Surprise!
Pastor Steven Furtick
Conversation Starters
Someone surprises you with an all-expenses-paid vacation to another country. Where are you going?What’s the best surprise you’ve ever gotten?You open your door and someone yells, “Surprise!” Who would you want to see standing there?
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
Do you like surprises? Why or why not?
Read Acts 3:1-12. What’s one thing that surprised you about this passage?
Are you more like Peter or John? If you’re Peter, who is your John? Or if you’re John, who’s your Peter — someone in your life who’s the opposite of you?
We might be surprised who God chooses to use in our lives, like He used Peter and John’s relationship. How open are you to who God wants to use in your life? (Have you ever been surprised by who God uses in your life? Who is a person who challenges you? Is your entire circle a mirror? Whose perspective is one that you need to help experience God’s power?)
Would you say you’re open to surprises from God? What things might keep you closed to God’s surprises? (e.g., control, comfort, security, worry, pride, etc. Do you try to customize your surprises?)
A real challenge of faith is staying surprisable. What does that mean for you? Read Luke 10:30-35. How did the Samaritan embrace being surprisable? (Challenge your group to think about how they might have “structured” God out of their lives.)
“What you are surprised by tells me a lot about what you have assumed.” Get a pen and paper and take a few minutes to think about this statement. What kinds of things surprise you in your life? What assumptions do those things reveal? Share some assumptions you’ve made about God or yourself.
God is most strategic when we are most surprised. In what areas of your life have you stopped being surprised? How do you need to stay surprised this week?
Read Ephesians 1:3-7. Paul is reminding the Ephesians of what God has done for them. What blessings or surprises from God have you taken for granted? How can reflecting on those things help you stay surprisable? (How can you be more surprised and less entitled?)
Act On It
Jump this week. Do something to celebrate the blessings/surprises you’ve taken for granted, and let that mindset help you stay surprisable!
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, every time You surprise us, it’s because You have good things in mind for us. We want to have hearts that look for ways to be surprised by You. So, surprise us this week, God! Do something we’re not expecting, and challenge us to embrace it so we can see You work through it. Let it take us deeper into trusting You. In Jesus’ name, amen.