Small Groups SIGN UP HERE HERE Throughout history people have wrestled with the concept on trusting God to meet their needs versus relying on their own efforts, other people, money, or things society has to offer. Thankfully, through stirring accounts and parables found in the Bible, God reveals how He wants to be our provider above anything else. These relevant stories present us wisdom, truth, encouragement, and practical steps we can take to develop and deepen a relationship of trust with the God of the universe. Lets study and pray together and watch God provide our needs. WHAT DO YOU HAVE? GOD'S DESIGN FOR HOPE MAKING MAJOR LIFE CHOICES MINE OR HIS? THE POWER OF GENEROSITY MY HOPE IS FOR THE FUTURE Week #1 Widow and Oil: What Do You Have? 2 Kings 4:1-7 We all experience difficult and often painful circumstances as a result of our actions, other people's actions, or things beyond our control. Major life issues - such as the death of a loved one, loss of employment, serious illness, or financial pressures - can be overwhelming. During this short film learning experience, you'll learn about a woman who faced an agonizing dilemma. She had meager resources, a seemingly impossible situation, and no good solutions. But she did the only thing she could think to do - and her obedient faith and willingness to follow godly counsel led to incredible blessing from God. Week #2 Jeremiah's Call: God's Design for Hope Jeremiah 29:1-14 More than 2,500 years ago, exiled Jews from Judah were eking out an existence in Babylon. No doubt some remembered how King Nebuchadnezzar had besieged Jerusalem in 605 B.C. and carried some of Judah's gifted young men into exile. Later, more Babylonian troops transported additional Jews from Judah to Babylon and destroyed Jerusalem. As illustrated in this short film learning experience, through the prophet Jeremiah, God spoke encouraging and unusual words that required the exiles to exercise great faith in God and to do something unprecedented for exiles at that time in history. Week #3 Abram's Reward: Making Major Life Choices Genesis 12-15:6 Under God's command, Abram left his home and journeyed to a new land, Canaan, with all his goods, his family, and his nephew Lot. The contrasts between the wise choices of Abram and the foolish choices of Lot provide valuable lessons for us today - contentment with less versus wanting more; loving people versus loving things; and giving versus taking. Like Abram, are you generous? Do you trust God, or is fear preventing you from releasing control of your life to Him? Are you willing to seek the counsel necessary in order to make wise decisions? Let the examples you see in this film encourage you to bring your giving, trust, and decision-making into line with the principles of God's Word. Week #4 Abraham and Isaac: Mine or His? Genesis 22:1-18 This short film learning experience highlights the true story of Abraham and Isaac, his son. Often called "the Father of Faith," Abraham faced a difficult test when God commanded him to make an unusual and - based on human standards - seemingly nonsensical and cruel sacrifice. God used this test of obedience to see whether or not Abraham trusted Him fully and would, in faith, obediently make everything he had available for God's use. Today we each have a choice. Will we listen to God's voice - through the Bible, prayer, and the wisdom of godly people? Will we not only seek God's will for our lives but obey Him faithfully- whether or not we know the final outcome? Week# 5 Rich Man and Lazarus: My Heart Decisions Affect Eternity Luke 16:19-31 Life after death is a hotly debated topic. "What happens after we die? How do our lives on earth affect how we spend eternity?" This short film learning experience is based on an account Jesus told about a rich man and Lazarus, a beggar - and the afterlife. As the film portrays, there is an eternal heaven (Paradise) and a separate and eternal hell - a place of torment. However, it also teaches that what we believe and place our faith in during our earthly lives determines our eternal destiny. The other key theme of this session deals with riches and poverty. Poor people have coexisted with rich people since humankind's earliest days. It is not wrong to be rich or poor. However, in the Bible - God's Word for us today - God says that earthly wealth is temporary and provided to us in order to meet our needs and the needs of others. Week #6 Lifted Up: My Hope for the Future John 3:1-17 After God miraculously delivered the ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt, they rebelled against Him and spent forty years wandering in the wilderness. Then, as the remaining Israelites neared the land God chose for them, they spoke against Him again - and against Moses, their leader. Over 1,400 years later, Jesus - the Son of God - came to earth to save us from our sins and give us spiritual life - salvation. One night, a religious leader named Nicodemus visited Jesus. Their conversation reveals that any person can be spiritually transformed and enjoy a personal relationship with the living God of the universe.