Praying to the End Part 2

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. When the cares of life become overwhelming, is your first reaction to fixate on the earthly problem, or do you manage to look up to God and “seek the things above”?
2. What is one practical way you try to ensure, in your daily routine, that your mind is “renewed” so you don’t think the way the world thinks?

WORD

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

Read: CORE TEXTS FOR TODAY:

Luke 21:34:

BUT take heed to yourselves, lest your HEARTS be WEIGHED DOWN with carousing, drunkenness, and CARES of this LIFE, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.

Luke 21:26, 28, 27:

… men’s hearts FAILING them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the POWERS of the heavens will be SHAKEN. Now when these things begin to happen, LOOK UP and lift your heads, because your REDEMPTION draws near. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Colossians 3:1-2:

… SEEK those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. SET YOUR MIND on things above, not on things on the earth.

Romans 12:2:

And do not be CONFORMED to this world, but be transformed by the RENEWING of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and PERFECT will of God.

Luke 21:33:

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

John 8:31-32:

If you abide in My WORD (hold fast and endure), you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the TRUTH, and the truth shall make you FREE.

Discuss the following in your Connect Group:

Praying moves us from BITTER to BETTER.

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

Jesus warns us in Luke that the things coming upon the world will be so intense that people’s hearts will fail them from fear, and that the powers of the heavens will be shaken. It is very easy for these things, as well as the ordinary cares of life, to weigh down our hearts and suddenly overtake us. But as believers, we have a different instruction: When these things begin to happen, we must not fear, but look up and lift our heads, because our redemption draws near.

Instead of conforming to this fearful world, we are called to renew our minds and seek what is above. Everything we see on earth will pass away, but God’s Word will never pass away. If we hold fast and persevere in His Word, we will know the truth, and this truth will set us free from the world’s cares and fears.

Read Today’s texts again and discuss them:

1.  In Luke 21:26-28 we see the contrast between hearts failing from fear and believers lifting their heads. How does the instruction in Colossians 3:1-2 to set our minds on the things “above” and not on earthly things help us to practically rise above our fear?
2.  Romans 12:2 says we must not be conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. How can we use “abiding in the Word” (John 8:31-32) as the key to experiencing this renewal and being truly set free?

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 perhaps currently weighed down by the cares of life, or are you failing from fear over things happening in the world?
• Test your thoughts: What are your thoughts busiest with every day? Are you being conformed to this world, or are you intentionally seeking and setting your mind on the things above, where Christ is seated?
• Calibrate your focus: Make the decision today to intentionally look up and lift your head. Recommit yourself to holding fast to God’s imperishable Word, so that His truth can renew your mind and set you free.