Trust Me I’m Trying!
Discussion Guide
Our Connect Event began this weekend! If you’re leading a new group meeting this week, use Section 1 of this guide to help everyone get to know each other before you start talking about the sermon.
Section 1 — New eGroup Welcome
Icebreakers
(choose a few to help your group start connecting with each other)
- Two Truths and a Lie: Ask everyone to think of three interesting “facts” about themselves — two true and one false. Go around the room and have each person share. See if the group can guess which one is a lie!
- Never Have I Ever…: Have everyone in the group hold up five fingers. Go around the room and have each person share one thing they’ve never done before. If anyone has done that before, they put one finger down. Go around until one person is left!
- If I Were A…: Ask each person to answer the question and share why they chose their answer.
- A piece of fruit (e.g., I’d be an orange because I’m sweet.)
- A household object
- An animal
- A cartoon character
- A celebrity
One-minute Introduction
Give everyone in your group a note card and a pen. Tell them they get one minute to introduce themselves to the group, and encourage them to write these things on the card: name, profession, family life, hobbies, favorite foods/movies/books, interesting facts, etc.
Pick One
Tell your group members they can pick one of these topics to share about.
- What’s your favorite worship song? Why?
- Share something God is teaching you right now.
- What is one of your favorite sermons of all-time? Why?
- How did you come to Christ?
- What are your goals in this season?
- Tell the group your “Elevation story.” (How you found the church/got involved.)
Your group should be ready to talk about the sermon now. Depending on how much time you have left, scan through the questions below to pick out which ones work best for your group.
Section 2 — Sermon Discussion
Conversation Starters
- What’s something you’ve always wanted to try, but you haven’t yet? (e.g., skydiving, traveling abroad, scuba diving, etc.)
- Someone walks out of a bank, hands you a phone, and says, “Trust me — take this,” then runs away. The phone starts ringing. What do you do?
- Would you rather try garlic shrimp dipped in chocolate or broccoli-flavored ice cream?
Review
Ask eGroup members to share their favorite points from the sermon, what spoke to them, a phrase or moment from the sermon they related to the most, or questions they have. If members have a hard time recalling the sermon, talk through your notes and share your favorite points.
Make It Personal
- When it comes to trying to do something, how stubborn are you? (Do you push through until you do it, or do you give up easily?) Talk about a time when you tried and tried until you achieved your goal.
- Read John 5:1-9. The man lying by the pool had tried for a long time to get healed. What things stand out to you in this passage? What are some ways you identify with the man?
- Where in your life are you tired of trying? How have disappointments in that situation affected you?
- How are you struggling to trust God in that situation? (Are there any ways you used to trust Him, and now you’re not believing for that anymore?)
- Trying instead of trusting is a broken system — Jesus fixes broken systems. What are some other common broken systems? What broken systems are you in? (Ask follow-up questions to help your group talk about how their broken systems were created.)
- Read Mark 5:25-34. The woman had tried for years to get better, but it was only her trust in Jesus that healed her. What are some specific ways you’re trying in your situation? (e.g., I’m staying at work late to try to get ahead, I’m trying to please people by doing what they want, I’m trying to be less anxious by avoiding confrontation, etc.) What would trusting instead of trying look like?
- The woman could have believed a bad story, like “I’ll never get better,” or “I must be meant to suffer.” What’s a bad story you’re telling yourself? How is that story excusing you from taking action?
- Before God can help us, He wants to heal our will. What would it look like for you to get your will back before you achieve what you’ve been trying to do? How can you focus on that? (Encourage group members to also think about and share past examples of when they did or didn’t get their will back for something and how it played out.)
- God is trying to help us, but we need to trust Him instead of our own efforts — He’s doing something bigger than we realize. Share what that means to you. What do you need to break (e.g., system, mindset, expectation, etc.) so you can accept the help God is trying to give you?
Act On It
Have everyone in the group briefly say what they’ve been trying and trying and how they’re struggling with it. Then, have a time of prayer. Let each person pray over the group for God to heal everyone’s will and help them put their full trust in God.
Prayer Requests and Prayer
Ask eGroup members to share any prayer requests they have. Record any notes or prayer requests to pray for members during the week.
Father, we all have someplace in our lives where we’re trying. We’re so grateful there’s a better way — that we can trust You. This week, we ask that if there’s a place in our lives where we’ve stopped trusting You, that You would reveal it to us. Please heal our will, and show us how to stop working in our own strength so You can do what You’re trying to do in us and through us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Father, we all have someplace in our lives where we’re trying. We’re so grateful there’s a better way — that we can trust You. This week, we ask that if there’s a place in our lives where we’ve stopped trusting You, that You would reveal it to us. Please heal our will, and show us how to stop working in our own strength so You can do what You’re trying to do in us and through us. In Jesus’ name, amen.