Grow Group Questions - Rise.Rebuild.Restore - May 16, 2021

Conversation Starter/Questions (10 minutes)

Share with the group one thing that has changed in your thinking or habits because of Covid that has become a permanent part of your life now.

Sermon Based Questions (15-20 minutes)

Read Nehemiah 3 & 4 together as a group.

Do you feel like something has been destroyed in your life… have you struggled with trusting God to rebuild or struggled with how God has chosen to rebuild differently in your life than you were comfortable with?

Rebuilding sometimes means that things are “different” from what they were before. How can you surrender and join with God in what he is doing in your life and at Bethany when “different” is often uncomfortable or challenging?

Everyone had a part in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. What is your role in the rebuilding process as a part of the Bethany family, even if you are not sure what the “new” will be? Is there anything keeping you from starting that now.

EXAMPLES TO SHARE WITH THE GROUP OF CURRENT NEEDS:

Kid’s Ministry on Sunday mornings (even if it is just during the summer); Ushers / Greeters to welcome people back; Deacon needs - more info coming next Sunday

And lots more this fall.

Digging Deeper (20-25 minutes)

Look again at Nehemiah 4:1-3. The enemy fought against Israel with words/lies not swords. Share a time when you felt the opposition of the enemy in that way when God was calling you to do something?

Read Nehemiah 4:9-14  Look at the three actions that the people did in response to opposition

                             1. prayer       2. set a guard       3. remember God’s power

• Which one is hardest for you to do?
• Pastor David mentioned that he struggles to pray as his first response. Why is prayer not our first response?  What lies from our enemies keep us from that? What can we do to begin to shift that in our lives to start with prayer before action?
• Which one of these three actions is most needed for you in your life?
• These actions are not random, they are strategic, organized, and purposeful. What is lacking in your strategy for responding to the enemy?

Thinking about the unity of the people of God in this story, how does unity help us fight? What examples do they show us we can apply today?

Challenge and Prayer (10-15 minutes)

Share what is holding you back (the opposition)  from joining the rebuilding process. Pray for one another regarding these areas.