Life Group Discussion Guide -- 18 December 2011

Mission Impossible, Week 4

Shawn Cossin, Lead Pastor

**(You can download a .pdf of this discussion guide here.)**

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Discuss and pray about the things below—don’t feel the need to ‘cover everything,’ but use this as a guide to help your Group process what God is teaching them. Look through these discussion points and focus on what you think will be most beneficial to your Group. Be sure to pray for and encourage each other.

We have been celebrating the “God of the Impossible” over the past few weeks. Invite your group members to share some of the impossible things God is working in their lives--be ready to share yourself!

Pastor Shawn shared the following statement and used it throughout the message: “When God takes us into a place we’ve never been, it’s often to make us into something we never knew we could be.” In what ways have you and your Group members seen the truth of this statement at work in your lives?

We were reminded of the need to...

:: Get out of the way

:: Follow Him

:: Involve others (in moderation!)

…to see God lead us through the impossible.
Take some time to see how everyone is doing with these “So What? Now What?” elements from the
last few weeks. Be sure to celebrate areas of victory and pray with each other in areas of struggle.

Read Matthew 1:18-25, and discuss...

…in what ways did Joseph find himself in an ‘embarrassing situation?’

…what would Joseph’s natural assumption and response be regarding Mary’s pregnancy?

...how can you relate to the way trouble came on Joseph fast and hard?

...These two phrases:

     :: “found to be with child”

     :: “after he had considered this”

          …how do these convey a sense of the lack of God’s presence?

…why would God allow Joseph to ‘wrestle in the impossibility’ of this situation? Why did he wait?

...It’s possible Joseph needed to come to a new level of surrender to God and his way.

     ...What does this say about how God interacts with us?

     ...How can we turn our sense of “delay” (“God, where are you?!”) to a sense of expectation (“At
        just the right time, God will move.”)

...Joseph is told not to be afraid. Why is this significant?

...We see Joseph’s obedience after his dream…even after emotion, delay, pain, and difficulty. What does it look like for us to take responsibility and be led by God through the impossibility?

...How does obedience lead to favor and more of what God has for us?

Our “So what? Now What?” this week is: If you could identify one impossibility in your life, what step of obedience do you need to take in that impossibility for God to do a new thing? Take some time to discuss this as a Group and pray for each other. Be sure to check in on each other about this thing God identifies throughout the next weeks and months.

We have been urged to “Wait and Watch (with expectation!).” In what ways can your Group help each other to remain faithful as they wait & watch with expectation?

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