EXTRA! Ideas for Adults – How to Know God’s Will – Session 3

Date: October 27

God’s Will and the Holy Spirit

The Point: The Holy Spirit will guide us in knowing God’s will.

Get Into the Study

Use the following information to introduce Question #1.

Back in June, following the college graduation season, Huffington Post published some of the “advice” speakers gave at college graduation ceremonies. Here’s some of that advice:

• Science educator Bill Nye gave this advice to Goucher College seniors – “Everyone you’ll ever meet knows something you don’t.”
• Politician Stacey Abrams gave this advice to American University seniors – “Do not edit your desires.”
• Media executive and talk show host Oprah Winfrey gave this advice to Colorado College seniors – “My favorite question when in crisis is, ‘What is this here to teach or show me?’”
• Rapper and songwriter Missy Elliott gave this advice to Berklee College of Music seniors – “As long as you are breathing, it is never too late.”
• Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor gave this advice to Manhattan College seniors – “Education has a more important value than money.”
• Actress Kristen Bell gave this advice to University of South California School of Dramatic Arts seniors – “Listen as fiercely as you want to be heard.”

Say: Some of us may recall the advice given at our high school or college graduation. Or maybe not. But all of us have likely received some helpful advice from someone along the way. Then call attention to Question #1 (Whose advice do you often recall—even years later?) and invite volunteers to respond.

Information for this post was gleaned from:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/best-commencement-speeches-advice-2019_l_5d079f37e4b01c6757e76d16

Study the Bible

Use the following information to supplement Question #4.

Mary Alan is a cross-cultural worker serving with the International Mission Board in the Northern African and Middle East region. Mary admits that when the catastrophes and emergencies happen, these events strengthen her faith. “A colleague has been kidnapped,” she said. “A believer is undergoing severe persecution. When these things happen, my husband and I call our prayer networks. We fast and pray as a team. We pour over Scripture and cry out to the Lord. The body of Christ comes together in unity and it bonds with stronger cords of oneness.”

But she says, in contrast, it is the everyday life problems of a cross-cultural worker that sometimes lead her to complain or resort to self-reliance. It’s the small problems, Mary says, like no water for showers or cooking, no fresh milk in the grocery store, or electricity in the house that create frustration. “It’s those everyday things that cause me to struggle to be the bride of Christ, to serve others, to have joy in the journey. I need to remember the lovely things of this culture—the hospitality, the fresh fruits and vegetables, which are organic and cheap, and my friends. I need to find humor in the things I don’t understand and ask God for patience when frustration creeps in.” Mary finds that reading Scripture encourages her when she struggles. “No matter where you live and serve,” she said, “we, as Christians, all struggle with serving joyfully in monotony and in the mundane.”

Say: Mary says she wants to be Christ-like in serving others and having joy in the journey of life. Then call attention to Question #4. (What does it look like to have the mind of Christ?) and invite volunteers to respond.

Information for this post was gleaned from:

https://www.imb.org/2019/09/02/struggle-mirror-christ-mundane/

— Donna McKinney wrote these Leader Extras. Donna is retired from a career with the federal government of the United States. She is a veteran Bible study group leader living in North Carolina. 

Study the Bible (Option)

For those who use the Advanced Bible Study Teacher Guide, here is the clip mentioned in the “Optional Idea:”

• Fire: https://unsplash.com/photos/gyrrWzwqm5Y
• Gunman: https://pixabay.com/photos/police-shooter-drills-drill-gun-907536/
• Lion: https://unsplash.com/photos/nTfGYGPURFA

Study the Bible (Option)

Use the following optional activity after your discussion of the 1 Corinthians 2:6-8 portion of today’s session.

On your phone, pull up an app that offers personal reviews of restaurants in a famous city or tourist destination. Explain that these apps offer “inside information” for those who aren’t familiar with a location. Read some of that inside information to your group members.  As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit who reveals the mind of God to us.  We can know God’s guidance, even when we find ourselves in uncharted waters.

Here are three crowd-sourced review apps you can use for this activity:

Yelp
TripAdvisor
Zomato (formerly Urbanspoon)

This idea supports the teaching plan found in the Daily Discipleship Guide.

Additional Questions

Icebreakers

• Who do you turn to when you need wisdom?
• What indicators help you to sense you’d made the right decision?
• Who can you depend on to always have your best interest at heart?

1 Corinthians 2:6-8

• What are some differences between God’s wisdom and the wisdom of the world?
• Where have you seen the evidence of God’s wisdom?
• How would you summarize these verses in your own words?

1 Corinthians 2:9-11

• What can we learn from these verses about the Holy Spirit?
• What are some examples of things God has “prepared” for those who love Him?
• When have you experienced the benefits of following God’s wisdom?

1 Corinthians 2:12-16

• What are some key characteristics of human wisdom (or human thinking)?
• In what area of life do you need to hear God’s instruction this week?
• What steps can we take to position ourselves to hear from God?

Member Extra

Send the following link to your group members as either a teaser before the group meets or as a follow-up thought:

Hearing the Voice of God in a Noisy World

Video

Here’s a brief video giving you an overview of this session: How to Know God’s Will, Session 3.

Tips for Leading Bible Study Groups

• A 4-Month Fellowship Plan for Bible Study Groups
• Groups Matter