Opening Prayer
Lord
You came to find the lost.
You came to rescue the imprisoned.
You came to save the sinner.
May we allow ourselves to surrender.
May we allow ourselves to struggle.
May we allow ourselves to sacrifice;
So we may rely on YOU and
allow YOU to come to our aid!
Journal/Reflection Questions
Jeremiah 20:7-9
• Are there places where suffering happens which need to spoke about? Are there places where light needs to be shown on the darkness? What injustices are happening in the world which you are called to speak out about?
• Does oppression happen in this world? Who do you know is oppressed? How do you know? What do you do about it? Do you suffer from oppression?
Romans 12:1-2
• How do you know God is driving your actions or if you are following your own desire? How can you tell which way God is calling you to go?
• Compare and contrast the feelings of consolation and desolation. How would you describe your current state?
Matthew 16:21-27
• How do you feel when you lose something? How would you describe the process of letting go of the thing you lost?
• How do you feel when you find something? How would you describe the process of finding a place for the thing you found?
General Questions for Journaling
• Are there injustices in the world which break your heart? Are there injustices which occur that cause your gut to ache? Is the Holy Spirit calling you to do something about it?
• Describe what a “fire burning in your heart” might look, feel like. Have you ever experienced a burning in your heart? What did you do about it?
• How do you think God uses your suffering? Reflect on a time when you suffered but you were able to see God in it.
• Have you ever been thankful for suffering? What was the circumstance? Why were you thankful?
• How would a person “unite” their suffering with the suffering of Christ?
• How does one “lose” their life? What is Jesus saying you will gain?
• What does Jesus say you “find”? Have you ever caught a glimpse of what you will find?
• Reflect on this statement…”You can’t take anything with you when you die…that is why a hearse doesn’t have a trailer hitch.”
Closing Prayer
Leader: Teach us to be more loving to our neighbor;
ALL: May we decrease so YOU may increase!
Leader: Teach us to fill ourselves with YOUR Word;
ALL: May we decrease so YOU may increase!
Leader: Teach us to let go of the things of this world;
ALL: May we decrease so YOU may increase!
Challenge for the Week: When you see poverty in the world, you might think, what can I do? Especially when you see pictures of villages in third world countries who have no running water, no sanitation system, and no source of support to supply basic needs for survival. It is heart breaking for anyone to see another human suffer. You might consider how you can help and get discouraged because you think the load is too much for one person to carry. On the contrary, God wouldn’t put something on your heart to do if He didn’t believe you could do it. Plus you are not called to change the whole world all by yourself…Jesus did that already! Spend time in prayer this week to help you determine how God wants to use you to help right an injustice in the world. Then research a way you can help make a difference with someone either in a third world country or in your own community; where ever God is directing you. When everyone does just a little, it is just enough to make a huge difference.
weeklyscripturejournal 