March 16, 2025

Walking through the Wilderness

Icebreaker
Did you grow up observing or otherwise encountering Lent? If so, what do you remember about that?  Or what was something that you or your family would do on a regular (daily, weekly, monthly or annual) basis? What memories of that do you have?

Discussion

1. Have someone read Ephesians 1:15-23 outloud while everyone else listens quietly for references to each person of the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Then read it through a second time, slowly, having the others in the group stop (interrupt) the reading whenever they see a reference to a person of the Trinity and say what person they are seeing.
2. Then, consider each person of the Trinity, in turn, summarizing and discussing their unique role as expressed in this passage.
3. Did you uncover, or appreciate in a new way, any aspect of the character or nature of God?
4. List and summarize the blessings in this passage.
5. What do those blessings express about the character and nature of God?

Application

1. Given your uniquenesses and individuality, at this moment in your life, what thing or things can you do to best participate in knowing God and in experiencing the blessings described here?
2. Again, given your uniquenesses and individuality, at this moment in your life, where might you experience "wilderness difficulty"? Where might you need sacrifice, commitment, self-discipline to do those things that might lead to knowing and experiencing God?
3. In what ways do other people help you learn and grow in your faith and understanding?  Is it formal studying? Or supportive fellowship? Or learning from teachers, authors, or others via books, podcasts, online content? Maybe all of the above? Give specific examples of each, where possible.

Prayer
Ask people if they have any prayer requests. Then pray for each other's spiritual growth based on the above discussion and each other's prayer requests.