The Rock Church of Fenton Women's Ministry

Patience is not a quality highly valued in our fast-paced, on-demand culture. We treat waiting as an inconvenience, rather than an opportunity. How do we respond in seasons of waiting, and what might God be developing in us? Even when answers are delayed, God is at work, working purpose through them, and has given us promises we can rely on.

Verses:

Ephesians 4:1-2

1 Thessalonians 5:14

Psalm 119:147

2 Peter 3:9

Discussion Questions

1) What resonated with you most in this week’s study guide or tonight’s message, and why?

2) How patient are you? When do you struggle most with impatience?

3) As believers, we are called to exercise patience when we are wronged. Why is this hard?

Can you think of a time you did so, and why is it important to put this into practice?

4) We are instructed to wait patiently on the Lord. How can we wait well? Do you have an example from your life when you had to wait on the Lord to answer you? How did you stay encouraged?

5) The Bible commands us to wait patiently for the return of Christ. How are we called to wait, and what does it look like, practically, to obey this command?

Life will bring stormy seasons…maybe you’ve experienced them, you’re in one now, or one is yet to come. When we encounter storms, where can we find shelter? Can we find peace even as storms rage around us? Join us for week 6 as we consider the spiritual fruit of PEACE that is promised to us in all seasons and at all times. 

Verses: 

Isaiah 26:3

John 14:27

Psalm 9:9-10

Psalm 56:3 

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Philippians 4:6-7

Isaiah 26:3 

Discussion Questions:

1) What resonated with you most in this week’s study guide or tonight’s message, and why?

2) Why is it an impossibility for an unbeliever to have peace (see Isaiah 57:20-21 and Isaiah 59:7-8), and how do we come to gain peace (see Ephesians 2:13-17, Romans 5:1, and Colossians 1:19-20)?

3) Day to day, what steals your peace? What causes anxiety or fear in your life?

In Mark 4:35-40, what did the disciples lack that led to fear (see verse forty)? How is this also true in your life?

4) The Bible acknowledges we will encounter difficult situations, but promises we can have perfect peace even in the midst of them (Isaiah 26:3). How can you better maintain peace in all situations?

5) What biblical truths or promises have helped you experience God's peace during anxious or uncertain seasons? Are there specific Scripture passages you return to?

 Our culture is constantly pursuing joy and happiness in earthly things like money, power, influence, health, and experiences. While these things may temporarily delight us, they fall short of providing true joy. Instead, the Bible teaches that joy is a fruit of the Spirit and, as such, cannot be found in physical things. Fullness of joy is found in the presence of God and cannot be stripped away, even in the most desperate circumstances.

Verses Used:

John 15:11

Psalm 16:11

1 Peter 1:6-9

Habakkuk 3:17-18

Discussion Questions:

1) What resonated with you most in this week’s study guide or tonight’s message, and why?

2) When do you find it hardest to hold onto joy?

3) Where is the source of joy, and how can you pursue it better? (See 1 Chronicles 16:27, Psalm 16:11, and Psalm 43:4)

4) How can you maintain joy in trial? Can you think of a time when you were going through something difficult and still managed to maintain joy? How did you do that?

5) What things can you find joy in regardless of your circumstances? (See Psalm 63:7, Psalm 31:7, Psalm 89:13-18, Psalm 145:5-7, Psalm 90:14, and Psalm 94:18-19).

6) Where/when does the Bible say we will have everlasting joy? How does fixing your eyes on that future hope help you have joy even as you walk through this broken world? (See Isaiah 35:5-10, Isaiah 25:6-9, Revelation 21:5-7, and 2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

Loving our enemies is deeply challenging to our flesh, but Scripture clearly lays out how we are to treat them. In session four, we examine the Biblical standard for choosing to love our enemies, forgive even when it's difficult, and trust in God as the perfect Judge.

Verses Used:

Luke 6:35

Proverbs 3:5

Ephesians 4:32

Matthew 5:44

Discussion Questions:

1) What resonated with you most in this week’s study guide or tonight’s message, and why?

2) The Bible commands us to love our enemies. Why is this so hard to do?

3) Though we often equate love with a feeling, the Bible defines love as an action. If this is true, how can we still love people we don’t feel loving toward? (See Luke 6:27-36 and 1 Corinthians 13:1-8) 

4) Do you have an enemy in your life or someone you struggle to love? How can you apply the verses above to that situation?

5) How have you taken or been tempted to take your own revenge against an enemy? What does Romans 12:19 command instead, and what does this mean? How would obeying and trusting this verse impact your interactions with your enemy?

6) Have you received the forgiveness of God for your sins? If so, how does God having forgiven you impact your responsibility and ability to forgive your enemy? Can you think of a time you had to choose forgiveness? How did you do so? (see Romans 5:6-10 and Matthew 18:21-35)

Jealousy seems trivial. But if left unchecked, it can turn into ugly and bitter hatred. Join us on this month’s episode as we discuss the root of jealousy, the sin that sprouts from it and how to fight against it.

As we abide in Christ, the fruit the Holy Spirit produces in our lives should be evident in the way we love others. Jesus calls us to love one another as He has loved us, a love that is not based on feelings or the world’s definition. What does it mean to love like Jesus? How can the way we love others point people to Christ and open the door to the gospel? In session two, we will explore what it means to sacrificially love the people God places in our midst, so that others may encounter the love of Christ through us.

Verses Used:

Galatians 5:22-23

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

1 John 4:7-12, 19

John 13:34

John 13:35

2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Discussion Questions:

1) What resonated with you most in this week's homework or tonight's message?

2) What are we as believers commanded to do in John 13:34, and where does our ability to obey this verse come from? (see 1 John 4:7, 1 John 4:19, Romans 5:5)

3) How does the Biblical definition of love differ from the idea of love we see in pop culture? (see John 15:13-14, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, and Philippians 2:1-4)

4) Which aspect of the Biblical definition of love is hardest for you to obey, and why? How can you better exemplify love to your family, friends, and those you care about?

5) We are called to love our neighbor, as well as the poor and the foreigner. List examples of each category that you may encounter in everyday life. How do you actively display the love of Christ to these people?

6) Why did God command Israel to care for the poor and the foreigner, and how was remembering their own experience as foreigners meant to shape the way they treated others? How should remembering our own spiritual captivity (see Ephesians 2:19), and God’s grace toward us, compel us to extend that same grace and compassion to those who are disenfranchised?

Above all, we are called to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength, guarding our hearts against distractions, desires, or idols that can take His place. In session two we discuss what it means to surrender fully to God, trust His ways, and live with a heart that is completely devoted to Him.

Verses:

Deuteronomy 6:4

1 Kings 11:7

Exodus 20:3-6

Psalm 139:23-24

Discussion Questions:

1) What resonated with you most in this week’s study guide or tonight’s message, and why?

2) How does God’s love for us differ from people’s love for us? What is the greatest demonstration of God’s love? (See John 3:16, Romans 5:8, and 1 John 4:10)

3) How are we called to love God, according to Deuteronomy 6:5? Practically speaking, how does this play out in our lives? In what ways do you struggle with it?

4) What in your life competes with God to be your “first love?” Why do you think we are so quickly drawn away from a singular worship of God alone? How can we guard the purity of our devotion to Him? 

5) If we love God, what will we do, according to Deuteronomy 11:1, John 14:15, and 2 John 1:6?? What specifically does this mean day to day?

6) If we love God, what does Psalm 97:10 say you will hate? What specifically does this mean day to day?

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to YIELD fruit in keeping with the repentance that we claim. What exactly is this fruit? What's our part in cultivating it, and what is God's? What things do we allow in our lives that threaten to choke it out? In session one, we explore the call to YIELD fruit in our lives and examine whether or not our lives show evidence of the salvation we claim.

Verses Used:

Luke 8:11-15

Galatians 5:19-21 & 24

Ephesians 5:7-11

Galatians 5:22-23 & 25

John 15:1-5

Discussion Questions:

What resonated with you most from this week’s message, and why?

In Luke 8:11-15, Jesus describes one soil (life) that yields fruit and others that do not. Why is it impossible for an unbeliever to yield fruit?

What prevents believers from yielding fruit? (See Luke 8:11-15) To what degree is the fruit in your life being choked out, and what is the cause?

How does the Bible describe the fruit we are called to yield? (See Ephesians 5:9 & Galatians 5:22-23) Which one is your greatest struggle?

How does God cultivate spiritual fruit in our lives? Do you have any examples you can give from your own life? (See John 15:1-5, James 1:2-4, & Hebrews 12:11)

What participation do we as believers have in yielding fruit in our own lives? How can we be more intentional in preparing the soil of our hearts to yield fruit? (see John 15:1-5, Philippians 2:12, & Galatians 5:24-25)

Scripture tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God. But how much faith do we need? What is our faith in? How do we put our faith into practice or even increase it? Join us as we discuss all this and more on this month’s episode.

365 times in Scripture, God says not to fear. Fear is a very real emotion that we come up against often in life—but how do we not let it master over us? Join us on this month’s episode as we discuss what God calls us to in the midst of fear and how to surrender to a God who is an ever-present help in trouble.