Discussion Guide
God often calls fearful and/or unqualified people to great tasks. When those individuals despite their weakness, shift their trust to God their great tasks become successful. When we stop trusting God and forget about his faithfulness our life becomes barren and anxious, but when we trust in the Lord, we have deep rooted resilience and fruitfulness. This week as we study scripture let us consider how our own fear and our human perspective distort the vision God has for our own lives.
What you will need: A Bible or your Bible app, a notebook, pen, and highlighter. The verses highlighted below are linked so that you can easily access them during your study time.
Jump Start
1. Would you rather swim in deep, open water at night or walk alone through a foggy forest with no lights?
2. Read Judges 6:11-16; 6:25-27. Why was Gideon hiding and acting fearfully even though God called him a “mighty warrior”? What excuses did Gideon make, and how do we make similar ones today? What does verses 25-27 teach us about courage and obedience when following God feels risky or uncomfortable?
3. Read Numbers 13:27-33;14:6-9. What was accurate in the spies’ report, and where did the fear distort their perspective? How can our fear prevent us from acting on God’s promises? What made Joshua and Caleb respond differently from the other spies and the crowd?
4. Read Jeremiah 17:5-8. In what ways do we sometimes “trust in man” or our own strength instead of God? How does the tree metaphor describe the life of someone rooted in trust during difficult times? Have you ever gone through a season where you realized you were relying more on your own strength than on God and what helped you shift back to trusting Him?
Action Step: Where may God be asking for your obedience in this moment? Will you obey even over your fears?
Optional - Deeper Dive: Read Exodus 4:1-19. What insecurities or limitations did Moses use as an excuse to not obey God? What do we commonly use as reasons to hold back from what God may be calling us to do in this culture?