He is God and We Are Not by Ray Pritchard Session Seven: What God Starts He Finishes Good Questions: These Lessons Have Groups Talking www.joshhunt.com

Lesson Seven: What God Starts He Finishes

Accountability

• What three fellowships do we have planned for the next 3 months?

• What have you read in your quiet time recently that has warmed your heart?

• Has anyone had a spiritually significant conversation with an outsider in recent days? ⁽¹⁾

OPEN

• Let's share our name and one unfinished task you have started and not completed-one that is pending right now.

DIG

1. Let's look up Romans 8:28 - 39. ⁽²⁾ Who can read that for us? If you had to pick one favorite verse out of this passage, what would it be? ⁽³⁾
2. Romans 8.28 is a classic. Let's memorize it by saying it out loud together five times, then, I'd like five of you to say it out loud individually.
3. Let me ask you two or three things based on this classic verse. Are all things good?
4. Does everything work out for good for everybody?
5. I think we'd agree that "good" in this passage does not necessarily mean "pleasant." What does it mean?
6. It says, "work out for good." this implies that it may not be good right away. How long can this take?
7. Someone quote Romans 8.28.
8. Day 2. Pag 146ff. Let's look up and read the three passages from the middle of page 146. ⁽⁴⁾ How is Christianity like a fight? Can you give an example from real life of the way it has been a fight for you?
9. Why is it important that we expect Christian living to be a fight?
10. Day 3. Page 148ff. Read 1 John 5:12 - 13 from the margin of page 148. What is John's purpose in writing?
11. He writes, "that you may know you have eternal life." Have any of you struggled with this-with knowing you had eternal life?
12. What would you say to someone who was struggling to lay hold of assurance of their salvation? How would you help one plagued with doubts?
13. Someone read Philippians 1.6. ⁽⁵⁾ Would you describe yourself as confident? How could we develop this kind of confidence?
14. Who can quote Romans 8.28?
15. Day 4. Page 150ff. Read Psalm 46 out loud. What are some descriptions of God we find in this passage? ⁽⁶⁾
16. Describe a time when the concept of "God as a refuge" was very real to you?
17. The Psalm mentions God as a help. We often speak of serving the Lord. Does the Lord serve us? ⁽⁷⁾
18. Has there ver been a time when the verse that says, "Be still and know that I am God" was especially meaningful to you?
19. Day 5. Page 151ff. Someone read Hebrews 10:24 - 25. (It is in the margin of 152.) This verse is often used as an admonition to "come to church." Look at the verse carefully. Is this talking about an invitation to come to a meeting where we sit in rows and watch something on a stage? ⁽⁸⁾
20. What are some times in life when we especially need to be encouraged?
21. What are some ways we can encourage one another?
22. Complete this sentence with a story: "One of the most encouraging things that anyone ever did for me was the time. . ."
23. Have you ever had a thought, "I ought to do something to encourage so-and-so" and then did nothing? What keeps us from encouraging one another?
24. Why is it important that we do encourage one another? ⁽⁹⁾
25. Have you ever been guilty of needing encouragement, but you refused to let anyone know? What is that about?
26. The Bible speaks of the spiritual gift of encouragement. We are all called to encourage, but for some, this is a primary ministry. Who do you know in this church that just might have that gift?
27. Who can quote Romans 8.28?
28. How can we pray for one another this week?

    1. You might cycle through these questions, asking a different one each week.

    2. 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. [29] For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. [30] And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

    [31] What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? [32] He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? [33] Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. [34] Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. [35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? [36] As it is written:

    
    
    

    "For your sake we face death all day long;

    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

    [37] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38] For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, [39] neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:28-39 [NIV]

    3. Hopefully, you will get a variety of choices.

    4. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephes. 6:13 [NIV]

    
    
    

    Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Tim. 6:12 [NIV]

    
    
    

    Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 2 Tim. 2:3 [NIV]

    5. being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philip. 1:6 [NIV]

    6. For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth. A song.

    God is our refuge and strength,

    an ever-present help in trouble.

    [2] Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

    [3] though its waters roar and foam

    and the mountains quake with their surging.

    Selah

    [4] There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

    the holy place where the Most High dwells.

    [5] God is within her, she will not fall;

    God will help her at break of day.

    [6] Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

    [7] The Lord Almighty is with us;

    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

    Selah

    [8] Come and see the works of the Lord,

    the desolations he has brought on the earth.

    [9] He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;

    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,

    he burns the shields with fire.

    [10] "Be still, and know that I am God;

    I will be exalted among the nations,

    I will be exalted in the earth."

    [11] The Lord Almighty is with us;

    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

    Selah

    Psalm 46:1-11 [NIV]

    7. In a child-parent relationship, we teach the children to serve, but, we know it is really the parent that does most of the serving.

    8. Nothing wrong with those kind of meetings but that is not what this is talking about. "Encourage one another" suggests everyone is interacting, participating, encouraging and being encouraged.

    9. For most of us, the battle is motivation. It is not usually know what to do, it is motivation to do it.

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