Small Group Guide: Peace with God and Inner Strength
Key Takeaways:
1. Through faith in Jesus, we have peace with God and access to His grace.
2. Our future hope is to experience and share in God’s glory.
3. Suffering, when viewed through the lens of faith, will produce endurance, character, and hope.
4. The Holy Spirit pours God’s love into our hearts, giving us confidence in our hope.
Discussion Questions:
The sermon mentions that we are either at peace with God or at war with Him. How does this perspective challenge or affirm your understanding of your relationship with God?
Paul talks about rejoicing in sufferings. How do you typically respond to difficult circumstances in your life? How might viewing suffering as a potential for growth change your perspective?
The sermon describes the process of suffering producing endurance, character, and hope. Can you share an experience where you’ve seen this process at work in your own life or someone else’s?
How does the concept of God using suffering to refine us, rather than to punish us, impact your view of hardships in life?
The speaker emphasizes the importance of daily “rejoicing and knowing” in our walk with God. What practical steps can you take to cultivate joy in God and knowledge of His character in your daily life?
How does the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives provide assurance of God’s love and our hope in Him?
Practical Applications:
Memory Verse Challenge: Memorize Romans 5:1-5 over the next week. Reflect on different parts of the passage each day.
Joy Journal: Start a daily practice of writing down one thing that brings you joy in God or reminds you of His character.
Suffering Reflection: If you’re currently going through a difficult time, spend some time journaling about how God might be using this situation to produce endurance, character, or hope in your life.
Walking Meditation: Try the speaker’s suggestion of going for a walk while pondering a memorized scripture passage. Share your experience with the group next time.
Peace Reminder: Place a visual reminder (e.g., a small card or phone wallpaper) with the phrase “I have peace with God” somewhere you’ll see it regularly to reinforce this truth.
Group Support: Share prayer requests related to current struggles, and commit to praying for each other throughout the week, focusing on God’s refining work through difficulties.