February 2021 Wednesday Study Questions

February 3: God’s Comfort

1. Describe a time when you were on a difficult journey.  Did you feel God walking that path with you?  How did you experience God’s peace and healing during that time?
2. How do you respond when you see others struggling?  Does your response change based on how much you are struggling at the time?  Is it easier or harder for you to comfort others when you are also in need of comfort?
3. How do you remain aware of opportunities to show God’s compassion to others?  In what ways can you share the love of Jesus without words today?
4. What scripture passages and prayer practices help you to focus on the needs of those around you?  How is God calling you to help those in your community who are hurting?
5. In what ways does your church reach out and show God’s compassion to others?  Do you participate in those efforts?  In what other ways does your church community encourage you to help those around you?

February 10: Being Present

1. Do you participate in a small group?  In what ways have you benefited from the group?  What practices might your group implement to help its members avoid distractions?
2. Why do you think Jesus was so good at focusing on others?  What can you learn from Jesus’ focus?  How will you try to follow his example today?
3. List some common distractions that weigh on you before or during a worship service, small-group meeting, or devotional time.  How can you intentionally avoid those distractions in the coming week?
4. Read your favorite scripture passage containing the phrases “Jesus saw” or “Jesus looked.”  Why do you like that passage?  What does it teach you about yourself, Jesus, or others?
5. What helps you to slow down and focus on the present moment?  How do you most notice God’s love when you slow down in that way?  How do you make sure you take time to notice the holiness of those moments?

February 17: From Sticks to Blossoms

1. When have you had to wait for something that, when it came to fruition, was worth the wait?  How was that experience similar to what today’s writer describes about the broom tree?
2. Today’s meditation references the waiting of Abraham, Sarah, and David.  What other biblical characters had to wait?  How do you imagine they felt in that waiting?  What can we learn from their situations?
3. Who and what helps you respond to times of waiting with patience and hope?  How does your faith affect the way you feel about waiting?
4. When you are experiencing a barren time, is it hard for you to believe that the “bare, green sticks” of your life will blossom again?  What are your prayers like in such times?  What scripture verses comfort you when you feel this way?
5. In what ways do you remember the “blossoms of the past”?  What blossoms do you hope people will remember about you, your family, your faith community, or your country?  Why do you think it is important both to remember what has passed and to anticipate what is to come?

February 24: A Closer Look

1. Today’s writer initially thought his project wouldn’t take long, but he soon realized he was wrong.  Has something similar happened to you?  Why do you think our first impressions can so often be inaccurate?
2. What areas of your life feel rushed?  How might you try to slow down in those areas?  What do you think you might notice when you slow down?
3. In what simple ways can you bear someone’s burden today?  How will you be more aware of the opportunities that God provides to help and lift others up?
4. When you feel like others are too busy to notice your struggles, what helps you find peace and encouragement?  What scripture passages do you most relate to in those times?  What prayers bring you comfort?  What activities help you find relief?
5. Besides bearing one another’s burdens, what other actions make it possible to fulfill the law of Christ?  How would your life be different if you and everyone around you tried to live in a way that would lift others up, bear one another’s burdens, and follow the example that Jesus set?