Holy Ghost Stories: The Reject & The Rescuer

TO START

This week we’re kicking off fall small groups! If you’ve been meeting over the summer this may not represent much of a change, but if you haven’t been meeting regularly, use this meeting as a chance to both catch up and establish expectations going forward. 

To catch up, have members share where they saw God working in their lives this summer. Just one example is plenty, but you’re welcome to make this the core of your conversation for the evening. You might also ask for one struggle from the summer. What was especially hard? 

In terms of expectations, be sure you’re all on the same page about how often you’ll meet, when you’ll meet, in person or online, and what you hope each person would bring to group meetings (Do you want members to have listened to the sermon? Do you want members to always bring a prayer request? Do you need to go over privacy or how to handle conflict? etc.)

TO DISCUSS

This week we listened to the story of Hagar, Abraham’s slave wife, mother of Ishmael. Had you heard that story before? What stuck out as interesting, powerful, or surprising?

If you need to catch up you can read Genesis chapters 16 and 21. 

What do you think this story is about? What can we learn from it?

What do you learn about God from this story? Who is He? What’s important to Him?

What do we learn about power from this story? Who here has power? Who wields that power poorly? How so? Does anyone wield it well? Give an example. What consequences come from the misuse of power? 

Hagar is the Egyptian slave of the Father of the nation of Israel. Israel will, not so far down the line, become enslaved to the nation of Egypt. Do you see any connections between this story and the story of Israel’s enslavement and rescue? Are they connected? 

What are you wondering as you consider this story? In what ways does it challenge you? 

TO PRAY

This week, pray for those who lack power. Work together to name groups of people who might fall under that umbrella.