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Week 1 Sermon Questions For Groups

April 21, 2019

When God Gives You A Fresh Start 

Introduction: 

There always seems to be a rush of adrenaline when you start something new. It is the first day of spring and the way everything looks after it rains. It is a blank sheet of paper and the possibilities that can unfold. There are any number of new beginnings we face and it is never too late for a spiritual fresh start. Easter is the perfect time for a fresh start.  

Something To Talk About: 

Moses, the world changer, changed the world for the captives of Egypt, the nation Israel. He led them to a new beginning in a new land. But before this happened, Moses himself needed a new beginning. You probably know the story. He killed an Egyptian and went into exile for 40 years. But the Lord spoke to him and recommissioned him to service. Moses had crashed and burned, but God gave him a second chance. God gave him, and ultimately the Israelites, a new beginning. So consider that: 

  1. I get a new clarity about life: My guess is that you have experienced or want to experience a fresh start in some aspect of your life. Maybe it’s a new job, a new relationship, the end of a relationship.  Or maybe it’s a health situation that has changed how you live. Whatever brought you to this new beginning, understand God has something for you and it’s critical to tune your ears to what He’s saying. It is critical to have clarity about the things God is revealing to you, promising you and challenging you right now. If you are going to follow God to a new place, you have to identify the place you are in right now that needs to change, that dried up thing that needs new life. What in your life right now needs new life, a new start? God will give you the clarity, the different perspective, that you need to get closer to Him.  God wants to give you a clearer picture of what you need to truly transform your life.  
  2. I get new confidence about my future: You look at what will happen in the future in a completely different light. We all have inner doubts. We all have insecurities. We put our confidence in the wrong things. A fresh start enables us to trust our future to God. The past is past and we need to stop regretting and repent; forget the former and focus on the future.  “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28) God has plans for our future and will work out the details of our life. Remember Jeremiah 29:”For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Do you want a fresh start? 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” God specializes in new beginnings and the future. It’s never too late to start over. We should be confident in Him and the future he has planned for us.  
  3. I get a new connection to God. A strong connection with God is the greatest and most important journey any of us can go on. It is indeed a journey because none of us have all the answers and so we all have areas where we need to explore and grow. But no matter where we are on that journey we can improve our connection with God. Faith in Christ brings us into a real, two-way relationship of joy with God. When we desire a fresh start that should include a fresh, better connection with God.  So if today you feel far from God, do not feel defeated. Simply redouble your efforts to pursue the joy of connection with God. Having a real, intimate relationship with God is not about using the “right” words, spiritual techniques, twisting God’s arm, or trying to live a perfect life. It’s not about what you do, how long you do it or where you do it…but it’s about knowing who God really is and seeking to be more like Him. The connection works best when we come open–handed to Him with our hopes, dreams, fears, and questions. He promises to meet us if we ask for His help (James 1:5; 4:8).  

Discussion Questions 

  1. We deserve to be counted out but God gives us the opportunity for a fresh start, a do over: How do you react to that? 
  2. What does a “fresh start” spiritually mean in your mind? What do we need to commit to start fresh?
  3. Is possible to start fresh and finish strong? 
  4. Is starting fresh the best way to prepare for the troubles that come in life? 
  5. What does spiritual clarity mean to you? More importantly how do we make it a tool we can use? 
  6. Have you ever seen someone who was suffering extraordinarily but demonstrated extraordinary confidence in God? If so, how did it change the way you think about suffering and faith?
  7. How important is it to have confidence in God: today and in the future? In what circumstances is it hard to trust God for the future? 
  8. What’s one thing you could do to increase your connection to God? Where do you see yourself getting in the way of that connection?
  9. How did this week’s message change the way you view a fresh start? 
  10. What will you do this week as a result of this message?   

Take one thing home with you: 

Making a fresh start and breaking with old ways is hard. Making that fresh start with a friend at your side makes the process so much easier. There is no better friend than Jesus for the journey of life. So many of us live life with Jesus as our commander, our master, our judge and our Savior. But how often do we just talk and laugh with Him as a friend. James 2:23 says, “And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God.” With Jesus as friend, you’re simply never alone. You are always cared for, tended to, desired, wanted, fought for and being rooted for. God roots for you every day; He delights when you’re joyous. He’s at peace for you when you are at peace with life. He delights when you trust your circumstances, all of it, into His hands.

When you need a fresh start remember that Jesus is reliable, trustworthy, faithful and able to work in your life in ways you couldn’t even imagine yourself. Having Jesus as a friend is one of the greatest gifts we can actually live out, and open daily.