When God Says Stop!

• What’s an unexpected way you’ve found recently to enjoy your time at home?

• Which is the best song with “stop” in the title?
  • “Stop! In the Name of Love” by The Supremes
  • “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey
  • “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen

• Would you rather have to stop blinking for five minutes or stop talking for a day?

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.

• What’s something you’ve had to stop yourself from doing or told someone else to stop doing multiple times this week? 
• Read Exodus 16:1-3. God didn’t stop the Israelites from getting to the promised land. They didn’t get stuck, they stopped. Is there a place you feel stuck? How might you have stopped? (Where have you stopped believing? How have you stopped moving toward God?)

• • Sometimes we sit in miracles and don’t recognize them because we have a difficult time appreciating a miracle when we’re in it. Where are you struggling to be grateful? Why? (What miracles are you sitting in?)

• We need to stop living by feelings and start living by faith. It’s okay to have feelings, but what really matters is what we do with them. What are some feelings you’ve been living by? How is that impacting you? (What do you need to do to live more by your faith?)

• Read Joshua 3:1-5. We’ve never been this way before, but God’s job is tomorrow — your job is today. What does your job need to be for today? (How do you need to approach today, what does your mindset need to be, what battles of tomorrow are you trying to fight, etc. What things can you do to sustain your faith? What things have you been doing that aren’t good for your faith — what patterns or thoughts is God telling you to stop?)

• When we’re going through something, the goal isn’t just to get through it. What can you ask God to show you or do in you in this season instead of asking Him to get you through it? (How can you let God work through you right now? Some ideas could be volunteering online, sharing messages or encouraging comments on Facebook groups, finding ways to do outreach with your campus, etc.)

• To consecrate yourself means to “devote yourself exclusively to a purpose.” What does it mean to consecrate yourself to God? Give some examples.

• Identify some tensions we face in consecrating ourselves to God. Share some personal challenges you face.

• If you’ll consecrate yourself today, God is already in your tomorrow. What’s one thing you can do to consecrate yourself to God today? (God is using distance as a gift to call us closer. How can you draw closer during this time?)

Do one thing each day this week to consecrate yourself — let it help you live in your faith instead of your feelings. Tell God you trust Him to take care of tomorrow, and that you’ll spend today doing “your job.”

Ask eGroup members to share any prayer requests they have. Record any notes or prayer requests to pray for members during the week.

Father, thank You for the opportunities You provide to grow our faith. Help us embrace Your plan to do something in us and through us during this time. Give us the focus to consecrate ourselves to You today and trust You with tomorrow. In Jesus’ name, amen.