Sermons - HOPE Singapore

Title: Wrestling with God
Series: Hearts On Fire – Focus Series 2
Text: Genesis 32:22-32

God is inviting us to wrestle with Him because He desires for us to have a deeper dependence on Him and to fulfill His purposes for us.

General Questions:

Have you seen people wrestling before? Describe it, what can it tell us about the process of wrestling with God?
Who is Jacob? What kind of person is he? What part does he play in God’s redemptive story shared in the Bible?

Perspective Questions:

Before Jacob wrestled with God, he was anxious at the thought of Esau coming to meet him although he had made plans to stave off Esau’s attack (Gen 32:7-8, 13-21). His great need led him to pray (Gen 32:9-12), remembering God’s promises and goodness to him, and asking God to save him. This was where God wanted Jacob – uncertain, helpless, and vulnerable; so that Jacob would realise that relying on God was the only way out. When were the times when you felt like you had done everything you could but you were still afraid or uncertain, and you could only look to God for help?
It took many hours of wrestling and a broken hip to make Jacob yield to God (Gen 32:24-26). What would it take for us to trust God and submit to His purpose for our lives? God had to break Jacob’s hip – what would God have to “break” in us to make us realise that He is our only recourse and surrender to Him in trust?

Application Questions:

We “win” in our wrestle with God when we choose to “lose” by surrendering to God and letting His purpose control our lives. In our walk with God, how can we “lose” to Him more? What are some truths from the Bible we can remind ourselves with that would help us to surrender to God in trust?
Feeling fearful and vulnerable is no fun. However, recognising our fear and vulnerability may be necessary to recognising our need for God. Therefore, we should not neglect negative emotions, but deal with them. How can the LG be a place where people feel safe to confront their unpleasant feelings?
With a broken hip, Jacob limped into his calling as the father of Israel. Likewise, God might have to break us before He could use us for His purposes, so that we learn to always rely on Him. How can we deepen our dependence on God as we live out His purposes for our lives?

Title: Walking In The Light
Series: Hearts On Fire – Focus Series 2
Text: 1 John 1:5-10

Walking with God is really a commitment to follow a righteous God. This commitment comes with expectations to walk in the light as God is in the light. What does God ask of those who desire to walk with Him?

Perspective Questions:

What is your understanding of what it means to walk with God? How does the apostle John define it?
Why do some people not want to walk in the light (see John 3:19-21) or lie about walking in the light?

Application Questions:

What are possible ways people can downplay their sins? How can we properly deal with our sins?
A benefit of walking with God in the light is we get to enjoy true fellowship with other believers. How can we place the sacrifice of Jesus at the centre of our relationships with one another?
How can the LG help one another to walk in the light?

Adulting is a long journey where every life station comes with its own complexities. Learn how you can live in God’s wisdom and purposes in your current season.