Sunday servicesSundays from 8:30 in Boksburg and BenoniBoksburg Afrikaans 8:30 · 17:00Boksburg English 8:30 · 10:30 · 17:00Benoni 8:30
WATCH therefore, and PRAY always, that you may be counted WORTHY to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.
Choose ONE EVENING a week to host your connect group.
Ask each member of your connect group to bring their Bible.
If you wish, you can take communion together again.
Welcome each group member.
Choose one of the following topics and discuss it:
What daily “cares of life” are usually the things that derail you most easily or make you feel panicked?
Have you ever felt that you are too unimportant, weak, or incapable of tackling a major challenge (like Gideon felt)? Share briefly.
Open with prayer. (Give everyone an opportunity)
Read: Core texts for today
… men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth … but take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with the cares of this life, and that day come on you unexpectedly.
The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground … and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how… These are the ones by the wayside, where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.
The Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valour!” … “Go in this might of yours” … “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”
Discuss the following in your Connect Group:
Falling and Rising Again in Prayer
Jesus teaches us that we must keep on praying without losing heart (Luke 18:1). Life sometimes deals with hard blows, and as Paul says, we sometimes feel as if we are being struck with a fist in our flesh (2 Cor 12:7). When we find ourselves in situations where we feel weak and we might have fallen, God’s Word promises that a righteous person may fall seven times but will rise again every time (Prov 24:16). Our enemies may not gloat over us, for even though we sit in darkness, the Lord is a light for us (Micah 7:8). God invites us to put on our spiritual armor and to pray in the Spirit on all occasions (Eph 6:11, 18). When we still feel too weak and do not even know what to pray, the Holy Spirit helps us with our weaknesses and intercedes for us (Rom 8:26). Our strength does not lie in our own ability, but in God’s grace that is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor 12:9).
Read today’s texts again and discuss them:
Luke 21:34 warns that our hearts should not be weighed down by the cares of life. How do excessive worries and fear influence our spiritual lives and our ability to hear God’s voice?
When we think of Judges 6, where God calls Gideon a “mighty warrior” while Gideon considered himself the “weakest”, why is it so difficult for us to see ourselves the way God sees us? How does His promise (“I will be with you”) change our outlook on the future?
Make time to worship God today. Use the playlist on our Woord en Lewe website under Connect or use the worship from Sunday’s service.
As a Connect Group, spend about 5 minutes in silence before you adjourn, and let each member answer the questions below for themselves. Create a peaceful atmosphere and allow the Lord to speak to each one individually.
Examine your heart: Has your heart recently failed from fear, and have the cares of this world dimmed your vision? Are there areas where the enemy has stolen the good seed from your life?
Test your thoughts: Are you making excuses for why you can’t make a difference (like thinking you are the least and weakest), or do you believe that God is truly with you as a mighty warrior?
Calibrate your focus: Decide today not to become bitter over challenges or cares, but to become a powerful prayer warrior. Decide to stay watchful and pray always, as Luke 21 says, and to move forward in His strength.