2019-11-13 Starting Over: Recognize and Release

SMALL GROUP MATERIAL

INWARD PRAYER

QUESTIONS:

  1. What stood out to you tonight in the message or video? Why do you think that was especially a highlight for you?
  2. If you have been at youth any of the last 3 weeks, you have heard Michelle, Chris and Michael’s starting over stories. How do you think God has used their regrets and redeemed them for good? (Pick one of their stories and explain)
  3. Have you seen in your life any of your regrets that God has redeemed and repurposed? Explain
  4. Do you think God can redeem your regrets? Why or why not?
  5. In the last three weeks we’ve talked about recognizing, releasing our regrets and God redeeming our regrets. Which one is the easiest for you to do? Which one is the most difficult to be part of for you?

OUTWARD PRAYER

MESSAGE NOTES

REDEEM YOUR REGRETS

WHAT’S THE MAIN POINT? I need to trust Jesus will redeem my regrets as I recognize and release them to Him.

WORD UP: Romans 8:28

This verse calls us to trust God for “redemption” of our regrets. Redemption simply means “buying back” something. What this verse says is that Jesus buys back our regrets and uses them for good.

Genesis 37-50 (Key verse Genesis 50:20)

These chapters in Genesis are all about the life of Joseph. If you have time in preparation, take 20 minutes and read (or skim through) and see all of the horrible things Joseph endured. Then read the key verse of Joseph’s response. All those nasty things he endured, yet he trusted that God would redeem all that, and God did. Max Lucado said it this way, that Joseph believed “In God’s hands intended evil becomes eventual good.” This is an encouragement to all of us that our regrets, the things we’ve done, haven’t done, or that have been done to us (like in the case of Joseph) are not wasted, but that if we entrust that to God, he will redeem them for good.

WAKE UP:

Here are a few options to help youth wake up to idea of the your devotional:

  • Ask one of these questions/scenarios to ask the larger group to get them thinking about the topic you are teaching on:
      • What is one food you hated as a child, but have grown to like as a teenager? 
      • When have you seen unexpected good come from a situation when you could only have expected something bad?
  • Share your own story of when God took a moment or event in your life that you regretted and used it for good?
  • Mandatory Wakeup – Use video story #3 provided by one of our youth leaders and their regrets found at https://beulahyouth.ca/startingover

WHY DO I CARE?

  • God doesn’t waste the difficult times or the mess-ups of my life
  • God wants to use me, no matter how broken or messed up I feel
  • I can find more freedom from my regrets as I entrust God to use them for his good purposes

WHAT DO I DO?

  • After recognizing (week 1 of this series) and releasing (week 2) my regrets, I need to trust God to redeem my regrets. I can do this by:
      • Asking God to redeem my regrets
      • Asking God to show me how He is or has redeemed my regrets and what I can do to be part of that
      • Sharing my story with others of the forgiveness or healing that God has or is in the process of bringing to me

OTHER RESOURCES: