Renovate: To Make New (Part 6): Demolition Day

TO START:

As you know these past few weeks due to the winter storm (Snowpocalypse of 2021), it has been a struggle for many in our church, our community and the state of Texas at large. We would love for you to start group by sharing stories about where you saw God in the midst of the snowpocalypse week (i.e. stories of radical hospitality and radical generosity).

TO READ

Before watching the video for the week, take a look at two passages in Scripture: John 16:33 & 2 Corinthians 1:8-9.

TO WATCH

Now jump into this week’s session 6 video: https://www.anthology.study/Studies/Renovate

TO DISCUSS

In the video, Andy shares his own story and specifically recounts the experience of him and his wife finding out that each of their children have autism. In many ways, he points to this experience as a deep suffering that he never would have expected. 

  • So, why do you think we have to suffer and go through trials? If God is so good, shouldn’t life be good all the time? 

  • In light of the previous question, why do you think we’re tempted to believe that suffering is abnormal and a pain-free life is possible? What are some costs to that false belief? (You can point to this as an example if no one brings it up → prosperity gospel - tendency to compare our rightness/benefits with others wrongness/sufferings)

In Andy’s talk, he points to his belief that God’s greatest form of demolition is suffering. It’s a way of clearing out what we’ve believed, behaved and felt in the past and makes away for something better. 

  • Have you ever seen someone grow as a result of suffering? If so, how did the experience change your perception of that person?

  • Now, in looking at yourself, how do you tend to respond to suffering? Do you try to numb it, run from it, or face it head-on? What is a downside to that tendency?

Additionally, Andy speaks of the difference between suffering and brokenness. He argues that suffering feels like a death sentence BUT it leads us to a necessary brokenness which isn’t a condition but rather a posture or attitude. He shows us that God redeems our suffering so that we can experience abundant life!

  • Do you believe you’ve experienced this type of brokenness in light of suffering? 

  • So how much do you think your feeling of suffering and brokenness change when you read 2 Cor. 1:9, “we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead?”

TO CLOSE

Difficult circumstances help us to grow and rely on God. He wants to minister to others through us!! That’s right... through us! Every trial we face brings awareness of our own insufficiency and an increased dependence upon his complete sufficiency. Andy leads us to realize that this brokenness is about surrendering our will and breaking our dependency on anything other than GOD. He’s not trying to punish us but He knows the only way to abundant life is sole dependence on Him. 

TO PRAY

Please continue to be in prayer for those who have suffered tremendous losses from the past week’s winter storm. Encourage your group to share of anyone including themselves who is in need of help in light of these past weeks. 

Pray for needs to be met and for God to use your group and our church to be the hands and feet of Jesus to anyone who is suffering in this moment.


Matt DeLano