Finish With Favor
Pastor Steven Furtick
Conversation Starters
What are some things you’re likely to start but not finish? (e.g., laundry, a book, a diet, etc.)Are you a rule follower? What’s the silliest/strangest rule you grew up having to follow?Read these Generation Z words to your group and see if anyone can guess what they mean.
Extra — Being over the top with drama or expectations.
Big Yikes — Used when something was super embarrassing or cringeworthy.
Fire — Used to describe something really cool or amazing.
No Cap — Means what I’m saying is the absolute truth; I’m not lying.
Flex — Synonymous with showing off or bragging.
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
Pastor Steven said, “I had to get this one from the spirit,” when he talked about calling 2020 the Year of Favor. What’s an unexpected word you would use to describe this year?
Instead of favor, we could have called this the year of fear, frustration, or fighting. Thinking back on the year, which of those words would you identify with?
Describe a picture of what favor looks like to you. Talk about some ways you think culture might define it.
Read Luke 4:13-19. Discuss these questions about favor.
Sometimes we think favor can mean fame or luck. What are some other ways we “cheapen” favor?
Read Luke 1:26-28. Favor can find you anywhere. Share about a time favor found you when you weren’t looking for it.
Read Luke 4:28-29. Favor doesn’t mean an absence of enemies or challenges. Why is it important to remember that? Are there places in your life where you’ve forgotten that?
Familiarity can be the enemy of favor. What favor are you living in that you don’t recognize anymore because it’s become familiar? (What favor is right in front of you? How can you take another look at what you’re living in?)
Sometimes our focus can create fear, frustration, or fights because they’re familiar to us, and because favor can feel funny. Where are you doing that in your own life? (How is that familiarity killing your favor?) How have you been running from favor because it feels funny?
My focus should be on MY favor — not yours. Talk about times or situations when you catch yourself focusing on the favor of others. What can you do to fix your focus?
How has focusing on your own expectations changed the way you experience God’s favor?
Act On It
Tell the group one step you’re going to take to finish this year with favor.Leader Tip
LEADERS: At the end of every year, we get the opportunity to choose a word that represents what we’re believing God will do in our lives in the coming year. Encourage your group to share their words so you can pray for each other! You can also go to https://myword.elevationchurch.org/ to enter your word into our word generator — you can then choose an image to download with your word on it so you can put it on your phone, computer, or social media accounts.
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, thank You for showing us favor. Give us a clearer and deeper understanding of what Your favor means. Make us conscious of Your favor, help us cooperate with it, and show us how we can be a conduit for it. In Jesus’ name, amen.