Topic: Trust

Title: When We Trust God Together
Series: Songs for All Seasons
Text: Psalm 115

The community of God is called to remember God’s greatness and to choose to trust Him, instead of idols. When we do so, God will bless us and renew us in Him.

General Questions:

  1. Read through Psalm 115. What does the text reveal about the psalmist’s understanding of and relationship with God? Considering this, in what ways does our understanding of and relationship with God need to change?
  2. The text of Psalm 115 suggests it was sung corporately in the nation of Israel. What did Israel, as a community, sing about? What truths did they proclaim about God? What is the role of the community in proclaiming these truths with and to one another?
  3. Put yourself in the shoes of an Israelite, during a festival celebration when Psalm 115 was sung. What impact would hearing the words of Psalm 115, sung by your fellow Israelites, have on you, especially if you were feeling discouraged? How does this experience enrich our understanding of gathering as a spiritual community? Why is it important for us to gather?

Perspective Questions:

  1. Psalm 115 tells us to praise God together. What is the difference between singing songs of praise in private or recording our testimonies in our diaries, as compared to singing together and sharing our testimonies with one another? How does this affect our attitude towards gathering for LG and for weekly services? 
  2. Manmade idols can never replace the place of God in our community. What are some manmade idols (e.g. busyness, success, people’s approval, performance, self-dependence) that we are susceptible to worshiping? Verses 4-8 describes such manmade idols: what do these verses show about the manmade idols we seek? How has worshiping these idols affected us as well as our understanding of God and His power?  
  3. In what ways might we have become over-familiar with God’s grace and works? How has this over-familiarity affected the way we respond to and relate with God? What can we do to avoid being over-familiar with God’s grace and works?
  4. If God gives you a blank cheque to ask for anything that is godly for the LG, what would you ask for? Why do we not regularly ask God for these things in our LG? What does our lack of asking reveal about our understanding of and relationship with God?

Application Questions:

  1. What are some areas in which we can change how we conduct our LG meetings?
    • How can we help one another to remember that God is active in our lives?
    • How can we, when we gather, be more proactive in involving God in the seemingly mundane things (e.g. work, bringing our children to/from school) in our lives?
    • As a community, how can we develop the habit to seek God for breakthroughs?

Title: Embracing His Refining
Series: True Spirituality In Christ
Text: Malachi 2:17-3:5

How should we respond when God is seemingly inconsistent with His character that’s revealed in the Scripture and when we are supposed to live by faith and not by sight? True spirituality is reflected by trusting God in His refining work and His timing even when it does not appear reasonable in our human mind to do so.

General Questions:

  1. The fourth dispute God has against the Israelites is their complaint towards God’s seemingly inaction towards evil and injustice. What are some of the What are some instances of injustice and/or suffering we have encountered in our lives?

Perspective Questions:

  1. How do we usually respond to the times of refining around us? How can knowing that God is refining us and that evil would ultimately be judged shape our perspectives and responses to these circumstances?

Application Questions:

  1. How can we respond to God when we are experiencing God’s refining and discipline? How can we help each other to see this discipline as a treasure from God rather than something undesirable in our lives?
  2. As a LG, how can we support one another in responding to God when our members (ourselves included) are undergoing suffering or experiencing injustice in their lives?

Series: True Spirituality in Christ (Book Study on Malachi)
Title: Trusting in God’s Love
Text: Malachi 1:1-5

Difficult times in life may cause us to doubt God’s love for us. Eventually, we can become increasingly apathetic or ungrateful towards God. What are some perspectives that can help us navigate difficult times and difficult emotions so we can remain faithful to God?

General Questions:

  1. Take time to reflect on what the Lord has done for you that enabled you to experience His love. What happened and how did your appreciation for God’s love change from that experience?

Perspective Questions:

  1. Ps. Timothy shared 3 reasons why Israel questioned God’s love for them:
    1. Disappointment from unmet expectations
    2. Economic difficulties
    3. Jealousy of neighbours
    Which of these do you find more relatable in your recent struggles? How does the perspective of God’s love help us in such circumstances?
  2. How can we be honest with God about our trials, doubts and fears, and also exercise trust in Him?

Application Questions:

  1. What are some habits you can start to become better at remembering Gpd’s love and being grateful to Him?
    What are some habits you can stop (e.g. complaining, comparing) that takes the focus away from God and encourages a tendency to fear, doubt or get discouraged?
  2. Is there a recent incident in your life that is causing you to question or doubt God’s love? Share with your lifegroup and ask them to pray along with you to trust God’s love.