COMFORT & HEALING
16 APRIL 2023
Connect Group Study Notes: 16 April 2023
Message: Rev Tim Rist
Theme: “Comfort and Healing”
This format is a guide to you for your small group meeting. Feel free to change and adapt it according to the needs of your group. The objective is for you to build authentic relationships within the group, relationships that enable you to learn to love others who are different to you, and to discover as a reality the treasure of relationships that are built on the foundation of a relationship with Jesus, his life, and his teaching.
Meeting and Greeting:
Begin with general conversation and sharing about how the past week has gone. Try not to go over time.
Worship and Prayer
Click on the link below on your smartphone, Smart TV, or computer, to select songs to sing; and then spend a few minutes in song and prayer.
PLETT METHODIST YOU TUBE CHANNEL SONG’S PLAYLIST: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbsAkwbV_S1vXdZVPkZ0_tQW5n9RqeZX0
And if you need to check on the Message for the week again, then click on:
PLETT METHODIST YOU TUBE CHANNEL (MESSAGE): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU1X4YYw1KLpda1yGnqKgfw/videos
This time of worship and prayer will encourage you to move your thoughts from daily worries and pressures to our time of Bible study and prayer.
READING: Isaiah 61: 1-11[i]
Warm up for the discussion time:
- In your family chores, or at work, what is the dirtiest job that you have to do? What clothes do you wear to do it?
- When you celebrate special occasions, what clothes do you wear? How do these clothes affect your mood?
- When you were very young, what did you expect adulthood would be like?
Discussion Questions:
- What good news is the prophet bringing to the poor, broken-hearted and grief stricken?
- During times of grief, people would put on sackcloth and cover themselves with ashes as a sign of their mourning. With what will God replace these garments?
- Are the promises in verses 4-7 primarily material or spiritual in nature? Why? Priests were supported by the gifts of the worshippers, so what is the implication in verse 6?
- How extensive is this priesthood? Who are the worshippers? Why is God going to do this for the people (vv.8-9)?
- Verses 10-11 present the people’s response to the Lord’s promises. In what way are they like a bride? A garden? What emotions are these images meant to convey?
Faith building:
- Who does “me” refer to in verse 1?
- What stories from the Gospels portray Jesus’ ministry in terms of verses 1-3 (e.g see Luke 4:18-19)? How do these verses relate to your experience upon hearing the good news?
- Do you feel as if you are “wearing ashes” or are you “trying on new clothes”? Why? In what way do you especially want to see God bring this freedom to you?
- How do you feel about being called a priest? What would it mean for you to live like a priest this week? What is one specific way the group could pray for you in this regard?
- In response to God’s promises, are you like a person preparing for marriage, or wondering whether to go out on a second date? Why?
Prayer: Share prayer requests and then pray together.
Closing Prayer: And now may the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all, now and forever more. Amen
Have a wonderful week. God bless. Tim.
[i] Bible reading and study material: NIV Serendipity Bible: pg 1034-1035: 1998: Zondervan.