Small group questions.
Use these with your small group or on your own this week.
Connection
- What do you remember most from last week’s sermon?
- How did you hear God’s voice or sense His presence this past week?
- What are you most excited for this summer?
Reflection
- Summarize this week’s sermon in one to three sentences. What was the main point of the message?
- What did the message say about you, God’s people or the world?
Application
- Abraham and Sarah tried to force God’s promise instead of waiting on God’s timing. Why is waiting on God so difficult for us? What are some ways people try to “help God out” in their own lives? Additional Bible Reading: Psalm 27:13–14, Isaiah 40:28–31, James 1:2–4
- Hagar encountered God in the wilderness, during one of the lowest moments of her life. Have you ever experienced a season where hardship, pain, or isolation actually deepened your faith? What did you learn about God there? Additional Bible Reading: Exodus 3:1–12, 1 Kings 19:1–18, Mark 1:35–39
- Hagar called God “El Roi”, “the God who sees me.” Why do you think being seen by God is so powerful for enduring faith? How does knowing God sees you change the way you face suffering or uncertainty? Additional Bible Reading: Psalm 139:1–18, Luke 12:6–7, Hebrews 4:14–16
- In the sermon, we saw that everyone in the story was hurting in different ways, Sarah, Abraham, and Hagar. How can pain and disappointment sometimes cause people to hurt others? What does it look like to respond differently as followers of Jesus?
- The sermon ended by connecting Hagar’s story to the way Jesus saw people who were overlooked, broken, or rejected. Which story stood out to you most, the Samaritan woman, Mary Magdalene, or the woman with the issue of blood, and why? What does that teach us about the heart of Jesus?
