More Hope for the Hopeless

ICEBREAKER
Would you rather have the ability to see 2 years into the future or go back 2 years into the past?

Today we’re talking about the biblical concept of Hope and how God provides more hope for the hopeless. It’s part of our Advent series at church called “More or Less.”

While Christmas is a beautiful, even magical time of the year, it doesn’t resolve all our conflicts, reduce our anxieties, or fill our lives with friends and cheer. In fact, in some ways it complicates life. The bottom line for this whole series is… “When there seems to be less, God has more.”

WATCH, STUDY, DISCUSS
Watch the Bible Project’s teaching video on “Hope.” You can find it on their website at BibleProject.com or on YouTube.

• How did the video help you better understand the meaning of biblical hope?

Read Psalm 62 - In this Psalm, David is surrounded by murderous enemies. Though he had little reason to cling to hope, David still was able to say, “My hope comes from God.” David, like many other people in the Bible, faced difficult times with no evidence that things would get better, but they chose hope anyway.

• What problem was David up against, and how did he respond? What problems are you facing today? How will you respond?
• Notice how David repeated the word “only.” What do you think the significance of that is? What other things do people tend to put their hope in besides God (see 62:9-10)?
• Review verse 11-12. What do you think would change in your life if you believed this without any doubts? How do the truths in verses 11-12 help you put your hope in God?

TAKEAWAYIn what ways have you or are you putting your hope more in circumstances or your self than in God?
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John the Baptist said in John 3:30 “He must increase. I must decrease.” This week, how will you make your trust in God more important and trust in yourself or others less important.

PRAYER
First, take some time to ask people to identify prayer needs related to the discussion about encouraging one another. Second, take some time to ask for additional prayer requests. Then close your time together in prayer.