If I was God I Could Do Better 20 Oct 19

Connecting with God:

1. Understand that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
2. Talk to God, not about Him

Put it into practice:

1. Come back next week
2. Cry out to God

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PDF for printing the front page of the Discussion Questions

PDF for printing the back page of the Discussion Questions

Start reading.

Psalm 145:17-19 “The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.”

Start talking. Find a conversation starter for your group.

• Share one time in your life when you were in a situation/job/relationship in which someone in authority over you didn’t live up to or quite meet up to a standard that you thought was deserving of your respect?
• Do you recall times in your life when you witnessed a mentoring situation (parent/teacher/friend) and said to yourself, “I will never do ____” and then, if you’re being honest, you turned around and did some of the same things when you were the mentor? Share an example.

Start thinking and sharing.  Ask a question to get your group thinking and to create openness.

• Read Habakkuk 1:2-4. How do the events of Habakkuk’s day compare with what’s happening in the world today?
• Have you ever thought you could do better than God or thought to yourself, “God, how could you let this happen?”  Share with the group.
• You’re in good company if you have questioned God.  The book of Psalms is filled with times that David questions God, but he always ends with trusting him.   Read and discuss the following pairs of verses: Psalm 10:1 and Psalm 10:17; Psalm 43:1-2 and Psalm 43:5; Psalm 13:1-2 and Psalm 13:5-6; Psalm 42:9-10 and Psalm 42:11. Share others you may know.
• Troy said, “There’s something precious and powerful that happens in our lives when our beginning place is God I respect and honor you.”  Read and discuss the following verses:  Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 14:27; and Proverbs 15:33.
• Read and discuss Jeremiah 29:13, Numbers 23:19, and Isaiah 14:24. Think of your past week of interacting with God. Are you at a place where you can say to God, “I don’t understand, here’s how I feel, and I’m going to trust you God–no matter what?”  Share times where you trusted God even though you weren’t sure of or didn’t agree with the outcome.

Start doing. Commit to a step and live it out this week.

• Read Philippians 4:6-7, Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalm 56:3-4, and Psalm 145:17-19.   What are Paul, Solomon, and David telling us to do? Discuss some things that will help us make a conscious effort to cry out to God and then trust Him with the outcome.
• Continue to find ways to encourage each other to memorize verses.

Start praying.  Be bold and pray with power.

• This week, and with your group now, pray boldly. Expect answers and praise God in the waiting.  Praise Him and trust Him even if the answers aren’t what you wanted.
• Pray through the requests in your prayer journal.

Start digging. For further study.

• Study this article together: What Does It Mean to Fear God? 
• Check out the article, Does God hear/answer the prayers of a sinner/unbeliever? , to answer the following question:  Does God hear honest prayers of a seeker?

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