Group Discussion Guide
God Among the Ruins, Part 4
This guide is designed to help your group create a space for genuine connection and conversation within your discussion time. Don't feel pressured to address every question each week. Instead, allow the Holy Spirit to guide you as you lead your group in uncovering what God intends to communicate during your time together.
This guide comprises three sections: Loving, Learning, and Living. Each section aims to steer your conversation towards meaningful discussions about spiritual growth as individuals and as members of the body of Christ.
This guide comprises three sections: Loving, Learning, and Living. Each section aims to steer your conversation towards meaningful discussions about spiritual growth as individuals and as members of the body of Christ.
LOVING
First moments together as a group to connect and pray (approx. 10-15 min).
Open with prayer and invite God to be part of your conversation and relationship.
- How have you seen God at work in your life since the last time we met?
- What has been one high and one low since the last time we met?
- How did you do with living out what we talked about last time we met?
Open with prayer and invite God to be part of your conversation and relationship.
LEARNING
The majority of the group discussion is devoted to open dialogue, reflecting on God’s Word and its personal application to each of our lives (approx. 60-75 min).
Scripture References from Message: Nehemiah 8:9-10; 10:28-29; 13:6-11, 15; James 1:22; John 14:15-16
Big Idea from Message: Commitment and obedience is how renewal is sustained in God’s people
Scripture References from Message: Nehemiah 8:9-10; 10:28-29; 13:6-11, 15; James 1:22; John 14:15-16
Big Idea from Message: Commitment and obedience is how renewal is sustained in God’s people
Read Nehemiah 8:9-10 together. The people celebrated God’s goodness, but Nehemiah knew celebration alone could not sustain renewal in the people. They have rebuilt the wall and were moved by God’s Word. Why do you think Nehemiah emphasized joy rather than continued mourning at this moment? Have you personally experienced a season where spiritual excitement was strong at first but difficult to sustain over time?
In Nehemiah 10:28-29, the people responded to joy by making commitments, connecting their joy to the covenant faithfulness. In what ways might obedience actually protect joy rather than diminish it?
Where do you see tension, personally, between what brings you immediate comfort and what God invites you to obey?
Read Nehemiah 13:6-11 together. After everything the people had just gone through, the renewal they once felt standing among the restored walls has faded and they have slowly allowed compromised back into the center of worship. In your own life, where are you most tempted to settle or relax spiritually attentiveness because things feel “good enough”?
Jesus reframes obedience as a response to love and not obligation, in John 14:15-16. Our love for Jesus is expressed through obedience, not empty emotions or words. What is the role of the Holy Spirit in obedience? Why is the Holy Spirit’s help essential for sustained faithfulness?
Throughout Nehemiah, we see that people do not naturally drift toward God, but through intentional obedience, practiced faithfulness, and even correction, God’s mercy meets them and His faithfulness becomes clear. What is one specific habit, boundary, or practice that could help anchor you in God’s joy rather than relying on your own strength, and who could you invite to walk with you in that commitment when motivation fades?
In Nehemiah 10:28-29, the people responded to joy by making commitments, connecting their joy to the covenant faithfulness. In what ways might obedience actually protect joy rather than diminish it?
Where do you see tension, personally, between what brings you immediate comfort and what God invites you to obey?
Read Nehemiah 13:6-11 together. After everything the people had just gone through, the renewal they once felt standing among the restored walls has faded and they have slowly allowed compromised back into the center of worship. In your own life, where are you most tempted to settle or relax spiritually attentiveness because things feel “good enough”?
Jesus reframes obedience as a response to love and not obligation, in John 14:15-16. Our love for Jesus is expressed through obedience, not empty emotions or words. What is the role of the Holy Spirit in obedience? Why is the Holy Spirit’s help essential for sustained faithfulness?
Throughout Nehemiah, we see that people do not naturally drift toward God, but through intentional obedience, practiced faithfulness, and even correction, God’s mercy meets them and His faithfulness becomes clear. What is one specific habit, boundary, or practice that could help anchor you in God’s joy rather than relying on your own strength, and who could you invite to walk with you in that commitment when motivation fades?
LIVING
The challenge for the week ahead is to grow in our faith and lovingly hold each other accountable through the community.
Spend some time this week in prayer, using Psalm 16:11 and Nehemiah 8:10 each morning. Ask God to reveal where obedience would lead to deeper joy rather than loss. Write down one area where you sense God inviting you to recommit, not out of guilt, but out of love.
Spend some time this week in prayer, using Psalm 16:11 and Nehemiah 8:10 each morning. Ask God to reveal where obedience would lead to deeper joy rather than loss. Write down one area where you sense God inviting you to recommit, not out of guilt, but out of love.