Summary: We love King David because we see his whole life, not just the highlight reel. We see his royalty in the midst of his humanity. We see the victories of a cherished champion and king. We also see the trials and tribulations of a boy, who becomes a man, who becomes a king.<br> A couple of weeks ago we talked about the unlikely promise spoken to a shepherd boy, the promise to one day become king of a nation. Between the promise and the promised land, however, there is always a wilderness. This week we will discuss how the journey through the wilderness is inevitable for us all; that journey is also an invitation to become who we truly are.<br> DOWNLOADS<br> SEE IT // BE IT<br> (WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE)<br> Rise & Reign: Wilderness–Becoming Who We Truly Are // Scripture: I Samuel 20-31<br> ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes<br> Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out.<br> SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes<br> During the past few weeks, we have considered the story of the unlikely promise spoken to a shepherd boy— the promise that one day he would rise and reign as king of a nation. We love the story of David because we see his whole life, not just the highlight reel. We see his royalty in the midst of his humanity. We see the victories of a cherished champion and king. We also see the trials and tribulations of a boy, who becomes a man, who becomes a king just as God had promised.<br> Today we discovered that between the promise and the promised land, there is always a wilderness. Just like David, the journey through the wilderness is inevitable for us all, even though we don’t choose to be there. In our flight to the wilderness, we can find God’s provision and protection in the place of worship. As we wander there, we can be reminded of God’s plan and purpose in the place of covenant friendships. And in the caves of distress, debt, or discontent, we can be transformed and discover how to become who we truly are.<br> THE MAIN THOUGHT<br> keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion God doesn’t show us how to circumvent the wilderness journey; he teaches us how to be transformed by it.<br> SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes<br> Picture (What is the story saying?): After he was chased into the wilderness, where did David go first? What did God give him there? Who did God send to encourage David? What did God remind him? What was the outcome of David’s wilderness experience?<br> Mirror (Where am I in the story?): Are you in a wilderness moment now? What drove you there? Distress? Debt? Discontentment? Remember what God has already shown you about who you are and his plans for you. How is God inviting you to demonstrate your faith and trust in him? What steps can you take to begin to be transformed by what you are going through now?<br> Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): Are there people around you who are trapped in the wilderness? How is God inviting you to walk with them and serve them in the place of confident worship, the place of covenant friendship, or in the caves of fear and doubt?<br> BE IT – Practice Change UP // Exercise 15 minutes<br> Take some time to consider God’s past provision and protection in your life. Have each person share one brief example of both from their own experience. Spend some time in worship and prayer thanking God for his words.<br> Change IN // Group Activity 5 minutes<br> Recognizing who you are and what God has invited you to become is especially important in the wilderness. If you have already gone through Younique at Grace, briefly share your values (Life Core) and twelve word statement (Life Call). If you haven’t, commit now as a group to participate in the next Younique Journey 1 Intensive (October 20–21). You can sign up at gfc.
