Session 8 – Embracing Grace of God Through Hope and Gratitude

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29
Feb '20

Session 8 – Embracing Grace of God Through Hope and Gratitude

Posted on Feb 29, 2020 by Shuqin Pan in D-Groups Term 3 |

29
Feb '20

EMBRACING GRACE OF GOD THROUGH HOPE AND GRATITUDE

Preparation

In preparation for this week’s D-Group:
Memorize and Meditate on:
Isaiah 40:31

Read/Watch:

We have come to the last part of our term in developing a healthier self as part of our discipleship pathway. In this lesson, we will explore transformation in God. One of the most important parts of this transformation is the spirit of gratitude towards God. Our gratitude is our expression of acknowledging what He had done for us. Such an attitude, is not only an expression of faith, but it is also an expression of love towards the One who loves us very much.

Accountability (10 Minutes)

In our previous lesson, we discuss the effect of a healthy and unhealthy relationship with our self. Between the previous lesson and this one, share any insight that God had shown you to build a better relationship with other people.
 
 

Bible Discussion (20 Minutes)

1. Read Luke 5:1-11. What experience did Peter encounter with Jesus that transformed his life?

2. Read Luke 22: 54-62. Despite his initial transformation with Jesus, Peter still needed to continue to grow in Jesus. What kind of spiritual lesson can we learn from this passage about spiritual growth?

3. Read Acts 9:1-19. What important elements did you notice in the conversion process of Saul?

 

Life Transformation (20 Minutes)

1. Spiritual growth cannot happen without emotional growth. We must dare to confront our deepest fear, our pride, our anger, even our past pain for Jesus to be able to transform us completely. In other words, growth in Jesus demands us to dare to face our defective self and embrace God’s saving grace.
Share with your group what are some of your personal life challenges that you want Jesus to change you right now. It can be some form of addiction or resentment you still carry about someone, or perhaps an unteachable attitude that needs to be removed from your life.

2. Despite our best efforts, our humanity will continue to fail us if we only depend on our own strength alone. Create a prayer cycle with your group members and continue to pray for one another for the growth and change that you want your group to find in following Jesus.

3. Challenge yourself to make a commitment to be a helper for someone else to grow from their own emotional and spiritual challenges after this session.

4. Share with your group members, any Bible verse or Ellen White quotations that had helped you in putting hope in God or encouragement to be more grateful of all the blessings you had received in life.

Intercessory Prayer (10 Minutes)

1. Pray that God can use all the lessons you have been through together to help everyone grow to be a better Christian daily.

2. Pray that God will help all members of the group to encourage one another in our spiritual growth.

3. Pray for strength and hope in God and by His grace, the process of change will continue to happen in everyone’s life.

LEADER’S TIP

1. Receiving false hope is often worse than embracing full reality. We need to encourage our members to embrace the hope from God but be careful of trying to promise something that the Bible did not say, nor God spoke to you directly. But rather, allow each member to know that in God they can find comfort and strength.

2. There is a saying: “trying to see positivity in everything is a form of denial”. As we have learned in the previous lesson about grieving, we need not try to rationalise all circumstances in life to be positive. Be careful of some members (or ourselves) trying to create the impression of finding something positive in some life challenges.

3. At the end of this lesson, take a bit of your time to review the entire lesson together and remind everyone that: “sanctification is not the work of a moment, an hour, a day, but of a lifetime. It is not gained by a happy flight of feeling, but is the result of constantly dying to sin, and constantly living for Christ. Wrongs cannot be righted nor reformations wrought in the character by feeble, intermittent efforts. It is only by long, persevering effort, sore discipline, and stern conflict, that we shall overcome.”76The Acts of the Apostles, 560 Growth is usually a painful and difficult process of transformation that is not always straight forward. However, what matters is that the process continues to happen even though it might look insignificant at times. Encourage all group members to continue to pray for each other in their growth process.

**Additional Resources