Coming November 13th, a brand new series from Pastor Buddy Owens at Saddleback Church.

Are you looking for God? The pursuit of God is the chase of a life time. In fact, its been going on since the day you were born. The question is: Have you been the hunter or the prey? This small group study is not about music. Its not even about going to church. Its about living your life as an offering of worship to God. Its about tapping into the source of power to live the Christian life. And its about discovering the secret to friendship with God.

In this four-week study, Buddy Owens, author and teacher, will help you understand the meaning of worship. Through his very practical, engaging, and at times surprising insights, Buddy shares truths from Scripture and from life that will help you understand in a new and deeper way just what it means to be a worshiper.

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For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
ROMANS 8:38–39 (NIV)

SERIES OVERVIEW

Take a journey together with your small group to greater faith! If you’ve ever had feelings like, “I’m not good enough,” “I’m never going to change,” or “Life is too hard,” Romans eight is the chapter for you! Pastor Tom Holladay taught this series beginning at the bottom and moving to the top of Saddleback Mountain through each of the four sessions to help us see clearly the journey from doubt to faith—from discouragement to hope—that God has for us.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What verses about hope did you found during this last week?
2. Verse 31: Do you feel that God is on your side?
3. Verse 32: What do you think are some of the reasons many believers struggle with seeing God as miserly instead of as abundantly giving?
4. Verses 33–34: When in your life did you trust Jesus to forgive you and to no longer condemn you? If it was during this session, be sure to tell the group so they can pray for you!
5. Verses 35–39: What do you think might help you to be as convinced as Paul was that nothing can separate you from the love of God?

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE

Since God has given so much to us in Jesus, we are now set free to give to others. Who do you know that needs this week to experience God’s personal, liberal, merciful, unconditional, and eternal love. Spend some time on the mountaintop of God’s assurance this week. Take 10 minutes each morning or evening to read over these assurances once again. Look at your life and circumstances in light of these promises!

PRAYER DIRECTION

As you pray for one another’s needs, also take time to specifically thank God for the truth of some of the verses in Romans 8. (For instance, “Thank you that you groan for us...thank you that you are using all things to work together for good in our lives...Thank you that nothing can separate us from your love...)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What did it mean to you to pray to God as your Abba, Father last week?
2. Verses 17–18: What does it mean to you to “share in the sufferings” of Jesus? What do the words “weight of glory” picture for you?
3. Verses 19–37: Is there anything that you are having to wait for right now? How does the truth of God’s hope help you as you wait? How could your group pray for you as you wait?
4. Verses 19–27: Do you feel the freedom to groan as a follower of Jesus? How could you do some honest groaning?
5. Verses 28–30: How have you seen God working “all things together for his good” in your life?

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE

Take some time to read some verses about hope this week, asking God to give you new strength as you wait. Try finding them in an online concordance, and then share with each other some of the verses you’ve found at the beginning of your next meeting. Stretch your faith this week by taking 15 minutes to dream about how God might transform one problem you’re now facing into his glory. If you’ve never memorized Romans 8:28, start on it this week.

PRAYER DIRECTION

Take some time as a group to talk about your specific prayer requests and to pray for one another, especially asking that God will give you hope as you wait.

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
ROMANS 8:15 (NIV)

SERIES OVERVIEW

Take a journey together with your small group to greater faith! If you’ve ever had feelings like, “I’m not good enough,” “I’m never going to change,” or “Life is too hard,” Romans eight is the chapter for you! Pastor Tom Holladay taught this series beginning at the bottom and moving to the top of Saddleback Mountain through each of the four sessions to help us see clearly the journey from doubt to faith—from discouragement to hope—that God has for us.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Did you get a chance to share the message of “no condemnation” with someone this last week? How did they respond?
2. What items would you put on the top of a list of things that frustrate you because they take longer than they should?
3. Verses 4–7: What could you do to rely more on the Spirit and less on your own willpower in your battle to live as the Spirit desires?
4. Verses 4–7: What helps you to set your mind on what the Spirit desires for your life?
5. Verses 8–13: How does it impact you when you see the truth that living under your own control can never be pleasing to God?
6. Verses 14–17: What does it mean to you personally to call God Father? How about to call God Abba, or daddy?

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE

From verses 14–17: Pray to God as your “Abba, Father” this week by addressing him as “Abba, Father” in your prayers, by talking to him about your simplest needs and your deepest hurts and by thanking him that because of Jesus you are his child and his heir.

PRAYER DIRECTION

Start the prayers to God as your Abba Father in your group prayer time.

SERIES OVERVIEW

Take a journey together with your small group to greater faith! If you’ve ever had feelings like, “I’m not good enough,” “I’m never going to change,” or “Life is too hard,” Romans eight is the chapter for you! Pastor Tom Holladay taught this series beginning at the bottom and moving to the top of Saddleback Mountain through each of the four sessions to help us see clearly the journey from doubt to faith—from discouragement to hope—that God has for us.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Are there any verses in Romans 8 that have been especially meaningful to you in your Christian walk?
2. Verse 1: Which of these promises for the believer hits you at the deepest level ?
   • God is not angry
   • God does not punish
   • God does not reject
   • God does not remove his blessings
3. Verse 1: Do you ever feel like God is angry with you or out to punish you? Is it difficult in any way to accept the truth that there is no condemnation for us as believers in Jesus?
4. Verse 1: What does it mean to you to be “in Christ?”
5. Verses 2–4: Do you ever find yourself trying to do through some “law” or “rule” what can only be done through Jesus?

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE

Who do you know that needs to be encouraged with the truth of “no condemnation” right now? It might be someone who has not yet trusted in Christ’s forgiveness who needs to know they can live a life of no condemnation, or it might be a believer who has gotten caught up in condemning themselves. Pray that God will give you an opportunity to share this message with someone this next week. This is good news worth passing on!

PRAYER DIRECTION

Ask for prayer requests from each person in the group that you can pray for during this study. As you pray, remember to thank God for the gift of “no condemnation” that he gives us through Christ.

Great Chapters of the Bible is a small group series that will take your group in a verse by verse study through some of the most life changing truths in God's Word.

Each chapter of the Bible is great because God wrote it all. But there are certain chapters that speak to our hearts and minds in an especially deep way. So each volume in this series goes deep into one chapter to draw out the life change that awaits us in these great passages.

Sessions Include:

Session 1: No Condemnation!
Session 2: No Frustration!
Session 3: No Desperation!
Session 4: No Separation!