Pray
Today’s discussion may be difficult and painful for some of us as we process this past year. Begin by praying that God will use your time together to encourage, to heal, and to draw you all closer to Him.

Respond to The After Party
View The After Party video here: https://youtu.be/cm2CeWgfwpw
Feel free to share this link with your Life Group to watch ahead of time or watch together as a group.

In the sermon, Scotty asked us to note our most heartbreaking or discouraging thing of 2020. He later asked us to write “God never wastes anything” next to it. If you didn’t do it yet, jot those down right now. Then, discuss them as a group by answering these questions:
• What did you note as your heartbreaking or discouraging thing?
• How have you already seen God use that thing in your life or someone else’s life?
• How can you imagine God might use it in the future? How can God use your 2020 experiences to impact 2021?
• What can you do now to participate in what God is doing?

Engage and Apply
In John 9, Jesus heals a man who was born blind. Read the beginning of the story in John 9:1-7.

Jesus could have healed the blind man with just a word. Why do you think he went through the whole spit, mud, wash procedure?

In verse 3, Jesus says that the man was born blind so that “the works of God might be displayed in him.” Why do you think that “works” is plural? What are these works that are displayed?

Now read Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of John 9:3 from The Message:
Jesus said, “You’re asking the wrong question. You’re looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do.”

Scotty said that our message to the world should not be that there is someone to blame for our trials, but that there is someone we can trust. Consider that in light of what you say to others (in person or online) about what is going on in the world. How can framing our message that way impact us? Impact others?

Pray
God, we don’t pretend to understand why things happen the way they do. We can only hold onto the promise that you are good and that you love us. Please comfort us as we deal with heartache and loss. Help us to reframe the way we think about what is happening in our world and look at it with an eternal perspective. We ask that you show us what you are doing and help us to see how we can be involved. And even (or especially!) when we don’t see what you are doing, help us to cling to you and trust that nothing that happens will be wasted. Amen.