I. Deeper Study for Christian Formation<\/strong> When have you had the most significant spiritual growth?<\/p>\n How do hardship and trials in your life right now help you see God\u2019s hand?<\/p>\n Which one have you struggled with? Why are good intentions not the same as genuine faith?<\/p>\n What have you learned recently in the midst of a difficult situation?<\/p>\n Recount a trial that felt far too big for you to bear. What enabled you to endure it?<\/p>\n What role does obedience have in the growth of a follower of Christ? What is God asking you II. Bible Exploration<\/strong> five things we learn in spiritual boot camp: obedience, perspective, endurance, confidence, and What role does courage have in the life of a person of faith? Why is it courageous to endure a III. Deeper Christian Formation Walk<\/strong> \u2022 Pray:<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BIBLE STUDY& LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION HANDOUT I. Deeper Study for Christian Formation Why do you think trials are normative for the Christian<\/p>","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":4327,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"TEC\\Tickets\\Commerce\\Module","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[52],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life-group-questions"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecommunitympk.org\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecommunitympk.org\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecommunitympk.org\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecommunitympk.org\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecommunitympk.org\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4385"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gracecommunitympk.org\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4385\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4386,"href":"https:\/\/gracecommunitympk.org\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4385\/revisions\/4386"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecommunitympk.org\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4327"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecommunitympk.org\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecommunitympk.org\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecommunitympk.org\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nWhy do you think trials are normative for the Christian life?<\/p>\n
\ntoday to obey?<\/p>\n
\nHow do you respond to painful situations? Share one significant trial you\u2019ve faced in the last
\nyear. How has that trial helped you see just how real your faith is?
\nTrials help us see what\u2019s really in us. They \u201ctest our faith,\u201d strengthening our spiritual vitality.
\nBut, too often we see trials as unwelcomed interruptions in our lives. The Apostle James says it
\nthis way, \u201cConsider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because
\nyou know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work
\nso that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything\u201d (James 1:2\u20134). In this study we\u2019ll
\nlearn the art of considering our trials pure joy.
\nWithout a test, frankly there\u2019s no way to know the real from the fake.\u201d We are tested to be
\nproven, to see what\u2019s really inside us in terms of faith. Let\u2019s explore what that means.
\nRead 1 Corinthians 10:13.
\nWhy do you think God provides a way of escape? Have you found it to be true that God provides
\nyou with an escape hatch from sin?
\nRead Matthew 12:33 and Luke 6:43\u201345.
\nHow important is bearing fruit in the disciple\u2019s life? What is the natural outcome of a seed
\nplanted in the soil?
\nWhy do you think people\u2019s words carry so much weight in today\u2019s world? (as opposed to their
\nactions)
\nTake a look at Matthew 13:1\u201323.
\nWhich soil indicates the counterfeit of the \u201cfast start\u201d that Larry shared? (Shallow soil)
\nWho in your life represents rocky ground? Shallow soil? Thorns? Good soil?
\nRead 1 Peter 1:4\u20137.
\nWhat role do trials have in the believer\u2019s life? (Trials test and prove your faith, resulting in honor
\nand praise to God.)<\/p>\n
\ncourage.
\nWhich one is the most frustrating for you right now?
\nRead Hebrews 5:8, Matthew 21:28\u201332, and Proverbs 3:5\u20136.
\nWhat do these verses say about the importance of obedience? (Obedience is essential to the
\nChristian life.)
\nWhat does God promise to those who trust and obey? (He will guide our paths.) Read 2
\nCorinthians 4:16\u201319 and 11:23\u201329.
\nWhy is perspective so valued in the kingdom of God? What specifically helps us endure
\nhardship? (Our perspective)
\nHow does having an eternal perspective put trials in their proper place? (We realize they are light
\nand momentary, and we are gaining heavenly reward.)
\nHow does reading about Paul\u2019s extreme trials help you change your perspective on your own?
\nRead Romans 5:3\u20135 and James 1:2\u20134.
\nAccording to the Romans passage, what does suffering cause? (Perseverance, then character,
\nthen hope)
\nThe Christian life is more marathon than sprint, which makes endurance essential.
\nHow have you learned to endure? According to the James passage, trials produce perseverance
\nand endurance. What is the ultimate goal of trials testing our faith? (That we may be mature and
\ncomplete, lacking in nothing)
\nRead Hebrews 10:35.
\nWhy do you think confidence is so important to the Christian? Why do you think the author of
\nHebrews say confidence will be richly rewarded?
\nRead Hebrews 12:11\u201312.<\/p>\n
\ntrial? How does this inspire others? What do you think the author of Hebrews means when he
\nencourages believers to strengthen our feeble arms and weak knees? Why does that take
\ncourage?
\nRead about the rich, young ruler in Mark 10:17\u201327.
\nWas the rich, young ruler obedient? Why or why not?
\nWhat prevented him from pursuing the Kingdom of God? What holds you back from giving
\nJesus everything?<\/p>\n
\nSelect at least one activity below to complete during the next week.
\n\u2022 Personal Action:
\nRepeat this activity from the last week: Fast from whatever media platform causes you the most
\nstress and worry. Recount how the fast changed your perspective.
\n\u2022 Mentoring:
\nWho do you know right now who, like Daniel, has trusted God in the midst of a painful\/difficult
\ncircumstance? Ask this question: What helped you thrive in the midst of a painful trial? What
\ngives you peace when the culture seems to be getting crazier and more godless?
\n\u2022 Conversation:
\nTalk to a significant friend or group of friends about the one of the three things you learned from
\nthis lesson, Ask for input about how you can experience God\u2019s presence in the midst of those
\ndifficulties. Ask your friends what their list of three would be. End the time praying directly and
\nspecifically for each other.
\n\u2022 Memorization:
\nThis week a new verse you should memorize. Write down Hebrews 10:35 on a 3 x 5 card, then
\nkeep it with you in an obvious place (purse, wallet, car, mirror). Read and memorize it when life
\nfeels out of control.<\/p>\n