In the Father’s Hands - Connect Groups
Introduction
Introduction
In the Father’s hands! Sometimes people say flippantly or fatalistically ‘well it’s in God’s hands now’ — as in ‘there’s nothing more we can do’. But when we reflect on the fact that we live and breathe in the shelter of God’s the Father’s hands — there’s so much we can do!
This month we conclude our three month series looking at the Trinity by reflecting on our Father God. Wild Jesus regularly talks about and prays to His Father knowing that His Father loves Him and shows Him all He does (John 5: 20). One of the sparks the Spirit gives us is that we cry out ‘Abba, dear father’ (Romans 8: 15). We keep in mind that God the Father is one of heavenly understanding and not an earthly understanding.
We are reflecting on the care, creativity and generosity of our heavenly Father, who loves us dearly who empowers, encourages and energises us, side by side with Wild Jesus.
So, what are Father God’s hands like? What does it mean to be in His hands? Hands that are safe. That are open. That are skilled. That are creative. That are ever resourceful. Hands that know how to sensitively sculpt, weave, cultivate, and nurture. Hands that are both powerful and gentle, unimaginably big and yet able to hold us close.
To help us picture the Father’s hands we are going to be looking at a series of metaphors for the skilled craftsmanship of our loving Father God. In a world that knows only too well the pain of absent fathers we are comforted by the presence of our God — who has all the presence of the gifted artist lovingly crafting his art. We are beautiful dishes, a rich tapestry, a vibrant garden, and an endless canvass of God’s grace.
SEEDS TO SOW: We have a 'Seeds to Sow' phrase at the beginning of each section. These are open-ended and optional and are designed for people wanting to develop their own ideas/resources in response to the material. Perhaps if using this material as a group you could use these prompts to inspire a time of prayer, or drawing, or creative writing? They are intended to be short and sweet, simply a starting off place for you and your imagination, be encouraged to tailor/develop as suits your group.
Download the Discussion Questions as a PDF
These discussion questions adapt our monthly theme for small Connect Groups or personal Bible study. The questions are divided into 5 parts to correspond with the 5 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.
