We invite you to follow along with us as we explore our new theme A Suitcase of Stories, Dreams and Prayers. You can use this material for group discussion or personal Bible study. Check out each week's section, watch the introductory video to each week's sub theme and read and reflect your way through this month's passages.

To live is to unpack a suitcase of eternal stories, dreams and prayers...

Our lives can be compared to a traveling suitcase moving through time. One full of stories, dreams and prayers. ‘Time’ has been described as stories we tell each other in order that we give our lives meaning. Phrases, snippets of conversations overheard, that give our understanding fresh insight, they all find their way into the suitcase along with dreams to be explored that speak of purpose for the future and prayers to be prayed to hold us in time and root us into eternity.

We each have a cosmic suitcase that fills with our own stories, dreams, throwaway lines and prayers as we travel through time learning what it means to be God’s — on into eternity!

Let’s get packing!

Download the Discussion Questions as a PDF

These discussion questions adapt our monthly themes for small Connect Groups or personal Bible study (look up the A Suitcase of Stories, Dreams and Prayers Resource Pack PDF for more information on this month's theme). The questions are divided into 4 parts to correspond with the 4 weeks of the Daily Worship theme. They are offered as a guideline and there is no need to go through all the given questions in a single session, or in the following sequence. Feel free to pick and choose, or adapt to what interests you or your group.

Find out more on this month's theme:  A Suitcase of Stories, Dreams and Prayers

What are Connect Groups? 

‘Connect Groups’ is the name we give to small informal gatherings who decide to meet together to explore the Bible alongside our monthly themes. These groups are independent and folk can simply set up their own Connect Group themselves, meeting together with friends and family on their own basis. In this time of Lockdowns when people can’t get together physically this material can still be used to meet together online.

Each month we produce a range of questions to adapt our themes for group discussion. The material is offered as a starting point and there is no need to go through all the questions.You can pick and choose, tailoring it to suit the needs and interests of your group. Each ‘Part’ could form the basis of a weekly roughly 90 minute meeting but you could break it up differently. Let us know if you would like to find out more about Connect Groups and different ways of linking into the Sanctuary First community.

We all come to the Bible with our own questions, insights and barriers. The guiding principle we have in writing these is to ask questions we don’t already know the answer to! Our hope is to facilitate open-ended discussions. Often the most valuable parts of group chats are the bits that go off on bizarre tangents. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Jesus knows a thing or two about bizarre tangents…

Need some advice on starting your own Connect Group? Get in touch.