Easter Sermon--I Am Before You, After You, and Right With You--Psalm 139 + Various Passages

Discussion Questions:

1.  What kind of baggage came with Adam & Eve’s rebellion against God?  How have you seen his efforts at divide and conquer and breaking up community succeed?

2.  How have you seen God go before you into the dark areas of your life and come behind you to be your rear guard? 

3.  Why does the immediacy of a problem or crisis tend to take our focus off the bigger picture of God’s provision and care for us? 

4.  What should our response be when Jesus allows things to happen (like the death of Lazarus) that are painful or discouraging?  How is Him being the resurrection and the life a helpful thing to recall when we are feeling overwhelmed by crises?

5.  How do you determine the truth of the situations you encounter?  How are things not truth until Jesus speaks into the midst of them?

6.  How have you seen God surround you?  In what ways has He gone before you, come after you, and walked beside you?

7.  If God is not surprised by things and we walk in step with Him, why do we get surprised by things?  Why are things that are darkness not dark to God?  How can we use that knowledge to bring blessings and peace to our own lives? 

8.  What pain and/or confusion do you think the two men on the road to Emmaus experienced?  What types of situations in your life have brought the same type of pain and confusion?  How did Jesus come alongside you and guide you to know the truth of the situation?