterness. Our safety lies in—like Noah—continually remaining in God’s grace, walking with Him, and living in the safety of His ark of forgiveness and obedience.
Reread today’s texts and talk about them:
• What makes us bitter?
• How can we get rid of the root of bitterness
WORSHIP
Make time to worship God today. Use the playlist on our Word and Life website under Connect Groups. Or bring your own worship songs.
WORKS
Now enjoy Communion together as a Connect Group:
Love for God, Love for People
Now, as a Connection Group, spend just 5 minutes in silence, and each member should answer the questions below individually. Create a peaceful atmosphere and allow the Lord to speak to each one individually.