As Abram enters the Promised Land, we look ahead to see how God's initial counsel was designed to save him from a whole lot of trouble, and learn from his example of prioritizing worship.

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:

- Abraham partially obeyed God by leaving his homeland, but brought his father and nephew Lot with him. Have you ever experienced tension between honoring family relationships and fully obeying what you believe God is calling you to do?

- How do you discern which difficult relationships you are called to maintain sacrificially versus which ones God may be calling you to limit or leave for the sake of your spiritual growth?

- The question from Amos 3:3 asks, 'Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?' How does this principle apply to the relationships you prioritize in your life, particularly regarding shared spiritual direction?

- Paul taught that bad company corrupts good morals. How do you evaluate whether you are influencing others for Christ or whether you are being negatively influenced?

- What does it look like practically in daily life to "build" worship and "pitch" the less important things?

As we conclude our study of Israel from a biblical perspective, we'll look at the events of 70AD and God's incredible plans to turn Israel's heart back to Him through the crushing of the Great Tribulation and the glory of the Second Coming.

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:

- In Romans 11, Paul warns the Church not to be “arrogant” (V.20), “ignorant” (V.25), or “conceited” (V.25) concerning Israel. How might a Christian fall into these categories in their perspective of Israel?

- What doctrine, theology, and Scripture can protect a believer from falling into spiritual pride and wrongly thinking they are saved because they are somehow better than other people?

- What does the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD teach us about the transition from Old Covenant worship to New Covenant reality, and why is attempting to rebuild Temple Judaism problematic?

- Bible prophecy tells us it will take the Great Tribulation to finally break Israel and bring her to repentance. What does this reveal about the depth of human stubbornness and the extent of God's redemptive plan?

- Instead of Israel, the Church is now serving as Christ’s ambassadors on the earth. What does that mean in your life, and what do you think it should look like in the life of believers in our part of the world?

As we continue our examination of who Israel is in Scripture, we see God's chosen nation walking in continued rebellion by rejecting Jesus, orchestrating His death, and persecuting His Church.

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:

- Why do you think there were only 120 people in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost, following the ministry and Resurrection of Jesus?

- Do you feel like you’ve observed 2 Timothy 2:13 in your own life?

…if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.

- Why would the Jewish leaders and priests simply repair the torn curtain that guarded the Holy of Holies in the Temple, and continue as though nothing had happened?

- Do you think most people aren’t Christians due to a lack of evidence? And if not evidence, then what?

- What ungodly political compromises might Christians be tempted to support in the name of pragmatism (as the Jewish leaders did in Jesus’ day)?

In Genesis 12:3, God famously comes to Abram and says, "I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt." In this study, we'll do our best to address some of the controversial questions surrounding Israel, her identity, her relationship to the Church, and what Jesus and His Word have to say about these matters.

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:

- God chose Israel because she was “the fewest of all peoples”. Read 1 Corinthians 1:26-31. What has God had to overpower in your life to bring you to salvation and sanctify you (e.g., stubbornness, wrong beliefs, self-centeredness)?

- Why do you think Israel is back in their land today?

- Do we, like Israel, experience blessings for faithfulness to God and curses for unfaithfulness to God, or is our relationship with Him different? How? Why?

- The Jews in Jesus' day rejected Him as their savior because He didn’t meet their expectations and desires (they wanted a militant deliverer). Are there any wrong expectations Christians sometimes have of Jesus today?

- If God knew that Israel was going to be so difficult, why did He choose them to be His nation?

In this study, the Lord begins His work of forming His own special people by calling Abram, a pagan, to leave his home and journey to a new land. We'll also discuss the relationship between revelation and accountability, why Jesus taught in Parables, and the famous apologetics question about "The Man in the Jungle."

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:

- If, hypothetically, people are only accountable for the revelation we’ve received, then why does it matter whether we share the Gospel?

- What are “the incalculable riches of Christ” mentioned by Paul in Ephesians 3:8?

- In what ways can Christians “settle in Haran” by partially obeying God’s call on our lives?

- Read Matthew 13:10-16. Have you ever experienced God giving you more revelation after you responded rightly to what He had already given? Or have you ever experienced spiritual numbness or hardness after ignoring a revelation from God?

- Take time to pray for family and friends who have had the Gospel revealed to them but are not yet responding rightly to it.

How are Christians supposed to think about issues related to ethnicity? In this study, we dive into some of the most controversial issues of our day, including immigration, crime, racism, discrimination, and more. And what we'll discover is that the Bible does not divide the world by ethnicity, but by culture. We'll also take some time to delve into the attributes of Yahweh that make Him absolutely unique among all the other gods/elohim.

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:

- What biblical values do you see most prominently clashing with the culture today?

- Why do societies based on God’s laws and values tend to prosper?

- Are there any specific cycles of brokenness in your family or cultural heritage that God has freed you from?

- When someone is a new or young believer, how can we call and encourage them to obey Christ without overwhelming them with a long list of things that need to change?

- When we were studying Yahweh’s unique attributes, what stuck out to you?

Something else MASSIVE happened at the Tower of Babel, and it's not documented in Genesis 11. It's found in Deuteronomy 32, and it takes us on a journey through the Scriptures into the Divine Council, the gods of the nations, Christ's triumph over them on the Cross, and more.

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:

- How does understanding more of the reality of the spiritual realm affect your perception of prayer and its efficacy?

- God’s desire for His faithful children is that they join Him on the Divine Council. Does the prospect of such eternal rewards affect the way you live day to day? Why or why not?

- Does understanding the reality that there are spiritual forces at work among the nations change the way you perceive political events?

- Read Ephesians 6:12. How should this verse impact how we deal with interpersonal conflict?

- Read Colossians 2:15. What are the implications of Christ disarming and disgracing the rulers and authorities at the Cross? How does this victory impact your daily spiritual battles?

In this study, we'll continue peeling back the layers surrounding events at the Tower of Babel, including what the Bible says about "gods," the parallels between Nimrod and the coming antichrist, one-world government, and God's good plans to bless His children.

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:

- Read Jesus’ Great High Priestly Prayer in John 17:20-26. What kind of things does Jesus want believers to be united around? What types of things should divide professing Christians?

- Does the knowledge that those who are saved are temples of God’s Spirit change the way you think about God’s presence in your life? How?

- How can patience and remembering God’s promises help us in our struggle against sin?

- Does thinking about things like the New Jerusalem—the city God has prepared for His people—cause you to “check out” in this present life, or does it make you more engaged in living for Christ? Why?

- When you look at current global unification efforts (i.e., attempts to create a “borderless world”), do you see good or bad fruit?