04-05-2020
Dr. E. Dale Locke and Pastor Efrain Silva
Sermon Series: How to Pray, A Simple Guide for Normal People
Week 5: Yield
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Each week, our Sermon Discussion Questions are meant to help the message go deeper into your life. You can think them through on your own, or discuss them with your spouse, family, or small group.
1. Share with your group whether and how this coronavirus situation has impacted you personally.
2. Continue to memorize our verse for this sermon series. Say it together with your family or your group. Luke 11:1: “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’”
3. In this sermon series, we are looking at Pete Grieg’s acronym P.R.A.Y. from his book, How to Pray, A Simple Guide for Normal People. ”P” stands for pause. “R” stands for rejoice. “A” stands for ask. What have you been asking God for over this past week?
4. When Billy Graham met a reporter who suggested that God is dead, Billy responded, “I know God isn’t dead, because I was just talking with Him earlier today.” Name some reasons why you’re confident that God’s not dead.
5. When Great Britain was at war with Germany in World War II, C. S. Lewis wrote, “The enemy will seek to cause anxiety in this time and seek to cause fear and panic. The enemy will shut down businesses, shut down schools, shut down places of worship, shut down sporting events. The enemy will seek to cause economic turmoil. In contrast, Jesus will use this as a space to bring together neighbors and restore the family unit. Jesus will use this to bring dinner back to the kitchen table, to help people slow down their lives and appreciate what really matters. Jesus will use this time to teach His children to rely on the Lord and not on the world. Jesus will use this time to teach His children to trust Him and not their money and material possessions.” What comes to your mind when you read this statement that was written about 80 years ago?
6. This current season in our world is a Romans 8:28 moment. Paul writes there: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” We know that God doesn’t cause bad things to happen, but God does use bad situations to bring about good purposes. What are some good things that God has been doing in your life, even in this difficult season?
7. Read Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” What reasons do you have today for rejoicing?
8. One practice to deepen your prayer life is to start by focusing on God’s character traits. Name some words that describe the character of our God.
9. The “Y” in the P.R.A.Y. acronym stands for “Yield.” We surrender our own will and lives into God’s capable hands. Why is it important to close our prayer times with a posture of yielding?
10. Read Romans 12:1-2: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
According to this passage, how do we offer God true and proper worship? What does this mean?
Yielding involves listening and learning:
11. Tell about a time when you had an opportunity to learn something from another person by watching and/or listening to them.
Yielding involves confessing and battling:
12. When we yield to God and ask Him to speak to us, and then open ourselves us up to whatever He wants to say to us, we get the opportunity to confess what we’ve done wrong and make it right. Why does God want confession to be part of our prayer life?
13. Our world is enemy-occupied territory, and prayer is how we do battle to push back our enemy. Take time right now to battle in prayer for our world in this current crisis. Pray for God to push back the coronavirus and defeat it.
Ready for your next step?
If you would like more information about how to take a next step in your faith journey, such as becoming a follower of Jesus, recommitting your life to him, or getting baptized, text the word “Next” to 561-264-6079 and follow the steps there, and we will contact you.
News and Announcements:
· If you’re new to Community of Hope, text “Hello” to 561-264-6079 to let us know who you are.
· We invite you to join us for Easter online this year by going to communityofhope.church/easter
· Go to communityofhope.church/coronavirus for updates on how COH is responding to this crisis. This is also the place to let us know if you need help, or if you are available to offer help to others.
· We invite you to be part of our 24-7 Prayer Week from Sunday, April 5th – Sunday, April 12th. We’re excited to have a solid week of unbroken prayer leading up to Easter. Sign up for a time-slot to pray at communityofhope.church/prayer
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