NOVEMBER 2011
celloutlines | week four (continued...) see how he was working on our behalf. There are times in our lives when we must trust God even when we can’t see him or hear him. We must trust that he is working behind the scenes, like in the story of Esther, guiding us along his path, to outwork his plans for our lives. Group Discussion: Discuss what it must have been like for Esther taken from her family. One minute she was happy and secure, thought she knew where her life was going....and the next, everything had changed? Surely she did not understand what was happening to her and must have wondered what God was doing. Use the following questions to facilitate some group discussion about trusting and believing in God even when things maybe going wrong or we don’t understand what is happening. • What sort of questions would Esther have been asking God? (Where are you God? Do you see what is happening to me? Can you hear me God? Why are you not answering me God?) • Do you think Catherine would have been asking God similar questions? • What sort of things happen in our lives that make us question God in this way? • Ask the group to share with each other similar situations that have happened in their own life and how it made them feel. • What would you say to anyone who claims that because God does not appear to be working in a certain situation nor exerting his control, he must have abandoned them? • What can we learn from the story of Esther about trusting God in our lives even when we don’t understand? • In what ways have you experienced real joy like Catherine describes? Have you ever laughed out loud because of Jesus’ love in your life?!
Worship
celloutlines
It is possible that there are obvious points for prayer that have arisen from your discussion. If so please feel free to proceed in a time of prayer however you wish to….or you may have already interspersed your discussion above with prayers for each other. If not you could use the following ideas: 1. Catherine was asked how she would like her story to inspire others. She said: ‘I want people to know that someone so incredible can heal your earthly pain. Just because you can’t see him, he is still there working through the pain to bring good into your lives “for the lord has a plan for you, plans to prosper, not to harm.”’ Catherine is the second person who has mentioned this scripture in their stories this month. It’s Jeremiah 29:1. Write out this verse on cards in a few different translations (see examples below). Place the cards in the centre of the group and allow time for everyone to read them. (You could do this as a meditation with some reflective music if appropriate for your group) Ask people to share what stands out for them about these verses, what they feel God is saying to them. Then give out some blank cards and ask each continued over >>>
www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove