God Will Provide in the Wilderness

FIRST THINGS FIRST: Sin is rarely a “”→ it’s almost always a .

Exodus 15:22-17:7 | Judges 2:11-19 | Romans 1:18-32, 7:15-25 | James 1:13

Five things every Christian needs to survive life’s deserts.

• The and the of fellow .

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 | Hebrews 10:24-25

• The ability to count your when it’s easier to focus on life’s .

Exodus 13:3 | Lamentations 3:22 | Psalm 112:2-8 | 1 Corinthians 15:58

• A reminder of God’s delivery system: it’s just – just in .

Exodus 15:25, 16:31-32, 17:6 | 1 Kings 17:8-16 | 2 Kings 4:1-7 | Matthew 14:13-21 | 2 Corinthians 8:1-7

• A wise plan for .

Proverbs 21:5 | Ecclesiastes 9:10 | Luke 18:1 | Romans 12:11 | 2 Timothy 2:15 | Hebrews 6:11

• A GUT CHECK: if I dishonor God with , I’ll wind up with nothing !

Exodus 16:18 | Proverbs 3:9-10 | Malachi 3:6-12 | Luke 6:38 | 2 Corinthians 8:1-7

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS

What Do You Think?

What struck a chord with you from Sunday’s service?

The story of your life.

1. This past Sunday we looked at how God provided for the Israelites in a hot, miserable desert. Does anyone have an interesting story of being stuck somewhere super hot, not knowing how you’d get out of it? If so, the rest of us would love to hear it.
2. Pastor Kyle shared five things every Christian must have to survive life’s deserts. Which comes most naturally to you? Which is the hardest?

Digging Deeper.

1. Pastor Kyle mentioned that God’s delivery system is often just enough, just in time. We see this in an obscure story from 1 Kings 17:1-16. Read it together and have a few members of the group recap the story using their own words.
   1. What does this story tell us about God and His provision?
2. Another amazing example of God’s provision happened when Jesus fed the 5000. To get a bit of the context, read Matthew 14:1-21 and have a few members of the group recap the story using their own provision.
   1. What does this story tell us about God and His provision?
   2. In light of this, is there anything you need to do differently?
3. One of the biggest challenges we can face is to remain calm and not panic in the midst of a crisis. Oftentimes, it’s during this sort of challenge that we make an emotional decision or revert to old ways of dealing with stress (often negative). What guidance do the following verses give that could help someone who is tempted to make an emotionally charged decision? Read and discuss them one by one.
   1. James 1:5.
   2. Psalm 25:12-16.
   3. Psalm 34:17-20.
   4. Proverbs 11:14.

Personal reflection and application.

1. Have everyone share one thing someone else said that stuck out to you.
2. Take some time to pray for one another before closing the group.