The Promises of God

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The Promises of God Session 6: “You Will Struggle” Leader Guide

LEADER PREP: ●Read the entire lesson ahead of time. Also read the corresponding pages in the Participant Guide, as there may be additional information provided there that will be helpful for your preparation. ●Read the “Behind the Scenes” boxes. If you’re in a hurry, it might be tempting to skip these. However, they provide Biblical commentary that will help you better understand and teach this lesson. The Participant Guide also contains the “Behind the Scenes” boxes. ●Preview the video clip that accompanies this lesson. If possible, test it on the equipment you’ll be using on Sunday. The video can be found at https://vimeo.com/album/3070355. The password is “promise.” ● Spend time in prayer asking God to help you facilitate the discussion well. Ask God to prepare the hearts of your class participants as well. ● Before class, make sure you have the necessary supplies: board marker, paper and pen for each class participant.

Greeting ● Welcome everyone and be sure to introduce yourself. ● Be sure everyone has a copy of The Promises of God Participant Guide. ● Let everyone know you’ll be covering Lesson 6 today, so that they can find that lesson in their Participant Guide. ● Remind class participants about the “Behind the Scenes” commentary notes found throughout the lesson. These notes can be used as helps during discussion groups or to prepare ahead of time for the lesson. ● Ask the class how meditating on last week’s memory verse and God’s promise impacted their week.

Make sure each person in the class has paper and a pen to write with. Ask the class participants to make a list of things they think that they do well.

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Allow 4 or 5 minutes for the class to complete their lists. Then ask the class participants to turn their paper over and make a new list of things they think that they don’t do well, things that they struggle with. Again allow 4 or 5 minutes for the class to complete their lists. It is important that the amount of time allowed for each of the lists be nearly identical. Usually, it is more difficult for people to list their strengths than to list their weaknesses. Once the two lists are complete, Ask:   

Which list was easier for you to complete? Why? How much of that difficulty is based on reality, and how much is based on our perception of ourselves? Do you see God at the source of any of these struggles? Why or why not?

We clearly see areas in our life that are difficult, that we struggle with. We also can see areas beyond our control that cause stress, fatigue, guilt, and anxiety. These are things that we ask God for help with. So far in this series of lessons, we have learned that God has promised that:     

We will be forgiven of our sins; We have an escape from temptation; We are not alone; Our needs will be met; and We can live a godly life.

It would seem that God has placed us in a very good position, and we don’t need to worry anymore, but God is not promising that our life will be trouble-free or easy. He will forgive our sins, but that does not mean that we will be able to avoid sin. We have the means of escaping temptation and living a godly life, but that does not mean that we will take advantage of it. We will never be alone, but that does not mean that we will never feel lonely. Our needs will be met, but that doesn’t mean we will always get what we think we deserve. Jesus assures us with these words:

The Promise “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

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Ask:   

In your own words, what is God promising in this verse? And just as important, what are some things this verse isn’t promising? In other words, how have you noticed this promise being misused? What does Jesus mean by “peace” and “overcome the world?”

New Story: Jill and Dana One of the ways we can explore the promise of God in John 16:33 is to see how other people have struggled to apply this promise to their lives. Let’s take a look at Jill and Dana’s story. Show The Promises of God: Week 6 DVD. ASK: ● What were some of the positive and negative ways their suffering impacted Dana and Jill’s faith? ● Think of a time when you suffered loss. Was your initial response to draw closer to, or further away from God? Why? ● What lessons can you take away from Jill and Dana’s story that will help you when face suffering in the future?

God’s Story Let’s ground ourselves in God’s Word so we can better understand God’s promise that we will experience trouble. Read Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians 12:1-10 aloud or invite a volunteer from your class to read it aloud. Encourage everyone else to follow along in their own Bible or in their Participant Guide. Before we discuss this, I’d like each of you to take a moment to reflect. What do you find interesting in this passage? What are the first questions that come to mind? What is Paul telling the believers in Corinth? How does this idea reflect the way you see your own life right now? Go ahead and record your initial thoughts and questions in your Participant Guide. Allow a minute or two for class participants to record their own thoughts and questions before continuing with the lesson. Stress that this is an individual exercise — not a group exercise. Once everyone appears to be finished and ready to proceed, continue.

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God’s Word 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 (ESV) I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— 6 though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,[a] a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Behind the Scenes

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul was dealing with a Christian congregation that had fallen far from the behavior that was expected of them. There were a number of false teachers misleading the people of Corinth, and Paul had attempted to admonish these new Christians while also providing them support and hope. In this second letter, we find the same ardent affection from Paul toward the disciples at Corinth as in the first letter, the same zeal for the honor of the gospel, and the same boldness in giving Christian reproof. The second letter to the Corinthians probably was written about a year after the first. Its contents are closely connected with the contents of the first letter. Paul noted the manner in which his first letter had been received by the Corinthians, and he said it filled his heart with gratitude to God, who had enabled him to fully discharge his duty toward the Corinthians. Many of them had shown marks of repentance and had amended their conduct. However, others still followed their false teachers; and as the apostle delayed his visit – from his unwillingness to treat them with

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severity – the false teachers charged him with severity, levity and change of conduct, as well as pride and vain-glory. They spoke of Paul with Contempt. It is not really known specifically what Paul was referring to as his “thorn in the flesh.” Some of the more popular theories include temptation, a chronic eye problem, malaria, migraine headaches, epilepsy, or a speech disability. One theory even suggests that the thorn refers to a person, such as Alexander the coppersmith, who did Paul “a great deal of harm” (2 Timothy 4:14).

Let’s get into small groups and see if we can make sense of God’s promise that we will struggle. In your Participant Guide you’ll find 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 on page XX. Look at this passage and work through the next few questions together. ASK:    

What struggles is Paul dealing with here in addition to the “thorn?” Why would Paul think that he could be more effective as a minister if the thorn were removed? Why would God let Paul continue to suffer? What does God mean by “My power is made perfect in weakness?”

Allow the groups to work independently for about five minutes. Have a representative from each group share findings with everyone.

Leader Learning

The Bible does not contain a single example of any follower of God who does not struggle. From the weaknesses of Adam, to the suffering of Job; from Jesus in the Garden, to the thorn of Paul. Being a follower of Christ does not mean that everything is going to be okay. As a matter of fact, the closer we draw to Christ, the more likely we are to be attacked by sin and temptation.

I want to give you all a chance to share in your group about your own observations and questions. Now is the time to share anything that seemed especially meaningful to you in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10. And if you’re comfortable, share any question the passage raised in your mind. Perhaps someone else has an insight that will shed some light on your question. Allow at least 10 minutes for the groups to talk. Give a one-minute “let’s wrap it up!” warning so groups have time to finish their thoughts. You can use the remaining time to allow a representative from each group to report back on insights and questions. If you feel pressed for time, consider focusing on a “burning question” that a group was unable to answer. Just remember that you yourself are not responsible for having the final

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answer. It is healthy to admit what you are uncertain about and to suggest to the class that they might want to research an answer on their own.

The chapter opens with Paul telling the Corinthians about what he has seen and accomplished in his ministry, in order to validate his apostolic role. The chapter concludes with Paul saying that God chose not to remove the thorn in the flesh which Paul struggled with, so that Paul would depend on God’s grace and power. Ask:   

Is the fact that we will continue to struggle a “promise of God” or a fact of life? Does it make any difference? Why do you think Jesus thought it was important to tell his followers that their lives would be filled with trouble? What does this tell you about what the “normal Christian life” will be like?

Growing Spend a few minutes now journaling in your Participant Guide, to begin applying to your own life Jesus’ promise that “in the world you will have tribulation.” Write responses to these three questions:   

Are there struggles in your own life that are keeping you from God? Are any of those struggles covered by any of the promises of God that have already been discussed in this series of lessons? How might God be using a particular struggle to actually draw you nearer to him?

Allow for five to eight minutes of quiet reflection and journaling. End the session by thanking God for his promises of grace and strength for our lives, even during times of struggle and pain.