Series Resources
sermon-based study guide
This guide is designed to guide a group discussion around the weekend sermon. You can also use this as an individual, but we highly recommend finding a friend and inviting them to discuss with you. Menlo Church has Life Groups meeting in-person and online using these guides. We’d love to help you find a group.
What you will find in this guide: A discussion guide for groups and individuals. If you are using this as an individual be sure to engage with each question in a journal or simply in your mind as you prayerfully consider what you heard in the sermon and seek to discover what God is inviting you to know and do.
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BEYOND THE BASICS | July 21, 2024
CONNECT
Have you ever been on a long road trip as a kid? What are some of the challenges and how did you deal with them?
ENGAGE
Read Romans 8:18-21 as a group and discuss:
- What is Paul’s main point in these verses?
- How does creation itself participate in our longing for something greater?
- Why is it important to acknowledge this longing for something better?
Read Romans 8:22-25 as a group and discuss:
- How does Paul describe the current state of creation?
- What is the “hope” Paul refers to in verse 24?
- Why is patience necessary for this hope?
APPLY
- What is something difficult you are currently waiting for? How can you find hope and trust God’s work in the waiting?
- How can we be more honest about our pain and suffering with each other, and how can this strengthen our community?
PRAYER
- Take some time for silent prayer, then offer a group prayer for those who are struggling with pain, loss, or a lack of hope.
- Pray for God to give us the strength and patience to wait on His promises.