CHANGE OF PLANS
Group Agenda:
- Pray In
- Ask for Positive Testimonies
- Go over the lesson (Below)
- Ask everyone “what is one thing you learned today?”
- Give offering on the app
- Encourage P12 Leaders to meet with their group (and remind them to take attendance on Friday)
- Ask for prayer requests and pray out
CHANGE OF PLANS
Matthew 21:8-11 (NLT) 8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!” 10 The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked. 11 And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
QUESTION: Why do you think the whole city was in an uproar when Jesus entered?
Just like He did 2,000 years ago, Jesus is making an entrance. He is coming back into the center of our lives. God is changing our plans.
1) WE CAN MAKE PLANS, BUT GOD HAS THE FINAL SAY SO!
Proverbs 16:9 (NLT) We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.
QUESTION: What does that Bible verse mean to you?
A. THE BIBLE WARNS US NOT TO MAKE PLANS WITHOUT INCLUDING GOD’S WILL!
James 4:13-16 (NLT) 13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.
We should be asking God, “What is your will?”
QUESTION: Can anyone share a time where God completely changed your plans?
B. IF WE TRY TO EXCLUDE GOD, HE WILL INTERVENE!
Psalm 33:10 (NCV) The Lord upsets the plans of nations; he ruins all their plans.
We can do one of two things with God’s plan:
- Fight it
- Receive it and run with it.
QUESTION: What happens when we fight God’s plans?
The reason we sometimes keep failing is that we’re not working God’s plan.
In an uncertain time, we need to be more committed than ever to seek God. We should be asking Him to teach us His will and to show us what to pray for.
Just before a storm comes, God always prepares us. In this storm, some Christians will come out better… some will come out worse.
QUESTION: How do you think you can come out of this better?
C. GOD’S PLANS ARE BETTER!
Isaiah 55:8-9 (NLT) 8 My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
His plan is way better than ours. If we don’t humble ourselves, God will humble us.
Proverbs 16:18 (CSB) – Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.
God doesn’t use proud people. He only uses people who see their need for Him.
2) WHY DOES GOD CHANGE OUR PLANS?
A. GOD WILL CHANGE OUR PLANS TO GET OUR ATTENTION
QUESTION: Does God have your attention now? Are you more or less focused on God during this time?
Matthew 6:34 (MSG) Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
1) God will help us through the hard times. We have to grow in endurance. We have to learn how to act, speak, and grow when we’re under pressure.
QUESTION: What is one hard thing that God helped you deal with?
2) Worry is a waste of time. Stop worrying. Start training yourself to see the positive and focus on what God is doing.
We can’t minister to people when we are speaking to them from the same negative, worried perspective.
QUESTION: What is the most positive thing you’ve seen happen in the past couple of weeks?
OFFERING – April 2020
Right now, as a church we are going to be a major food bank in our city during this troubling time!
The coronavirus has put many families out of jobs. Not only that, but with our schools shut down, some students will be without their only meal of the day. The city needs us right now.
Let’s remember that we are the church, and God will supply our needs as we meet the needs of others.
How to Give:
1. Open the app and click give.
2. Change the fund to P12
3. Set up your tithe on recurring giving