Angel Encounters: How is this Possible?
Luke 1:26-38
Connect:
Share how you have seen God in the Highs and Lows of your week.
Discuss how resolutions made last week in “growing more like Jesus” worked themselves out – what God did in and through you (Phil. 2:13) Celebrate and thank God for those together and pray with those who experienced some “Lows” this week, for God’s encouragement for them.
Prayer:
Pray that God would lead your discussion time and bring fresh insight, conviction, and hope through your time together.
Review:
We are launching into a new series looking at the angel encounters during Christmas Season of Jesus’ birth"! Last week, we looked at Zechariah and Elizabeth, and this week we looked at Mary…
The Grand Tour of the message: Thinking back on what you heard this Sunday…
o What did you learn about God?
o What did you learn about people?
o What did you learn about yourself?
o What do you want to commit to putting into practice?
Reflect:
Talk about a time you had to really struggle through “surrendering” something to God— something that mattered A LOT.
Read Luke 1:26-38
o What do the Scriptures teach us about how to find favor with God, as Mary did? (Daniel 9:20-23 and 10:11-12, Isaiah 66:1-2.)
o How did God encourage some of the Old Testament heroes to trust Him as they faced their challenges, like Mary did? (1 Kings 19:1-8, Judges 6:36-40 and 7:9-15,)
o When we are troubled by something the Lord is asking us to do, what Scriptures may comfort our hearts? (Isaiah 41:10 and 43:1-2, and Abraham's experience in Genesis 22:1-8 and Hebrews 11:17-19,)
o What Scriptures enable us, and may have helped Mary trust in God for her safekeeping? (Isaiah 26:3-4, Psalm 9:9-10 and 46:1-3)
o How can we live with a consistent sense of God's near Presence? (John 14:23, James 4:7-8a, Jeremiah 31:2-3,)
o Why does God choose the humble believer, not the proud? (1 Corinthians 1:26-31, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Isaiah 42:5-8,)
o Why is faith of such fundamental importance in serving God? (Hebrews 11:1 and 6, Matthew 17:20, John 15:4-7,)
Respond:
Scott closed the message this weekend with a call to remember, "The Lord is with you", and because of that to surrender to Him. That is what makes sense of our surrender! Are we living with a moment to moment acknowledgement of Him… even in the impossible disruptions of our very human lives! Spend some time in prayer together, surrendering yourselves to Him wherever you are here, now, tonight.
____________________________________
Get more resources to go deeper through Commentaries and Bible Study helps HERE