Sunday 15th February, 2009

If you missed the talk from this Sunday, you can listen to it by clicking here. (34 minutes)
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Faith is spelt R. I. S. K. // How to be a failure for God

FEAR

• What makes you afraid? Are there things in your life right now that scare you? Can you imagine that God is present somewhere, however hidden, in the midst of that situation? If you can, what do you think he might be doing?

• How do you respond when you’re scared? How do you think you should you respond?

• Are there situations that consistently make you afraid (for example, confrontation, being around people who are suffering, talking to certain types of people)? Why do you feel afraid? Does it affect the way you act? Do you try to avoid these situations? Should you?

OPPORTUNITY

• The same story is found in Mark 6:45-52. Mark makes special effort to show that something special is going on – to see it, pay attention to the last sentence of verse 48 and compare it with Moses’ experience in Exodus 33:18-23.

• Why do you think Peter recognised this as an opportunity and the other disciples didn’t? Whatever answer you come up with, do you have that quality?

• Do you find it easy or difficult to think that God might be doing something when things actually look and feel awful? How might thinking this way help you get through the hard times?

FAILURE

• If you feel that God is asking you to take a risk, but you’re afraid, what’s the worst thing that could happen? Try taking some risks and see if it’s as bad as you feared!

REPEATED PRACTICAL TASK: DO SOMETHING GOOD THIS WEEK (or even everyday this week!) The rules of this experiment are:

1. First pray that God will lead you. Then, when you have a chance to do something good, have faith that God set it up.
2. The good act must be something you wouldn’t normally do.
3. It has to be spontaneous, not planned. For best results, step out of your comfort zone and do something for a stranger.
4. It mustn’t be for the purpose of sharing your faith. It should just be about doing good. If you do get an opportunity to talk about Jesus, that’s just a bonus!
5. Share what happens using the 'comments' link below