Resources

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What difference does it make TO YOU PERSONALLY that Jesus came to earth
2. What difference does it make TO THE WORLD (meaning global/historical impact, not "lost people")?
3. Why do you think God put His Son in such uncomfortable circumstances (e.g. born in a manger, pursued by Herod) and in such a scandalous family tree?
4. What does Jesus' family tree have to do with you?
5. How do sinful, unworthy people fit into God's story?
6. If you were talking to someone who felt unlovable and unworthy of God, what would you tell them?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Do you have any masks you wear before your church family?  What would it take for you to remove the mask and be real?
2. Do you agree that making your #1 goal to get to heaven is a passive goal?  How has your relationship with the LORD benefitted or suffered with this as your #1 goal?
3. How well do you know the heart of God? What would help you grow to know His heart better?
4. Instead of seeking to serve the people, Hophni & Phinehas (Eli’s sons), let their desires become consuming, to the point of even bullying people to get what they wanted. Do you see any tendencies like this happening in our church today?  How do we avoid a feeling of being owed for our service and participation in God’s Kingdom matters?

FOCUS: Isaac tried to bring about what he wanted for the life of Esau, even though God had clearly laid out a different plan; and it took being "shaken" by the events of the stolen blessing for him to stop going against what God was doing and to entrust himself to His will.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Tell of a time you were shaken by something so deeply that it brought about change in your worldview and/or your priorities. 
2. What is wrong with giving Esau the blessing of the 1^st born?  Do you think God should give or hold back from us based on the character and integrity we demonstrate?
3. Isaac and Esau both struggled with letting their senses and their focus on the temporary dictate their actions. (This is a kind way of saying they were impulsive and shortsighted.)  How have you struggled with this problem?  What helps you step back and look at things from a spiritual and eternal perspective?
4. Why do you think Jacob refers to God as “The Fear of Isaac” later in his life?  How would it help our children to see a relationship with God in which they recognize our fear of Him?
5. Everyone in this story struggles with doing things God’s way and letting Him truly be in control. As a result, everyone suffers loss and brokenness in one form or another.  How have you struggled with letting God be in control, and what kind of loss or brokenness have you experienced because of it?

FOCUS: Due to decisions made and some of the challenges we face living in this fallen world, Naomi faced a tremendous amount of hardships that left her feeling “bitter” instead of “pleasant”, but God had not abandoned her and was working thru all this to bring about a future beyond what she could see or imagine.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. There are a whole lot of issues working against families today! What kind of cultural influences; natural forces; and personal choices have you had to deal with in your own family life?
2. Have you had to make any decisions where Moab (moving away from God) seemed to be what was best for your situation?  Why do the struggles of providing for our family or ourselves make us so vulnerable to moving further from the presence of God?
3. How do you think the choices you have made for the way you deal with life’s struggles will influence the generations following you, particularly within your family?
4. Life is full of ironic twists!  The story of Ruth shows this in many ways: (Bethlehem—“House of Bread” goes thru a famine; Elimelech—“My God is King”—makes choices that lead away from God; Naomi—“Pleasant”—says to call her Mara—“Bitter”—because of the losses she has experienced; God works thru a Moabite woman’s faith to continue the lineage of Jesus).  Notice how each of these ironic twists is based upon choices to walk with God or walk one’s own path. How have your choices brought ironic twists into your life?
5. Why is it difficult to remember in the midst of trials that the story is not complete?  How can church family, Life Group, etc. do a better job of reminding us that the story is not complete?