LiSTeNeRs Through the Seasons

LiSTeNeRs through the Seasons

Connect: What is your favorite season? Why?

Surrender:

Use this song lyric as a prayer or to inspire a surrender prayer from the group.

Great is thy faithfulness
Oh God my father
There is no shadow of turning with thee
Thou changest not
Thy compassions they fail not
As thou hast been
Thou forever will be

Summer and Winter
Springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join in all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness
Mercy and love

Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness
Lord unto me

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Your strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine with ten thousand aside

Grow:

Any thoughts from Sunday’s message on spiritual seasons?

Spring: preparation, freshness, focus, beginnings, planting, activity, breaking up the ground.

Summer: fullness, gifts to the max, weeding, watering.

Fall: reaping either good or bad, hard work pays off, storing.

Winters: Where is God? What has happened? Hopeful expectation, forced rest, living off what is stored.

What season do you see yourself in right now?

Several ways to get into a season…
In a season of your own doing (sinning, making bad choices into a winter, or following into a summer time). Can you think of biblical characters or Bible verses to back this up?

In a season because God has placed you there. Can you think of a biblical characters or Bible verses to back this up?

Sometimes it is hard to endure a long season while you are longing for another. Have you found yourself (along with Bruce) wanting to force the seasons on God?

Read Psalm 86:11
What do you think an undivided heart looks like in everyday life?

Read John 14:31
Bruce called this the secret to surviving spiritual seasons. Develop the ideas in this verse together.

Develop:
If you think someone has potential to start an outreach type discussion group this summer, take a moment to tell them so. You might help them develop some ideas for a group. Perhaps your group could sponsor an outreach type group or servant evangelism type project (where you find a need in the community and meet it).

Share: Did your group choose an outreach activity yet? Do you need help? Contact me.