Luke 21:36

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.

Connect Group:

• 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

Welcome: Welcome each group member.

Icebreaker: Choose one of the following topics and discuss it:

1. How do you typically handle bad news or major challenges? Do you quickly get worried, or do you talk to the Lord about it first?
2. Have you ever experienced your prayer life being neglected when you are busy or when life’s cares are overwhelming? How did you start rebuilding that connection?

WORD

Prayer: Open with prayer. (Give everyone an opportunity)

Read: CORE TEXTS FOR TODAY:

Luke 21:34:

But take heed to yourselves, lest your HARTS be WEIGHED DOWN with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you UNEXPECTEDLY.

Matthew 24:6-8:

… you will HEAR of wars and rumours of wars… For nation will RISE against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of SORROWS.

Matthew 24:12:

And because lawlessness will ABOUND, the love of many will GROW COLD.

1 Thessalonians 5:17, 19, 20:

PRAY without ceasing … Do not QUENCH the Spirit. Do not DESPISE prophecies.

1 Thessalonians 5:23:

Now may the God of peace Himself (Jesus)… SANCTIFY you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved BLAMELESS at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Matthew 24:13:

But he who ENDURES to the end shall be SAVED.

Discuss the following in your Connect Group:

Praying moves us from BITTER to BETTER.

We are starting a new series on prayer, and over the next four weeks, we will look deeper into the power and necessity of our prayer life.

When we look at the world around us, the Word reminds us that we will hear of wars, rumors of wars, and that there will be a beginning of sorrows and great tribulation. The danger is that our hearts can be weighed down by the cares of life, and we can be caught unexpectedly.

This can lead to a situation where lawlessness abounds, and our love begins to grow cold. In these times, we are faced with a choice: Are we going to be BITTER about everything bad, or are we going to keep on praying and asking God for endurance? The answer lies in praying without ceasing, and thereby not quenching the Spirit.

As we endure to the end, the Lord preserves our spirit, soul, and body blameless for His coming. Our situation might not change immediately, but our hearts get BETTER while we keep on praying.

Read Today’s texts again and discuss them:

1. Luke 21 warns us to take heed that our hearts are not weighed down with the “cares of this life”. What does it mean practically to stay watchful and pray always as a countermeasure to the world’s cares?
2. Jesus warned that abounding lawlessness will cause the love of many to grow cold. How can continuous prayer prevent our own hearts from growing cold?

WORSHIP & WORKS

Worship – https://woordenlewe.com/connect-worship/ 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.

WORKS: APPLICATION and QUESTIONS

Now take Communion together as a Connect Group:

Love for God, Love for People. 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: Is your heart currently being weighed down by the cares of this life? Are you perhaps fearful because of “rumours of wars” and sorrows around us?
• Test your love: Have you allowed the lawlessness and tribulation in life to cause your love to grow cold? Do you perhaps feel that you are becoming more “bitter” lately toward people or circumstances?
• Calibrate your focus: Make the firm decision tonight to continuously watch and pray always, so that you can escape the unexpected things. Confess before the Lord that, through His power, you will endure to the end, and ask Him to keep your spirit, soul, and body completely holy and blameless.