Sunday 25th January, 2009

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DISAPPOINTED, DISILLUSIONED AND DISCOURAGED!

• Read Mark 6:30-44 (you could pick almost any passage – I’ve chosen this one almost at random). Put yourself into the position of the disciples and then someone in the crowd. Can you see the place where they are suddenly in he gap between what they hoped or expected to happen and it actually happening? Think how they would have felt? Can you draw parallels with your own life?

• Have you ever felt let down by God? Have you had prayers remain unanswered, or things go very differently from what you expected or hoped? How did you cope? How do you feel about these things now? Are they still painful? Do they have an influence on your behaviour or beliefs now? Pray and ask what God would have you do to begin your healing.

• Read Romans 8:18-38. Read it again out loud. Try writing it out in your own words, as if you were conveying the ideas to a friend who doesn’t understand all the Christian terms. Feel free to use lists, bullet points and your own metaphors – whatever it takes to help the meaning really sink in!

• Do you think you believe it? Does it feel like it’s just a quick and easy answer that doesn’t really meet the pain of your situation? How do you think you can you get through this and discover the encouragement God intends it to be in our lives?
  

• Read Romans 5:1-5. Does it seem ridiculous to “rejoice in our sufferings”? Paul says suffering changes us into better people. How do you think your suffering might help you to be more like Jesus?

• Read Hebrews 11:32 to 12:3 and 2 Corinthians 4:7-18. Do you find this encouraging?

• Read Revelation 21:1-7. How does this make you feel? You could also read John 14:1-3 for the same idea put a different way.