The Bible is filled with people who failed yet God still used them for his purposes. Don’t let your failings get in the way of being used by God.
Talking Points:
- If you actually stop and look at the lives of some of the most important figures in the Bible, you realize just how good God is at using people who have failed in spite of their failures. Abraham, Moses and David all made mistakes but God still used them!
- We can never catch God off guard with our sins and mistakes- he knows that we are going to mess up and he even knows exactly how we’re going to do it. Yet despite knowing all that, he still chose to save us. Luke 22:31-34
- Often in our failures, our inclination is to turn inward and waste energy on self-loathing. But God wants us to turn to him when we make mistakes. Romans 8:1, 2 Corinthians 12:9
- God can use your failures as the fuel that ignites your purpose. Your experiences give you unique insight and wisdom to help others. Your greatest failure, in Christ, can become your greatest passion.
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Think of some of the other Biblical figures with troubling pasts that God has used. How did God use them despite their failures?
- Read Luke 22:31-34. Why is it freeing to think that God already knows every failure and mistake in our lives? How can that help us to move forward?
- Read Romans 8:1. How can our past failures help others? Have you ever learned anything from someone else’s mistakes? Explain.
- Read 2 Corinthians 12:9 and 1 John 1:9. What are some ways we can turn back to God after we have messed up? Is there a “go to” way that reconnects you to God when you know you’ve fallen away from him?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
