What are you trusting god for? Study Guide

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Chapter 1

What Are You Trusting God For?

  1. Which of the issues from page 5 do you find most challenging or upsetting? How do you think God could use you and/or others to make a difference in those areas?
  2. What makes you doubt that God can use you to impact the world? 
  3. When you read the “Big God” verses on pages 6–7, how do they impact your heart? How do these verses help you trust God for bigger things?
  4. On page 7, Gregg says, “God wants us to trust him for big things. By trusting him for big things, we are acknowledging that he is able to do big things. And that glorifies him.” What do you think about that statement?
  5. Which of the five practical steps on pages 12–15 would you like to put into practice first? What would that look like? Be specific.
  6. If you were to begin the process of developing a God-sized vision, what might your vision look like? Are there particular areas or people groups that you would like to see God use you to impact?

Chapter 2

Supernatural Power

  1. On page 25, Gregg says, “Being filled (directed and empowered) with the Holy Spirit is a moment-by-moment lifestyle, allowing Jesus to live through me in every aspect of my life.” What scares you the most about that? How could a better understanding of God’s character help you get over your fear?
  2. On page 25, Gregg says, “When I was a younger Christian, I used to think, ‘I invited Jesus into my life by grace through faith. But from that point forward, it is all up to me.’” Does that statement resonate with you? Do you find yourself relying on your own strength to live the Christian life? 
  3. Jesus said in John 15:5, “Apart from me, you can do nothing.” How would acknowledging that truth lead us to being filled with the Holy Spirit more consistently?
  4. What excites you about the potential of bearing “much fruit”? In what areas would you like to see more fruit? How could this affect your day-to-day life?
  5. How could practicing “spiritual breathing” (p. 33) help you regularly experience God’s power in your life?

Chapter 3

Our Most Dangerous Weapon

  1. How have you experienced the Cycle of Prayer (p. 44) in your own prayer life? Do you have examples of specific answers to prayer that you can remember? Talk about it.
  2. What prevents us from praying specific prayers? How can having a list of specific prayer requests help your prayer life?
  3. Why does Gregg encourage us to pray God-sized prayers? What are some factors that might prevent you from praying those prayers?
  4. Which of the practical steps on pages 59–63 would you like to put into practice first? What would that look like? Be specific.
  5. Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious in nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Come up with 10–15 (or more) specific prayer requests and 1–2 God-sized prayers that you could begin praying.  Use Gregg’s sample list on page 60 to stimulate ideas.

Chapter 4

Think Eternally, Live Accordingly

  1. What gets you most excited about heaven? Which realities from pages 69–73 are you most looking forward to?
  2. Jesus spoke unflinchingly about hell. How does the eternal reality of hell affect you?
  3. Discuss the diagram on page 66. How does the reality of eternity affect the way you live your life?
  4. In light of eternity, what are the types of things you want to trust God for?
  5. How does having an eternal perspective ensure that you will have a maximum Kingdom impact?
  6. Which of the practical steps listed from pages 78–85 would you like to put into practice first? What would that look like? Be specific.

Chapter 5

Change the Trees

  1. What takeaways do you have from the story of Matthaios and Shimon?
  2. What struck you about the societal transformation that followed the spiritual awakening in Wales (p. 95)? Do you think we could see a similar transformation today? Why or why not?
  3. How do we manage the balance between changing the trees and dealing with the bad fruit? (For example, addressing human trafficking through legislation, law enforcement, and rescuing victims, as opposed to making efforts to see the hearts of human traffickers transformed.) 
  4. What societal issue do you most desire to see transformed by God?  What would our world look like if this issue were profoundly impacted by the transformation of people’s hearts through the gospel? 
  5. Gregg says, “I believe that God’s primary call for the Church is to proclaim the gospel message and make disciples of all nations” (p. 97). What practical steps can you take to impact those around you with the gospel? How can prayer, generosity, and missions lead to having a profound global impact; changing the trees around the world?

Chapter 6

Ever Expanding Faith

  1. How does spending time in God’s Word help grow your faith? What steps can you take to regularly read and apply God’s Word?
  2. Who are some “Big God” people who have challenged your faith? Who are other “Big God” people you would like to learn from, either in person or through books?
  3. Has there been a time when you have taken steps of faith beyond your comfort zone? What were they?
  4. What would be an example of a faith barrier that you would like to trust God to help you overcome?
  5. Gregg says that Evangelism, Missions, and Money are “The Big Three” faith barriers (p. 113). Which do you find the most challenging? Is there a faith step in any of these three areas that you would like to trust God with?

Chapter 7

The Power of Multiplication

  1. What are your thoughts on the differences between spiritual addition and spiritual multiplication?
  2. How could practicing spiritual multiplication help you trust God for a much larger Kingdom impact? 
  3. What impacted you most about the story of Gregg’s discipleship group (pp. 125–127)?  How does this inspire you?
  4. What do you personally find difficult or challenging about spiritual multiplication?  Are there things that prevent you from spiritually multiplying?
  5. What are ways you can multiply yourself by inviting others to join what you are doing?
  6. Which of the practical steps listed on pages 128–136 would you like to put into practice first? What would that look like? Be specific.

Chapter 8

Exalted in Every Nation

  1. What impacted you most about the apple orchard analogy?
  2. Gregg points out that God’s heart for the nations is expressed throughout the biblical narrative, from Genesis to Revelation (pp. 140–143). How does that influence your perspective on the priority of taking the gospel to all nations?
  3. Does it surprise you to learn that there are more than 3 billion people like Diad (pp. 143–146) who have never had the opportunity to even hear about Jesus? How does that motivate you?
  4. How do we manage the tension between local and global evangelism efforts? Are there ways to integrate both aspects into our missions efforts?
  5. Have you ever prayerfully considered taking part in a missions trip? How would that expand your heart for the nations and the scope of your Kingdom impact? Is there anything that would prevent you from doing that?
  6. Which of the practical steps listed on pages 150–154 would you like to put into practice first? What would that look like? Be specific.

Chapter 9

Tying it All Together

Instructions for this time: Before the group discussion, write down your answers to the action plans Gregg mentions throughout Chapter 9. Spend time praying together about your application of what you have learned through this book.

Open with a brief prayer, entrusting the time to the Lord.

Pray that God would reveal if there is anything hindering you from being filled with the Holy Spirit. Take a few moments to individually confess to God and, if appropriate and you are comfortable, confess to one another.

  1. Share the God-sized vision that God has given you. Pray for each other. 
  2. Share one God-sized prayer and take time to pray for it now.
  3. Share one action step related to investing your time, talent, and/or treasure to impact eternity. Pray for one another to live that out.
  4. Share the names of 1–2 people whom God has laid on your heart to be transformed by the gospel. Pray for those people.
  5. Share one step of faith you would like to take. Pray for each other about these steps of faith.
  6. Share one way you could multiply yourself. Pray for each other about this.
  7. Share one action step you could take to help fulfill the Great Commission. Pray for each other about these steps.

Close the time with praying that God would use you to be a part of changing the world for his glory.