Date: May 18, 2025
God’s Hand in Restoring Our Lives
The Point: God restores us as we are obedient to Him.
Get Into the Study
Share the following after discussing Question 1:
In early April, archaeologists in Egypt found the tomb of Prince Waserif Re, son of King Userkaf. The tomb was found behind a false door made of pink granite. Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mohamed Ismail Khaled noted that this is the first time a false door of this size, 4.5 meters tall and 1.15 meters wide, has been found. The door displayed hieroglyphic inscriptions bearing the prince’s name and titles, such as “heir prince.” The archeological team also discovered a red granite offering table that was inscribed with the offering lists left for the prince.
The tomb had multiple chambers that housed priceless artifacts, including a black granite statue with inscriptions of the name and titles of its owner. These inscriptions were dated to the 26th Dynasty, indicating Waserif’s tomb was likely reused nearly two millennia after his interment.
As this tomb and its multiple chambers had been hidden, it’s possible that it could have remained hidden for even longer if archeologists had been less thorough in their examinations. Just as they chose to examine all the details, we too must be careful not to judge things by how they appear. When we judge a book by its cover and not look below the surface, we run the risk of missing out on something incredible, especially when God chooses to answer prayers through unexpected ways.
Get Into the Study (Option from Adult Leader Guide)
In advance, play a video clip of someone misjudging a book by its cover. Then ask Question #1.
Study the Bible (Option for Daily Discipleship Leader Guide)
After reading 2 Kings 5:1-3, use this activity to allow the group an opportunity to consider how they can prepare for opportunities where they may be the unlikely person God wants to use. Show a video clip of unlikely friendships—people or animals— and talk about why these relationships are considered unlikely. Point out how God often uses things that defy logic to accomplish His work of restoration in our lives.
Study the Bible
Share the following after discussing Question 3:
Red Pen Logic with Mr. B shared a post from a self-proclaimed heretic who shared his idea of what God is like. The original poster, Derek Myers, claimed that God cannot be good if He is “simultaneously Savior and Torturer of humanity,” stating that a love that is both “a gift and a threat” can’t be trusted. Myers calls God a “cosmic abuser,” saying that love and justice cannot co-exist.
Mr. B answers the arguments with Scripture and exposes Myers’ logical fallacies, beginning with Romans 5:8-9, stating that “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” In his counterargument, Mr. B continues by addressing the two “straw-man” arguments Myers makes, that punishment and torture are the same thing. However, Mr. B argues that God’s goodness requires His justice. The second counterargument is that the gospel isn’t “love Me or else,” but that Christ provides salvation for “lawbreakers who deserve justice.”
When we allow our pride to let us think we know better than God, we tend to argue that we know better than He does. But as Scripture says in Isaiah 55:8-9, God’s ways aren’t our ways and His ways are higher than ours. When we let our pride get in the way of our understanding, we can fall into disobedience and miss out on God’s blessings and joining in His work.
EXTRA was written by Emily Duncan, a Southern California native currently living in West Georgia with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. God saved her from Wicca when she was sixteen, and she now serves alongside her youth pastor husband as a girls’ leader at New Hope First Baptist Church in Dallas, GA. Emily spends most of her time tangled in yarn while crocheting or reading outside in the hammock.
Additional Questions
Ice Breaker
- When has the restoration of an object, such as a car or house, made a big impression on you?
- Does God have a process for our restoration?
- When have you misjudged a book by its cover?
- What’s your favorite TV talent show?
2 Kings 5:1-3
- Why do some believers see themselves as unlikely candidates for use in God’s kingdom?
- When have you seen God work through an unlikely person?
- When has God used someone unexpected to help you in your spiritual growth?
- When has God used an unlikely person to direct you toward His will or His plan?
- What does God’s use of unlikely people for His purposes tell us about God? About ourselves?
- When have you found yourself playing the role of the unlikely person used by God for His purposes?
2 Kings 5:10-12
- Why is humility necessary to our obedient trust in God’s commands?
- How can we cultivate hearts that are willing to obey, even in seemingly silly or mundane things?
- When has God led you to do a simple thing that turned into a much larger blessing?
- In what ways does the world demonstrate that obedience is optional?
- When have you seen pride get in the way?
2 Kings 5:13-19a
- When has God directed you to do something humbling in your walk of obedience?
- What obstacles have hindered your obedience to God in the past?
- Where is God calling you to be obedient right now?
- How has God used a tragedy or difficulty to bring about good in your life?
- Why is obedience to God a non-negotiable step in the process of restoration?
- What is the connection between obedience to God and humility?
Podcast
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