Community Group Guide

> Why We Gather

At The Springs Church, we desire for community groups to be a place where we BEHOLD JESUS, BECOME LIKE JESUS, and BELONG IN COMMUNITY. This means that our primary goal for groups is to gather around the transforming presence of Christ. As we gather around the transforming presence of Jesus, we believe by faith that we will be incrementally transformed into His image and likeness. With that in mind, let's begin in prayer by asking the Holy Spirit to lead our time together, move on our hearts, and help us behold Jesus, become Like Jesus, and experince the gift of belonging in community. Let's pray.

> Give Thanks

Take a few moments to briefly share about anything that you are thankful unto the Lord for? Perhaps you've witnessed God answer a prayer or experienced a moment that strengthened your faith. Feel free to share any recent occurrences that have encouraged you or instances where you've felt God's presence at work in your life.

> Scripture Reading

Have someone read Isaiah 43:1-19.

> Discussion Questions

God Intervenes

God delivered the Jewish people out of Egypt, but that did not keep them from worshipping other Gods. After Isaiah, God delivered the people out of Babylon, but they remained enslaved in their sin. They needed more than political freedom, they needed new hearts. Jesus, who came 600 years after Isaiah, is the one who fulfilled God’s promise to bring springs in the desert places. Jesus entered the wilderness for 40 days and overcame the temptations of the Devil. Jesus promised that anyone who was thirsty could come to him and he would bring springs of living water in their hearts. [Have someone read John 7:37-39.] Jesus is the one who conquered our sin by dying on the cross. Jesus shows us the God who intervenes in our trouble by taking our suffering on himself. He is the God who sets us truly free and gives us new hearts.

Reflection Question: Share of a time when God has helped you through a challenge.

God works through difficult circumstances

Pastor Alberto reminded us that God is not merely at work despite our difficult circumstances, but through them. Our challenges are often the most formative experiences. God delivering his people through the Exodus was the defining event that formed them as a people. In the passage in Isaiah, God is promising to bring a new deliverance that will be just as significant in forming them in relationship to God.

We need to be careful here to recognize that our suffering can be very real even in the face of God’s work. To portray this, Pastor Alberto reminded us of Psalm 137, which is a song of lament the people wrote in Babylon. [Have someone read Psalm 137.] The author is so heartbroken over the destruction of their homeland and their exile that they cannot sing and imagine retribution for their captors. Note that dashing little ones against rocks was something the Babylonians had done, so the psalmist is imagining paying them back in kind. This passage of the Bible does not condone this kind of cruelty nor give permission for Christians to do anything like this. However, it does help us see how honest we can be with God expressing our lament to him. Indeed, many of us would likely have a hard time being that forthright and honest with God!

Reflection Question: How do you think it might change your prayer life if you were more direct and honest with God? What keeps us from being more direct and honest in our prayers?

Jesus is the new thing God is doing; Jesus is the God who intervenes and works through difficult circumstances

Reflection Question: Why do you think political or external freedom isn’t enough to truly change a person? What does it look like for Jesus to give us a “new heart”?

Reflection Question: Jesus invites anyone who is thirsty to come to Him and receive “living water.” What do you think it means to be spiritually thirsty, and where are you tempted to look for satisfaction apart from Jesus?

> Confession and Prayer

Reflect and Pray: As we sit with this passage, ask God to bring to mind anything you need to confess or need prayer for. Take a moment to share and pray for one another. Feel free to split up into pairs depending on the group size.