Week One: Overview

The first week of the "The Promise" is an overview of the Old Testament. The following questions will help your group to talk about the big picture of the OT, and focus on the need for Jesus to intervene.

• What is the best movie you have ever seen? What makes it so good?
• If you were going to describe the perfect story, what are the key elements you would use?
• How would you explain the “big story” of the Bible to someone? What are the key elements?
• When you think about the Old Testament, what are the main stories that come to mind?
• What are your favorite parts of the Old Testament? What are your least favorite parts? Why?
• Read Genesis 1:26-31; Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 6:6-8. How would you describe the relationship God desires to have with men?
• Read Jeremiah 7:21-29. Why did the nation of Israel fail to maintain their relationship with God? How do you sometimes act the same way?
• Read Matthew 1:23. How did God “fix” the mess humanity made during the Old Testament?
• Jesus was the answer to the Old Testament’s problems. How is Jesus the answer in your life?

Week Two: God Made Everything Perfect

• As a group, create a list of all the words you would use to describe God's creation at the end of the first week.
• Why do you think God made a point of calling his creation "good" after each day?
• Why do you think God said "It is not good for man to be alone"?  God's creation of woman completed his work. In the ideal world, how would men and women perfectly complement each other?
• Chapter one says that "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."  Talk about the parrallels between the marriage relationship and the relationship within the Trinity.
•  As God's image bearers, Adam and Eve were commanded to take care of God's creation.  How should Christians seek to take care of God's creation today?  How should Christians seek to take care of other people?
• At the end of chapter two, Adam and Eve had the ideal relationship.  How would you describe the "ideal relationship"?  What actions can you take this week to move toward a more ideal relationship with someone in your life?

Week Three: Life Without God

• Talk about a time you made a mistake or a decision that caused something good to be ruined.
• Read James 1:13-15. Think about people you've observed. What causes people to fall into temptation? How can it be avoided?
• What do you think caused Eve (Genesis 3) and Cain (Genesis 4) to give in to the temptation they faced?
• What role does selfishness play in our "battle" against temptation?
• Read Genesis 3:16. God describes a tension between men and women. How have you seen that tension play out in your life and others?
• How have you observed yourself contributing to problems in the relationships you have? What changes could you make to heal some of the relational dysfunction in your life?
• Read Genesis 4:26. What do you need to "call on the LORD" about?

Week Four:

Week Five: God Started Again with a Family

• If you could move to anywhere in the world for the next ten years, where would you most want to live?  Where would you least want to live? Why?
• What would be the most difficult part of moving away?
• Read Genesis 12:1-8.  Why do you think the Bible says that Abram left his "country", his "people", and his "father's household"?  What do you think is the significance of each of those things?
• How do you think Abraham's wife felt about moving away without knowing where they were moving to?
• Read through the promises God made to Abram in verses 2-3.  Do you think it took more faith to move away from home or to believe those promises?  Are the two related?
• Read verse 7.  Why do you think Abram chose to build an alter then and there?
• Notice the similarities between Genesis 12:8 Genesis 4:26.  When are some times you have felt like "calling on the name of the LORD?"  Why?
• Read Hebrews 11:8-12.  What is most impressive to you about Abraham's faith?  How is he an example to you?  What can you do this week to emulate him? 

Week Six: God's Family Became a Nation

• As a group, read through the ten commandments. (Exodus 20:1-17)
• The first four commandments focus on our relationship with God.  Of these four, which is the most difficult to keep?  Why?
• How do you think the fourth command (vs.8-11) should be observed?  Maybe you don't, talk about why.
• How is the fifth command (vs.12) similar and different from Ephesians 6:1-3?  According to Ephesians 6:4, what role do parents have in the fifth command?  How have you seen these instructions violated?
• The final five commands focus on our relationship with our neighbor.  Of these five, which is the most difficult to keep?  Why?
• Read Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28, 33-37, 38-40.  How do Jesus' words change the way you think about the commandments?  Are Jesus' commands easier or harder to fulfill than Moses'?  Why?
• The final five commands seem to be focused on eliminating a self-centered attitude.  How has focusing on your own desires, needs, and priorities caused you to break these commandments?
• If you had to choose one of these commands (Exodus, Matthew, or Ephesians) to work on in your life this week, which would it be?  What can you change to bring your life into more alignment with Jesus?

Week Seven: God Provided a Land

• Read Joshua 1:6-9.  What things in life demand strength and courage?
• How might being obedient to God be difficult sometimes?  Why might fear keep us from being obedient?
• Review the story of Rahab (Joshua 2:1-21; 6:22-25).  What was the result of Rahab's obedience?  (Notice the how she fulfilled the instructions given her by the spies)  Did Rahab place a higher value on obeying men or obeying God?  How might obedience to God sometimes require disobedience to men?
• Review the story of Achan (Joshua 7).  Achan's disobedience caused great pain for the nation of Israel.  How might a person's disobedience to God cause pain and suffering for other people?  Has your disobedience ever had a negative effect on your friends or family?  How?
• Talk about a time you've observed someone who was hiding sin or disobedience (maybe yourself).  How does hiding our wrongdoings effect us?
• What are some obvious examples of ways every Christian should be obedient to God?
• What are some specific areas of your life you need to be more obedient to God?  How can this group help you pursue that?

Week Eight: The Deliverer is a King

• Read 1 Samuel 8:4-5.  The people of Israel had never had a king, but wanted one to replace Samuel because they didn’t trust Samuel’s sons.  Read verses 6-9 and put God’s response in your own words. 
• Why would it be difficult to have God as the king of your nation?  Why is it hard to follow someone we cannot see?
• Ultimately, Saul was rejected as king of Israel.  Read 1 Samuel 15:22 to see why (the rest of the chapter is helpful as well).  If you were to rewrite this verse for the church of 2007, how would you write it? (note: we don’t sacrifice anymore, so how would you change that?)  What spiritual activities might get in the way of plain obedience to God? 
• When you think of King David, what are the stories that first come to mind?  In what ways do you think of yourself like him?  How are you not like him?
• Quickly, make a list of all King David’s sins.  How does this list make you feel about yourself?  Why do you think God called David, “A man after God’s own heart.”?  What would it take for you to be a woman/man after God’s own heart? 
• Although He isn’t sitting on an earthly throne right now, Jesus is still king of all creation.  How should your life reflect that truth?  What might you change this week to bring yourself more under the “rule of God?”

Week Nine: Honor God Above All and In All

• What commands of the Bible seem to be unreasonable or impossible to keep?  How should we respond to these kind of difficult commands?
• What type of situation (in America) might cause a Christian to be uncomfortable or endangered if they are obedient to God?
• Read or recap Daniel 3 (the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  If you were to rewrite the story in modern-day West Michigan, what would be the image the boys were commanded to bow to?  What are the things our society encourages us to honor above God?
• Are there some Biblical commands you would be willing to compromise if it meant saving your life?  Which ones?  Why or why not?
• Read or recap Daniel 6.  Why do you think Daniel was so obsessed with his daily prayer time?  Do you have any daily habits that are “can’t miss” times?  Why or why not?
• Why do you think Daniel was willing to die for something as insignificant as a prayer time?
• What is a “small” area of your life that you need to demonstrate more faithfulness to God in?  What actions can you take this week to accomplish this?  How can this group help you

Week Ten: Poets and Prophets Keep the Promise Alive

• How do difficult times in our lives cause your relationship with God to change (positively and negatively)?  Are there promises from Scripture that you think about when you experience life's difficulties?  Which ones are most meaningful to you?
• God waited years to fulfill His promises to Israel.  Have you experienced times when God seems to not answer your prayers?  How do you respond when He seemingly does not answer your prayers?
• Talk about times when your "spiritual heartbeat" has slowed down.  What types of things cause your spiritual heartbeat to quicken?
• Skim and summarize or read Luke 24:13-35.  Like the men on the Emmaus Road, we do not always understand the meaning of the scripture passages that we read.  What spiritual resources do we have to help us understand these truths? 
• As a group, brainstorm a list of names and pictures that are used to portray the Promised Christ.  Which one or ones are your favorites and why?
• When you think about God's promises, which promises are easiest to cling to?  Which ones are more difficult?  Why?
• How can the group help you embrace God's promises more fully?

Week Eleven: Return from the Exile

• When the Jews were carried off to Babylon, their Temple was destroyed.  Without the Temple, they were unable to carry out the type of worship prescribed for them in the law.  Upon their return to Jerusalem, rebuilding the Temple became a priority.  Don't answer now, but think about some of the good things in your life that have been destroyed over time.
• Read Ezra 3:10-13.  Why do you think it was so important to the Jews to rebuild the Temple?  What times and places in your life seem to be more "sacred"?  What types of activities seem to bring you closer to God?
• The rebuilt Temple was a source of bittersweet emotion.  Why do you think some of the people wept when they saw the foundation for this temple being laid?
• Read Ezra 6:14-18.  Throughout the rebuilding of the temple, the Jews faced great opposition.  What emotions do you think the people felt at the completion of their long project?  Why is it satisfying to finish something that has been difficult to complete?
• What are areas of your life which need to be "rebuilt"?  What are the issues that present opposition to this rebuilding?  How can you take a step toward rebuilding these things?
• Read Ezra 9:1-4.  By marrying foreigners, the people of Israel had broken one of God's most important rules.  How do you feel about Ezra's response to this sin (v.3)?  Do you ever respond this way to sin?  Why or why not?
• Why do we often not take sin as seriously as we should?  What is the proper response for us to have toward sin?
• Read Ezra 10:1-4.  Shecaniah proposes drastic measures to correct the sin of the people.   For the Jews, it was imperative to regain their status as the "called-out" people of God.  They wanted to be separate from the other nations.  What areas of your life are not as separate from the world as they should be?  How can you begin the process of correcting these things?  How can your group help you?