SERIES TITLE
Road Trip Recalculation
SERIES OVERVIEW
Do you remember that EPIC road trip? It was the one with a great playlist, roadside diners, and unforgettable memories. When you’re on the road, you can expect twists and turns, flat tires, and empty gas tanks. If you’re going to make it to your final destination, you’re going to need a good GPS because life is full of unexpected turns and detours. We need someone reliable to guide us.
SERMON TITLE
Recalculation by Mike Breaux
WEEKEND IN REVIEW
Jake kicked off this series with a bold declaration: “The ultimate destination of our lives will be determined by whose voices we have allowed to influence the decisions we made. He made it clear “WHY” we need to listen to the voice of Jesus! That’s because Jesus wants to lead us into a “rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT). In week two, Mike Breaux began addressing “HOW” we follow Jesus’ voice. If we’ve merely been seeking answers to our questions, guidance for our decisions, and may have even been looking for a “sign.” Then we need to recalculate our searches because what we need in order to hear Jesus’ voice is to seek His face.
WARM UP
Begin with some conversation, checking in on how people are doing. You can talk about whatever you’d like, but here are a few potential questions to get the conversation going.
- We’ve gotten so accustomed to listening to the guidance of our gadgets. Can you share about a time when you were following the directions of your GPS in your car or on your phone and ended up way off course or at least went the LONG way to your destination, or perhaps you got completely lost?
- In seeking God’s will, have you ever looked for a “sign?” The most famous person in the Bible who asked God to give them a sign was Gideon in the Old Testament Book of Judges. (Ask someone in your group to come prepared to share a summary of Judges 6:11-40.) Why were Gideon’s two fleeces expressions of doubt and disbelief rather than a genuine search for God’s will?
- See Judges 6:14. What instruction or direction had God already provided to Gideon?
- See Judges 6:16 & 36. What promise had God already made to Gideon?
- Agree or disagree? Gideon’s signs were not a pursuit of a revelation of the will of God for his life, but instead, they were Gideon’s searches for the answer to his doubts about whether God could really be trusted.
DISCUSSion
Select 5-6 questions from the list below to guide your discussion time.
- Pastor Mike’s first assertion was #1: “God’s will is much more about WHO WE ARE than WHAT WE DO or WHERE WE GO.” Why do you think God’s greater concern is about the kind of person you are becoming versus what you do or where you go?
- What do the following Scriptures reveal to us about the will of God?
- Pastor Mike’s 2nd assertion was #2: “God longs for us to desire HIM more than His answers for our life.” He went further when he said, “God is trying to speak to each one of us, and he’s saying, “MY WILL, begins with YOU.” He could give you the “right answer,” but if you are not becoming the right person—the answer you’re seeking could be very unfulfilling. If God provided you with directions to the “right place,” but that “right place” was designed for a person who dedicated themselves to growing into being the “right person” and without that growth in you, the place could no longer be the “right fit.” How can a person become the right person? What steps might he or she take?
- Mike’s 3rd assertion was #3: “Our role is not to FIND God’s will but to FOLLOW God’s voice.” What is the difference between these two pursuits? How will these 2 pursuits differ in the fruit they produce?
Application
- Now that you know that rather than seeking answers, directions, and signs, you need to recalculate your GPS to seek God, how might you pray differently?
- Consider how the Psalmist prayed in Psalm 27:4 for a model of what you might want to ask for as a person dedicated to seeking God’s face.
wrap up | prayer
Share prayer requests and spend time praying for each other.