October 22 – 28

Weekly Reading for October 22 – 28

Preparing for Next Week’s Message

Sermon Series: Praying with Eyes Wide Open
Sermon Title: Praying with Hearts Wide Open

This reading plan will get your heart and mind set for the next message on October 29, 2017:


Reflecting on the Most Recent Sermon

Sermon Series: Praying with Eyes Wide Open
Sermon Title: Praying with Ears Wide Open
Delivered On: October 22, 2017

WATCH SERMON VIDEO
VIEW WEEKLY BULLETIN
VIEW SERMON NOTES

Memorize and Reflect

…His sheep follow him because they know his voice. (John 10:4)


Prayer Direction

Ask God to open your ears to hear when He is speaking to you. Pray for courage to follow what God calls you to do. Thank God for the ways He has spoken to you in the past.


“Live It!” Challenge

Ask Questions - Take time this week and ask God some of the following questions. After you do, be quiet and listen for God’s answers. Questions: How much do you love me? What sins and behaviors in my life do you want me to turn away from? Who would you have me serve and love? Who would you have me tell about my faith in you?


Small Group Discussion

  1. Describe a time God spoke to you clearly and personally through his written Word. (This could be a time you were reading the Bible or a time you heard someone preach, teach, or talk about a Bible passage.)

  2. Watch Session Two Video. If “prayer is about entering God’s plan for me more than about getting what I want,” how does prayer help us draw near to God and align our life with his plan?

  3. Respond to this statement: Just because we tag the words, “in the name of Jesus” on the end of a prayer does not mean we are actually praying in Jesus’ name. Give an example of a prayer that might be lifted up “in the name of Jesus” but is actually not a prayer that honors Jesus and does not reflect his will and desire.

  4. Read: John 14:12-14 and 1 John 5:14-15 How can we make sure the prayers we lift up are according to God’s will and worthy of being lifted up “in the name of Jesus”? How do we know we are praying “in the name of Jesus”?

  5. Read: John 10:2-5 What does Jesus mean when he says that his sheep recognize his voice? If Jesus is your Good Shepherd, how do you know when he is speaking to you?

  6. Tell a story about a time God spoke to you in some way. How did you recognize his voice and how did you respond?

  7. Read: 2 Timothy 3:16 How does God speak through the Scriptures? What are some of the things that can keep us from hearing and following what God declares clearly in the Bible? What practical things can we do to hear God’s voice speaking through the Bible with growing frequency and clarity?

  8. Read: 1 Kings 19:9-13 God spoke to Elijah through a gentle whisper. What are ways God speaks to us through the still small voice of his Holy Spirit? How can we tune in, listen more closely, and learn to hear the gentle whispers of the Spirit?

  9. Why is it critical and essential that we measure anything we think is coming from the Spirit against the teachings of the Bible? How should we respond if what we think we are hearing does not line up with what God teaches in his Word?

  10. Tell about a time God opened a door or closed a door and led you through very specific circumstances. How did God speak to you and direct you through this situation?

  11. Tell about a person God has placed in your life who loves Jesus, walks closely with God, and has been used by God to speak to you. What is one example of how God spoke into your life through this person and how did this experience deepen or grow your faith?

  12. What tends to get in the way of you listening to God and hearing his voice? What can you do to pay more attention and overcome these distractions?

  13. Your Prayer Journey: Take time as a group, and also through your week, to pray using one or more of the “Your Prayer Journey” suggestions from chapters five through eight in the book, Praying with Eyes Wide Open. (Pages 71-72, 87, 97, and 108)

  14. Describe a time God spoke to you clearly and personally through his written Word. (This could be a time you were reading the Bible or a time you heard someone preach, teach, or talk about a Bible passage.)

  15. Watch Session Two Video. If “prayer is about entering God’s plan for me more than about getting what I want,” how does prayer help us draw near to God and align our life with his plan?

  16. Respond to this statement: Just because we tag the words, “in the name of Jesus” on the end of a prayer does not mean we are actually praying in Jesus’ name. Give an example of a prayer that might be lifted up “in the name of Jesus” but is actually not a prayer that honors Jesus and does not reflect his will and desire.

  17. Read: John 14:12-14 and 1 John 5:14-15 How can we make sure the prayers we lift up are according to God’s will and worthy of being lifted up “in the name of Jesus”? How do we know we are praying “in the name of Jesus”?

  18. Read: John 10:2-5 What does Jesus mean when he says that his sheep recognize his voice? If Jesus is your Good Shepherd, how do you know when he is speaking to you?

  19. Tell a story about a time God spoke to you in some way. How did you recognize his voice and how did you respond?

  20. Read: 2 Timothy 3:16 How does God speak through the Scriptures? What are some of the things that can keep us from hearing and following what God declares clearly in the Bible? What practical things can we do to hear God’s voice speaking through the Bible with growing frequency and clarity?

  21. Read: 1 Kings 19:9-13 God spoke to Elijah through a gentle whisper. What are ways God speaks to us through the still small voice of his Holy Spirit? How can we tune in, listen more closely, and learn to hear the gentle whispers of the Spirit?

  22. Why is it critical and essential that we measure anything we think is coming from the Spirit against the teachings of the Bible? How should we respond if what we think we are hearing does not line up with what God teaches in his Word?

  23. Tell about a time God opened a door or closed a door and led you through very specific circumstances. How did God speak to you and direct you through this situation?

  24. Tell about a person God has placed in your life who loves Jesus, walks closely with God, and has been used by God to speak to you. What is one example of how God spoke into your life through this person and how did this experience deepen or grow your faith?

  25. What tends to get in the way of you listening to God and hearing his voice? What can you do to pay more attention and overcome these distractions?

  26. Your Prayer Journey: Take time as a group, and also through your week, to pray using one or more of the “Your Prayer Journey” suggestions from chapters five through eight in the book, Praying with Eyes Wide Open. (Pages 71-72, 87, 97, and 108)