Sarah Young - Receiving Christs Hope

2015 by Sarah Young

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Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Nelson Books, an imprint of Thomas Nelson. Nelson Books and Thomas Nelson are registered trademarks of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-0-7180-3589-1

ISBN 978-0-7180-3596-9 (eBook)

First Printing May 2015

CONTENTS

EBOOK INSTRUCTIONS

I n this ebook edition, please use your devices note-taking function to record your thoughts wherever you see the bracketed instructions [Your Notes] or [Your Response]. Use your devices highlighting function to record your response whenever you are asked to checkmark, circle, underline, or otherwise indicate your answer(s).

S ometimes our busy and difficult lives give us the impression that God is silent. We cry out to Him, but our feelings tell us that He isnt answering our prayers. In this, our feelings are incorrect. God hears our prayers and speaks right into the situations in which we find ourselves. The trouble is that our lives are often too hectic, our minds too distracted, for us to take in what God offers.

This Jesus Calling Bible study is designed to help individuals and groups meditate on the words of Scripture and hear them not just as words said to people long ago but as words said to us today in the here and now. The goal is to help the heart hear and respond to what the mind reads. We want to encounter the living God as He speaks through the Scriptures. The writer to the Hebrews tells us:

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of Gods glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

HEBREWS 1:13

God has spoken to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. The New Testament gives us the chance to walk with Jesus, see what He does, and hear Him speak into the sometimes confusing situations in which we find ourselves. The Old Testament tells us the story of how God prepared a people to be the family of Jesus, and in the experiences of those men and women we find our own lives mirrored.

THE GOAL OF THIS SERIES

The Jesus Calling Bible Study Series offers you a chance to lay down your cares, enter Gods Presence, and hear Him speak through His Word. You will get to spend some time in silence studying a passage of Scripture, and if youre meeting with a group, youll get to share your insights and hear what others discovered. Youll also get to discuss excerpts from the Jesus Calling devotional that relate to the themes of the Bible passages. In this way, you will learn how to better make space in your life for the Spirit of God to speak to you through the Word of God and the people of God.

THE FLOW OF EACH SESSION

Each session of this study guide contains the following elements:

CONSIDER IT. The one or two questions in this opening section serve as an icebreaker to help you start to think about the theme of the session. These questions will help you connect the theme to your own past or present experience and will help you get to know the others in your group more deeply. If youve had a busy day and your mind is full of distractions, this section will help you better focus.

EXPERIENCE IT. Here you will find two readings from Jesus Calling along with some questions for reflection. This is your chance to talk with others about the biblical principles found within the Jesus Calling devotions. Can you relate to what each reading describes? What insights from God's Word does it illuminate? What does it motivate you to do? This section will help you apply these biblical principles to your everyday habits.

STUDY IT. Next youll explore one or two Scripture passages connected to the session topic and the readings from Jesus Calling. You will not only analyze these passages but also pray through them in ways designed to engage your heart as well as your head. Youll first talk with your group about what the passage means and then spend several minutes in silence, letting God speak into your own life through His Word.

LIVE IT. Finally, you will find five days worth of suggested Scripture passages that you can pray through on your own during the week. Suggested questions for additional study and reflection are provided.

FOR LEADERS

If you are leading a group through this study guide, please see the Leaders Notes at the end of the guide. Youll find background on the design of the study as well as suggested answers for some of the study questions.

CONSIDER IT

Have you heard of the Slow Food movement? Slow Fooders believe good food is worth waiting for. Founded in 1986 as an alternative to fast food, the movement encourages people to cook more traditional fare that takes time and isnt made in a factory.

Slow Food goes against the grain of our microwave culture. We like instant food and instant messages. We hate to wait. This is what often makes hope hard for us, because hope is about waiting. If we hope for something, we are longing for what we dont yet have. Nobody hopes for what they already have.

Biblical hope is a bit different from the way we use hope in everyday conversation. In ordinary talk you might say, I hope you feel better, or, I hope Ill have a better job someday, or, I havent given up hope for my football team, even though theyve lost three games. In these instances hope means a wish; something we want to happen but dont necessarily have confidence about. Or it means positive thinking, with the idea that thinking alone can make something happen.

When the biblical writers use the word, however, they mean something different. Theyre talking about something they long for and are solidly confident of getting. Its not just positive thinking. Its confidence. Yet even though biblical hope is confident waiting, its still waiting. And we dont like that.

In this first session, well dive into biblical hope and consider whether the hope offered in the Bible is genuinely worth waiting for.