Leader Guide
Faith is one of the most important aspects of our Christian walk with God. This week we will look at how to have a “now faith” and how to grow our faith in God.
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
Leader: This section is designed to get discussions started, examine God’s truth, and apply it to our week. Life Group leaders should not assume everyone in their group is a Christ follower. Because they are taking part in a Life Group, they must have some openness to knowing more, exploring. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work and let Him lead you as well.
1. Share a time that you had a now faith, where you may have stepped out believing God would do something?
Leader’s Note: This can be something small like you prayed with someone at work, invited someone to a service, or tried something new in faith.
2. Read Hebrews 11:1-2. What is faith and why is it so important to live it out in our daily lives? How do we get God’s “approval”?
Leader’s Note: Hebrews, Chapter 11, tells us what faith is and gives us examples of “heroes” of the faith. They lived by it, followed God by it, and they gained approval by God. “For by it the people of old received their commendation.” (Hebrews 11:2, ESV).
3.Read Hebrews 11:6. What does this verse teach us about not having faith? Is believing God exist enough? What is the result of believing that He rewards us for our faith and pursuing Him?
Leader’s Note: In the message, we heard about not just believing God exist but also that He rewards those who seek or pursue Him. God wants us to live a supernatural life, with a mindset of believing God still answers prayers, and still performs miracles in our lives. Without faith we cannot please God.
4. Read 2 Chronicles 16:9. In this verse, what kind of person is God looking for? How much of your heart is He seeking? Look back at Hebrews 11:1-2. Why is it important to cling to hope while the dream(s) God gave you appear not to be progressing? What place, if any, do hard work, delays, and problems have in accomplishing the dreams given to us by God?
Leader’s Note: In this verse we learn what kind of person God will strongly support- a fully surrendered one. Encourage each other that as we heard in the weekend message “big dreams take big time,” and that's where hope comes in. The “Heroes of Faith” pursued God’s plans and dreams for their lives, not other people's plans. Abraham did not know where he was going or get to see the promise. He believed and trusted God that it would happen. Big dreams take hard work. You will run into problems and delays, but like Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and Joseph, we must keep the faith, keep believing.
5.Read Mark 9:22-24. In these verses, what is the father struggling with? How does Jesus respond? Does this often play out in our everyday lives? How do you think Jesus responds to our honesty about our unbelief at times? How can we grow and stretch our faith?
Leader’s Note: Remind your group that God is merciful and patient with us in our doubt. If He was patient with the disciples’ “little faith” and still used them to do His work, then He will be with us, also. God knows our hearts and thoughts. In this story, even though the father was struggling with his faith, because he humbly admitted his unbelief and asked for Jesus’ help, God still healed his son.
7. Action Steps: Just as last week we were asked to spend time on our knees, we are challenged to do so again. This time, pray humbly on your knees with His Word laid out in front of you, saying, “God, I want You to do in my life what I see in these pages.” Tell God you do believe, but also admit if you need help with any unbelief. Be real with God about it. He already knows us, and He is full of grace and mercy towards us. Ask God to give you a big dream. And then act, don't wait! Pray, ask, do. “Faith is like a muscle; you must use it and stretch it to grow.”
Deeper
8. Read Genesis 37: 5-11, Genesis 37:24, Genesis 37:28, Genesis 37:36. What was Joseph’s big dream from God? How did others feel about his dream? Did it look like his dream would happen, considering how things were going?
Leader’s Note: Joseph had a literal dream, given to him by God, showing his future. As you read and discuss these verses, talk about how he must have felt and how it seemed in this moment that his dream was not going to happen. As they mentioned in the weekend message, Joseph is taken to the pit. Then he was sold as a slave. Only God could take this situation and use is for a plan and purpose.
9. Read Genesis 39:2, Genesis 39:19-21. Here we see that the Lord was with Joseph and blessed him. Then in a turn of events, he was falsely accused of something he did not do. What do you think Joseph was thinking? Does it look like he continued to live out his faith? How did Joseph keep taking the next right steps?
Leader’s Note: Joseph faced opposition, delays, disappointment, and discouragement in his faith. The Scriptures show us he kept doing the right things and that God was with him.
10. Read Genesis 41:40 & Genesis 45:5-8. In Joseph’s situation, does he get to see his dream or plan for his life fulfilled? Could Joseph have allowed the discouragement and delays to create unbelief in his life and situation? How can the story of Joseph encourage us to live out our faith and believe God even when we can’t see the promise?
Leader’s Note: God took Joseph from the pit, to prison, to the palace, and used his faith to fulfill is plan. Without faith, we cannot please God. “God, help us as we take the action steps in our life to grow and exercise our faith. We desire to please You. Help our unbelief. Amen.”