Walking Through Hardship Well – STUDY GUIDE

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Icebreaker: When was the last time you truly experienced peace and Victory in Jesus?

Sermon Title: Mold Me – “Walking Through Hardship Well” – Jeremiah 32:17-25

Group Discussion:

Read Jeremiah 36:2-3 & 36:23 & Matthew 16:24 – Discuss overcoming the challenges, even within our own hearts, surrendering to Jesus’ counter-cultural truths that may be unpopular or inconvenient.

Read Psalm 139:23-24 & 1 Thessalonians 2:4 – Maintain raw honesty with the Lord – In what ways do we struggle to invite the Lord into the deepest and most hidden parts of our lives? How can we maintain a posture of raw honesty before the Lord in our prayers, and when He answers our prayers, even when it exposes uncomfortable truths about ourselves? Discuss why honesty is essential.

Read Jeremiah 32:21-25, & John 14:21-24 – Maintain radical obedience to the Lord – What should it look like to be radically obedient to the Lord today? The apostle John ties obedience to love, so discuss how we can distinguish obedience that flows from genuine love for Jesus from obedience that is legalistic or because we feel obligated. How can we move to a more love-centered obedience?

Read James 1:12 & Galatians 6:9 – Maintain faithful resilience in serving the Lord – Discuss how we can balance our determination to serve and our self-care (e.g., spiritual renewal) to stay resilient. What roles do our “communities” (e.g., our small groups or mentoring relationships) play in helping us maintain resiliency? Share ways we can support one another to stay steadfast in serving the Lord.

Spiritual Discipline: Review additional resources for this sermon series on our Church Center app: Church Center / Home / Sermon Resources including a powerful version of the hymn Victory in Jesus

Action Steps: Claim victory in Jesus through prayer and peer support by (1) Being honest with the Lord: If we cannot acknowledge the reality of where we are at, it is hard to make any progress in our faith development, (2) Asking the Lord to help you experience love-centered obedience: When we focus on Jesus’ love, our obedience becomes a joyful response rather than an obligation,” and (3) Practicing faithful resilience: Practice Jesus-centered self-care and renewal through spiritual disciplines, such as Sabbath rest establishing a rhythm of rest and trust in Jesus’ arms. These steps can help us walk through life’s challenges victoriously.