The Hidden Foundation 06.01.2025
Opening Prayer:
Begin the session with a prayer, asking God to guide your discussion and help apply the sermon's teachings.
Key Takeaways:
1. We live in perilous times, similar to the days of Noah.
2. There's an invitation and necessity to be completely submerged in God's presence.
3. Trusting in our own strength leads to burnout and conflicts.
4. Being hidden in Christ means choosing unity over pride, and Christ over self.
5. We must decrease so that Christ can increase in our lives.
Discussion Questions:
1. The pastor mentioned that "as it was in the days of Noah, so it shall be at the coming of the Son of Man." How do you see parallels between our current times and Noah's era?
2. What does it mean to you personally to be "hidden in Christ"? How might this concept change your daily life?
3. The sermon highlighted the tension between fearing the world and fearing God. Where do you find yourself in this struggle?
4. How have you experienced burnout or conflicts from relying on your own strength rather than God's?
5. The pastor emphasizes choosing 'the closet over the platform.' What are the implications of this for how we approach our lives, ministry and service?
6. Discuss a time when you felt completely reliant on the Holy Spirit. How was that experience different from times when you relied on your own abilities?
7. How can we cultivate a spirit of decreasing ourselves so that Christ may increase in our lives?
Practical Applications:
1. Daily Surrender: Commit to starting each day this week with a prayer of surrender, giving control to God.
2. Closet Time: Set aside 15 minutes each day for quiet time with God, focusing on listening rather than speaking.
3. Strength Check: When facing challenges this week, pause and ask, "Am I trying to do this in my strength or God's?"
4. Unity Focus: Look for opportunities to promote unity by putting others' needs before your own. Ask God to help you see others as He sees them, and to be a peacemaker in your sphere of influence.
5. Holy Spirit Awareness: Keep a journal this week, noting times when you felt the Holy Spirit's guidance or power.
Closing Prayer:
End the session by praying for each other, asking God to help the group members apply these teachings and grow in their faith.
Scripture for Reflection:
"He must increase, but I must decrease." - John 3:30
Encourage group members to meditate on this verse throughout the week.
Opening Prayer:
Begin the session with a prayer, asking God to guide your discussion and help apply the sermon's teachings.
Key Takeaways:
1. We live in perilous times, similar to the days of Noah.
2. There's an invitation and necessity to be completely submerged in God's presence.
3. Trusting in our own strength leads to burnout and conflicts.
4. Being hidden in Christ means choosing unity over pride, and Christ over self.
5. We must decrease so that Christ can increase in our lives.
Discussion Questions:
1. The pastor mentioned that "as it was in the days of Noah, so it shall be at the coming of the Son of Man." How do you see parallels between our current times and Noah's era?
2. What does it mean to you personally to be "hidden in Christ"? How might this concept change your daily life?
3. The sermon highlighted the tension between fearing the world and fearing God. Where do you find yourself in this struggle?
4. How have you experienced burnout or conflicts from relying on your own strength rather than God's?
5. The pastor emphasizes choosing 'the closet over the platform.' What are the implications of this for how we approach our lives, ministry and service?
6. Discuss a time when you felt completely reliant on the Holy Spirit. How was that experience different from times when you relied on your own abilities?
7. How can we cultivate a spirit of decreasing ourselves so that Christ may increase in our lives?
Practical Applications:
1. Daily Surrender: Commit to starting each day this week with a prayer of surrender, giving control to God.
2. Closet Time: Set aside 15 minutes each day for quiet time with God, focusing on listening rather than speaking.
3. Strength Check: When facing challenges this week, pause and ask, "Am I trying to do this in my strength or God's?"
4. Unity Focus: Look for opportunities to promote unity by putting others' needs before your own. Ask God to help you see others as He sees them, and to be a peacemaker in your sphere of influence.
5. Holy Spirit Awareness: Keep a journal this week, noting times when you felt the Holy Spirit's guidance or power.
Closing Prayer:
End the session by praying for each other, asking God to help the group members apply these teachings and grow in their faith.
Scripture for Reflection:
"He must increase, but I must decrease." - John 3:30
Encourage group members to meditate on this verse throughout the week.